Determining Lat/Long for Inactive Zones

[+Tequila]

Apologies if this has been discussed.

 

I am curious if the cheaters are able to take an object code and determine the lat/long of the various zones regardless of the zone status.

 

In other words, can they map out the locations of the zones without every leaving their PC?

 

I DO NOT want to know how to do it. Just want to know if I am wasting my time trying to thwart thm.

 

Thx.

 

T

[matejcik]

i can do it; and if i can, in all likelihood somebody else can too.

 

you would need to decompile the cartridge to do it, or convince the emulator that the cartridge is locally published (i think the latter can be done too, but i'm not sure which way is less difficult) so that it would show even hidden zones

 

whatever you include in the cartridge can be read. status of it doesn't matter. only way to work around this is not to include something.

for instance, include an "encrypted" version of the data (zone points) and use some local information to "decrypt".

create a zone that is offset by a specific vector from its desired location.

then, ask a player to input something like a serial number of a lamp post on the starting coordinates. use that number to calculate the vector and move the zone to where it belongs.

[+Tequila]

Thank you. I suspected as much. Unfortunately, moving zones is a bit beyond my capability.

[+sTeamTraen]

Thank you. I suspected as much. Unfortunately, moving zones is a bit beyond my capability.

Actually, it's only a "waffer-theen" few lines of code. When you check the "Play anywhere" box in Earwigo, code to move all of the zones which runs a couple of seconds after the cartridge is started, is added to the cartridge Lua file. You're welcome to take those lines and add them to your cartridge to run when you like.

[+Tequila]

Thank You. I had a quick look and it does seem like I might be able to make it work. Thx.

[+Keith Watson]

Dumping out zone data is easier than you think. It does not require de-compiling anything. I had to do this once to prove that a cartridge had been created in a way as to punish specific cachers after being contacted by some other cachers to look into it..

 

If you are looking to thwart “cheaters” about the best thing you can do is require information that is located in a zone be inputted into the player to continue on.