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Re: "message pane" scraper Fri, 20 September 2013 02:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
Lt. Commander

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My fleetnames could come from my own fleet report of course. need to check if they are unique (or decode that hint block)

Bah - they can't, When I rename a fleet I don't keep the ID at the end - and the fleet ID isn't exported, just the name.


[Updated on: Tue, 24 September 2013 08:52]

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Re: "message pane" scraper Tue, 08 October 2013 09:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
Lt. Commander

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One other thing that would be nice to have - F10 data - score, numbers of planets/ships/res etc. and position...

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sat, 22 March 2014 20:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LittleEddie is currently offline LittleEddie

 
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Hello,

I'm now getting ready to work on some coding and I'm laying out my Stars helper using the output from here.

Looking over things, it would be nice to be able to download the current .x file blocks for the turn just completed ie, what I'm doing for this turn. From the thread the information is get-able

The idea is to be able to see the last few years in one snapshot, for a planet say, you could see the last few years of production. With the current output you just see the results of the turn, not the turn. Currently I have to open last year to see if I really did order a fleet to only move 25lys. I would like to be able to see what I put into the queue and not just what's left.

What I want to do is make a game database with this information for each year, so each record would have the current game year plus one row from each CSV file.

Thank you


[Updated on: Sat, 22 March 2014 20:21]

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sun, 23 March 2014 06:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
Lt. Commander

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There is no reason the X file couldn't be scraped.

There is a rough plan to write the X file as well, maybe start to build a better AI Wink

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sun, 23 March 2014 07:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
Commander

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XAPBob wrote on Sun, 23 March 2014 11:02
There is no reason the X file couldn't be scraped.

There is a rough plan to write the X file as well, maybe start to build a better AI Wink

Any guesses about when will that start to happen? I have a lot of "helper apps" that would really like to interact with the X file itself, both reading and writing. Twisted Evil



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In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sun, 23 March 2014 08:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
Lt. Commander

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If I get hold of the scraper source* I might be able to look at designing an interface - but my time is slightly limited and repeating the work already done isn't attractive.

I am aware that there is an issue around the crypto code being released, but I'm not sure how much of an issue that is with games here - but of course there are games played elsewhere, where the code being released would be "tempting".

I also wonder how hard it is to reverse engineer (on the basis that it has been done once (or more) already).

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sun, 23 March 2014 20:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
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XAPBob wrote on Sun, 23 March 2014 13:16
I also wonder how hard it is to reverse engineer (on the basis that it has been done once (or more) already).

Safest route is to build an X-file "sanitizer" tool that simplifies cheat-catching/nullifying. Work at computer



So many Stars, so few Missiles!

In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 03:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
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And trigger the "empire" cheat protection code if detected...

Doesn't solve the issue of publishing the crypto code (which I would have no intention of doing, but anything that prepares X files has the potential to assist a reverse engineering effort).

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 05:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
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XAPBob wrote on Mon, 24 March 2014 08:10
Doesn't solve the issue of publishing the crypto code

Which wouldn't be nearly as dangerous if there was a simple way to detect/quash cheats. Cheats that nobody knows for sure aren't going on already. Confused



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In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 06:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
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Thinking outside SAH for a moment - the ability to open someone else's file is very dangerous - and not detectable by analysis of x files.

At SAH we are OK, because we can't access each others files. But there are other places to play, and we wouldn't want to break other communities.

That's the risk of the crypto code going wild.


OTOH I recall someone saying that the crypto wasn't particularly secure - so there is a level of "difficulty" which people have to overcome before they can exploit this, and whether a closed source module (because the crypto would have to be) would significantly lower than bar is questionable.


[Updated on: Mon, 24 March 2014 06:49]

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 07:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
Commander

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XAPBob wrote on Mon, 24 March 2014 11:47
Thinking outside SAH for a moment - the ability to open someone else's file is very dangerous - and not detectable by analysis of x files.

Indeed. Though "lucky streaks" can be detected and studied too. Sherlock

Still, it makes sense for all communities to protect file access. Whip

The problem is that indeed, the crypto is far from unbreakable, and nobody knows how many exploits are out there "in the wild" already.

If it was my task to fix the problem, I'd upgrade the lock and stop worrying about possible old keys laying around. In other words, get the necessary framework up for thorough m-file & x-file cleansing, de-bugging, sanitizing, and cheat-stomping. Hit over head



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In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 07:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
XAPBob is currently offline XAPBob

 
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yep, upgrading the lock is hard.
putting a deadbolt onsome of the cheats/exploits/bugs etc. however...

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Re: "message pane" scraper Mon, 24 March 2014 15:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
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XAPBob wrote on Mon, 24 March 2014 12:49
yep, upgrading the lock is hard.
putting a deadbolt onsome of the cheats/exploits/bugs etc. however...

Enclose the partially-unlocked box into a bigger box that filters/sanitizes/fixes/reports all input/output? Teleport



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In space no one can hear you scheme! Deal

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sun, 30 March 2014 09:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LittleEddie is currently offline LittleEddie

 
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I have two versions of the tool and I can't remember which one is the current one?

In the Designs output file one has columns for BuiltCount & Remaining Count and the other doesn't, which is the current release?

Also in the Designs output file(both versions) the Category0 to 15 data goes like 0,1,2,4,8,16.....4096, I would think it should be 0 to 12. I can use
"IF Category# > 2 then Category# = INT(LOG(Category#, 2))" to convert it as it is. (using simple code here, I'm using C# to code).

The two version also handles empty multiuse slots differently with one the category is '0' and the BuiltCount one is '6144'.

Thank you

Edit: I'm building a Fuel calculator with planet/fleet selector for X:Y and changes in the size of the cargo during multi turn trips & automate the Attractiveness calculator.

Edit2. It looks like the with 'BuildCount' is the current version, 1 sept 2013.


[Updated on: Sun, 30 March 2014 09:59]

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Re: "message pane" scraper Tue, 08 July 2014 15:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LittleEddie is currently offline LittleEddie

 
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Now that the encryption is in the public domain it would save a lot of work by others if XyliGUN StarsPlayerTool source code could be released.

OR you may as well add in the worm hole, mt and anything else since that's all going to be out there anyways.

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Re: "message pane" scraper Sat, 19 July 2014 12:25 Go to previous message
m.a@stars is currently offline m.a@stars

 
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I've emailed him. Perhaps we'll get lucky and he'll be able to contribute his extensive knowledge of file structures to the creation of new great tools. Work at computer


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