Possible to create/join server without validating?

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:34 am

Hello

I'm trying for some friends to play just 4 maps I made using OC. We are gathering next month to play them in lan and they won't be playing the game ever after that.
Is it possible to avoid being validated by valve when creating or joining a lan server? I would like to avoid having to buy 4 times the OC required HL2 content (by the way, what is it? all 3 HL2 games?) in order for us to be able to play that day.
I know that's possible since I tried with HL2COOP mod and worked.
Thank you a lot.

Datastream · Post by **Datastream** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:37 am

You mean create a cracked server for your lan? Wrong forum, buddy.
You need half life 2 or any other source game to play it. The content from each game is not necessary, but it really depends on the map you're going to play.

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:54 am

Oh no, excuse me. I own an orange box and have my ID in order, I don't need to crack anything, but my friends don't own it, and they are going to play just once (my maps will illustrate some table rpg scenarios), so I don't feel like having to buy orange box 4 times more, specially nowadays.
The same way you can type the -insecure command as launch option to avoid VAC, I was wondering if it was possible to skip the validation to play via lan.

Edit: By the way, some content is required since if you create a new steam account (I checked it) and put just OC inside, it won't show up on the games list. The questions is if the required content (the one that gaves jou access to source sdk) is HL2. I think OC engine is EP2, that's why I asked.

Datastream · Post by **Datastream** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:59 am

That is merely the anti cheat. But I wonder if it will work for avoiding the authentication. Which I think won't. From a business perspective it's a good thing to always check for pirated software. That's why you have to host special servers for cracked steam. Which their own cracked server libraries and everything. So I don't think it will work. But I could/might be wrong though. I have never cracked steam like this. But in the times that I did, I remembered the servers having different libraries.

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:29 pm

The thing is, if possible, I would like to avoid using anything that has an eyepatch for this little experiment. I know software like that exist but I don't want to use it, specially when there are accounts in play and so many keyloggers out there.
Some time ago, you could start your steam account, start game, disconnect internet (pressing the wlan button of your laptop i.e.) and then start the same account and game from another computer. Then you switch on again wlan of the first and you have two hl2 running.
When looking for mods to create my maps, I used hl2coop for some days and tested the above mentioned trick to see what the playermodels looked like: it worked.
If you do the same with deathmatch, it will be running ok offline, but when you turn it online and steam tries to reconnect, thus detecting another computer is using the same id, you sill see a message in DM client asking you to reconnect, blocking the game.
What happens with OC is quite curious: You can run both clients and use the create server button, even starting the map, but it won't be showing on the lan games. I searched this forum and found the solution of using the console "map_blahblah;sv_lan 0" command to start it. That way it will show at lan games (curious the same doesn't happen with the menu button), but it will connect to valve server to inspect your login info. Obviously one of your clients will pass the test, but the other don't.
I have mad up my mind I will have to buy 4 more orangebox (80€) just for some evening fun, but still I have the hope it exist the command to create and join lan servers in internet offline mode. Anyways most probably this issue will be part of server.dll so there will be no way of avoinding it.

Steam · Post by **Neico** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:49 pm

The Source Engine uses Steam for pretty much anything therefore you can't disable the authentication unless you use a cracked version which is not supported and totally not welcome here

besides, using sv_lan 0 + Tunngle or Hamachi should work at least, the only problem that i see here is that you then have no steamid and if you got an ugly playername the save/restore system could get a problem with that but other then that should it work

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 pm

Guess I will buy the 4 orangeboxes and try to share bills with my friends. Will be easier than looking for/using illegal versions of hl2 and learning how to setup and use hamachi.

By the way, and since we are still in the server section of forum, does anybody use the create server button to run maps in lister server?
How could it be that it works with the command and not with the menu button?

Thank you

Datastream · Post by **Datastream** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:51 pm

I always use the menu button and it works for me.

Steam · Post by **Shana** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:09 pm

Just a hint: you can use the console to connect in case the server doesn't show up.

But they best just get themselves access to "source sdk base - orange box" which is in the steam tools tab. That is all oc requires.

Here's a list of games that will give you access to it:
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?category2=16

Rufus · Post by **Rufus** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:03 am

Neico wrote:using sv_lan 0 + Tunngle or Hamachi should work at least.

Theoretically, I'd say this would work.
the sv_lan help says that in Lan mode doesn't look up authentication.
Spesfically:

- Server is a lan server ( no heartbeat, no authentication, no non-class C addresses )

You say you're gathering, so I assume you're all going to be on one network? I'm certain that it's not illegal to use one copy of OB on two computers for a lan game. Else Valve'd put authentication on in srcds's lan mode.. Right?
*shrug*

Datastream · Post by **Datastream** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:36 am

Using license for a lan party is allowed, I think.

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:01 pm

Using license for a lan party is allowed, I think.

Please tell me how...
When starcraft times you could install "spawned copy" of the game and run in lan but nothing else than lan. There is no such option in steam, at least it isn't up to my knowledge.

At the first stages of my project I tried to create as much steam accounts as needed (since it is free to create one), putting OC inside, but nothing was showing on steam games list, just the dedicated servers of the tools tab. Even if you try to put all the cfg in their places the client will say "buy game" in status, but you won't be able to play those games nor OC will be showing.

Of course if you try to connect with same account than another one, system will reject the login. So, even if is legal to play lan without license, how do you reach the game client skipping login?

If you know tell me because I ran out of ideas and ended up learning hamachi.

Rufus · Post by **Rufus** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:45 pm

Losvaize wrote:
Using license for a lan party is allowed, I think.
Please tell me how...

Isn't it as simple as setting steam to work off-line?

Losvaize · Post by **Losvaize** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:34 pm

You can't start tools or mods offline. Everybody would be playing the solo game with same licenses if so.

JerC · Post by **JerC** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:20 am

Losvaize wrote:You can't start tools or mods offline. Everybody would be playing the solo game with same licenses if so.

Uhhh.
I Did this lot of times.