Two sessions at the same time, possible exploit?

I'm able to log into two sessions at the same time. Using two different browsers on the same computer, logging into the same account. The first session loses it's chat channels, but other than that, it's playable.

I can place new buildings in either one, sometimes the buildings sync, but otherwise I can start multiple buildings in each, different military units, etc. Eventually the connection to the server on the first session is lost. I'm kind of low on resources at the moment, so I wasn't able to get any buildings to finish :) So I don't know if two buildings finishing on each would show up in both eventually or what. Should be addressed anyway though.

Hey Bob. I don't think you could duplicate buildings. However, it would definitely be nice to know. Keep us updated!

How about two different accounts...and you transfer resources from one to the other using the friend option...thats cheating...how do you intend to prevent that?

Pushing is not tolerated. Multiple accounts is bannable. This is handled by our friendly GM team in ways that I cannot disclose==)

It's not an exploit because everything is happening server side. At least to my knowledge.

EVERYTHING happens server side. Our side is just graphics. By definition an exploit is using a bug to improve your game. If you changed something on your system to it, if there was a file on our machines that recorded data, it would be a hack, not an exploit. So it might be an exploit. On the other hand I suspect that it would more likely contaminate your data and lead to your game cocking up its toes forever and having to start over at level 1. This used to happen all the time in the sims2 especially when people would try to make the game do things it wasn't meant to. We would warn them, and it would work for awhile, and then they would end up with bizarre bugs popping up. This double session doesn't happen all the time though. I frequently forget I have a game running and start it on another window. For me it just ends the game completely in the other browser. If you want to experiment, you could put a house on one spot in one game and a workplace in the same spot on the other game. I would be real interested to know what happened, as long as it was YOUR game that got contaminated and not mine. You couldn't get me to run two sessions together without a gun to my head.

well said verdaeni. many people dont seem to realize the data corruption that could result from duplicating the data stream between user and server

lets take your example of a residence and a workyard being placed in the same spot at the same time on 2 dif sessions. idk exactly how the data is handled on the server's side, but 1 of 3 things i could see happening.
1)1 building overrides the other in the server, resulting in only the 1 buildng being their. you would most likely still be out the resources used to place the other building
2)the 2 buildings end up overlapped on your island. while this may seem cool, it would then make it impossible to select whichever building happens to be 'behind' the other on the z-coordinate.
3)the data from the 2 buildings somehow gets mixed together on the server, resulting in some type of hybrid building, possibly w no way to alter or get rid of, essentially making tht building spot unavailable for future use

bubhowdy i would def not reccomend continuing to experiment w this, it could lead to a very messed up island. but then again, i could be completely wrong, and you might be able to get double the # of buildings on ur island than the rest of us. ur choice if you wanna take the chance ;)

I just tried this on the test server. I get kicked out of my first session (it tells me that my session has timed out) as soon as I connect to another session in another browser. I have no idea how you are getting two playable sessions going at the same time.

I do this when I run an adventure in one, and build mines etc in the other...

i guess tht is possible lowprofile, and shouldnt lead to any problems as long as ur not going back to ur home island on the adv session or vice versa, as the adv island and ur home island are 2 separate 'zones' on the server. though im curious as to when u get battle report mail on the home island session. do you get a mail 'ding' after each battle on the adv island session? or does it all come at once when the adv is ended and you close tht session?

sorry but I have to say: lol... When I log in and start the game client twice It usually terminates session in other tab or browser. I don't even imagine how one could be able to log in from two clients as first one is disconnected. Besides about duplicating data... Guys it happens ALL THE TIME! Don't you experience some stupid errors when your building orders get canceled and the somehow miraculously are completed? At least that's what happens to me A LOT:
1) I order 3x wheat fields.
2) They all are placed and queued.
3) Somehow 2 or all 3 are canceled.
4) I order them again. (IMO duplication happens here)
5) Somehow it reverts back to 1 queue (It's visible if building order or placing of 1 and 3 steps is different)
6) Buildings ordered at 1 are build and 4 is canceled.

Another situation sometimes happens when trading. You can get message that you don't have required items even when order is successfully sent. IMO client tries to send same item twice and second time it fails. It really really really gets annoying. :(

And about pushing... I guess they could ban half of the server. Why? Because guildies are helping lower lv players to grow faster. Sending resource, giving lootspots for free, giving free buffs and so on. If GMs would really ban for that rule... well... I guess you can imagine results yourself. Of course unless I actually don't understand what pushing is. Frankly this is FIRST game I encountered which has this stupid rule and I have played a lot of them. But I understand as they want you to buy or gift resources from shop and spend gems for that and not to get them for free from friends.

starcaller, ur kinda ignorant to tell you the honest truth. yes there are glitches in the game, but its not duplicate data being sent to the server. as to pushing, it involves a person having 2 accounts, 1 of which is his/her main account, and the other they dont care about, get as much out of th account to 'push' to their main account, and then dump it. completely different from some1 who is a higher level than a guildy giving them stuff to help them out. the higher level in this case does in fact care about their account, doesnt intend to just dump it, and gives the resources to the guildy for free because tht is how guilds work, they help each other out when they can so the entire guild can grow together

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LostSoul913

starcaller, ur kinda ignorant to tell you the honest truth. yes there are glitches in the game, but its not duplicate data being sent to the server. as to pushing, it involves a person having 2 accounts, 1 of which is his/her main account, and the other they dont care about, get as much out of th account to 'push' to their main account, and then dump it. completely different from some1 who is a higher level than a guildy giving them stuff to help them out. the higher level in this case does in fact care about their account, doesnt intend to just dump it, and gives the resources to the guildy for free because tht is how guilds work, they help each other out when they can so the entire guild can grow together

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Hmm... I guess I wont argue. Usually such action (1 IP has 2 or more accounts) is called multi accounting. And I think I saw some GMs explaining long ago that sending free resources to other players and helping them grow faster than they should is considered pushing and would result in ban as well as multi accounting unless you can show at least a PM in your mailbox with reason why you sent them and prove that is an equal trade. "For example sending GCs Noble deed." But it may be that I saw this on other Settler online server or that this has been changed.

And about data. Well duplicate data can be sent by one instance as well (like in my example). I doubt there is a difference for the server where it got that data from as long as it passes validation? IMO it doesn't care where it came from as long as it can be assigned to valid session. Frankly I don't imagine how can you send duplicate data from two different client instances unless you would use some 3rd party program to somehow copy session data and cheat server that its a browser. Otherwise session data should be different then and its not that much a duplicate (identical). Of course I don't know what client is sending to server. And even if server would consider those two clients as one most likely it would discard duplicated data as invalid (as in my example). That's about that example of building 2 buildings in same spot. IMO It would consider you trying to build on already used spot and would act as it would in that scenario.

starcaller i have to apologize, i was drunk when i posted that comment, and wasnt in the best mood. so im sorry i called you 'ignorant', it was a rather rude comment to make.

as for the 2 session issue, i've actually kept 2 sessions up on the same account on 2 dif computers for a while. eventually the 1st 1 was auto-disconnected, but it took close to an hour to happen. so idk what exactly is possible when both are open. i really dont know how the server would handle data coming from both at the same time. i personally will not be the 1 to test it out and risk having my isand all messed up as a result lol