This publication is for Server Administrators of online games who are interested in using or finding out more about the PunkBuster Anti-Cheat system.  This publication is meant to document PunkBuster for the following games: Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, by id Software, Inc.  PunkBuster editions for other games may vary from the edition described herein.

A great effort has been made to make this publication useful for those new to PunkBuster and also for advanced users of PunkBuster.  Any comments or suggestions will be gladly received via email to docs@evenbalance.com.

Since this manual is for Server Administrators, we will assume for the most part that the reader is familar with the Game Console, entering commands, and configuration files.

If you wish to learn about using the PunkBuster Client software for use with playing the game, please see our related publication entitled 'PunkBuster for Players'.

In September of 2000, a handful of online computer game playing enthusiasts became concerned with the increased activity of cheating in online multiplayer gaming.  We decided to do something about the problem.  We were aware that a few attempts had been made in the past by others (including the makers of the games themselves) and that they were all generally considered to have failed for the most part.  We had a vision of a new way to approach the problem and decided to develop an experimental software system to see if our new approach would work.  We believed that once we had submitted and maintained a product for open use that the response from affected online communities would tell us whether or not the experiment was a success.  After several months of growth, much hard work, acceptance, and the appreciated beta testing and support of hundreds of thousands of users, we believe that we have a viable solution to fighting the problem of cheating in online multiplayer games: PunkBuster.

PunkBuster is an automatically self-updating client/server Anti-Cheat software system.  That means that players run the PunkBuster Client software while they are playing online games and also, PunkBuster Server software is running on the game server that players connect to for gameplay.  The PunkBuster system is designed to hold all participants accountable by scanning the game computers looking for known cheats, game hacks, and exploits similar to the way Anti-Virus software would scan a computer looking for a virus.  PunkBuster does not modify any files or settings on your computer even if it detects some type of violation, it reports what it finds and, in some cases, will remove offending players from the current game.  PunkBuster is optional.  A Server Admin who decides to run PunkBuster on his or her Game Server is simply choosing to limit players on said Game Server to players who have chosen to enable PunkBuster on their playing computers.  You do not have to enable PunkBuster if you are uncomfortable with the idea of such software.  However, PunkBuster is not "spyware" nor is it a trojan - it is designed for groups of honest people to use together in an effort to keep out players who are unwilling to subject their system to an objective third-party software system scanning their computer during gameplay.  The activities performed by PunkBuster are generally described on our website and we have also developed and published a Privacy Policy Statement.  We take the privacy and security of our users and their computers very seriously and there is no featured provision (documented nor undocumented) whatsoever in our software whereby anyone outside of your computer can gain control of your computer or view / change your private information with or without your knowledge.  Additionally, PunkBuster does not transmit your private data files to any other computer nor keep any type of centralized database that tracks any information about your personal files.  PunkBuster basically just looks for known cheats and game-hacks while you are playing a PunkBuster enabled game in an effort to authenticate your installation as "clean" for the purpose of consentual multiplayer online gaming.

In mid-2001, a privately funded corporation, Even Balance, Inc. was formed to handle the commercial application of the PunkBuster system.  We plan to offer several types of products and services to online gaming communities that are built up around the games we support.  We are actively seeking relationships with game software developers who would like to have us provide anti-cheat support for their online multiplayer game titles.

There is no cost for a personal, non-commercial license to use PunkBuster software.  Our End User License Agreement must be accepted on-screen before PunkBuster is installed.  If you wish to use PunkBuster in any type of commercial environment or in connection with any commercial event, a separate commercial licensing arrangement must be obtained from Even Balance, Inc.  To find out more about commercial licensing, send an inquiry via email to license@evenbalance.com.

More information about Even Balance, Inc. and the PunkBuster system can be found on our website at evenbalance.com.

If you create a Game Server using the In-Game Browser screen, make sure the PunkBuster setting is set to 'Yes' before proceeding to create the Server.  If running the Game Server strictly in console mode, enter PB_SV_ENABLE to ensure that the PunkBuster Server software is enabled before proceeding.  When PunkBuster is Enabled for the first time, it will begin operation using the default configuration.  This configuration has been designed to work with all types of game servers.  Optimizations can later be made by adjusting the PunkBuster settings described later in this publication to better match the server connection speed, user load, and Admin preferences.  The following are a few options that can greatly enhance server cheat protection with a relatively easy learning curve.

