Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Path: nntp.gmd.de!news.rwth-aachen.de!news-kar1.dfn.de!news.nacamar.de!howland.erols.net!netcom.com!erkyrath
From: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin)
Subject: Re: You know, you'd think by the 19th release ...
Message-ID: <erkyrathE1JLp3.5xu@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1]
References: <3289b97b.5127618@basis.basis.com> <328a898c.1361238@basis.basis.com> <erkyrathE0roCz.80H@netcom.com> <56ah8m$cd6@wiscnews.wiscnet.net> <56akss$hf8@agate.berkeley.edu> <cleofax-2011960808570001@noho-us246.javanet.com> <ant202018fc4M+4%@gnelson.demon.co.uk> <cleofax-2711960721150001@noho-us131.javanet.com> <329c03c9.5366831@news.worldonline.nl>
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 18:51:03 GMT
Lines: 33
Sender: erkyrath@netcom.netcom.com

Marnix Klooster (marnix@worldonline.nl) wrote:
> > I would love some sort of encryption to mask the text of a gamefile from
> > disassemblers.  This is not just a piracy issue.  Sphere is loaded with
> > Easter eggs for the intrepid interactve explorer.  I don't want some
> > hacker with a copy of Z-Tools to be able to reach them.

> Theoretically this can be done for the Z-machine, at least
> partially.  But as far as I can see, this will require some
> non-trivial extensions and modifications to the Inform compiler.
> Plus, all secret data (be it string, routines, or what have you)
> should fit together with the other game data in 64K.
> [...]
> However, it will be not too difficult for a Z-machine hacker,
> given a correct pass phrase, to create an unencrypted game file
> which cannot be linked to the pass phrase.  If and how one would
> like to deal with such matters is another question.

Everyone please remember that the Z-machine's text encoding was created, 
in part, to prevent users from reading the game text! (The other part was 
compression, of course.)

Nowadays we don't even think of it as a security measure, because the 
first thing the Z-machine investigators did was crack it.

If the interpreter can display the game text, a tool will be written to 
display the game text. We somehow manage to live with the possibility.

--Z

-- 

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
