Ignition Info
by Jeff Keely · in General Discussion · 03/26/2003 (3:25 am) · 11 replies
Where can I find information on Ignition? I've looked all over the site and searched every area, but can't find any detailed information. So far, all I know is that it appears to somehow relate to Garage Games' download security. Is it part of Torque, or something seperate? I need to figure out how I'm going to implement some form of security into my game, and any help would be appreciated.
#2
-Jeff Tunnell GG
06/25/2003 (3:09 pm)
We don't publish much information on Ignition. It is not part of Torque. If you make a game that gets published on GarageGames, then we require that you use it to keep track of "fair use" of your game and keep honest people honest. No system can keep an assembly language hacker from cracking your game. -Jeff Tunnell GG
#3
When someone is asked to "share" their copy, it would mean giving out their number.
Insert Paranoia here.
-J
06/25/2003 (4:04 pm)
I see, a cdkey whether there is multiplayer or not. A prerequisite for web based sales in many ways. When someone is asked to "share" their copy, it would mean giving out their number.
Insert Paranoia here.
-J
#4
06/25/2003 (4:06 pm)
I believe you can also only install 1 key to 5 machines.
#5
-J
06/25/2003 (4:07 pm)
I am sure this is covered somewhere else... but um, does Ignition allow you to play offline?-J
#7
@Jeff/GG - is it possible to use the Ignition system with non-C++ developed games, such as those written with Blitz Basic or similar? I guess (and I could be wrong!) that you don't provide a way for the two to communicate. If this is the case, would it be possible to write a program in C++ to 'wrap' the Ignition functionality, such as verifying the key at startup, and only run the main game if the result is success?
Thanks,
Darren.
07/13/2003 (12:02 pm)
Hi All,@Jeff/GG - is it possible to use the Ignition system with non-C++ developed games, such as those written with Blitz Basic or similar? I guess (and I could be wrong!) that you don't provide a way for the two to communicate. If this is the case, would it be possible to write a program in C++ to 'wrap' the Ignition functionality, such as verifying the key at startup, and only run the main game if the result is success?
Thanks,
Darren.
#8
This would be so easy to crack it wouldn't even be funny. Can you use DLLs in Blitz Basic?
07/13/2003 (12:04 pm)
Quote:
such as verifying the key at startup, and only run the main game if the result is success?
This would be so easy to crack it wouldn't even be funny. Can you use DLLs in Blitz Basic?
#9
EDIT: I just realised I may be asking a tricky question - I appreciate you don't want to give too many details about Ignition. I'll worry about this some more when I have a game to speak of, and I can get in touch directly :-)
Thanks Pat
07/13/2003 (12:12 pm)
It looks like it can, yes. Is Ignition shipped as a DLL/DLL's?EDIT: I just realised I may be asking a tricky question - I appreciate you don't want to give too many details about Ignition. I'll worry about this some more when I have a game to speak of, and I can get in touch directly :-)
Thanks Pat
#10
My understanding of Ignition is this:
Ignition is a proprietary system which allows installations of software to be tracked and restricted.
Like most copy protection systems, it is a body of code which is integrated with the finished game at publishing time. It has a fixed part, which deals with verifying keys (by gathering certain values from the system, combining them with the provided key to make a code value, which is then transmitted to a central server). It also has a layer which is integrated with each game. For instance, one might have Ignition perform a check when the game starts, and also at irregular intervals in the game.
Multiple checks take more time to crack, and if they're each implemented in a different way, it's much harder to reverse engineer.
That's basically all there is to it. The details of the checks and the key verification method are what makes the system a sound investment, so I won't discuss how they might be implemented (I know no details).
If you really want to know about this sort of thing, I suggest reading up on software piracy methods. There are a number of good articles floating around; the best way to design a good software protection system is to know how people are likely to attack it.
In general, it's not worthwhile to integrate these sort of systems with RAD tools like BlitzBasic; it's too easy to remove the checks if the copy protection is cleanly abstracted! This is probably one reason that very, very few games made with such tools are ever seriously published.
I hope that answers some of your questions. Please remember, that Ignition represents a significant part of GG's sale infrastructure, so it might be better to take the discussion offline if you want to really get into a discussion of the deep, dark secrets of copy protection. There is a time and a place for such discussions, but I don't know that it's here.
(I am not speaking as a GarageGames employee.)
07/13/2003 (2:55 pm)
(I am not speaking as a GarageGames employee.)My understanding of Ignition is this:
Ignition is a proprietary system which allows installations of software to be tracked and restricted.
Like most copy protection systems, it is a body of code which is integrated with the finished game at publishing time. It has a fixed part, which deals with verifying keys (by gathering certain values from the system, combining them with the provided key to make a code value, which is then transmitted to a central server). It also has a layer which is integrated with each game. For instance, one might have Ignition perform a check when the game starts, and also at irregular intervals in the game.
Multiple checks take more time to crack, and if they're each implemented in a different way, it's much harder to reverse engineer.
That's basically all there is to it. The details of the checks and the key verification method are what makes the system a sound investment, so I won't discuss how they might be implemented (I know no details).
If you really want to know about this sort of thing, I suggest reading up on software piracy methods. There are a number of good articles floating around; the best way to design a good software protection system is to know how people are likely to attack it.
In general, it's not worthwhile to integrate these sort of systems with RAD tools like BlitzBasic; it's too easy to remove the checks if the copy protection is cleanly abstracted! This is probably one reason that very, very few games made with such tools are ever seriously published.
I hope that answers some of your questions. Please remember, that Ignition represents a significant part of GG's sale infrastructure, so it might be better to take the discussion offline if you want to really get into a discussion of the deep, dark secrets of copy protection. There is a time and a place for such discussions, but I don't know that it's here.
(I am not speaking as a GarageGames employee.)
Torque Owner Prairie Games
Prairie Games, Inc.
What keeps the assembly level cracker from circumventing it? If something, it's a goldmine. Otherwise, keeping honest people honest, isn't such a bad thing...
-J