Once PunkBuster has been enabled, automatic screenshot capturing can be turned on by setting PB_SV_AUTOSS to 1.  To make this (and/or most other PunkBuster setting changes) permanent, enter the command PB_SV_WRITECFG.  This will save most current PunkBuster settings to the PunkBuster configuration file "pbsv.cfg".  PunkBuster loads this configuration file every time it is run.  When the automatic screenshot capturing has been turned on, screenshots will begin to be routinely taken of all the servers’ connected players and stored in the "svss" folder.  The default limit to the number of captured screenshot files is 100 which can be changed with the command PB_SV_SSCEILING. Once the limit has been reached, the PunkBuster server will begin to overwrite the current files starting with the lowest numbered file first in an endless cycle.

For Server Admins who wish to log important (but verbose) information about each connected player's cvars during gameplay, enter the following four setting changes into the Game Console.  These will have the effect of logging (every 15 minutes) all user-created and non-default player cvars to special log files with a .var extension (in the "svlogs" folder).

• PB_SV_CvarLogging 2
• PB_SV_CvarWalk 4
• PB_SV_CvarUserPulse 15
• PB_SV_CvarChangedPulse 15

There are two ways to enable / disable PunkBuster software.  One is by typing commands into the game console.  The other way is built into the game's user interface Only the command line method will be described below, the GUI method is described in our publication "PunkBuster for Players".  Note that when PunkBuster is Disabled, it will ignore commands and setting changes except for the specific command to Enable after which it will begin full and proper operation.

To Enable the PunkBuster Server from the console, type in "PB_SV_ENABLE" without the quotes.  To Disable PunkBuster, type "PB_SV_DISABLE".

NOTICE: PunkBuster cannot be Disabled immediately during the middle of gameplay.  Choosing to Disable PunkBuster by any method will set PunkBuster into Disabled mode but that does not take effect until the entire game is restarted.  Neither Players nor Server Admins can simply turn PunkBuster off and on during the middle of gameplay.  Once PunkBuster Client and/or Server has been Enabled for a gaming session, it becomes Enabled immediately and then stays Enabled regardless of how many times the Enabled/Disabled mode is toggled.  When the game is exited, the current PunkBuster status is saved and the next time the game is started, PunkBuster will initialize to the mode in which it was last set, either Enabled or Disabled.

One of the core aspects of the PunkBuster system is the automatic update feature.  As new versions of PunkBuster files are made available for download from our Internet-based Master PunkBuster Servers, the PunkBuster software running on Players' and Admin's computers will attempt to retrieve those new versions and perform an automatic "self-update" function in the background without interrupting gameplay.  For most users, this occurs automatically and seamlessly.  Since PunkBuster Servers require all connected Players to be running identical versions of all PunkBuster files in order to be authenticated for "clean" online play, the automatic update facility inside PunkBuster is an important component of the overall system.  PunkBuster will retain older versions in case there is ever a need to connect to a Server that is still running old versions of the PunkBuster software.

All PunkBuster update files are stored in special compressed HTM files and can be opened with any Internet Web Browser.  We have designed and implemented a robust method for securely delivering updates from our Master PunkBuster Servers to Regular PunkBuster Servers and then on to computers that have Enabled the PunkBuster Client software.  Great care has been taken to design and develop the system such that only authentic PunkBuster files will ever be accepted and used by the PunkBuster System during the auto-update process.

There may be times, however, when it is necessary to manually update a PunkBuster System.  For instance, if there is no Internet Access available and multiplayer gameplay is occuring in a LAN environment.  Or perhaps, there is a temporary routing problem causing locally running PunkBuster software to not be able to "find" any Master PunkBuster Servers whereby an update can be obtained.  There may also be times that the PunkBuster Team offers pre-release beta versions of PunkBuster software for manual download so that it can be tested before broad distribution.  For whatever reason that may come up that requires a manual update, we have prepared a page on our website designed to help with manual updates.

The PunkBuster WebTool provides the means to remotely administer game servers from any connected computer using a web browser (such as Netscape's Navigator or Microsoft's Internet Explorer). Starting with version 0.987, the PunkBuster Server software includes a mini web server that takes input from Web-based forms and translates that input into game commands. This type of access is similar to using rcon (remote console) commands, except it is done through an html interface and works even from computers that do not have the game or PunkBuster installed. Just about anything that can be done at a server's console or via rcon can be achieved easily by using the WebTool. By default, the WebTool is deactivated. The remainder of this section explains how to activate and use the WebTool.

