Hello everybody. I'm developing a great game engine(to make comparison, its like Game Maker, Construct, and RPG Maker) at the moment, the main part, to generate source code, syntax analysis (which includes a scripting language that I created), and compilation is out in many ways. The programming is not the problem for me. I'm developing with Free Pascal and Delphi. It's pascal, but as I am a C++ programmer too(and any code presented here for anyone will be welcome), I guess it's better to ask this question to programmers of a lower level language.

At the present time I am in dilemma about how the images of sprites will be stored after the compilation of the game(I mean this dilemma is about the design of how the game engine will work about this):

- Using resource files *. res
Using this method means faster conclusion in the process of completing the game engine, since it will not have to program a specific file type that stores images. But using this method, when the game under development is built, the images will be embedded in the executable (*. exe), increasing the initialization time of the game, and the amount of memory used (because I do not intend to use the class TResourceStream to open an external *. res file, that would leave the *. res exposed to the end user, which could be manipulated).

- Using an own file type *. dat
The advantage of using *. dat files in the final result of the compilation, ie, when the game has already been compiled and *. dat files are exposed(not embedded in the executable) to the end user, is that the game will load each image once, when the image is required, saving memory. The problem is that this method requires more development time for the game engine, and there is no guarantee it will work 100% as the *. res works. Highlighting that the *. dat should store more than one sprite image, as a package file.

Which method you advise me to do? and why?
Thanks!

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"Life finds a way." - Ian Malcolm
My WebBlog: PixelDeveloper
English is not my native language, so excuse me for any writing mistakes.

Seriously, don't worry about this. If your player base is small, no one is going to be meddling with your data files. If your player base is large enough, some bright spark will meddle with your data files anyway. If .res files will be easier for you to use, I'd say use them.

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Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve

Also, a .res file stored inside an exe can also be manipulated through a resource extractor/unpacker program. Putting your resource file inside the executable provides no real protection from someone meddling with it, if they really want to do so.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

You could actually be better off allowing the game to be modified, as you will attract users who are interested in that sort of thing. I imagine .dat files would be more convenient than .res for that.

The only way to stop content from being meddled with is to encrypt it. The decryption key would be embedded in the application, and would be used to read encrypted content. The encryption key is known only to you, so that only you can authorize content for the game.

But even then, if users are sufficiently skilled, they could reverse compile the application and replace the decryption function with a simple reader, so that unencrypted content could then be used.

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I ain't pushing no moon buttons.

Thank you all for the answers, I will start to code a "model" for the data files.



But still it's a greater sense of security, I would be happier with that.

_________________
"Life finds a way." - Ian Malcolm
My WebBlog: PixelDeveloper
English is not my native language, so excuse me for any writing mistakes.