unforum

spugmeistress

http://perplexcitywiki.com/wiki/Perplex_City_Errorlogs

we got these about a year or two back from the original perplexcity.com website. they are *very* similar to what you guys are pulling out, so i guess they are the same kind of thing, gatehouse logs that identify staff members by biometrics and records conversations too. part of the security system in the academy. just thought i'd point them out in case any of the new players weren't aware of their existence.

edit: trouted what buz had already said, sorry

rach =)

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

The program pointer starts in upper left corner.

Directions:

popen - east
pread - west
mount - se
pwrite - e
switch - se
copy - s
flush - s

'rotate' does something different depending on where it is executed: [EDIT: actually, it's even weirder than that. I'll have to play a little more. Relative direction entered seems something to have to do with it, but it's very very strange.]

xandert_86 · Boot Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Where I Be

Okay, a couple of the messages are referring to a 'he' or 'him'. Would it be possible that this male (at least it knocks it down to just the Y chromosome carrying population!) could be Sente Kiteway or Nev? It would certainly stick with the theory that this are logs or security recordings of conversations of test on the cube or even the theft of the Cube by members of the Crypto department. I don't know what the rest of you think of this. I'm quite probably jumping the gun. Or clutching at straws. Pick a cliche!

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:06 pm

poozle · Entrenched Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 1090

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:54 pm

Antony C · Boot Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 38 Location: UK, Coventry

I got this

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:18 pm

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

zone mount -- -- -- / -- switch pread -- -- / -- -- switch cache -- / -- -- -- rotate --

Run can go anywhere. We've just been traditionally putting it in row 1 column 3.

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:42 pm

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

zone mount -- -- -- / -- switch pread -- -- / -- -- switch -- -- / -- -- -- switch cache / -- -- -- -- rotate

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:11 pm

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

More fun on the wiki.

http://perplexcitywiki.com/wiki/Backdoor#Config_11:_Reynolds_ioniser

In case anyone is curious, yes, I pretty have a nodding idea how this works now. Being able to ferret out every file is a trickier matter.

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:37 pm

Antony C · Boot Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 38 Location: UK, Coventry

Likewise, I think I've got it. It is just a matter of following the commands, and weening the little blighters out.

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 8:19 pm

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

Been mulling. I wanted to get some things out, and I apologize for this being confusing to non-programmers. I will try later to write a more intensive tutorial. (It's not really a programming language per se, just a complicated logic puzzle. But thinking like a programmer can help.)

The things to keep in mind when message-hunting:

1.) When trying to find something new, you're paying attention to the string of commands being executed, not necessarily their physical placement. Physical placement will make it more difficult and sometimes prevent certain acts (like if you try to keep doing a switch command and going SE, eventually you'll hit the border), but the actual file that pops up seems to be based solely on the commands, not on where they are in the grid.

2.) In that vein, try to study the strings of commands to see what you can change in tem. For example, I looked at
zone-mount-pread-switch-switch-rotate-cache
and realized I could fit another switch in there
zone-mount-pread-switch-switch-switch-rotate-cache

The latter ends up getting only as far as r5c4. I also realized I would have room to add another 'switch' in there if I shifted upward from r5c4 and put a switch at r4c4.

Valid strings of command seem to always start with zone-mount, and a lot of them end with rotate-cache (but not all of them -- that logs one Antony found ends rotate-flush).

3.) Use the End command to test where your execution is going if you're having trouble. Like if I hit a Rotate (which I still haven't worked out) I usually test End in each possible location the program could go next until I find it gives the message which tells me it tried to run the End command. That's the spot the program goes next.

You can also use the End for bugtesting a whole sequence, so to see if your program actually reaches a point in the middle of the string or there's something broken earlier than you expect.

**Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:54 pm

jbd · Decorated Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 295

Found another one by modifying the 'Coffee' one Antony found:

http://perplexcitywiki.com/wiki/Backdoor#Config_12:_Noise_control_system

**Posted:** Sun Jul 02, 2006 12:58 am

Antony C · Boot Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 38 Location: UK, Coventry

I think that even though A PWRITE sends the code right, and PREAD sends the code to the left, if you put them next to each other, the code goes below the PREAD.

There has to be more than these. I think we still haven't found the 'goal' message.

**Posted:** Sun Jul 02, 2006 6:33 am

duckiemonster

**Posted:** Sun Jul 02, 2006 6:47 am

_________________
duckiemonster.com w00t!

BBuck · Decorated Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 184

**Posted:** Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:09 am

BBuck · Decorated Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 184

To confuse things further,

ZO ZO ZO MO - / - - CO PR CO / - - CO ZO ZO / - - CO CA - / - - RO - - /

gives "Approaching the Master" as well. But

ZO ZO ZO MO - / - - CO PR CO / - - CO ZO PO / - - CO CA - / - - RO - - /

gives nothing. If RUN is placed in r4c5 then you get "Runtime Error: Timeout in Folder". Anywhere else, and you get "Completion Error: Invalid Command Grid".

[EDIT] Change from r4c4 to r4c5. Apologies. [/EDIT]