Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Thu Nov 21, 2024 9:00 am
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Something in the Sea
[Viral] "There's Something In The Sea" - Bioshock 2?
View previous topicView next topic
Page 8 of 181 [2705 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, ..., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ..., 179, 180, 181  Next
Author Message
Cado
Veteran

Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 82

 		CRAP DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT THE BOX TURNS AROUND??? IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A KEY! I can't even start to decipher it though...

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:16 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Cado
Veteran

Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 82

 		Does anyone know of a coding that uses the number 6? There are six symbols along the side of the back of the box, and I assume that that's the way to unlock this.

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:33 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		EDIT: the message has been decoded, ignore this post, see my post below

On the front of the box, the symbols on the top portion are in the same order as the symbols on the bottom portion, except backwards. You can trace the top symbols left to right, and trace the bottom symbols right to left, and you will see they are the same.
This hints that the same message is repeated twice: once on the lid and, and once on the main body of the box. The symbols on the lid look upside down when looking at the front of the box. Look at the back of the box and you will see the symbols continue on the lid around to the back.

What is not so obvious on the first glance is that the same message is repeated 6 times on the back of the box.
Each message is offset by a certain amount.
Here is the partially decoded message:

Note how the vertical bar (as a reference) lines up in each row in this view.

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:43 pm
Last edited by Aluminus on Sat May 30, 2009 10:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
dolleface
Greenhorn

Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 3
Aluminus wrote:
On the front of the box, the symbols on the top portion are in the same order as the symbols on the bottom portion, except backwards. You cant trace the top symbols left to right, and trace the bottom symbols right to left, and you will see they are the same.
This hints that the same message is repeated twice: once on the lid and, and once on the main body of the box. The symbols on the lid look upside down when looking at the front of the box. Look at the back of the box and you will see the symbols continue on the lid around to the back.

What is not so obvious on the first glance is that the same message is repeated 6 times on the back of the box.
Each message is offset by a certain amount.
Here is the partially decoded message:

Note how the vertical bar (as a reference) lines up in each row in this view.


Maybe we enter the symbols in this order for each of the locks? There seem to be very few repeats, so it might not be words.

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:52 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN DECODED:

yicantremembermybirthdaydoyou
remembermybirthdayihaveanewx
birthdayicantremembermybirthd
aydoyouremembermybirthdayi
haveanewbirthdayicantremembee
ermybirthdaydoyouremembermybx

Note the extra letters x, e, x tacked onto the end of lines 2, 5, 6
(Please double check my sequences if I have made a mistake)

Message was a simple rot
Here is the c++ program which will decode the message, correct offset is offset 23

Code:

// Bioshock 2 decoding program by Matthew Plymale aka "Aluminus"
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

char letters[52] = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z','a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'};
/*
** Starting from the center dial
** the highlighted symbol is taken as index 0
** moving clockwise symbols are enumerated 1, 2, etc
** "sequencex" refers to the symbols on row x
** on the back of the box
*/

int sequence1[29] = {1, 11, 5, 3, 16, 22, 20, 7, 15, 7, 15, 4, 7, 20, 15, 1, 4, 11, 20, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 6, 17, 1, 17, 23};      // 29 symbols
int sequence2[27] = {20, 7, 15, 7, 15, 4, 7, 20, 15, 1, 4, 11, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 11, 10, 3, 24, 7, 3, 16, 7, 25, };            // 27 symbols
int sequence3[29] = {4, 11, 20, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 11, 5, 3, 16, 22, 20, 7, 15, 7, 15, 4, 7, 20, 15, 1, 4, 11, 20 ,22, 10, 6};   // 29 symbols
int sequence4[26] = {3, 1, 6, 17, 1, 17, 23, 20, 7 ,15, 7, 15, 4, 7, 20, 15, 1, 4, 11, 20, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 11};            // 26 symbols
int sequence5[28] = {10, 3, 24, 7, 3, 16, 7, 25, 4, 11, 20, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 11, 5, 3, 16, 22, 20, 7, 15, 7, 15, 4, 7};         // 28 symbols
int sequence6[28] = {7, 20, 15, 1, 4, 11, 20, 22, 10, 6, 3, 1, 6, 17, 1, 17, 23, 20, 7 ,15, 7, 15, 4, 7, 20, 15, 1, 4};         // 28 symbols
int offset = 0;
int finalOffset = 0;

