Author
Message
Varin
I Have No Life
Joined: 02 Dec 2002 Posts: 2456 Location: South of where I used to be
Caterpillar wrote:
This is just coinkydink right?
Well, that story isn't on the mainpage, just the fuschia version.
_________________"I still miss him to this day and probably always will." - Todd Keeler, Chasing the Wish
"meta meta meta, I made you out of play..." ~ j5
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:12 pm
rose
...and then Magic happens
Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 4117
ok Good job on fuschia !
Now, as to the story, "RTM" possibly means Roadside Ticket Machine.
And doesn't this sound like a sweet little Sleeping Princess story.
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:38 pm
hungrygaijin
Boot
Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Brooklyn
Well RTM is also the airport code for Rotterdam...amongst other things.
Also while I'm throwing out spec..."Play with(out) prejudice" is a chess term, is it not?
_________________-darrell
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:49 pm
ustice
Boot
Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 59 Location: Gainesville, FL
On this page, in the source you get:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
tlhiEfSeEeCARSEItEoRfFtOhYeOrUeJdUhSeTRIRGINNOGRIESIhTeIrFeYtOoUmCaAkNe
dSyHJGsCgKrEhsSyifugfzhOfsjobrvhdrzobcIplhwubohzfoGubizgyoujwrgoeoreZ>W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>ScjUdEgYhRxPCQVWZYCUMEXQZOBUVTMRXYBUkOvRjTgYhHdSjDlJslashgokuawDeFyGoL
Only a small part of this is solved:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
The first line of this can be decoded by removing every other letter:
tlhiEfSeEeCARSEItEoRfFtOhYeOrUeJdUhSeTRIRGINNOGRIESIhTeIrFeYtOoUmCaAkNe
thE SECREt of the red heRRING IS here to make
life eASIER FO YOU JUST IGNORE IT IF YOU CAN
_________________One never knows when one might need a rotten tomato - King's Quest IV: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:23 pm
Alzheimers
Unfettered
Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 339
There's also this difference:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
There are a couple javascript snippets that aren't in the main DeadDrop.us page:
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
function SymError()
{
return true;
}
window.onerror = SymError;
var SymRealWinOpen = window.open;
function SymWinOpen(url, name, attributes)
{
return (new Object());
}
window.open = SymWinOpen;
//-->
</script>
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
var SymRealOnLoad;
var SymRealOnUnload;
function SymOnUnload()
{
window.open = SymWinOpen;
if(SymRealOnUnload != null)
SymRealOnUnload();
}
function SymOnLoad()
{
if(SymRealOnLoad != null)
SymRealOnLoad();
window.open = SymRealWinOpen;
SymRealOnUnload = window.onunload;
window.onunload = SymOnUnload;
}
SymRealOnLoad = window.onload;
window.onload = SymOnLoad;
//-->
</script>
_________________If at first you don't succeed, blame the cruel PM.
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:18 pm
dmon_man
Veteran
Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 140 Location: Sacramento, CA
..hand in glove, the sun shines out of our behinds.... Whoa, whoa....fuchsia?
Can someone please explain why the answer to the second puzzle is FUCHSIA?????
EDIT: Never mind. I get it. None of the pictures mean anything at all. Only the color of the page is important. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!
Bill, thanks for contributing to my giant ulcer.
_________________Graduate 2001
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:13 pm
Lysithea
Unfettered
Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 468 Location: Australia
Looking more closely at the text:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
I "ignored" the lower case letters, by replacing them with spaces.
Looks like a maze to me...
I attached it as a file because I couldn't get the code and spoiler tags to work together.
Description
Another way of looking at the text
Download
Filename
amazingjourney.txt
Filesize
2.64KB
Downloaded
210 Time(s)
_________________"Some people grow into their dreams instead of out of them." - Miles Vorkosigan
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:57 am
Caterpillar
Unfictologist
Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 1887 Location: cem's otherbody
Fantastic! Great job! (Which would be wat the two arrows are for that I've been squeezing my brain about)
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:29 am
Lysithea
Unfettered
Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 468 Location: Australia
Thanks Caterpillar, I had completely missed the first arrow.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Taking every odd column of the original text grid (ie the first column, the 3rd column, etc), and replacing the captial letters with spaces gives a maze with a smiley face in the top left corner. Doing the same for the even numbered columns creates a second maze which joins on to the first one.
