unforum

[Langley Moor]

*Groan* Right, so if someone can edit the decoder to ignore the first 16 bytes of data? That's pretty feindish!

[neuromancer]

Thanks for the info ramsfan, I'll take a look at the code at some point today.

In other news, the sourceforge project is live!!

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pxc-hack-13


Based on the comments from ramsfan, it sounds like MC may have simply modified Richard's code to encrypt the message. The sourceforge project and its forums can be used as a central store for all the sourcecode and for development on the code, testing of it, etc so that this forum stays clean of all the development talk.

We may even be lucky enough to have some of the distributed.net guys help out!!

[Blanchie]

I've just got hold of the next wave of cards and there is an interesting added bonus to number 22 - Cold Fission. If you look at the card under certain lighting some of the letters are different and spell out:

[ricksoft]

Using rccrypt

[beglee]

I got my hands on a copy of "The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules" book by Fazil Iskander. So, i looked up the 64th page, line 12, 8th word (from the 64/12/8 part of the card). I'll spoilerise this just to be safe:

[specterz]

Is there a chapter 64 maybe?

[elbee909]

First time post! Hello.

Have read through most of this thread and surprised no-one's mentioned this re. the Thirteenth Labour - if it has been mentioned I do apologise...



As you can see, the Thirteenth Labour of Hercules is a puzzle (quite a Perplex reference, I think, seeing as they're all into their puzzles). It's a 'large burr' puzzle which contains 36 identical pieces. I only put that in bold as I think it may have some relevance here.

Personally I think the whole decryption thing is a bit of a red herring, it's just not particularly elegant. And hey, look how few points you get for solving this card anyway, how could it be *that* complex?

Another thing re. the 13th Labour - is that in mythology proper, he didn't actually have one. So I was thinking maybe this card is also meant to be a lot less work than people realise. With that in mind...

[ramsfan]

Wasn't that. At least not in that form. Haven't tried 2/3. Still worth a try. I agree that the code might be a red herring, though less sure they'd give us a clue which emphasised such herring.

[specterz]

How could it be *that* complex you ask?
It's a silver card. They are the most complex cards there are. So far, we haven't really solved that much of the silvers... they are hard.
Which is fun, 'cause this game qouldn't be any fun if you could solve all the cards *just* liek that, would it?

Anyway, the puzzle with the identical pieces might be worth a think... Thanks!

[elbee909]

I guess complex was the wrong word; if it's a case of having an encrpypted code to break in order to solve this puzzle, then it doesn't seem like much of a true puzzle. Unless the implication that the puzzle is as simple as guessing a keyword then leaving the rest to a plethora of decryption progs. That just doesn't seem in keeping with the whole spirit of things, at least not to me!

[Mr.C]

Hello all,

I've downloaded the rccrypt program from a link earlier on in the thread, but I have no idea how to use it. Has anyone got 5 minutes to knock up a quick bullet point type list on how I can start testing my ideas on what the key could be.

running xp by the way

[neuromancer]

Hey Mr.C, you should download BriEnigma's version or c1023's version, or any of the other versions of that code here, instead as they test multiple combinations of the keywords you enter.

I'm currently working on a massive distributed network system over on sourceforge. However, before I do that I'll try adding Richard's suggestions so people can try keywords individually. I can't give you anything on that till next Friday I'm afraid, as I have lots of coursework handins at uni, and my first final yr project bench inspection!!

[Ashin]

Just a heads up that there's a bug in the original code for rccrypt that clips the last character off of anything you use from a keyfile (as opposed to the command line).

I have my own modified version that I'm using and it took me quite a while to find that problem since I was trying to use the modified code to decrypt a file made from the original code and I was getting nothing but garbage back.

Hope none of you are doing the same thing.

Good luck on this one all, fun to poke at, but frustrating to solve due to brute force...

[Mr. C]

[tipimike]