There are five PunkBuster settings associated with the WebTool: pb_sv_httpPort, pb_sv_httpAddr, pb_sv_httpKey, pb_sv_httpRefresh, and pb_sv_httpMaps. The pb_sv_httpPort setting defaults to a value of 0 which means that the WebTool is deactivated. To activate the WebTool, pb_sv_httpPort must be set to a port number between 1 and 65535 that is not already in use by another program on the computer running the game server. Most web servers use port 80. If you choose not to use 80, then it is probably best to use a number that is at least 1024 or higher to avoid conflicts with other software. Once pb_sv_httpPort is set, PunkBuster will respond saying either that it is listening on the specified port number or that there was some problem trying to listen on the specified port number which means that a different port number should be specified. After setting pb_sv_httpPort, you should test the WebTool functionality, if possible, by launching a web browser on the same computer as the game server and enter this URL: http://127.0.0.1:. For example, if you chose port number 8000, then you would enter http://127.0.0.1:8000 for the URL. At this point, you should see the opening login screen for the WebTool.

If you wish to be able to use the WebTool from another computer connected via network to the game server (even across the Internet if desired), then the pb_sv_httpAddr setting needs to be set to hold the routable IP Address of the game server. Please note that the WebTool does not use a secure protocol (such as https) for performance reasons. That means that any information you send from your web browser to the WebTool is sent in plain text (including the Key/Password).

The game server's rconpassword is used to allow remote console access to the game server. By default, the rconpassword is also used for WebTool access. However, if you wish to use a different password for WebTool access, then the pb_sv_httpKey should be set accordingly.

One of the screens available inside the WebTool is the Player List screen. This screen shows the list of players and allows Admins to kick and/or ban players easily. By default, this screen automatically refreshes inside the web browser every 30 seconds to show when players leave or when new players join the game. To change the auto-refresh rate, set the pb_sv_httpRefresh setting accordingly. Setting pb_sv_httpRefresh to 999 will disable the auto-refresh feature for the Player List page.

One of the features of the WebTool allows the Admin to change to a new map by choosing the map name from a drop down list in the web browser. By default, the pb_sv_httpMaps setting is empty which means the standard "official" maps are listed in the dropdown. If you wish to customize the map dropdown list, then set the pb_sv_httpMaps setting to hold the maps, separated by a space, that you wish to see in the list. For example, setting pb_sv_httpMaps to "mp_beach mp_ice" means that only those 2 maps will show up in the drop down. Note that you are not limiting the maps available to the server in any way, only what will show up in the WebTool's drop down list.

The Login Screen is where the Web Key is entered for access to the other screens. Remember that the Web Key is the value of the pb_sv_httpKey setting or, if that is blank, the value of the rconpassword game server setting. The four buttons at the bottom of the page take you to the various screens available inside the WebTool provided that the Web Key is entered correctly. These four buttons appear at the bottom of all screens inside the WebTool to make it easy to navigate to the various areas.

The Command Screen is provided so that commonly used game commands can be issued very easily. The name on each button corresponds to the exact name of the game server command that it represents. This is also the screen with the map list drop down to make changing maps very easy. If you wish to issue a specific game command that is not covered by one of the buttons, enter your desired command into the "To console->" field and then click the "To console->" button to send that command to the game server.

The Player List Screen shows all players and their PunkBuster slot numbers along with the same information displayed by the PunkBuster pb_sv_plist command. The bottom of this screen has buttons to allow you to kick, ban or get a screenshot from a specific player. To perform one of these actions, first click the button corresponding to the slot number of the player you wish to reference. That player's information will then automatically be filled into the Slot # and GUID fields at the bottom of the screen. If you plan to kick or ban that player, you may edit the Reason field and if kicking, the Kick Minutes field which defaults to 2 minutes. Press the appropriate button to take action. Note that pressing the pb_sv_getss button will cause the PB Server to request a screenshot from the referenced player. However, screenshots are not viewable through the WebTool interface at this time.

The Game Settings Screen allows common game server settings to be changed easily. Simply change the value of one or more settings and click the "Update" button at the bottom of the screen. The field tags correspond exactly to the game server's cvar names. If you wish to change a setting that is not shown on this page, you can use the "To console->" method found on the Commands Screen (described above).

