Eclipse origins, is it safe?

[cutlaska]

My question pretty much regards whether or not using Eclipse Origins or moded versions of it are safe.

I mean safe as in
-Is it easily hacked
-Is someone going to be able to rip into the game's source and files and run off with what they please
-And if the whole "people being turned off by playing eclipse games because its servers are slow and are a pain to connect to etc." problem has been addressed and fixed.

I would really enjoy being able to just have a pre-maid engine and work off of it for free but i have high expectations to make this game as good as a possibly can with what i have to work with.

And please try not to be bias when answering this. Am i better off using eclipse or shelling out money to have a custom engine made for my game, and if so where do i start looking to have that done?

[XPiXel]

OK… Let's start answering questions! (Tell me if I'm wrong)

1.The only cheats and hacks I know you can do is some speed hacks, which is easily fixed up with your /ban command.

2.Unless you don't include the SRC folder and the .vbp/.vbw or anything not required to run the game, you cannot rip.

3.I can't understand you.

@cutlaska:

> I would really enjoy being able to just have a pre-maid engine and work off of it for free but i have high expectations to make this game as good as a possibly can with what i have to work with.
>
> And please try not to be bias when answering this. Am i better off using eclipse or shelling out money to have a custom engine made for my game, and if so where do i start looking to have that done?

Naw. I don't think anyone will give you an engine that is not for public usage.
That's gonna be giving the coder wads of cash.(Unless he works for free,which is unusual.)

[Repercussionist]

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.  Boo. Well anyways.

Is it easily hacked? - Well, it depends on how much editing you do and what kind of checks you have between the server and client. Custom clients can easily be completely eliminated. As far as use of an external program, I can't really say since I'm not familiar with using programs to cheat, but I imagine that if you know what to prevent it is probably possible to prevent it.

Can they get your source? - Not unless you give it to them. Since you run a compiled executable and not source code, all you need to ship your players is the .exe and the data files that are loaded into the client (gfx, sounds, maps). Well, also the library files, but that doesn't really play any role in what I'm addressing.

This last one - That's probably due to people hosting things improperly. I've never had to wait longer for an EO game than I have had to wait for any other MMO.

It really just boils down to how much you're willing to put into it. Since it's open source and you can edit the game's mechanics rather than run around and only play with editors, possibilities are limitless. Even if you forked out money for an engine, you'd have to deal with the same things you listed above.

[cutlaska]

Thank you for the replies.

So from what i understand you guys are saying its vulnerability is in my hands in terms of whether or not i moderate closely enough etc.

And what i meant with the 3rd question is how hard it is to get people online like porting and all of that stuff. Also will they have to download more than one thing or is it possible to jam the library files and client into one process of installation?

Also one last question, will the person playing just have to open the client or will he/she have to run additional programs to play?

[Repercussionist]

It's not difficult if you have some basic computer skills. As far as the library files, I've seen them handled separately as an "Install this first" type of deal and I've played games where everything was packaged into an installer using another program. It really doesn't matter how you do this as long as they install the library files before they play. Once they have them installed, they just need to run the .exe.

One thing you will probably want to check out, though, is the auto-updater.
http://www.touchofdeathforums.com/smf/index.php/topic,69267.0.html

[cutlaska]

that looks handy

thanks man

[azure]

Just tossing this in here, a simple updater/installer shouldn't be very hard for a programmer to make if they've got some degree of experience. ;)

[Ansel]

In my experience all that connecting to someones game might require is downloading the runtime download found on this forum. Usually people that play 2D games on the reg usually have em already, but should errors occur you can direct them to the RT download.

[Robin]

@cutlaska:

> -Is it easily hacked

No.

@cutlaska:

> -Is someone going to be able to rip into the game's source and files and run off with what they please

No.

@cutlaska:

> -And if the whole "people being turned off by playing eclipse games because its servers are slow and are a pain to connect to etc." problem has been addressed and fixed.

It was never present. Server speed is based entirely on the bandwidth of the internet connection your host has.

@cutlaska:

> I would really enjoy being able to just have a pre-maid engine and work off of it for free but i have high expectations to make this game as good as a possibly can with what i have to work with.

Then you need to be willing to put the work in to it.

@cutlaska:

> And please try not to be bias when answering this. Am i better off using eclipse or shelling out money to have a custom engine made for my game, and if so where do i start looking to have that done?

Depends entirely on who you'd be getting to program the engine for you. Origins is as good as you're going to get simply because no one else bothers to finish their projects. We've had literally 1,000s of people claiming to be programming their own engines.

That's one of the big problems around here. A few kids edit my source code and add a couple of systems… next thing you know they're claiming they know enough to make something from scratch which out-does Origins.

Never happens. In 7 years I've never seen anyone create and finish an engine which is actually good and lasts. Hell, that's the reason I made Origins.

You seem to have posted two extremes - Either use Origins or pay someone to do something from scratch. Paying someone to work on Origins for you seems like the clever thing to do. Look at what I did with a default copy of EOv2.

**[http://www.crystalshire.com/](http://www.crystalshire.com/)**

It's very possible to do great things with the engine if you're willing to push yourself.

[FinalFlame]

Well, I know that Origins is a lot safer than the older versions of Eclipse.