Game idea.

[Crazy-T]

Hey i have a game idea for players..

Because games user promo codes, and people ref people to the game, right? how about.

Promo code: Game promo code. (same as normal they get bit more help like $10,000 extra game money)

Ref code: Players have to pick there promo code once they have registered and loggedin, to the game, players have too set there own ref code, and they can set how much money people get using there ref link when signing up to the game.

For example..
I ref someone using a link like www.url.com/register.php?Ref=a43sfs5 and the user who owns that ref code has set an amount of money-cash in game say $1000 for using the link. For the person who has registered using that link gets $1000. then the user who owns that ref code gets a event in game saying something like for example.
John has signed up using you ref code and has been credited $1000. $1000 has been taken from your bank account...

It could be glitch able i don't know..
I think it's a good idea, for game's to get more people playing and active.

Then could have a thing for having 50 refers to the game you have been credited $50,000 game money from system!

(Note: I'm sleepy, but i think it is a good idea) please give feed back.

[Mufasa]

I think it's a decent idea, and could work with some more thought. For example, as it is, the player could set the ref amount to be something like 10,000 - run his bank account down to zero then keep making new accounts under his ref link and pool all that money to another harvester account. Said account now has untold fortunes and is set to destroy your economy.

It's a sound idea though, one I may even consider using in the future - just be sure to cover your bases

[Crazy-T]

I think it's a decent idea, and could work with some more thought. For example, as it is, the player could set the ref amount to be something like 10,000 - run his bank account down to zero then keep making new accounts under his ref link and pool all that money to another harvester account. Said account now has untold fortunes and is set to destroy your economy.

It's a sound idea though, one I may even consider using in the future - just be sure to cover your bases

Thanks.. what about players can turn it off and on, so people-spammer's can't keep doing it, to take people's-player's money?

Say: www.url.com/register.php?Ref=aoWS93m then if it's turned off by that player could say something like Sorry, but this player has turned his refer code off!.

[travo]

I dont know... I dont think many people would spread their promo link around very far if they were losing something... And the only people not losing something would be cheaters...
And I'm sure very quickly someone would create a bot which is basically a brute force cracker on the promo codes.

My 2 cents

[Crazy-T]

I dont know... I dont think many people would spread their promo link around very far if they were losing something... And the only people not losing something would be cheaters...

Hm true, could set a time limit say, You referred John to the game, you can't use - give this link out for the next 5 minute's, if you do they will not get nothing from it.

[Crazy-T]

I dont know... I dont think many people would spread their promo link around very far if they were losing something... And the only people not losing something would be cheaters...
And I'm sure very quickly someone would create a bot which is basically a brute force cracker on the promo codes.

My 2 cents

I'm sure very quickly someone would create a bot which is basically a brute force cracker on the promo codes.

How would they do that.. if it's php.. like

Code: [Select]

<?php //for colors!!
$promo = array('code' => 'I rules', 'money' => 10000, 'last' => $db->Insert_ID());
if(isset($_GET['promo_code']) && is_string($_GET['promo_code']) && $_GET['promo_code'] == $promo['code'])) {
 $query = $db->Execute("UPDATE `players` SET `money` = `money` + ? WHERE `id` = ?", array($promo['money'], $promo['last']));
} else {
 //something else here!
}?

[Mufasa]

No I didnt mean people milking a player's goods, I just mean what if the player no longer has money to do it?

Either way, one solution would be to make them one-off codes. They create a code, then apply goods to it like cash or in-game items. The cash/items are deducted instantly and given to the player when they join.

The code should also expire in X days at which point the cash/items would be given back to the player if the code was not used.

[travo]

That would be better, but still wouldnt solve brute force crackers. And if done like above, with only 7 characters, either it wouldnt take very long to find a code, or it could become a dos attack... especially with the mysql query every time...

Maybe a limit per IP address, 5 tries per hour... doesnt solve the load issue, but would pretty much stop people cracking it, unless they are lucky

I do agree with the 1 time codes though.... Maybe, to stop cheaters trying to exploit thisso easily, the original player is sent a mail saying that this person has signed up with their promo code, do you wish to support him? etc... I dunno

[Mufasa]

I'm not seeing brute-forcers being much of a problem, especially if it were linked in such a way:

site.com/register?refid=1&promo=A7TR9W

you'd have to match the promo code and the user id. I'd hardly think something like that would be worth someone's time for what could amount to perhaps 2 successful accounts with an extra $1000 in them.

[Crazy-T]

No I didnt mean people milking a player's goods, I just mean what if the player no longer has money to do it?

Either way, one solution would be to make them one-off codes. They create a code, then apply goods to it like cash or in-game items. The cash/items are deducted instantly and given to the player when they join.

The code should also expire in X days at which point the cash/items would be given back to the player if the code was not used.

Could do.

That would be better, but still wouldnt solve brute force crackers. And if done like above, with only 7 characters, either it wouldnt take very long to find a code, or it could become a dos attack... especially with the mysql query every time...

Maybe a limit per IP address, 5 tries per hour... doesnt solve the load issue, but would pretty much stop people cracking it, unless they are lucky

I do agree with the 1 time codes though.... Maybe, to stop cheaters trying to exploit thisso easily, the original player is sent a mail saying that this person has signed up with their promo code, do you wish to support him? etc... I dunno

True.

I'm not seeing brute-forcers being much of a problem, especially if it were linked in such a way:

site.com/register?refid=1&promo=A7TR9W

you'd have to match the promo code and the user id. I'd hardly think something like that would be worth someone's time for what could amount to perhaps 2 successful accounts with an extra $1000 in them.

Yeah, but players could pick what to give users signing up with there ref code..

[Mufasa]

I'm not seeing brute-forcers being much of a problem, especially if it were linked in such a way:

site.com/register?refid=1&promo=A7TR9W

you'd have to match the promo code and the user id. I'd hardly think something like that would be worth someone's time for what could amount to perhaps 2 successful accounts with an extra $1000 in them.

Yeah, but players could pick what to give users signing up with there ref code..

I'm not getting how that relates to what I said?

[Crazy-T]

I'm not seeing brute-forcers being much of a problem, especially if it were linked in such a way:

site.com/register?refid=1&promo=A7TR9W

you'd have to match the promo code and the user id. I'd hardly think something like that would be worth someone's time for what could amount to perhaps 2 successful accounts with an extra $1000 in them.

Yeah, but players could pick what to give users signing up with there ref code..

I'm not getting how that relates to what I said?

lol

[Scion]

Im not too sure about the debiting a players funds idea....im pretty sure id be pointing my friends to the un-refered signup page if i was playing it....

an approach that ive seen used is to give the referer a small bonus per refered signed up user....with a much larger bonus if that user actually starts playing the game regularly. The new refered user didnt get any specific advantage over a user that signed up without a reference. This approach can encourage people to spam their referall link all over the place....this might be a good idea for the game or it might not....but it is likely to result in plenty of signups that do not convert into regular players.

another approach is to make being refered a reasonable advantage over just signing upregularly....but then to limit the number of these referals that a player can give out. In this case because the referals provide an advantage they will be sought after and those that are given them will be more likely to stick with the game.......in theory anyway.

maybe you coulld try a combination of both?

[travo]

Maybe features which are only accessible by having referrals, but every week or so, whether a player is active or not is assessed, if they are not, they do not go towards referrals