Generate a code for non-multiplayer trades?

[Del_Duio]

I had a cool idea, but am not sure just how to accomplish it.

I believe the old Animal Crossing game for the Gamecube did something like this, but I think it'd be a cool idea if you could talk to an NPC or someone in your game to initiate an item trade for a single player game.

For example, the hero talks to the NPC and says they want to trade a Fire Sword or something and the NPC then removes the Fire Sword from the inventory and generates a code on screen for the player to e-mail or whatever to somebody else. Then that somebody else- in his own game- would talk to that same NPC and tell him the code and get the Fire Sword via trade.

Mind you, this isn't really a "trade" as the 1st guy doesn't get anything back for it. I don't know I thought something like this would be really cool, especially in a game where there are lots or rare items and things most people probably won't be able to find during their first couple of playthroughs.

[wpd]

talk to NPC ---- Wanna trade X for Z? - YES/NO
Check if Item X is acquired
Give New Item Z
Delete Item X

[PBarwick]

If I was tempted to try something like this, then once you gave the item to the NPC, I would communicate to a server, and log what item was 'traded' and generate a new one-off code.

The second user then enters the code in their game - and their game checks with the server that that code was valid, then removes the code from the server and gives the player the item. This way, one player can't give the code to 100s of people.

Granted, it's not an offline solution!

[Decal]

Well it will not be that hard to do if you can host your own lacewing server somewhere.
Then you can just make your own lacewing server and have the client connect to it.

[Del_Duio]

No but what I mean is you would talk to the NPC and depending on what item you picked to give out, it'd delete that item from your pack and then display a code / password on the screen that another player later could enter and receive the item.

[Del_Duio]

If I was tempted to try something like this, then once you gave the item to the NPC, I would communicate to a server, and log what item was 'traded' and generate a new one-off code.

The second user then enters the code in their game - and their game checks with the server that that code was valid, then removes the code from the server and gives the player the item. This way, one player can't give the code to 100s of people.

Granted, it's not an offline solution!

I could do something like how NES' Adventures of Lolo did for continuing levels using a password.
Just assign each item a hard-coded password and remove it from your backpack.

Ex. Sword's password might be "ADGRRZZ" or "FLATULENCE" lol

Back to the drawing board, but thanks guys