[MUD-Dev] TECH: Trusting Network Clients

[Travis Nixon]

From: "Crosbie Fitch" <crosbie at cyberspaceengineers.org>
> From: Nicolai Hansen

>> I would never trust any client to keep control of game sensitive
>> things.  It WILL be hacked, and someone WILL give themselves
>> unlimited hitpoints :)

> Can we re-examine this dogma before it gets too entrenched?  >
> What proportion of players don't want to play by the rules, and
> would cheat given half a chance?

> If you can create a game in which at least 90% of players quickly
> desire, and come to cherish their identity, then you have a game
> in which the client is not in the hands of the enemy. You have a
> game with a manageable amount of cheating. You can harness a tenth
> of the power of all of the clients to fully police them all.

Unfortunately, people who hack up the client have the potential to
cause MUCH greater problems than their numbers would imply.

Obviously, it depends on the specifics and the mechanics, but I
would say that if anywhere near 10% of your playerbase is actively
"cheating", then you've got a total disaster on your hands, not "a
manageable amount of cheating".

Especially if you've not taken the necessary precautions by not
trusting the client.

The players aren't the enemy.  The would-be hackers are.  And the
client is definately in their hands.  Ignore this fact at your own
peril.



_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev