I've had problems just connecting to servers using sv_strictauth 1. I get "Invalid CD-KEY, Mistyped CD-KEY?" I have never shared my CD-KEY, I have never downloaded a program that hijacks keys, nor have I been infected with a trojan that might steal them. I know it's not mistyped, and I have all the ports open needed for playing Q3 online. I actually have THREE valid CD-KEYS because I own 3 legitimate copies of Quake 3 - one is my original, the second is a Linux edition I got for $1in a collector's tin, the third is Q3 Gold, which I got Team Arena with. None of these were working, I kept getting the same message. Then, miraculously, the problem goes away on its own and I can play on Q3 servers again? No explanation, it just starts working one day. This is not even a punkbuster issue, it's an issue with the Id Master servers, but for a long time I could not connect to ANY server unless sv_strictauth was 0. My patience for "authorize" crap hit an all-time low about this time. I paid for it, I should be able to use it. Period.
Then we move on to Punkbuster... My main beef with Punkbuster has been that it is entirely user-unfriendly. Besides the running list of complaints, I used to be on a modem and if you think in-game Punkbuster updates are bad with broadband, try doing it on a 26.6 dialup, especially when your upstream is half of your downstream. It's bad enough you have to deal with packet loss and high ping, but the stupid client validation would hitch the game, usually right when you're getting shot at or about to make a shot, and since it did this about once a minute or so it made for an unplayable game. Oh yes, and let's not forget the undocumented "we will check for a connection for 5 minutes before actually letting you into the program" feature, great for all those who want to play offline. I thought my computer had locked up the first few times I ran into this. I had to find out myself to set all the punkbuster cvars to 0 to keep THAT from happening. What about those less tech savvy who just want to get their game on?
Anticheat measures should be silent. They should be out of the way, and non-intrusive to the gamer. I'm all for kicking cheaters off servers, but you shouldn't have to drag regular players kicking and screaming through hoop after hoop just to play.
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