this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2024

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Steam DLC unlocker SmokeAPI is now being blocked by Valve and could result in a VAC ban or locked account. (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

17 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Looks like CreamAPI is not affected. Looks like a Paradox games fan's worst nightmare.

Link to change in latest Steam client update.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago

Streisand effect too: hadn't heard of this until now. Git downloads immediately get flagged as Trojans tho

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Interesting. Any idea why this is happening to SmokeAPI but not cream?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago

An API that unlocks DLC? That sounds like... wait what community is this? (looks around)
Is that a wooden IP address? Nice eye patch by the way. Cheers matey!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Not right before the new Elden Ring DLC..

[–] [email protected] 41 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

You cannot get VAC'ed from a game that doesnt have VAC. I know this because at one time I tried to get an experimental Steam account to get restricted by the most games out there. (I got 7 VAC Bans and 43 Game Bans on said account). Game bans disable certain features within a certain game. VAC only works based on the game it was on (except the whole Source/GoldSrc group bans, which I consider as a single ban).

What you could be referring to could be account bans can be issued based on fraudulent activity on the account. I assume this would cause these sorts of bans.

Though I would typically need to write code that injects the game just right to trigger the anticheat; if this causes game bans this could make getting future bans a lot easier for said account

[+] [email protected] -18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This actually doesn't surprise me. Valve is getting greedy.

But; to be clear; by using these tools, to unlock the DLC without paying for it, you are cheating in the game. That's a mere fact; and not a moral judgement of anyone choosing to do so.

Personally, I don't judge anyone for doing so; and would use these tools myself if I thought a DLC were too predatory, expensive or otherwise unfair to not have it available.

That's not saying it's fair or right for Valve to do so; nor is it saying the VAC bans or account suspensions are deserved. If you get hit by this; you absolutely should pirate every title you already own/purchased via Steam right away, and pirate anything else you want in the future.

The only way to make them regret doing things like this is voting with your wallet; and asking others to do the same. Stop spending money on Valve. Once their earnings fall they'll be forced to hear people's concerns.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ah yes, how greedy of a company, to checks notes stop you from telling their online distribution service that you own something you don’t.

Pirate all you want, live how you want. But valve is a company, they do sorta have to follow those pesky laws and regulations.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah seriously, if you're pirating the DLC you might as well pirate the entire game

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I understand in some cases. For example, Civilization is very cheap. But DLCs are so expensive...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not if you want to use the steam workshop without buying the DLC.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Aren't there external Workshop downloaders floating around, or has Valve closed that gap?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Sure those exist, but is there anything like a mod manager that works for those sites? Imagine having to manually manage your mods/addons for a game like Cities Skylines. When I played, I had well over 1000 assets installed. There's simply no way that would work.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (1 children)

VAC bans are only for cheating in games, you shouldn't get one. Can't say the same about getting your account locked though, but Valve usually doesn't do stuff like that

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They might, if they think they're cheated out of money

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Agreed. The only time I was suspended was because I filed a charge back for an incomplete, buggy game that was sold as finished. It took so long to even get running that I was just over the refund time limit and they refused to make an exception. There was some verbiage about being banned if I continued to do charge backs. I just stopped using Steam.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

Well if you're talking about a charge back on a cc they might get mad but I've refunded 10's of games through steams refund page with no problems over the years. Some people even treat the 2 hrs within 2 weeks as a trial period for games to test them out.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Same. I had PayPal do an automated charge back because their system thought I was doing something fraudulent when I wasn't. Steam blocked my account.

Talking to support and re-buying said game did fix the issue for me.