The PB Settings Screen is used to change PunkBuster settings. Simply change the value of one or more settings and click the "Update" button at the bottom of the screen. Except for the Web Key field, the field tags correspond exactly to the PunkBuster Server's setting names. Please note that the behavior is the same as changing PB Settings from the server console in that they are not saved to the PB config files until/unless you issue a pb_sv_writecfg command after making the change. There is a button for this command on the Commands Screen (described above). If you change a PB Setting and want PunkBuster to "remember" the new value even after the server is exited, then you should issue a pb_sv_writecfg command after making the change. You should also be aware that the WebTool settings can be changed on this page. If you change the Web Key, the Port number and/or the Address values, then that will affect your current WebTool session. In that case, be prepared to retype any new URL into your web browser and start over with the Login process to continue using the WebTool.

The easiest way to quickly test that your PunkBuster Server is properly installed, Enabled, and working is to type "PB_SV_VER" into the game console.  If PunkBuster is working properly, it will respond by displaying the version number that is currently installed and running.  If there is no response, then PunkBuster is either not installed properly or has become corrupted and should be reinstalled.

Some commands are standalone and others may require or accept additional parameters.  For example, the command "PB_SV_VER" is standalone, typing in "PB_SV_VER" tells PunkBuster that you would like to know the currently running Version number.  The command "PB_SV_LOAD" takes one parameter (a filename), typing in "PB_SV_LOAD ABC.CFG" tells PunkBuster to load the PB configuration file called "ABC.CFG".

Many Server Admins remotely control their game servers via the rcon facility built into the game.  Most PunkBuster commands will operate the same way whether issued directly into the game console or remotely.  A few of the Server commands listed below send queries to Clients and the responses are not directed back to the user when issued remotely via rcon.  These commands are denoted by a {rcon limited} designation after the command name in the descriptions below.

Most Server Admins will not use the PB_SV_LOAD command, but rather will use the game-specific exec command so that configuration files can be loaded that have both Game and PunkBuster commands and settings changes.  Configuration files loaded by the PB_SV_LOAD command may contain only PunkBuster related commands and settings.

PunkBuster settings, sometimes also called variables, hold numbers or textual information that PunkBuster uses while it is operating.  Changing PunkBuster settings will affect the way PunkBuster runs in specific ways.  All PunkBuster settings start out with default values that are the recommended values for most users.  To find out the current value of a setting, simply type in the name of the setting by itself.  For example, typing "PB_SV_AUTOSS" will cause PunkBuster to display the current value.  Also displayed is the allowable range that the value can contain.  This particular setting can be set either to 1 or 0..  To set it to 1, type in "PB_SV_AUTOSS 1", PunkBuster will then respond by showing the setting name along with its new value.  Trying to set a PunkBuster setting outside of its allowable range will cause PunkBuster to give the setting the closest allowable value to what was originally specified.

Listed below (in alphabetical order) is a list of PunkBuster Commands and Settings along with a general description and usage instructions where necessary.

Some Server Admins wish to try to limit profanity / offensive language on their game servers.  This is an individual preference issue.  For Admins who wish to prevent players from using certain offensive text in their playing names, PunkBuster includes the Player Name Management Facility also known as the BadName Facility.

By default, PunkBuster does not do any checking for BadNames.  If you wish to construct a list of offensive text filters in PunkBuster so that players will not be able to wear names containing the offensive text, use the BadName command.  The format of the BadName command is as follows:

PB_SV_BADNAME [grace_period] [filtered_text]

You can fill up a configuration file with nothing but these types of statements if desired and then issue a PB_SV_LOAD command either manually or inside your pbsv.cfg file to have the whole list executed easily at one time.  If prefered, you can also type them into the console and do a PB_SV_WRITECFG to have the whole list written, along with your other current PB settings, to the pbsv.cfg file which is automatically loaded every time PunkBuster starts.

If PB detects that a player has a name that includes the exact [filtered_text] from any BadName entry (case insensitive), then PunkBuster will send a warning message to the player that the playing name is not allowed on this server and that the player should change the name.  If the name is not changed to an acceptable name within the number of seconds specified by [grace_period] for that text filter, then the player is removed from the game.  Note that setting [grace_period] to 0 has the effect of immediately removing a player before any warning message has time to display.

Note that PB strips player names of color codes before searching for [filtered_text].

