SOE -> ShowEQ Road Map

[Ratt]

I'm going to put on my Nostradamus had for a moment and see if I can guess at SOE's intentions towards ShowEQ.

Everything I say here is purely guess work, and may or may not be true.

1. SOE decides to make a definitive move to disable ShowEQ, knowing full well that SEQ can move to a memory reader based method to grab the key.

2. SOE goes ahead with the move, disabling SEQ in it's current passive state.

3. SOE sits and watches the different generations of sniffer programs take form, making note of common parts and disseperate parts.

4. SOE impliments a reporting system that catches the most common sniffers. Identifies how many SEQ people are using sniffers that are common.

5. SOE notes the accounts, but lets people keep playing. Players and users of SEQ grow complacent, thinking that SOE can not detect them.

6. SOE has oodles of data on who's using SEQ, and start mass bannings, trying to terrorize the rest they can not catch into abandoning ShowEQ.

7. Depending on the outcome of line 6, Verant realizes that the terror campaign does not work and starts work on protecting the key in memory.

8. Depending on whether work on protecting the key is sucessful or not, if not, they begin work on guerilla maneuvers to thwart the updates of ShowEQ. This continues until the ROI is not present.


I'll add and change this as time goes on.

[Amadeus]

In case anyone from SoE is reading this...let me make my opinion abundantly clear to you: Everquest is only enjoyable with ShowEQ.

I give you a lot of money per month, and if you don't want that, fine. However, you've created a game that's so time consuming and difficult that the average user WITH A LIFE will never finish it before you stop developing it and move to EQ2!

So, replace your nerf stick with a banning stick ... see if I care. Everquest without ShowEQ isn't worth playing anyway.

[link129]

Everquest without ShowEQ isn't worth playing anyway.

/agree
/cheer

[BOrg]

----snip----
6. SOE has oodles of data on who's using SEQ, and start mass bannings, trying to terrorize the rest they can not catch into abandoning ShowEQ.
----snip----
Well SoE may be watching the SEQ community and even reading this thread. But SoE, and the key word in SoE is SONY, wouldn't do mass bannings. It would hurt their profit margin. More likely they would ban a few high profile
characters from each server to set an example. As Ratt said trying to terrorize the rest into abandoning SEQ. Without banning paying customers. But SONY has shot it self in the foot before, BetaMAX and MiniCD for example. However, I digress....

I find it more likely that this is just Beta Testing for EQ2 in an effort to prevent the creation of an SEQ2.


Just an observation.

[BlueAdept]

Originally posted by BOrg
----snip----
6. SOE has oodles of data on who's using SEQ, and start mass bannings, trying to terrorize the rest they can not catch into abandoning ShowEQ.
----snip----
Well SoE may be watching the SEQ community and even reading this thread. But SoE, and the key word in SoE is SONY, wouldn't do mass bannings. It would hurt their profit margin. More likely they would ban a few high profile
characters from each server to set an example. As Ratt said trying to terrorize the rest into abandoning SEQ. Without banning paying customers. But SONY has shot it self in the foot before, BetaMAX and MiniCD for example. However, I digress....

I find it more likely that this is just Beta Testing for EQ2 in an effort to prevent the creation of an SEQ2.


Just an observation.

I disagree. I dont think they care if they ban even several thousand people. Sony is such a large company that even a drop of say $40,000+ a month is nothing. Their company is not riding on this. This is game is just a tiny speck on the overall picture.

EQ is winding down. Im sure one thing they dont want is a SEQ for EQ2 or Star Wars. I think EQ is going to become a proving ground for those games.

[MrMaster]

If that's the case, SEQ should remain broken until EQ2 comes out. This way, we are not Beta Testing thier protections for them. Just leave the GPS goin and let thier timeline run it's course. After all, patience goes to the hunter, not the prey...

[throx]

Who is the hunter and who is the prey? I'm sure Absor sees himself as the hunter as well.

