Detecting if the user is changing the date and time settings to cheat

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

Hello,

I have a game in which the user gets one free hint per day. If he wants he can buy other hints, but he only might get one free hint each day. The problem is that using the os.time() to retrieve the current time the user can cheat by setting his clock settings to the next day.

Does anyone knows how to avoid this problem?

Best regards,
Augusto [import]uid: 121225 topic_id: 30393 reply_id: 330393[/import]

#2

Save the current time to a file. If it ever goes backwards (which he’ll have to sooner or later), you know he cheated at one point.

You can also poll against a website and possibly compare, such as http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/timer.pl

[import]uid: 6084 topic_id: 30393 reply_id: 121799[/import]

#3

Hello,

Thank for your help.

Actually my problem that the user uses the clock to go to the next day, not to the previous one.

The solution of polling against a website might work, i’d prefer to make this locally, but if I can’t I may implement this way.

Best regards,
Augusto Souza [import]uid: 121225 topic_id: 30393 reply_id: 121831[/import]

#4

Save the current time to a file. If it ever goes backwards (which he’ll have to sooner or later), you know he cheated at one point.

You can also poll against a website and possibly compare, such as http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/timer.pl

[import]uid: 6084 topic_id: 30393 reply_id: 121799[/import]

#5

Hello,

Thank for your help.

Actually my problem that the user uses the clock to go to the next day, not to the previous one.

The solution of polling against a website might work, i’d prefer to make this locally, but if I can’t I may implement this way.

Best regards,
Augusto Souza [import]uid: 121225 topic_id: 30393 reply_id: 121831[/import]