Anyone know how NewsArchive.xml gets populated?

[sapientNode]

I tried gutting the xml and just leaving the container labels and it forced it to start minimized.  However after about 4 game starts it got repopulated with data.  I have POE2 blocked in firewall so I assume something internal is sending the info to populate the xml file.

I am trying to make it so the ad which basically keeps informing me about all the things I have already bought or downloaded is minimized.

thanks

[Guest Psychovampiric Shield]

I believe that PoE 2 populates it, i.e. your firewall rule is borked.

Coincidentally, I am currently investigating PoE 2's network activity (because it annoys me to no end when games call home, even though telemetry is off) and found it attempting to resolve and connect  to d1079ywfijtdjs.cloudfront.net and perhaps causeway.obsidian.net and checkip.amazonaws.com.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Psychovampiric Shield

[Ethics Gradient]

d1079ywfijtdjs.cloudfront.net is their cloud provider.  Among other web services at obsidian.net, it also hosts the deadfire news somewhere under:

http://d1079ywfijtdjs.cloudfront.net/deadfire/news/...

 

causeway.obsidian.net and checkip.amazonaws.com are used for in-game telemetry.  

[sapientNode]

So basically they hack my system through a backdoor and still gather telemetry and serve me ads?

I love the games but man that is shady mc shaderton without a method to disable...

 

Potentially using a host file block could work.  I will try this.

Thanks for those URLs...

 

I believe that PoE 2 populates it, i.e. your firewall rule is borked.

Coincidentally, I am currently investigating PoE 2's network activity (because it annoys me to no end when games call home, even though telemetry is off) and found it attempting to resolve and connect  to d1079ywfijtdjs.cloudfront.net and perhaps causeway.obsidian.net and checkip.amazonaws.com.

 

If you find out any more info please post it here.  To me it is one thing if they offer the option to turn on this telemetry and serve ads but to not allow a disable and to serve ads that have 0 relevance because the item is already purchased is sloppy and imo unethical

[sapientNode]

I managed to add these urls to host and the news banner starts minimized and then disappears completely.

Does not seem to break anything.  I would rather have it start not there at all but this works.

Anyone know where the main opening screen gets loaded from... (potentially hard coded in exe though)?