Client Side Map Protection

[Xlithan]

I believe it's currently possible to rip maps simply by copy/pasting the map files on the client to your server maps folder. This was (And still is) possible in Playerworlds.

What I need, is some kind of protection system to prevent this from happening. Perhaps changing something in the file so if they were to be put in the server folder, they wouldn't work.

[Obsidian]

i guess if you wanted you could add an encryption algorithm... seems kinda excessive though. You might as well do what dave said... on the client side UDT... just add some new/random variables, and set them all to zero. Like

Type MapRec
Name as String
W/e W/e
Protection1 as Long
RandomVariable2 as Integer
End Type

Then after you recieve mapdata, you can just assign it a random value (doesn't have to be sent in a packet). Then all you have to do is either read it back in... or not, it really doesn't matter. But like dave said, it can be figured out rather easily.

[grimsk8ter11]

yeah the only reason that is possible is because all playerworlds maps have the same types. If your maps differ in order and have many more variables and such, they they will have a hard time copying your maps. One thing i looked into for KoC was saving tiles offset with attributes, since with binary you can load in any order really as long as the bytes match up, i was doing 3 tiles, an attribute, 9 tiles an attribute, and other such things.

[Spodi]

A quick little XOR encryption would throw of pretty much anyone trying to steal your map files, along with would be easy to add and very fast. :wink:

[Dragoons Master]

Do like Dave said, simple and takes a bit to figure out with hex editor. I mean, change from this(Server Side):

Code:

Type MapRec
    Var1
    Var2
    Var3
    Var4
    Var5
End Type

To something like this(Client Side):

Code:

Type MapRec
    Var3
    Var5
    Var2
    Var1
    Var4
End Type

Just change the order.

[Obsidian]

Actually you can have those variables in any order, Dragoons. Just change the way that they are Saved/Loaded is what dave is saying.

Code:

Save....
    Tiles
    Revision
    Name
    Shop
    Etc.

Load
    Same Order as Save

[William]

A quick little XOR encryption would throw of pretty much anyone trying to steal your map files, along with would be easy to add and very fast. :wink:

I was just about to ask if that would slow it down