4.09 Dedicated Server Security & Distribution

[Rama]

Originally Posted by Avimimus

1. Il-2 will not be fixed (due to difficulties with code and financial calculations)

It's your saying.
OM never stated that. last time he told about this problem (On October 26) he stated M:1C was looking for a solution to secure online game, and that he wasn't sure it was possible with the limited amount of ressource he could dedicate on this.
Here the exact words: "I can't promise now... but my guys in research what is possible by minimal human/month busy schedule... ", written on 10/26 in Oleg Maddox's Room thread of this forum (answer #211)

Thats something he allready told for other problems... that finally found a solution.

So nothing is sure, neither that there will be a fix, or that there wont be.
I can still hope.

[msalama]

Lexx, V-man,

Rgt, not the thread for that. That said I now see what U mean Lexx - a bit of a misunderstanding here, didn't actually get your meaning until now! Still, let's hope that Oleg now gets the drift as regards dynamic OL campaigns and their implementation - w/out 3rd party help such as the OL wars we're playing nowadays, that is

S! guys. Let's anyway hope for the best as regards continual OL security of the game... be that implemented one way or another.

[4H_V-man]

On that we can agree.

[Gryphon_]

Further thoughts:

IL2 is just one game produced by 1C. 1C produces lots of games, and sells them via huge-volume distributors such as Ubisoft. If distribution costs can be reduced, the producers and distributors can make more profit, which is very important to them.

Producers and distributors can make more profit if they can sell these products via download. In order to do that they have to be able to prevent the customer copying the downloaded product, either as originally downloaded, or after the customer has hacked it.

For offline games, this is a big problem.

For online games, it should be easier to solve; with an active internet connection required for online play, the client files could be programmed to 'phone home' (to the developer site) either periodically, or on demand. In other words, put a sort of trojan in the client executable! This opens up various ways of ensuring client file integrity.

If the industry could get this right, downloading could become the norm, they would make a lot more money, and the hackers would be confined to playing offline.

[robtek]

Why are here so many people that have too much money?
Sure, it is easy to delegate the problem and let it be resolved by pay2play.
But while that might help it is for quite a few people too expensive.
The way it is right now is much more social and i think it is better to find a solution on this base.

[Baco]

Originally Posted by Gryphon_

Further thoughts:

For online games, it should be easier to solve; with an active internet connection required for online play, the client files could be programmed to 'phone home' (to the developer site) either periodically, or on demand. In other words, put a sort of trojan in the client executable! This opens up various ways of ensuring client file integrity.

If the industry could get this right, downloading could become the norm, they would make a lot more money, and the hackers would be confined to playing offline.

Er.. that would make a worst scandal than the infamous Boottysomething. A file accesing the net informing of the content of your HD to a third party.. That would kill BOB and 1:C faster than any cheat or hack. It would make Starforce look like a harmless virus.

Don´t get me wrong, I have nothing to hide in My PC, not even credit records. But most people would not come close to such a game.

I think That is the EASY "illegal" way Oleg refered to when adressing the issiu of CRC checks...

The hard way and costlly is the program checking various values in important files such as FM and DM dlls witch is the thing they can´t do right now becouse it means rewriting the code.

[Gryphon_]

So how does Valve/Steam work? Whenever you are playing, your computer is talking to the Steam app and quite frequently your files are updated as a result.

I' m thinking that:

1) Your computer sending info on your game files to game developer server with your knowledge = okay
2) Your computer sending anything else to an unknown party without your knowledge = not okay

I guess as long as everyone understands the difference, (1) is the way ahead

[crazyivan1970]

I actually like Steam alot, very convinient and based on what i read, harmless. Wouldnt be a bad choice, comparing to everything else. Especially after what UBI was trying to feed us.. Starforce, Bootybox, etc. All crap, dangerous one too.

[jasonbirder]

I'm quite happy with downloaded software...but I would Never consider buying anything that ever recquired my computer to be in touch with the publishers system so i could use software i'd already purchased...no matter how briefly or infrequently.
I wouldn't even think about it!

[BSS_Sniper]

Originally Posted by jasonbirder

I'm quite happy with downloaded software...but I would Never consider buying anything that ever recquired my computer to be in touch with the publishers system so i could use software i'd already purchased...no matter how briefly or infrequently.
I wouldn't even think about it!

That's good to know. Now we will have one less to worry about cheating.