Another method to download & read scripts and files

[12p]

What if all the resources need to be "compiled" in the Game Maker method?

Let me explain:

Game Maker uses 2 kinds of files for its anti-robbery system: GMK and EXE.

The GMK is like a compressed folder where you store all the files related to the game: sprites, backgrounds, sounds, scripts, classes, tilesets, rooms, etc

To open this GMK and see what's inside, you require the official Game Maker IDE. You open the file, it gets loaded, and then you can access everything from that.

The Game Maker IDE has a button to compile the GMK in an EXE. So, all the files are encrypted in a custom method, and can't be taken out until you run the application. In that moment, everything is stored in the memory and the client can play the game, but still cannot access the game files. In another words, it's a STAND-ALONE application.

So, what if I ask MTA Team to try something like that, but applied to every resource?

For example, what if to run a resource, it has to be compiled in a ".mta" file?

You could be able to compile your resource via a MTA-built-in-tool; you choose the files for your resource, and the tool does the other stuff.

Do you like the idea?

[TheGuyNL]

Good idea, would be nice against script stealing.

[Deltanic]

Strongly disagree. Compiled scripts are a nice way to protect your stuff indeed, and this could be used to make it harder to decompile. However, you can use obfuscators in your files too and since 1.3 also make clientscripts only exist in the memory using the protected="true" attribute for the meta.xml definitions. With this, you dont need anything else to protect your files. Makes the work for something like this a bit unneeded.

Also, if everyone needs to make their files a .mta file in order to run it as protected, its a bit too much of a hassle if you can make your files protected in meta.xml a lot easier.

So the idea is nice, but it's just not worth the effort.

[JR10]

Nice idea, I like it, but the protected attribute solves all the problems.

But check this issue: http://bugs.mtasa.com/view.php?id=6831

And in meta.xml wiki page, protected was removed from the page, so currently I guess it's bugged.

[Deltanic]

You can always use fileDelete at the bottom of your script if the protected parameter does not work.