ENB, SweetFX, and GeDoSaTo ARE NOT VAC SAFE :: DARK SOULS™ II General Discussions

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Angelic Psyker has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:20pm

ENB, SweetFX, and GeDoSaTo ARE NOT VAC SAFE

There's threads upon threads about asking, and the answser is NO. Here's why:

VAC is not smart. It is a program designed to look for system files or external executables modifying ANY game data (this includes video feeds). It doesn't care that it's only modifying the video and rendering. All it cares about is that its effecting the game in a way that changes the input and/or output where it doesn't match the exact vanilla game.

ENB/SweetFX are not safe because they are .dll injectors. .dll files are system files that effect a games coding. VAC will see there are new, additional .dll files, and see them as modification. This will result in a ban.

GeDoSaTo is not safe because it's running as an external executable file. Granted it's not changing any of the games internal data, it's just intercepting it. The problem is that its intercepting video feed from the game, and changing it before the video is sent out to the monitor. EVEN THOUGH ITS JUST VIDEO FEED, VAC will not care. VAC sees it as modification to an output feed. An example of how this could be used to gain an unfair advantage in game is to design a small program that lights up enemy teams as a bright green color in multiplayer FPS games.

So as far as things go, you will have to leave your game VANILLA (no mods, just plain, basic, default game install) in order to play online.

TL;DR No mod is safe to use for any reason, you will get VAC banned for it.

Edit 1:
If you still want to play with the graphics enhancement mods, they are perfectly fine to use WHEN STEAM IS IN OFFLINE MODE. VAC is server based software, meaning it doesn't run locally on your machine. Otherwise people could get into it and modify it to basically not stop any mods. If your game isn't connected to any servers, then VAC is not running. Feel free to use ENB/SweetFX/GeDoSaTo, trainers, save editors, or whatever you want to your hearts content.

Edit 2:

Originally posted by Nicholas Steel:
The original poster is largely correct, however some explanations are compromised due to a vain attempt to simplify the explanation. These modification programs modify the games internal memory structure, which is precisely one of the things modern anti-cheat systems check for.

Page 2

Last edited by Angelic Psyker; Apr 28, 2014 @ 7:50pm

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Showing 1-15 of 165 comments

paladin181 has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:21pm

Do you have any proof of this? Or are you just spouting off paranoid fear?

Piszczel

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:22pm

Ok. What about screen recording software, such as Shadowplay? Is that not safe either?

Pocok

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:24pm

Its funny how I just see a moder bringing back the almost old graphics but now, we cant use it cause we might get banned. Its a bit ironic.

Angelic Psyker has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:24pm

Originally posted by melfice181:
Do you have any proof of this? Or are you just spouting off paranoid fear?

Not paranoid, afraid, or anything. Do some research, ENB has been around forever, and was really popular in L4D2. VAC picked up on it quite often and theres posts upon posts about it forums online.

Originally posted by piszczel1:
Ok. What about screen recording software, such as Shadowplay? Is that not safe either?

Not sure about this. Shadowplay catches the video feed basically as its leaving to the monitor. It is still in beta however, so I would just play it safe for now due to VAC being as dumb as it is.

YouGotBrained has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:25pm

So lame if this is true, GeDoSaTo made the game look soooo much better :(

paladin181 has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:28pm

Originally posted by Angelic Psyker:
Originally posted by melfice181:
Do you have any proof of this? Or are you just spouting off paranoid fear?

Not paranoid, afraid, or anything. Do some research, ENB has been around forever, and was really popular in L4D2. VAC picked up on it quite often and theres posts upon posts about it forums online.

Originally posted by piszczel1:
Ok. What about screen recording software, such as Shadowplay? Is that not safe either?

Not sure about this. Shadowplay catches the video feed basically as its leaving to the monitor. It is still in beta however, so I would just play it safe for now due to VAC being as dumb as it is.

This is exactly how injectors work. The lay shaders over your screen, right as it goes to the monitor so that the image looks different. Do you even program, bro?

Fatal unstabLe_ has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:30pm

Is using an X360 controller safe?... I know its a stupid question, but Im really paranoid.

Angelic Psyker has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:34pm

Originally posted by UwG Fatal unstabLe_:
Is using an X360 controller safe?... I know its a stupid question, but Im really paranoid.

perfectly safe bro, its not modifying anything

Originally posted by melfice181:
This is exactly how injectors work. The lay shaders over your screen, right as it goes to the monitor so that the image looks different. Do you even program, bro?

The thing is with ENB/SweetFX you have to insert .dll's into the game directory. Shadowplay is its own external software that captures video feed, copies it, and records/streams it. It doesnt matter how the injectors work, it matters that theres new .dll's in the game directory.

Goose

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:36pm

Not conclusive, but interesting reading:
http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkSouls2/comments/24781b/dark_souls_ii_pc_is_now_vac_secured/

Not sure why OP is so confident. Any sources?

Last edited by Goose; Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:53pm

paladin181 has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:37pm

I'll get back to you when I haven't been banned. Or when I have.

#10

✠ SandMan

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:39pm

i'll use GeDoSaTo anyway

#11

Angelic Psyker has DARK SOULS™ II

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:41pm

Originally posted by Goose:
Not sure why OP is so confident. Any sources?

No hard sources from DS2 yet, but I've done my research on ENB/SweetFX on other games forums. Was quite popular on L4D2, and a lot of people got VAC banned for it. Do a bit of research, the end results are never pretty.

#12

sleix

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:41pm

Originally posted by Goose:
Not conclusive, but intersting reading:
http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkSouls2/comments/24781b/dark_souls_ii_pc_is_now_vac_secured/

Not sure why OP is so confident. Any sources?

I think this will clear up a lot of misinformation regarding VAC banning literally on sight.

Nothing will happen. Everyone needs to calm down. Even if it does happen, at worst, it'll just be another MW2 incident.

#13

Steel

Apr 28, 2014 @ 6:42pm

Still using them.

Not cheating, have nothing to fear. If something does happen I'll report it here, but if it does it will take about 1/5 of the playerbase or more, GeDoSaTo in particular has been getting massive media coverage.

#14