10 replies to this topic

[Aegis Kleais]

OK, so we know our names in the forum will be used for in-game, so in a way, what we register on the forums with is one in the same account.

However, will the game use the forum's credentials (username and password) for authentication into the game? Will being logged in provide the user with access to billing and/or purchasing capabilities/information on that account?

It's one thing to have a forum account, but quite another to have it tied directly to the game's. So where is the line drawn in the sand?

[Kobold]

It would probably be a good idea to give access to things like the real money store outside of game. By having a link to the store on the forum, for example, someone who is browsing the forum at work (like, for example, me) might be inclined to go make an impulse buy that they would not otherwise have purchased.

My roommate is a big WoW nerd, and I see him constantly on World of Logs and the armory when he is not actually in game. I don't know if those types of things need to be associated with the forum account specifically, but I see no reason not for them to be.

[Aegis Kleais]

With all this news of game accounts being hacked, it just wouldn't bode well if a mere forum's username/password were all that stood between the player's forum presence, his in-game presence, and an ability to spend accounts or access billing/purchase-related information that was stored online.

I REALLY hope PGI does not opt to keep that data online, one way encrypted or not.

[Stonewall]

I agree with Aegis, ease of access to billing info is a two way street

[WardenWolf]

If you have any concerns along these lines, I would recommend increasing the complexity and/or length of your forum password at some point prior to purchasing anything. Either a shorter, highly random password or a longer one that is a string of several easy to remember things should work (there are arguments for both forms of passwords being the 'best').

To go further, you could get a pre-paid card to use when purchasing things like this online, so that even if info is stolen there wouldn't be much for a hacker to really do with it. A credit card dedicated to online purchases is another option - and I say credit card, rather than debit card, because there are more stiff protections in place for credit cards (at least in the US).

[Fr33lanc3r]

Most games use your in-game account info as your forum info, so I wouldn't be surprised if PGI followed that. Now that I do the Blizzard Authenticator I can't even access my forum account for battle.net w/o using the authenticator. It makes for more concise account management.

And if you're worried about getting hacked a good password and some common sense goes a lot further than 3 different accounts for three different things across 3 different sites, because when given that option, most users will use the same password, email and name for all 3.

[Naduk]

Aegis Kleais, on 12 June 2012 - 01:10 PM, said:

With all this news of game accounts being hacked

? what news ?

kind of an irrational fear is it not
the game would run the same risk (look at diablo 3 recently they just bypassed the entire login process)
so surely it stands to reason any security applied to the game will effect the forums and the other way around

it works fine for league of legends , see no reason MWO will have problems

Edited by Naduk, 12 June 2012 - 02:26 PM.

[Aegis Kleais]

Naduk, on 12 June 2012 - 02:26 PM, said:

? what news ?

kind of an irrational fear is it not
the game would run the same risk (look at diablo 3 recently they just bypassed the entire login process)
so surely it stands to reason any security applied to the game will effect the forums and the other way around

it works fine for league of legends , see no reason MWO will have problems

I'm not sure how unfounded it is.

Day Z accounts were recently hacked, Valve had a spur of account information theft, Sony had multiple hits on their PSN account information, League of Lengends European User Accounts were hacked,

Not to mention tons of non video game sites were being accessed and publicly disclosed. If anything, there's been a surge in this type of problem. Cyber security isn't taken as seriously as it should.

[Zynk]

A lot of on line games are going to prepaid game cards, I use Ultimate game card for WoT's and do not have to worry about my credit card numbers.

Hopefully MW:O will also have prepaid game cards, either their own or a 3rd party game card.

[Aegis Kleais]

Well, if purchasing capability is kept off the servers, that's good. Since accounts cannot transfer assets to other accounts, the worst thing they can do is delete/sell/destroy all your Mechs or spend all your MC. Either of which, once the account has been re-secured, can be restored administratively.

[Skadi]

Aegis Kleais, on 12 June 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

I'm not sure how unfounded it is.

Day Z accounts were recently hacked, Valve had a spur of account information theft, Sony had multiple hits on their PSN account information, League of Lengends European User Accounts were hacked,

Not to mention tons of non video game sites were being accessed and publicly disclosed. If anything, there's been a surge in this type of problem. Cyber security isn't taken as seriously as it should.

Hopefully MWO will plan to release Authenticators pref app as well as fob.