Login Server request
by Duncan Gray · in General Discussion · 09/24/2004 (2:49 pm) · 8 replies
I recently dusted off my copy of Half-Life, tried to play an on-line game only to discover I now needed Valve Steam before being able to play on-line. This utility lets you create a user name and password on their database and enter your CD key. You are then only allowed to play games which you have legally paid for, i.e. have a valid CD key for.
Why is this of interest to torque? I have been toying with the idea of getting the torque community more involved in games and rewarded for their efforts. This can be achieved by having members create and sell levels for the game/mod of their choice. Cost of levels can be $5 each etc. Popular missions/levels will make money for the level creators plus make that game more popular which will again sell more of that game and more levels. Everybody wins!!
For this to work, the system and game engine needs to check whether a player has paid for that level, hence the login requirement. Garagegames hopefully can provide the database/server which stores the players user-names, passwords and missions/levels they have paid for. Garagegames can take a percentage of the sales to cover the costs of hosting the database.
Why is this of interest to torque? I have been toying with the idea of getting the torque community more involved in games and rewarded for their efforts. This can be achieved by having members create and sell levels for the game/mod of their choice. Cost of levels can be $5 each etc. Popular missions/levels will make money for the level creators plus make that game more popular which will again sell more of that game and more levels. Everybody wins!!
For this to work, the system and game engine needs to check whether a player has paid for that level, hence the login requirement. Garagegames hopefully can provide the database/server which stores the players user-names, passwords and missions/levels they have paid for. Garagegames can take a percentage of the sales to cover the costs of hosting the database.
About the author
#2
09/24/2004 (3:34 pm)
I'm working on a login system for my current project, but ourdesign allows me to host the servers ourselves. Plus, I don't know if linking the activation key to the username is such a good idea, as that allows only 1 user, and as far as I know, GarageGames EULA allows family members pf the buyer to play the game too. I'd like to keep those things seperate.
#3
The concept won't suit all developers who might not want community members creating levels which don't fit the theme of the game, in the developers opinion that is. Therefore the concept should allow for the game developer to choose whether they allow "community levels" or conditional on approval etc.
There are many level creators and artists in the community who don't have the necessary skills/time whatever, to develop an entire game. Why not let them create and sell levels instead? Players can buy and plug-in the levels they want. If a host server contains levels they have not paid for, they get to spectate instead of play etc.
09/24/2004 (4:36 pm)
@Stefan, yes it's a suggestion. The current system does not encourage community members to participate in a game's creation because the development team is usually already established once a game goes beta.The concept won't suit all developers who might not want community members creating levels which don't fit the theme of the game, in the developers opinion that is. Therefore the concept should allow for the game developer to choose whether they allow "community levels" or conditional on approval etc.
There are many level creators and artists in the community who don't have the necessary skills/time whatever, to develop an entire game. Why not let them create and sell levels instead? Players can buy and plug-in the levels they want. If a host server contains levels they have not paid for, they get to spectate instead of play etc.
#4
As for family members playing for free, yes, the level's licence can be made to include, say, 5 people which you nominate. They will each have to login with their own user names though.
At this stage it's a suggestion to see how the community responds to the concept. Is there a demand?
09/24/2004 (4:37 pm)
@Thijs. The finer details will need to be agreed upon before such a concept can be built into the engine. Yes, paying for the game and paying for a level should absolutely be kept separate. Some developers may want to give their basic game away FREE with one or two levels and then sell additional levels plus invite community levels. That would be my preference anyway. The levels can also time-out, allowing you to "try before you buy". As for family members playing for free, yes, the level's licence can be made to include, say, 5 people which you nominate. They will each have to login with their own user names though.
At this stage it's a suggestion to see how the community responds to the concept. Is there a demand?
#5
I say that in hopes that it wouldn't happen because I'm a huge CS fan, but looking at it in the concept presented also brings up a lot of legal woes that huge corporations have been fighting (even if the smaller ones use them for their benefit).
09/24/2004 (9:58 pm)
If this were implemented with HL, then Counterstrike may not have ever existed...legitimately, if Valve had never intended HL to be CS. While it may be considered shortsighted in the "now-view" of CS, it could have been an ip choice for litigation back in the day.I say that in hopes that it wouldn't happen because I'm a huge CS fan, but looking at it in the concept presented also brings up a lot of legal woes that huge corporations have been fighting (even if the smaller ones use them for their benefit).
#6
09/25/2004 (1:02 pm)
@David, sorry dude, totally lost you on that
#7
09/25/2004 (1:13 pm)
I'll see what I can do about my design. Maybe i can make it generic enough to be used by other Torque coders...
#8
09/27/2004 (4:02 am)
I'm currently working on a design for the central server which i have called "Authentication and Player Persistence System" (APPS) for now. The whole licensing issue is not my primary concern, but would fit in nicely. I'm trying to keep the design generic enough so that functionality like the one described here (selling and licensing add-ons) can be easily added. 
Torque Owner Stefan Lundmark