Chaosforge Forum

Other Roguelikes => DiabloRL => Topic started by: Kornel Kisielewicz on November 27, 2006, 02:18

Title: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on November 27, 2006, 02:18
Okay, as you all probably know, the data files for Diablo are "open" - that is you can edit them as you like, and make the game ridiculously easy for example. Not to mention spoiling yourself to death ^_^. I don't know what to do with that (if anything) - lately I recieved a DiabloRL fanmail, that *demanded* I close the files.

Reasons for keeping open:
* Modding!
* Easy to read spoilers

Reasons for closing:
* Avoiding spoilers
* Avoiding fake mortems
* Avoiding cheating
* Keeping unsolved secrets :)
* More of a mystery

Cast your vote and comment!
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: schnaader on November 28, 2006, 06:13
Reasons for keeping open:
* Modding!
* Easy to read spoilers

Reasons for closing:
* Avoiding spoilers
* Avoiding fake mortems
* Avoiding cheating
* Keeping unsolved secrets :)
* More of a mystery

Cast your vote and comment!

I think that data files should be kept open because of the reasons you mentioned above (modding, spoilers).

Some of the closing reasons could be bypassed:

Avoiding cheating and Avoiding fake mortems by checking if data files are the original ones (checksum or something like this). If they wouldn't be, run DiabloRL, but in a "modded" mode, so that the scores are shown in a different way and don't appear in the highscore (as soon as there is one).

Keeping unsolved secrets :) could be bypassed by hard-coding them in the .EXE-file (or putting them into a seperate encrypted data file) and only revealing them into the original data file when the secret is solved by the player (or never).

Avoiding spoilers and More of a mystery are weak arguments, I think. Being spoiled is a personal choice and if you don't want to be spoiled, you don't need to look into the data files. Same with the mystery thing for me. You can still seperate the world inside the game from the outside (the data files), so the mystery is maintained.

Greetings,
  Christian "schnaader" Schneider
---
http://schnaader.info
Damn kids. They're all alike.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on November 28, 2006, 06:30
Funny that you voted "No" :)

As for your arguments -- keeping unresolved secrets -- hardcoding in the exe-file is a real mess in the code, considering that all other data are in ini files.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: schnaader on November 28, 2006, 07:08
Funny that you voted "No" :)

Oops! After reading the post, I thought of the fanmail demand to close the file and didn't read the poll topic again. If it is possible, please someone change this to "Yes" (I didn't find a way to do it myself - is it possible?).

However, I was sure to be voting right because of the majority of people voted "No"... I am surprised by this and it would be interesting to hear more opinions about it.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on November 28, 2006, 07:14
Oops! After reading the post, I thought of the fanmail demand to close the file and didn't read the poll topic again. If it is possible, please someone change this to "Yes" (I didn't find a way to do it myself - is it possible?).
I modified the poll to allow changing of vote.

However, I was sure to be voting right because of the majority of people voted "No"... I am surprised by this and it would be interesting to hear more opinions about it.
Well it seems that majority doesn't always vote for freedom :).
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: DopeD on December 03, 2006, 17:49
Mwahaha, now the score's even :D
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on December 03, 2006, 17:56
Bastard :P
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Getix on December 17, 2006, 08:27
I'll vote for... ahem..









Sorry, tea time.. see you later. :P


IMHO Open files.. secret & strange files like ADOM's do not attract too many player.. And a file can be reverse engineeeeeeered easily..
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on December 17, 2006, 09:34
Then why are the Red Rooster, Volcano and ?oOmnipotence still unresolved in adom? ^_^
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Getix on December 17, 2006, 11:01
Then why are the Red Rooster, Volcano and ?oOmnipotence still unresolved in adom? ^_^

I'm not a Reverse Engineer or a programmer.. imho it can be done by someone very skilled.. but not so many people tries because the "no" said by Thomas.. IMHO, ovviamente.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Zephyre Syx on December 21, 2006, 18:37
How about both?

...

uhh...read under zip that's renamed into mod?
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: nokturnal on December 28, 2006, 09:46
How about both?

...

uhh...read under zip that's renamed into mod?

yeah i was thinking the same.. why not keep the original items/magic/monsters etc secret, but add support for adding new/replacing stuff.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Supernaut on January 05, 2007, 03:05
Not now i think. No need for spoilers. And I really don't give a damn about cheating. It's a SP game.
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: A Tout Le Monde on May 14, 2008, 04:53
hmmm... editing the files is fun! Wander around, obliterate everything, walk off!
Title: Re: Should DiabloRL's data files be kept open?
Post by: Jeff Anderson on May 21, 2008, 08:54
I just want someone to start working on it again.



Anyone?...


                                                                                                                    ...Please?