Originally posted by Gdemami

 

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Originally posted by Pyrostasis

And if you dont believe a Doc, with a PHD, testifying under oath, before congress... then thats cool man. Rock on with your bad self.

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Ever heard of fallacy of defective induction named appeal to authority?

You would not get far with IT security with such attitude.

Love my quote. ;)

A recap from MSNBC about this issue...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42919262/ns/technology_and_science-games/

Sony said its video game network was hacked into at the same time it was defending itself against a major denial-of-service attack by Anonymous. A denial-of-service attack makes a server or system unavailable by overwhelming its network with Internet traffic.

The attack that stole the personal data of millions of Sony customers was launched separately, right when the company was distracted protecting itself against the denial-of-service campaign, Sony said.

Originally posted by Rekindle

What servers? Their TV technical support department?  SOE is not presently listening on the internet as far as the public knows.  Are parts of PSN back up? I

Before the forum went down Smokejumper mentioned that they'll be getting new hardware (the long awaited new hardware to update the remaining servers).

There's a silver lining anywhere. It's good that those hackers didn't know they actually helped EQ2 players in the long run. :)

Playing Rift in the meantime. Enough EQ2 former devs are there, so it feels more like "home" than WoW.

Originally posted by jpnz

If we go purely based on what Sony has told us, they knew of the vunerability but they left it open.

They might have a good reason why (IE, they were planning on patching it 2seconds before the hacking happened) but the fact remains, they knew about it but they did nothing about it (on their production systems) when the hacking occured.

One can spin this to the end of time but the facts* do not seem to be in Sony's favor.

*I am assuming what Sony has told us are facts

To catch thieves, and to study their actions, they must have data.

When this happened, you can be assured they were on the phones trying to get security specialists on this matter (this is Sony not some mom and pop that has to wait until the next day for help, if any). What we won't find out is what they were really doing during the breach and why, and for good reasons.

All I do know is game wise, EQ2 is going to get new hardware. Happy, happy. :)

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by UNATCOII

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by Gdemami

 

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Originally posted by Pyrostasis

They released a flow chart showing the attack and the webserver.
The attack came from the out dated software on the webserver.
Many folks in the security field had mentioned apache and samba being the issue.
Dude in front of congress states it was an out dated version of a webserver running apache and that they were aware of it months before hand.
But thats not enough to prove it... okie doke.

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Who is 'they'? Please provide links or just identify your source at least.

Yeah, because 'dude' states something in front of the congress hearing which is just a political charade, it must be true and implies whatever fits your boat, right?

They as in the CEO's of said company (sony) in their press release.

And if you dont believe a Doc, with a PHD, testifying under oath, before congress... then thats cool man. Rock on with your bad self.

The proof has been presented, its pretty undeniable. If you dont wish to look at the facts that I have linked and presented, thats your call.

And you're playing Rift and trying to give a lesson about webserver security?

Sadest thing about all this is the players who suffer for some renegades. No, we don't talk about the renegades and their clear illegal activities, just the publisher.

It's no wonder why the world can't distinguish right or wrong anymore, they can't even seem to understand the real enemy here.

How does rifts vulnerability in their security last month have anything to do with me and security?

I wasn't aware that I was reponsible for that.... does that happen to come with a paycheck?

 It's called: an observation.

Consumers are indeed responsible for their own security, too. It's called...responsibility.

Security 101.

Originally posted by Pyrostasis

Originally posted by Gdemami

 

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Originally posted by Pyrostasis

They released a flow chart showing the attack and the webserver.
The attack came from the out dated software on the webserver.
Many folks in the security field had mentioned apache and samba being the issue.
Dude in front of congress states it was an out dated version of a webserver running apache and that they were aware of it months before hand.
But thats not enough to prove it... okie doke.

---

 

Who is 'they'? Please provide links or just identify your source at least.

Yeah, because 'dude' states something in front of the congress hearing which is just a political charade, it must be true and implies whatever fits your boat, right?

They as in the CEO's of said company (sony) in their press release.

And if you dont believe a Doc, with a PHD, testifying under oath, before congress... then thats cool man. Rock on with your bad self.

