Cheating-Death Server Documentation

www.unitedadmins.com/cdeath.php
This documentation is geared towards Cheating-Death v4.4.x.x

NOTICE

Unfortunately, the Cheating-Death (C-D) anti-cheat system is incompatible with servers that run VAC (Valve's own anticheat also known as "secure" servers). As of version 2.2.0, C-D can work with VAC supported MODs as long as VAC is disabled. Otherwise, C-D will try to prevent the connection or shutdown if VAC is detected. Never try to connect "secure" servers with C-D client running! If you see a message "Connection to VAC secure server has been aborted.", C-D just saved you from a global ban. Take this warning seriously.

Installation

We will be talking about two different directories on your system. We will use the following to identify them:

\hl - This is the directory where hlds.exe is located.

\game - This is the game directory. For Half-Life the game directory is \hl\valve. For Team Fortress the game directory is \hl\tfc.

NOTE: If you unzip to the \game directory, using the zip folder names, the files should automatically be placed in the right locations.

MetaMod Installations (Including AdminMod)

Copy cdmod.dll to the \game\addons\cdeath directory.
Make a copy of \game\addons\metamod\plugins.ini and save it.
In the plugins.ini file, add the line win32 addons/cdeath/cdmod.dll

For example, a metamod.ini file should have this line:
win32 addons/cdeath/cdmod.dll

Note the forward slash in "addons/cdeath/cdmod.dll". You must use a forward slash. Backslashes will not work.

If you are changing your configuration to the MetaMod method, remember to remove any changes you made to liblist.gam (cdmod_chain...), autoexec.cfg (localinfo mm_gamedll...), and the command line (+localinfo mm_gamedll...).

Other Installations

Copy cdmod.dll to the \game\addons\cdeath directory.
Make a copy of \game\liblist.gam and save it.
In the liblist.gam file, rename "gamedll" to "cdmod_chain".
In the liblist.gam file, add the line 'gamedll "addons\cdeath\cdmod.dll"'.

For example, a Half-Life liblist.gam file should have this line:
    gamedll "dlls\hl.dll"

You would change that line into the following two lines:
    cdmod_chain "dlls\hl.dll"
    gamedll "addons\cdeath\cdmod.dll"

A Counter-Strike liblist.gam file should have this line:
    gamedll "dlls\mp.dll"

You would change that line into the following two lines:
    cdmod_chain "dlls\mp.dll"
    gamedll "addons\cdeath\cdmod.dll"

Disabling VAC on DOD and Counter-Strike servers

Make a copy of \game\liblist.gam and save it.
In the liblist.gam file, change value of "secure" to "0"

For example, a Counter-Strike liblist.gam file should have this line:
secure "1"

You would change that line into the following line:
secure "0"

Optional Mode

C-D has added an optional mode. There is now a cdrequired server rule. You may switch between optional and required mode at anytime by changing the cdrequired cvar. To persistently set this variable, add it to your server.cfg file. The default mode is required or:
cdrequired 1

You can put C-D into optional mode at any time by entering the following command:
cdrequired 0

When C-D is in optional mode, it will not kick anyone for not having C-D installed. When a player does not have C-D installed, "[No C-D]" will be prepended to their name. When a player has an older version of C-D installed, "[Old C-D]" will be prepended to their name. When a player has the correct version of C-D installed, their name will not be changed.

An easy way to tell who has C-D installed is to look at the scoreboard. (The default scoreboard key is the tab key.) By looking at the player's names you can tell who is running C-D.

If you switch from optional to required mode, all of the players not using C-D will be kicked.

Disabled Mode

C-D has added a disabled mode. You may switch to this mode at anytime by changing the cdrequired cvar to -1 (minus one).
cdrequired -1

When C-D is in disabled mode, it will not display a connect message, send challenge packets, prefix player's names with [No C-D], or kick anyone from the server. C-D will still keep track of when players connect and disconnect to the server, but as far as the players are concerned, the server will function like C-D was not installed.

Whenever C-D is switched into disabled mode, the cdversion cvar is set to null. Whenever C-D is switched back into either optional or required mode, the cdversion cvar is set to the current version. This should cause game browsers to filter disabled C-D servers out of their active C-D server lists.

Automatically Updating Challenge

C-D has added an automatically updating challenge. Every time a new client joins server it sends a server challenge update. The challenge system can be controlled with the cdrequiredversion cvar.

