While LastShadow's questionable forum behavior has been well documented, his cheating ways heretofore have not. This thread will change that. We have compiled a pack of replays where LastShadow is seen playing with "rigged" maps that give his race, Terran, an unnatural advantage. Simply put, the units are cheaper and they build faster.
His "abuse" was spotted against a variety of players, in a multitude of settings and on a wide selection of maps themselves. But how exactly would we describe this crime? After all, he isn't "hacking" right?
I believe CTStalker said it best when he commented with the following.
"...rigging maps is taking advantage of an implicit trust between a gamer and his opponent for using legitimate UMS melee maps..."
This "trust" is indeed the crux of the matter at hand. Is this "trust" not one of the most inherent and important elements in this community? Without this inherent and understood relationship between members of the community, would any of our interactions hold up? LastShadow has clearly violated this implicit trust, and he must understand the seriousness of his actions.
We have arranged below the known instances of LastShadow's rigged map use in chronological order. Details of how we extracted the map data can be found in the spoiler tag directly below.
+ Show Spoiler +
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=56292
Here's a guide to Rexplorer. Rexplorer is a utility that bends the info on a replay and some extra tool with the windows environment. It allows you to quickly get info from the rep without watching it but also to get map pictures (overviews), extract maps from replay files and many other things.
Normally known maps would be locked, but when extracting maps from most of LastShadow's replays, you can see they are not. This is because LastShadow unlocked known versions of maps (WGTour, ICCup) and changed unit costs, unit build times and even units stats in some of them). Then he forgot to re-lock them, so the process of checking it became even easier.
With Rexplorer installed, you right click a replay and select "Extract map" -> "extract here" and voilá: you have the map that was used to play that game. After that, you just open the map with StarCraft's map editor and you can change any properties, in this case unit's costs.
Here's a guide to Rexplorer. Rexplorer is a utility that bends the info on a replay and some extra tool with the windows environment. It allows you to quickly get info from the rep without watching it but also to get map pictures (overviews), extract maps from replay files and many other things.
Normally known maps would be locked, but when extracting maps from most of LastShadow's replays, you can see they are not. This is because LastShadow unlocked known versions of maps (WGTour, ICCup) and changed unit costs, unit build times and even units stats in some of them). Then he forgot to re-lock them, so the process of checking it became even easier.
With Rexplorer installed, you right click a replay and select "Extract map" -> "extract here" and voilá: you have the map that was used to play that game. After that, you just open the map with StarCraft's map editor and you can change any properties, in this case unit's costs.
Xion_G.ShadOw vs Art.DawN (XDawn) 1 (Played on 28/07/2007)
Played on: WGT14 - Lost Temple 2.4 (Ob), rigged in favor of T.
+ Show Spoiler [A little help from the map editor] +
Marine (build time 24->21)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->35)
Siege Tank (build time 50->44, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->18)
Firebat (build time 24->21)
Medic (build time 30->25)
Science Vessel (build time 80->75)
Wraith (build time 60->55)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->38)
Refinery (build time 40->38)
Barracks (build time 80->70)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Science facility (build time 60->55)
Armory (build time 80->75)
Academy (build time 80->75)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Missile Turret (build time 30->25)
Physics lab (build time 40->35)
Xion_G.ShadOw vs Art.DawN (XDawn) 2 (Played on 28/07/2007)
Xion_G.ShadOw (LastShadow) vs Xion_G.Fenix (Played on 31/07/2007)
GorillA[FARM] (LastShadow) vs Xion_G.MIStrZZZ 1 (Played on 31/07/2007)
Played on: Tau Cross 1.1, rigged mainly for TvP
+ Show Spoiler +
Marine (build time 24->20, hit points 40->35) (LOL)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->35, cost 100/50-> 75/50)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/75)
SCV (build time 20->18)
Firebat (build time 24->20, hit points 50->45) (LOL)
Medic (build time 30->25, hit points 60->55) (LOL)
Science Vessel (build time 80->55, cost 100/225->100/200)
Wraith (build time 60->55, cost 150/100->125/100)
Dropship (build time 50->40)
Battlecruiser (build time 133->90, cost 400/300->300/250)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->38)
Refinery (build time 40->38)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->70, cost 200/100->150/100)
Starport (build time 70->60, cost 150/100-> 125/100)
Science facility (build time 60->55)
Armory (build time 80->75)
Academy (build time 80->75)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Missile Turret (build time 30->25)
Physics lab (build time 40->35)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->35, cost 100/50-> 75/50)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/75)
SCV (build time 20->18)
Firebat (build time 24->20, hit points 50->45) (LOL)
Medic (build time 30->25, hit points 60->55) (LOL)
Science Vessel (build time 80->55, cost 100/225->100/200)
Wraith (build time 60->55, cost 150/100->125/100)
Dropship (build time 50->40)
Battlecruiser (build time 133->90, cost 400/300->300/250)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->38)
Refinery (build time 40->38)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->70, cost 200/100->150/100)
Starport (build time 70->60, cost 150/100-> 125/100)
Science facility (build time 60->55)
Armory (build time 80->75)
Academy (build time 80->75)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Missile Turret (build time 30->25)
Physics lab (build time 40->35)
GorillA[FARM] (LastShadow) vs MIStrZZZ 2 (Played on 31/07/2007)
GorillA[FARM] (LAstShadow) vs MIStrZZZ 3 (Played on 31/07/2007)
Played on: BKC-7 Gaia1.0, rigged mainly for TvP
+ Show Spoiler [Terran buff] +
Marine (build time 24->20)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->34, cost 100/50-> 75/50)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->18)
Science Vessel (build time 80->55, cost 100/225-> 100/200)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->38)
Refinery (build time 40->37)
Barracks (build time 80->70)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->60)
Science facility (build time 60->50)
Armory (build time 80->75)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->34, cost 100/50-> 75/50)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->18)
Science Vessel (build time 80->55, cost 100/225-> 100/200)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->38)
Refinery (build time 40->37)
Barracks (build time 80->70)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->60)
Science facility (build time 60->50)
Armory (build time 80->75)
DeathLife (LastShadow) vs Spekkio (Played on 16/11/2007)
Played on: Tau Cross v12Test, rigged in favor of T.