The proof has been presented, its pretty undeniable. If you dont wish to look at the facts that I have linked and presented, thats your call.

And you're playing Rift and trying to give a lesson about webserver security?

Sadest thing about all this is the players who suffer for some renegades. No, we don't talk about the renegades and their clear illegal activities, just the publisher.

It's no wonder why the world can't distinguish right or wrong anymore, they can't even seem to understand the real enemy here.

I'm dying...d-y-i-n-g...for this game, as I'm burning out on MMOs and want so much to customize another RPG game.

MMOs have it's perks of constantly updated content, but players can't customize the game as fully as SP RPGs.

Play WoW longer than 3 months, you'd sure miss not looking like everything else in the game...and in godawful mixmatched gear.

Originally posted by Arquiteto

I can not wait for this. Not sure why anyone played COD anymore. 64 player maps will be insane can't wait. The only thing I am kind of questioning is them bringing Prone back. If they do they can not have the same easy sniper mechanics that BC2 has.

Hope they fixed the problems with 64man maps that BF2142 had, which forced them to revert to 32man titan maps.

Loved BF2142, probably the most fun I had in any game. If it's anything similiar I'd pick it up again (watch out DICE, I'd be coming back for more dogtags, too). :p

DDO, hands down.

If you like spreadsheets (the notorious AD&D type) this is the game for customization. For the most points to put in skills you'd have at least 2 levels in Rogue (best to start for 2 levels in that class to get the most points). And you can multiclass with upto 3 classes.

The dungeons are pretty good, they come in various sizes to match your online play time. And they have a hireling service for those needing to level at inconvienent  hours (like 4am in the morning...no need to wait for the weekend to play at normal hours).

As much as Cata has ruined healing so far in WoW, I got to say I still like playing a Holy paladin.

All the benefits of being a paladin (plate armor included), and having the largest heals in the game. Single target healers who heal the BIG damage.

Tested some yesterday, and self-buffed, critted for 45k heals (tanks have around 150k health in Cata). Not bad as I'm not even fully epic geared yet. Broke 25k HPS in a raid last month, too.

Serious healing with serious numbers is why I play a Holy paladin.

ADDED: Have a DDO healer setup as 12 Cleric/6 Paladin/2 Rogue. It's not a bad healer, and while dungeon crawling in a duo group, you can do some damage not just on undead. The Rogue multiclass is there for the points, to add more into other duo essential skills (like UMD and lockpicking). It's similiar to a Holy paladin build in WoW, too.

EQ2.

Not advertized. Playerbased revolted multiple times (SoE what do you expect?). Existing on the hardcore players that are left.

Most have heard of EQ, and often confuse EQ with EQ2, but they're totally different games. 

Originally posted by Maxila

 actually I think i'll try python if it's good enough for oblivion its good enough or us.   this game is going to be first person and we're trying to find a languge that will work with that.  At 11 yeas old it isn't easy making a game though its just me and whitellama.  We got some money to start it but our main goal is to avoid failing.

    Most people have absolutly great ideas for theese games but never make it happen and deveop the game.  I like to refer to that as EPIC FAILURE.  Which is really what we are trying to avoid and I think that were doing fine. thanks you for telling me about python because honestly I was looking for a different languge besides c++...

Starting out from scratch you'll need to avoid the pitfalls. The biggest one will be the graphics side (it's really painful to produce it, from the concept to it's application). Thus, learn Python and get a couple of books on how to make a MUD (which is very similiar to MMOs, just without the graphics). You'll become better all around by taking that route, as you'll concentrate on the bare bones, the skeleton if you will, of a game.

When I play the newer games, I spend more time looking at the set design than actually playing the game (like with FPS games, spending time on empty servers literally on my knees looking at joins, and how tricky joins were accomplished without bleeds; learning the various ways ambient lighting is applied, and how it creates a mood for a scene; to even the mundane, like how that plant was placed on a table, and how it gives a room a lived in feel or not). This is also how you can learn from the pros without meeting them (or going to college or workshops to learn the outrageously expensive software to learn how to create it), and will give you invaluable tips -- and some "ah..." moments.