In default mode, the challenge system only allows clients with the current or a newer challenge update to connect to the server. When server receives a newer challenge update, it allows clients with an older challenge to play till mapchange.
cdrequiredversion auto

To require clients with version number 4.1 or newer set value of cdrequiredversion to "4.1"
cdrequiredversion "4.1"

Configuring Messages

C-D allows you to set the messages displayed to the clients. This gives you the ability to customize the messages for your particular need or language preference. The messages are stored in the following cvars.

cdrequiredmsg - This message is displayed at connect time if C-D is in required mode. It is also displayed to the client if they are kicked for not having C-D. The default setting is:
    cdrequiredmsg "Cheating-Death is required on this server."

cdoptionalmsg - This message is displayed at connect time if C-D is in optional mode. The default setting is:
    cdoptionalmsg "Cheating-Death is optional on this server."

cdupdatemsg - This message is displayed to the client if they are kicked for using an older version of C-D. The default setting is:
    cdupdatemsg "Cheating-Death needs to be updated to play on this server."

cdnamechangedmsg - This message is displayed to the client if their name is prefixed with [No C-D] or [Old C-D]. The default setting is:
    cdnamechangedmsg "Your name was changed because you don't have Cheating-Death Client\nGet it at http://www.unitedadmins.com/cdeath.php"

Carriage returns may be imbedded in a message by inserting "\n". The following example will be displayed on two lines:
    cdrequiredmsg "***** WARNING *****\nC-D is REQUIRED!!!"

Programming Aids

To assist other programs with interfacing to C-D, the following cvars have been added:

cdvalidatecmd

If this cvar is not blank, C-D will execute it every time a player validates. C-D will automatically append a "\n" to this command. Players normally validate every 3 minutes. You may have one "%d" in your command. The "%d" will be replaced with the validating player's id. For example:
cdvalidatecmd "user %d"

If player #42 validated, C-D would execute the following server command:
user 42

cdnovalidatecmd

If this cvar is not blank, C-D will execute it every time a player fails to validated. C-D will automatically append a "\n" to this command. Players will usually only fail to validate once. You may have one "%d" in your command. The "%d" will be replaced with the validating player's id. For example:
cdnovalidatecmd "kick #%d"

If player #42 does not validate, C-D would execute the following server command:
kick #42

cdoldvalidatecmd

If this cvar is not blank, C-D will execute it every time a player tries to validated using an old challenge. C-D will automatically append a "\n" to this command. Players will usually only fail to validate once. You may have one "%d" in your command. The "%d" will be replaced with the validating player's id. For example:
cdoldvalidatecmd "kick #%d"

If player #42 tries to validate with an old challenge, C-D would execute the following server command:
kick #42

A cdnovalidatecmd will always be executed before the cdoldvalidatecmd.

cdstatus

Server command for server plugins to get C-D status of player. Usage of this server command:
    cdstatus <retry_command> <userid>

Everytime cdstatus is executed C-D will execute <retry_command> with <retry_userid> and <status>, <retry_userid> is always exactly same as <userid>:
    retry_command <retry_userid> <status>

If player with <userid> is not found, C-D will execute command:
    retry_command <userid> 255

If player with <userid> has validated, C-D will execute command:
    retry_command <userid> 0

If player with <userid> has not validated, C-D will execute command:
    retry_command <userid> 1

If player with <userid> has old C-D version, C-D will execute command:
    retry_command <userid> 2

If player with <userid> hasn't complete challenge yet, C-D will execute command:
    retry_command <userid> 3

For example:
    cdstatus echo 0
Will cause following line to be echoed:
    0 225

Uninstall

To uninstall C-D, delete the C-D files and restore the liblist.gam file if you modified it.

