Famous findings

XFox Prower · Oct 16, 2003

I notice in some hacking docs, there have been things like compression formats named after the person who discovered and documented it. I have started a hacking doc of my own for a game and as I tabled the data more and more, I noticed the stuff I knew already became even more redundant in pattern. I can't wait to finish it. But how do I go about reporting my findings so they are known just as well as the hacking docs already out there? I don't want to be a stepping stone for someone to take my idea for their own. How does it work?

Simon · Oct 16, 2003

You have to let as many people as possible know about your findings, right after it has been discovered. Naturally this simply means posting your discoveries on different message boards. Communicate with the public.

There's no rule about this... but you can always request to name your findings, although it's up to the public to decide whether it's accepted or not.

If all goes well, other hacking guides will start to document your findings, with credit given.

This usually applies to factual, technical stuff that an average Joe on the street can't come up with, such as finding a hidden sprite (NOT through cycling debug objects) or cracking an algorithm. Ideas and "theories" are generally not well credited.

XFox Prower · Oct 17, 2003

Simon said:

You have to let as many people as possible know about your findings, right after it has been discovered. Naturally this simply means posting your discoveries on different message boards. Communicate with the public.

There's no rule about this... but you can always request to name your findings, although it's up to the public to decide whether it's accepted or not.

If all goes well, other hacking guides will start to document your findings, with credit given.

This usually applies to factual, technical stuff that an average Joe on the street can't come up with, such as finding a hidden sprite (NOT through cycling debug objects) or cracking an algorithm. Ideas and "theories" are generally not well credited.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I notice that all those who have found things are highly respected and are becoming more well known. I'll have the specs put together soon. I'm documenting the ways that the password system works in Tails Adventures. I've had a generator for the passwords up for awhile showing rapid improvement. It went from 60 kb, to 10 kb, and I may have found that the parameters I feed each function may be writing themselves with an equation. And I know there hasn't been anyone else who has got this far or has had findings on this game, so that gives me even more motivation.

Qjimbo · Oct 20, 2003

Tails Adventures eh? Intresting...
Then again I did find all the passwords for Sonic 6 <shudders>
Good Luck making your name well known, I've been trying for 3 years!

Timecrash · Oct 20, 2003

XFoxPrower said:

I'm documenting the ways that the password system works in Tails Adventures. I've had a generator for the passwords up for awhile showing rapid improvement. It went from 60 kb, to 10 kb, and I may have found that the parameters I feed each function may be writing themselves with an equation. And I know there hasn't been anyone else who has got this far or has had findings on this game, so that gives me even more motivation.
Click to expand...

Maybe now you can actually go to different levels! (It's only a joke, so don't get all mad and Caps Lock on me). Good luck with the hacking guide!

Rob Jinnai · Oct 20, 2003

Heh. Sometimes the stuff you do isn't something that'll get you famous. I properly decoded the B16 graphic format and later the much more intricate AN2 format of the El-Hazard Sega Saturn game. The latter was a real trial and I actually only got it about 75% of the way. Some extended parameters I chose just to drop and reemulate. Hence why the PC release of the Saturn game comes with identically named ".2NA" files. Almost the same data, only a little larger in some cases to compensate for what I just couldn't quite get.

But alas... there aren't many who speak about my work for the Saturn->PC project. They liked the GBA port but ... I think that was more because an amateur GBA project of large-scale proportions, not because someone broke down the El-Hazard Saturn game. Fame just doesn't always reach you the way you want it to. :P

XFox Prower · Oct 20, 2003

At the moment (a little side project not too far off) I'm redoing my password generator with a GUI for the items and map. It shouldn't be too demanding on loading times and it can make it much more user friendly. Then I'll continue with the doc. The technical part seems more fun then the writing (I'm not too good with writing). I'm sure I'll atleast have all the fame from the Tails Fans .

<edit>
You can check http://scorpius.spaceports.com/~xfox/games/ta for its progress. I'm updating it constantly. So far you can click on Volcanic Tunnel and the level title graphic updates. You can also click it to make the level enabled. Its just the graphics and effects right now. I haven't any script for the generator other than for changing stages to being enabled or disabled yet. Swappable images from the script are now being preloaded.

Oh no, what will I do with Coco Island and Lake Rocky? Lake Rocky has no flashing light to use and Coco Island disappears and becomes Battle Fortress at the end of the game. Okay I think I'll go back to the doc now.
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