Play by email exploit?

[Adagio]

Now, let it first be said: I have never played PBM games before

When starting a PBM game, you have to have all the other players email adress, since you have to send the savegame manually, right? Or how does the send savegame works?

What kind of protection is there in a such game? Are there a password for each player, or is there some unique files on the different players computers, so nobody else can play as some other player?

And something else: Is there any kind of "security" against reloading the game? (So if some player attacks, but looses, and then he/she reloads the game, but this time, he/she doesn't attack, and thereby saves a lot of units...)

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by ADG
Now, let it first be said: I have never played PBM games before

When starting a PBM game, you have to have all the other players email adress, since you have to send the savegame manually, right? Or how does the send savegame works?

What kind of protection is there in a such game? Are there a password for each player, or is there some unique files on the different players computers, so nobody else can play as some other player?

Password.

Also, at least in SMAC, there was this odd exploit where you could switch your race to match someone elses, and althogh the graphics for everything would screw up you could see the other factions...

Sometimes friends and I play a game, and then switch roles to see who can beat who....it gets very odd sometimes.

[WarpStorm]

I'd assume password protected. As for the reload, who knows, but there should be a way to keep people honest.

[Galvatron]

Hmm I wonder myself why do you want people keep playing by the rules with restrictions and sanctions all the time? What’s with values like honour, integrity, trust,... are these all dead? And do we only interact with people when we have rules in the back? What our society needs more than laws are good old values and people which are willing to be fair out of their heart and not only because rules tell you to do so.

What do you think about this?

[alva]

Originally posted by Galvatron
Hmm I wonder myself why do you want people keep playing by the rules with restrictions and sanctions all the time? What’s with values like honour, integrity, trust,... are these all dead? And do we only interact with people when we have rules in the back? What our society needs more than laws are good old values and people which are willing to be fair out of their heart and not only because rules tell you to do so.

What do you think about this?

Allthough I agree in principle, I'm affraid it's abit naive

I wouldn't cheat, others will (sad but true

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Galvatron
Hmm I wonder myself why do you want people keep playing by the rules with restrictions and sanctions all the time? What’s with values like honour, integrity, trust,... are these all dead? And do we only interact with people when we have rules in the back? What our society needs more than laws are good old values and people which are willing to be fair out of their heart and not only because rules tell you to do so.

What do you think about this?

Well...that's how it should be, but try to tell that to the rest of the world, and make them do it... 90%+ of this world, will cheat, if they are sure, nobody will ever find out... If we still had trust and honor, then why would we need a police station?

As sad as it is, words like trust and honor is almost gone...

[des-esseintes]

Sad?

Deceit, Greed, Dishonesty, Distrust are all vital parts in the engine of Capitalism.

You should be glad they exist.

[alva]

Where did I say I like capitalism???

[Oerdin]

You should like capitalism; without it we would all still be living in mud huts and sacrificing goats to make it rain.

Back to PBM: The file could easily be hacked even with passwords. In the end you will just have to trust the other players not to cheat.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Oerdin
You should like capitalism; without it we would all still be living in mud huts and sacrificing goats to make it rain.

.001/100

Back to PBM: The file could easily be hacked even with passwords. In the end you will just have to trust the other players not to cheat.

Correct......I usually only play MP games with people I trust. Call me xenophobic, but I've had too many bad experiences with cheating (main offenders being Starcraft and Red Alert 2) so....

[DrFell]

I've played in 6 different PBEMs. In 3 of them, another player cheated (two different culprits). There's no easy way to defend against cheating with hex editors etc. Best way is to play most games with a group you trust.

[Oerdin]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000


.001/100

Roll your eyes all you want Tass but in the end Greed motivates 99% of all human advancement. Greed is simply captialism in it's most pure form.

[alva]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Roll your eyes all you want Tass but in the end Greed motivates 99% of all human advancement. Greed is simply captialism in it's most pure form.

Allthough this may be true, it isn't a reason to like it.

[Gen. Maximus]

Back to topic on savegame reloading cheat possibility. I was playing hotseat game on SMAC, if there is an attempt to reload, a warning window popped up during the other player's turn saying there an incident of possible reloading of the savegame file.