Versions

4.4.0 - Fixed crashing when server gets full.
Added new method for forwarding link entity export functions from game DLL to engine in liblist.gam mode.
This adds support for all old/current/future MODs.
4.3.0 - Added cdcurrentupdate cvar for displaying which C-D client version is currently required on the server.
Added minor improvements.
Added cd_use_nsicon cvar for disabling C-D icon feature with Natural-Selection v2.0.
Fixed lag bug.
Added support for Natural-Selection v2.0 in liblist.gam mode.
Fixed multithreading crashes.
4.1.0 - Added cdusethreads cvar for disabling C-D threading.
Fixes to multithreading.
4.0.0 - Added automatically updating challenge system.
Changed server to wait for one extra second before kicking player to give command cvars time to work.
Fixed challenging not working on very laggy connection.
3.3.0 - Changed the challenge.
3.2.0 - Changed the challenge.
3.1.0 - Changed the challenge.
3.0.0 - Fixed 4.1.1.1 support in liblist.gam mode.
Changed the challenge.
2.12.1 - Changed the challenge.
2.11.0 - Fixed hitbox bug in liblist mode.
Changed the challenge.
2.10.0 - Changed the challenge.
2.9.1 - Removed "Cheating-Death forced PlayerName change name to ..." message.
2.9.0 - Added message that is shown when server prefixes player's name.
Added new cvar cdnamechangedmsg.
Merged cdmod.bin and cdmod.dll.
Changed the challenge.
2.8.0 - Full remake name prefixing code.
Fixed client setinfo problems.
Changed the challenge.
2.7.0 - Fixes for crashing problem.
Changed the challenge.
2.6.0 - Fixed logging error with cdrequired -1.
- Changed the challenge.
2.5.0 - Added 'cdstatus' serverside command for other server plugins to check if player is validated.
- Changed the challenge.
2.4.0 - Changed the challenge.
2.3 - Changed the challenge.
2.2.2 - Fixed problems caused by server predicted client frames.
2.2 - Changed the challenge.
2.1 - Added Natural-Selection MOD support.
Uses same entities as metamod 1.13.2
Added better metamod mode detection.
Fixed possible player slot overflow.
2.0 - Upgraded metamod interface.
Works with non-VAC mods.
Uses same entities as metamod 1.12.3
Removed cdinject loader.
1.2 - Changed challenge.
1.1 - Changed challenge.
Added cdoldvalidate.
Fixed metamod version.
1.0 - Changed challenge.
0.9.3 - Added disabled mode.
Added MetaMod plug-in support.
Added tests to check if C-D is misconfigured.
0.9.2 - Fixed bug in optional mode.
0.9.1 - Fixed bug in challenge.
0.9 - Fixed sound problem.
Fixed freeze problem.
Added tray functionality.
Added copy protection.
Added support for DoD 2.0, Oz 2.5, and FireArms.
Added two challenges.
Does not kill players before kicking.
Disconnect players before kicking.
Added cdrequiredmsg, cdoptionalmsg, cdupdatemsg cvars.
0.8b - Added cdrequired, cdvalidatecmd, and cdnovalidecmd cvars.
Added entities to support more MODS.
0.8 - Added more visibility tests.
Prevent TFC spectator hack.
Improved FPS speed.
Fixed some visibility problems.
Added German readme.
Prevent r_drawentities cheat.
Prevent r_fullbright cheat.
Prevent gl_wireframe cheat.
Fixed WinXP compatibility issues.
Removed some hacking checks. Should fix some of the
"Your system has been modified" warnings.
Fixed bug where players would disappear at odd angles and on ladders.
Fixed bug where cdinject would not run on some Win95 machines.
0.7 - Fixed a jitter problem on TFC on snipper scopes.
Added code to check for generic hooking and hacking.
Fixed bug where bullet decals where showing up lower than normal.
0.6 - Added code to prevent some cheats from removing flashes on flashbangs.
Added code to check for opengl hooking.
Fixed problems with locations of sounds.
Fixed some of the "flickering" player problems.
0.5 - Fixed bug where some engines were not being recognized.
0.4 - Added launcher. Changed the way C-D hooks into half-life.
0.3 - Fixed bug in kick statement.
0.2 - Skipped this version number so it would not be confused with CD2.
0.1 - Added AdminMod support
0.0 - Initial release

Credits

Many people deserve credit for Cheating-Death.

Botman - Much of my overall understanding of how the half-life game works comes from Botman's HPBBot code. His tutorials and source code provided my basic education in Half-Life MOD development. (www.planethalflife.com/botman)

ClientBot Programming Board - Much of my detailed understanding of how the Half-Life game works comes from the participants of the ClientBot board. Vasily, System, DeltaShark, ReDucTor, Quabalah, and many others have been very generous in sharing their knowledge, ideas, and code.

Others - I have also picked up good ideas from many other forms, websites, and people. The people on our development mailing list have provided many excellent ideas.

I hope I am not leaving anybody out.

I know that no client-side add-on will ever be able to stop all of the cheating. But maybe it can make the game more enjoyable, and without a lot of hassle. It is my hope that we have been successful.