Hello,
i have a quite simple idea for the perfect DRM model, no permanent internet conection required, only now and then, maybe depending on time interval or level (date-related) of a campaign. Would probably also work with other games, however it could be implemented perfectly into the Silent Hunter series.
It is not invincible, but the effort to crack it would be enormous, and you would have to do it again from time to time, thus piling up real-time decyphering computing time.
The trick is that every paying customer gets a one time pad with his sim - everyone another one, that is - maybe depending on the serial number that also has to be unique for each sold sim. You could clutch this to PGP military encryption, or think out something else just for the sim.
(For those who are not familiar with PGP or pretty good privacy, just google it).
The thing is the SH 5 or whatever-user sends a request to Ubi, for getting HIS own one time pad, being sent encrypted. You can then enter this code into your in-game enigma (a real working one, as can be found to download all over the web, but being pretty useless without the rigth settings), programming it with the serial number of your game, and read out the outcome following your unique registration number. Without this rigth code the game will then cease to work.
Maybe receive a message from BdU/UBI (lol), and act according to the order. If you cannot decypher it and act accordingly (reach a certain position, sink a special ship, meet a milk cow or other boat/commerce raider giving you new orders within a certain time), the sim will stop.
Would this work ? I guess it would, but it's certainly overkill - but then this current UBI-DRM idea also is - and the pgp idea is not intruding at all.
Greetings,
Catfish
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