It's late and I'm bored and opinionated. This may impair my writing skills oh so very slightly.
I've been here long enough (since the summer) to realize the number of posts regarding a 'registration ' system. So far, none have done more than to suggest a central name filing system.
Rather, I want to try something a little more 'Jabber'. If you don't know, Jabber is an instant messenging protocol with a nifty little feature. It's half server-client, half p2p. Let me explain : like the e-mail system, each person would sign up for an account at a server (e.g.
romeo@shakespere.com and
juliet@rosieodonnel.com). Then, when sending a message, the client software sends the message directly to the domain (using the jabber protocol, e.g. send 'Hi' to
www.rosieodonnel.com), verifies that the name exists, and delivers the message. That's my understanding at least.
Anywho, this is how I think a registering system
could work : each server would have their own ways of registering names, whether by automation (first come first server names) to hand picked (sending name to requests to people). This information would be loaded into a standardized database and stored at the server's headquarters. That way whenever someone who doesn't present the correct password (or other means of identification), they are not allowed access to the name or history.
It would expand this way : each server builds a system of trust with other servers, sharing information about their players. Here's a practical example : Romeo signs up at Leo's Realistic Servers, registers his name, and plays a little. Later on that day, he decides to visit U13 Chicago and subsequently pwns hundreds of little people. U13 not having any previous account to store Romeo's information instead contacts Leo's servers (the IP provided by Romeo) and sends them a transcript of the battle (complete with kills, who killed, and names of all sorts, in previously mentioned standard database).
Now that Leo's Realistic has received information, they go aboust making sure it is correct. At the end of the session with U13, Romeo's client automaticaly sends an O.K. message to Leo's system to allow the new information (e.g. allowing 1 communication from U13 Chicago per message). That makes sure that no one intentionaly attempts to bunk Romeo's account, and make him look bad (repeated kill oneself then pass off the records as his). Leo's server has another mechanism to make sure no fordulant information comes through, this time to improve their score. People may start up their own servers, kill bots, and send off the information to inflate their score. Instead, Leo's Realistic checks a list of verified servers (their IPs), or trusted servers, with which Leo knows the owners will not have helped Romeo bump his score up. Since U13 is on their friendly list, Leo adds the information and all is well.
Now it's late right now, so I can't respond to any replies for another eight or nine hours. I haven't planned out all the contingencies, so if you see a mistake or problem, please point it out. But please stay in the mindset that I'm looking for improvements, not blind insults and non-constructive critisisms, for an
idea I had.
