mirror of https://github.com/dirtbags/moth.git
51 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
51 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
Tokens
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======
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We used to use tokens extensively for categories outside of MOTH
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(like scavenger hunts, Dirtbags Tanks, and other standalone stuff).
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We still occasionally pull out tokens to deal with oddball categories
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that we want to score alongside MOTH categories.
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Here's how they work.
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Description
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------------
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Tokens are a 3-tuple:
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> (category, points, nonce)
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We build a mothball with nothing but `answers.txt`,
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and a special 1-point puzzle that uses JavaScript to parse and submit tokens.
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Generally, tokens use colon separators, so they look like this:
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category:12:xunap-motex
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Uniqueness
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--------
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Because they work just like normal categories,
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you can't have two distinct tokens worth the same number of points.
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When we need two or more tokens worth the same amount,
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we make the point values very high,
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so the least significant digit doesn't have much impact on the overall value.
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For instance:
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category:1000001:xylep-nanox
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category:1000002:xenod-relix
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category:1000003:xoter-darox
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Entropy
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-------
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3 octets provides 24 bits of entropy. This gives 16777216 possible
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tokens in each category. The longest contest yet run lasted 24 hours,
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which would give 2^24/24/60 = 11650 tokens per category per minute. I
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think this is a large enough pool to discourage brute-force attacks.
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Assuming /dev/urandom is as good as is claimed, brute-force would be the
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only way to attack it.
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