Was just curious and generally had a look at gameguru listed games, came upon both big escape and morning mountain stroll on there with download links, it does however contain disclaimer made with levels that come package with game guru, while I would agree it is good advertising and PR for GameGuru .

I was under the impression that game levels needed to be modified to a large extent before being used or uploaded or whatever.I am rather disappointed that the user uploaded the games mostly unmodified, while certainly doesn't take credit for it, stock levels shouldn't be uploaded without permission of course as far as I am aware.

While no harm has been done, unlike in the indie contest, what about other instances, if I found two instances what is there to stop people from doing it more often.

It brings me to the next point of how secure is game uploaded, while content is well protected, the FPM file isn't and it is quite easy for users to rip out the FPM file and do as they please, it is also quite painful to see hard work like that in a wink of an eye on the internet without a single thought of copyrights or any thing.

While protecting content should be important, it shouldn't directly impose massive restrictions on users creativity but I do feel stock levels should be much better protected, or largely restricted to read only or restrict users from using the build function until it has been massively modified for example or whatever reasonable solution can be found.

Now while TGC has pretty much the final say as to what they want, the damage for me has been done, and as I have mentioned I am not willing to provide levels or build games till I am happy that FPM files are protected enough, there is definitely some amount of concern about content protection and level protection, but instances where only stock content is used like morning mountain stroll or big escape user will have access to the complete level, unlike in instances with store models and DLC's.

But it definitely concerns me enough to raise some alarm, if it was done once, you likely to encounter it again.TGC definitely needs to update the software help file or what menu icon even have a pop up just informing them you opening or saving a stock level, and there are certain restriction that apply, I think just by being informative and educating users without being intrusive about it should be enough to get the message across

http://gamejolt.com/games/morning-mountain-stroll/84387#close

There is a bunch of other stock levels on gamejolt
https://www.reddit.com/r/gameguru/comments/3fqoaq/list_of_completed_gameguru_games/

I know am moaning again but it is important to me

That's a real shame .... But its has its always been ....
The user has always been able to edit the levels supplied with GG and its unlikely to change ..

Encryption in a standalone for an FPM will probably be intergrated though at some point ..

There is also a relative easy method of decrypting both textures and models . Accidental by product of some thing else I wanted to do with my game guru level.

"Encryption in a standalone for an FPM will probably be intergrated though at some point .."
This would be good, I think I've asked/requested that before... 1 year ago?

Surely the .fpm is useless unless you own a copy of GameGuru? In which case you would already own the .fpm anyway, this file doesn't contain any media. I do understand that with non supplied levels for GG this would create a problem but for those already provided not so much.

All the same if it is stated that levels should be heavily modified then in effect they are posting a game publicly which isn't really theirs to distribute. I have wondered myself why there are only descriptions and no actual demo's of games created on the home page of the GG site as this would help a lot with sales.

I don't really know if a level can be protected from standalone till a certain amount of changes have been made to it and unsure even of what would represent an acceptable amount of alteration. If at least it were in the license that a game simply output as is were to be given credit to the original author, then personally I feel that should be enough for levels packaged with the product. Since it is not expected that original author would be receiving any royalty from their levels then it seems to me that at least with credit you get a little exposure.

I agree there should be far tighter encryption on media in a standalone, but we all know how it won't stop the determined and just keep the honest guy honest.

Since GG is locked into Steam perhaps any built game could be watermarked with a users Steam key ID, perhaps this would put off those who want to rip others media and games at least at a commercial level.

Hope you informed the Devs of this as stumbling across a way to decrypt tells me it really isn't good enough and simply hacked in to placate those who wanted media encryption.

And sound a music files also.

Will be a moot point, in a few weeks, so no need.

Even if you can't get at the models by using the FPM files, you still get the terrain, many people spend hours and hours creating terrains, with the eventually improvement and additional tools for terrains, it is some thing worth protecting as well.I mean I spend 6 hours a day for about a week to get the MMS terrain right, there wasn't a smooth tool or a slope tool then, every thing was manually sloped and smoothed.

For some one lazy, using a pre-designed terrian is pretty straight forward. Gameguru has no EULA agreement, it is lacking even classic lack it, other than the ODE license file it contained no physical copy of the EULA, if I am not mistaken classic did have a Click-Through License when you installed it.

But there was no reference material that I am aware of. Click-Through License Is now a moot point, as it is installed on steam, so there is no setup executable which would provide the license, while I am sure gameguru does indeed have a EULA, it is nowhere to be found.Funnily enough TGC needs to provide this and have it in a folder as well as it opens them up to litigation as at no point can they turn around and say EULA is implied, they would get there heads handed to them on a sliver platter.

And considering they 100% own the code base for this engine, they need to start thinking of protecting it.I am pretty sure EULA is the furthest thing on their minds, might have even slipped their minds.I definitely feel they not protecting their users or them self currently, while copyright applies, specifics of EULA and contractual license doesn't apply, and this would imply a free for all, from what I can see.

I think is should add what my argument is about specifically regarding copyright and EULA.

While TGC claims copyright and is clearly visible, some copyright laws and software license and contractual agreements are in place, it should be noted that it is in no way blanket cover for both TGC and it's users and copyright laws do not cover all points you would like to protect, applicable in this instance is fair use and reverse engineering is generally precluded unless preemptively stated or enforced in the form of a EULA, fair use policy and reverse engineering applies.

This pretty much means free reign, while unintended, in the interim there is actually no protection what so ever for content, levels and/or build games, unless the user adds his own specific EULA to a build game, or content privately, while this in no way stops the user from doing it any way, it would limit the impact as you will be open to litigation, in such instances.Ironically I should have noticed this gross oversight a long time ago, but didn't, would say in part my fault too.

Will definitely want to hear what TGC has to say.

just how good is vishnu encryption, anyone know?