Castle Paradox

[Loghecktech]

Why do we all keep passwords on our games? Why don't we all let each other study our design techniques? Couldn't we ALL benefit from that? We could also try to modify each others games and e-mail them back to their creator and see if they like the modifications? Doesn't anyone agree with me? The password to "Logan's Adventures" is "shoot".
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Discusitol RX

[Shadowiii]

I never password my games, and I almost always even include the plotscripting file.

Why people password is obvious: they don't want their graphics stolen. In my opinion, if someone steals my graphics, it is generally my word againt theirs, and in all honesty I'd probably win against any newcommer who came in with a game containing graphics ripped from some of my games.

Also, it makes it so people can't cheat or look ahead at the story and ruin it for themselves.

I don't think they should be passworded, though. There really is only a little to lose, and so much to help others gain (which is why I'll never password my files).
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But enough talk, have at you!

[Machu]

I guess people don't want their implementation ideas stolen. I'd be a bit peeved if a ton a newbie games resembling my project came out right after I release it, but then again, I'd be proud that everyone wants to try my ideas. I probably won't password my Metal Slug game, but most of the stuff is in the plotscripts anyway, though I could create a template later.
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[Loghecktech]

Who else agrees with me?
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Discusitol RX

[Uncommon]

Some people just don't want you to see. Also, "[modifying] each others games and [e-mailing] them back to their creator and see if they like the modifications" sounds like a generally bad idea. That's like messing with The Last Supper, than asking DaVinci how he feels about it. It may justify usage of passwords more than anything else.

I don't use passwords myself, not recently, at least.

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

I myself have no desire to see FFH or TSSE fucked with. TSSE is unpassworded for the sole fact that people can look through and see how things are done, and it comes with all the scripts as well. Same with OHRadius and FFH-2.

As an aside, at least one person had taken FFH and supposedly altered it to their enjoyment. Not surprigingly, they made every character start out with max stats. As if it wasn't easy enough for them. TS1 also has a set of items specifically reserved for people who hack, that ruins all the fun of the game. 32000 HP and 9999 attack points at the start will do that to you.

As far as I'm concerned though, hack FFH-2 all you want for your own enjoyment. Just don't send me a file and beg me to finish it.

[Loghecktech]

Any other opinions?
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Discusitol RX

[Machu]

If people have opinions, they'll say them. That's the idea behind a message board. Stop demanding our attention.
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[JSH357]

I keep passwords on my games to keep people like Logheckhoobidyba out of them.

But in all seriousness, if you want to know how something is done in somebody's game you should ask them directly; don't try to rip their work, you filthy communist. Most people will probably ignore/refuse, but if you ask the right person at the right time, they might be in the mood to share the knowledge. If it's a plotscripting feature you want to know about, you can generally ask on the forum and people will answer.

[junahu]

Until I completely master plotscripting (In about 20 or 30 years time ) I'll continue to not aknowledge that passwording even exists. I rarely even remember to switch the debug keys off.

I can see how people can be paranoid of their games being plagerised though. Perhaps someone could make some kind of utility to disable saving on finished .RPG files (obviously people would be smart enough to make a backup copy on their hard drives beforehand). That way people could look at how it works, but would not be able to tinker with it.

just a suggestion
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[Dan the Man Entertainment]

I only think passwords should go on games
that deserve them. If the games are pathetic,
annoying, or downright need to be eradicated off
this earth, they don't deserve them (but who would
want to go into them in the first place?)

Also pride could be a matter. If you take pride
in a game, you have to remember: some
people are mean and like to plagiarize,
vandalize, and then disguise your game
so it looks like a copy of something
they made with your concepts/art/music etc.
That's why a password should be used.

[Bob the Hamster]

Passwords were a bad idea. I regret ever implementing them. Despite my complex password storage sytem, pasword protection is *very* easy to break, and there are at least two password-breaking utilities floating around on the internet right now. in fact, a programmer with only a simple knowledge of how the RPG file format works, can easily figure out how to disable the password protection on any RPG file just by chaning one singe byte.

On the other hand, honest programmers who want to write third-party utilities that support password proection have to implement my complicated, illogical, messy, confusing, and still insecure "scattertable" password storage system. A good programmer can understand it, but it is still a huge pain.

So the password protection system barely provides any protection form dishonest programmers, but makes it very difficult for honest programmers.

Besides, someone who wants to steal graphics can do so every easily without even knowing how to program. GAME.EXE has to exctract data without using the password, so anybody can just take data from PLAYING.TMP

Some would say that poor password protection is better than no protection at all-- in fact, that is the argument that convinced me to add password support in the first place. However, which is better?:

(A) To be nearly unprotected and not know it
(B) To be unprotected, and know it

I have never had a password on Wandering Hamster. Occasionally people do steal my graphics, or use my game as a base for theri game. These sort of imposters are *very* easy to spot, and they earn themselves nothing but disrespect.

I encourage people to leave their RPG files un-passworded, and to include a "README" file with their game that clearly explains what people are allowed to do with the game data.

[Shadowiii]

[Friend]

I've been using the password feature since I started using the OHR. It's never been about the graphics ripping. It's never been about secrecy of the "techniques." It's there to preserve the gaming experience intact. It's not necessarily a measure to prevent cheating, but it's mostly to prevent players from looking into text, statistics, map s and graphics they weren't suppose to see. Also the same reason why it's better to not release preview screenshots until the game's out, but I'll leave that for another discussion.

I'm very aware of how weak the password protection is. It's rather obvious. If a game is passworded, I take it as a gesture that the author doesn't want others to peer into the inner working of the game for whatever reasons they might have. What's in the RPG file, I think, is like a diary of the author. It's very personal.
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"I am Collins. From my position in the moon's orbit, I watched Armstrong and Aldrin land and walk on the surface. I was so close to the ground of the moon, and yet I returned without having trod upon it... I am Collins." -Friend

[Me]

I would password a game for the same reasons Orchard (friend) and Shadowiii do. I just don't want people ruining the game for themselves. If they take the effort to crack the password, fine, but they need to realize that by doing that they admit weakness. Unless, of course, they beat the game 100% without cheating, THEN screw with it. Then I might be fine.