DayZ will be unable to prevent hacking. Please allow private servers.

[DannyGB 16]

Standalone won't help. Bans won't help. BattleEye isn't enough.

As long as DayZ prevents passworded servers, AND simultaneously supports a community-run server model, I don't believe hacking for the Arma 2 engine can be prevented. This has nothing to do with being an alpha-state mod.

There's a reason that all the other big multiplayer games in the world have one of two models:

1. They control all servers, logging everything, and have resources to combat the problem.

2. They allow private servers where admins can use reputations to grant access.

I've been masskilled 3 times in the game. It's easy to forgive bugs and exploits in an alpha. I am an accomplished software developer; I get it. But it's very hard to stick with something when you see a broken model -- not broken code, not exploits waiting to be patched, but a model which simply will not allow the problem to be controlled.

I love everything you guys are doing. I know you want to monetize this baby in the best way possible. But increased popularity is only going to lead to increased hacking, especially when players can take their hacked gear with them, anywhere they go. You aren't enabling the community to manage this problem, and you need to. It will scale quickly with the player base, but the solution needs to similarly scale. Hacking breeds more hacking, as frustrated players find how easy it is on the scripting forums. It also breeds people violating your terms by producing their own standlone versions. These things will prevent you from being able to fully monetize, because they won't need your server.

There's an easy solution. Allow private servers where admins can control access based on their own community criteria. Make them pay for it, if that helps. Whatever. We want what you want: A hugely challenging, engrossing game experience. We want bandits. We want danger. You have succeeded on this front. We love you.

Edited July 21, 2012 by DannyGB

[Lin (DayZ) 22]

You can host a private server that is off the hive network. you can't take your stuff with you, but if your community only plays on one server, what is the issue?

A little off topic, I think Private servers, were people keep coming back, will build up a better community. You will get to know each player on the server and how they act/play (they KoS? Friendly?) and form relationships and it would provide a more intiment feeling with the server, and your surroundings.

[Quagmire (DayZ) 119]

Oh... it's this topic again.

How about no.

Edited July 21, 2012 by Quagmire

[sixbarns 217]

It's hard to spot a hacker in the logs. Hackers can still infiltrate your private servers. If everyone locked their servers then only a few people will get to play.