Even in MUDs you will have to learn about set design -- with the goal that the environment is a living breathing ecosystem for the exterior; and livable places for the interiors. So in other words, your perception skills will be taxed. It's funny in a way, that in the zest to make the most realistic environment, you'll be experimenting with a ton of mundane things -- like taking hundreds of shots of concrete paving, to match the texture to the lighting (or to find one to use as an example when you create it by hand). When I was making sliding doors with the F.E.A.R. SDK (which has darn good editors), I went to the grocery store to not only look at the bronzed frames, but to copy the stickers on the doors -- and to notice the wear on them (and it's funny how folks look at you while doing it!). The eye can detect flaws on sight, and the goal -- eventually when you get into the graphics side -- is to fool them to believe the environment is real, though it's but pixels.

But I digress -- learn from the ground up, and don't take short cuts <-- you'll be frustrated to no end.

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Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

Alot of us don't have any friends and come into a new mmorpg to make friends and you try but everyone is end level so you can't start making friends to play with until you've gone through and solo'd the whole game while missing out on all the fun group content.

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Well, alot of us don't come online to make up for not having friends in RL, too. I try to stay away from the social aspects of the game, as frankly talking about drugs and alcohol with 15 years-olds and reformed hippies isn't only tacky, not even my interest. It's enough in life to have RL drama and obligations, last thing I want is to play a game that feels like my last job.

But, yes, there needs to be a way that lower level characters can participate in the game along with vets. A solution is a game of projects that is much like La Sagrada Familia (the famous cathedral that folks claim can never be finished). If MMOs have to have a grind to keep folks in the game for months and years, at least make the grind something that's tangible and a true group project. Like on launch, the site is shown as but a patch of land (with trees still standing and rocks and other obstacles all over), and groups or solo players are given the ultimate task of building XYZ. As time goes on, players will visually see the enterprise take shape -- be it the foundation of a house/building/ship, etc. When one project is finished, there is joy and celebrations for a few days, before the launch of the next one. Eventually, whole cities can be created in this fashion. And when a city is made, the players have jobs to fulfill to keep it running -- city guards (who'll also help to protect the city from invaders -- this fulfills the raiding and PvP aspects); the tradeskills; and other tasks.

This helps also to keep cities more than just empty ghost towns, as the time spent building them players will take more interest in maintaining them.

For soloers and those who come later, there will be more projects (dams/levees/outposts/hamlets/villages -- and maybe even another large city to construct).

The whole point is the game is built from the ground up for everyone to contribute, be it the fighter to the crafter; soloer or raider, as each needs somewhere to call home, and home needs a lot of people to upkeep it. Everyone will now have a role, regardless of group affinity, gear, levels and titles.

Thanks for the tip on his age, explains things -- And Whitellama, learn Python. It's not a "dumbed down" language and even AAA games today still use it along with C++ (Oblivion used it; as well as BF2142, as sometimes it's better than C++. In programming you use the best language for the job, which means you'll be learning many languages, for specific tasks). No better time to learn it as it's getting a revamp.

But as for webpages being art, that kind of died when Flash came along. ;)

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Originally posted by Whitellama

The reason I am spending most of my computer time on the forums is because I cannot work on the game right now. I can't study up on C++ until I make a trip to the library but I don't know about you, but where I live it has been snowing for the last 9 days!

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How old are you, seriously?

You don't goto the library to "learn" C++. C++ takes on average 20 years to master, and not something you learn from reading books, but actual practice -- and learning most while on the job.

You also don't just jump into C++, but start it after learning other languages to get the gist of OOP programming and schemetics (which is why Python is widely recommended to learn first, as it's a language that's easier to read).

For gaming, you also will have to learn higher maths (especially if you want to specialize in the graphics area -- particularly linear algebra -- as working with vectors is a mind numbing experience, even if your favorite past time is logic puzzles).

You need to know the realities so you won't get burned out from the start. If you want to learn how to make a MMO, the best way is to learn how to design a MUD, as it eliminated the need to get bogged down with graphics production -- and will teach you the value of game play and mechanics (let alone server/client optimizations). Plus, you can do it while working with Python.

From there, with some years of programming experience and learning the meat and potatoes, can graduate to making a MMO.

