Knightmare

Place for people to discuss public servers, and also for admins to lay out the details of their servers
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KnightMare
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Knightmare

Post by KnightMare »

I have a modified client that can only connect to my server located on my web page. Patlabor wants the source code released to the public. I think this is a real bad idea. G2 is "supposed" to have server checks against cheaters. I assure you it will not stop half of what can be done.
And will only make cheating more wide spread and undetectable.

One version can make another tank fire a SW killing his teamates. How you gonna do a server side check of that? Fireing Weapons while dead, Keeping another guys tank from shooting at all, i could go on and on and on. And that aint even the good stuff... The guys programming these things aren't the 12 year olds with a new 'puter....

We're just trying to play the game from a different view, not ruin it for everyone else. It only connects to MY SERVER!
You want this source code released to every teenager in cyberspace?! Ok, but there goes bzflag...
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MrApathyCream
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Re: Knightmare

Post by MrApathyCream »

KnightMare wrote:And that aint even the good stuff... The guys programming these things aren't the 12 year olds with a new 'puter...

Good, we need ideas for what cheats to stop.
Last edited by MrApathyCream on Sat Feb 01, 2003 6:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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MrApathyCream
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Re: Knightmare

Post by MrApathyCream »

KnightMare wrote:
We're just trying to play the game from a different view, not ruin it for everyone else. It only connects to MY SERVER!
You want this source code released to every teenager in cyberspace?! Ok, but there goes bzflag...

Doesn't really matter what we want.

Either the source code is posted, or the exe must be removed. It a clear license issue.

BTW. The new server should forbid firing any kind of shot as if from another player.
michaelh20
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Post by michaelh20 »

I think the general rule is that the source code has to be posted with all the executables, Tim Riker himself has told me that on IRC. Bit of a nuissance in this case, since obviously we don't want to spread the source code around. My code doesn't have the more advanced cheats.. just faster shots, speed (obvious things), flying and driving through things w/o OO. Most of these things are already in one patch or another on source forge, or the servor website and the world hasn't fallen apart yet.

One thing is that being in the diff format (which others have said is acceptable), anyone who can figure out how to use it probably can already figure out how to cheat no problem.

I myself would refrain from telling others in the open public how to code cheats unless there's some particularly interesting thing going on with it, but that's just me.

I certainly would understand just pulling the whole thing if that's what you think should be done with it. That's what I thought of doing when Pat made such a big deal of it.




I certainly don't think anyone is suggesting that everyone that uses a modified client has to post all their code, just if you post a client, you have to also post the source or diff file.
KnightMare
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Post by KnightMare »

Think we'll pull the binary off and just go back to sharing source, if the kiddies get it so be it. Developers are gonna be real busy soon....

Know the "Numbers guy" amatuer... And still fighting him off
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JeffM
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Post by JeffM »

This is way I say change protcoll slightly ( the magic string, send another confirmation packed ) and/or the version number. Then the code can't be easaly used on normal servers, you can release source, and all can be happy. And it prevents normal people from hiting the cheat server. You make your branch the base for all the cheats.

If you want to truly give people a palce to go to town, then go past the "hack' step and make it a branch.
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Post by michaelh20 »

I think that is the way to go basically I think, but it is a mistake to think that's a really complete solution. I think obviously it's more palatable to people at large, but the protocol changes could be easily changed back to normal and the source code recompiled. Also think of cut and paste ... all the cheating changes are going to be readily cut and paste out and into something else.

I certainly don't think it makes it "worry free"
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purple_cow
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Post by purple_cow »

There's a reason the source code should be released with any binary: BZFLAG IS GPL. This means that any modifications MUST be made public. If you want to have a modified game, do something like what patlabor did with zero.

A lot of the open-source philosophy seems a little overly-hippy to me, but one thing I strongly believe in is following whatever rules software is published under.
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