saxman

Here's a list of what I've seen at the forums from some people: - Complaining occured when I said "Sonic engine to end all Sonic engines". That was just a big "click me" whoring topic title... big deal right? Yeah apparently that was the case and there was plenty of discussion over that. - Complaining also occured when I did that little spoof version of the SatAM game I talked a little about. I can understand how I probably should have put up a better disclaimer, but people again blew it out of proportion. I was scolded over an innocent and understandable mistake. - I give people a week to do this in hope maybe there would be a few individuals willing to try the encryption. Now the offensive part isn't the lack of interest that is evident, it's that somehow me stating a week gets more attention than anything else. I would rather have 0 replies than to have someone point that out. So I reacted... then has the nerve to continue talking about something I don't care anything about. - A few other examples... that should be enough to give you an idea though. So anyone want to know why I got so jumpy? It's because of the crap I've seen around here before. And heck, newbie bashing on occasions has been a big turnoff for me too. I am not going to call this a terrible place -- I've been to some of them, but I really just don't like some of the 'elitist' attitudes around here that I have seen before and saw again this time. It might look small to someone like Midiman, but I for one am tired of it because I've seen a little too much of it over the time I've been here. And why a person can't make a topic where someone won't reply UNLESS a certain person wants to criticize me for something that isn't even the focus of the topic, beats me. You haven't tried it, how can you make a claim? See this is what I'm saying right here -- I can't get a reply out of you that isn't criticism. It's ALWAYS criticism. If you don't reply, that'd be a whole lot better. I'm very largely open to criticism as I have demonstrated many times on these forums, but you're going too far with it when all you ever bother to say in a topic like this is criticism. That's why your first post got me fired up -- didn't have any interest in saying anything else that I was interested in hearing, but you had to point out that somehow I was trying to hype stuff. I can handle this criticism a couple times, but I've gotten this too many times at SFGHQ to deal with it lightly.It's time for me to go somewhere more grown-up (like the other forums I already visit), so goodbye SFGHQ.

You're telling me what to do and what not to do, but you haven't even attempted to crack the format yet. I have cracked formats and encryption before, I know what's involved. I'm not a genius at it by any means, but I understand it. You can't reverse engineer my code and figure out "this is what it does". It would take a long time with a typical program (Sonic compressions that were only cracked by figuring out the code in the games took many years), so it's not easy. But I'm smart enough to break apart the algorithm into segments to make it more scrambled and harder to piece together the assembly. Now again, can you crack it or not? If you can, bravo. If not, why aren't you trying? This isn't about "how to properly design encryption", this is "try to crack it". So stop this foolish arrogance of yours. I'm tired of getting off-point replies from those who can do nothing but pick at dumb crap I didn't ask about (the words I use and how I say things is mainly what I'm pointing out, which become the discussion quite often at these forums), and I know others are tired of reading it too. I told you what I want out of this topic, so you either deal what the topic asks of you or stop blabbering to me about how I'm wrong and how you're incredibly smart (especially since you haven't even cracked the format yet).

You're right I am sensitive because apparently the words I choose always make headlines and covers up what I'm trying to discuss, because people like yourself make it that way. It must be a trend at these forums, because I never have that problem elsewhere. Perhaps I should go elsewhere. Just because you have a program doesn't mean you can simply use it to figure out an encryption. Even with dozens of encrypted and decrypted sets of files to compare, it's not necessarily easy. Since I'll never release the source to this, nobody will ever see the actual code. Otherwise the files created with it wouldn't be very safe. Both the input and output files are correct. What you found is no mistake. And 88.8% compression is also correct -- I already said it didn't compare to ZIP and RAR and other formats. But as a data encryption format, it might be valueable... unless it's extremely easy to crack (which is what I want to find out), in that case I'll consider going back to the drawing board.

