This is their privacy policy for their website (not really for the client):
http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=content&d=privacy_policy

P-rec isn't banned per se but the client will force you to unload all plugins before joining an ESEA server. The client will however automatically record POV demos for you.

The client is easy to use, just install, change the filters to tf2 league servers, find your match server and launch the game from the client.

If you do have any issues with the client you can do a full reinstall (including removing registry entries) and a clean install.

The client is reliant on being up to date with the game binaries, and can cause delays if not updated for the latest version of the game.

cheers Fog!

surely some kind of EULA must exist, given that privacy invasion of an AC Client should be quite heavy.

Well, I thought there would be something I could read before installing.

I installed it yesterday and there were terms that I had to agree to before installing, just like any other piece of software.

hmm just clicked through it till next step would have been "install" - nothing.

the EULA in full

One thing that I will note is that you don't need to have the client running 24/7 if all you're planning to do is play in ESEA matches. Just run the client before you're about to play your match and shut it down after your match is over

cheers again fog, I was kind of hoping for something more specific, that's basicly a -we can do anything- agreement.

just curious, where did you get this from?

This is from the ESEA Cleint's install location (C:\Program Files\ESEA\ESEA Client) in a file called eula.rtf

sometimes you have to fiddle with the client a bit - for example, since some time around last season I have always had to start mine twice just to get it to turn on (the first instance of double clicking does nothing lol).

A good way to test to see if your client is working before a match is joining a TF2 ESEA pug server and see if you stay in the server for any longer than a minute.

Or if you load up ESEA and have any plugins running, the client will notify you that all plugins will need to be unloaded.

Type in plugin_pause_all to disable your plugins and not have to change your addons folder

thanks! I'll try that PUG server thing

Another thing I found, which is VERY interesting for EU folks.

modifying LOD-Bias through your GFX drivers is apparently not allowed.

Does the Client also warn for that or will you just get banned?

That is kind of common pratice in euroland.

i think once it automatically tags you up, you're good.

I have not tried to test this out, but it's my assumption that they will just ban you.

ESEA is very tight lipped in how their client actually works on the technical side, so there isn't a lot of information out there on it.

The reason for the LOD-Bias modification ban is due to the fact that it creates an unfair advantage in the game (ESPECIALLY for Counter Strike games)

Like, it creates an enormous gamebreaking unfair advantage in CS games, and there's no reason to specialize TF2 to not be affected by the ban.

Does it set your in-game name to your login on esea.net? Or is there a separate display-name setting.

when you join a match server your name and tag automatically replace whatever alias you currently have.

In light of this thread I just tested to see if my client was working and Im getting Error #16. Says im running a plug-in. What plugin could I be running?

prec???

p-rec is the most common

just check your custom folder and see what's in there

yeah could be p-rec but i was under the impression it would just disable it. thanks guys

EDIT: was p-rec

nope, although you can force-join the server you need and keep p-rec enabled anyways. As far as I've seen, there's never been a consequence in the last season and a half I've done it.

P-Rec.

Funny thing with the client. It complained about prec, but when I joined the game again, it let me through.

This is because the ESEA Client will unload any and all plugins after you receive the error. This makes it so you're able to just type retry into console and play

esea also automatically records your POV from your matches for those who are concerned about lack of prec.

If the client is able to execute client-side commands (namely the recording of demos) then why doesn't it just use plugin_pause_all to avoid this whole PREC jiggery pokery?

It does once you try to connect to a server with plugins loaded