PunkBuster provides the ability for Server Admins to specify a list of acceptable player cvar value ranges while playing on the Game Server.  When each player connects to a PB-Enabled Server, the PB Client will download the list of acceptable cvar ranges from the PB Server and will check all of the player's cvars for compliance.  The player is warned about any cvars that are unacceptable to the Game Server.  The player then will have a few seconds to make any necessary corrections before the PB Server will begin methodically and regularly checking that player's cvars against the list of acceptable ranges.  If a player is found to have a cvar that is outside the acceptable range for that cvar, then that player will be removed from the game immediately.

To add a cvar check to your PB Server, use the PB_SV_CVAR command.  There are four different types of cvar checks that can take place: IN, OUT, INCLUDE, and EXCLUDE.  Each is explained below along with examples and the format of the PB_SV_CVAR usage required to properly add that type of check to the PB Server's list.  As with any other PB Command or Setting, cvar checks can be stored in configuration files and loaded either automatically during startup or upon demand during gameplay.  In the case of cvar checks, we recommend adding new entries in such a way that they take effect the next time the server is started rather than adding them during gameplay.

Note that once a cvar check has been added, it cannot be removed or changed without restarting the PB server.  If a subsequent entry is made with the same cvar name, it is added to the list without affecting the prior entry.  Also note that checking for non-existent cvars will return empty strings (which also evaluate to the value of 0).

PB_SV_CVAR [cvar_name] IN [from_value] [optional_to_value]
If you wish to require that a particular cvar always equals a certain value or falls within a specified range of values, use the "IN" type.  For example, "PB_SV_CVAR handicap IN 10" means that each player's handicap cvar must always equal 10 on your game server.  Issuing "PB_SV_CVAR handicap IN 5 15" means that handicap must always fall inside the 5 to 15 range (inclusive).

PB_SV_CVAR [cvar_name] OUT [from_value] [optional_to_value]
If you wish to require that a particular cvar never equals a certain value or falls within a specified range of values, use the "OUT" type.  For example, "PB_SV_CVAR handicap OUT 0" means that each player's handicap cvar must never equal 0 on your game server.  Issuing "PB_SV_CVAR handicap OUT 11 99" means that handicap must never fall inside the 11 to 99 range (inclusive).

PB_SV_CVAR [cvar_name] INCLUDE [text]
If you wish to require that a particular cvar always includes the specified [text] inside its value, use the "INCLUDE" type.  For example, "PB_SV_CVAR r_drawbuffer INCLUDE gl_back" means that each player's r_drawbuffer cvar must always have the text "gl_back" somewhere in the value.

PB_SV_CVAR [cvar_name] EXCLUDE [text]
If you wish to require that a particular cvar never includes the specified [text] inside its value, use the "EXCLUDE" type.  For example, "PB_SV_CVAR name EXCLUDE ^" means that each player's name cvar must never have the text "^" somewhere in the value (note: the ^ symbol is used to change text colors so using the example would mean that no one could put fancy colors in their playing name on your server without getting kicked once detected by PunkBuster).

In addition to the Variable Monitoring Facility described in the previous section, PunkBuster also includes several advanced tools that Admins can use when desired.  Five such commands are PB_SV_BINDSRCH, PB_SV_CVARSRCH, PB_SV_CVARVAL, PB_SV_CVARUSER, and PB_SV_CVARCHANGED.  The first three take two parameters: [text] [player] and the others take one: [player].  If the [player] parameter is not specified for any of these commands, then PB will direct the command at all currently connected players.  There are 2 ways to specify specific players: by slot # or by name substrings.  To get player slot numbers, use the PB_SV_PLIST command.  Each player's slot # is in the first column of the resulting display.  If you wish to specify name substrings, be sure to surround the search text with double quotes.  For example, PB_SV_CVARVAL handicap "et" means to find the value of the handicap cvar for all players who have the text "et" in their playing name.

The PB_SV_BINDSRCH command searches through all of the player's key bindings looking for the specified [text] and reports back matching keys and the full binding attached to each matching key.  This is useful for examining the key bindings of a player to see if that player is trying to get around the cvar checks by setting a bind to set a cvar value to an unacceptable value and then quickly set it back to acceptable after some other processing has occured.  For example, use "PB_SV_BINDSRCH back" to get a list of all keys that have the text "back" in the key binding from your connected players.

