An open letter to EA/DICE

[Sevigon]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

Indiqa.. I think you need to take some kind of pills, and calm down. Mm.. chill pills.

When you are manually kicked from a server, it will show up as a PunkBuster kick, but doesn't mean it was from PunkBuster directly.

[govedob]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

The following is an open letter I have submitted to EA and thus thru them I suppose it will also make it's way to the DICE people.

While playing BF2 today on a server running "Kubra Dam" I was kicked after approximately 10-15 mins and told to "Go Hack somewhere else"!. This seemed to be an automated message via Punkbuster.

As such I was (read AM PO'ed) I do not hack/cheat etc. I have no hack/cheat software anywhere on this machine or any other. Never have never will.

I DO have a logitech G15 keyboard which runs a small app that displays my score and server info on the LCD screen.

I DO have a Saitek X-52 flight control system (JS & Throttle and a ton of buttons and sliders) which has a profile in memory for when I can actually get an aircraft and fly it.

I have sent the following open letter to EA:

*******************************************

To EA and DICE

You people NEED to figure out that PunkBuster is, aside from being in itself a security hack and that it is worthless as a means of preventing "cheating" in any game it has been used in, does not work correctly nor does it garner any feeling of security for your customer (Player) base.

to wit:
While I was playing a BF2-Kubra Dam round, I get a kick message and told to "Go HACK somewhere else" With the info dialog stating that I had been kicked from the game for cheating via PunkBuster.

#1 - I DO NOT CHEAT NOR DO I HAVE ANY FORM OF CHEATING, AIMBOTTING, TEXTURE HACKING software on my machine!

Since I received the info dialog stating that it was PB kicking I do not believe that it was a manual kick because I happened to be accruing a decent amount of game points in the round and someone didn't like it.

2 I DO RUN a Saitek X-52 Flight control system AND I have a Logitech G15 keyboard. These ARE NEITHER CHEATS OR HACKS!!!! The only thing running on the G15 is a BF2 score display system.

The X-52 is running a profile for aircraft flight control for BF2.

Since PunkBuster scans memory and reports everything it finds to a PB master server it is probably saying these memory resident programs are cheats. AGAIN they are not.

And aside from PB opening a huge security hole in every machine it is running on, it is and always has been a totally ineffective effort to eliminate cheats.

Just think if you have a file open and minimised which has say your credit card account information with pin numbers and password. Start a BF2 round and whoopeeee PUNKBUSTER NOW HAS ALL YOUR CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT INFORMATION!!!

Fun HUH??

I DO NOT care to be labeled and LIBELED a cheater or a hacker since I am neither. I respect the efforts of both EA and DICE in the production and distribution of the Battlefield 2 game system. I would like that respect to be reciprocated to myself and any other players who may receive like treatment thru the BF franchise.

I reiterate that I do not feel the core BF2 system did this but punkbuster thru the game system and AS YOUR AGENT, IS responsible.

I feel that Punkbuster should be removed from the Battlefield(ALL) systems and replaced with a, if possible, viable, working cheat prevention system. I do not argue that a functioning system IS nessasary. Only that one which labels and defames your innocent CUSTOMERS as cheaters is not in the best interest of either EA, DICE nor their respective partners, stockholders and investors.

An apology to all the BF2 customers who have had dispersions cast upon them and their character by the miscreant Punkbuster software would not be out of place either.

Thank you,

*************************************************

Signed and dated with my name and BF2 ID#.

A copy is also available at:

http://www.mtco.com/~cwtooley/EA_DICE_Open_Letter.htm

Also do not allow the thought that I am some 13yr old whining about this. The circumstances which occurred today would be viewed as libel and prosecutable in a U.S. court of law. And I am FAR from being a 13yr old.

Take up the call and voice your opinions to EA/DICE.
or if nothing else at least be aware.

Thaks,

Curt

Pretty long letter. I hope that there will be someone nice from EA/DICE that will actually read it.

[Thanatos]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

you got kicked from a server, move on with your life. Not like you got kicked out of your home by punkbuster or anything lol.

[IndianScout]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

to me this sounds more like a case of an abusive 12 year old admin, as the kick you received is NOT a PB kick but an admin initiated kick..

nice letter but your comments are unfounded..

I will pass this off to EA, but it will get you no where..

Indian

[WarGimp]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

Damnit.
Now I've got coffee in my nose.
And on my keyboard.
Good thing this sucker is easy to clean.
The keyboard I mean.
Coffee in the nose sucks.
It burns.

[Arkasha]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

Damnit.
Now I've got coffee in my nose.
And on my keyboard.
Good thing this sucker is easy to clean.
The keyboard I mean.
Coffee in the nose sucks.
It burns.

Mind your nose doesn't sue you for injuries sustained. And the keyboard mfr wants to talk to you: calling its product a "sucker" is libellous.

And Juan Valdez is very PO'd at your anti-coffee diatribe.

[IndianScout]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

:laugh: :laugh:

new McDonalds case all over again, as I'm sure there was no "hot coffee" warning on that keyboard at all...

:evil: :evil:

[[DR]J|Pvt.Uber_Soldat]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

go cry on someone's shoulder you big ****ing pansy

[troybob]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

were you on kubra yesterday?

i shot you down like 6 times =)

[Alcorr]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

Good letter...

[pYura]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

I dont think PunkBuster would say "go hack somewhere else" It cant be! But dude, your right, PB gives no protection against hackers.

[simon1973]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

you have made some good points in your letter. It may be down to the admin on the server you were on who booted u off or could just be on of those things. I would say write to Punk Buster, I did once when having trouble when playing call of duty and had a nice response back. write to the admin they may be able to sort out this for you.

[govedob]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

to me this sounds more like a case of an abusive 12 year old admin, as the kick you received is NOT a PB kick but an admin initiated kick..

nice letter but your comments are unfounded..

I will pass this off to EA, but it will get you no where..

Indian

Thanks for admitting at least. Nothing you guys do has a result.

[IndianScout]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

Thanks for admitting at least. Nothing you guys do has a result.

actually your quite wrong,, but thats ok...

we have lots of results, just none that I care to share..

[BigRedRat]

Re: An open letter to EA/DICE

I dont think PunkBuster would say "go hack somewhere else" It cant be! But dude, your right, PB gives no protection against hackers.

If I had a cup of coffe in my fist reading this I'd have been scalded as well.Trust me when I say your SOOOOOOO wrong.PB does'nt keep them all out.True.But it does a heck of a good job keeping out the wannabe's.