ARG: Legend of the Sacred Urns-Responses

Where has it gone?

Guest@forums.unfiction.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 00:13:22 +0000

All links are closed, all sites are down. Where did the game go? Who won? What was the anwser? Please excuse me if this is somewhere else, but I can't find it!

How many of us would like to speak to Paul Hoffman?

kiva@forums.unfiction.com — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 00:04:20 +0000

That would be sooo cuh-wul. Paul Hoffman, I am your #1 fan.

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 19:43:16 +0000

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Sun, 30 Jan 2005 23:19:08 +0000

Whether Paul hid other puzzles in his puzzles and didn't tell us I cannot say, but if that is the case then all you have to do is look at the solution as I posted it in the steinitzpuzzlers forum, as that was almost entirely taken from the document Paul supplied us with, word for word.

Could be an interesting question to ask Paul.

Has there been any progress/news on the potential "chat" session?

8)

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 03:18:27 +0000

I think you're barking up the wrong tree looking for a bigger puzzle, unfortunately.

Mike, I tend to agree with you, which is a shame.

Why I was interested was not because I can/could not accept the rlebron/Leeds solution because that solution "was what it was" and nothing else, but more from the fact that so many more "coincidences" led away from that site.

If you follow the answer I posted and then read this article on the Kogi Tribe particularly following the link to Drunvalo Melchizedek's article you will see huge "coincidences" with the puzzle and the story/mythology/steinitz sites.

These coincidences (to me) actually provided an answer to

Who did Steinitz believe had come for him? Did one of the Nanahsnug's Sun-Gods "phase" into his bedroom? Was this entity responsible in some way for his bizarre death? These are puzzles that, unfortunately, will probably never be solved.

That is why I was interested in who wrote which pages etc. and under whose direction.

The shame appears to be that there was/is no "larger" puzzle as you could imagine the fun trying to work out where to post/log the answer and if there was any reward or prizes involved. :lol:

Thanks for your help mate, as I said "great fun".

P.S. Mike, just for my interest only, were you or Jimmy playing the role of Charlie back on Dec 9th when I PM'd this

Charlie

Please do not respond to this PM but I would like to submit the following (Note - I am not, or will not be registering) just for fun:

SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA

Anogram:
A VIE DRAMA END, A SANTA ARREST

Even if it is not correct then it is funny.

P.S. So I do not go totally nuts. I know I saw that Batman picture before (and no I did not search any blogs). After the puzzle has finished, if you happen to know where, please let me know.

P.P.S. Thanks... this has been fun... lots More Grey Hairs To See

Talk about coincidences, running into that Batman picture twice. Once via a Google search (see Google finds all the wrong things :roll:) and the other time it being the Blog numbered one before the rlebron Blog. :lol:

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 01:48:10 +0000

TD,

The memorial site at Leeds was ALWAYS the solution. The rlebron site was put up because after the puzzle was developed, the lawyers said it had to be an entirely online treasure hunt, meaning the solution had to be something that someone could find sitting at home in front of their computer.

The solution was NEVER changed -- the only thing that changed was now you could find it online instead of having to physically go there.

I do not think there is a larger puzzle. I KNOW that there is no larger puzzle in the story/mythology/steinitz sites because we developed all of that. Whether Paul hid other puzzles in his puzzles and didn't tell us I cannot say, but if that is the case then all you have to do is look at the solution as I posted it in the steinitzpuzzlers forum, as that was almost entirely taken from the document Paul supplied us with, word for word.

Those things you mention ARE coincidences, as Darren went to Leeds to take the photos, but Jimmy G actually wrote the captions and he has never been to Leeds. He had no idea of the spatial relationships of anything in the picture.

Even putting "Urn is here" was Paul's idea. We thought it was better to hide it in the caption rather than come right out and say it.

I think you're barking up the wrong tree looking for a bigger puzzle, unfortunately.

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Fri, 28 Jan 2005 23:30:01 +0000

It was a busy time, to say the least!

There are many inconsistencies, mainly due to the rushed production time. Frankly, it's a miracle it even makes sense at all considering how quickly it was all put together!

