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+---- Thread: Limiting Player Login Names per Player (/showthread.php?tid=1829)
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Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Balanor - 09-12-2013
Since we have lost the Master Server for NWN, and Gamespy as well, the player login name each of us uses to login to the server really has only the purpose of identifying you to other players on the server. There is now no security tied to it since the password you type in in the Neverwinter Nights UI when you connect to a Multiplayer game or Direct Connect is checked against nothing at all.
Logging in with a different player name typically only serves to simply provide anonymity, and is now super-easy to do as you can use *any* name you like (since there is not master database anymore to compare them to). Throughout the years I have been administering NWN servers, logging in with multiple different player names has often been a tactic used by griefers or players with less than noble intentions.
So I am proposing tying player names to a CD Key and limiting the number of player names that one CD Key (installation) of NWN can use to login to the server to a two player name limit per player. I believe that limiting the number of player names that can be tied to your CD Key *is* a good practice not only from a security standpoint, but also to ensure that when someone might blow up, act like a jerk, or do something they might otherwise regret, they cannot slip back into the anonymity of the Internet by simply changing their login name and coming on again with a ‘fresh slate’. That is, until they do something to mess that up again, possibly causing the same or similar problems for other players who do not rely on anonymity, and then do it all over again.
By tying player login names to CD Keys, I think this will help with accountability among players and help encourage people to be perhaps a little more civil and less...erratic...since they cannot simply go rogue and then come back again under a different pseudonym. I’ve long tracked what player names are tied to CD Keys, but unless a player has caused problems that have been reported to the staff, I’ve not shared that information. But I can say that we have had several players with upwards of 20 different login names throughout the years that Thay has been running. And sometimes I don’t even realize it until I look in my database and see that.
However, I am interested in hearing your opinion on this, and if you have any questions or concerns on how this would work. The biggest impact would be against players who already have 3 or more player names and they are actively using them (which I don’t *think* we have any active players doing that at the moment), AND it will impact people who have a wife/husband/son/daughter/roommate/uncle/dog/cat that plays in Thay on the same computer. As a result, for example, a 2 player login limit per CD Key would only allow you and your dog to play, which could leave your cat and all others heartbroken.
Please using the voting options at the top to weigh in, and post below with your thoughts. As always, I ask the conversation be kept civil and as positive as you can (even if you do not favorably view this idea). At least here on the forums we are mostly non-anonymous. ;)
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - TheShadowEntity - 09-19-2013
I realize i am pretty new here but speaking from experience on another server i do think that a limit is generaly a bad idea UNLESS it can be dynamically changed. here are my reasons.
Player 1: Good Player
Account 1:
Ugly Elf ( This is just a backup but not very fun to play, GoodPlayer really prefers hes other PC)
Clean Goblin ( This pc was a lot of fun to play but became bugged do
to an unfortunate bathing accident [add unfixable bug here])
Account 2:
Clean Goblin's Remake (this became bugged as well but can not be fixed to to game mecanics)
This scenario leaves the player unable to ever make a sub-race again. If they are into sub-races they may even quit the server. If limits are set they need to be dynamic so that accounts can be added or removed as needed.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - TheSupremeForce - 09-19-2013
I'm not following. You're only allowed one subrace PC at a time per CD Key anyway regardless of how many login names you possess. In theory (I've never actually done it), you'd have to delete the bugged Goblin. At that point, you should be free to create a new subrace PC anyway.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Animayhem - 09-19-2013
(09-19-2013, 10:02 AM)TheShadowEntity Wrote: I realize i am pretty new here but speaking from experience on another server i do think that a limit is generaly a bad idea UNLESS it can be dynamically changed. here are my reasons.
Player 1: Good Player
Account 1:
Ugly Elf ( This is just a backup but not very fun to play, GoodPlayer really prefers hes other PC)
Clean Goblin ( This pc was a lot of fun to play but became bugged do
to an unfortunate bathing accident [add unfixable bug here])
Account 2:
Clean Goblin's Remake (this became bugged as well but can not be fixed to to game mecanics)
This scenario leaves the player unable to ever make a sub-race again. If they are into sub-races they may even quit the server. If limits are set they need to be dynamic so that accounts can be added or removed as needed.
This is not to limit how many characters you can have but how many logins on one cd key. That was addressed on another thread. This is just to limit login. So maybe husband, wife and child play on one key if this passes then only two of the three can play on the same key.
It is my understanding that when you permanently delete a character you can recreate it, including if it has a subrace.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - DarkRanger - 09-19-2013
Yes in that example you could delete the bugged PC and make something similar which could actually start at half the original's levels.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Balanor - 10-05-2013
Thanks everyone for the votes and addressing the comments. Because of the overwhelming support to start limiting the number of player accounts that can be associated to a CD key, I have gone ahead and made this change to enforce a limit of 2 login names per CD Key. This change will take effect with the next server reset.
There is nothing anyone needs to do but simply login with their normal player login name(s), and the first two will be automatically associated to your CD Key. However, if you have more than two player account names (again - which I do not think we have any long-term active players that do), you'll need to make a decision as to what two player names you want to keep and login under them first. If you encounter any problems with this new policy, send me a PM or post a bug report if you feel it's a bug.
Edit: Depending on how often I see or hear of truly legitimate people unable to play because of this (such as roommates or families using the same computer), I an definitely open to raising the limit to 3 accounts per CD Key in the future. But first, I want to get an idea of how many people this actually affects and whether or not they are truly trying to login or simply trying to go anonymous again.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Gatalis - 10-05-2013
Will this affect us if due to bugs we have to re-enter our name caps-sensitive multiple times?
For instance, I have to sign in as Kakashi on crack, log out, and re-sign in as kakashi on crack, because if I just enter kakashi on crack the first time it doesn't recognize it as "case sensitive."
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Balanor - 10-05-2013
Good question, and it is one I considered when setting this up. To avoid any problems/mistakes with a player name that you've already logged in with once before, I setup this new check for the 2 player name per CD Key limit after every other security/login check - including the check to see whether or not you have logged in with a different case sensitive name than used originally. So that means it will not check, nor record/associate, an incorrectly spelled player name to your CD Key because everything stops if the case sensitive login being used is not correct.
In other words the short answer is: No, it will not.
P.S. - For those wondering why you need to login to worry about logging in with the same case sensitive name every time, please see the second post down in the Security Announcements thread.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - TrioThePunch - 10-05-2013
I can't get on the server anymore because of my CD Key. I'm not sure what to do.
RE: Limiting Player Login Names per Player - Balanor - 10-05-2013
This hasn't gone into affect yet, so it's not the player name limit causing your problem. You tried logging in using one of the shared/public/pirated CD Keys for NWN. Did you purchase your game from Good Old Games (www.gog.com)? If so, you can request a valid CD key from them by going to their site. The message you received when logging in give you the URL as well:
Quote:You are using a shared Neverwinter Nights CD Key. Because anyone can spoof your account with this CD Key, the Thay PW requires you to login again using a unique CD Key to keep your account secure. If you do not have one, you can go to the following site and request one:\nwww.gog.com/support/contact