Fixed location Wherigo

[+rodz]

Having set up a Mystery cache near where I live that requires finding values in the field, I have come across a few problems.

 

1) it is very easy to open the complied (gwc) file with a text editor. Et voila, there are the answers! How can I get round this? Of course if I was tempted with an easy/sneaky way of completing it, then I would do it. However I would like to remove this temptation. I know I can do stuff with the logging file to check whether it was done in the field but it that brings me to point 2 below.

 

2) I would like to be able to make a cartridge unplayable with the emulator. Is this possible? The above solution would help some way towards negating this need. But I was wondering if there is an option to set so that it can only be played for "real" in the field?

 

3) I am a bit puzzled by the unlock codes used on the site. How do I set one? I uploaded a cartridge thinking there would be an option to set one when I did so - or does it have to be set in the cartridge. Maybe I missed something somewhere. Again if the code is in plain text in the complied file then it would be obvious.

 

Thanks.

[Ranger Fox]

Try this solution, then. I haven't tried it myself, only thought of it.

 

I was curious as to what the emulator states as the elevation. It in fact does not give one, a zero. When the player opens the cartridge, have a test for that as the player enters the first zone. If the elevation is not close to what is actually at that location, or is outright zero, you know the player is using the emulator. Use the elevation in an if-then-else check: if the elevation is zero, don't display the next done and display your cheat message; if it is not, continue the game normally.

 

I may need to warn you that not all portable GPSrs may provide an elevation reading. For instance, when a Wherigo phone player is released, old PDA GPSrs, and the like. But at the moment, I do not see a way around the elevation check when working in the player.

 

To make sure people have completed the cartridge, have them upload the cartridge to the server. Unlock codes can be circulated or found by opening the compiled cartridge's code. It looks like the compiled cartridge includes the downloading cacher's handle in it, so there may be little chance of cheating, supposing there is a hash check imposed on the plain text cacher's handle when the completed cartridge is checked.