is it just a clue on how to decrypt it or something else?
Presumably you took your role name and encrypted it, and there's a key for that, for a normal newspaper cryptogram that key would be what each letter in the cryptogram was, like a=g, b=f, etc. If you used the add a word method I detailed, then the key is the word you used, Tracker+Helium=YourCode, with Trackers as your role and Helium as your key. Basically encoded word (role) plus key = code. Doesn't have to be addition of course or words, that's just the easiest and least ambiguous route I could think of to suggest, you could for instance have converted your role into numbers (a=1,b=2, etc) then multiplied the entire thing by your year of birth, in which case the key would be your birth year. In cryptography, a key is what defines the output of a cipher. The thing you want to encode, the plaintext is converted to the code, the ciphertext by taking the plaintext through a cipher, a process of encryption, which is usually some mathematical process dependent on a key.
Example
Plaintext: TRACKER
Key: HELIUM
Cipher: Convert plain text and key to numbers, add them together, convert back to letters
Cipertext: BWMLFHR
In detail:
Tracker + Helium = BWMLFHR
20-18-1-3-11-5-18 + 8-5-12-9-21-3-0 = 28-23-13-12-32-8-18
Change the 28 and 32 into 2 and 6 (28-26 and 32-26) and you get
2-23-13-12-6-8-18 or BWMLFHR
Sidenote: Actually the cipher should say "add them together with a modulus of 26", modular arithmetic, which we do with clocks, is where 8+12=8, or "It's 5 now, in 10 hours it will be 3 o'clock", when adding letters converted to numbers, "Mod 26" is generally the default, a=1, b=2.... y=25,z=26,a=27, b=28 etc
So, basically, we don't really need a key, we need people's ciphers, just most of the simple but solid encryption methods tend to have a key, and one with a key that's a word is much more believable then if someone's cipher is some random number string, since you can make any darn word you feel like that way.
Hope that helped
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 05:39:03 AM
- 1696 Views
ARRRRRRR *NM*
15/09/2010 06:44:52 AM
- 531 Views
Omg. This reply cracked me up so bad.
15/09/2010 12:34:38 PM
- 860 Views
Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 12:50:18 PM
- 814 Views
Re: Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 01:29:15 PM
- 892 Views
plus...
15/09/2010 01:50:44 PM
- 786 Views
Voting Record
18/09/2010 05:41:39 AM
- 799 Views
Moving along
15/09/2010 02:47:27 PM
- 1035 Views
knife hand? *confused* *NM*
15/09/2010 10:25:01 PM
- 465 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 04:06:10 PM
- 839 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 06:23:19 PM
- 941 Views
my current suspects
15/09/2010 09:52:52 PM
- 934 Views
How is that a tactic? *NM*
15/09/2010 10:21:04 PM
- 486 Views
Day 2 EVENT: In High Spirits
18/09/2010 04:53:47 AM
- 891 Views
I think 'Aye' is probably the best choice, Vote: Aye
18/09/2010 05:24:24 AM
- 717 Views
I can
18/09/2010 05:35:29 AM
- 809 Views
Nay
18/09/2010 05:25:57 AM
- 844 Views
Any debate? Anyone in favor of Nay?
18/09/2010 07:53:56 AM
- 851 Views
We need to come up with a plan
19/09/2010 05:59:26 AM
- 836 Views
Well, here's who voted for BA:
19/09/2010 08:04:26 AM
- 811 Views
? is the logical target
19/09/2010 08:56:53 AM
- 785 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 02:10:49 AM
- 838 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 03:14:22 AM
- 768 Views
Who are your candidates for lynch?
20/09/2010 03:58:04 AM
- 814 Views
I don't have any. Especially after my fail of a push for BA
20/09/2010 04:35:23 AM
- 764 Views
I think I have a plan
20/09/2010 06:33:29 AM
- 945 Views
...erm...
20/09/2010 07:37:16 AM
- 943 Views
Crypto tricks
20/09/2010 10:13:23 AM
- 851 Views
Some thoughts...
19/09/2010 01:21:56 PM
- 757 Views
this is the first time its happened while i've been playing atleast
19/09/2010 04:52:13 PM
- 785 Views
It looks like we're proceeding with the plan so a few reminders
20/09/2010 06:35:21 PM
- 883 Views
Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
20/09/2010 06:41:22 PM
- 822 Views
Re: Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
20/09/2010 07:13:22 PM
- 801 Views
Re: Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
21/09/2010 12:04:49 AM
- 773 Views
So if I'm understanding this properly...
