As long as you promise not to make any silly mistakes in the future like the 
'custom server browser', I think it's quite a good deal :)

Saint K.
________________________________________
From: hlds_linux-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com 
[hlds_linux-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Fletcher Dunn 
[fletch...@valvesoftware.com]
Sent: 08 December 2011 22:00
To: Half-Life dedicated Linux server mailing list       
(hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com); Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing 
list      (h...@list.valvesoftware.com)
Subject: [hlds_linux] Let's be honest

We all know that some server operators run mods specifically designed to 
falsify information sent to the Valve backend and to their players.  These mods 
inaccurately report the player count and whether players are human or not.  
They conceal that significant modifications to gameplay have been made.  This 
is detrimental to players' experience.

Perhaps some server operators would actually prefer to not run these mods, but 
feel that it is necessary to compete and maintain their community.  For this 
reason, Valve has made the decision not to take any action against any server 
operators at this time.

We will be directly contacting some of the "institutional offenders" who are 
using these mods on multiple servers.  However, whether we contact you directly 
or not, this email serves as warning to all server operators that we do have 
the ability to detect this class of behavior, and, going forward, we are going 
to be more aggressive at policing it.  If we determine that you are modifying 
the network stream or otherwise circumventing basic security measures, we will 
take the actions needed to maintain a positive environment for our players.

To be perfectly clear, here are some examples of the modifications and 
behaviours which we consider especially harmful to our community:

*         Forging or modifying network communications used to describe server 
properties to the backend or directly to clients.

*         Concealing the fact that bots are bots, and making them appear as 
human players.  (Running bots is OK, as long as no modifications are made that 
make it difficult for players to identify which players are bots and which are 
humans.)

*         Interfering with the mechanisms that advertise modifications to 
gameplay rules in the server browser.  (For example, nocrits, gravity, respawn 
times, etc.)  Experimenting with gameplay modifications is encouraged, but any 
mechanisms in the engine designed to alert players to those modifications must 
be allowed to function.

*         Listing the same game server multiple times in the master server.

Thank you,
Fletcher Dunn

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