You know, I'm sick of being criticized for what I say and how I say it. I have gotten it constantly on these forums. If that's all you can post, just shut up. Don't want to be rude, but I'm sick of trying to be really nice all the time when I get that kind of crap. I thought since most people wouldn't want to try and crack my encryption which is really what I'm looking for, maybe I could 'offer' them something. But you have to try and step all over that idea too because I guess what I'm trying to offer isn't good enough for your taste. Well different people have different tastes. But the main message is -- either try to decrypt the thing or shut up.

I have designed an encryption/compression format I call GAO: http://dgrove.blogspot.com/2006/10/gao-encryption.html Now basically what my post says is the format doesn't compare to other popular compression formats like ZIP and RAR, but I wonder how well it works as a basic encryption format. So I wanna give anyone who knows how to use a hex editor a challenge... see if you can crack the format. I mention on my blog that if you can crack it and tell me how the format works before anyone else, you will get to test drive a ProSonic demo. It has to be done by Oct 27 though. I'm hoping nobody can crack it, but that doesn't mean don't try -- I want anyone willing to give this a try to try their very best. Any below are two files: ORIGINAL FILE ENCRYPTED FILE So is anyone willing to try and see if they can crack it? I'll tell you this -- the header is the first 8 bytes, but you don't have to try and figure out how the header works, just the encryption. Also, I didn't cheat by adding multiple layers of encryption -- it's a single layer so that it's only as vulnerable as the basic format will allow it to be. BTW: I didn't really know where to put this, but I put it here since: 1 -- offering a ProSonic demo 2 -- I will probably use this for ProSonic's PZF files.

But do you know C/C++ or Java?

I've been playing with a possible ProSonic scripting prototype. This is what I have: DOC format: http://www.comprosoftware.com/saxman/object%20Ring.doc RTF format: http://www.comprosoftware.com/saxman/object%20Ring.rtf Here's what I'm interested in from anyone viewing this topic: - Do you know any C, C++, or Java? - Does this scripting language look easy understand? Also if you have any suggestions on how I could dumb down the language to make it even easier for people who have no clue how to even begin programming, please let me know!

To address the issue of games seeming the same, it shouldn't be a problem because all the art will be customizeable. ProSonic won't actually be packaged with any art. The art and objects and such will come in seperate files downloadable from the internet somewhere (either at SFGHQ if it agrees to host a ProSonic database, or at my own site that I would set up). Hopefully when formats get finalized, I can get some people on board to help take their custom sprites and put them into the ProSonic format. This would give people a number of various choices to choose from. And as time moves on, more of these custom sprites and scripts and such will become available. But everything in the entire game graphic-wise will be customizeable. I just use CPZ in most all my screenshots because it's a good level to test on. I felt the usual talk wasn't doing any good and that people were slowly beginning to doubt me. So to catch people's attention, I wrote that outline. The examples are very effective I believe. In anything I've ever written where I tried to convince someone of something or really grab their attention, it always involved giving an example. So I knew when I began this outline that I had to load it with examples. And hopefully whenever the document gets updated again in the future, I will be able to offer even more examples. Thanks goes to everyone who has supported this project and my efforts. You can't imagine how much it means to me =)

Sometime in 2007 most likely, 2008 at the very latest. Appreciate the help though!

You won't have to worry about posting that entire thing (what you have there is only portions of the document). The links are working again (yay!!)

I did on other forums, but that was before I added the PDF version. So instead of trying to find the two links, I just link to the blog now to make it easier. But who in the world really cares how I link to it? I linked where it is found, that's all that matters. If you don't want to go to my blog to get it, use USC's link to get the DOC version. But you can't download it yet anyway because the host is still having problems apparently >_< I hope it gets resolved soon.

