File Security...
by Richard Fox · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 07/18/2003 (11:31 am) · 21 replies
Okay, I'm not really sure how to ask this because I'm not really sure what I want to know. I know I only have a question, ( I know what the Matrix is, so it isn't that)
Anyway, Let's say I have a game where players "own" "stuff", and they pit this "stuff" against other players and their "stuff" over the internet. (Think Magic the Gathering) My question is about cheating and basic fraud. How would I:
1. Keep players from using "stuff" they don't have. There will be a large amount of "stuff" that could be played in the game. However, I expect to make it all downloadable for a price. Could I use a system to test for a valid item ID or something via the internet. Something like a file-key.
2. Keep players from buffing "stuff" dishonestly. ie hacking into "stuff" to make it better than what it really is.
3. Other ways to cheat an honest guy like me can't think of. :P
I'm looking more for methods here than anything else just to see if what I have in mind is feasibl.
For instance, I think Verant maintains possesion of the actual character files on the server, right? I'm thinking something along those lines would be what I'm looking for, where all of the players "inventory of stuff" would exist on a server and only he/she would have access to it via password/login and the "inventory of stuff" would not be downloadable since it would only be a list of id's which would referrence the database of "stuff" on the server.
Forgive me for the use of the word "stuff". I know ideas are a dime a dozen, but since it's really my first idea for a game that I think I can make money on I think I'll remain vague. I have other ideas, some I've even posted. However, this one is my favorite, so I'll keep it to myself. For now.
Anyway, Let's say I have a game where players "own" "stuff", and they pit this "stuff" against other players and their "stuff" over the internet. (Think Magic the Gathering) My question is about cheating and basic fraud. How would I:
1. Keep players from using "stuff" they don't have. There will be a large amount of "stuff" that could be played in the game. However, I expect to make it all downloadable for a price. Could I use a system to test for a valid item ID or something via the internet. Something like a file-key.
2. Keep players from buffing "stuff" dishonestly. ie hacking into "stuff" to make it better than what it really is.
3. Other ways to cheat an honest guy like me can't think of. :P
I'm looking more for methods here than anything else just to see if what I have in mind is feasibl.
For instance, I think Verant maintains possesion of the actual character files on the server, right? I'm thinking something along those lines would be what I'm looking for, where all of the players "inventory of stuff" would exist on a server and only he/she would have access to it via password/login and the "inventory of stuff" would not be downloadable since it would only be a list of id's which would referrence the database of "stuff" on the server.
Forgive me for the use of the word "stuff". I know ideas are a dime a dozen, but since it's really my first idea for a game that I think I can make money on I think I'll remain vague. I have other ideas, some I've even posted. However, this one is my favorite, so I'll keep it to myself. For now.
About the author
Richard Fox
You say making an editor with VB.NET would be fairly simple? Would using VB6.0 be any different than VB.NET? I guess using the simplest method for the editor would make sense, since all the editor does -- in the end -- is create a file that can be read by the game program.
The game map itself wouldn't be all that complicated. Hell the game as a whole wouldn't be all that complicated. I intend to make the entire playing field displayed to the screen, with no need for scrolling (on high resoulution mode).
Who runs gaming computers on 800x600 anymore anyway? 1024x768, I think, is the lowest setting I see most folks using these days.
The pathfinding would be just a matter of finding the shortest distance from point A to point B, maybe taking terrain restriction into account. There will be no collision avoidance AI, except for checking for impassable terrain anyway -- just enough to prevent walking through walls(etc) and stacking creatures.
Oh, and by the way, I also own a copy of "Multiplayer Game Programming" from The Game Developement series. Those two books along with several others have been my sole referrence until getting linked up with these forums.
"Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus" by Andre Lamothe is where I can say I recieved most of my Windows knowlege to date. To anyone new to Windows programming, however, I recommend skipping Chapter 1. It just confused the hell out me.
Anyway, I'm starting to babble too. I just want to make a game, that's all. And I want to have a game or a demo/prototype of a game within 6 months. Once I get the ball rolling there's usually no stopping me. However, I have to be carefull and plan ahead. I've broken a few games because of piss poor planning, and I was too far into it to go back (willingly) to make the changes required to continue.
blah,blah,blah
EDIT: Oh yeah, I hear "no MFC" alot around the game dev community, so I've shyed away from it. Who knows though, maybe Bill will get me for that?