Sun Mar 09, 2003 3:12 pm
Server side vs. Client side.
OK, most of you know this, but just to wrap it up (and also see if I'm mistaking).
A frightingly amount of things are run client-side.
Let's take an example I tried out.
I made it so I could buy the Sabre and Anubis at lvl 1 at Manhatten with all the lvl 10 weapons, lvl 10 shields and so on. I changed each and every aspect I could find it now has 8 gunports instead of the old 6 all of which can handle lvl 10 guns.
Shield strength, hull strength, missile speeds, handling, weapon damage and refire-rate, even my hull.
On my private server this caused no problems.
Then I went to a clean box, where I started up a game server running on 'clean' ini files. I could still buy my everything I wanted on Manhatten at lvl 1, I even got MORE money from buying stuff due to me setting their prices at 1 (I think the price varies due to your rep with the factions, thus I got money from buying), I took off in my new Sabre with 8 gun points instead of the usual 6 and went on a rampage.
My shiphull editing didn't work any longer. The first time my hull got hit by the computer it dropped to the number the server stored in it's ini file.
My refire rate was still insane though. My weapons and missile's damage was decided by the server ini files, but refire rate was decided by my client files.
When I bought anything on a station I could max out my newly enlarged 9000 unit cargo, but when I shoot anyone in space and try to fill my cargo, a bug comes to life.
Apparently, the server knows that my 'real' hull is only 70, but it also see's in my save file, that I can hold 7000, which causes a slight problem. The tractor beams keep firing, without anything actually being pulled into my cargospace.
So if you ever experience someone with "continually", firing tractors, you'll know he's a cheat.
Shieldstrength acted the same way as the hull hack. It states that it has 10 billion in strength, but the first time I get hit, my shields return to default (before cheat).
I also tried to dismount my +1000 Gun of Diamond Back Doom, and give it to a 'legal', ship. A ship played from unedited ini files, and it was able to mount the guns and fire a volley of deadly fire with a refire rate set to 30.000 (0.05 in he ini file).
The rep system seems to be run entirely server side. I tried setting my starting rep with all factions to 10.0 but it didn't change in-game. I tried editing the mission rep values, and that didn't change anything either.
What I'm trying to get at here is what (again) many people already know. The Microsoft programmers are insane! Waaaay too many things are run client side, which is good and fine, since it reduces server lag times. But cheating is just too easy. Everytime I log onto an online server to play 3 out of 10 times I'll spot a modded ship with totally insane weapons and refirerates. (ok, I might be exagerating, but still).
And although I think this board is great, too many people can just waltz in and learn how to cheat the game here.
But the actual reason I wrote this was just to make (more or less) clear, which things are apparently run server side and what was run client side.
Please correct me if I made an error and feel free to add to my list.
A frightingly amount of things are run client-side.
Let's take an example I tried out.
I made it so I could buy the Sabre and Anubis at lvl 1 at Manhatten with all the lvl 10 weapons, lvl 10 shields and so on. I changed each and every aspect I could find it now has 8 gunports instead of the old 6 all of which can handle lvl 10 guns.
Shield strength, hull strength, missile speeds, handling, weapon damage and refire-rate, even my hull.
On my private server this caused no problems.
Then I went to a clean box, where I started up a game server running on 'clean' ini files. I could still buy my everything I wanted on Manhatten at lvl 1, I even got MORE money from buying stuff due to me setting their prices at 1 (I think the price varies due to your rep with the factions, thus I got money from buying), I took off in my new Sabre with 8 gun points instead of the usual 6 and went on a rampage.
My shiphull editing didn't work any longer. The first time my hull got hit by the computer it dropped to the number the server stored in it's ini file.
My refire rate was still insane though. My weapons and missile's damage was decided by the server ini files, but refire rate was decided by my client files.
When I bought anything on a station I could max out my newly enlarged 9000 unit cargo, but when I shoot anyone in space and try to fill my cargo, a bug comes to life.
Apparently, the server knows that my 'real' hull is only 70, but it also see's in my save file, that I can hold 7000, which causes a slight problem. The tractor beams keep firing, without anything actually being pulled into my cargospace.
So if you ever experience someone with "continually", firing tractors, you'll know he's a cheat.
Shieldstrength acted the same way as the hull hack. It states that it has 10 billion in strength, but the first time I get hit, my shields return to default (before cheat).
I also tried to dismount my +1000 Gun of Diamond Back Doom, and give it to a 'legal', ship. A ship played from unedited ini files, and it was able to mount the guns and fire a volley of deadly fire with a refire rate set to 30.000 (0.05 in he ini file).
The rep system seems to be run entirely server side. I tried setting my starting rep with all factions to 10.0 but it didn't change in-game. I tried editing the mission rep values, and that didn't change anything either.
What I'm trying to get at here is what (again) many people already know. The Microsoft programmers are insane! Waaaay too many things are run client side, which is good and fine, since it reduces server lag times. But cheating is just too easy. Everytime I log onto an online server to play 3 out of 10 times I'll spot a modded ship with totally insane weapons and refirerates. (ok, I might be exagerating, but still).
And although I think this board is great, too many people can just waltz in and learn how to cheat the game here.
But the actual reason I wrote this was just to make (more or less) clear, which things are apparently run server side and what was run client side.
Please correct me if I made an error and feel free to add to my list.
Pyrate Dredd 