Hiding pbo-content

[Softegg 0]

is there a way to "binarize" a mission-pbo so that the content cannot be "unpbo"-ed and reviewed?

background:

we play in a real-war-league and each map is unique. positions and equipment are essential sometimes and should be a secret for the enemy. but if a player disconnects he can unpbo the map on his local computer and check out everything.

[reedkiller 0]

cant be done

[bn880 5]

I know this may sound harsh, but there is no point in playing such challanges with people you can't trust with even a hobby.

Actually, encrypting PBO's would slow community mission and addon making process by quite a lot. I'm pretty much agaisnt it from a similar perspective as gun ownership. While you guys might not abuse it for your war-league, eventually many would.

[theavonlady 2]

is there a way to "binarize" a mission-pbo so that the content cannot be "unpbo"-ed and reviewed?

I haven't the slightest notion.

[Softegg 0]

@lady: lol

[Doolittle 0]

There is no way to make it so they can't be un-pboed. This comes directly from BIS and the author of depbo.

Unlike bn880, I think you should be allowed to chose if you want it hidden or not just because...well, it's yours!

Doolittle

[blackdog~ 0]

You could always use a hex editor and add the first so-many-bytes that the resistance o.pbo had

dunno if it would work though...

[Doolittle 0]

I thought o.pbo could be ripped open easily? Once the depbo author updated his code...

Doolittle

[Guest]

True...O.pbo is not a problem to open up.

[vektorboson 8]

There is no way to make it so they can't be un-pboed.  This comes directly from BIS and the author of depbo.

Unlike bn880, I think you should be allowed to chose if you want it hidden or not just because...well, it's yours!

Doolittle

What has to be read, can be read.

There is no sense in scrambling or whatever a PBO. OFP must be able to read it, therefore it can be read, therefore it is possible to descramble it.

Therefore it makes no sense!

PS:

Don't hardcode the positions and equipment in the scripts/mission.sqm but generate them from scripts.

[Doolittle 0]

That's a good point.  You can call a script from within a .pbo.  So on the server you could have all the locations of things in a little .sqs text file OUTSIDE of the pbo that noone sees.  The server would need to read that and place objects though.

bigpoppa, I wrote a mod for Quake3 called Freeze Tag...once you finished your code you compiled it into a .qvm file.  This file couldn't be openned up by the general populace but Quake3 could see it just fine.  Once I was all done with my mod I released my source code.  But I enjoyed being able to decide when people could look at the source, if they even cared to.

Doolittle

[bn880 5]

I would say if hiding content like that was possible, anyone using that for some new work would have to be blocked from joining this community. Because if you can't share your work with others, then you shouldn't be looking at the others code either. Learn from compiled code yourself.

I'm just putting this as nicely as I can, but I think everyone catches what I'm saying. But there is a way to protect your work in OFP, don't release it!

[Chris Death 0]

Quote[/b] ]You can call a script from within a .pbo. So on the server you could have all the locations of things in a little .sqs text file OUTSIDE of the pbo that noone sees. The server would need to read that and place objects though.

I second that method

For server side stuff, you can always use an external script

(outside of the pbo).

Just place the script into mpmissions on the server, and then

exec it by: blabla exec "\..\scriptname.sqs"

This would also ensure, that the mission can only be used,

where the script exists on serverside.

:note - this script wouldn't be sent to the clients by downloading the map.

The good thing here also is: you can change contents of the

script without having to update the map.

Also you can use this script in more than only one mission.

You can even update the script, while the mission is running

on the server.

~S~ CD

[bn880 5]

That's an excellent idea for solving that problem without hiding PBO content. It will take some tinkering around with it with some local Server commands and "../../missionScripts/script1.sqs" type of path attempts but it should work, in theory. Some of the ideas the community members get are pretty ingenous, eh.

[Guest]

bigpoppa, I wrote a mod for Quake3 called Freeze Tag...

Doolittle

Really? Cool...that's one of the best mods for Q3

[Doolittle 0]

I'm sorry but that sounds like the typical open-sourcer: banning people from something unless they release their goods just because you released yours.  I suppose if the girl in the barn showed me her's, she might be a bit upset if I did nothing & walked away.  I'm all for being able to wear clothes when you want & not have to show everything or having people look whenever they wanted.

Hmmm, I think I'll regret this post if I ever re-read it.

Doolittle

[OmniMax 0]

Hmmm, I think I'll regret this post if I ever re-read it.

Doolittle

Interesting analogy, Doolittle!

   

edit: Oh yeah, to stay on topic, I'll add my 2 cents.

It's not worth encrypting anyway. I'm all for open source. Why burn bridges? If people are going to cheat and depbo it, they can't learn much, can they? Besides, you should even be playing with cheating lusers anyway.

In other words, Don't be a Bill Gates, keep stuff open source for other developers.

