What will stop cracked versions of Starbound from connecting to legit servers?

[03:00] <@kyren> also, just so you guys know
[03:00] <@kyren> there will be an account system on playstarbound.com someday
[03:00] <@kyren> eventually
[03:01] <Arpege> 'Account system'?
[03:01] <@kyren> so, you should be able to download starbound from there too
[03:01] <Arpege> You won't have to log in through there to play, right?
[03:01] <@kyren> yeah, something so you can see all what you've purchased outside of humble store
[03:01] <Arpege> Oh, good.
[03:01] <WarStalkeR> i.e. steam like stuff but for chucklefish and at webz only
[03:01] <@kyren> no no, but what we're THINKING about
[03:01] <@kyren> well, what we're thinking about
[03:01] <@kyren> is having an *optional* thing
[03:01] <@kyren> where you can use authenticated names
[03:01] <@kyren> so, if you have bought the game
[03:01] <@kyren> and you run a server
[03:02] <@kyren> you can OPTIONALLY
[03:02] <@kyren> put it into "authenticated only" mode
[03:02] <@kyren> so you know that if 'kyren' logs in that it's really 'kyren'
[03:02] <@kyren> sort of like how minecraft works, but entirely optional
[03:02] <WarStalkeR> I like that
[03:02] <@kyren> also minecraft's is optional too, but not everyone knows that
[03:02] <@kyren> and it's buried in a config file
[03:02] <WarStalkeR> I don't want to meet other WarStalkeRs here beside myself
[03:03] <SpiderDave> well it's not so optional if the server i want to join does it and some other SpiderDave is authenticated
[03:03] <@kyren> no, it would be tied to the account system on our site
[03:03] <@kyren> but optional
[03:03] <@kyren> or, possibly we might even let others run one, if ours sucks or something
[03:04] <@kyren> not so much DRM as it is... server management
[03:04] <SpiderDave> yeah i hate when everything gets labelled as "DRM"
[03:04] <@kyren> and this is also *when we have time*
[03:04] <@kyren> what we don't want is whoops, sb auth server is down
[03:04] <WarStalkeR> kyren: now dev team have all time in universe
[03:04] <@kyren> can't play!
[03:04] <@kyren> we definitely won't have that
[03:05] <@kyren> but somebody might have to go hit a button to turn the server auth into "unauthenticated mode" or "ip authentication mode" or something, I dunno
[03:05] <@kyren> we're still thinking through it
[03:05] <WarStalkeR> well, regarding that case, you can create a couple servers/VPSes that run simultaneously and if one of them dies, two other continue to work
[03:05] <WarStalkeR> Omni knows that stuff
[03:05] <@kyren> we were already going to do that
[03:05] <@kyren> actually
[03:05] <WarStalkeR> he can implement such thing easily
[03:06] <@kyren> we actually already have the code written for that
[03:06] <@kyren> actually, tbh
[03:06] <@kyren> the current version of the game already uses that
[03:06] <@kyren> it's non-optional atm for security reasons
[03:06] <@kyren> so if something leaks we can shut it off
[03:06] <+commandhat> kyren: part of the Steam API has 'purchase verification' stuff where if something doesn't get passed, a function is called and you can do -whatever- you want
[03:06] <+commandhat> so if someone is pirating the Steam version
[03:07] <+commandhat> you could pass an error that says "couldn't shade polygon normals"
[03:07] <@kyren> well, this is totally independent of that, and tbh
[03:07] <@kyren> if it were up to me
[03:07] <@kyren> even the steam version would have no drm
[03:07] <@kyren> we aren't actually planning any real drm
[03:07] <+commandhat> kyren: if the steam server is down, that part of the API doesn't even get called
[03:07] <+commandhat> it's like passive DRM
[03:07] <WarStalkeR> commandhat: tell me, where did you got such info?
[03:07] <+commandhat> WarStalkeR: Garry's Mod
[03:08] <+commandhat> WarStalkeR: the error is carbon copy from gmod; google 'couldn't shade polygon normals'
[03:08] <WarStalkeR> Ah... And I though you disassembled steam's executable(s)...
[03:08] <@kyren> all these are fine, but if the game releases with no drm at all
[03:08] <@kyren> I'd be pleased
[03:08] <@kyren> it'll be cracked anyway
[03:08] <@kyren> however, I would like the account system, because imo
[03:09] <+commandhat> WarStalkeR: Terraria does sort of the same thing. If steam says the account doesn't own Terraria, the game locks you out with the message "Please restart Steam."
[03:09] <@kyren> it's too complex to run say a minecraft server, or a terraria server
[03:09] <@kyren> without helper programs
[03:09] <WarStalkeR> well, anyway, server management idea is great
[03:09] <@kyren> because you can't whitelist people's names
[03:09] <+commandhat> kyren: please don't do authkeys from server to client though
[03:09] <@kyren> I mean, people can set passwords I suppose
[03:10] <WarStalkeR> so basically if I will start my own VPS for SB, I will be interested for it to be listed at web
[03:10] <@kyren> but anyway, this is only used right now for controlled access in-dev, we're still thinking about it
[03:10] <@kyren> bartwe implemented it because he likes that sort of thing
[03:13] <@kyren> whatever it is we won't be a) dumb or b) jerks
[03:13] <@kyren> so don't worry
[03:13] <+commandhat> so no EA-style LOCK DOWN EVERYTHING?
[03:13] <+commandhat> Good
[03:14] <@kyren> no, I won't let that happen
[03:14] <+commandhat> was partly a joke and partly a poke at EA's twice-in-a-row WORST COMPANY EVER title
[03:14] <+commandhat> I trust you to not make things bad
[03:15] <@kyren> thank you

