• Introduction
• What PunkBuster Is All About
• Quick Start Guide
• The Basics
  • Game Integration
  • PB Subdirectory and File Information
  • The PunkBuster Interface
• Enabling and Disabling PunkBuster
• Finding PunkBuster Enabled Servers
• Updating PunkBuster
• Commands and Settings
  • Commands
  • Settings
• Using PunkBuster to the Fullest
• Screen Capture Facility
  • Taking Local Screenshots
• PunkBuster Player Power
• The Name Registry
• Remote Logging Facility
• Violations
• Frequently Asked Questions

This publication is for Players 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: Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam by EA Games. 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.

If you wish to learn about using the PunkBuster Server software for running a game server, please see our related publication entitled 'PunkBuster for Server Administrators'.

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 consensual 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.

From the main game menu, choose Multiplayer to get to the In-Game Server Browser. On the In-Game Server Browser screen, make sure the 'PunkBuster' button says 'Enabled'. If not, click the button and then confirm that you wish to Enable PunkBuster. After confirmation, the button should now say 'PunkBuster Enabled'.

The In-Game Server Browser

You are now ready to join any servers that are running PunkBuster. There is a small PunkBuster logo to the left of the servers that are PunkBuster Enabled. When PunkBuster needs to give you information, it will appear at the top of your playing screen briefly and then scroll off he top of the screen. If you wish to review previous messages, press the tilde (~) key to bring down the game console. From inside the game console, use the 'PageUp' and 'PageDown' keys to scroll the console text up and down if necessary.

Although there is code inside the Game to allow PunkBuster to be integrated tightly with the Game, the PunkBuster software is completely separate from the Game software. It resides in its own folder called "pb" inside the game folder. For example, if your game is installed into a folder called "c:gamesbf1942", then the PunkBuster files will be in "c:gamesbf1942pb". To remove or uninstall PunkBuster from your system, simply delete the "pb" folder using the explorer program on your computer. PunkBuster does not modify the system registry nor hide files or other information anywhere else on your system.

There are only a few files in the "pb" folder when PunkBuster is first installed. When the game is first launched after PunkBuster has been installed, PunkBuster will add new files and folders for later use.

Most people install to and run the game (and PunkBuster) from a local hard drive. However, for players who run the game from a shared location such as a network file server, an extra step is required in setting up the game to run so that PunkBuster functions properly. PunkBuster must have full control over its own files and subdirectories for each player. If multiple players are running the game (and PunkBuster) from the same shared location, then PunkBuster is very likely to have problems authenticating one or more of the players and will eventually remove them from gameplay. In order to function when running the game from a shared location, the overlayPATH game setting must point to a separate location for each player who runs the game from the shared location. The easiest way to set this up is to copy the "pb" folder from the shared location to a folder on each player's local hard drive such as "C:BFVPB". Then add +overlayPath C:BFVPB to the end of the shortcut target (or other mechanism) that is used to launch the game for each player running from the shared location.

The "pb" folder normally contains the following file types:

• Files with a "dll", "so", or "mac" extension (example: pbcl.dll) are PunkBuster system files. Removing any or all of these files may cause your PunkBuster system to stop working. Modifying any or all of these files is a violation of our End User License Agreement and permanently terminates your license (and legal ability) to use our software.
• Files with a "db" extension are PunkBuster database files. The PunkBuster databases are automatically created and maintained by the PunkBuster software. If you delete one or all of these files, PunkBuster will recreate and re-populate them with information obtained from Master PunkBuster Servers if possible. Modifying any of these files may cause PunkBuster to act in an unexpected manner.
• Files with a "dat" extension are PunkBuster data files. They should not be removed or modified. The PunkBuster system will maintain them automatically.
• Files with a "log" extension are files into which PunkBuster logs information during the course of using the software. By default, the PunkBuster Client only logs severe error information to a log. The PunkBuster Server logs important activity into log files automatically.
• Files with an "htm" extension are special log files that are designed to be viewed by a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.
• Files with a "cfg" extension are configuration files that contain PunkBuster commands and settings. You can create and modify your own configuration files and have them loaded either automatically or manually. Details about PunkBuster commands and settings are given later in this publication. Two specific "cfg" files: pbcl.cfg and pbcllog.cfg may be used and overwritten by the PunkBuster system under some circumstances. Each time PunkBuster starts, the pbcl.cfg configuration file is loaded automatically.

PunkBuster also creates subfolders inside the "pb" folder to organize information; the following is a list of these folders and what they contain:

• The "htm" folder contains htm files that are used during PunkBuster's auto-update system. Over time and after many updates, this folder may contain old files that may be deleted to recover disk space if desired.
• The "dll" folder contains various PunkBuster system files obtained during the auto-update process from prior version installations of PunkBuster. As with the "htm" files described above, old files in this folder may be deleted to recover disk space if desired.
• The "scrnshot" folder contains PunkBuster screenshot files (described more fully later in this publication). These files may be retained or deleted as you see fit.
• The folders that start with "sv" are used by the PunkBuster Server software and are not covered in this publication. For more information about these folders, please see our related publication entitled 'PunkBuster for Server Administrators'.

PunkBuster communicates to players by displaying information directly to the game screen and the game console. A player can also communicate directly to PunkBuster by typing commands into the game console. The BF1942 and BFV console is only available when you are connected to a server. More advanced players may wish to use this ability to put PunkBuster commands into key bindings and game configuration scripts for personal convenience.

The Tilde Key

In general, to access the game's console, press the Tilde Key. On most Qwerty keyboards, the tilde key is located directly under the Esc key and looks like this: ~ . Some non-American keyboard layouts do not have a tilde key and a different key such as the � key are the tilde equivalent on those keyboards. Pressing the tilde key will bring down the Game Console. The console is used to display several lines of textual information and also accept user input such as commands. The bottom line of the console will always start out empty and typed keystrokes will appear on the left. To enter any Game or PunkBuster command type out the full command in the console.

All PunkBuster Client commands and settings start with the three character sequence "PB_". Specific PunkBuster commands and settings are described in a subsequent section of this publication. Note that if you run your own Server, PunkBuster Server commands are preceded by the six character sequence "PB_SV_". PunkBuster doesn't care whether commands and settings are typed in lower case, upper case, or in some combination. ENABLE, enable, and EnAbLe are all the same as far as PunkBuster is concerned. Any time PunkBuster needs to display a message, the message will be preceded by the words "PunkBuster Client:" or "PunkBuster Server:". This is useful if you are running your own server so that the source of each message will be obvious.

The In-Game Server Browser

Players who like to join Game Servers from inside the game will notice that there are some PunkBuster friendly features built into the game's interface. There is a column that shows whether each Game Server currently has PunkBuster On or Off. There is also an option in the Filter Servers screen whereby users can choose to see only Servers with PunkBuster "On", only Servers with PunkBuster "Off", or both types of servers together.

From the game's main screen, clicking 'Multiplayer' moves to the in-game Server Browser and Selection Screen. In the bottom portion of this screen will be a button that says either 'PunkBuster Enabled' or 'PunkBuster Disabled'. Click this button to toggle the current status of PunkBuster.

There is no additional cost involved for using PunkBuster in a personal, non-commercial environment. If you are playing in a prize tournament or any event (whether over the Internet or in a LAN environment) that charges an entry fee and/or awards prizes to participants, the organizers of that event are required to obtain a commercial license with Even Balance, Inc. if they wish to utilize PunkBuster Software during the event. More information about this requirement can be obtained by emailing license@evenbalance.com

NOTICE: PunkBuster cannot be Disabled immediately during the middle of gameplay. Choosing to Disable PunkBuster by any methods described above 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 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. That means players can Enable PunkBuster once and then never worry about it again if desired, as it will continue to be enabled from that point on even when the Game is exited unless specifically Disabled at some later point in time.

Most Players use some type of Game Browser to find Game Servers to join. The Game itself has a very nice integrated Game Browser built in so that Players can usually find what they are looking for very easily. Some Players prefer to use external Game Browsers such as the ones produced by GameSpy, Pingtool and Kali.

The In-Game Server Browser

For Players who use the in-game browser, a column is displayed that specifically shows whether or not each server listed currently has PunkBuster Enabled.

For external Game Browsers, some configuration may be required to display and/or filter servers based on whether or not they currently have PunkBuster Enabled. First, a little background: while a Game Server is running, it sends a "heartbeat" packet of information every few seconds to several Master Game Servers located around the world. This heartbeat packet tells the Master Game Servers that the Game Server is running, how many players are currently connected, and the current status of all sorts of things such as the Name of the server, the maximum number of players and what is commonly referred to as the "server rules". One of the server rules returned by Game Servers is called sv_punkbuster. If sv_punkbuster is set to "1" for a particular Server, then PunkBuster is Enabled on that Server. Consult the documentation for your chosen external Game Browser to determine how to display and/or filter servers based on the value of sv_punkbuster.

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 occurring 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 separate section, called 'Updating PunkBuster' on our website at Even Balance.

The use of PunkBuster commands and settings is optional. This information is provided for advanced users who want to get more out of the PunkBuster software or who want to customize it. A brief overview of using commands and settings is given, as well as a reference list of all available commands and settings along with explanations of their correct use.

The most common way to enter a command or to check / change a setting in PunkBuster is to bring down the Game Console and type away. However, since PunkBuster is directly integrated into the game, PunkBuster commands and settings can also be treated just like any other game command or setting in that they can be placed into game script files, bound to keystrokes and used in aliases.

The easiest way to quickly test that your PunkBuster system is properly installed, Enabled, and working is to type "PB_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 currently Disabled or there is a problem that may require some troubleshooting. Consult the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Appendix later in this publication for suggestions on ways to troubleshoot this type of problem.

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

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 setting values for most users. To find out the current value of a setting, simply type in the name of the setting all by itself. For example, typing "PB_LOGTOFILE" 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 and 0 is the default. To set it to 1, type in "PB_LOGTOFILE 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.

PB_GetSs
Captures and saves a screen shot based on the parameters found in the PB_SSOPTIONS setting listed below; described more fully in the Screen Capture Facility section

PB_Kick [slot #]
Requests that a specific player be removed from the game; this command is part of the PB Player Power facility

PB_Load [File Name]
Loads the specified PunkBuster config file which can contain commands and/or setting changes

PB_MyGuid
Displays your PunkBuster GUID and your Game CDKey (Note: Cdkey is not shown if currently connected to a server); The GUID is used by PunkBuster to identify players and it is based on the CDKey entered into the game

PB_PList
Requests that the connected PunkBuster Server display a list of players and their current status to the console

PB_Power
Requests that the connected PunkBuster Server display a list of players and their current PB Player Power status to the console

PB_SsOptions
Sets and/or displays the parameters used for taking local PunkBuster Screenshots; used by the Screen Capture Facility

PB_Ver
Displays the currently running version of the PunkBuster Client software

PB_WebUpdate
This command adds the PBWEB functionality directly into the PB Client - PBWEB should no longer be required to manually update PB Clients. PunkBuster will automatically issue this command when necessary to auto-update during gameplay before going into distress mode

PB_WriteCfg
Writes the current values of the PunkBuster settings to the local hard drive (creating or overwriting files called pbcl.cfg and pbcllog.cfg) in such a way that they will be loaded automatically the next time PunkBuster starts; if you make changes to your PunkBuster settings and you want the changes to be permanent, then enter this command after making the changes

PB_AutoExec [Filename]
Holds the name of a game script file that is to be executed each time a server is joined; This is useful if you need to reset game settings each time you join a server

PB_Lan [0=no, 1=yes]
Defaults to 0; when set to 1, PB will behave as though it has no Internet access

PB_LogAddr [Address / Internet Hostname]
Holds the address of the machine to which remote logging is sent (default is empty meaning the feature is not used)

PB_LogMD5Tool [0=no, 1=yes]
Setting defaults to 0; setting to 1 will cause PB to log all MD5Tool file check query replies sent to connected PB Servers during gameplay

PB_LogPort [Port #]
Holds the listen port of the machine to which remote logging is sent (default is 0 meaning the feature is not used)

PB_LogPw [Password]
Holds the password required to send logging output to a listening remote logging machine

PB_LogToFile [0=no, 1=yes]
When set to 1, PunkBuster will log activity to the pbcl.log file; the default is 0 which meansonly errors are logged

PB_LogUser [Username]
Holds the username required to send logging output to a listening remote logging machine

PB_MsgPrefix [New Prefix]
Holds the text that PunkBuster displays in front of every output line displayed; the default is "PunkBuster Client".

PB_Security [0=no, 1=yes]
When set to 0, PunkBuster will accept all "update" files without verifying that they are authentic; the default is 1 which should not normally be changed except for LAN environments where there is no Internet Access and/or you fully trust the Servers you are connecting to

PB_Sleep [Period]
Holds the period of time (milliseconds) that PunkBuster "sleeps" between processing cycles; the default is 60; lower numbers will cause PunkBuster to process events more times each second which also has the effect of increasing the bandwidth used by PunkBuster; Players with a modem connection will probably want to set this as high as possible

PB_SsLog [0=no, 1=yes]
When set to 1 (which is the default), PunkBuster will create an entry in the pbsslog.htm log file every time a PunkBuster Server requests a screenshot to be taken and delivered; this log file is designed to be viewed with a web browser and contains information about the size of the image, when it was taken, and also a digital signature of the image itself

PB_SsSave [0=no, 1=yes]
When set to 1 (0 is the default), PunkBuster will save all Server-requested Screenshots to the local hard drive so that Players can see the actual screenshots that have been delivered to Game Servers that they were connected to; if this setting and the PB_SsLog setting are both set to 1, then the pbsslog.htm log file will automatically have links created for local viewing directly from the log file

PB_System [0/1]
PB can conflict with other software on some systems due to vigorous memory scanning; Changing this setting may reduce or eliminate conflicts if you have problems on your system; this setting can only be changed before connecting to a server by editing the pbsys.cfg file in your PB folder. This file is created the first time you run PB.

