Improve the `soundmixers.txt` config

[szmarczak]

• ExplosionsDistant increased from 1.6 to 2.0 (hear grenades at a longer distance)
• ExplosionsDecoy from 1.6 set to 0.0 (disable decoy grenades sound at a shorter distance*)
• DistWeapons increased from 1.5 to 1.7 (hear gunfire at a longer distance)
• Weapons1 from 0.2 restored back to 0.7 (hear gunfire at a shorter distance; the default value)
• FoleyWeapons increased from 0.7 to 1.4 (louder reload sounds)
• C4Foley increased from 1.0 to 3.5 (louder the C4 beep sound)
• Ambient from 0.25 set to 0.0 (no ambient sound)
• PlayerFootsteps from 0.0 restored back to 0.13 (it's weird to not hear your own footsteps; it's the default value, still very quiet)
• GlobalFootsteps from 2.0 reduced to 1.5 (2.0 was a bit too loud compared to other sounds)
• UI from 1.0 restored back to 0.2

* You can still hear decoys at a longer distance. Period.

My own thoughts

This is very overpowered. Almost on every map on T spawn you can hear gunfire happening at CT spawn (it's quiet, but loud enough to locate where it's coming from). If you move to mid, the gunfire is resonant and no doubt you will be able to locate it. Increased the C4 beep volume - ever been a CT and having doubts where the bomb was planted? Well, fear no more. No ambient sound and no decoy sound changes everything.

[ghost]

is there a way to not get kicked on official servers when using the soundmixers.txt?

[b3asti]

Should I just copy the command and paste it on notes and than put it in the script file or should i install the code somewhere??

[szmarczak]

As stated in the readme:

To utilize this feature, download the soundmixers.txt file and put it in: [STEAM PATH]\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\platform\scripts\

Make sure that the new soundmixers.txt file is located in platform\scripts\. The original in csgo\scripts\ must be untouched.

[ghost]

ok, i read over it. thank you for updating <3

[b3asti]

Where can i download it??

[kkthxbye-code]

The soundmixers file was really just an example, but thanks for the changes. I tried them out, seems fine. Some people are commenting on the sparkles video that they get kicked by VAC which confuses me. I haven't tried matchmaking, but I have played entire deathmatch games on official servers, and recieve no kick.

Did you try matchmaking @szmarczak - if you get kicked there, it suggests that VAC operates differently in MM compared to deathmatch, which would be strange imo.

I guess maybe the people getting kicked just replaced the real soundmixers.txt file for some reason.

[szmarczak]

I tried matchmaking as well as wingman, haven't been banned, haven't been kicked. Everything works just fine.

Regarding the VAC mechanism, you may look at https://github.com/danielkrupinski - he seems to have done lots of research.

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarczak - Thanks for the info, I assumed that people were doing it wrong. Never trust youtube comments :)

[szmarczak]

Also have a look at https://convars.com/csgostats/pl/bans - since March 16th 1k-2k people get VAC banned every day. Note that it's a custom Steam DB, so I suspect that the real amount is 10x like that.

BananaGaming made a video on how to try out any skin you want, but since the items_game.txt file is located in csgo\scripts\items\, modifying it will result in a file mismatch kick (tried that online, you get kicked after ~2 mins). I thought I can just copy the items folder to platform\scripts\ and modify the items_game.txt there, but it gives no effect. Here's the file I used (if you inspect the SG553 Army Sheen skin you will see a Pulse skin): https://gist.github.com/szmarczak/11b1725666076278b2a99c39256a2e15 It works offline, but I cannot get it to work if I put it the items folder inside the platform folder. I think that it doesn't affect directories.

[b3asti]

Can someone help me please, I downloaded the file and pasted it in the exact location (file path) but when i open CSGO nothing has changed....shuld i maybe use a code or something?

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarczak - I added at list of files and folders the engine tries to access (from launch to map load):

https://github.com/kkthxbye-code/csgo_bugs/blob/master/sv_pure_bypass_2-electric_boogaloo/possible_files.txt

The folder and file you are trying to modify is never loaded from the platform folder, so it's probably a no-go. It does seem to try to load the knife models (and weapon/player models) though, so you might just be able to extract the knife model you want from the pack files, rename it to the default knife and dump them in the platform folder.

[kkthxbye-code]

Is this bannable?

By VAC? Probably not. When playing ESEA/Faceit? Probably, if they decide to check for it. They might also have more strict sv_pure rules already. I'm not about to test it.

[szmarczak]

The folder and file you are trying to modify is never loaded from the platform folder, so it's probably a no-go. It does seem to try to load the knife models (and weapon/player models) though, so you might just be able to extract the knife model you want from the pack files, rename it to the default knife and dump them in the platform folder.

