Counter-Strike: Source Guest Passes

[-smash-]

Guest passes are now available to all Counter-Strike: Source owners. With these passes you "now have the ability to invite a friend to [your] favorite online game," and your friends will be given a free 3-day trial period of Counter-Strike.

Steam Guest Passes are now available to all owners of Counter-Strike: Source. Just like the Steam Guest Passes recently issued for Day of Defeat: Source, all CS:S players now have the ability to invite a friend to their favorite online game. Upon receiving and activating the Steam Guest Pass, the invited friend has 3 days of Counter-Strike: Source play available to them for free, with no obligation to purchase.[br]Guest Passes are another example of advanced service and functionality that can only be offered through Steam, a leading platform for content delivery and management.[br]For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com

More information can be found herehttp://storefront.steampowered.com/v/?gpdata=gift,new,37 as well.

 

[Dekstar]

I don't think the whole cheating thing has been addressed by any of the VALVe team, and it has been brought up a fair few times. If someone were to cheat on a guest account, how is that handled?

 

[riles]

Well you have to have a steam account to use a guest pass right? If so I'm sure they could penalize the account that is using the guest pass at no expense to the actual owner of cs:s.

Then again im not sure how the whole guest thing works, i havent really looked into it.

 

[Stigmata]

Yeah, that would be how it's handled. You can't really be held responsible for the actions of someone you give a guest pass to.

 

[Dekstar]

Yes but VAC works on delayed bans, and if you only have 3 days to play CSS, you can't be banned unless you use that same account to buy CSS (which is silly if you intend to cheat).

 

[Asuka]

Good, the more people the better. We need Source to pass 1.6!

 

[SgtSpamBoy]

Disappointing...

Hmmm...from my understanding, we get one guest pass to give out, which will last for 3 days, but we have to give it out in one month or it will expire... that stinks.

I was hoping the guest passes would allow easier LAN parties in situations where half the people don't own the game, so the people that do could "share" their account for a night.

Having them expire after a month from now makes them much less useful.

What incentive do I have to give out a guest pass? (besides just being nice) - Most of my friends who don't own Counter Strike have already played it, and due to time, money, or gaming preference, they don't want to buy it, but would play it during a LAN party for fun.

It would be cooler if the guest passes had a certain number of hours you could share and could use those hours anytime you wanted without them expiring.

 

[Dekstar]

The system of delayed bans probably wouldn't make a difference anyways.

However, I can say the good people of VALVe have worked through many, many, many scenarios and have processes in place that limit this problem as much as possible.

Ok I think I know what this means. VALVe will log the IP addresses, MAC addresses, or some other information that, although spoofable, probably won't be spoofed between the time someone creates a blank account, logs back into their main account, sends their blank account a guest pass, and starts to cheat. If such a user is caught (would be the majority if VALVe bases it on MAC addresses alone, as these are harder to spoof than a router reset for the most part - I've never changed my MAC address, but proxied many times.) then their main accounts will be flagged and banned when the time comes.
Now obviously there are problems with this. LAN users might share an IP, and get banned. MAC addresses would be the way to go, it seems.

I can't think of another way this would work.

 

[Fadeaway]

"another example of service and functionality"

Much like the bastard monster they named the Valve Anti-Cheat system.

 

[Jintor]

Hey, VAC works for the most part.

I havn't been headshotted from across the map with a basic pistol yet on any VAC servers, so...

 

[Dekstar]

Hey, VAC works for the most part.

I havn't been headshotted from across the map with a basic pistol yet on any VAC servers, so...

'tis possible without cheats you know. Many a time have I got a running deagle headshot on an AWPer while legging it down mid on dust2. Just because someone does something lucky, you can't assume they're cheating unless it's obvious.

 

[Qonfused]

I hate when people link random luck shots instantly to hacks.

 

[CyberPitz]

I hate when people link random luck shots instantly to hacks.

It's true. I've had me a shit ton of lucky shots. Like I'll be zoomed in with an awp, point out towards mid from B, then a flash from tunnel hits me, and I just throw my mouse, fire, get a headshot with the awp. Really creepy imo..

 

[Dekstar]

It's true. I've had me a shit ton of lucky shots. Like I'll be zoomed in with an awp, point out towards mid from B, then a flash from tunnel hits me, and I just throw my mouse, fire, get a headshot with the awp. Really creepy imo..

Or like You're just looking at the corner of a wall where no one's been through. Then you get bored and just fire off a random shot at the very corner and you HS someone who's just running round there. Makes you look like you have 0.00001s reactions :E.
I do that all the time, but it's because of my wallhack, not skill.

 

[OmegaX]

If anyone has an unused pass I would like to use it. My e-mail is [email protected] Thanks!

 

[Insano]

If anyone has an unused pass I would like to use it. My e-mail is [email protected] Thanks!

Done