 

DRM is a game-changer. We, as a PC gaming community, frown upon it. That being said, I highly doubt $15 will discourage players from paying for a game with this much potential. They did talk about methods to ease access that would negate the need to port-forward.. so we'll see, I guess.

 

Really if a person is so concerned about his pretend blocks then he/she should play on a whitelist server where they can sleep at night knowing your pretend fortress is safe. this has nothing to do with piracy.

 

Talking about this I'm scared Starbound Server isn't able to Protect Areas from getting destroyed

 

Yeah, big servers like the Corporation server will eventually fail, if there is no decent protection.

Maybe Home Planets are protected by the player?

 

Unless we can give permissions, but that wont work that well.
In Terraria server MOD tshock we could add a Region, then add people with permission to edit that area with the commands. That may work well enough in Starbound.

 

That was a MOD. Wait until starbound gets a mod.

 

That's great info.
Nice to get some clarity.

Thank you!

Seeing how there are devices that protect dungeon blocks I'd be surprised if there wasn't a server-based way to prevent block destruction on Home Planets.

 

Get off your fracking high horse, your a pirate too, I am pretty damn sure you have saved mp3's you didn't pay for and such, don't try to deny it. Pretty much everyone on the net is a pirate these days, it comes with the terrtory. I'll admit I am a pirate, mostly because most games these days aren't worth the plastic their printed on (Bioshock infinite to name one, 60 bucks for 7-8 hours of gameplay then its a coaster? they can shove it up their ass disc label up), most lack any sort of replay value or anything. I may pirate alot of games, but I do buy the odd ones I like/feel they are worth it, I have Terraria, Binding of Issac, Borderlands, and a variety of other titles on steam. I just wait for sales, unless its a fair price for the game, like Starbound the amount of gameplay your getting for the price is amazging. Most AAA Devved games these days are terrible as far as I am concered, no replayability because nothing is diffrent at all. Higher diffculty does not count to me, I want a fairly diffrent experence each time I play, not the same static game thats just easier to get killed in. Sadly most games these days do not offer what I am looking for replayability wise from these big devs, So I started to look at indie titles, because they do provide what I want. Oh, I also recently bought Drox Operative.

Starbound is like the first game in a very long time that I am actually excited about playing/buying.

