Fair Play Charter Proposal

Voltaire · May 26, 2003, 23:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Vev
Creating codes and breaking codes is fun, but with the computer power and complex encryption availabe on the web today, the usage of it can seriously damage the enjoy one has in this activity.

There is no need for a very hard to crack code are there are many methods available to send messages securely, for exampled: team private forums, private messages and encrypted emails. Posting of such difficult to crack messages means it is unreadable by others and some may constitute as spam.

What I am proposing is that all coded transmission on the public forum be reasonably crackable by hand given a few days. The exact definition of reasonably crackable can be discussed further below. Maybe a clue is given into the general type of encoding used.

What is everyone’s opinion on the above proposition put forth by Comrade Vev? In my ever so humble opinion we need to consider it seriously seeing as it would introduce another element to the game outside of SMAC/X itself, an RP element that would be rather amusing if nothing else.

Haon · May 27, 2003, 05:38

I just have a hate for numerical related number crunching, My idea of "Role Playing Fun" does not constitute toiling over pages and pages of ones and zeros looking for paterns when I could be playing or studying. While I dont see why other teams can't have codes, but I dont want them to be so vital for other players to crack.

Hercules · May 27, 2003, 07:44

All those ones and zeros. I thought it was just annoying spam.

And two I don't see the need for 'crackable' codes anyway.

Cong rat ul at ion syo uhav ewon ake gofxen orum

Maniac · May 27, 2003, 08:18

Binary only fits in the Cybernetic roleplay experience. Other factions shouldn't be using them.

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 09:17

I agree with Maniac. We wish to RP our faction as seems reasonable. Such a group could use binary, and would code it well. Our messages are for fun, not necessarily to be broken. I think such a charter would diminish fun rather than heighten it. However, I suggest other factions use different codes, rather than binary. Binary is sensible for Cyborg's, but no normal faction would do that. Surely they would have their own different specialties, and not copy ours.

Our messages are not important, and usually revolve around private jokes, because we find it fun. There will be many more CyCon plot lines built around codes and binary.

Also, I think any such charter would have to be volantary. If you wish to sign up to it, do, but do not force it on others. We want to RP in line with how our faction seems, and binary is that.

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 10:08

And we're RPing our KGB style secret police, so we have to try and crack the codes, and make our own, of course.... but all our codes WILL be crackable by hand, like the CyCon's first code(s). Vev's just suggesting it would be more fun if people don't use 6-rotor "enigma" encryptions, because that would not be fun for those people that RP secret policemen and agents.

I'm for a voluntary charter.

-Jam

Vev · May 27, 2003, 10:23

I prefer to work in hex, it is more compact and less likely to cause blindness after excessive staring, unlike binary

.

MRT144 · May 27, 2003, 11:14

this is a nightmare

Cedayon · May 27, 2003, 12:10

The code's just for fun, folks, we're not talking about anything all that important in all those 1s and 0s... we're a cybernetic faction, it's an RP thing... if you don't want to try to crack it, then don't, if you want to, then go right ahead

If us talking in coded binary is truly offensive to some people I wouldn't mind stopping, but otherwise I think this "Don't talk in difficult-to-crack-code" stuff is fit for the recycling tanks.

... Of course, I'm somewhat biased, as I'm the one that spent several hours developing the current CyCon code (it's not easily crackable, I didn't intend it to be, but it's not an "enigma" code), and this feels more than a bit like "We can't beat it, so we want to outlaw it" ... if that's really what you all want, then fine, but why?

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 12:19

I think what Vev is saying, quite reasonably, is that if you want to post in code in the public forums, then fine, but it should be possible to crack the code, otherwise its just annoying spam. Is that unreasonable?

-Jam

Cedayon · May 27, 2003, 12:24

No, that's quite reasonable. The current CyCon code is quite possible to crack, it just requires a good deal more effort than the previous one. Think out of the box, young grasshopper

MRT144 · May 27, 2003, 13:40

the whole reason the 1s and 0s are stupid is because the only people who can understand it can talk in private to one another...

Googlie · May 27, 2003, 14:05

well ... semi-private

And no game rules are being broken, so it's quite innocuous.

G.

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 14:13

MRT: Yes we can talk in private, but it's far more fun for us to have jokes about various factions (most usually our own) in the public forum. The whole skirting with danger thing, and also the irony of writing it about things with everyone else oblivious to what we say. It's just a bit of fun.

Maniac · May 27, 2003, 14:25

Indeed! Is it not allowed for cyborgs to have some fun perhaps??

