Cheat/Exploit with PvP immunity timer in Marfach Caverns

[old.Glendower]

Character: Johns, Albion Cleric, Excal Server

July 29, 2003

1) Able to zone into Marfach Cavers and immediately cast paralyze, nukes, and insta-mez on opposing players, while they are subject to the immunity timer (both on themselves and upon him). After he gets his free spellcast on you, he is then subject to attack.

2) Able to log out of the game before the immunity timer lapses, even though he is dotted (and thus "in combat")

3) Able to cast paralyze, nukes, and mez without the target being "in view".

4) Normal interrupt code did not seem to be working.

Treeanna and I are keeping logs of encounters now, and advise anyone going to the Caverns to do so as well to document any spread of this activity.

Will be posting to RightNow and email to Zargar (assuming the link on these boards functions as one).

 

[Addlcove]

the idea is to contact rightnow WITHOUT telling others about these bugs.....

 

[Jupitus]

... aaahhh but in America they believe in the right to free speech, in the public's right to knowledge. They never heard of common sense

 

[old.Tohtori]

Yes. Even sharing nuclear bomb blueprints is the "american" way to do things

 

[Addlcove]

and how on earth did you get a cleric to what sounds like a hibernian dungeon on the excal server?

 

[old.Tohtori]

Originally posted by Addlcove
and how on earth did you get a cleric to what sounds like a hibernian dungeon on the excal server?

Maybe that's the cheat?

 

[liste]

Marfach is the hib version of Halls of Corrupt Addlcove

 

[Sharma]

Umm, telling others is a tad daft isnt it?

 

[Pixie.Pebr]

Since it wasn't said how he manages to exploit it, it doesn't really matter.

If it is just a case of the timer being screwed in general, then it doesn't matter either, since everyone and their dog start pounding the buttons to get their spells/styles off asap when the timer hits 0.
Or maybe it is just my dog?

Now, if you excuse me, I have some cheating to do

 

[Addlcove]

Originally posted by liste
Marfach is the hib version of Halls of Corrupt Addlcove

thanks, didn´t know that

 

[Jupitus]

Originally posted by Pixie.Pebr
Since it wasn't said how he manages to exploit it, it doesn't really matter.

Actually, I realised that but just fancied flaming a little

 

[old.Glendower]

Well, actually, I have no idea HOW it is being done...which is one reason I posted it here.

There are a number of very sharp, tech-savvy persons on this board who just might be able to assist in getting to the bottom of it, thus making the game better for all.

But no, it isnt the timer itself.

One of the things we did was have one person out of the dungeon, and one on the inside.....

Upon his zoning in, I would try and attack him and get the "Immune to PvP attacks" msg, meantime he would sprint down the corridor a bit, then turn and paralyze me (never failing...did this about 7 times), even if I was /stuck to him in attack mode (watching the chat box scroll the immunity msg!), or ran behind him once he began his cast.

Several times I tried a DoT from an item, but they wouldnt go off and he was always able to get that paralyze off first, whereupon he would nuke me several times until I broke free and could attack him...then he would flee to the exit. As a warden, I really had no way to hinder him, and dont have the damage output for the quick kill to say the least

All this took under 10 seconds, and a bit longer if he decided to stay and nuke ( I could not reliably tell if his casts were also faster than normal or what).

Zargar replied to my PM, but failed to give me an email...doubt the logs will fit in the PM box

 

[Driwen]

you could add the logs to a rightnow report?

 

[old.Glendower]

Well, no, it seems I cannot.

The chatlog is apparently some sort of odd file that Windows doesn't recognize, so I would just have to attach it

Going to look for more files to see if they hide under different names.

Not only that, but chatlog doesnt stay enabled when you zone, and every time you turn it on, it just writes over the same file instead of creating a new one (I deduced this since there is only one in the folder, and we all ran several since we had to zone in and out several times).

This means that to do any good, once you capture something, you'd have to log out and rename the file before taking new data.

Cant say as I am very surprised at this given how half-assed the rest of the game programming is.

Any other suggestions?


Edit:

Well, hmm....

Seems to be working on my wife's comp.

Only on hers (running XP, while mine is 98SE), the log is just named "chat" instead of "chat.log" as it is on mine. Opens as a normal text document, and appends to the end each time it is opened...weird.

Will try importing mine to hers and see if that flies, but if not, will just have to try and make sure she plays enough to help ;b

 

[old.Kerosene]

Originally posted by old.Glendower
Character: Johns, Albion Cleric, Excal Server

July 29, 2003

1) Able to zone into Marfach Cavers and immediately cast paralyze, nukes, and insta-mez on opposing players, while they are subject to the immunity timer (both on themselves and upon him). After he gets his free spellcast on you, he is then subject to attack.

2) Able to log out of the game before the immunity timer lapses, even though he is dotted (and thus "in combat")

blah...

