quote:Original post by Taulin Just stick your pics and textures into a dll as resources. There are many DX helper functions that can load them from resources. It is real easy to make and use one. It does encapsulate all of your pics into one file, but that makes even more hard to hack.
Please don''t mislead others with bad advice. Hacking resources in executables or DLLs is a piece of cake with Resource Hacker. I guess that protection scheme of yours just went out the window!
"If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." - Albert Einstein
Geeze core, Take a chill pill. It was not bad advice. It sounded like the original poster was trying to get away from people easily browsing the game files and loading or modifying them. The casual browser will not go through the trouble of using a Resource Hacker, even if they knew one existed, which 99% of game users do not.
There are rippers out there for pretty much anything. Custom encryption is the best way to go, but de-crypting resources everytime you need to use them might get slow. No matter how good of a scheme you think you may have, if your game becomes even remotely popular, people WILL figure out the file format.
So, core, I guess everyone''s advice here was bad since most things are crackable. However, all of the suggestions here, including mine, will stop casual browsing.
Too bad you wasted our time trying to flame me and not even offering any advice.
I did offer advice: avoid using resources as secure storage. You may have taken the last sentence of my post as inflammatory, but I was only trying to make a point. I did no ranting and raving, it was just a simple post. Go pick a fight with someone else.
"If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." - Albert Einstein
If the existance of "Resource Hacker" is the reason you are dismissing using a resource dll, then all methods or trying to hide your files are invalid since there are equal tools out there to do the same thing. Model viewers, image rippers, as you probably know, they all exist. Also, like I just said, if your game becomes popular, they will exist in a short period of time, even if you make a custom format (again, except for the encryption idea).
I am sorry if I came across a bit too heavy. You just need to realize that your justification of not using one method, because a tool exists, is invalid.
I have to agree that a custom file format would eventually be cracked, and that complete security isn''t attainable. However, I personally think that the resource DLL approach is one of the worst solutions for secure storage. At least with a custom file format he (alfmga) would be one step ahead of the would-be crackers. With the DLL approach, his game''s asset security would be defeated before the game is even released. I see the Spyro: YOTD article as a good example.
"If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." - Albert Einstein
Well, I never suggested a resource dll was the best solution, but it is still better than others, and far from the worst.
Not everyone has the time, knowledge or resources to create their own file formats, so what would you suggest would be the best security for common file types?
