Can the VB members database be shared with another script

[momzone]

Hi!

I am about to have a bingo script installed that needs to use the existing database of members for them to log in to play.... is this possible? This script, according to the owner, consists of 2 parts. A Java game server, and a
shockwave client. He says the games can run on MySQL or SQL Server already.

He also says this: "Integrating your current player database is absolutely no concern whatsoever. THe games can be set to use your current user tables in your current database without any modifications."

I want to make sure this really is possible before I spend the money.

Any help or expertise is appreciated!

[Colin F]

Hi!

I am about to have a bingo script installed that needs to use the existing database of members for them to log in to play.... is this possible? This script, according to the owner, consists of 2 parts. A Java game server, and a
shockwave client. He says the games can run on MySQL or SQL Server already.

He also says this: "Integrating your current player database is absolutely no concern whatsoever. THe games can be set to use your current user tables in your current database without any modifications."

I want to make sure this really is possible before I spend the money.

Any help or expertise is appreciated!
If this script specifically advertises integration with the vB database, I would believe him, as that isn't so hard.

If he just advertises "integration with any user database without modification", that seems a little hard to do.
Seeing as different people/scripts have different fieldnames, password algorithms, fieldtypes and so on...

[momzone]

He actually doesn't advertise that it can integrate with vBulletin - in fact I'd be surprised if he knows what vBulletin is.

We have just recently set up vBulletin at http://www.damegames.com (still moving things into vBulletin) and putting 90% of our content and games there. So that people will need to log in to do anything by going to http://www.damegames.com/play/ (where vBulletin actually is) we have a CMS that was written for vBulletin so that I am adding other pages/content etc. and have been able to then make it so the games cames we have had on our site can be played there. (these games being different than the vbulletin arcade games which we also have)

Originally they had stated: "Also, I'm assuming your website already has
register/log-in functionality and a database of existing players? If your
site doesn't already have this in place, you will need it before the games
can be used."

I guess I need to ask how the bingo script will get access to the members database?

Sorry to sound confusing.. but the script is a pretty hefty price with no refund so dn't want to make a bad call

[Colin F]

hmmm... I don't really have a good feeling...

Could you maybe link to the script?

[momzone]

I have written them again... and shared your answer and asking how/what exactly needs to be done. The scirpt isn't actually something that is viewable... meaning there isn't much info on the site about it.

A bit more detail... this is typically a script that needs ASP to run, not because of the game iteself but because of the backend admin area for setting up the games etc. Now, he did tell me that he has a client who is using this on a UNIX/LINUX like what I have... and that there is just a software package to install on the server that allows ASP pages to show. this is the full message from them:

"The bingo game itself is not written in ASP. It consists of 2 parts. A Java
game server (runs on any machine, Unix, widows or otherwise), and a
shockwave client (runs in the browser of your players, so it doesn't matter
what operating system they have on their PC either). The games can run on
MySQL or SQL Server already, so thats no big deal either.

THe *only* complication we have is with the administration system. THe
administration system is a set of webpages written in ASP that essentially
give you a user friendly front end to the database. You can edit all the
database tables directly to change ball speed and hundreds of other
settings, but its kind of a pain. So this administration software makes it
easier for you to manage your games. Now, if you get the software package I
mentioned (I can almost guarantee you don't already have it), then you can
run the ASP adminsitration softare on your Linux web server. Otherwise you
have to edit the database directly to configure your games.

Hope this makes more sense now :)

Integrating your current player database is absolutely no concern
whatsoever. THe games can be set to use your current user tables in your
current database without any modifications."

So I guess my concern is... does their database for setting the controls for the game, need to be integrated with vBulletin, or will those games be able to just use the vBulletin current database of members?

Sorry this is getting so lengthy! I do appreciate the help...

[Colin F]

I assume that their settings are stored in a seperate database and all that is used from your player database (userdatabase) is the username. I woudn't think that they can do anything with permissions or anything...

[momzone]

Colin... thanks for your help! I just got this email from them... so I think I should be "ok".

"Undoubtedly you have a lot of database already for your message board
(vbulletin) and everything else. The game doesn't use these tables for
anything. It only needs to access the table where your player data is
stored. It has nothing to do with vBulletin or any other software package
you are running. You just need to tell the game server to use the table
named 'suchandsuch' and the username field is 'suchandsuch' and the password
field is 'suchandsuch' etc. The game can thus be configured to use any
database you already use (MySQL, SQL Server, ORACLE etc).

To put it another way, my software will not be integrating with vBulletin.
It will only be using the database table that vBulletin has set up to store
user information. So for example, if you log into your MySQL database
directly (not with vBulletin) using phpMyAdmin or any other database admin
software, that is essentially what the game server will be doing. Connecting
directly to your player data."

[Colin F]

Be sure to ask them about the password algorithm though, as vB uses something like md5 ( md5($actual password) . $salt )

This might make a difference...