The PB_SV_CVARSRCH command is similar to the BINDSRCH command described above.  However, instead of searching key bindings, it searches through the values of all cvars defined in the player's system, including player-defined cvars.  Since cvars can be used to execute commands by players, this type of search is useful to find out if a player has set up a cvar as an alias to execute in order to set other cvar values outside of acceptable ranges.  When this command is issued, the full list of player cvar names that contain the search text is returned (the values of each cvar may be displayed/logged either manually with the PB_SV_CVARVAL command or automatically by setting the PB_SV_CVARWALK setting).

The PB_SV_CVARVAL command can be used to check the exact value of any player cvar at any time.  For example, use "PB_SV_CVARVAL cg_drawallweaps" to find the value of the cg_drawallweaps cvar for all connected players.  Use "PB_SV_CVARVAL cg_drawallweaps 1" to find the value only from the player in slot #1.

The PB_SV_CVARUSER command requests a list of cvars that are user-created.

The PB_SV_CVARCHANGED command requests a list of cvars that are not currently set to their default value.

There are also a few advanced settings that can be used to automate routine logging of cvar information supplied by using the above-listed commands:

The PB_SV_CVARLOGGING setting determines how and where player cvar information is displayed and/or logged to a file for later viewing.  A busy server with several players can generate lots of cvar-related information within a relatively short period of time if the PB Admin decides to take advantage of some of the above-listed features.  If the PB_SV_CVARLOGGING setting is left at the default value of 1, then all cvar-related information is treated just like other events and is displayed in the server console as well as logged to the current PunkBuster log file.  To redirect cvar-related logging to a separate (var) file, set PB_SV_CVARLOGGING to 2.  In this case, PunkBuster actually maintains two separate log files for each map, one with the .log extension (normal logs) and one with the .var extension (cvar logs).  Both files for a given map will have the same filename based on the sequential log file number, only the file extensions are different (for example, 00000001.log and 00000001.var).  Setting PB_SV_CVARLOGGING to 3 has the effect of logging cvar-related information in both manners described above for values of 1 and 2. Setting to 0 means PunkBuster does not log cvar information.

The PB_SV_CVARUSER and PB_SV_CVARCHANGED commands described above are designed to catch players who have figured out how to exploit the game using unpublished combinations of settings.  If an Admin is suspicious of a certain player who seems to be able to do things that are not a normal part of the game, that player's cvars can be examined for any unusual combinations that may bring to light the source of an exploit.  In some cases, Admins (or Leagues) may want to routinely and automatically log all such information for all players and then go back later to examine the logs rather than try to check players in real time while they are playing.  To automate the sending of PB_SV_CVARUSER and PB_SV_CVARCHANGED commands to all players, use the PB_SV_CVARUSERPULSE and PB_SV_CVARCHANGEDPULSE settings.  For example, set PB_SV_CVARUSERPULSE to 15 in order to have the PunkBuster Server automatically send a PB_SV_CVARUSER command to each player once every 15 minutes (staggered randomly).  Both PULSE settings default to 99 which means disabled.  Setting either or both to a number up to 98 activates the automatic feature.

Another advanced setting that is designed to be used in combination with the PULSE settings mentioned above is called the PB_SV_CVARWALK setting.  This setting normally defaults to 0 which means disabled.  Setting it to a non-zero number causes PunkBuster to automatically "walk" through all cvars returned in a list (such as from a PB_SV_CVARUSER command) and query the actual current value of each player cvar in the list.

Listed below is an example set of settings that would cause the PunkBuster Server to log all user-created and changed cvars along with their values to a separate log file with the .var file extension every 15 minutes (per player) during gameplay:

PB_SV_CvarLogging 2
PB_SV_CvarWalk 4
PB_SV_CvarUserPulse 15
PB_SV_CvarChangedPulse 15


PunkBuster allows Server Admins to request and retrieve actual screenshot images being displayed on the gaming monitor of players currently connected to the game server.  It is very easy to request a screenshot from one or more players and also to set up automatic screenshot capturing.  Several advanced features are available for Admins who want to tweak their systems.  The defaults are fine for most Admins and are a good place to start when getting a feel for how the Screen Capture Facility works.

