>On-topic question: what would folks suggest as the best text entry system
>for a secret message encryption cartridge? I'm thinking paddles because
>the keyboard controllers are harder to find, and don't have enough keys
>to cover the alphabet.
If you don't want to use the keyboard, I think the easiest method for
the user would be to move a cursor with the joystick over the alphabet
or over a scrolling alphabet, like many 8bit games used for their high
score lists.
>Playfield graphics for the text, variable width font to maximize how much
>text can be displayed. 4K standard cart should do it, no Supercharger
>required.
I don't know, if the 12 sprites text modes in Dark Mage and Bob Colbert's
scrolling demo require SC RAM, but they would allow better output and
more text on the screen, than a playfield routine could provide.
>The program would use straight or triple DES, so it couldn't be exported
>or posted to STELLA (but that's part of the point, actually, since
>encryption restrictions look silly when a 2600 cart can be banned.)
You could use ENIGMA encryption instead. The interface would be a lot
simpler and the encryption results would be ready before the VCS burns
out. Also export wouldn't be restricted, right? :-)
On the other hand, the challenge wouldn't be that big, but maybe you
can include crypto analysis routines as well. :-)
Ciao, Eckhard Stolberg
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