int main()
{
   for (int iterations = 0; iterations < 26; iterations++)
   {   
      
      cout << "offset: " << offset << endl;
      for (int i=0; i<29; i++)
      {
         cout << letters[sequence1[i]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;
      for (int j=0; j<27; j++)
      {
         cout << letters[sequence2[j]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;
      for (int k=0; k<29; k++)
      {   
         cout << letters[sequence3[k]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;
      for (int x=0; x<26; x++)
      {
         cout << letters[sequence4[x]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;
      for (int y=0; y<29; y++)
      {   
         cout << letters[sequence5[y]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;
      for (int z=0; z<29; z++)
      {   
         cout << letters[sequence6[z]+offset];
      }
      cout << endl;

      offset++;
      cout << endl;
   }
   return 0;
}


As expected, the sequence "remember my birthday" repeats several times

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:42 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		speculation is that "my birthday" is the 3 digit sequence of number that will open the box
something like month/2digityear
or day/twodigit month

Everyone, please start looking for birthdays
Perhaps Meltzer's daughter's birthday is written down in his office somewhere?

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:51 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
deathscent
Veteran

Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 92

 		did anyone save the images ;3
it was on one of the cards, i'm sure, i just can't remember which/where D:

8/25, anyone have any luck?

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:53 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		I should mention that index 4 is the vertical bar for reference. So verticalbar->4->b
upsidedowntriangle->11->i
fourlines->20->r
circledots->22->t
uparrow->10->h
star->6->d
circlex->3->a
threelines->1->y

and so on

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:57 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		8/25 corresponds to fzc corresponds to circleline crosswithdiagonal doublesquare which does not open the box (EDIT: Actually, it does, see below)

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:02 pm
Last edited by Aluminus on Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		read the memos on the file cabinet:
Philip Isodore 5/24
Roscoe Inman 5/26
Benny Stango 5/28

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:05 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		524 corresponds to czb corresponds to doublesquare crosswithdiagonal verticalbar

526->czd
528->czf

Tried all three of these, and this particular order left, center, right does not open the box

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:12 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		For the curious, here is a screenshot of the program running:


PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:21 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Aluminus
Veteran


Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 71

 		Off-topic, I may have only joined the forums today, but I was lurking during the Cloverfield/Slusho/Tagruato viral marketing/ARG last year. I learned a lot about these back stories and solving puzzles. Its fun. I played Bioshock and loved it, so when I found out about somethinginthesea on Kotaku, I went to unfiction to see the developments. I'm glad to contribute to the community. Lucky it was only a rot cipher this time, eh? But I bet there's more to this box than just the message on it. Can't wait till we open it!

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:37 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Vossk
Decorated


Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 260
Location: Jacksonville, FL

 		Dates on photos, clockwise from uppermost, left:

Quote:
3rd birthday - 8/25/64.
This means she was born on 8/25/61.
Family photo - Spring, 1967
Baby photo - Dec. 1961.
My little helper - Spring, 1965
Buried in sand - in Montauk, 1965
Last picture, on horse - 10/21/67
Building sand castle - 7/4/6?


The above seems likely, as the three numbers fit within the reaches of the alphabet

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:52 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
dolleface
Greenhorn

Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 3

 		On the back of his daughter's photos are the dates!

8/25/61 is her birthdate.

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:56 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 8 of 181 [2705 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, ..., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ..., 179, 180, 181  Next
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Something in the Sea
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group