[Guest]

I suppose if the girl in the barn showed me her's, she might be a bit upset if I did nothing & walked away.  I'm all for being able to wear clothes when you want & not have to show everything or having people look whenever they wanted.

Quote[/b] ]No more drugs for that guy!

[bn880 5]

I'm sorry but that sounds like the typical open-sourcer: banning people from something unless they release their goods just because you released yours. I suppose if the girl in the barn showed me her's, she might be a bit upset if I did nothing & walked away. I'm all for being able to wear clothes when you want & not have to show everything or having people look whenever they wanted.

Hmmm, I think I'll regret this post if I ever re-read it.

Doolittle

lol great analogy

Except I'm not a typical anything. And I even find Linux to be in 99.9% of cases a waste of teenagers time which lacks proper standards. (that's like flamebaiting I know, but just so you know I'm not an open-sourcer h@x0r or whatever it is)

However this is OFP, you can't make money on these things anyway, you learn through looking at other peoples work and research. I'm pretty disappointed with you Doolittle, you should be able to realize your position is totally wrong and leads to frustration on everyones part. It will be a sad day when PBO content can be at all protected from studying because so many people will jump on the band wagon and be selfish. I mean who looks at PBO content anyway? People who are trying to add to the community. There is seldom a case here of people ripping each other off on purpose.

[BraTTy 0]

I totally agree with BN also.I share my work as I have learned most from others myself and anything to help addons is a plus.

But I have an idea...I understand what you are saying I think this:

I know its possible for the server to have a different pbo than the clients,if the scripts are running only server side,its possible to make 2 pbos,one for the clients and one for the server.Put the important hidden stuff within the server scripts.

Depending on what you are doing,it may be tricky

[Doolittle 0]

Hmmm, I was thinking about this again last night & I remembered Communism.  Good idea, but in reality...

First, I think coding is work.  I could work for days to get something working...and then I just go release it?  Wait, maybe you are right.....!!!  I forgot we don't do this for money & noone pays us to code.  We are working together to have fun & enjoy the game.  I was thinking in my head of ALL software being open source...like programs you write at a company.

Anyways, there are tons of people openly submitting stuff to ofpec of their own free will, so even if pbo's couldn't be openned....I guess we would all have been really slowed down.  Ok, you're right bn880. I'll release my joininprogress.sqs script.

Doolittle

[crashdome 3]

regarding the position of weapons:

I am a full advocate for randomness. If you really want to keep people from knowing the location of things, never keep it in the same spot. Also, if you play it a few times, you probably end up knowing where everything is and have an unfair advatage anyway. No different then opening it up and reviewing it. The script idea is first rate, but requires managment and the people managing (if they play) have an advantage.

Don't lose sight of your real goal: if your ultimate goal is to keep things fair. Randomize the positions. (or use the script as an Honest and Fair operator)

[Softegg 0]

@CrashDome:

a new map has to be created for each war, because the positions and amount of weapons/vehicles depend on all former wars.

right now, the best idea for our problem would be the one from Doolittle (calling a external .sqs). thx 4 this.  

[vektorboson 8]

Hmmm, I was thinking about this again last night & I remembered Communism.  Good idea, but in reality...

This has nothing to do do with communism, or would you call research communism?

It is still your intellectual property, but others can take your work and improve it, or take out what they need, and make something new original.

And the fact that we are not getting paid for making scripts and addons, should make us release our work, so others can profit from it (learning a.s.o.)

And giving credits to the original author is a must, but restricting anyone from taking their work and modifying (improving) it, is some type of crazy.

Look at the license the air wolf mod included... really crazy. Why would an addon need a licence anyway.

And remember that most of the greatest addon makers started as retexturers of original BIS models. Without crediting them.

Okay, I got to far Offtopic and you agreed anyway on the "Open Source" movement in OFP

But some people give me the heebie-jeebies with all that it's mine, and noone should copy it!

[Chris Death 0]

Quote[/b] ]a new map has to be created for each war, because the positions and amount of weapons/vehicles depend on all former wars.

right now, the best idea for our problem would be the one from Doolittle (calling a external .sqs). thx 4 this.

Softegg - as i already mentioned, you can edit the

external script, without having to update the mission itself.

So if you're using the external script on the server to setup

positions etc., you would not have to create a new map

everytime.

Only thing you need to take care is:

the script runs only on serverside

so you might have to use OFP's local/serverside techniques

to update everything right for the clients.

e.g: a marker setpos (serverside) would not affect a marker

on clientside (to the clients the marker would still remain

on the same place as before the setpos on serverside).

Therefore you would have to transfer coordinates by

PublicVariable, and make a global setpos for the markers.

Best you would have running the serverside script in combination with clientside scripts, waiting for the serverside

script to setup the battlefield.

If you need more info on this: this is the right thread,

or you can send me a pm (i would prefer this thread as

others would also be able to see how )

~S~ CD