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This repository has been archived by the owner on Mar 5, 2024. It is now read-only.
ClusterConsultant edited this page Jan 11, 2021 · 4 revisions

Welcome to the tf2_bot_detector wiki! Below are some frequently asked questions and to the right you can find more pages

FAQ

What is TF2 Bot Detector?

TF2 Bot Detector is a standalone application that calls a votekick against known bots and cheaters on your team. If they are on the other team, it will send a chat message telling the other team to kick their cheater.

What ISN'T TF2 Bot Detector?

TF2BD isn't a perfect solution. It does not (and can not) perfectly detect every single cheater. TF2BD also isn't finished. This is an ongoing project that will continue to be improved with new features, more powerful detection, and better customization.

Why would I want this? It's easy to identify and kick bots!

While true, this automates the process to a large degree. It also makes identifying name stealing bots trivial. With the addition of maintaining a data base of cheaters you have encountered you can "remember" any and all cheaters you have encountered. This is handy to identify the more subtle human cheaters.

Will this get me VAC banned?

No. It does not modify the game or OS memory in any way. It is only using built-in functionality in the engine, exactly the way it was intended. Anecdotally, many users have been using this tool for many months now without issue.

How does it work?

It monitors the console output (saved to a log file) to get information about the game state. Invoking commands in the game is done via passing rcon commands to your client. Getting players in the current game is done via the tf_lobby_debug and status commands. Cheaters are identified by some rules but primarily by comparing players steamIDs against a list of known cheaters.

How is the list of known cheaters curated?

The official list that is included with the program is maintained by Pazer exclusively. No user submissions are accepted at this time and it is unlikely that they will be in the future. While this approach this may seem limiting, it is to avoid false positives and to maintain the integrity of the project as a whole. There are some community player lists that can be added to your own detector. These are not maintained by Pazer. For more information on installing community lists go here.

I don't like how the tool spams chat. Can I change that?

You can turn off chat warnings by unchecking the checkbox labeled "Enable Chat Warnings." By default if there are multiple tool users in the same server, a "Bot Leader" is chosen and only their tool will send messages. There is no other way to customize chat messages outside of editing the code yourself which is not advised as it will break some functionality. User message customization is currently in the works.

I downloaded the tool but I don't see an executable. What went wrong?

You likely downloaded the source code instead of the actual tool. Make sure you are downloading one of the .ZIPs that is not labeled "Source Code." There are two of them, one labeled with an x86 and one with an x64. If you don't know which one you want, you almost certainly want the one with the x64. For further instructions go [here][getting-started-wiki].

This doesn't detect anything!

Right now the base player list and rule set is very very limited due to an abundance of caution. There are third party community lists and rules that are run by people who are not Pazer. While the general community trusts them, it is important to remember that these are not official resources and not under direct control of this project. For more information on installing community lists go here.

Help! The tool wont open!

Make sure you have Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 installed. If you just installed it make to to restart your computer after to finish the installation. If that does not work try following the steps located [here][getting-started-wiki].

For further assistance either open an issue on github or join our discord for faster, community based support.

What do you think of using aimbot/cathook/esp/bots/cheats against the bots?

This project does not advocate for the use of cheating in any fashion. Putting aside the obvious moral issues with using cheats, that would introduce the possibility of a VAC ban. This project is committed to maintaining the safety of its users.

I have a question that is not listed here!

Take a look at the [wiki][wiki-link]. There is not a ton there right now but that will be the location of all future documentation. If you can't find your answer there, stop by the discord.