Is possible to hack the readfile.dll?
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=Alex= wrote:
Wont this disable useful tools like FLCompanion, FLStat, and DataStorm?Yes, if i’m guessed it right and files been encrypted, only a specially version of readfile.dll can load it.
But actually i still think tools like FLCompanion, FLStat etc is modding tools, even mainly use by player to get secret objects easily.
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Not all, I’m afraid.
I’m for this. Remember, Alex, that if you don’t want it, make sure your mod doesn’t have it. I know I’d use it; I hate DataStorm, FLCompanion etcetera.
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**Actually this is something I’ve been looking into recently. There is also another route which could be used and that is modify the bzip library. The source for it is available.
I’ve already completely nullified the use of all of those scanners last year, if you play my mod I don’t want you running around getting all of the uber equipment when you first start out. Many are dropped by the asteroid fields but without the file scanners you actually have to look for them. Almost all of them are along a tradelane (on purpose) so it’s not like I’m making it impossible to find the fields.**
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**I don’t use any available editing tools for making systems, markets, ship entries and most other things. I simply write programs to do it for me. The rest I edit manually. As far as seeing the data, I special tools for that and they are adjusted for any modifications I use.
One thing is, what you do is keep your copy unencrypted and release the encrypted version…**
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@Alex, you need to know, if Freelancer back to a blackbox(Cannot be scan by any tools), we will have chance to add more fun and masterly stuff in mod and wait player find them.
That’s more interesting than right now: player scan all things they want and make money/goto get it.
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=Alex= wrote:
Yeah, but when running some mods, it’s so damn near impossible to make any decent money even WITH these tools.I’m sorry but that sounds like whining. If it’s so damn near impossible, just don’t play the mods.
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a good mod developer does build his mod based on experiences of himself or other players. if he wants the money to be gotten easily, he can do so, without making the best route short and dangerless. if he wants to make a challenging mod, he can do so, too but he has to keep in mind, that every task ingame is passable without cheats or datastorm tools. the datastorming should not be the usual case. a mod developer should get back the possibility to make an interesting mod without thinking about datastormers. if you play a mod, that is difficult with datastorming, than it is this way, because the modders have to make their mods more and more difficult for the datastorming not to be too profitable. traditional freelancer, where everyone had to explore his trade route by himself is dying out this way. i am definately for a new encryption matrix.
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I personally can’t stand datastorm, FL Companion and all those other tools that let you see where everything is. It’s no different from cheating imo and are used by people too lazy to play a mod and find out things for themselves.
Those tools are oddly very useful for developing a mod but should be banned for use by players, or at least alter certain files in the final release so players can’t use them.
I’m all for encrypting files as already mentioned, so players can enjoy what the mod developer has put into a mod, and not use shortcuts to get best items as soon as possible. That’s just pure laziness
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Gisteron wrote:
you got it, Gibbon
is it true, actually, that most of the players can not even handle with files encrypted by bini?@Gisteron, Problem is, some tools include bini.exe to auto decode bini file.
Guys, let’s talk about How To Do, not just Whether We Will Do ok?
@LancerSolurus, BZIP? I cannot found the bzip but i got bzip2. and i downloaded the bzip2.dll and the source code. But i still cannot put my finger on it. I rename bzip2.dll to readfile.dll and replace the original file, then Freelancer will cannot load any file.
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Sorry, but I dont think you are on the right track here. There will always be ways to decrypt the game files simply because the game needs them unencrypted eventually.
Also, exploration isnt everyones favourite gameplay. Sure, in Multiplayer this can really cause issues, when your mod is not balanced in the right way. But thats mainly a flaw in the mod design then.Also Im kinda sceptical about any moves to encrypt mods. It kinda reminds me of the music/games industry with their failing copy-protection methods.
I think modding/coding resources are much better spent in developing new features or, to stay in the same corner, develop new anticheat features that dont involve encrypting files (preferably serverside, since this cannot be tricked).
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Still w0d, sometimes you want to reward people for exploring. I mean, you get rewarded for fighting, you get rewarded for trading, but if people can cheat to find any hidden goodies, how do you get rewarded for exploring? It’s unfair and it shuts off large swathes of what makes FL fun.
How would you create anticheat for not finding wrecks, ship selling locations or such things? File encryption is an obvious way of doing it and while no it won’t block all, it’ll block the VAST majority.
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I am on w0dkas side here, although i pretty well understand the modders and their main aim to prevent that their stuff is ripped off by scanners and helper tools.
But finally the game needs the files decrypted so all ways you would need to do to encrypt them you need ways to decrypt them too. If you realize it by an extra dll or whatever you need the file client side. And with that you offer possibilities for all those tool writers to use those libraries as well. Eventually to muche effort for something that would last a few month eventually a year. Imo.
I personally would trust more in the players whos intention is to play the game and not doing hours of work to scan the files. You will always have those kind of players but they are in the minority.
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i’m on FF’s side. i had clients who cried to be terrible cheaters and who would bring me on the edges of my skills ingame and most of them did not even know how to install a flmod file to their mods direction. of course, for the game to be playable you will need some dll that decrypts it but only a few of the very cheaters know, that there are possibilities to use the dll to decrypt files. another few of that few would know how even to manage that. as you say, the majority anyways wants simply to play, there should not be too much problems or changes on the server-client personal relation or policy. question is, if those few cheaters you would like to stop datastorming are reason enough to create a changed or even redone encryption matrix.
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Honestly, I can’t tell you how many players I’ve asked for a trade route, or some RP info (duh), and all I got was “you do have Companion/Datastorm, don’t you?”. Seriously, I’m sick of it. I remember when SWAT OP blocked those two (one of the best features of CF imo lol), I’d like to see the same blocking feature in other mods.
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I’ve already got ways to block them and you can be sure I’ll use them as much as I can.