There are two ways to capture screen shots: Manually and Automatically.  Some Admins will do both types.  To Manually request a screenshot from all connected players, simply type "PB_SV_GETSS" into the Game Server console and after a few seconds, you will start seeing messages about where newly retrieved screenshots were written to your hard drive and what their filenames are.  PB names screenshot image files using incrementing sequential serial numbers and they always have the PNG extension.  PNG graphic files are similar to GIF and JPG files - they combine the best of both worlds with respect to the type of images found in most computer games.  Along with each screenshot image (PNG) file, PunkBuster also writes a "helper" HTM file with the same filename so that you can use any web browser, such as Netscape or IE, to easily view your captured screenshots.  Furthermore, all screenshot requests are logged to one specific HTM file called pbsvss.htm so that the list is made available on one scrolling screen as an index for quick and easy viewing.

If you wish to take a manual screenshot of only one or a few connected players, you can specify either the player's slot number directly or you can specify a text substring and PB will request screenshots from all players whose names contain the specified search text.  To find the slot # of a specific player, type PB_SV_PLIST into the console.  Column one contains the slot # for each connected player in the list.  To request screenshots from all players with the text "ABC" in their name, type PB_SV_GETSS "ABC" (note the quotes are necessary when specifying name substrings).

To set up Automatic Screenshot Capturing, set the PB_SV_AUTOSS setting to 1 (the default is 0).  Then you may want to change the values of the PB_SV_AUTOSSFROM and PB_SV_AUTOSSTO settings to specify how often PunkBuster will request screenshots from each connected player.  Both of these settings are measured in seconds and the defaults are 60 and 1200 respectively which means that the PunkBuster Server will request a new screenshot randomly anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes after each previous request for each connected player.

Note that regardless of the combination of manual and automatic screenshot requests submitted during gameplay, the PunkBuster system limits screen shots in two ways.  First, each individual screenshot is limited to 82,000 pixels in an effort to keep image file sizes and transfer bandwidth requirements down.  If you set your parameters (described below) to request images that contain more than 82,000 pixels, then PunkBuster will automatically reduce the image size until the actual capture fits within the limitation.  Also, PunkBuster will not allow more than 3 screenshots to be requested from each player within any 10 minute period, nor allow a screenshot to be requested within 30 seconds of the previous request.  The PB_SV_PLIST command used to display information about connected players has a column called "RecentSS" which shows the number of requests for each player within the last 10 minutes.

Also, Admins should keep in mind that PunkBuster will not take a screenshot from a player who has minimized his local game or who has an application active other than the game itself.  In those cases, an empty black screenshot image is sent with text at the bottom explaining why the Capture failed.  Also, there are a few video display setups that cannot be correctly captured at this time.  These setups also do not allow the game itself to take screenshots using the built-in non-PunkBuster method.

The following settings can be used to customize the Screen Capture Facility:

PB_SV_SSWIDTH and PB_SV_SSHEIGHT are used to request a specific size image in pixels.  The default is 320 x 240.  If a size is requested that is larger than the actual resolution on a player's system, then PB will automatically reduce the appropriate parameter to match the size of the resolution.  For example, if a screenshot of 800x600 resolution is requested from a player running the game in 640x480 resolution, then PB will take the image at 640x480 resolution automatically.

PB_SV_XPCT and PB_SV_YPCT are used to specify where on the full playing screen that the capture is to be centered.  The default is 50 and 50 so that the capture comes from the center of the playing screen.  Using lower numbers moves the captured area toward the left (in the case of XPCT) and upper (in the case of YPCT) portions of the screen and using higher numbers moves the area towards the right and lower portions of the screen respectively.  If XPCT and/or YPCT are set to -1, then a random percentage between 0 and 100 will be used for each individual capture request - this has the effect of capturing different (randomized) portions of the playing screen each time a capture is taken.

PB_SV_SSSRATE sets the sample rate for the capture.  The Sample Rate can be set to take less pixels from a larger area of the screen to, in effect, compact a larger picture into a smaller size by simply skipping pixels.  Sample Rates of 1, 2 and 4 are available.  Using a Sample Rate of 2 will reduce image file sizes to about one fourth of normal (Sample Rate 1) and using 4 will reduce to about one sixteenth.  The reduction in file size does affect the clarity of the image.  It is always best to use Sample Rate of 1 unless you desire to capture large portions of the playing screen and don't mind losing some clarity in the resulting image.  Even with the 82,000 pixel limit, it is possible to capture images at 1280x1024 using a sample rate of 4 for the relatively few players who play in very high resolutions.

PB_SV_SSDELAY causes the PB Client to wait a random number of seconds (up to 60) after receiving the capture request before actually capturing the image.

