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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: Questions/Meta
Needing the cards to solve the puzzle
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		Needing the cards to solve the puzzle
Do we need them or not?
ALISDAIRPARK posted this in the thread about the latest CT update "ticks"

Quote:
only lurking on this now ( I gave up on the cube mainly due to Mind Candy's poor customer service), however it would be interesting to know how the current info fits with the repeated statement that the cards weren't needed to find the cube?


I made this a topic here because the need for players to buy and use the cards to find the Cube has been a subject of META discussion since the puzzle card aspect of the game was announced.

My memory is that Adrian Hon at ARGFest-o-con NYC said they would be a "helpful supplement" to finding the Cube. The FAQ of the game says that no purchase is required.

I reviewed briefly the law of games relating to skill and found it to be utterly confusing (and possibly a lucrative area of endeavor) But I did get the idea that contests can't require people to buy things to enter or to get an advantage in winning. I am not sure how it relates here exactly, I think that Mind Candy made statements about how you don't have to buy the cards to win in order to comply with law - NOT to say that the information on the cards isn't essential to finding the Cube.

The advertising on the card packs says "find the Cube and win a reward." To me, this has always meant that the Cards themselves are crucially important in finding the Cube. Mind Candy can't market the cards with the idea that they are part of a treasure hunt giving a large reward and then not have the cards be important, it would be marketing suicide ( they would alienate every player who bought cards based on the idea of finding the reward) if not false advertising.

That being said, the information to solve the puzzle and find the Cube has to be found primarily within the cards. So far, all of that information has been accessible on-line, thanks to the wiki, brienigma's card catalog, perplexcity.com, and the PPC map site. (Not sure who to thank for all of these things, but THANKS)

Personally, I have difficulty working with cards I don't have, so I am probably one of the people who actually need to have a complete set of cards to get anywhere. Still, it isn't required that anyone buy anything, at least so far, because the on-line information has been pretty thoroughly covered.

Thoughts? Opinions?
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:29 am
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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 		If we are talking about parsing exact subtle meanings of the word "buy", then it is very simple to say no, you do not need to buy any cards at all. On the simplest edge, you can be given cards as gifts, or acquire them in any number of other ways. However, consider the fFact that you don't actually need any cards of any kind at all ever to go dig a hole; you probably need a shovel. So like fFor example someone could tell you were the cube is and you go get it. Or you might get a hunch about it's location. Or you might stumble across it while camping.

This gets a bit pedantic, but fFairly valid and important.

However I think what you are asking is: What is my opinion of the usefulness of owning cards? Do I think the cube is fFindable without them all? That, on some level, is purely hypothetical. If you happen to be able to collect all the fFacts in your head, you can probably manage to solve the big picture. I mean, even if you actually owned every card, plus the limited editions, plus the board game, plus every magazine, starter pack, sticker, and printed thing ever made fFrom MC -- You'd still have to be able to sift through what's important and what's not, and get it all in your head to begin solving. And there's plenty of people who can't do that much. So owning all cards might be helpful, but then again it might not.
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:04 pm
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CommDirector
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 		Completely agree
Completely agree with your post.

I'm a beleiver that if you pushed yourself hard enough, you really dont need to buy the cards to find the cube. The online resources alone is enough, not to mention this forums, to steer you towards the cube. But the fact is, it will be hard-ER to find the cube without owning the cards (i.e. you need to keep referring back to online material, others who own specific cards, etc).

And I like how MC put it -- they said you really dont need to buy the cards to find the cube (which is true, as per above logic, and scott's too...)... but of course you would be better off buying the cards to make your life easier (which they also hinted at when they said you dont need the cards). Please the non-buyers, and please the buyers

Damn. MC is good.

(quick math... 45000 players, owning an average of 12 original cards each - poor approx -, and with each 6-pack costing approx 2.5pounds or 5 US$ ... thats 450,000 US$ already! And 12 cards per player is really a low low estimate. it also doesnt include sponsorship fees during live events, etc.)

PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:56 am
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Mikeyj
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Joined: 18 Oct 2004
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Location: London
Scott wrote:

I mean, even if you actually owned every card, plus the limited editions, plus the board game, plus every magazine, starter pack, sticker, and printed thing ever made fFrom MC -- You'd still have to be able to sift through what's important and what's not, and get it all in your head to begin solving. And there's plenty of people who can't do that much.


You're describing me Smile and it's no help whatsoever. I'm a bear of very little brain, and (at the moment) very little time Rolling Eyes

On the card front my impression from the beginning was that there would be no clues on the cards at all, that they were entirely separate. I'm convinced I remember an early interview with Adrian stating something more definite thatn "you don't have to buy the cards", but I can't find it (I may be inventing this). And at the beginning this was in fact true as (other than CT's dramatic confession) there were no clues. They came in later waves.

I know crisp packets aren't the best comparison, but competitions on those with "no purchase necessary" usually have an address where you can enter (or phone-line/website etc.). The equivalent here would be the forum, providing solves and info for those who don't buy.

I salute those who don't...you must be a) richer and b) possessed of a stronger will than me.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:38 pm
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