Re: PBM report

From: "MindShift Design" <teammsd@mindshiftdesign.com>

Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000

"Tim Franklin" <tim@leaphome.pelican.org> wrote in message
news:slrn8umn91.hn9.tim@leaphome.pelican.org...
> Paul Walker <arafel@spamcop.net> wrote:
> >
> >>with our internet systems to allow players access to their information
> >>online even if they want to play offline. Toss in a more powerful
database
> >>backend and the exact same game world and that's what we're putting
together
> >
> >Hmm ... now that's hit an idea button. :-) A game client that'll work
almost
> >equally well offline as well as online, up to a point. Wonder which way
> >would be best for doing that.
>
> Connect, slurp all the info in the player's vicinity, disconnect.  You
need to
> be *very* careful about showing the player things he has no right to know,
and
> about what information comes back from the client, but it can be done.

<snip>

>  I've not thought about it too hard, as I've always been biased towards an
> 'information packet' design - mainly due to the cost / hassle in staying
on-
> line for long periods in the UK.  SurfTime and ADSL may well change that
> anyway.  Some kind of online / offline bursting client could well fill a
gap
> and allow players to play it whichever way suits them (and their phone
bill).

Another way of doing to do it possibly is the data downloads could be built
on the fly once a request comes in and the data package encrypted with a
session key. The client program then downloads the file locally and
unencrypts it, loading the information into client. This all happens during
a single session, where the session key remains in memory as a security
check. If the download is dropped for any reason then a new request with a
new session key has to be created and a new data package downloaded. This
would take a little bit of work to make work, but it could stop the data
packet being hacked as the client program would be the initiater of the data
transfer and would control it all. If the session key doesn't match what's
in memory at any time, then the download or import aborts. Of course,
something like this would be a pain in the butt if the data package was
large and you were dialing in on 14.4 connection from Kansas City (done it
and hated it). But with a little bit of work it would protect the integrity
of the information and stop it being hacked. Same when it goes back to the
server.

It's a different story when the data is held in the local datastore for the
client program .. and a whole other problem ...

Sound workable though ?

--
Jason Paul McCartan - jasonm@mindshiftdesign.com
CEO/President
MindShift Design LLC
http://www.mindshiftdesign.com

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References

Re: PBM report
MindShift Design LLC <mindshift@my-deja.com>
Thu, 12 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
"MindShift Design LLC" <admin@mindshiftdesign.com>
Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: PBM report
MindShift Design LLC <mindshift@my-deja.com>
Thu, 12 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
"MindShift Design LLC" <admin@mindshiftdesign.com>
Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM report
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000