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|
 First,
a short explanation of the evolution of code wheels. The code wheel
is a form of protection against piracy of a particular game. They
first appeared (to my knowledge) in the Electronic Arts game Amnesia
in the form of a "street index". The next appearance was much later,
in Legacy of the Ancients (also EA). The third (and most complicated
one) was included in Bards Tale III. And, as you may have guessed,
it was used in Neuromancer. The first two also included disk protection,
but the companies seem to be relying on just the code wheel for their
protection against piracy, as the last two have had no disk protection
whatsoever. The protection comes when, at certain points in the game,
you will be given a set of two, three or four (depending on the complexity
of the wheel) words or locations or whatever, and, using the code
wheel, you must provide the required answer, or you will not be able
to proceed with that function. Without the wheel and without altering
the programming of the disk, you are stuck.
What is a code wheel? It is two or three concentric paper circles, each one smaller than the one beneath it, so that only the outer ring of the larger one(s) shows. It is on the outer ring that one set of words are printed. On the outside edge of the smallest circle can be found the second set of words. One or several small windows are also cut out of the smallest circle (and in the case of three wheels, windows may also be cut out of the middle wheel at random points) so that the requested code numbers or words may be seen through them. If there is more than one window, each window will have its own name printed above or below it. In the most simple application, the use would be something like this: the player is given the conditions of A and B. He would rotate the code wheel until A on the outer circle lines up with B on the inner circle and observe the code through through the window. In the case of multiple windows, he would have been given A, B, and C, rotated as before to line up A and B and look through window C for the answer. Such is the case with Neuromancer.
The code wheel in Neuromancer is used to operate the PAX machine found
at various locations throughout the game. You will be given three
access codes and asked for a verification code. There are 16 possible
A's, B's and C's. The codes are broken down into two tables. The first
tables gives A (outer ring) and B (inner ring), to be cross referenced
to each other to get a position number. This position number will
be cross referenced with C (windows) to give the 3 to 6 digit verification
code. The access codes you will be given are listed below with THREE
LETTERS IN UPPER CASE (usually the first three, but not always, so
I have tried to draw your attention to the ones that do not have the
first three in caps). These will correspond to the abbreviations in
the tables.
 |
 |
 |
| NIGht city news |
EMPeror norton |
ASAno computing |
| CHAtsubo |
CYBerjack |
SPAcedock |
| CYBerspace |
RATz |
SPace
Colony * |
| GEMeinschaft |
HOLografix |
FLAtline |
| CRAzy edo |
LARry moe |
ZIOn cluster |
| MICrosofts |
PAX |
MARcus garvey |
| CHEap hotel |
SKIll chips |
CRYptology |
| JULius deane |
SHIn's pawn |
AI
* |
| DONut world |
GENtleman loser |
BANk of berne |
| LAWbot |
MAAs biolabs |
BAnk
of Zurich* |
| DATabase |
JUStice booth |
CHIba city |
| SHIva |
CYberDeck
* |
FUJi electric |
| FREeside |
COMlink |
HOLy joystick |
| SOFtwarez |
ICEbreaker |
COMpu-judge |
| MATrix |
ROM construct |
HITachi biotech |
| MAtt
Shaw * |
COWboy |
ONO-sendai |
| |
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 |
| |
|
N
I
G |
C
H
A |
C
Y
B |
G
E
M |
C
R
A |
M
I
C |
C
H
E |
J
U
L |
D
O
N |
L
A
W |
D
A
T |
S
H
I |
F
R
E |
S
O
F |
M
A
T |
M
A
S |
 |
EMP |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
| CYB |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
| RAT |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
| HOL |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
| LAR |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
| PAX |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| SKI |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| SHI |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
| GEN |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| MAA |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| JUS |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
| CYD |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| COM |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| ICE |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| ROM |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
| COW |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
1 |
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