USC: I don't think I'll put any modes into it. The engine has some internal limits already set, most of which way more than anyone would ever need. For example -- a level can have up to 1023 objects total... who would need that many? The most I found in any Sonic 2 level was around 600, and that was a good bit higher than the number of objects found in other levels. I would make recommendations and tips though. This would help keep frame-rate fast and games running more efficiently. For example, although you can have up to 128 objects in the view at a single given time, I would recommend editing out some objects if the object count ever exceeds 60 when testing your levels. This would be written in documentation with the engine, and it might be included in a kind of "Tip" dialog box that comes up in the level editor or something. And it'll be a challenge to get 50% to use it by 2008. Originally I wanted by the end of 2007, but I felt that wasn't realistic enough. So sometime in 2008 is what I'm looking for. I honestly believe I can pull it off too. Once it's clear to people that everything they want will be right there in front of them and then some, I think a lot of them will be quick to jump on board. I'm already working with one person to develop a fan-game to be launched with my engine, and another who wanted to develop a couple playable levels of his own with the engine to also be launched with the engine. DW: It's fluffy to you, and it's a great thing to others. I've gotten a lot more feedback on this document than I ever got posting screen shots and talking about it before. People from many other forums, some I don't go to, have been talking about this. And according to some people, it actually has cleared up confusion and made them better understand what the advantages are. The outline has served it's purpose very successfully. Below is a double post that has been automagically merged into the original. Okay wow, now ComproSoftware's host is down, which means the outline can't be downloaded at this time >_< One thing gets fixed, then something else goes wrong. Well if you haven't read it yet, keep trying back. Compro tells me the host usually gets problems like this fixed very quickly, so hopefully it'll be back up shortly.

UPDATE - Links are working again! I had wanted to get this posted on the main SFGHQ news page, but I'm thinking my e-mail didn't go through (it's not the first time). The outline is available for those who haven't been keeping up with my blog. The outline explains the engine in more detail, clarifies some past confusion, and lays out exactly what benefits it will offer to each type of fan gamer. I have both DOC and PDF versions of it available. I recommend the DOC version since it's the higher quality version of the two, although there's always the PDF in case you don't like DOC files or don't have any way to view them. http://dgrove.blogspot.com/ -- look for the Sept 14 and 15 posts.

If the Dell 'works', then it's a good computer. I haven't touched this Dell other than put necessary software on it. We don't do anything except run dyno tests on it... that's it. That's no reason for all these problems to happen. It's not the fact that they shipped us a lemon that makes me so upset, it's the fact that they don't want to take responsibility for it. If they'd just say "sure, we'll re-emberse you" or "sure, we'll replace your entire machine with a new one" with a little "sorry for the inconvienience" type of thing, I'd be happy. Instead, those damn people hit you with "can't do it after 21 days" and all this other crap... even though it was never right from the start!! So yeah, I'd say Dell is a piece of crap as a company. When they get their machines right, they're great -- this one I'm on is a brand new Dell and it has no problems. But their computers are cheap for a reason... that can come with a nightmare of a price if you get one that ain't quite right. There have been an increase in unsatisfaction from Dell customers these past few years, and it has become apparent to me why. So maybe that will help clarify my position on Dell in general. I like Dells (that work)... I don't like the company anymore because they've become very very greedy, and their customer support is no longer superior. I wouldn't recommend a Dell computer to anyone anymore because there are too many bad ones, and when you get one you're stuck fighting with Dell.

Doesn't do any good. We've done that, and they give us the same stuff... "let's replace the hard drive again!!! YAY!!!"... that's NOT what's wrong with the computer. They can keep replacing this stuff all they want, and it's still not going to be right. There's something else there that's causing this stuff to go bad. The thing is, we don't have time to wait around on them either because this computer is what my dad connects his cycle dyno to, which is the #1 money-maker in his business. Without that dyno, he's hurting. That's why it's important to get this computer fixed ASAP, and so far Dell doesn't want to cooperate. It would be easier to simply send the damn thing back to them, get the money back, and buy a new "decent" computer that actually works without all this nonsense happening. So maybe a lawyer demanding they refund us is the way to handle it. We don't want to sue, we just want to make them realize we're not playing around.