PB_SV_SSPATH can be configured to hold an alternate location where captured screenshots are to be written.  This can be a network share if desired.  The default is "" (empty) which means the pb/svss subfolder holds captured screen shots and related support files.

PB_SV_SSFLOOR, PB_SV_SSCEILING, and PB_SV_SSNEXT deal with the way captured screenshot images are named as they are saved to files at the PB server.  The PB_SV_SSNEXT setting holds the serial number that PB will use for the next captured filename - for example if PB_SV_SSNEXT is 250, then the next captured image will have a filename of pb000250.png (and it's "helper" file will be named pb000250.htm).  The PB_SV_SSNEXT setting is incremented and maintained automatically by the PB system but can be set manually if desired.  The FLOOR and CEILING settings specify the from and to range for the screenshot filenames captured by this server.  Using the PB_SV_SSPATH command mentioned above, Admins who run multiple servers may want to have all PB Servers send captured screenshots to a central location.  The FLOOR and CEILING settings allow the admin to give each PB Server its own unique range of filenames to use so that there is never any overlap in the central archive.

PB_SV_SSCMD holds the name of a local script (batch) file that PB will execute automatically after each screen shot is retrieved successfully.  The default value of this setting is "" (empty) which means that PB will not run a local script at all after image captures.  PunkBuster passes the full image filename with path as a parameter to the script.  This is for advanced Admins who wish to automate the processing, archiving, and/or publishing of screenshots (such as to a web server).

This facility is not associated with the votekick system that is built into the game itself. Both systems work independently of each other and can be used together or be enabled/disabled separately depending on the desires of each PB Server Admin.

PB Player Power allows PB Server Admins to empower their trusted regular players with more weight in a new elective process used to remove an undesirable player from the game server. Frequently, troublemakers who attack teammates, block doorways, or otherwise ruin the gameplay are able to get around other methods of keeping them off of the server. This new facility aims to tackle this issue so that gameplay on good public servers doesn't suffer when troublemaking punks show up.

Basically, every player on PB Servers has a power rating. Each PB Server Admin can add specific players to a locally stored database which stores the power rating for those specific players between playing sessions. Additionally, a "catch all" setting called pb_sv_powerdef holds the default power rating for players who are not in the database. During gameplay, players may apply their power points against a player by requesting to have that player kicked from the server. Each application of power points is reported to all players on the server so that all players will be able to see when a player applies his/her power points against another player. Once enough power points have accumulated against a given player, then that player is removed from the game and forced to wait a number of minutes before being allowed to rejoin.

To add a specific player to the local PB Player Power database, use the pb_sv_power command; this command takes two arguments: the slot # of the player to be added and the desired power rating. The pb_sv_plist command is used to display a slot # for all connected players. The local PB Player Power database is stored in the pbpower.dat file. Each entry is based on the guid of the player.

The power rating assigned to players may range from 0 to 100. Assigning a power of 0 to a player means that the player's vote carries zero weight on the server and any requests by that player to kick other players using this facility are completely ignored. A setting of 0 should normally be reserved for players who have shown themselves to be untrustworthy from the standpoint of voting against their peers. Assigning a power of 100 to a player is further distinguishing that player as a "deputy". There are a couple of additional points of interest involving deputies. When at least one deputy is presently connected to a game server, then only deputies may apply their power points on that server. Other players must appeal to the judgment of any and all deputies presently connected. Also, deputy players cannot be removed from the game server using this facility.

The pb_sv_powerdef setting is used to set the number of power points allocated to players who are not in the local PB Player Power database. Use the pb_sv_powermin setting to specify the number of power points required to be applied to a given player before that player is removed from the game. The pb_sv_powerkicklen setting holds the number of minutes that players must wait before being allowed to rejoin when removed via this facility. To completely disable this facility, set pb_sv_powerkicklen to 0.

More information about how this facility is used from a player's perspective can be found in our related publication: "PunkBuster for Players".

Even Balance, Inc. will soon be offering a premium, optional hosting service for Server Admins who wish to remotely log screenshot and log file signatures in real time for automatic publication to a fully and openly accessible website.  We will offer a similar service for Players.  Each subscriber gets a separate page and each days' activity is further separated into web pages.  When this Service is available, more information will be available on our website at evenbalance.com.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available on our website. Choose the appropriate game from the support page.