Alex · May 27, 2003, 14:33

Bah, leave them babbling out their incoherent 1s and 0s, we'll be thrashing them anyway... Instead of cracking their code, we'll crack their skulls.

Static Universe · May 27, 2003, 16:36

Interesting idea, but I don't think we should have a rule on whether codes should be "crackable" or not. If they are, they are. If they aren't, they aren't. Who's to say? Do we also need a requirement that each faction needs to include a math wiz? I say let the situation continue as it is.

MRT144 · May 27, 2003, 17:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Drogue
MRT: Yes we can talk in private, but it's far more fun for us to have jokes about various factions (most usually our own) in the public forum. The whole skirting with danger thing, and also the irony of writing it about things with everyone else oblivious to what we say. It's just a bit of fun.

were you picked on in the childrens creche growing up?

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 18:11

Nope, picking on children is illogical, we were all that intelligent

Cedayon · May 27, 2003, 18:39

Quote:

Do we also need a requirement that each faction needs to include a math wiz?

No need for a math wiz, I didn't do any actual cryptography or anything.

Vev · May 27, 2003, 18:47

Coming with a code is easy (just as long as it can decode), but breaking one is hard - due to the various possiblities available. The hard core ones may require lots of math knowledge, but some of the simpler ones is just pattern recognition.

Corellion · May 27, 2003, 19:55

And ours, though difficult, are not impossible. We tout how great it is, but it's all in fun. A truly determined person can crack it. Besides, what harm does it do? You can ignore the messages if you wish. As for the private forum, yes we do sometimes talk in code in there too! But what if one wants to respond to someone else's message in the public forum, but wants to add another joke/insight/whatever for other members of his/her faction?

In conclusion, I really don't see any harm in this, and see no reason for the charter.

Snowflake · May 27, 2003, 23:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Corellion
see no reason for the charter.

The reason is that Pravda said so! (or did it?) ~~But the real reason is that we have such a backlog of your previous simple coded messages to decode/translate/read how could we find any time to crack any new codes?~~ Oh god will you appear in my dream again tonight?

Corellion · May 27, 2003, 23:52

Only if you have a Cybernetic implant that happens to be attuned to the right frequency, but even then that's only isolated fragments of our communal thought. And if you do have a cybernetic implant, perhaps you joined the wrong faction?

Snowflake · May 28, 2003, 00:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Corellion
Only if you have a Cybernetic implant that happens to be attuned to the right frequency, but even then that's only isolated fragments of our communal thought. And if you do have a cybernetic implant, perhaps you joined the wrong faction?

Have you heard of the "long lost super sense"? I heard that people with experiences of being electrified or nerve stapled sometimes produce offsprings that possess such super abilities.

Quote:

Recent scientific discoveries suggest the startling truth that human emotion is a long lost sensory system. Indeed, the force of human feeling is an entire supersense that both animates the body and guides the mind along a purposeful destiny path. What has historically been labeled as “spirit” is nothing more---and nothing less---than the supersense of emotion, a universal energy force that integrates and guides the choices of all material self-units in a “right” self-regulated yet harmonious co-creative eco-dance. -- http://www.localaccess.com/kobie/emotionalSS.html

Have you noticed my warlord status? I have been writing down every thought that appeared in my head during the time when I was half awake. I'm going to take a nap now.

Snowflake · May 28, 2003, 00:20

Quote:

human emotion is a long lost sensory system

Oh I forgot that you Cycons are against emotions.

Corellion · May 28, 2003, 00:35

Indeed. Make not that mistake again... one needs not a supersense when one has a communal consciousness. And you Hiverians believe you work for the group.

FlameFlash · May 28, 2003, 00:46

You see, to me it's useless, time-wasting spam. I come on to read messages since soandso user has posted a new message and I follow the link and find just more binary.

I don't care if you can decode it, if somebody else can figure out how to decode it, or if it's all just a bunch of 1s and 0s I still look at it as simple

that takes some 48.8k time from my surfing 'poly and slows down all my tabs' load times because of it.

Private jokes are fine and dandy at the expense of the other factions you blankety Parrots, but there's a matter of respect here for a fellow 'poly poster who gets overly excited at the thought of a new message to read that seems to be lacking consideration.

Snowflake · May 28, 2003, 00:48

Yes we do work for the group. That's what those drafted notes of thoughts for. And that's the reason I was promoted to the position of ~~sensored by the department of misinformation~~ warlord.

Vev · May 28, 2003, 00:54

Coming up with a funny code, now that will be interesting.