The > are marked with black squares. One path 'crossses the tracks' between the two mazes, and both meet at the smiley face 'happily ever after'.
I suspect that RTM and USA are keys to decipher the paths through the maze as spelled out by the captial letters.
Description
Happily ever after
Filesize
38.1KB
Viewed
156 Time(s)
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:58 am
Caterpillar
Unfictologist
Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 1887 Location: cem's otherbody
Lysithea wrote:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
One path 'crossses the tracks' between the two mazes, and both meet at the smiley face 'happily ever after'.
I suppose that would be the fence he jumped....makes total sense now ....lol.....and the southwest thing too.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
However, I worked a long time on your first maze (drats)....lol...trying to extract the lowercase letters between the rails that lead from arrow to arrow. I got nothing (I now know why.... ). But it might be the same thing with this new beautiful maze (only with CAPS). I'm just too tired to go at it again...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:08 am
rowan
Unfictologist
Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 1966
Lysithea wrote:
Thanks Caterpillar, I had completely missed the first arrow.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Taking every odd column of the original text grid (ie the first column, the 3rd column, etc), and replacing the captial letters with spaces gives a maze with a smiley face in the top left corner. Doing the same for the even numbered columns creates a second maze which joins on to the first one.
The > are marked with black squares. One path 'crossses the tracks' between the two mazes, and both meet at the smiley face 'happily ever after'.
I suspect that RTM and USA are keys to decipher the paths through the maze as spelled out by the captial letters.
Great job on this! I just have one thought (okay, make that two) that may or may not make a difference:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
The way I read the story, it says he follows the southwest tracks to the end. To me, that would mean that starting at the top > we should follow a path that takes us to the 2nd > . Once there, do something or other - then head back home to live happily ever after (at the smilly face).
One other thing - if you discard the lowercase letters, you get a slightly different maze, but there is one interesting bit in it. If you start at the first > then wind your way down to the 2nd, you have to retrace your steps a bit to get to a spot where you can wind your way up to near where the smiley face is. The point where to two paths diverge also happens to be where you can find a uSA grouped together (headed back home to the USA ) - though it could just be a happy coincendence.
edit: I've uploaded an excel spreadsheet so you can see what I mean.
Description
mazes
Download
Filename
maze.xls
Filesize
99.5KB
Downloaded
238 Time(s)
_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 5:30 am
ustice
Boot
Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 59 Location: Gainesville, FL
Yet another view. Easy to see.
Description
Download
Filename
maze.rtf
Filesize
12.95KB
Downloaded
143 Time(s)
_________________One never knows when one might need a rotten tomato - King's Quest IV: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:40 pm
rowan
Unfictologist
Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 1966
The puzzle has been updated. It now has a link to the excel spreadsheet (which I'm guessing means that is on the right track) and some slightly different wording.
Compare that to the first text:
Quote:
From a reliable source: Bill's Amazing Journey
Bill is a nice guy, but somehow he ended up being in trouble anyway. He decided to leave town for a while.
Time was running out, so he jumped over the fence to get on the southwest tracks.
He followed these tracks for a long time, without even getting lost once!
At the end of the tracks he found a place where they have very strict rules, so he decided to play with prejudice.
After a while things had cooled down again. So Bill got a ticket from RTM and headed back home to the USA.
There he lived happily ever after.
Part of me is wondering if the rules that Bill had for the contest also has something to do with this - hence the first link - but I don't know what it could be.
_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:23 pm
Lysithea
Unfettered
Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 468 Location: Australia
Great job on the path through the maze and relating it to the story, rowan and Ustice.
Quote:
At the end of the tracks he realized his trail had very strict rules, so he decided to play fair with prejudice.
I had been wondering what the 'play with prejudice' part meant.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
"play fair with prejudice"
I think the update is a bit of a shove in the direction of the PlayFair Cipher .
_________________"Some people grow into their dreams instead of out of them." - Miles Vorkosigan
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:01 pm
catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 4109 Location: Silicon Valley, CA
I'm certainly not taking credit for this one. While those of us in chat were all trying various ciphertexts, Ustice mentioned that maze.php and another word did not work. After some spelling corrections, this was found:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
http://www.deaddrop.us/contests/labyrinth.php
and thus I commenced with the cursage.
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:08 pm
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