Is there a way to prevent servers from modifying the main ET menu?


I recently played on F|A server and my menu became filled with ad links to the clan (website and servers). And to make it worse, they give the pk3 file a cryptic name (bunch of '~' symbols followed by 'p'... presumably to make it harder for people to know which one it is).

I get that the server is using it to get extra traffic, but in my opinion, servers shouldn't be allowed to touch anything outside of when I am actually playing on it.

I don't think its possible to select only the menu .pk3 to not download.

Delete those files, all you can do.

According to the silent devs, this is one of the flaws of ET that people exploit.

I wonder how they can force downloads to etmain? It's so annoying... can't believe so many people don't mind them installing adware in there game.

At a minimum, they should have named it fa_menu.pk3 or something.

Perhaps, one could just create another pk3 with the default menus that would overwrite the modifications back to default? I imagine that it must be possible. I wonder how the characters are ordered (especially when it comes to the symbols? Is '~' the last character?

Another reason to avoid F|A.

I call it a virus.

It infects your client, & needs to be deleted manually. You might be able to fool a default install by renaming to that file, although not sure if F|A will force overwrite when you connect.

Solution: avoid F|A like the plague it is.

it looks like ~ is actually considered the first char..

from experience, deleting all the pk3 files that have the ~~~~~~~... beginning, removes all the crap menus..


i think a lot of people dont care because they dont use the game menus. i for one have no reason to use the game menu. i just enter games and look for server through xfire. one can also do this directly from sites like trackbase and such..

Yeah, I generally don't use the in game menu too often. I was just planning on connecting to some guys server to help him test his redirect so I launched the game manually to type the IP. This is also the reason I just noticed the menu recently.

I am not sure how that pk3 overwrites the default one if '~' is the first character. Wouldn't the menu files be in the pak#.pk3 files that come in the default install? If I can just make my own pk3 that overwrites any of those modifications, I can just throw it in etmain and not need to ever delete those "~~~~~~~~~~..." files.

try it and if it works let us know :D

PumpkiN wrote (View Post): › try it and if it works let us know :D

I likely will, but I don't want to waste my time if it isn't that easy. Seems like there is something extra going on with how they can force those files to the client. Kind of hoping somebody knows a little about how these types of files work.

The only good thing about F|A is their servers are populated with real people at all hours of the day. That's a rarity in ET now.

HalfBak3d wrote (View Post): › The only good thing about F|A is their servers are populated with real people at all hours of the day. That's a rarity in ET now.

What he said

the pak files are always loaded first, no matter what.

The only reason people name things like "zzz" like we do is to make them load last, so if there are customizations they will overwrite someone else's customizations.

As to why ~ ends up taking precedence, that is strange.

I hate when they mod the etmenu and splash screen to their server ad crap. Didnt realize that the paks go in alphabet order. good to know.

I join thru xfire, so I really dont see the main menu at all...I wonder what mine looks like LOL. when I leave I just /quit