Online scoreboards

If you ever had an online scoreboard in your game, what did you use for it and why?

Spoiler

At a quick glance it appears that Apple and google provide some serivce that can be used for score storage.
That does not seem to cover PC, though.

It is fairly easy to whip up a high score server in python and bunch of other languages, but it'll be essentially hackable one way or another no matter what you do. Meaning that while user won't be able to get into the database, there will be always a way to submit fake score.

Thinking about what options are available here.

 

This is a very good video about the security aspect:

And why would one use an online scoreboard?
To get a sense of competition to the game easily, and hook the users to keep them playing the game trying to be better than other people.
If you use ads: longer playtime = more ads displayed

Also if they play your game for a long time, they'll develop a sense of liking it and are probably more likely to also get your next game then.

 

rolled own.

mysql+php using md5 for validation.

Had a few fake scores, but I made sure there was a way to ban user scores so they didnt return in the scoreboard query. its only a scoreboard tbh, so OTT security is a bit pointless, unless you intend to make it financially motivated.

 

Well...that's the theory!

There's not much real world truth to it (in mobile) from my experience... of course experience obviously differs...

usually more ads = more complaints.

hard to prove/disprove playing one game will drive players to your next game. Definitely dont see any connection between my two.

 

Alright, thanks.

IT is just I spent a bit of time today thinking if a custom server that literally supports only two requests, doesn't eval, doensn't accept user data or files can be somehow hacked into and used to deal damage .

The only possible threat I could think of in the end was sql inject in the username. There doesn't seem to be a way to do anything else.

 

The user shouldnt ever need access to username/password. That stuff is all in the php which cant be seen. I dont use usernames anyway. I just go with device id.

As for server hacking... maybe.. If someone wants to spend all that time for what might end up being zero gain. Use someone else's server, so you dont have to worry about that side of security if you want. Most webhosting includes a mysql database. Its what I use.

 

Best scoreboards I've seen have been connected with social media. That way the scoreboard only show's people I know and care about. It tends to make cheating less significant, as most of my friends aren't bothered with cheating.

The actual number of users who will cheat is pretty low. They only really matter on a global scoreboard. On a social friends scoreboard most users will never encounter a cheater.