[MUD-Dev] TECH: Trusting Network Clients

[David H. Loeser Jr.]

Regardless of the label that you place on the user, be it enemy,
cheater or even just plain nosey.  The fact remains that some users
will use any and all tools that are at their disposal to discover
the 'secrets' of your client.  After those few do the discovery, and
they create a 'hack' it's a simple download away for anyone else
willing to utilize theses tools.

Admittedly, some of these tools have a positive affect on the game,
providing tools that the developers neglected to provide the player.
But in most cases the affects are not so positive.

Now, if you are going to utilize the client to do work for the
server, you almost guarantee that these tools and utilities will
have one single purpose, to cheat.

I'm sure that all those many years ago when the "The Laws of Online
World Design" where put together and the "Never trust the client"
law was inked, not much has changed.  Clients are still the largest
vulnerability to the game.  Calling all users the enemy, as stated
above, is not the point.  The point is that each and every user has
a choice: To cheat or not to cheat, unfortunately the client is
their tool for doing so.

-- David "Dak Lozar" Loeser



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