Anyway back on topic...

To stop pirates from connecting to legit servers is easy, make people have to login to a auth server with each copy having its own u unique cd-key, before they can connect to any server playing the game, while they can crack it, it'll only allow them to play with people running a cracked server, and will keep them away from legit game buyers. Starcraft 2 is a prime example of this, pretty much no multiplayer if you don't own the game, I think Minecraft uses the same system. Games are not hosted on any offical mc server but you still need to connect to one at first to prove you have a legit copy to play online with a legit buyers of the game.

Me? I am pre-ordering starbound at the end of the month because it looks like Terraria on Steroids bascally, and I loved Terraria, add to the fact the devs are designing the game to be modable easly (where as Terraria was not setup this way, but they still found ways to mod it). Though I am sort of depressed starbound lacks any level-up/rpg style mechanics and such, but I bet someone will make a mod for that so it'll come eventually. Are a few rpg-like mods for Terraria out there now a days. For Starbound it could be something to do with the crafting. like more stuff you build levels up your R&D skill, and it allows new items you make(Stuff like armor, weapons, not consumables) to have extra modifiers on it based on your level in R&D, not guarnteed extra mods just a higher chance based on skill.

 

It doesn't take that long.. they wouldn't decide to not add it due to your inability to wait.

 

Hmmm... Real pirates were/are murderers, thieves, rapists, kidnappers, and generally honor-less swindlers... They don't sound particularly awesome!

 

You don't get me... There ISN'T anti-piracy ways to stop the game from get cracked even in multiplayer.
No Mather how much effort is put into those protections, how much money, they just are crackable. Not even EA with all their DRM, always online offline games, complex scripts and Millions of Dollars Spent can secure them.

Then yes, it's a waste of time and money input effort to anti-piracy. Making an game worth of the money it costs it's best way to fight Piracy.

 

Minecraft has a good system.

Piracy is impossible to stop for singleplayer, but if you want multiplayer on a decent server? Buy the game.

 

LAN Possible MultiPlayer or with Dedicated Server is the Easier one to crack. Minecraft were cracked even in Multiplayer, they spent money and spend money in all their auth systems that no longer secures the game from Cracked Versions

In theese days Games end in Piracy before they are launched in Huge Leaks... MMO's Pirated versions are out... It's OMG how are they able to pull things that not even the own game studios can.

 

Why bother discussing it, really? People are going to pirate it and it's going to happen. Many more people are just as ready to support, which can easily be seen by the pre-order numbers. Let's just play the game with each other and enjoy it together despite how it was obtained.

 

It's REALLY hard to pirate if there's a verification system on servers. There will be "Cracked" servers though. Also, you there isn't a complete crack for Minecraft. As with many other games. Authentication is server-side, so unless you're in the game servers box or the actual authentication servers box it won't happen.

 

No, dedicated servers can be easily cracked in the .config file.

Pirated versions cannot join LEGITIMATE servers.

 

This as well as other deterrents are what I am praying for with baited breath, I want as many deterrents to piracy for this game. Sure it wont be 100%, nothing ever is. Though as far as I can tell the dev team likes the community as much as the community likes the dev-team and they don't seem to be in it just for the money, so that just adds to my worry about people pirating. I already talked to a few of my friends and they said that they would pirate it (unfortunately) if given the chance, but in the end would probably pay if they couldn't play with their friends.

Needless to say, I may be buying the game for them just to remove the whole temptation from them, 15$ isn't alot. Though obviously if people have to choose between food, home, warmth and a game I don't blame them as far as not being able to afford it with little to no income, though they have from now to the games release to save up at least 15$ if they really truly wanted to support this game... rather than chip away at it and if they could just wait seeing as its going on steam, all they have to do is wait for the eventual steam sales.

 

Terraria had horrid pirate prevention. A pirate has no difference between a normal terraria player, as there is no identification system.

 

As long as there is authentication for public servers, I'm cool with whatever! Typical game pirates actually never pay for a game.