HL2 and CDkeys/Steam

[mikesux]

One thing I love about the MMORPG community, the games stink, but you don't get warez kids stealing keys and accounts, and hacking away knowing that if they get caught, they can change cdkey to another one they have stolen.

As a long time member of the CS community, it was bad to see how people could cheat so blatantly and not get banned cause of the cdkey system.

To be honest if when i first went to play HL2 multiplayer, if it asked me for my name, address and email I wouldn't mind if it meant MY copy was tied to ME because everyone else would have to do the same. - ie PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Scan my hard drive, use my bandwidth, do whatever you can to make sure me, and THAT GUY aren't cheating, i really need that peice of mind to be able to consentrate on my play.

How inclined will people be to develop cheats on this sort of system? If they have to buy a new game every time they get caught on a server using it.... (maybe via a sneaky steam update) I don't think there should be any slack here, you get caught cheating, buy the game again dumbass.

But another thing that really bugs me, is people who buy games, take CDkeys and return the game. That way they could just do this every time they get banned ( swap the game claiming the disc is faulty or something) Do cdkeys get disabled as the game gets returned? Why exactly do companies allow software to be returned anyway?

Overall though, things are looking up, I look forward to reasonably hack-free multiplayer

 

[mannyfresh027]

there should be a login attached to your cdkey

so when you go to play online, you sign in, and it checks your cdkey. if the login info doesnt match what you registered with the cdkey, you dont go online.

that makes it so you have to steal more than the cdkey password and login name are kept in your brain and a central server

edit: and there can only be one login per cdkey. so youd have to share it with family members, or log your friends in if they want to use your computer

 

[Fender357]

Well if the multiplayer is through Steam (which it will be) then the whole login thing is already there. You've gotta have your login to get onto Steam. So will that help at all?

and i figure that your game copy will be seen so that steam knows your CDkey and ties into that.

I just hope they will have a much better system of VAC, I was banned from CS for 6 months and I swear to god I didnt do anything, didnt have any cheat programs on my pc or anything like that.

 

[ValVed RaY]

i'll make it as simple and clear as i can put it

- steam will be optional (not required to play hl2)
- steam will not handle the cd key base system just a simple user log in. (this is used for buddy list, ranks, personal info ect (not banning info, that will be separate)
- half-life 2 will have a similar cd key- won id (not really WON anymore) system, again SEPARATE from steam.
- mods including tf2, cs2, wetdream 2 are all speculation
- no monthly fees

 

[SidewinderX]

actaully, Raven Shield did a good job of prevent warez kids form playing. They made ypu have an ubi.com account that was tied into your CDkey, and the cdkey was check against your account info everythime u logged in.

 

[Claws]

I'm willing to have a login, like Tribes2... Only problem is I can't install T2 on a different PC. If they resolve that problem then there is no reason not to want that. Anyone who is not willing is probably a cheater [Ignorant statement, I know].

 

[Mountain Man]

Will Steam basically be Valve's version of Battle.net, where CD-key and login information are stored at a central server? If so, I hope Valve is as aggressive towards hacks and cheats as Blizzard has been.

 

[ValVed RaY]

steam is not involved with cd key base system; banning ect

 

[Epsi]

How do you know that?

 

[coolUK007]

They can do anything except charge money for these services then great!

 

[Killerlagger]

Valved ray your info is flawed

When Gabe was asked about authentication he said it will happen via steam so STEAM will run when you play HL2

 

[Demonmerc]

I don't think steam will be optional for multiplayer. Its only optional if you only play single-player.

I really like the idea of a username/pw tied to every cd-key.