GIANTS Software - Forum

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:11 pm They are real, see my screenshot in the first post. I don't see them anymore now, because I have blocked the https://ads-fs22.giants-software.com/ server in my pi-hole

Oh right, I stand corrected, I did see that one in the unpatched version actually! Right now I checked and I am not blocking any Giants or FS22 IPs... so no clue why I am not seeing them now.

I was excited by the opportunity to find calls for add images, and see if I could intercept them and return other images, but I found no requests to intercept nor any billboards on Elm Creek that looked to show anything that looked like an actual add, and not just a billboard to show that there are a lot of billboards in the US..

humbe wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:13 pm I was excited by the opportunity to find calls for add images, and see if I could intercept them and return other images, but I found no requests to intercept nor any billboards on Elm Creek that looked to show anything that looked like an actual add, and not just a billboard to show that there are a lot of billboards in the US..

I've been meaning to do that ... intercepting the calls should be easy enough but I haven't been able to track the responses.

Wait so you just send random stuff back? Like what?

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:11 pm They are real, see my screenshot in the first post. I don't see them anymore now, because I have blocked the https://ads-fs22.giants-software.com/ server in my pi-hole

I wonder if you could set it up to serve these images from your own server instead?

You could then have any ads you like, might mess with the PEGI rating but screw'em.

Mwal wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:09 am Wait so you just send random stuff back? Like what?

I rerouted request to mentioned server to my own server and looked for requests in request log. If I had found requests they would hopefully be for an image file and then I could hopefully see what format was used and fake some data. If they use something custom or return more than an image it may be tricky to fake.. But I found no actual request so I have no idea what is sent. But doesnt sound like all get such adds..Or maybe I havent found correct billboards in game.. Or low graphics setting disabled them or what..

Ads (or Billboards) don't bother me...something nice to look at (maybe they could change with every update?) or provide info about Farming Simulator 22 (currently and coming soon to FS22)

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:14 pm Yeah that's the basis of the game and there's nothing wrong with that. However, having us pay full price and then force us to watch ads is a shitty business practice. Everything wrong with that has already been pointed out in this topic.

Forcing is somewhat melodramatic. Billboards are a reality in, you know, reality and making the world look real includes advertising and real companies make the game more grounded. The billboards I have seen feature products and companies I have never heard of and you see them tangentially. Perhaps some should spend less time using ridiculous technical solutions to counter these miniscule additions to an online world and just, dare I say, get passed it.

Since it's Giants, I'll bet they're having issues with whatever server(s) are trying to serve up the ads. Once they figure out how to fix that, watch out.

ipodule wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:12 pm

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:14 pm Yeah that's the basis of the game and there's nothing wrong with that. However, having us pay full price and then force us to watch ads is a shitty business practice. Everything wrong with that has already been pointed out in this topic.

Forcing is somewhat melodramatic. Billboards are a reality in, you know, reality and making the world look real includes advertising and real companies make the game more grounded. The billboards I have seen feature products and companies I have never heard of and you see them tangentially. Perhaps some should spend less time using ridiculous technical solutions to counter these miniscule additions to an online world and just, dare I say, get passed it.

Again, fake billboards in a game is one thing. Sneaking in real ads is shitty.

gordon861 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:17 am

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:11 pm They are real, see my screenshot in the first post. I don't see them anymore now, because I have blocked the https://ads-fs22.giants-software.com/ server in my pi-hole

I wonder if you could set it up to serve these images from your own server instead?

You could then have any ads you like, might mess with the PEGI rating but screw'em.

I think you can but you probably have to manipulate the server certificate

speedbrake wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:22 pm Again, fake billboards in a game is one thing. Sneaking in real ads is shitty.

Ads for products you don't want that you almost never see.... time to move on.

As long as they are not selling my info to these companies it really doesn't bother me , In a way it jut makes the maps more realistic

speedbrake wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:14 pm

ipodule wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 3:17 pm You do understand that all of the equipment in the game is licensed and, essentially, is an advertisement for those products and companies? You basically drive around with an external view looking at an ad for Case or Fendt or whatever... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yeah that's the basis of the game and there's nothing wrong with that. However, having us pay full price and then force us to watch ads is a shitty business practice. Everything wrong with that has already been pointed out in this topic.

No one is forcing you to look at it.....I don't understand, are you just standing there in front of it staring at it? In any case, just disconnect the game system from the internet and problem solved. It then just shows the fictional soft drink ad. How do you guys even notice this stuff?

It's extremely hard to point out things that developers do that are 'shifty' when there are so many fans that can't stop themselves from insulting others...