Legality of using custom skins?

[DorkFish]

Hey guys,

I just saw the posts on custom skins. They look good, and as some were saying... they probably add too much advantage compared to the original skins that comes with the game.

But what I really want to do is make my own, that looks good. I work as an artist/technical director professionally, but not for video games. And since I am enjoying the heck out of playing DoD, I am really looking to make the nicest looking custom skins I can make.

But here are some concerns. If I make my own skin, does the VAC thing and servers not know the files on my local computer have been changed and ban me automatically?

I mean if I were to want to crank up kills.. then I could possibly make character models as pure red/blue models with giant arrows pointing at them, with all white background.... or making buildings semi-transparent... or make grenade models gigantic yellow stars so I see them when enemy throws it... or completely get rid of ironsights and put just a crosshair as a sprite...

There are so many things people can do with possibility of editing the client side render of the game to actually cheat.

All these cheats, vs. legit custom models made to "look" more realistic... can not be differentiated by technical data alone, but only through human judgments, whether one is a cheat or not.

So, my question is. Aren't there any protection in game that prevents from people from using custom skins that were made specifically to cheat? If there is, would it also consider it cheating if I make my custom skins nicer, realistic looking?

Thanks

 

[Bas.B]

To the best of my knowledge, skins are OK. But as you said, sometimes people abuse the technical possibilities. Only a few days ago, I heard an admin on vent say there was someone in a server who seemed to have a beneficial skins. I think it will be a matter of human judgement. I really do think editing those files in such a way as you describe is really hard, and could mess up your game though.
Good question.

 

[DorkFish]

Thanks Bas.B

But how would an admin know what you are using as a skin? How could people know what is stored on your local machine?

Does Steam, VAC, or server admins allow custom skins to be uploaded from user's local machine as they are playing the game? Or does Steam some how send screenshots from your graphic card?

I'm not sure how someone can ever know what you have on your physical computer, unless someone else has access to it.

 

[Hoot]

Nobody else can see your skins except yourself. But if you compete in CAL u cannot use any skins at all.

 

[DorkFish]

Hello hOOt,

I am fairly new to the game. What do you mean by compete in CAL?

Thanks!

 

[Bizzy|Shooter -I|G-]

CAL- Cyber Athlete Amateur League
Its in short a League that teams of really really good players compete against each other in. You aren't allowed to have custom skins for anything, and you have to record yourself playing in a demo and turn it in at the end of your match. You also have to run numerous programs that take screenshots every few minutes or so. Now, there are commands in other games that don't allow people to play with skins. They have to connect to a server with vanilla DoD:s (Vanilla= No modifications of any kind). However, I don't know if DoD:S servers can run this feature. So you can't be banned for using skins, that are for realistic use, or for cheating. But watch if you download your skins, because sometimes people put hacks or viruses into the skin file, which could get VAC banned or get a computer virus. So just be careful what you use

 

[Booster37]

Yeah. I'll explain a bit.

Custom skins can only be added on servers that do not run sv_pure. If they have this, all default textures, skins, etc., are used.

Yes, people can use items to help give them an edge, but you just don't see that often enough to really discourage it.

 

[DorkFish]

Thanks Booster! Would you happen to know if sv_pure is ran on most servers? If so, it sounds pretty dumb for me to make custom skins... If I only get to use 1 out of 10 servers.

 

[Hoot]

Skins are a way to " Make the game the way YOU want it"

 

[Bas.B]

If you're an experienced admin, and if you've played the game for a while, you can tell whether or not a person is hacking. If you think the person isn't, but he's getting amazing shots off everytime anyway, you know there's something fishy, probably something with skins.

 

[slayr357]

I mean if I were to want to crank up kills.. then I could possibly make character models as pure red/blue models with giant arrows pointing at them, with all white background.... or making buildings semi-transparent... or make grenade models gigantic yellow stars so I see them when enemy throws it

If i found that a player(Yes i hve ask flavoracid) using bright skin in DoD server they will be perma banned. anything that will let you see thru a wall is a wall hack and bannable(yes we can find out about that too) skinning guns is fine but be careful what you mod.

 

[DorkFish]

i understand that, but how is an admin capable of ever finding it out? The only three possibilities I know are:

1) Admin is physically standing next to you, looking at your monitor as you play

2) Steam somehow allows admins to go into people's private computers and look around what skins they are using

3) Steam somehow allows taking snapshots from the player's computer then uploads it.

