Can you make a mod usable only in your own private server?

Discussion in 'Modding' started by BadBitDino, Dec 4, 2016.

  1. Will Mazeo

    Will Mazeo Registered

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    You should have seen IMT, racing online there was mandatory or you'd get kicked from there and would have no access to their GRID mod.
     
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  2. Euskotracks

    Euskotracks Registered

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    As it has been stated, there is no way to properly protect content from being later used or distributed once it is installed in your PC.

    This will probably change soon with the addition of official DLC to the game. It makes no sense that paid content is so vulnerable and its protection depends on the absence of leaks.

    The help provided so far to modders that wanted to sell their creation was null. Now that it is the company's economic interests that will need to be protected that they reaction. Not very nice from a modder point of view, to be honest, which is also enhancing the title and should have been taken into consideration before.

    I dont know if AC is already providing this protection for paid modded content. It would explain why URD guys seem to be much more concentrated developing stuff for AC instead of updating T5 series for rF2.
     
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  3. Will Mazeo

    Will Mazeo Registered

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    There is no protection for Kunos own stuff let alone for modders
    I do hope they add some protection to paid content in rF2, as long as changing mass, pit menu and aid penalty menu is still possible and made easier I'm fine with it.
     
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  4. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    I think you're making this sound simpler than it is (or should I say, more possible). We're entering into a grey area developers don't like discussions about, but I think it suffices to say that other much larger companies pour a lot of effort into protecting their content and in some ways it just makes them a bigger target - and people do succeed, even if it's not immediately.

    Paid DLC, or a quality paid mod, will still get plenty of people paying for it whether they need to pay first to try it or decide to buy it later having found out how good it is (legitimately or otherwise).

    I've seen people join then disappear from our league, likely just to grab or at least try the mod (in one case, it was absolutely confirmed that's what they did, as they also took and used a custom plugin which meant they couldn't change some details of the mod without breaking it - made it easy to find it being used), but in the end we didn't really lose anything by it except a potential driver which they never really were anyway.
     
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  5. Euskotracks

    Euskotracks Registered

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    I would expect that the report system could work to lrevent abuses. If the only possibility to have certain components (known by its signature) would be to buy that item in the steam shop I cannot see how can this be halted.
     
  6. rob1178

    rob1178 Registered

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    Interesting discussion.

    I think we are looking at simply doing all we can to promote the league and racing with us. It looks like trying to physically block it is impossible
     
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  7. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    A mod or track is only a collection of data files. You might be able to stop people joining a server running the proper version, but if someone pulls it apart and packages it into a new mod (perhaps with just enough modification to change checksums and the like) it's hard to stop. rFactor highlights this as a modding platform, but it's been true for a long time. Modding started with games that weren't meant to be moddable, after all.
     
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  8. Euskotracks

    Euskotracks Registered

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    I know how to create a clone component since I am usually editing cars to include the drivers from our league and their skins apart of other modifications to suit our race characteristics.

    However, those people with modified illegal versions of paid content wouldn't be able to join servers with official content. I would also expect that the security of mas files was properly guaranteed in the same way as a zip file can be protected in order to prevent today's easy cloning. I have no clue how to decrypt a zip file, but on the other hand, it is clear that today there is no protection "at all" to encrypted mas files.

    While I would reinforce security, I wouldn't forget about the need of leagues to properly modify some typical values for BOP or other similar reasons. Among this, I am thinking of: pit times, fuel tank, mass/inertia, power multiplier, ... For tracks there is no paid content yet that I know but main modifications would include AI tuning, drs zones, anti-cut measures, gdb editing...

    For paid content I would also consider mandatory the possibility to try the item for "let's say 2 hours" before deciding to purchasing it.

    I think platforms like iracing demonstrate that security, at least online, can be better guaranteed.
     
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  9. Guimengo

    Guimengo Guest

    It's easy to imagine going down an avenue that will end like mid-2000's DRM, impacting the consumer and doing more damage that way than good.
     
  10. rob1178

    rob1178 Registered

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  11. WiZPER

    WiZPER Registered

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    A none-modable platform, completely different thing.
     
  12. Euskotracks

    Euskotracks Registered

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    Are you suggesting that AC official DLC packs can be easily ripped?
     
  13. WiZPER

    WiZPER Registered

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    I wouldn't know, but AC and RF2 are "open sims", so the file types and standards are well know - iRacing not so much. But it's well known that official AC content has been ripped already.
     

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