Re: Game Loop and Simulation

[Alan Chen <aero6dof@yahoo.com>]

--- Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net> wrote:
> Erik wrote:
> 
> > >> a) is unstopable (in theory). Only if you can
> find a way to ensure the
> > >> client player uses the correct client, OS,
> drivers, hardware, etc. can you
> > >> guarentee cheating wont happen. In practice
> various levels of obfusication
> > >> may help for various periods of time. (Like
> binary only releases,
> > >> encrypting the datastream, hiding the
> decryption key in the binary, etc).
> > 
> > ok, so I packet dump the authentification sequence
> into a file, modify the
> > binary, packet dump the auth sequence again, look
> for the difference, and
> > 'edit' my version so it sends the same info as
> before...
> 
> Well, that would be easy enough to circumvent, have
> the servers send each
> client an encryption key at the start of the game,
> have each client encrypt
> the data stream using that key.
> 
> Since the data stream would be encrypted differently
> each game, you would
> be unable to take the data from one game and "look
> for the difference" in
> order to re-use it on the next.

For games that send clients "future" information for
latency purposes you could go further and encrypt data
with randomly drawn keys -- when the client is at a
point where they are allowed to see that data, you can
send the decrypt key.  The strength of the encryption
only needs to be sized so that it can't be broken
during the anticipated time that the data is good --
maybe hours or minutes using a high end PC attack. 
This is vulnerable too, but might discourage all
casual attackers.
 
> However, there are plenty of creative ways to cheat
> - so the point remains,
> that unless the entire OS is binary-only and too
> complex to dis-assemble,
> cheating can happen.

Agreed.  Games may change to at least embrace 'bots
and autopilots.  Imagine a cross between
realtimebattle and Quake.  I'm reminded of the game
Celeste described in a Vernor Vinge novel (can't
recall the title right now) where players competed by
plotting trajectories between planets.  The players
were almost all aided by programs to extend their
native abilities.

> > I think in the end you have to trust no one will
> cheat enough to cause a
> > problem. No matter what security measure is in
> place, it can be subverted. The
> > goal isn't to make something un-cheatable, it's to
> make it so it's not worth
> > the effort.

Trying to create an un-cheatable game is just the flip
side of the motivation that causes people to try and
find cheats.  I think we'll see more games with some
sort of cheat-security methods implemented.

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