CD-keys and playing multipel nations on llamaserver

[Kadelake]

Is anyone familiar with how the piracy protection works? We've run into some problems in a llamaserver game:

We needed a sub for one of the powerful nations and one of the other players in the game offered to switch nations since he was about to be eliminated soon. However, when the game hosted he got this message:
"CD key violation
Your CD key has been used on multiple installations. Your orders have not been executed."

I suppose this was because he sent in 2h files for two nations that turn. Does anyone know if it will work alright from now on or have we managed to mess up the game permanently

[Zeldor]

It will work fine. It works fine if you play 2 nations too, if you obey some rules.

[Kadelake]

What are those rules?

[LDiCesare]

I think you must send turns with a single CD key from the same computer.

[lch]

Yes, controlling multiple nations with the same game installation and CD key is no problem, but having nations with the same CD key installed on different machines is.

[Gandalf Parker]

The way I understand it

When the game hosts, it checks all the CD keys to make sure they are good.
And then it checks the turned in turn files against each other (but skips the host key).

If it can see that two computers are using the same key, then it considers it a cheat.
No matter what good reasons and logic you have (like both being your computers) it has no way of telling that from an illegal copy. So basically, avoid having 2 computers using the same key in the same game, (on the same turn?) to avoid that particular part of the security check.

For hosts:
there is a --verify switch that will provide a way to check all the turn in files before hosting to help avoid messy rollbacks in case someone is taking an action you are unsure of.

[thejeff]

I wonder if it would be worth building the --verify step into the llamaserver code?

If it's effective it could avoid a lot of hassles. It doesn't produce any output, so you'd have to parse the .chk files.

[Gandalf Parker]

It should be easy to create an addition to the pre.sh to run --verify then do a stop-if-fail check. I know how to in linux but in windows it might take small program.

I also have a routine for a stop-if-fail check on nations going AI. It allows the person running the game to decide whether to allow or, or let them stall while looking for a sub.

Another good verify to do , altho more involved, is a start-game check to make sure that all gods are "legal" for that game. Not as important for direct-connect games as for pbem. Might be good to include.