I was wondering, how would you go about making copy protection for a shareware game? I thought about registering IP addresses with an online server, but that wouldn't work with dynamic IP addresses. So, for example how would it be done for something like Neon Wars? Thanks in advance.

Hmmm... well, I would ask you how you did yours, but I think that would be considered a security risk of sorts.

Infocom used feelies (in part) for copy protection. They were extra props which came with the game and often contained information necessary to complete the game. Since they weren't only for copy protection and tended to be rather clever, most people didn't see them as intrusive. Of course that wouldn't work if the game isn't distributed physically, nor I imagine outside of adventure games / RPGs (well it could, but it would start being annoying again which defeats the purpose). Plus they cut into your margin.

Depends on the game.
Just do a key system (A9WP-5KJ9-L3K2-TT6Y). If that seems like too much bother for the customer, then try a silent key system. They buy your game, the server records their IP address, they run the game and click "Register". The computer connects to the server, which matches their IP address and sends them a registration key over the network, the key algorithm is applied to it on the local system and once it passes the game is now registered permanently.

Not sure how to handle users who want to register on multiple computers or on the same computer multiple times with dynamic IP's, but I'm sure I could think of something.

Something simple will keep Joe from hacking it, which is really the best one can hope for.

Ok but, what about people who do not have access to the internet?

Couldn't agree more. The only way I've seen a program not be pirated is if the program came with some sort of hardware.

Use a registration code/file that causes the user's name, address, phone, email, etc. to be displayed when the game starts. People won't want to register and then copy this to their friends to freely distribute around.

Yes, there will be crack serials. The above method simply deters the average Joe from making copies, which will be 90% of people.

I live 20 meters from a business that uses a program with the dongle check hacked out.

When it comes to copy protection there is only one thing to say.
The harder you try, the dumber you look.

Copy protection only causes trouble for those who have legit copies. Pirated / legit user trouble ratio goes down as protection gets harsher.

I'd rather pay for a pirated copy of a starforce protected game than go through the trouble of making it run on my own.

Correlation and causation and all that.

That's disappointing you say that - it's one philosophy I don't subscribe to at all. I resent pirates. They make money from other people's work, and don't contribute anything themselves. There is no justification in the illegal profiting from other people's work.

And shame on all those who pay for pirated programs. As programmers, we're all be aware of the effort and time put into making a program. It'd be a kick in the guts if someone then made money out of your work, without passing any of that back to you

this debate has been going on for years and years.... back before the internet, when there were nothing but BBSes, the debate was going on. and before that. The thing about shareware is, as a general rule, the game has to be absolutely remarkable, groundshaking, to make any money anyway. Nag screens and all of the methods people use to try to get people to register in general turn people off. The problem isn't in the games, or the programmers, or anything else like that. The problem is that in general, if people can get by without paying for something, they will. That's in general. Most people want $20 for a sharweware game that doesn't even compete with games that people can buy complete in the stores for the same price or less, and then wonder why they don't get a lot of buyers. This isn't meant to be an insult to the people like Phipps, who make shareware games, it's just the facts. Sure there are the honest people out there, or the hobbyist programmers who actually appreciate the work it takes to make a game, who will come up with the money. But there are also the people out there who just can't afford the game. So they play the games that are out there for free, and they might like the demo games that are floating around, but they'll never pay for them. The truth is, if you're going to go into the shareware market, you have to realize that the people who like the game enough will buy it, and the rest won't, and that's just how it is. You have to spend more time working on things that will make the game more enjoyable and better for the people who will buy it than detracting from it by trying to keep people from stealing it. Even though a car with a 200 key combination lock on the doors would be harder to steal, I'd buy the car that just had a simple key lock because it would be easier on me to drive.

I've been around a long time, before there ever was a shareware market, and in the end, it's not about who's going to steal it, it's about who's going to enjoy it.

[EDIT]

I guess there is a limit to how soon you can post another reply to a thread? Anyway, I wanted to respond to what someone asked about a decent price for shareware stuff. To be honest, I would say $5 is the high end for anything that isn't 3D, or can't compete with anything in the stores. If you're going to go with a shareware option, I think the best thing to do would perhaps be a group of games under one license, like those CDs taht have 1000 games or whatever. It's not that a game might not be good enough to be worth 20 dollars or what have you, but people immediately look at something anymore that is "shareware" and associate it with something less than perfect. It's almost like "If this were good enough to pay that much for, I could get it on the shelf at WalMart"

I only say this kind of stuff because I was programming back when Shareware and crippleware first came out, and I have seen how it's gone over the years. If you want to sell your game, I would suggest somehow finding a way to sell it in a local store or something like that....rather than going the shareware route. No offense to Phipps or anyone else who works with shareware, and I'm not saying that you can't be successful either. It's just not the most lucrative route normally.