From: "Ben Davis" <ben AT vjpoole DOT freeserve DOT co DOT uk>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Some dodgy FILE hackery
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 23:31:23 -0000
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

>Why wait to release the editor?

Because it's faulty. It needs working on, but I want to finish the game
first.

By the way, first I'll release a level editor with a program to create game
files. Later I'll release a sprite editor. Then a music editor (I'm not
using MIDI or MOD files). Maybe a sfx editor. Nearly everything will be
editable, but scripting will have to wait for Version 2 of the game.

Aren't I ambitious!

>>It is only the main game file which (is already) encrypted
>>and cannot be modified.
>
>I see.  So people can't just take out all the baddies and claim they
>beat the game.

That's a side effect. But I'll probably enable the editor to load the file;
just not save it. Then of course you can rename the records file (complete
with level replays), and there's your evidence that you've completed it.

Except the game will detect if the records do not match the levels, and
you'll have to start from Level 1 again.

>  http://www.distributed.net/


It's late at night. I'll look at that another time.

>Giving stuff away will help the community.  The Free Software
>Foundation and Red Hat Software gives stuff away (on ftp.gnu.org and
>ftp.redhat.com) and still stay afloat.

Yes, all very well, but you haven't yet convinced me to tell you exactly how
the file's encrypted!

Ben Davis