Poll: Is there any interest in a Windows version of ShowEQ?

[fee]

With the new super creative encryption about to be released live, ShowEQ will once again be crippled. Here is a little poll, I'd like to get a feel for what options you guys would be interested in.

fee

[e@tme]

I take it that all the work the the uber devs have put into getting new libEQ.a and such is about to be wasted?

Is this a death knoll for the seq we have come to know and love?

[Mr. Suspicious]

Is this a death knoll for the seq we have come to know and love?

Since there's option:

A small program to pass encryption keys from EQ memory to a linux computer running ShowEQ

I'd say no. But it also means (imo) that having ShowEQ on Windows is a bigger possibility (as that program has to read the key from active memory anyway) and that ShowEQ on Linux won't be as "safe" for switching encryptions as it was before (again, because it has to read the key from memory on the windows PC that runs Everquest)

[e@tme]

Thanks for that Mr.Suspicious.

I have been thinking tho... Is it a case of they are changing the encryption from the (new) 64bit to some other (new) encryption method?

The reason I ask is that I have been looking at the forums for the last few weeks and not seen anythin about re-designing the encryption method, except the thread where everyone was talking in supposition mode on ecnryption changes.

I hope this makes sense cos im confusticated still

[grimjack]

Encryption changed with the release of POP. This is why you had to get a new libeq.a.

Correct me if I am wrong but this is what I have gathered.

Now on test they have changed it again (Most likely to go live with todays patch). From what I understand they now compress all spawn pawn packets (I would guess before encrypting them). It sounds like by doing this the current libeq method of decryption is now out of the question.

Thanks
GrimJack

[e@tme]

yeah I know they changed the encryption already, but havent yet seen any info about the supposed change for today...

That is what I was getting at. I was trying to determine what fee meant by the

With the new super creative encryption about to be released live

comment. for example, does anyone know what this new super creative way is? Now that you have answered with

compress all spawn pawn packets (I would guess before encrypting them).

I am a little clearer.

It will be a shame to backtrack years of seq development to port to winblows, and I for one wouldnt like to see that happen. If the only use i get out of SEQ if a super gps applet, then so be it.

[LordCrush]

Plz correct me if i am wrong - the way to brute force this would than be the following:

1.) guess key
2.) decrypt with that key
3.) decompress
4.) check if strctures match
5.) Structure ok ?
6.) if yes -> Key found, if no goto 1

Now the libeq.a does not point 3 ...

This is much simplified but i hope it is mainly correct ...

[e@tme]

Some questions that I have are:

Is the key being rotated because the (Uber) developers have managed to crack the encryption so quickly?

Are the changes that have been made today being made because Sony want people to spend a little more time doing things for themselves?

I understand that these boards come under some pressure to get changes in as soon as possible, but is this actually detrimental in anyway?

Or alternatively, are the changes being made a) because they can, and b) they have new toys to play with

[Vertigo1]

The problem with running ANY program on the Everquest PC, is that it is detectable, and that is why we like ShowEQ. Otherwise SoE/Verant would be scanning taskmanager for certian exe's or scanning memory for signatures from said programs...

[Mr Guy]

Well there is a small difference.

Scanning your task list or any folder outside the folder EQ is installed in is something they can go to jail for. Sometimes annoying legislation like the Patriot Act has it's uses.

It would not be difficult to turn scanning task lists into a major class action lawsuit with possible cyber terrorism implications. It was the threat of such a law suite that made them change EULA wording when they last threatened to check for programs.

[Manaweaver]

Well all i think i have to say is, "Damn the man." at this point. The amount of people using showeq is so insignificant they really are spending money where they don't have to...I mean 100,000+ people play EQ and only a fraction of them actually use SEQ, and spread across all of the servers I highly doubt the impact is any where near hurting the game. I think the most viable option would be to use the program used to send the key to the SEQ box....would also make SEQ still difficult to use for most people. Assuming the devs want to take the time and energy to do it. GPS is nice, and i can see all of the unkown spawns....which isn't a whole lot of help, but its better than nothing. SOE(no longer Verant) is very much so on my bad side at this moment.

Edited for stupid errors.

[S_B_R]

I know it's going to sound elitist but I really don't want a windows version available. There are poeple in game that have no respect for others, give them SEQ and they will be 10 times worse.

I vote for passing the key from Windows to the SEQ box.

[Vertigo1]

but, because they state that using 3rd Part Utilities with Everquest is against then EULA, they can simply BAN you with no explanation. THerefore checking to see if something is running on your computer, would not necessarily be illegal.

[futuro]

I voted for the Windoze program passing
the key to SEQ on linux, but I have one
concern... Couldn't SOE detect the packet(s)
containing the key? Or would this be illegal,
too?

Seq in "gps" mode is still quite useful,
but I'm spoiled by all the pretty colored
dots on the map screen

[nvmy383z28]

I am against having a windows version of SEQ. Once you do that - verant will surely find a way to find who is using it, and start MASS BANNING people......

Stick to linux