Hacking in Warband

[Illusive Man]

Hello, I'd like to talk about what really concerns me about the game - hacks. I won't be mentioning player names and clan names in this topic.

I remember being able to praise the game saying it had no hacks (I am talking about Multiplayer), but unfortunately I can't do that anymore There have been many threads made about auto-block and aim cheats. I can't confirm those, but  I am sure one is really used. Recently, while playing in matches and public servers I noticed players having too much knowledge of other people exact location.

Yes, I am talking about a cheat know as wall-hack. While playing on a public server I noticed one of those players, later we were the only ones left in the server and decided to make a little test. It was Nord Town, I kept hiding behind the corners of my spawn making sure my scabbard and other stuff won't give away my position, was using ~ to see the player, without him seeing me. For my surprise, every time he just marched straight forward to where I was, without looking behind the other corners and hideouts.

Since his clan was known to me well, I sent a private message to his leader and he just admitted (doubt he would have done it in public) that the player and some officers were also using it, but they "never" given away the enemy position during matches (yeah right). I asked him about the cheat and he said that it's a recent hack and many other big clans also use it.

Lastly, my clan was having a training match with another clan. When I given the password of server to the clan's leader I noticed the very same player I was talking about earlier (the one in Nord Town) trying to connect. When our opponents came to our server I checked the IDs and one of them matched that player, so I requested that he would make screenshots at the end of each quarter. Instead he instantly left the server and his leader PMed me that the player has been removed from the match, though I checked the logs again and I found that player with playing under another nickname, I again asked him to make screenshots and he left and didn't come back for some time, later he used two more nicknames to avoid my requests... I made a conclusion that he was in-fact using the cheat.

Some footage:

Wall-hack

-removed-

Aim bot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KArQdASAKSo



This is a serious drawback in all games and I think Taleworlds shouldn't hesitate and could take action by adding anti-cheats to avoid such things.

 

[killer-blead]

**** they found out about my clan! Quick I must go into hiding! *Blead runs off

 

[LeRoux]

The aimbotvideo has been shown before, it's in SP, it's not possible in MP.
I myself, as an archer, have never seen anybody from whom I suspect they actually use aimbotting or anything.

Don't know 'bout them wallhacks though.

 

[sotamursu123]

As far as i know, most hacks only work when you are the host. If you are hosting you can speed or damage "hack"(modify some weapon speeds/damage), modify some armor part to make you immortal/slightly better, or faster running through (only the host will see the stats different), and you can modify the maps to shoot/move from places which would normally not allow that.

I think aimbotting is possible, but that's not a problem in warband. If there are aimbots, that just means that people beat bots in warband.

The easiest (and most common) hack is bush hack, which allows you to see through anything which blocks only vision (like bushes), which allows you to shoot accurately at your enemies when they possible can't even see you. (Vendetta's trees and Ruins' bushes are a good example of places to abuse this). The thing i hate about this hack the most is that (at least according to Lust) this is allowed to be used in ENL, which sucks. (I made him a suggestion about removing all bushes and trees with leaves from competitive versions of the maps)

 

[DavidMF]

The only aimbot I ever found wasn't an aimbot but only a 'little dot' that show you where to shoot, calculating the distance and speed of the person, I think the creator gave up on making it a real aimbot.

"Wallhack" is easy to make :/ I made some screenshots long ago and posted it in the bug forums, I had all buildings/ground at like 50% transparent (and no trees/bushes), servers do not check files before entering on server, and I highly doubt they change it now O:

 

[Asgeir]

The only aimbot I ever found wasn't an aimbot but only a 'little dot' that show you where to shoot, calculating the distance and speed of the person, I think the creator gave up on making it a real aimbot.

"Wallhack" is easy to make :/ I made some screenshots long ago and posted it in the bug forums, I had all buildings/ground at like 50% transparent (and no trees/bushes), servers do not check files before entering on server, and I highly doubt they change it now O:

You cheetah !!!

 

[Jabbe]

Agree with Sotamursu and Illusive Man. I believe that the aimbot isn't very used hack in MP, but looks like many players/clans use wall hacks and especially bush hacks.
It's sad that these hacks ruin part of fair multiplayer experience. Usually these bushes have located to places which are good hiding places for archers and 2 handers.
Now it's pretty impossible to prevent hacks and bust their users, so the solutions are to remove leaves and bushes or then just let some players/clans cheat other players.

servers do not check files before entering on server, and I highly doubt they change it now O:

I hope that they could create a system which detects texture modifications and other hacks, but it will not be very easy.

