On the dangerous software that was installed last update. A plea to stop it and possi
 

Open message to the devs about the dangerous software that they installed in the last update, which made the game unplayable for many people, and made the systems of the people who do play insecure. A plea to stop it, and a solution in the form of a Kickstarter that lets us vote with our dollars.

I'm currently not able to play, like a lot of other people.

I understand that this change was made to catch cheaters, but it won't; I think we both know that they'll find ways around it, if they haven't already. You could run EQ in a virtual machine, you could run your hack on a separate machine... those are just the first two that come to mind, as a non-cheater.

So we're left with a change that makes the game unplayable for some of the 99% of innocent people, to catch the 1%, who won't be stopped anyway (by this method, anyway).

Some companies, like Blizzard, have gotten away with doing things like this, but:

Blizzard is a billion dollar company. If I let Blizzard into my system folder and they accidentally turn my computer into a brick, I can sue them. And they're one of the few companies that get away with it, even with the resources of a game company behind them.

This is a hobby project on the internet. It's anonymous and free. If I let them into my system folder and they accidentally turn my computer into a brick, I have no recourse. I'm just screwed.

Tampering with the system folder is a big deal. One typo and boom, my computer is a brick. One weirdness that's unique to my system-- boom, my computer is a brick. Antivirus programs are right to flag this. It *is* dangerous software.

You probably didn't intend to do something so dangerous, but you did, and hiding it made it much worse. It was done without the user's consent and we only found out about it when our antivirus went off. No official explanation has been given. This is bad.

On to the real point:

I'm not a contributor, and I should probably change that if I'm going to complain. I have an idea that could be great for the server and let people vote with their dollars.

I'd like to start a Kickstarter with a goal of, say, 1500 dollars. If we meet that goal, then the server gets a donation of 1500 dollars. In exchange, we get this dangerous software removed, and you go after cheaters another way.

I think that's a really good incentive and would be good for everyone. A lot of people complained about Blizzard doing this, but a billion dollars goes a long way when it comes to letting people rootkit your computer.

I don't think you would do anything intentionally harmful. It's just that harmful things do happen accidentally when tampering with the system folder. If I'm going to let someone do that, it has to be a company with money that I can sue if the worst happens. This is my only computer and I don't have the money for a new one.

Lol, no.

What in the world would require you to buy a new computer?

Where did you get the idea that the DLL injector included in the patch allows p99 staff to adjust the files in your system folder in any way?

It's a tool in place to allow them to scan the memory space that EQ is running in. It literally gives them access ONLY to those things that would be pertinent to determining whether or not you're using a 3rd party program that interacts with the EQ client.

They cannot push changes to your computer, or see any other programs running outside of your everquest memory space. They cannot keylog your passwords, see your screen, create/delete files, etc.

Your anti-virus program may pick it up as a Trojan, that's because that's kind of what it is, but the p99 staff has been open enough about its functionality - not to mention that there are enough devs playing on these servers and running their own who have the skill and knowledge to pick it apart - that there's no reason to think it could/has been used in any way other than that which has been described by them.

This is not a Trojan, and it isn't dangerous.
http://www.project1999.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=156044
You already agreed to all this when you signed up for the game. If you don't want it, don't play. Simple. They aren't hacking your comp.

$1500 sounds like enough money for a mid-high end PC.

I use AVG and added the file as an exception.
That's it...... really... that's it like everyone has been telling you

OP is painting an alarmist picture that people need to buy new PC's to play P1999 now. The OP's has no interest in making P1999 work with the anti-virus but is on a crusade to eliminate the DLL.

So whats the agenda OP ?
Why are you so eager to try and convince the developers here to abandon their years of work in hack detection. Do you know how much a sever full of MQ2 and SEQ users destroys the community because that's what you are asking for ?

lol, no

I'd but kind of curious how you actually brick a computer. Sure you could scramble the OS or encrypt everything but that would only take a format and reinstall. I'm sure it's possible somehow but causing real permanent physical harm to a computer would have to be fairly difficult.

Eve did it

edit - (oh right... physical harm... nm)