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
- 1699 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
- 864 Views
Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 12:50:18 PM
- 816 Views
Re: Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 01:29:15 PM
- 893 Views
plus...
15/09/2010 01:50:44 PM
- 788 Views
Voting Record
18/09/2010 05:41:39 AM
- 802 Views
Moving along
15/09/2010 02:47:27 PM
- 1038 Views
knife hand? *confused* *NM*
15/09/2010 10:25:01 PM
- 466 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 04:06:10 PM
- 841 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 06:23:19 PM
- 943 Views
my current suspects
15/09/2010 09:52:52 PM
- 935 Views
How is that a tactic? *NM*
15/09/2010 10:21:04 PM
- 487 Views
Day 2 EVENT: In High Spirits
18/09/2010 04:53:47 AM
- 892 Views
I think 'Aye' is probably the best choice, Vote: Aye
18/09/2010 05:24:24 AM
- 718 Views
I can
18/09/2010 05:35:29 AM
- 810 Views
Nay
18/09/2010 05:25:57 AM
- 846 Views
Any debate? Anyone in favor of Nay?
18/09/2010 07:53:56 AM
- 852 Views
We need to come up with a plan
19/09/2010 05:59:26 AM
- 838 Views
Well, here's who voted for BA:
19/09/2010 08:04:26 AM
- 813 Views
? is the logical target
19/09/2010 08:56:53 AM
- 786 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 02:10:49 AM
- 840 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 03:14:22 AM
- 770 Views
Who are your candidates for lynch?
20/09/2010 03:58:04 AM
- 815 Views
I don't have any. Especially after my fail of a push for BA
20/09/2010 04:35:23 AM
- 766 Views
I think I have a plan
20/09/2010 06:33:29 AM
- 948 Views
...erm...
20/09/2010 07:37:16 AM
- 945 Views
Crypto tricks
20/09/2010 10:13:23 AM
- 853 Views
Some thoughts...
19/09/2010 01:21:56 PM
- 759 Views
this is the first time its happened while i've been playing atleast
19/09/2010 04:52:13 PM
- 787 Views
It looks like we're proceeding with the plan so a few reminders
20/09/2010 06:35:21 PM
- 885 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
- 823 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
- 802 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
- 775 Views
So if I'm understanding this properly...
21/09/2010 01:38:34 AM
- 769 Views
That is correct. *NM*
21/09/2010 01:44:37 AM
- 488 Views
im still not clear on the key thing.
21/09/2010 04:38:53 PM
- 795 Views
Okay
21/09/2010 05:28:23 PM
- 808 Views
Re: Okay
21/09/2010 07:43:39 PM
- 771 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
- 743 Views
It's alright. So long as no one actually tries to decode it. :/ *NM*
21/09/2010 08:00:17 PM
- 511 Views
I'm glad I'm dead so I don't have to bother with this. *NM*
21/09/2010 11:28:46 PM
- 455 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
- 441 Views
A couple Questions
21/09/2010 08:53:29 PM
- 814 Views
On this whole decryption thing though...
21/09/2010 10:28:57 PM
- 856 Views
Any idea when we are gonna start decrypting?
22/09/2010 01:44:39 AM
- 782 Views
Wait why does it say and between my codes?
22/09/2010 11:00:51 PM
- 774 Views
what now?
22/09/2010 09:27:09 PM
- 708 Views
Napoleon needs to roleclaim now
22/09/2010 09:51:56 PM
- 848 Views
Arg... REALLY sorry people.
23/09/2010 08:16:00 PM
- 816 Views
You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 09:14:46 PM
- 842 Views
Why is that so suspicious?
23/09/2010 10:02:23 PM
- 798 Views
It's suspicious because it's not true
23/09/2010 10:17:43 PM
- 867 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
- 564 Views
Re: You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 10:27:31 PM
- 854 Views
Everyone can start decrypting now
23/09/2010 09:01:24 PM
- 812 Views
Ok, I'll go ahead and do mine too
23/09/2010 11:16:29 PM
- 857 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
- 798 Views
eh, what the heck
24/09/2010 03:04:29 AM
- 702 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
- 505 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
- 373 Views
other factors make me think otherwise
24/09/2010 06:07:31 AM
- 691 Views
right, mine
24/09/2010 10:37:45 AM
- 854 Views
Re: right, mine
24/09/2010 10:43:26 AM
- 802 Views
EPWOP
24/09/2010 10:55:42 AM
- 810 Views
Re: EPWOP
24/09/2010 12:47:47 PM
- 840 Views
Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:14:31 PM
- 775 Views
Re: Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:22:42 PM
- 858 Views
I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 06:04:26 AM
- 706 Views
Re: I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 02:29:29 PM
- 781 Views
While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 08:59:09 PM
- 908 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 10:47:47 PM
- 770 Views
EBWOP
25/09/2010 10:48:31 PM
- 764 Views
It's probably also worth noting
25/09/2010 11:17:19 PM
- 809 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
26/09/2010 02:47:14 AM
- 835 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens
26/09/2010 03:15:38 AM
- 874 Views
Eh. The RC's always mess me up
26/09/2010 03:43:54 AM
- 743 Views
Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:00:52 AM
- 792 Views
Re: Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:33:40 AM
- 827 Views
not to mention...
26/09/2010 04:55:30 AM
- 802 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens *NM*
26/09/2010 02:31:43 PM
- 523 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
- 952 Views
Somebody want to hammer?
26/09/2010 09:02:17 PM
- 826 Views