1995 DOS game opensourced, needs hacker love (opens in new tab)

(github.com)

63 pointsLaPingvino15y ago13 comments

13 comments

12 comments · 3 top-level

LaPingvinoOP15y ago· 5 in thread

Biggest question for me: is someone motivated enough to fork it and lead further development? Or should I create a mailing list and ask people to join there?

Groxx15y ago

Biggest question for me: what is it? Have any screenshots / text examples? I've never heard of it, and now that this has been done, it's impossible to Google for.

I'm semi-perversely interested in porting it to Javascript :) But it'd strictly be a spare-time-when-I-feel-like-it-and-am-not-on-HN kind of project.

LaPingvinoOP15y ago

You can find it on Home of The Underdog. The official site got lost some rewrites ago, but there will probably come some new site again. I could add compiled versions to the repository for reference... It's a sokoban-like game, but a lot more enjoyable.

The .exe and the data files: http://plasmaworks.com/files/pits/pits95.zip

The level editor (Source Code got lost, but Apache-license is also valid for this one. If someone can disassemble it and create some maintainable sourcecode from it, very welcome) http://plasmaworks.com/files/pits/pitsedit.zip

Screenshot for reference (more googling for puzzle pits): http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.old-games.com...

1 more reply

DarkShikari15y ago

You might want to look at how some successful similar projects did this, such as The Ur-Quan Masters (Star Control 2).

learninglemur15y ago

I might be interested in getting this to work on linux. One question is, what license are the data files under, and if you could include them in the git repository.

LaPingvinoOP15y ago

All related files are Apache-licensed, as by consent of Abe Pralle (and in case of doubt, just mail him!)

I will include the data-files in the repository. This is the very first release, and it's far from perfect as it is of course.

udoprog15y ago· 3 in thread

Just had to have a look, love the following tidbit from FILE.C

    char cryptkey[]={'M'-4,'i'-8,'n'-12,'d'-16,'y'-20,0};

    LONG Encrypt(char far *data,char *key)
    {
      LONG i=0,keypos=0;

      while(data[i]!=0){
        data[i++]^=key[keypos++];
        if(key[keypos]==0) keypos=0;
      }
      return i;
    }

Coupled with the following quote from the preface of Bruce Schneier's Applied Cryptography

"The simple-XOR algorithm is really an embarrassment; it’s nothing more than a Vigenère polyalphabetic cipher. It’s here only because of its prevalence in commercial software packages, at least those in the MS-DOS and Macintosh worlds [1502,1387]."

tptacek15y ago

But if I switched "Mindy" to some other girl's name, would you know how to break it? :)

mahmud15y ago

I wonder who Mindy is :-)

yuhong15y ago

>because of its prevalence in commercial software packages, at least those in the MS-DOS and Macintosh worlds

Wonder why.

archgoon15y ago· 1 in thread

Does this currently compile in a DOS emulator using djgpp?

mahmud15y ago

You might need to factor out the TASM code hidden in pragmas in SETMODE.H first. Better yet, remove all asm and retarget for something less arcane, like Allegro or even SDL.

If you want to keep it as is, Turbo C is free online, from Borland.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

13 comments

12 comments · 3 top-level

LaPingvinoOP15y ago· 5 in thread

Biggest question for me: is someone motivated enough to fork it and lead further development? Or should I create a mailing list and ask people to join there?

Groxx15y ago

Biggest question for me: what is it? Have any screenshots / text examples? I've never heard of it, and now that this has been done, it's impossible to Google for.

I'm semi-perversely interested in porting it to Javascript :) But it'd strictly be a spare-time-when-I-feel-like-it-and-am-not-on-HN kind of project.

LaPingvinoOP15y ago

The .exe and the data files: http://plasmaworks.com/files/pits/pits95.zip

Screenshot for reference (more googling for puzzle pits): http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.old-games.com...

1 more reply

DarkShikari15y ago

You might want to look at how some successful similar projects did this, such as The Ur-Quan Masters (Star Control 2).

learninglemur15y ago

I might be interested in getting this to work on linux. One question is, what license are the data files under, and if you could include them in the git repository.

LaPingvinoOP15y ago

All related files are Apache-licensed, as by consent of Abe Pralle (and in case of doubt, just mail him!)

I will include the data-files in the repository. This is the very first release, and it's far from perfect as it is of course.

udoprog15y ago· 3 in thread

Just had to have a look, love the following tidbit from FILE.C

    char cryptkey[]={'M'-4,'i'-8,'n'-12,'d'-16,'y'-20,0};

    LONG Encrypt(char far *data,char *key)
    {
      LONG i=0,keypos=0;

      while(data[i]!=0){
        data[i++]^=key[keypos++];
        if(key[keypos]==0) keypos=0;
      }
      return i;
    }

Coupled with the following quote from the preface of Bruce Schneier's Applied Cryptography

tptacek15y ago

But if I switched "Mindy" to some other girl's name, would you know how to break it? :)

mahmud15y ago

I wonder who Mindy is :-)

yuhong15y ago

>because of its prevalence in commercial software packages, at least those in the MS-DOS and Macintosh worlds

Wonder why.

archgoon15y ago· 1 in thread

Does this currently compile in a DOS emulator using djgpp?

mahmud15y ago

You might need to factor out the TASM code hidden in pragmas in SETMODE.H first. Better yet, remove all asm and retarget for something less arcane, like Allegro or even SDL.

If you want to keep it as is, Turbo C is free online, from Borland.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse