Downloads
 

Click on this link to download the latest version (SOVLogin.ZIP) (1.1.001 - 29 Jul 02). Unzip it and run it. Select File then click Launch Allegiance to login to the lobby server.  Allegiance will automatically be started.

Distribution

You can (and should) give this to your friends but you can't redistribute it to the public en-masse without my permission.  What this means is that you ought to e-mail it to all your buddies, but don't copy my code onto another website for download unless you've first asked for and received my permission.

Introduction

SOVLogin is a program that connects into the lobby server and monitors Microsoft® AllegianceTM  to provide authentication.  It facilitates ensuring that each person running Allegiance isn’t cheating. There are a number of issues below under Troubleshooting and Information that you must read!

SOVLogin is built upon the cores of SOVLog and SOVGuard, assuming their ability to capture and log chat messages and easily take screen shots.  The creator of this program is in no way affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.  Allegiance is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

How to use it

If you haven’t already signed up then please go to http://login.alleg.net for details.  Once you’ve obtained your callsign and password launch SOVLogin.

Troubleshooting and Information

The intent of this program is to prevent people from providing themselves a dishonest advantage.

• Your password is simply used to encrypt the data stream and is never transmitted.  Therefore, when you login with SOVLogin there is zero chance of anyone being able to identify your password by watching the network data streams.  The data stream employs a nested public (proven secure) and private encryption scheme, the details of which I'm not going to publish.

• Do not modify any of your Allegiance files (apart from unimportant files such as the quickchats, etc.) because it will be immediately known if you do.  Failure to comply will cause your callsign and IP to be permanently banned from ever being able to play on the Allegiance community systems again.  For anyone that elects to ignore this warning let me say farewell in advance.

• Attempting to log in with an invalid callsign or password will cause your IP to be reviewed.  What this primarily means is that if you try to log in with someone else's callsign you should expect your IP (or subnet as necessary) to be permanently banned.  This doesn't mean that if you've forgotten your password that you'll be banned.  There will be a record of the IP ranges you normally use and it will be known whether or not a hack attempt is occurring.

• You may not connect twice with the same callsign.  Attempting to do so will result in a reconsideration of your ability to play using the Allegiance community systems.

• Unless your callsign has been approved for it, there may not be more than a single connection from any unique IP address.  Doing so will cause your account to be reviewed so don't do it.  In other words, don't use -multi unless you've previously been approved for it.

• Your callsign and IP address will be logged and monitored. This data will frequently be reviewed and trend analysis performed against it.

• When you login with SOVLogin a connection will be made to the lobby server on port 2363.  If this connection is broken, such as if the lobby server is taken down, you will be returned to the SOVLogin login dialog, terminating your copy of Allegiance in the process.  However, such lobby server outages should be rare.

• If you run this program then you will be exposing the entire scope of your Allegiance process and files to the Allegiance community systems for inspection.  If you aren't comfortable with this then please delete your copy of SOVLogin now.

• Another example of cheating is making two simultaneous connections for the purpose of playing on both teams providing an unfair advantage by "spying on the other team".  This will not be tolerated and your accounts and IPs will be banned upon discovery.  You've been forewarned.

• There are currently dormant queries to which SOVLogin will respond if it becomes suspected that you are cheating.  It can not only be discerned that you are cheating, but precisely how you are cheating.  Therefore, you don't have to worry about being accused of cheating if you are not.  If you are cheating, however, it will be obvious and your callsign and IP will be permanently banned from ever being able to play on the Allegiance community systems again.  If it is in your blood to cheat then go for it, just know that you had fair warning.

• Finally, a note to those that have previously hacked their copies of Allegiance:  Nothing is beyond being hacked and SOVLogin is no exception, so don't perceive SOVLogin as something I think cannot be broken.  However, I have spent the last three weeks placing various traps into SOVLogin and it is extremely likely that you will fall into one of them if you try to hack the program.  I mention this because I'm not really interested in catching people hacking.  Rather, I am far more interested in preventing it entirely.  Many of the programming traps employed are evidenced only on the server side, meaning that hack attempts will most certainly be known.  Please don't hack.  I would really like the introduction of this program to be a clean slate for everyone.  The bottom line though is that this if you hack you will most certainly be expelled from the Allegiance community systems.

Hey, just cause I like it doesn’t mean you will!  I don’t store anything in the registry so simply delete the following four files: SOVLogin.exe, SOVLogin.hlp and SOVLogin.ini and SOVLogin.dat.

Reporting Bugs and Feedback

If you encounter a problem while running SOVLogin please send an e-mail to VenCain@hotmail.com.  Please let me know the version of SOVLogin which you are running (click on Help then About).  First though, please check the site you go this from to see if there is a newer version.  I might have already fixed your problem.

Version History (boring stuff!)

1.1 Build 001 – 29 Jul 02

• The Allegiance CfgFile setting is verified upon the first launch with the option to correct it if necessary

• Screenshots didn't previously work

• Removed 1.0.011 test code

• Added new splash screen contributed by Pook
• Special version to isolate problem during Allegiance launch

• Incremented SOV to SOV version level to stay in sync with lobby

• Added an error output upon an attempt of a duplicated secure callsign connection
• Messages now strip low control codes
• Added user messaging (not currently enabled on clients)
• Implemented messaging support

• Updated SOV to SOV version
• Made many general improvements

• Improved some error messages issued during failed connect attempts
• Made the use of colors more consistent

• Alpha release for closed testing

• Internal version