21/09/2010 01:38:34 AM
- 767 Views
That is correct. *NM*
21/09/2010 01:44:37 AM
- 487 Views
im still not clear on the key thing.
21/09/2010 04:38:53 PM
- 794 Views
Okay
21/09/2010 05:28:23 PM
- 806 Views
Re: Okay
21/09/2010 07:43:39 PM
- 769 Views
You wanted to hint at it, not say it..... *NM*
21/09/2010 07:46:10 PM
- 497 Views
horsefeathers
21/09/2010 07:55:44 PM
- 741 Views
It's alright. So long as no one actually tries to decode it. :/ *NM*
21/09/2010 08:00:17 PM
- 510 Views
I'm glad I'm dead so I don't have to bother with this. *NM*
21/09/2010 11:28:46 PM
- 454 Views
List of Codes and Roleclaims (Table)
21/09/2010 11:25:37 AM
- 925 Views
So I shouldn't code my Role now? *NM*
21/09/2010 01:45:10 PM
- 440 Views
A couple Questions
21/09/2010 08:53:29 PM
- 811 Views
On this whole decryption thing though...
21/09/2010 10:28:57 PM
- 855 Views
Any idea when we are gonna start decrypting?
22/09/2010 01:44:39 AM
- 780 Views
Wait why does it say and between my codes?
22/09/2010 11:00:51 PM
- 771 Views
what now?
22/09/2010 09:27:09 PM
- 705 Views
Napoleon needs to roleclaim now
22/09/2010 09:51:56 PM
- 845 Views
Arg... REALLY sorry people.
23/09/2010 08:16:00 PM
- 815 Views
You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 09:14:46 PM
- 840 Views
Why is that so suspicious?
23/09/2010 10:02:23 PM
- 796 Views
It's suspicious because it's not true
23/09/2010 10:17:43 PM
- 866 Views
Cause people tend to accentuate the negative, they seek to form patterns, and they like exaggerating *NM*
24/09/2010 05:07:13 AM
- 563 Views
Re: You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 10:27:31 PM
- 851 Views
Everyone can start decrypting now
23/09/2010 09:01:24 PM
- 811 Views
Ok, I'll go ahead and do mine too
23/09/2010 11:16:29 PM
- 856 Views
I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
24/09/2010 12:45:09 AM
- 859 Views
Re: I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
24/09/2010 02:44:11 AM
- 797 Views
eh, what the heck
24/09/2010 03:04:29 AM
- 700 Views
Just out of curiosity, why do you say townie? RB could just as easily be scum, if not more so. *NM*
24/09/2010 05:13:50 AM
- 504 Views
Just out of curiosity, why do you say townie? RB could just as easily be scum, if not more so. *NM*
24/09/2010 05:13:51 AM
- 372 Views
other factors make me think otherwise
24/09/2010 06:07:31 AM
- 688 Views
right, mine
24/09/2010 10:37:45 AM
- 852 Views
Re: right, mine
24/09/2010 10:43:26 AM
- 801 Views
EPWOP
24/09/2010 10:55:42 AM
- 809 Views
Re: EPWOP
24/09/2010 12:47:47 PM
- 837 Views
Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:14:31 PM
- 772 Views
Re: Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:22:42 PM
- 856 Views
I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 06:04:26 AM
- 705 Views
Re: I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 02:29:29 PM
- 780 Views
While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 08:59:09 PM
- 906 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 10:47:47 PM
- 769 Views
EBWOP
25/09/2010 10:48:31 PM
- 763 Views
It's probably also worth noting
25/09/2010 11:17:19 PM
- 807 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
26/09/2010 02:47:14 AM
- 834 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens
26/09/2010 03:15:38 AM
- 873 Views
Eh. The RC's always mess me up
26/09/2010 03:43:54 AM
- 741 Views
Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:00:52 AM
- 791 Views
Re: Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:33:40 AM
- 824 Views
not to mention...
26/09/2010 04:55:30 AM
- 801 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens *NM*
26/09/2010 02:31:43 PM
- 522 Views
I mean can we just lynch him without going through the procedure if he'll just give up?
26/09/2010 07:33:38 PM
- 950 Views
Somebody want to hammer?
26/09/2010 09:02:17 PM
- 825 Views