PunkBuster issues several types of messages during gameplay. These will appear at the top of the playing screen for a few seconds before scrolling off. All messages also are logged to the console and old messages can be reviewed by bringing down the game console. The game console can be scrolled up or down by using the PageUp or PageDown keys respectively. During almost every game, there will be periods of inactivity where players are not actively playing the game. This is a good time to review previous PunkBuster messages to see if you missed any important messages while playing.

The most useful PunkBuster command to get acquainted with is the pb_plist command. By occasionally issuing a pb_plist command, you can view the PunkBuster status of all players in the game. The status of each player can either be INIT, UPDT or OK. The INIT status means that the PunkBuster Server is still initializing that player�s connection. The UPDT status indicates that the PunkBuster Server is updating that player�s PunkBuster installation. Other information is displayed by the pb_plist command such as the Auth Rate and RecentSS columns. The Auth Rate of a player is how many times per minute the player�s PunkBuster has successfully authenticated with the PunkBuster Server. Once each player has reached OK status, then the Auth Rate should never fall below 2.0. If it does, that would indicate that PunkBuster is not functioning normally for some reason. The RecentSS column indicates how many screenshots the PunkBuster Server has requested from each player during the past few minutes.

After each map ends and a few seconds after the next one is starting, the PunkBuster Server will report some information to connected players about the Server log files. This information gives players the filenames of the log files and also the Digital Signatures of the log files saved at the Server. This is useful mostly in organized matches where Server Admins provide logs to administrators after each match. The Digital Signatures that are reported to players keep the Server Admin or anyone else from being able to change or edit the log files without altering the reported Digital Signatures. If a log file is changed at all, then its Digital Signature will no longer match what was broadcast to all players in the game. We have for download, on our website at evenbalance.com, a free utility called pbmd5 that will compute the Digital Signature (also known as MD5) of any file. If you would like to "save" the Digital Signature of log files reported by a Server, we recommend bringing down the game console and then taking a screenshot of your playing screen while that information is displayed. If desired, the PB_GETSS command can be used to save the screenshot.

The PunkBuster Screen Capture Facility allows Server Admins to request actual screenshots from players' screens while they are playing. The screenshots are transferred over the network and saved by the Server Admins either for private use or possibly for publication to a website. PunkBuster limits the filesize of the screenshots by setting a maximum number of pixels that can be captured. PunkBuster also limits how many times a PunkBuster Server can request a screenshot within a few minutes to prevent Server Admins from taking screenshots one after another continuously. All PunkBuster screenshots are saved in the PNG image format and therefore have the ".png" extension. This format is similar to the JPEG format but does not reduce image quality during compression. Most newer Web browsers can view PNG files directly. Programs that convert PNG format images to and from other formats are widely available. More information about the PNG format can be found at the PNG-Homepage.

There are two PunkBuster settings that can be used by players to track the activity of PunkBuster Servers that request screenshots from their system. The settings are called PB_SSLOG and PB_SSSAVE. If PB_SSLOG is set to 1 (which is the default), then PunkBuster will keep a log file on your hard drive in the "pb" folder called "pbsslog.htm". This log can be viewed using any web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. The log contains information about each screenshot that was requested by a PunkBuster Server. If PB_SSSAVE is set to 1 (note that 0 is the default), then PunkBuster will save the actual screenshot to your hard drive after the screenshot image has been transmitted to a PunkBuster Server. Note that screenshot images vary in size usually between 40 and 80 thousand bytes. If you play frequently, saving Screenshots to your hard drive can consume a lot of disk space after only a few days. We don't recommend setting PB_SSSAVE to 1 unless you are sure that you will routinely view the screenshot images and remove them if they start to take up too much disk space for your system.

If PB_SSSAVE is set to 1, PunkBuster saves the screenshots into the folder called "scrnshot" inside the "pb" folder. The filename used is based on the date that the screenshot was taken. For example, the first screenshot taken on March the 15th will have the filename "0315_000.png". The next one would have "0315_001.png", etc. If you exit the game and play again later the same day, PunkBuster will start over at 000 and overwrite the images taken in earlier sessions. Please keep this in mind if you intend to keep all of your screenshot images.

When PunkBuster writes log lines to the "pbsslog.htm" file due to a screenshot request from a connected PunkBuster Server, the log lines will have the following format: "