Thrive Content Library

I have to admit, I'm not seeing why we have to follow them so much either.. but yeah I would go with our own files. We could encrypt xml or something to store data.

That defeats the entire purpose of having xml.

..I didn't think about that..

I was really thinking about how easy it is to read lots of data from xml... and how easy it is for people to modify it.. wow.. nevermind!

I was just thinking it would be easier to distribute files through an image format. But if you really think it's not worth doing.

roadkillguy wrote:

..I didn't think about that..

I was really thinking about how easy it is to read lots of data from xml... and how easy it is for people to modify it.. wow.. nevermind!

You don't want video game persistence to be human-readable.

Think about it:

end-users wrote:

O HAI IM GONNA GIVE MY CREATURE 1000000000 STRENGTHS OLOLOL

Bashinerox wrote:

roadkillguy wrote:

..I didn't think about that..

I was really thinking about how easy it is to read lots of data from xml... and how easy it is for people to modify it.. wow.. nevermind!

You don't want video game persistence to be human-readable.

Think about it:

end-users wrote:

O HAI IM GONNA GIVE MY CREATURE 1000000000 STRENGTHS OLOLOL

That's geting in the next Devblog.

No no no I realize that so that's why I suggested encryption. I've played games like oolite where the save file was simple xml, and completely hackable. I just figured when save data gets very complex it would be simple to decrypt and read the file through the game.

I now realize we should use something like object serialization to do this.

Whats so wrong with being able to hack a save? I mean to benefit you and add godly powers i see but doing a full encryption cycle and making it impossible only to experts of hacking would make it pretty hard to save, wouldnt it make it so you would need to wait like 8 minutes of it encrypted?

maker.of.light wrote:

Whats so wrong with being able to hack a save? I mean to benefit you and add godly powers i see but doing a full encryption cycle and making it impossible only to experts of hacking would make it pretty hard to save, wouldnt it make it so you would need to wait like 8 minutes of it encrypted?

Well, problem is that you could kill the realism in the game. We should definately make it complicated enough for a decent coder to be able to crack it, being an open-source thing and the fact we want the game to be moddable, but complicated enough for some average Joe to have to play fair.

InvaderZim wrote:

maker.of.light wrote:

Whats so wrong with being able to hack a save? I mean to benefit you and add godly powers I see but doing a full encryption cycle and making it impossible only to experts of hacking would make it pretty hard to save, wouldnt it make it so you would need to wait like 8 minutes of it encrypted?

Well, problem is that you could kill the realism in the game. We should definately make it complicated enough for a decent coder to be able to crack it, being an open-source thing and the fact we want the game to be moddable, but complicated enough for some average Joe to have to play fair.

Well there probably will be trainers out on cheat happens so you dont have to do the save cracking, or maybe downloadable saves that got cracked by unaverage Bob, nothing we cant do about that but it shouldn' be too hard to do some anti crack encrypting.

maker.of.light wrote:

InvaderZim wrote:

maker.of.light wrote:

Whats so wrong with being able to hack a save? I mean to benefit you and add godly powers I see but doing a full encryption cycle and making it impossible only to experts of hacking would make it pretty hard to save, wouldnt it make it so you would need to wait like 8 minutes of it encrypted?

Well, problem is that you could kill the realism in the game. We should definately make it complicated enough for a decent coder to be able to crack it, being an open-source thing and the fact we want the game to be moddable, but complicated enough for some average Joe to have to play fair.

Well there probably will be trainers out on cheat happens so you dont have to do the save cracking, or maybe downloadable saves that got cracked by unaverage Bob, nothing we cant do about that but it shouldn' be too hard to do some anti crack encrypting.

Yeah, you have a point there. I mean, this IS modding, but not favorable modding...

Maybe we should make it 100% moddable. It would make the game sort of like an honor system.. of course then we wouldn't have high scores.. But it would be kinda cool.

roadkillguy wrote:

Maybe we should make it 100% moddable. It would make the game sort of like an honor system.. of course then we wouldn't have high scores.. But it would be kinda cool.

I'm writing a plugin manager as we speak

roadkillguy wrote:

No no no I realize that so that's why I suggested encryption. I've played games like oolite where the save file was simple xml, and completely hackable. I just figured when save data gets very complex it would be simple to decrypt and read the file through the game.

I now realize we should use something like object serialization to do this.

Not really. Reading a serialised object list is O(n).
reading an ascii encoded xml file is O(n*s)
where n is the size of the file
and s is the time it takes to decode ascii and parse xml tags.

and s is significantly larger than n.

I guess it's my turn to wear the dunce cap then eh?

I'd have to go with the TCL. It just has this nice ring to it; Very "neat and clean" sounding.

Chameleonsushi580 wrote:

I'd have to go the the TCL. It just has this nice ring to it; Very "neat and clean" sounding.

You just reminded me that we pretty much hijacked the thread :/

the name of TCL and/or Thrive Content Library has my vote

I think the best thing about Spore was content sharing, So I think this is quite important for Thirve

As for a name... Hmmmm
How about (Yeah there not that good, but could inspire a better name)

Thrifolio (Thrive folio, Thrive Portfolio)
Thrive Omnibus
Thrive Repository
Thrithology
Thriology?
Thrivology...?

Yeah none of them really ring

I think that creations as an image are very helpful as you can see what the creation is before you D/l and people wouldnt have to post screenshots if they want people to check out their work

Bashinerox wrote:

Chameleonsushi580 wrote:

I'd have to go the the TCL. It just has this nice ring to it; Very "neat and clean" sounding.

You just reminded me that we pretty much hijacked the thread :/

the name of TCL and/or Thrive Content Library has my vote

As it has my vote as well, good sir.

Pezzalis wrote:

I think the best thing about Spore was content sharing

I agreed, until the first species I found around the corner was... rather inappropriate. I think all species shared should be authorized before being automatically downloaded or shared on the official website.

roadkillguy wrote:

Pezzalis wrote:

I think the best thing about Spore was content sharing

I agreed, until the first species I found around the corner was... rather inappropriate. I think all species shared should be authorized before being automatically downloaded or shared on the official website.

Well we'll obviously have moderators controlling the Sharing Forums. This can be dealt with by them.

My vote goes in for Thrive Omnibus, but Thrive Content Library is fine.

Ima start a new thread on mandatory sharing ideas.

What about: "the great chest of thrive"?
or "thriving content for thrive"?

I think TCL is winning here.

~sciocont wrote:

I think TCL is winning here.

I probably already said it, but I am totally for Thrive Content Library. It fits the "feel" of the game much better.