I find these to be very unlikely since... Admin usually are not gods who can actually teleport in real life and go behind your char and look at your monitor, and admins having ability look into your private computer files would be an illegal activity of hacking, not just illegal in sense of gaming, but it would be a criminal act in sense of federal laws. The only other way I think is when an admin "guesses" by looking at how a player plays. Then then of course two people can be gaming together next to each other in a room, looking at each other's screens knowing if enemy is behind a wall or something.. or even someone telling another player the enemy location by mic... then the guess would be wrong since they were not "hacking" or "cheating".

I think best is that Dod does not allow any custom skins. Anyone with the knowledge of editing model / textures are fully capable of making cheats, without anyone ever knowing it unless they are caught by the three methods I've said...

Now, I am someone with some knowledge in game development and assets due to my profession. I am interested in modding (not for cheating but making my own skins). But for the sake of game play, I think NOT allowing any custom skins, in ANY servers is a good idea. It allows anyone with knowledge to make undetectable cheats.

 

[FluffyTDestroyer]

i understand that, but how is an admin capable of ever finding it out? The only three possibilities I know are:

1) Admin is physically standing next to you, looking at your monitor as you play

2) Steam somehow allows admins to go into people's private computers and look around what skins they are using

3) Steam somehow allows taking snapshots from the player's computer then uploads it.

4) Player who used brightly colored skins posts pic of "eGO pwnage" on a forum, with screen caps of said skins.





Hey, you said you didn't understand how an admin is capable of finding out... Simple. Sometimes, it's the player's own actions that call attention to his game play on our servers. It would suck if this conversational thread leads to sv_pure being used on eGO servers. You mentioned you wanted to mod your own skin, but yet you bring up how easily it could be done to cheat with different skins...

*insert witty Sherlock Holmes quote here*

Instead of playing your own devil's advocate, maybe it's best to just come out and say you question the validity of the eGO members who do talk about their already modded skins here on the forum.

 

[DorkFish]

I say it is easy to cheat by using custom skins if you have average knowledge of computer graphics... because sadly it is true.

And frankly, i just play for fun. I don't really care about the validity of the eGO members or the server rules other than following it. They are the admins and they choose what they want the server to be. I am new to the game, and new to the clan...

I'm just surprised at the game itself, not the server. That the game has no protection from people using cheats. Again, I am not here to say that admins are wrong for letting people use it, or even DoD is a bad game because there is a possiblity. What I'm saying is that DoD should have features to distinguish cheats vs. legit mods.

I think the best solution (not that DoD, HL2, or Vac people would read this), is the ability for the admins to have access to screenshots. Meaning that they do have access to player's computers, but ONLY to extent of screenshots. Interestingly, I was reading about some games doing it. An example I found of American Army. The PunkBuster program allows admins to have the players upload screenshots to check what the players see.

I'm not quite sure why I am being antagonized for telling what people can do, and that should be prevented. I never said I want to cheat, yet I'm being told "if you ever cheat..."... Just because someone works is a professional computer graphics artist, does not mean he will make cheats. And I am not saying it should be prevented by the Admins... I'm saying it should be prevented by the game itself (unless the admins are some crazy programmers who is capable of programming this)

 

[DorkFish]

I apologize. I did not mean to offend any admins or say that admins are doing a bad job by allowing custom skins. I spoke with excitement of knowing that I am able to put my passion of computer graphics and games together, and also with disappointment that anyone with some knowledge can get benefits.

Once again, my apologies if you felt offended by my thread.

Please close thread

 

[Israel]

I have sent you a pm already and I think you will understand this.

You consider your self so smart and it is true you are but the wise also becomes fool in his own understanding...

Read this wise words witch are not mine but I love them.

He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

Like fluffy says don't be your own devil's advocate...

Best regards to you.


Servant

 

[wasawiki.]

Good thread!

 

[Big Bang (Rookie)]

Well I consider any skins cheating especially ones that are of a bright color. If it gives you an edge its cheating in my book.

 

[Brewmaster]

I think they shouldnt be allowed but that isn't up to me, besides knowing if someone is or not would be impossible. The reason I don't like them, years ago on the old dod I remember people using solid bright color skins - such as red for axis - really made players stand out - no more hiding - this to me ruins the game. I always say play the game the way it was meant to be played. I play dod for pure fun and to take a break from my busy life. Why change a great game. Anyway my 2 cents thats worth 1 cent.