Seriously, I think Sony gains more than it loses by banning ShowEQ users. There is a lot of good will to be gained from the general gaming community for a company that takes a strong stance against cheating. When it comes down to the "bottom line", the few thousand they may ban for using SEQ is easily made up in good will for the people that see Sony as a "good guy" from taking this stance.

[Gullork]

Even if the devs here were interested in going to EQ2 (which many might not), once they stopped support on this program someone else would take it up. If someone else took it up, it might end up like some macroquest program, without the moral guidance seq has received. And, if the devs are not planning on going on to EQ2, what difference does it make?

[MisterSpock]

I agree wholeheartedly with the earlier post.

EQ is enjoyable only with ShowEQ. I've said this before, but to me, it provides features that should be in the game.

At this point, I've been playing for over 3 years, multiple accounts, the whole 9 yards. I've had fun with the game, and continue to sporadically have fun with it. I've used SEQ from the beginning, and have never used it irresponsibly. In fact, it has helped others far more than it has helped me. However, leaving the game (either voluntarily or involuntarily) wouldn't really matter to me.

Just remember one thing, SOE. A satisfied customer tells one friend. A dissatisfied customer tells nine friends. With new products coming out, consider that before whipping out your banning sticks.

[Exo]

I'll say this much. I'm a guildleader and every officer uses SEQ as well as most other members of the guild. When SEQ couldn't be passive anymore I wrote my own sniffer such that it wouldn't be in common with anyone elses. I gave it to the officers (all old friends) and we voted on it as a guild. If SEQ bans any of us for use of SEQ or someone makes SEQ unfunctional we will shift in total, to a new game. Oh, and it will not be EQ2.

[whiteviperx]

Did anybody bother to think that if they really wanted to SOE could use a 64 bit encryption that would take us over 4 years to break, instead they use what? An eight bit? Did anybody bother to think that what we think of as an attack, could be just a change that was necessary to create POP? How many people are really using SEQ? 10 maybe 20 thousand, vs. the 400 thousand that don’t use it. If they were really trying to take showeq down they would without even trying. SOE probably use SEQ on their systems, only they probably already know how to pull they key off the everquest software and have no problems.

[Ratt]

Hi, Whiteviper... welcome back to the land of the light. The rock you've been living under for the past two weeks must have been cramped.

[Whitefire]

I know everyone will cringe at the mention of this, but it has to be said.

It seems like we all agree that SOE is collecting data on who is memory scanning for mass banning or their own amusement. I would also have to agree that banning 20k users is not going to bother SoE all that much. In fact I don't think they would think twice about doing it. Now this is the part everyone is going to hate.

If there was a Windows Version of SEQ and it was easy enough for even the most retarted jackass to figure out AND the program was made more public than it is now I am sure many more people then just 10 or 20 thousand would be using it. If you can get a large enough user base on Windows version of SEQ, SOE will have no option but to accept it.

I know this might be a hard idea for many of the people on this board to grasp since one of the main reason I can gather for keeping the project linux based was to keep everyone and their dog from using it. Just think about what I am saying for a moment...If we can get a windows version of SEQ out and working and get people using it, is SOE going to ban Half of their paying customers. While 20 thousand might be nothing to them, I have a feeling 200k would make them stop and think.


Whitefire

[S_B_R]

Whitefire, thanks for restating whats been said about 100 times already. I guess if you haven't read it it's new to you...

[baelang]

At first i was worried about getting banned. i mean, i have a lot of time and money invested in my characters and i enjoy playing them. i have finally risen to levels that let me do the things i want to do in the game.

but then i realized the game is an addiction, like any other. if i end up getting banned, i will cancel my other two accounts and that will be that. end of addiction. i will have a lot more free time on my hands to do the other things that i enjoy.

so, i am not too worried if i am one of the folks in the mass bannings. it's just not that big of a deal to me. I guess for some, the addiction is more important. to each his own. if you are afraid, then don't use a keysniffer, and don't use showeq.