Can you help with my own software security system?

[copyright_1978]

Hi there I've made a 3D game which took me over a year to develop all on my own. Right now I've been asked to give it to people for testing. The thing that I'm really worried about is that if I give it to someone, they will then give it to someone else, and then in turn they will give it to someone else to install. It may pass several people who may install my game. And as you know the worth of the game just deteriorates.

Anyway, the people that I'm going to give it to are just game experts who know nothing about programming or how software really works, so I thought of this idea of making a little program in VB which does the following:

1. It randomly generates a set of numbers from a given 100

2. The number corresponding to that random generated number will unlock and let you install the program;

e.g. pseudo code:


if random_number = 2345

AND

input_number = 5563

THEN install

Someting really simple like this. But it has to be random numbers from a set of 100.

The problem is I've spent all my money on 3D expensive equipment that the only compiler I have is Microsoft VB 6, so I can only do it in this.

As you can tell I have no experience in software security but I do know a bit about VB. So any help, would be appreciated very much.

Thank you.

[aym]

You can't protect your game 100%, there are always programmers who know enough to crack, but since you said that your game users wouldn't be programmers, here is a simple way:
I don't know that much in VB, but I think this method can be done in it:
Compress the game files in one file, encrypt it, and make an exe file that gives the user a random number, and asks for another, then your program does some math to compute the user's number, if the numbers match, your program decrypts the game files and installs them.

[Justin26k]

Beware as alot of "expert gamers" are also suppliers to cracking groups and 1 thing that comes with being a programmer is counting on your soft being pirated and or cracked this may help as it is one if not the best software protection http://www.aspack.com look for ASProtect

[Justin26k]

also if you want a different compiler get Delphi (ASProtect is written Delphi) and the Personal Edition is a Free Download http://www.borland.com/delphi