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Originally posted by Whitellama
          I understand what you mean the fact that it is only me and my brother but this isn't anything important. When I stated 'Also later I am looking into learning to create a website so I can post about this there but I need a name first' I basically meant I need to ask my friend (Eric) about it and just pay for the registeration fee. Of course anyone can have a bad website but I am not going to make one until I actuall need one. Also since I am a 11 year old I don't care how many people I have to have. It's not like I desperately am trying to make money off this. I am learning how Maya, and C++ scripting works as I go and I have a long time to work on it. I just want to get a good understanding and have a head start when I actually need to make something. And yes my career will be designing MMORPGs with my buddies. And if you don't mind I don't want to hear anything else on how I'm going to fail. (Even though  I probably will).

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You need to hear it, as anyone else very young and thinking this is but a mod project with friends.

Unless your buddies are programming professionals (to ensure quality control and work flow), and the graphic lead at least holds a BFA specializing in illustration and 3D animation (who will be your most expensive employee, more so than a lead programmer), this is a pipe dream. Unlike even modding, a MMO requires script writers for quests and dialogue; a barn full of graphic artists and animators (plus the time to fill out a whole new world with concept art -- a very tedious and long thing to do, even for the pros); and programmers divided into divisions who are paid and not working in the open source manner -- as the project would take to 2050 to finish.

And let's not even go on about licensing requirements and their upfront costs for your team -- and acquiring the funds.

If it only could be done so easily, there would be hundreds of thousands of MMOs online right now, and done by teams of modders who are fans of a franchise or idea.

It still levels out. Each platform requires upgrading.

I'd rather upgrade something that has more use to it than playing games.

To cure this problem is do away with levels and gear farming completely.

Let players do more than trying to race to the top, get bored and search for another game (which bleeds MMOs, as they race to their next game to wash, rinse and repeat again).

Levels itself and the gear isn't what is important, it's the ability to achieve something everyday and feel good about it. From what I'm seeing not many happy people are playing these MMOs, partly because like drugs the initial high can't be repeated; and because anything social brings along the social baggage (e.g., dramas; s/he said, s/he said; the juvenile behaviors -- stuff most people will skirt from, as it's even cleaner to watch it on TV).

Originally posted by Consensus

depends. if its a pay to play game with any form of RMT its a straight up ripp off.

if its a free to play game with RMT for fluff. thats awesome with me, since I can play a game for FREE since I don't care about that stuff. if you care alot about fluff then don't blame me, blame the developer and don't play the game.

if its RMT for stuff that makes you win like pvp or raid gear and not for fluff, then I won't play the game. simple as. but you fluff fans can enjoy this game for free! so do so.

 

That's the crux. It never just stops at fluff.

Went to a competitor's site of a F2P game I played that was promoted as an P2P alternative. It's now F2P, with an item mall game performance enhances as the other game.

At this rate, MMOs will be the new gambling game, and with all of the social flak due to it. And judging by the reactions of some if you question RMT it's like denying a junkie his next fix, more than a mere social dysfunction.

Originally posted by rturja

Get Oblivion/Fallout 3, install xfire for ingame chatting and the godmode addon of your preference. That's MMO enough for you, and it keeps our MMORPG's clean. "Srsly" :P

Naw, that still requires some work to do all that, and achieving a goal through w-o-r-k to accomplish.

Instant types who think RMT isn't anything they're concerned about, would prefer the government passing a law to do it for themselves. Next thing on the agenda, is to have mandated butt wipers, as they're too lazy to even clean up after themselves.

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Originally posted by Maverick123w

This is becoming less and less true.  Now that consoles are using powerful hardware and use aa/af and hdr etc etc.... not to mention play @ 1920x1080.  

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At the increasing costs of having what again?

A computer.

Which means...there's no shortcut to better game performance. Either fork it over on the latest and greatest console, or putting the money in parts to build the latest and greatest computer.

Instead of marketing a console for $99, with $10 games, you now have $500+ consoles with $60 games (which can't be modded like PC games, to extend their life -- which further enforces bad development of throw away games).

Keeps coming back full circle, as technology tends to get more complex, not simplier.