Also a zip file with encryption is DRM like Prison Arcitect uses for unlockables. Minecraft obfuscation of there code as far as I know.

16 minutes ago, loik_1 said:

Also a zip file with encryption is DRM like Prison Arcitect uses for unlockables.

It's not very effective DRM. Either you have to put the password in the client, or you have to send it to the client from a server. Either way, once the client has the password, anyone can pull it out of memory.

Worse, you need to encrypt these files with a different key for every user, or the first user to get the key can just distribute it. Or, more likely, just distribute the now unencrypted files.

1 minute ago, swiftcoder said:

It's not very effective DRM. Either you have to put the password in the client, or you have to send it to the client from a server. Either way, once the client has the password, anyone can pull it out of memory.

Worse, you need to encrypt these files with a different key for every user, or the first user to get the key can just distribute it. Or, more likely, just distribute the now unencrypted files.

Yes but if you do their are implications. It don't matter how effective the DRM is.

43 minutes ago, loik_1 said:

Also a zip file with encryption is DRM like Prison Arcitect uses for unlockables. Minecraft obfuscation of there code as far as I know.

I know I've stated my opinion already, but I would recommend focusing less on DRM and focusing more on just making a great product and working well with your player base. The more support you have directly from the people who play your games, the less you need to worry about all of this because you're going to get a lot of support which will generate revenue either way. Branding doesn't happen over night, so you need to work hard and give it time.

Maybe I'm throwing a wild card out there, but if Warcraft 4 was released tomorrow without zero DRM besides the 1 CD Key per online instance for Battle.Net like in Warcraft 3, the game would still get a ton of support and sell like hot cakes. Would you still have pirated versions floating around? Absolutely! Warcraft 3 was pirated a lot, but still sold very well, if I recall they sold in the millions of copies.

You already have a solution for your online play - lock each account to a game code. The single player isn't worth the trouble or hassle. I have nothing against locking online play to account codes because either way you need to setup a profile and connect to the internet to play.

I have a friend that moved away from selling games for money as a stand-alone product, and just released them as "Free to Play" with cash shops to counter-act pirating, but again that has its pros and cons as well.

I was pointing out for DvDmanDT how easy it is to be DRM.