Game Development: Project Mayhem

[Procne]

I strongly doubt that custom clients would allow to check other players' IP. Server should never send any IP.
Unless you mean that it's the client that broadcasts player's IP, but then it's not game that allows it, but "hacked" client.

[martinuzz]

I strongly doubt that Jorblorftar would keep their jobs, after the first privacy lawsuits start costing paradox lots of money, if they made private IP adresses public through means of a free software product.

[Mereni]

What good would an IP do anyway? It doesn't tell you if someone is a spy.

The way to start a village and get good people into it is to begin with a couple people you already know, or take a risk on a few that look okay. In the beginning, you don't have much to lose anyway so spies are highly unlikely for a startup town. After that, make invitation to the town based on quests. Make sure that whoever is going to join you does you some good first. A spy is going to have a hard time gathering and porting to Boston all the mats for 100 braziers or a complete stone wall around the town or whatever, but a real applicant knows they will be gaining citizenship to a town with good defenses. It takes creativity to come up with something that's difficult enough to dissuade a spy but not so bad it keeps away honest people, but it's not impossible.

[Procne]

Mereni, I don't think we are talking about forming a faction of hardcore players capable of controling whole server.
And spies aren't the only only problem for villages. General problem is about people who are members of a village, but for some reason decide to hurt it.

[tweenprinc3ss]

This patch is going to allow those couple of groups with high humour toons to get even farther along. high purity flour + 100% veggies + tier 3 goods, game over...

[Mereni]

Mereni, I don't think we are talking about forming a faction of hardcore players capable of controling whole server.
And spies aren't the only only problem for villages. General problem is about people who are members of a village, but for some reason decide to hurt it.

Exactly, hurt it. I use the term 'spy' in a general way, maybe I should say 'someone who doesn't really want to join the town but intends to steal from it or attack later'. I'm not talking about hardcore factions either. I'm talking about simple security. You're not going to hurt a town you just helped several times, and you're not going to get through the application process of helping them several times if you just intend to attack later. At least, the chances of that happening are much smaller than just inviting someone because they asked for an invite.

And the problem of current members deciding to turn traitor can't be helped with IP checking or anything like that. You just have to keep the people in your town happy and listen if they have a grievance. Or kick them out if they start making you nervous, whatever. You're dealing with real people who have the protection of internet anonymity. That'll make things risky no matter what.

I do think, though, that lighting a fire should be under the trespass category rather than waste, and that building new things should be it's own category also separated out from Waste. That alone would help as you could at least not give waste permission to the majority of people on your claim. As it is, it's almost required to do so if you want anyone but the owner to be able to smelt or cook food or build new things. Maybe an option to allow or not allow citizens to attack other citizens while on the vclaim.

Or, as another way players can try to control security, try setting up you town in layers with an area that is only allowed to people who have fully joined and is keyed separately. Keep more valuable stuff there. New members don't get a key until they've been there a certain amount of time.

I'm sure there are other options as well. Personally, I don't worry about it much.

[darnokpl]

The way to start a village and get good people into it is to begin with a couple people you already know, or take a risk on a few that look okay. In the beginning, you don't have much to lose anyway so spies are highly unlikely for a startup town.

Startup town is perfect target for spies, because they can slow down your development since beginning

After that, make invitation to the town based on quests. Make sure that whoever is going to join you does you some good first. A spy is going to have a hard time gathering and porting to Boston all the mats for 100 braziers or a complete stone wall around the town or whatever, but a real applicant knows they will be gaining citizenship to a town with good defenses. It takes creativity to come up with something that's difficult enough to dissuade a spy but not so bad it keeps away honest people, but it's not impossible.

Spies that you should worry are very dedicated. They can spend days "working for you" if they find out way to slow you down or break your base


My point is how would you feel if someone would steal your in-game items in Salem?

How would you feel if someone would destroy few weeks of your work using false forum account?

Now most important how would you feel if someone would steal item you paid for real money... by creating false forum account and scam you in capital city or after he joined to your town?

[kruskdamangled]

The way to start a village and get good people into it is to begin with a couple people you already know, or take a risk on a few that look okay. In the beginning, you don't have much to lose anyway so spies are highly unlikely for a startup town.

Startup town is perfect target for spies, because they can slow down your development since beginning

After that, make invitation to the town based on quests. Make sure that whoever is going to join you does you some good first. A spy is going to have a hard time gathering and porting to Boston all the mats for 100 braziers or a complete stone wall around the town or whatever, but a real applicant knows they will be gaining citizenship to a town with good defenses. It takes creativity to come up with something that's difficult enough to dissuade a spy but not so bad it keeps away honest people, but it's not impossible.

Spies that you should worry are very dedicated. They can spend days "working for you" if they find out way to slow you down or break your base


My point is how would you feel if someone would steal your in-game items in Salem?

How would you feel if someone would destroy few weeks of your work using false forum account?

Now most important how would you feel if someone would steal item you paid for real money... by creating false forum account and scam you in capital city or after he joined to your town?

Which is all part of why you are careful.

But you do have to take reasonable chances occasionally with entirely new people.

Unless you have lots of completely reliable friends from outside the game.

We didn't exactly sign on to play a "safe" game.

[darnokpl]

Which is all part of why you are careful.

But you do have to take reasonable chances occasionally with entirely new people.

Unless you have lots of completely reliable friends from outside the game.

We didn't exactly sign on to play a "safe" game.

I've signed to play crafting NOT spying mmo

[Mereni]

My point is how would you feel if someone would steal your in-game items in Salem?

How would you feel if someone would destroy few weeks of your work using false forum account?

This has happened to me. And that sort of thing will happen now and then. I'm still in that village though, the benefits I've gotten from being there have far outweighed the occasional damage done by malcontents. Part of that is due to the rigorous application process that ensures the applicant starts out in the black as far as village contribution goes. And like a previous poster said, you have to take chances, it's not a safe game.