Wednesday, 14 November 2007

What exactly is DotA Client?
DotA Client is a DotA interfacing engine which utilizes the “DotA Gaming Network” to stream and process DotA game information over the internet primarily for storage on a central server. It can steam kill/death stats, creep stats, hero/level information, tower kill info, item information, gold, etc. Not only is DotA Client capable of streaming data TO a server, but it can also retrieve and process data FROM a server for direct implementation into each game – at the moment, this aspect of the client is somewhat underutilized as we are still working to get the initial aspects of DotA Client running fluidly particularly the anti-hack and stat tracking. However, it does provide us with limitless possibilities in the future: displaying user ranks/scores in the DotA playerboard; displaying clan information in the DotA playerboard; adding “fun” features for users of higher ranks (in cooperation with Icefrog): being able to attain a kill streak past “beyond godlike”, being able to add different “glows” to your heros, being able to issue commands unavailable to users of lower ranks like “-shout” or “-announce”. None of “fun” these features, will of course be game-changing, but they do give DotA players something to play for on a game-by-game basis.

What about the Anti-hack?
Hacks work by changing lines of Warcraft runtime assembly. In a simple example of what hacks do, a hack would change this line of code:

Of course assembly is much more complicated and looks nothing like that - I was just trying to provide an easy-to-understand analogy.
DotA Client looks for these subtle modifications to Warcraft’s runtime code. It doesn’t rely on scanning for “open” hacks by window/process names, which is obviously a very poor anti-cheat scheme as users can easily change window/process names.

Why not just use GGC for an Anti-hack?
GGC is not an anti-hack, it is a window scanner. There is an obvious difference. GGC does NOT provide protection against ANYBODY who truly wants to hack. It may deter people who are thinking about it, but that’s it. Window scans are horrifically unreliable, and all they do, if anything, is provide a false sense of security. Since the entire basis for GGC is set in allowing players to play without a valid CD-Key, even if someone IS caught hacking, they can simply just make new account.

DotA Gaming Network’s AMS (Account Management System):
As I just mentioned: not only is GGC’s detection scheme lackluster, but so is the punishment. Since a valid CD-key is not required, GGC has no way of permanently banning anybody. DotA Gaming Network, on the other hand, does. It tracks users by their Battle.net Auth ID (aka GUID) and bans them by their Auth ID. If a user is banned on DGN for any reason (hacking, abuse, desyncs, flaming, etc) he is banned on any and all Battle.net accounts from that point on. The only way to change your Auth ID is to go out and buy a new copy of Warcraft. The AMS also prevents name spoofing/smurfing.

Does DotA Client work with LAN emulation programs (LC, Hamachi, GGC, etc)?
Yes. However, you are required to log onto Battle.net to verify your Auth ID before playing on LAN. Once you have verified your Auth ID, you can play on LAN as long as you want until A. Your client loses connection to DGN or B. You close your client.

Does DotA Client require WinPCap?
No. Unlike other DotA programs out there (Banlist, DotARank, etc) DotA Client does not use WinPCap to interface with Warcraft.

I’m on a Mac, what do I do?!?
At this time, we don’t have a definitive answer. However, I have provided a few suggestions: http://dxd.totalgamingnetwork.com/sh...0&postcount=15

What is DSS?
DSS stands for DotA Secure Server. It is the secure anti-hack layer for the DotA Gaming Network. All DSS transmissions are SSL encrypted.

What type programs are legal and what type of programs are illegal?
Types of illegal programs: Maphacks, custom kicks, name spoofers, external vision hacks, camera hacks
ANY other type of program not mentioned there IS 100% legal, including: Hp viewers, key modifiers (DotAKeys, etc), Banlist, DotARank, etc.

What if someone registers into a game with DotA Client then closes their client and loads a hack?
That’s what desyncs are for.

So what is a desync?
Desyncs are DotA Client network protocol mechanics that prevent users from closing the client mid-game and then just hacking for the remainder. It is crucial that users do NOT close their client while in a registered DGN game; it is ok to close your client at any other time.

Desyncs are a bad thing. Two desyncs elicit a ban.

When a person leaves/drops/disconnects from game, everyone else in the game logs the exact time he/she left, and reports it to the DGN server.

Every client also sends a timed "keep-alive" packet to the server, which contains various small pieces of information, particularly game time. These keep-alive packets are set on a redundancy loop to ensure that the server receives the packet - if the server does not send back a response, the client will keep trying until it gets one.

Now if a person is playing legitimately and doesn't close the client mid-game, his/her last Keep-Alive report will be consistent with their leave time.

If a person is not playing legitimately and closes their client mid-game. Their keep-alive report will be incongruous with their leave time. There is about a 4 minute buffer on desync reports, so if persons last keep alive is more than 4 minutes before their leave time, it is considered a desync violation.

So: Leave time - Keep Alive > 4 minutes = desync

What if my client randomly crashes mid-game?
Of course, we'd like to think this will never be an issue, but If your client ever crashes for some reason, politely tell the host that you need to save/reload the game so you can restart the client. There is a 4 minute window before you are issued a desync, which should be plenty of time.

How do I get started with DotA Client?
Watch this introductory video to learn how to get started with DotA Client:
http://www.dotagaming.net/dgn/tutorials/dcstart.html
The only difference between Vista and XP is you do not need to click “Run as Administrator” when you launch DotA Client.

I'm receiving the following error:

Visit http://dxd.totalgamingnetwork.com/showthread.php?t=8133 for the solution.

I'm getting a Name\Login ID not found error, what do I do?
You are using a user account that does not have Administrator access in windows or you have UAC on in Vista
XP/Vista (Not an admin account): You need to change it to Administrator, or if that is not an option, right click the DotA Client icon in your taskbar and click Plug-ins -> Admin rights bypass. The former option is highly recommended though.
Vista (Admin account with UAC): If you are an administrative account but have UAC (User Account Control) enabled, you can either turn UAC off (requires restart) or right click on the DotA Client application icon and click "Run as Administrator"

My cheap/free random virus scanner and/or my virus scanner with definitions from 1998 think DotA Client is a virus. What's the deal?
The security layer or "packer" DotA Client uses to protect itself from being hacked is occasionally flagged by false-positive heuristics employed by poor-quality virus-scanners. Update your definitions or get a reputable virus scanner. If you don't want to pay, AVG is the best free virus scanner available today.
Also read read: http://dxd.totalgamingnetwork.com/sh...?t=9601&page=2
And: http://www.blackhat.com/presentation...orgenstern.pdf