<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator --> <!--X-From-R13: "Xbua Pregbtyvb" <nyrkoNvagreargpqf.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:22:05 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: E0yZfEA-0003cC-00#mail,kanga.nu --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00537.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00539.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00680.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00545.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00538">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00538">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00538">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "John Bertoglio" <<A HREF="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:24:31 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: "Petidomo List Agent -- Kanga.Nu version" <<A HREF="mailto:petidomo#kanga,nu">petidomo#kanga,nu</A>></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> From: s001gmu#nova,wright.edu <s001gmu#nova,wright.edu> To: mud-dev#kanga,nu <mud-dev#kanga,nu> Date: Wednesday, May 13, 1998 7:55 AM > >On Wed, 13 May 1998, John Bertoglio wrote: > >[...] > >> Of course the server will have to make the same checks as the JS in the >> form so players with HTML savvy can't create monster characters by >> overriding the internal limits. This hacking element makes the backend work >> so much more complicated than it really needs to be..... > >You should be able to hide the entire contents of the javascript code by >referencing a file, rather than embedding the script code in the html that >they DL. The java script still gets DL'd (of course), and executed >locally, but should they choose to look at the html source, all they see >is a tag referencing a file. I don't recall the details (I've never >worked in javascript), but I do know you can do it. The key is the form code is exposed to users. They can easily take the HTML, cut out the javascript validation routines and submit numbers outside of the established limits. You cannot actually hide the code. You can use a file include and this is good practice once the code is stablized. My actual point was more general: Designers can not trust the output from their client program if any calculation takes place that has in-game consequences. This vastly complicates using standard client-server techniques to reduce server loading. Essentially, all significant processing has to be done by the server. Take a over-simplified example: Most inventory control numbers (stock numbers) use a check digit scheme where they perform a simple calculation on the numeric values of the stock number to generate the final digit. This dramatically lowers the number of bad numbers entered into the system because if you miss-type a number, there is 90% (actually even higher than 90%) chance the check digit will flag it as an invalid number. This calculation can be performed in the client program. Bad numbers beep and prompt for a reentry. The server does not have recheck the numbers, so this (minor) load is distributed to all the client programs. In game clients, it would be easy to download player information to the client and do a lot of work on the local computer. But the client programs are then hacked and rigged so the users have special advantages. Data encryption can be done in the client, but you are trading one process for another since the data stream must be deencrypted (if that is a word?) back in the server. Having said that, I think I would design the client (not an issue for me since it is currently beyond my skills to do so) to handle as much processing as possible and encrypt the data flow. The advantages of doing so are just to great. In addition, I would follow the model of one of the new online startups. They have stated that any modification of their client software will be considered an attack on their server. This apparently puts the game hacker in the same class as someone hired to crash a coporate or government server. The offense is federal and the penalties are very severe....who knows it might work. (No, I don't know how you would handle a hacker in Burma...) >[...] > >-Greg > > >-- >MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future. > -- MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future. </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00537.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00539.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00680.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00545.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00538"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00538"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00539" HREF="msg00539.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, Holly Sommer <a href="mailto:hsommer#micro,ti.com">hsommer#micro,ti.com</a>, Wed 13 May 1998, 17:25 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00578" HREF="msg00578.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, s001gmu <a href="mailto:s001gmu#nova,wright.edu">s001gmu#nova,wright.edu</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 17:16 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00574" HREF="msg00574.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 13:33 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00680" HREF="msg00680.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, Vadim Tkachenko <a href="mailto:vt#freehold,crocodile.org">vt#freehold,crocodile.org</a>, Tue 19 May 1998, 01:40 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00538" HREF="msg00538.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, John Bertoglio <a href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</a>, Wed 13 May 1998, 17:22 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00545" HREF="msg00545.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, John Bertoglio <a href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</a>, Wed 13 May 1998, 18:50 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00687" HREF="msg00687.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, John Bertoglio <a href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</a>, Tue 19 May 1998, 04:46 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00732" HREF="msg00732.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Wed 20 May 1998, 18:37 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00757" HREF="msg00757.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Using HTML for a Mud character generator</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Thu 21 May 1998, 17:30 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>