Am I being dense here or something but PvP immunity on Excal server? I thought immunity was only on Camlann?

 

[Jupitus]

Originally posted by old.Glendower
Cant say as I am very surprised at this given how half-assed the rest of the game programming is.

<snip>

Edit:

Well, hmm....

<snip>

And in your usual style you whinge about the software when in reality the problem is most likely on your side, and yet given the edit you still left it in

Take a look at the file associations you have for *.log files in windows and take a look also at the folder settings such as 'hide extensions for files of known types'.

When you have done this and figured out why it seems to behave differently on your pc and the other you have started to understand the very basics of Windows. Learn a bit more than that if you want or expect your moaning about 'how half-assed the rest of the game programming is', in this and other threads, to be appreciated.

 

[Pixie.Pebr]

Re: Re: Cheat/Exploit with PvP immunity timer in Marfach Caverns

Originally posted by old.Kerosene
Am I being dense here or something but PvP immunity on Excal server? I thought immunity was only on Camlann?

Yer being dense

We are talking about the frontier dungeons (HotC, Marfach and Dodens).
There is PvP timer on them when you zone in, since they are in PvP areas.

 

[Silenzio]

bout 30 sec immun timer as u log enter/exit in rvr zone...

2 min invul if u get killed by a realm enemy release n go bk in rvr zone...

 

[greenfingers]

let's spam rightnow with fake exploit bugs

GIVF FREE PLAYTIME !!!

 

[old.Glendower]

Originally posted by Jupitus
And in your usual style you whinge about the software when in reality the problem is most likely on your side, and yet given the edit you still left it in

Take a look at the file associations you have for *.log files in windows and take a look also at the folder settings such as 'hide extensions for files of known types'.

When you have done this and figured out why it seems to behave differently on your pc and the other you have started to understand the very basics of Windows. Learn a bit more than that if you want or expect your moaning about 'how half-assed the rest of the game programming is', in this and other threads, to be appreciated.

And in YOUR usual style, you act like a goddamn prick instead of even asking for details first, but hey, what can one expect from a U.Sick protege'? Well, at least you deviated enough to actually suggest something useful.

Well, just so you know, smartass, yes, I had tried all of that. But you should know, since you are such an uber windows-user, that any plain-text files will be shown by default anyway (like the one on my wife's computer, which is Notepad, while hers shows no files with the ".log" extension).

Seems to me that yes, it is the program that runs differently on different OS. Makes sense to use utility for XP that isnt available in 98, but doesn't make sense for it not be totally backward compatable.

And if you want an example of why I say this log is half-assed, heres the comparison:

The logging system for EQ created a nice tidy plain text document every time you turned it on that was saved in their own folder and each had the date automatically set as part of the file name. Whats more, they have several log parser tools that make it very easy for you to scan hundreds of pages in seconds filtering for what you need. This function worked with all the OS I ever saw it used on.

As to why I dont take things out of my message when editing....how then would people understand what I am doing and offer help if they so choose (minus the dickhead attitude, thanks)? If you really worry about your self-image so much, I assure you that there are many other areas you can improve besides falsifying message edits

As for the rest of the game's crap programming (and this includes the shiit engine), I think the host of bugs, glitches, etc (many of which have been around a LONG time) rather speaks for itself. Given the fact that this game is 90% cut-n-paste, with 12 monster models, 8 sound effects, and such a limited array of magic (compared again to EQ), it is even more inexcusable.

 

[old.Tohtori]

So Glen you're saying that... you don't like DAoC?

 

[old.Glendower]

Different topic, but I think "rather dissapointed at unkept promises/potential" would be more like it.

So many great concepts....such crap execution

This game has the best graphics hands down (when they work properly), and it has some great features/mechanics (such as not having to make corpse-runs, larger party size, combat styles, some interface features), but the content is grossly underdeveloped, and that goes for both RvR and PvE. Also, the development/"vision", tech and general repair services are poor.

The reason I quit EQ wasn't the game so much as it was the HORRIBLE, abusive, "us vs them" attitude of Verant. After a while you just get sick of the nerfs etc, and the cry of "fuck you! Just pay!!" Have to say, much of that same attitude/pattern is becoming apparent here. But while I would classify Verant as an evil batch of total pricks, I still think of Mythic as more a crop of bungling, incompetent, idiots.

But ya, I canceled. If they want my cash, they need to provide quality service. Just waiting on the sub to run out. I wouldn't even have done that much, but wife still likes to play sometimes, and since she really cant get around much, her options for entertainment are limited. Also, this sort of game is one of the few we can play together

Anyway, the value of this thread seems to have been maxxed out. I just wanted folks to be aware of the issue and to collect documentation, a process that seems well under way. If anyone wants to offer a suggestion as to an email addy for Zargar (he returned my last PM asking for one without adding any text ), or someplace I can actually send email with attachments, please PM me

Thanks