Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 37

Thread: Thoughts on server global highscore

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Cape town, South Africa
    Posts
    1,709

    Default Thoughts on server global highscore

    If I understand correctly, there will be a global highscore list on the server.

    My concern is that this list will be mostly filled with cheaters:

    Statrollers, starsignrollers, savescum, etc.

    First of all, will there thus be any point to such a highscore list and secondly is it possible to ommit cheaters from the list?

    Edit - Sorry, can you please move this to the ADOM subforum.(e2)

    I actually have a solution, if the server rolls the characters and stores the savefiles, I think it can be controlled, maybe. I'm no programmer. Detecting cheating and ommitting scores from these users.
    Last edited by Stingray1; 10-16-2013 at 04:42 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    26

    Default

    Most likely it will be online server, so players will be playing online, and therefore they will have no control over their saves (they will not be able to make backups, like on old ancardia server).

    Rolling for stats/sign probably will be unavoidable, but I would not consider this a serious problem - it doesn't give that big in game advantage, and probably it's extremely boring and tedious, so someone would have to be really desperate to spend half day on creating chars just to get char with decent stats and candle starsign (and then die in SMC in very few couple of turns)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    1,878

    Default

    The way the server is planned/implemented is:

    - the server only stores highscores and achievements (and online accounts for players)
    - the player can play ADOM offline on their own PC
    - if a player has an online account and ADOM detects an internet connection, highscores and achievements are synchronized with the server

    Playing remotely "on" the server is not planned right now (and would only be available for versions without NotEye).

    We will see how much cheating will happen and we probably need to balance the highscore calculations.

    Personally I think the statistics we can generate from the highscore entries are much more interesting (e.g. which race/class combination is played most).
    Last edited by jt; 10-16-2013 at 01:06 PM.
    “It's a cruel and random world, but the ChAoS is all so beautiful.” ― Hiromu Arakawa

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    26

    Default

    Hmm have you thought about any mechanism that would prevent save scumming in that case? Because if players will be playing offline on their PC's, I'm afraid that most likely server highscores will be filled with save scummed chars.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    1,878

    Default

    I don't think we can prevent save scumming or detect it in any way.
    “It's a cruel and random world, but the ChAoS is all so beautiful.” ― Hiromu Arakawa

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    26

    Default

    I'm not a programmer, so forgive me if my idea is dumb, but here is what I thought:

    - each time player creaters a PC, unique numer is generated for that PC. It stays the same until PC is dead.
    - if PC dies and gets to highscore, its unique number is stored on online server with it
    - each time player sends any PC on his online account and therefore on global highscore list, server checks if there is already PC with the same number send on that account. If no, everything is fine, if yes it means that char is savescummed and every entry with the same number (within that account) is removed
    - this number is stored on server for future, so no new entries from that account with that number would be allowed

    Probably it won't solve savescumming problem at all (players can create multiple accounts), but at least it should make it harder.

    It might work or not really?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    114

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Universal View Post
    but here is what I thought:
    Well, it would prevent the type of scumming that you win many times with only one start. But that's not really the problem I'd think. I mean, would be kind of suspicious if there were 10 high elven archers born on the same day with the same crowning gift, etc. This idea would do nothing for the type of scumming that you backup your save and restore it if you die.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Poland
    Posts
    1,757

    Default

    Save scumming is the least of your problems.
    Take cheat engine program for example.
    You can make your character immortal by locking health counter on a fixed number.
    You can change quantity of items in your inventory.
    Change those 3 potions of holy water to 300 potions.
    Get two rings of djinni summoning and change the amount to 200.
    Change the amount of potions of booze from 4 to 4000, give them all to Yggaz and get 4000 other random potions in exchange, around 50-60 of them PoGA.
    Give me one hour, I will build you a lvl 50 PC of any r/c combination, with all stats at 99, all spells at 30000 and all skills at 100, with infinite wishes and ready to close the gate on the very same day that you started the game.
    There's no end to what can be done. The only way to prevent that is to take control over save files entirely away from players, by storing them online.
    There is no other workaround to this. Anything that is done client-side is bound to leave room for cheating and abusing stuff.
    You can generate any unique number you wish. If I really want to, I will find it and change it so that the server doesn't recognize it as "already died" or some such stuff.
    I've been cheating in online games for years, purely for my own amusement, not against other players.
    I know what can be done with simple packet analyzer programs like wireshark or WPE pro, and that is in relation to online games.
    As for offline games like adom, without any protection, infinitely easier to process, disassemble, decompile, inject dlls, scan memory... like I said, there is no limit to what can be done, literally speaking.
    Last edited by Blasphemous; 10-16-2013 at 02:33 PM.
    "Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    1,878

    Default

    Well, storing the save games on the server doesn't even help if you modify your PC attributes/items while ADOM is running.

    But other games have the same problems and they have an online highscore too... so, let's see how it works out.
    “It's a cruel and random world, but the ChAoS is all so beautiful.” ― Hiromu Arakawa

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Central Germany
    Posts
    1,158

    Default

    ADOM players are honerable players! Let's hope that noone cheats just because... we are too cool to cheat ;-)
    My band: http://messerschmitt-speed.com
    ... for those old school Heavy Metal maniacs among you
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My youtube-profile: http://www.youtube.com/GordonOverkillManiac
    ... with lots of ADOM videos, including several complete successful play-throughs and tutorials for beginners

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •