Ideal Infrastructure for RPG Multiplayer Game with persistent Player Data and secure Item Drops?

Hey everyone,

I am working on a multiplayer coop FPS action RPG game (PvE only) featuring player level increases, random item drops and persistent player data storage. I seek for help and advice in order to decide how to best set up the game’s infrastructure.

First, here are some basic aspects that need to be considered:

• In terms of gameplay mechanics, the game can be compared to coop shooters like Borderlands 2
  
• The game is played with up to 5 players at a time, both Internet...

Ideal Infrastructure for RPG Multiplayer Game with persistent Player Data and secure Item Drops?