Mike

Thanks for the response. Sorry I have been "off the air" for 10 days (DSL line problems).

I think you guys did a great job, so please do not take anything I am saying here as being an attack on the job that you guys did.

Personally, I am not a great believer in co-incidences and there are just way too many "co-incidences" in the puzzle for me to believe they were not placed there by design.

Just one of those "co-incidences", the rlebron/Leeds Site containing a picture of Cedar Grove, Thomas Cole's home with the caption

This pic came out kind of fuzzy...but then again, the memories are too...

From what I can ascertain, this house in not in the same "immediate" vicinity as the other pictures (yes, it is in the Hamlet of Leeds but not immediately near the church etc) and it's "kind of fuzzy".

Mike, what I would like to ask is the following.

Do you know or think that:
there COULD BE a "bigger" puzzle
there IS a "bigger" puzzle
there WAS a "bigger" puzzle but due to certain factors was "toned down" to the rlebron/Leeds solution
the "co-incidences" are just "co-incidences" and were not designed by anyone to be part of the puzzle
I don't really know
I am not legally allowed to say
Other response (please elaborate) I hope you can or are able to respond to this question.

Thanks
:?

Is the Puzzle really over?

mgs4real@forums.unfiction.com — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 21:25:35 +0000

:lol: You KNOW I had trouble with TYAHAUD - but now I am an educated Steinitzian !

TSUL !! Sounds like a Greek god to me !!

Course, when you add "SPA" you get...

SPATSUL !!

Guess that means -- when you keep scraping up the leavings, you stand to get ALL the goood stuff, and that makes the very BEST gravy !!

SPATSUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hehe

How many of us would like to speak to Paul Hoffman?

kiva@forums.unfiction.com — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 06:14:26 +0000

It would be incredible. I registered just to voice my opinion. Found this site when looking for info on the urns puzzle. Love all of Mr. Hoffman's puzzles. It would be REALLY great. :D

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:06:17 +0000

There are many inconsistencies, mainly due to the rushed production time. Frankly, it's a miracle it even makes sense at all considering how quickly it was all put together!

Jim Miller wrote in this excellent article :

In events like Exocog, players scan the content of in-game Web sites with amazing care, in search of clues about how the game will proceed.

So making a game is like publishing a book and finding yourself with thousands of intense proofreaders. :)

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 04:25:15 +0000

TD,

Nothing was written under direct supervision of Paul Hoffman. Paul was given everything to read but never made any changes. Once he gave us the clues to stick into the story it was pretty much up to us to integrate them.

All of the copy of steinitzpuzzlers was written by Jim Gunshanan -- it was not divided up amongst multiple writers. Jim wrote everything except PMN journals, which were all written by Mary Johnson.

Jim played NDN and Charlie Tan through November and maybe even into December (can't recall offhand) and then I took over Charlie Tan.

I played MTSM.

The overall story was hammered out in a room over a couple of days by myself, Gregg Hale, Andy Carrigan, Brian Clark, and Paul Hoffman, and then I essentially produced it with Darren Himebrook and attempted to direct it when I had time.

It was a busy time, to say the least!

There are many inconsistencies, mainly due to the rushed production time. Frankly, it's a miracle it even makes sense at all considering how quickly it was all put together!

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 19:17:33 +0000

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 19:09:51 +0000

I trusted Charlie without question and I would have been very shocked to discover he was deviously misleading us. That was one twist I am glad you didn't add in.

Can we trust Charlie?

TheDom@forums.unfiction.com — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 01:37:56 +0000

I think that this was a twist they didn't implement though. For the most part, Charlie's posts seemed to be straightforward, as Mike has implied.

Still, what a mind-twister that would have been...

This was discussed and it was something we would have done had we needed it, but we felt that there were enough red herrings already out and creating havoc for you guys!

Good call, RD.

How many of us would like to speak to Paul Hoffman?

kiva@forums.unfiction.com — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:52:52 +0000

that would be an AMAZING insight into the head of a leading puzzlemaker! I would SWOON to be in on a chat with Paul Hoffman, and it doesn't have to be Urns related at all for me.