SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

re: SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

BenS1 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:51:34 GMT

Sorry Shawn, I don;t quite get it.

When you say Text Chat, do you mean like typing messages to each other, Instant Messenger style?

If so then why does this have to be unencrypted? I can't see any reason we couldn't do this already in version 2.

I must be missing something?

However, you did almost touch on another interesting subject when you said that the ordering of chat and non-chat data will be maintained independently. This is similar to the concept of channels in Lidgren, something that would be very useful in XNA studio.

Is there any chance of adding full support for channels in a future release?

Thanks

Ben

re: SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

ShawnHargreaves — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:31:58 GMT

> When you say Text Chat, do you mean like typing messages to each other, Instant Messenger style?

Exactly.

> If so then why does this have to be unencrypted? I can't see any reason we couldn't do this already in version 2.

Read the EULA. Technically you could implement this, but if you did, you would be breaking the law.

re: SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

CGomez — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:47:28 GMT

I think it's great that your team implemented something like this. I recall last year the uproar over that piece of the EULA that forbid text chat (for reasons many programmers don't understand. I do not pretend to be a lawyer or work for MSFT or even know anyone at MSFT, but it seemed to be for legal reasons outside of MSFT's control).

Amazing that you put it in the framework for 3.0. Whether it was just "on your roadmap" or due to the uproar, the demonstration of responsiveness to game programmers' needs is fantastic.

re: SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

BenS1 — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:06:07 GMT

> Read the EULA. Technically you could implement this, but if you did, you would be breaking the law.

Ah ok, me bad.

I also notice that you say that it should only be used for chat and nothing else. However, technically it looks like it could be used as a second independent channel (Lidgren style) so that you could have 2 independent communication streams, each maintaining their own ordering/reliability flags.

So, is the only reason that we shouldn't do that because the unencrypted stream would then be vulnerable to hacking?

Thanks

Ben

re: SendDataOptions.Chat in XNA Game Studio 3.0

ShawnHargreaves — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:27:02 GMT

> I also notice that you say that it should only be used for chat and nothing else. However, technically it looks like it could be used as a second independent channel

Technically, yes.

Legally, no.

You would be in violation of the EULA if you did this. The only acceptable way to use this stuff is exactly how I outlined in the above post. Please do not abuse this functionality!

Sorry if this comes across as rigid or uncompromising, but that's the way it is. I'm not a lawyer, so I can't go into details as to why these requirements exist, but they do, and we're all responsible for obeying the law...