 

[Gotha]

Scripting hacks for example a radar are pretty easy... 

I am really familiar with native compatible scripting with the module system 


sry for my english.

 

[Vincenzo]

Hacking sadly is quite simple at client side for many games.

Since the client has access to things like, player positions, rendering of things like vegetation, players and buildings.
The client has access to what kind of attack/block a player is doing, and so on and so forth.

The large modability of the engine is also not helping in this case.
Easy enough you can create a large range of memory injection hacks or even simple texture changes.


Frankly, there is not much that can be done because there is no way for the server to know there is a slightly modified client...
Unless you use the VAC system, which can be enabled for both servers and clients (but that forces clients to run steam!)

So as always I recomend running on VAC servers and forcing the players in said matches to use the steam version of the game (you can register your non-steam serial on steam usually)

 

[Orion]

The easiest (and most common) hack is bush hack, which allows you to see through anything which blocks only vision (like bushes), which allows you to shoot accurately at your enemies when they possible can't even see you. (Vendetta's trees and Ruins' bushes are a good example of places to abuse this). The thing i hate about this hack the most is that (at least according to Lust) this is allowed to be used in ENL, which sucks. (I made him a suggestion about removing all bushes and trees with leaves from competitive versions of the maps)

I originally wanted a screenshot requirement from all players for NASTe matches, but I also wanted people to actually play on my ladder. Would have resolved the wallhack issue if it isn't toggleable, at least. That's one of the reasons I wanted the screenshots (the other being score verification).

 

[Frosty]

Can players modify player textures in Warband and still play Native? In Counter-Strike, it's possible to change the textures of player models so you can see them and then you avoid a VAC-Ban.
Also, why does it say Warband is VAC protected when clearly it isn't

 

[Úlfheðinn]

I won't be mentioning player names and clan names in this topic.

So...you caught someone cheating, but you won't mention who?

That seems a bit pointless.

If you actually have conclusive proof, it would seem logical to actually state which clan it was.

 

[KevinRudd]

Frankly, there is not much that can be done because there is no way for the server to know there is a slightly modified client...

My memory may be a little bit fuzzy, but doesn't CRPG have some sort of automatic hack detection script? I remember there was quite a bit of controversy in the Australian community when a few long-standing players were automatically banned (with no human intervention) for using block hacks. 

 

[LeRoux]

I won't be mentioning player names and clan names in this topic.

So...you caught someone cheating, but you won't mention who?

That seems a bit pointless.

If you actually have conclusive proof, it would seem logical to actually state which clan it was.

Yeah, I agree.

 

[Vincenzo]

I think CRPG guys had some script checks added in their client side that allowed them to redflag auto blockers.

A true hacker can disable such things too you know.

 

[Leifr Eiríksson]

Especially if alcohol is involved...





Can't say I've ever really experienced or seen any suggestion of 'hacks' in Warband, modded or otherwise. Didn't Armagan even express the difficulty in creating a functioning aimbot for Warband due to the natural arrow spread//deviation? Modifying wall textures and whatnot to be transparent? Guess it's possible... Not sure why you'd want to though, I guess people are desperate to win it all.

 

[Gragnok]

I won't be mentioning player names and clan names in this topic.

So...you caught someone cheating, but you won't mention who?

That seems a bit pointless.

If you actually have conclusive proof, it would seem logical to actually state which clan it was.

Yeah, I agree.

+1

 

[MaHuD]

It is not possible to make an aimbot, you can however make an aiming assistance, wallhack, radar, health indicator and autoblock.

 

[Illusive Man]

I won't be mentioning player names and clan names in this topic.

So...you caught someone cheating, but you won't mention who?

That seems a bit pointless.

If you actually have conclusive proof, it would seem logical to actually state which clan it was.

I didn't make this thread to catch cheaters, I was hoping something could be done to protect servers from them. If we start accusing specific people and clans for cheating this might turn out into a flame war.

 

[Cayetann]

It's sad to see, people're doing those things... Wall-hack can be (IS) real, but aimbot is only for singleplayer.