PunkBuster/Call of Duty

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Godzilla Blitz
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PunkBuster/Call of Duty

Post by Godzilla Blitz »

I tried to play Call of Duty multiplayer for the first time in about nine months, and everytime I try to connect to a server, I get the message that I have to enable PunkBuster. So I enable PunkBuster, but a few minutes into the game I either get kicked off the server, or my computer freezes completely, forcing a reboot.

I'm not sure if the freeze is related to the PunkBuster issue, but the kick gives me a message that I've failed some kind of PunkBuster test. I went to their website, and it seems like I have to pay them $1 a month to be a member?

Is this correct? Essentially, do I have to pay them $12 (yearly fee) so I can play CoD mulitplayer?
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TheMissingLink
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Post by TheMissingLink »

I recently installed Quake 3 and had a problem with that...I had to end up going to a website and installing some random files because it kept kicking me. I have no clue what that website was now...but I wouldn't quickly go and pay them - as far as I know, there's no sort of fee related to Punkbuster.
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elborto
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Post by elborto »

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Godzilla Blitz
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Post by Godzilla Blitz »

The Missing Link: Thanks. I'll do a bit more digging at their website.

elborto: Thanks. I tried to install that file, but when I run the .exe, I get an error saying that a target folder isn't available (seeming to indicate that Punkbuster isn't installed on my computer). According to Punkbuster's site, Punkbuster should automatically be installed with the latest CoD patch. Humm.

I found some more info on their website about the crashes, and apparently Punkbuster conflicts heavily with a lot of software, Norton Anti-virus and ATI Media Software to name two that I'm currently using.

I'll take a shot at messing with more of this stuff tomorrow. Not much time tonight, but I did uninstall all of the extra ATI software that came with the video card I bought a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to get rid of that crap anyway.

Anyone know what this Punkbuster stuff is, anyway? Why do I need it? It sure isn't making me happy, that's for sure.
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Post by wankerjr »

Godzilla Blitz wrote:Anyone know what this Punkbuster stuff is, anyway? Why do I need it? It sure isn't making me happy, that's for sure.
It's basically anti-cheating software for those that wish to use aim-bots or any other type of exploit out there.
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Godzilla Blitz
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Post by Godzilla Blitz »

wanker: Ah. Well, that would be a good thing. Nice to see someone do something about any cheating. I always wondered how much cheating was going on. Be interesting to see if there is a big difference. Does Punkbuster actually work, or is it like copy protection?

Tried playing multiplayer again for a few minutes, but it keeps freezing. Wanted to see if perhaps it was my new video card that was causing the problem, so I tried the single-player game for essentially the first time. Wow. Single player is fun. Ended up playing for the past hour. I think I played the first mission about a year ago, but once I tried multiplayer I never went back to the single player game. Glad I got a chance to go back and try it tonight.
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Post by wankerjr »

Godzilla Blitz wrote:Does Punkbuster actually work, or is it like copy protection?
It works. IIRC they were originally a mod group that focused on anti-cheating and made a name for themselves which got them interest from devs. So in short it does work but in a way it is like copy protection in that the program tries to maintain and verify data integrity. You can see some of the features of PunkBuster here.
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SuperHiro
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Post by SuperHiro »

Got a few questions about mp.

1) Skins... wide variety? Anything cool/different? Or is the setup basically exactly like Medal of Honor?

2) There any strategery involved or it is again basically like Medal of Honor?
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Post by elborto »

SuperHiro wrote:1) Skins... wide variety? Anything cool/different? Or is the setup basically exactly like Medal of Honor?
Not much in the way of variety. Everybody is clad in one and the same uniform of either of the 2 sides available on the respective map, basically. There is some variation in detail and faces though, I believe.
SuperHiro wrote: 2) There any strategery involved or it is again basically like Medal of Honor?
Hmm, basically I'd say it is pretty similar to MoH, only maybe a little slower... haven't played MoH since CoD's been out though, so I don't really remember it very well anymore.

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Godzilla Blitz
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Post by Godzilla Blitz »

Just to fill in the pieces...

I tried uninstalling Norton Anti-virus, but the lockups continued. Basically, after 2-5 minutes of play, the computer completely locks up, forcing me to reboot my system. Every damn time.

With a bit of internet searching, I discovered that the lockups and freezing are apparently a huge bug in either the Punkbuster software or certain video card drivers. Apparently a fix in the works, and will be released sometime next month. Here is a massive, 29-page thread with all the details:

http://www.hardwareforum.com/bbs/showth ... ge=1&pp=20

As an aside, I tried the game on some non-punkbuster servers and everything worked fine.

Interesting though, there was an in-game converstation running on one of the servers I played on where one gamer was asking where he could get an aimbot. From the extent of the conversation, I'd bet that half of the 20 players were using them on that server. I find myself looking forward to them fixing the bug so that I can play on servers where the game hasn't been compromised so much.
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Godzilla Blitz
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Post by Godzilla Blitz »

A final update....

ATI has released some beta 4.12 drivers for their video cards. I downloaded them and the Punkbuster problem has gone away.
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