Nah, it doesn't work like that. Nothing happens. Note it tries to load platform\pak01_dir.vpk, so I think it would work if to provide a modified version there. Unfortunately the whole pack weights 15.22GB and I'm lazy to repack this :P

As of April 20th it's not bannable at all (by Valve ofc). I've played several matchmakings, wingmans, deathmatches and I haven't encountered any ban or kick. @kkthxbye-code discovered the first sv_pure bug a year ago, so if Valve detected that, then he would've been banned long time ago.

[mbhound]

https://twitter.com/ZooL_Smith/status/1251862879969689600

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarczak - Tried repacking the vpk files and placing them in the platform folder, but got sv_pure error.

Pure server: file: GAME\pak01_054.vpk ( 1 54 0b000000 100000 ) unrecognized vpk file : 8e65073f2474532aa78b45a4e47ceb2e :

Not sure why this happens, as the default pure_server_whitelist wouldn't really indicate that it should fail. Maybe I did it wrong though, or it sees the vpk files as being in the csgo folder internally.

[szmarczak]

In that case I think that it either verifies whether the pack is signed or it sends to the server the checksum per every loaded pak file.

I'll try to repack and let you know how's things on my side.

[szmarczak]

I'll try to repack and let you know how's things on my side.

Unfortunately I can't repack. vpk.exe gives me just a memory dump. https://github.com/ValvePython/vpk doesn't split into parts at all.

Anyway, soundmixers.txt is really a nice find, good job!

[kkthxbye-code]

Haha, good times: https://www.reddit.com/r/FACEITcom/comments/g6qrw2/banned_for_cheating_game_exploit/

People never learn. People got banned by the model exploit and people are now getting banned for using this sv_pure bypass. Good times.

[szmarczak]

How often does CSGO read the soundmixers file? If it happens only on map load, then you can easily write a script that replaces it only for the time loading and restore it back.

I wonder if WinFsp was used to monitor the usage (FUSE but for Windows). You could easily bypass FACEIT that way 😂

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarzak - That's pretty much what the other sv_pure bypass in this repo does, just with the original, not the one in the platform folder.

The "real" soundmixers.txt is loaded on launch and mapload, not sure about the one in the platform folder. Might only be loaded on mapload.

[szmarczak]

That's pretty much what the other sv_pure bypass in this repo does, just with the original, not the one in the platform folder.

But FACEIT may check the contents periodically. For example, if you know that CS:GO requests the soundmixers.txt file after loading another specific file, then you can implement WinFsp that will give your desired soundmixers.txt on map load and give the default one in all other cases.

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarczak

But FACEIT may check the contents periodically. For example, if you know that CS:GO requests the soundmixers.txt file after loading another specific file, then you can implement WinFsp that will give your desired soundmixers.txt on map load and give the default one in all other cases.

Sure, but that's not necessary with the other sv_pure bypass, as the only time the soundmixers.txt is not in it's original form is on game launch. When you join the server, the soundmixers.txt is stock. The other bypass is probably still usable on faceit.

[szmarczak]

@kkthxbye-code Can you add me on discord? KotFioletowy#6755

[kkthxbye-code]

@szmarczak - Sure, I guess. Added you.

[mbhound]

– sv_pure servers will now kick clients that have loaded asset files into game memory from files not present on game server filesystem.

https://blog.counter-strike.net/index.php/2020/05/30002/

Looks like they fixed it.

[szmarczak]

I'll try again.

[szmarczak]

Yep, they fixed it. But I'll try https://github.com/kkthxbye-code/csgo_bugs/tree/master/sv_pure_bypass and see if that works by chance

[szmarczak]

The funniest thing that Verify integrity of game files doesn't fix the file mismatch kick error. You have to remove the soundmixers.txt file manually. LOL you can troll someone that way :joy:

[szmarczak]

I confirm that the original sv_pure_bypass does not work either.

[szmarczak]

They also automatically remove it.

[szmarczak]

Unfortunately you have to restart CSGO anyway...

[ogges]

Yes, its fixxed... stop posting there.

@kkthxbye-code i hope sparkels give you a bit money for bringing all that idiots to your github :-D

[szmarczak]

stop posting there.

Why? Can't I comment the progress on what Valve has done? I'm not sure if you're aware but there's Unsubscribe button on the right sidebar. Don't be a hypocrite, this PR is exclusively for the soundmixers.txt file, not about a sponsorship.

[kkthxbye-code]

I confirm that the original sv_pure_bypass does not work either.

Are you sure? It seems to work on official deathmatch servers, or have they only added stricter checks in competitive mode?

[szmarczak]

Are you sure? It seems to work on official deathmatch servers

I tried deathmatch too. I followed the manual process. But I think I know what I may have done wrong. I tried putting the soundmixers.txt in the platform folder instead of the csgo one. I'll try again and I'll let you know.

3kliksphilip in his latest video said that he hoped they fixed the model bug.

Also sent you a PoC for the net_dumpeventstats trick on Discord. Feel free to put it here in this repo :)

[szmarczak]

Indeed, the original works. Sorry for confusion.