+ Show Spoiler [magic magic magic] +
Marine (build time 24->21)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->35)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->19)
Firebat (build time 24->21)
Medic (build time 30->25)
Science Vessel (build time 80->70, cost 100/225->100/200)
Dropship (build time 50->45)
Battlecruiser (build time 133->111, cost 400/300->350/250)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->39)
Refinery (build time 40->39)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->65)
Science facility (build time 60->75) (WHAT?)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Vulture (build time 30->25, cost 75->50)
Goliath (build time 40->35)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->19)
Firebat (build time 24->21)
Medic (build time 30->25)
Science Vessel (build time 80->70, cost 100/225->100/200)
Dropship (build time 50->45)
Battlecruiser (build time 133->111, cost 400/300->350/250)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->39)
Refinery (build time 40->39)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->65)
Science facility (build time 60->75) (WHAT?)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Inferno (LastShadow) vs Forece Divided By Area (Chill) 1 (Played on 25/11/2007)
Inferno (LastShadow) vs Forece Divided By Area (Chill) 2 (Played on 25/11/2007)
Inferno (LastShadow) vs Forece Divided By Area (Chill) 3 (Played on 25/11/2007)
Played on: Gaia 1.1, rigged in favor of T.
+ Show Spoiler [modifications] +
Even though he didn't have an advantage on this map, it just proves how many different versions of rigged maps he has and this isn't just a mistake like he tried to argue before.
Inferno (LastShadow) vs zulu (zulu_nation8) (Played on 26/11/2007)
Played on: _ iCCup _ Tau Cross, rigged for TvZ
+ Show Spoiler [Patch notes] +
Marine (build time 24->22)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->19) (wut)
Firebat (build time 24->22)
Medic (build time 30->25)
Science Vessel (build time 80->70)
Dropship (build time 50->45)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->39)
Refinery (build time 40->39)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->65)
Academy (build time 80->75)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Missile Turret (build time 30->29)
Siege Tank (build time 50->45, cost 150/100->125/100)
SCV (build time 20->19) (wut)
Firebat (build time 24->22)
Medic (build time 30->25)
Science Vessel (build time 80->70)
Dropship (build time 50->45)
Command Center (build time 120->100)
Supply Depot (build time 40->39)
Refinery (build time 40->39)
Barracks (build time 80->75)
Factory (build time 80->75)
Starport (build time 70->65)
Academy (build time 80->75)
Eng. bay (build time 60->55)
Missile Turret (build time 30->29)
One can clearly see that LastShadow has been consistently abusing modified maps over the course of several months. He has used them in friendly games (vs Chill/Zulu), and he has used them in serious games (vs MIStrZZZ). In every imaginable circumstance, he has consistently and repeatedly cheated. I should not have to explain why this is absolutely unacceptable.
When Nony caught LastShadow red-handed several weeks ago, LastShadow claimed that "it was a mistake", and that he would make sure to get rid of all his altered maps. But here we are now, with clear evidence that he used yet another set of rigged maps, attempting to abuse his way out of playing zulu_nation_8 and Chill on equal terms. Not only did LastShadow go out of bounds to begin with, he has compounded his wrongdoings by going back on his own words. There is simply no excuse for this kind of behavior.
The community has been wronged, and it has a right to be told the truth. We go back again to the issue of trust in the community and in the game in general. Perhaps the person behind the "LastShadow" character can reinvent himself, this time as a morally scrupulous and upstanding character. However, the persona "LastShadow", cheater and abuser, has no place in our community.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in the investigation process. This would not have been possible without your time, effort, and resources.