tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post76908748009646076..comments2024-03-29T10:25:14.642+00:00Comments on RevK<sup>®</sup>'s ramblings: Gone loopyRevKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369263214193333422noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-13646351046738321902010-08-13T13:06:46.412+01:002010-08-13T13:06:46.412+01:00This game is evil :)
This would be a killer app o...This game is evil :)<br /><br />This would be a killer app on Android. Had a look on the Android market place and couldn't find anything like it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-39889492384381452872010-08-12T19:02:56.865+01:002010-08-12T19:02:56.865+01:00Well, Eleanor from Cambridge Uni, you are the king...Well, Eleanor from Cambridge Uni, you are the king. Do post on here...<br /><br />And have you found the Easter egg yet?RevKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369263214193333422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-46135502031290196492010-08-11T22:02:05.789+01:002010-08-11T22:02:05.789+01:00Simple, each join between cells is either there or...Simple, each join between cells is either there or not, randomly, then all cells are rotated a random amount. That is all.RevKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369263214193333422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-21062261737789389222010-08-11T21:41:14.545+01:002010-08-11T21:41:14.545+01:00Hey, cool game.
I'm wondering - what algorith...Hey, cool game.<br /><br />I'm wondering - what algorithm is used to generate a new game?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-17197051141683738282010-08-11T19:45:50.962+01:002010-08-11T19:45:50.962+01:00OK, here is the geek bit :-)
How do you make sure...OK, here is the geek bit :-)<br /><br />How do you make sure people can't hack the leader board? The final stage when solved is to take a name and post a form to record the result. This could easily be hacked...<br /><br />First, when the game is made we create a unique reference and a time stamp, and make an SHA1 hash of the reference, timestamp, the game, and a secret.<br /><br />For the hash, the game has to be normalised, i.e. all pieces treated as one of 6 shapes from the 16 combinations. This is because there can be mutliple solutions to a game so we can't simply check the solution is the right one using a hash.<br /><br />When the game finishes this original hash, and the complete final layout of the game is posted along with the name and time.<br /><br />This allows the code to check that it is a game we served (check the hash), not a duplicate (check the unique reference), is solved (check the layout sent), and check the overall time from serving to posting to leader board (check the timestamp).<br /><br />We do record in-game time from first click to solved as the leader board time, and so you could fake that but by recording the total time, this can be spotted too.<br /><br />All a good fun exercise in security of web applications.RevKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369263214193333422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3993498847203183398.post-18975566116585166592010-08-11T12:41:02.124+01:002010-08-11T12:41:02.124+01:00OK, James is knocking up a leader board, and I am ...OK, James is knocking up a leader board, and I am adding code to validate that the game was one we served and has been solved so as to minimise leader board hackery..<br /><br />Of course you have to ask about IPR. More than happy to credit the creator of the game, of course. It is a great game.<br /><br />But then you wonder about IPR. There are, I believe three main areas :-<br /><br />1. Copyright. Having not seen the source code of the flash or iPad (or any) version, the game we made is not a "copy" of the code. The artwork we made is created from scratch using svgs and not a copy. It is a copy of the "idea" which is not covered by copyright.<br /><br />2. Trade mark. This is a good point. The name "loops of zen" may be a trade mark. If that is the case I am happy to pick a new name...<br /><br />3. Patent. This protects "ideas", and so if there is a patent in the game then our version is infringing that even though not a copy of the code or artwork. Patents are country specific, so it would have to be patented in the UK though and a search on the UK patent office web site throws nothing up.<br /><br />So, in short, if we are infringing IPR, I'll be happy to change so as not be, or remove the site. I suspect we are not.RevKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369263214193333422noreply@blogger.com