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
- 1647 Views
ARRRRRRR *NM*
15/09/2010 06:44:52 AM
- 504 Views
Omg. This reply cracked me up so bad.
15/09/2010 12:34:38 PM
- 814 Views
Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 12:50:18 PM
- 766 Views
Re: Arrrgggh
15/09/2010 01:29:15 PM
- 842 Views
plus...
15/09/2010 01:50:44 PM
- 743 Views
Voting Record
18/09/2010 05:41:39 AM
- 744 Views
Moving along
15/09/2010 02:47:27 PM
- 984 Views
knife hand? *confused* *NM*
15/09/2010 10:25:01 PM
- 439 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 04:06:10 PM
- 793 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
15/09/2010 06:23:19 PM
- 896 Views
my current suspects
15/09/2010 09:52:52 PM
- 874 Views
How is that a tactic? *NM*
15/09/2010 10:21:04 PM
- 461 Views
Day 2 EVENT: In High Spirits
18/09/2010 04:53:47 AM
- 840 Views
I think 'Aye' is probably the best choice, Vote: Aye
18/09/2010 05:24:24 AM
- 670 Views
I can
18/09/2010 05:35:29 AM
- 766 Views
Nay
18/09/2010 05:25:57 AM
- 796 Views
Any debate? Anyone in favor of Nay?
18/09/2010 07:53:56 AM
- 804 Views
We need to come up with a plan
19/09/2010 05:59:26 AM
- 794 Views
Well, here's who voted for BA:
19/09/2010 08:04:26 AM
- 764 Views
? is the logical target
19/09/2010 08:56:53 AM
- 740 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 02:10:49 AM
- 786 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
20/09/2010 03:14:22 AM
- 722 Views
Who are your candidates for lynch?
20/09/2010 03:58:04 AM
- 771 Views
I don't have any. Especially after my fail of a push for BA
20/09/2010 04:35:23 AM
- 714 Views
I think I have a plan
20/09/2010 06:33:29 AM
- 893 Views
...erm...
20/09/2010 07:37:16 AM
- 897 Views
Crypto tricks
20/09/2010 10:13:23 AM
- 807 Views
Some thoughts...
19/09/2010 01:21:56 PM
- 714 Views
this is the first time its happened while i've been playing atleast
19/09/2010 04:52:13 PM
- 743 Views
It looks like we're proceeding with the plan so a few reminders
20/09/2010 06:35:21 PM
- 843 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
- 784 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
- 759 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
- 729 Views
So if I'm understanding this properly...
21/09/2010 01:38:34 AM
- 729 Views
That is correct. *NM*
21/09/2010 01:44:37 AM
- 466 Views
im still not clear on the key thing.
21/09/2010 04:38:53 PM
- 755 Views
Okay
21/09/2010 05:28:23 PM
- 762 Views
Re: Okay
21/09/2010 07:43:39 PM
- 727 Views
You wanted to hint at it, not say it..... *NM*
21/09/2010 07:46:10 PM
- 477 Views
horsefeathers
21/09/2010 07:55:44 PM
- 700 Views
It's alright. So long as no one actually tries to decode it. :/ *NM*
21/09/2010 08:00:17 PM
- 482 Views
I'm glad I'm dead so I don't have to bother with this. *NM*
21/09/2010 11:28:46 PM
- 433 Views
List of Codes and Roleclaims (Table)
21/09/2010 11:25:37 AM
- 879 Views
So I shouldn't code my Role now? *NM*
21/09/2010 01:45:10 PM
- 416 Views
A couple Questions
21/09/2010 08:53:29 PM
- 763 Views
On this whole decryption thing though...
21/09/2010 10:28:57 PM
- 795 Views
Any idea when we are gonna start decrypting?
22/09/2010 01:44:39 AM
- 732 Views
Wait why does it say and between my codes?
22/09/2010 11:00:51 PM
- 732 Views
what now?
22/09/2010 09:27:09 PM
- 661 Views
Napoleon needs to roleclaim now
22/09/2010 09:51:56 PM
- 804 Views
Arg... REALLY sorry people.
23/09/2010 08:16:00 PM
- 765 Views
You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 09:14:46 PM
- 796 Views
Why is that so suspicious?
23/09/2010 10:02:23 PM
- 746 Views
It's suspicious because it's not true
23/09/2010 10:17:43 PM
- 822 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
- 541 Views
Re: You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
23/09/2010 10:27:31 PM
- 814 Views
Everyone can start decrypting now
23/09/2010 09:01:24 PM
- 764 Views
Ok, I'll go ahead and do mine too
23/09/2010 11:16:29 PM
- 811 Views
I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
24/09/2010 12:45:09 AM
- 812 Views
Re: I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
24/09/2010 02:44:11 AM
- 756 Views
eh, what the heck
24/09/2010 03:04:29 AM
- 657 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
- 481 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
- 351 Views
other factors make me think otherwise
24/09/2010 06:07:31 AM
- 645 Views
right, mine
24/09/2010 10:37:45 AM
- 801 Views
Re: right, mine
24/09/2010 10:43:26 AM
- 762 Views
EPWOP
24/09/2010 10:55:42 AM
- 767 Views
Re: EPWOP
24/09/2010 12:47:47 PM
- 799 Views
Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:14:31 PM
- 724 Views
Re: Okay, that squares
24/09/2010 01:22:42 PM
- 810 Views
I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 06:04:26 AM
- 655 Views
Re: I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
24/09/2010 02:29:29 PM
- 738 Views
While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 08:59:09 PM
- 863 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
25/09/2010 10:47:47 PM
- 726 Views
EBWOP
25/09/2010 10:48:31 PM
- 718 Views
It's probably also worth noting
25/09/2010 11:17:19 PM
- 760 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
26/09/2010 02:47:14 AM
- 779 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens
26/09/2010 03:15:38 AM
- 825 Views
Eh. The RC's always mess me up
26/09/2010 03:43:54 AM
- 699 Views
Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:00:52 AM
- 749 Views
Re: Yes, they can be tricky
26/09/2010 04:33:40 AM
- 779 Views
not to mention...
26/09/2010 04:55:30 AM
- 739 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens *NM*
26/09/2010 02:31:43 PM
- 497 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
- 890 Views
Somebody want to hammer?
26/09/2010 09:02:17 PM
- 773 Views