Practical Video Game Bots : Automating Game Processes Using C++, Python, and AutoIt

Develop and use bots in video gaming to automate game processes and see possible ways to avoid this kind of automation. This book explains how bots can be very helpful in games such as multiplayer online games, both for training your character and for automating repetitious game processes in order to start a competition with human opponents much faster. Some players might use bots for cheating or avoiding game rules to gain an advantage over opponents - a sophisticated form of hacking that includes some elements of artificial intelligence (AI). However, while Practical Video Game Bots considers these topics, it is not a cheater's guide. Rather, this book is an attempt to overcome the information vacuum regarding bot development in video game applications. Through the use of three case study game examples, it covers most methods and technologies that are used by bot developers, and the details of anti-cheating systems. This book provides answers and useful advice for topics such as process automation, reverse engineering, and network applications. Modern bot applications use technologies from all these domains. You will also consider the work mechanisms of different kinds of bots and will write simple prototypes. What You Will Learn Discover bots and apply them to game applications Use clicker bots with OS-level embedding data, output-device capture, and more Develop in-game bots, with process memory analysis and access Work with out-game bots, with network interception and embedding data Deal with input device emulation and OS-level interception data Who This Book Is For Those with some prior experience in game development and coding experience in Python, C++, and Windows APIs. Table of Contents 4 About the Author 8 About the Technical Reviewer 9 Acknowledgments 10 Preface 11 Introduction 12 Chapter 1: Overview of Bots 13 Purpose of Bots 13 Game Application 15 Types of Bots 19 Community Classification 19 Developer Classification 21 Bot Comparison 24 Summary 27 Chapter 2: Clicker Bots 28 Developer Tools 28 Programming Language 29 Image Processing Libraries 29 Image Analysis Tool 30 Source Code Editors 30 API Hooking 30 OS-Level Data Embedding 31 Keystroke Simulation 34 Keystroke in Active Window 34 AutoIt Send Function Internals 36 Keystroke in Inactive Window 39 Mouse Simulation 42 Mouse Actions in Active Window 43 Mouse Actions in Inactive Window 45 OS-Level Data Embedding Summary 47 Output Device Capture 47 Windows Graphics Device Interface 47 AutoIt Analysis Functions 49 Analysis of Specific Pixel 49 Analysis of Pixels Changing 53 Advanced Image Analysis Libraries 57 FastFind Library 57 ImageSearch Library 65 Capturing Output Device Summary 67 Example with Lineage 2 67 Lineage 2 Overview 67 Bot Implementation 69 The Blind Bot 70 The Bot with Conditions 74 Further Improvements 78 Lineage 2 Summary 80 Protection Approaches 81 Test Application 82 Analysis of Actions 83 Process Scanner 92 Keyboard State Check 100 Protection Summary 105 Chapter 3: In-game Bots 106 Tools 106 Programming Language 106 Debugger 107 Memory Analyzing Tools 108 Process Memory Analysis 108 Process Memory Overview 108 Variable Searching 116 32-Bit Application Analysis 118 64-Bit Application Analysis 124 Process Memory Analysis Summary 128 Process Memory Access 128 Open Process 128 Read and Write Operations 132 TEB and PEB Access 135 Current Process 136 Target Process 144 Heap Access 150 Process Memory Access Summary 153 Example with Diablo 2 153 Bot Overview 156 Diablo 2 Memory Analysis 157 Search the Parameters 157 Search the Object 165 Bot Implementation 171 Further Improvements 178 Example Summary 181 Protection Approaches 182 Test Application 182 Analysis of Test Application 184 The Bot for Test Application 186 Approaches Against Analysis 189 WinAPI for Debugger Detection 189 IsDebuggerPresent 189 CloseHandle 195 CreateProcess 197 Register Manipulations for Debugger Detection 201 Approaches Against Bots 208 Hiding Game Data 208 XOR Cipher 209 AES Cipher 210 Check Correctness of Game Data 215 Protection Approaches Summary 218 Chapter 4: Out-game Bots 219 Tools 219 Programming Language 219 Network Analyzer 221 Windows Configuration 221 Internet Protocols 223 Communication Tasks 223 TCP/IP Stack 227 Packet Analysis 231 Test Application 231 Packet Capture 236 UDP Connection 243 Example with NetChess 245 Bot Overview 249 NetChess Traffic Analysis 249 Bot Implementation 257 Assessing the Bot 261 Protection Approaches 262 Cryptographic System 262 Test Application 263 XOR Cipher 264 Triple DES Cipher 269 AES Cipher 274 RSA Cipher 277 Detecting Out-game Bots 283 Chapter 5: Extra Techniques 284 Input Device Emulation 284 Input Device Emulation Tools 284 Keyboard Emulation 285 Keyboard Modifiers 291 Mouse Emulation 294 Keyboard and Mouse Emulation 299 Input Device Emulation Summary 305 OS-Level Interception Data 306 OS-Level Interception Data Tools 306 Test Application 307 DLL Import 308 API Hooking Techniques 311 Proxy DLL 311 Example of Proxy DLL 314 API Patching 318 Example of API Patching 320 OS-Level Interception Data Summary 326 Index 327 Develop and use bots in video gaming to automate game processes and see possible ways to avoid this kind of automation. This book explains how bots can be very helpful in games such as multiplayer online games, both for training your character and for automating repetitious game processes in order to start a competition with human opponents much faster. Some players might use bots for cheating or avoiding game rules to gain an advantage over opponents - a sophisticated form of hacking that includes some elements of artificial intelligence (AI). However, while __Practical Video Game Bots__ considers these topics, it is not a cheater's guide. Rather, this book is an attempt to overcome the information vacuum regarding bot development in video game applications. Through the use of three case study game examples, it covers most methods and technologies that are used by bot developers, and the details of anti-cheating systems. This book provides answers and useful advice for topics such as process automation, reverse engineering, and network applications. Modern bot applications use technologies from all these domains. You will also consider the work mechanisms of different kinds of bots and will write simple prototypes. **What You Will Learn** * Discover bots and apply them to game applications * Use clicker bots with OS-level embedding data, output-device capture, and more * Develop in-game bots, with process memory analysis and access * Work with out-game bots, with network interception and embedding data * Deal with input device emulation and OS-level interception data Those with some prior experience in game development and coding experience in Python, C++, and Windows APIs. Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Overview of Bots (Ilya Shpigor)....Pages 1-15 Clicker Bots (Ilya Shpigor)....Pages 17-94 In-game Bots (Ilya Shpigor)....Pages 95-207 Out-game Bots (Ilya Shpigor)....Pages 209-273 Extra Techniques (Ilya Shpigor)....Pages 275-317 Back Matter ....Pages 319-328