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[DarkHuman]

 WLOG Solution

[ccl28]

This is a great solution because it doesn't take 2-3 clues and force the solve around those. This is very logical and believable. However, it's hard for me to accept that my episode 3, 5 solves can be wrong. That is the problem with this game. NYC has so much history that you can make anything fit. The snake in Marine Park, the statue of Saint Michael in Saint Michael's Cemetery, the felt from the poker table and Hellgate -- I can't imagine those not being in the solution. But, I know I didn't come close to the overall solution and I never thought I was close enough to dig anywhere.

I hope somebody checks this out and I hope they find the gold. I also hope that they tell us if they come up empty. For me, I've gave up on this a while ago. There isn't enough positive reinforcement to let you know if you are on the right track, especially in the later episodes, and the homages make this too confusing.

I would like to believe that the author's put much more time into this than any of us. Since they feel so comfortable letting this thing die, then I think it's fine that we do too (assuming this solve is wrong, which I hope it isn't).

GOOD LUCK!

[XRoper94]

Hi there

[DarkHuman]

Here's my quick map of the park showing the solve. the sandbox is the only area i can find where you can dig 250 feet away from the uss recruit.
don't forget it should weigh about 200 lbs!

[XRoper94]

LOL

[captain12fingers]

Interesting

[DarkHuman]

ok, going to try and show a visual map of the entire solve, might take a few parts:
EPISODES 1 & 2, Central Park:

EPISODE 3

follows the orange line down, the bottom of the map shows the blue line you must cross under.
EPISODE 5 Part 1 Shows the Subway/Pushpin = Location Pirate leaves subway(to take the buses)

Directly under the Split from Episode 3.
Orange line on the left = Tom (yellow markes shows 1'st ## in a row) Pink Pushpin = 5th ## in a row.
Yellow line on left = Crothers Pink Pushpin = King's highway
Top right Red Pushpin = Captn @ prospect park
Bottom right = Tom at Ave J.
(other lines are the full bus routes they take from said location.)
EPISODE 5 Part 2 Shows the Busses and their crazy lines

[DarkHuman]

EPISODE 6

This shows the 2 red subway lines (blue on map) that they use to all join up at Franklin Ave Station. The episode ends at Grand Army Plaza.

All my previous bus maps from the poker episode fit perfectly into the new subway line. Not forcing any solve!!

EPISODE 4 (fits between 6 & 7)

28 furlongs = 3.5 miles.
Take the same subway just short of that to Fulton St.
EPISODE 7

From Fulton st.West and North at Broadway, then onto the yellow subway line until the union square park.

[DPNJ12]

an interesting side note. The WLOG website is down right now. Not sure if I am late to the party in noticing that or not, I have been checked out of this game for about a year at this point

[DPNJ12]

annnnnd its back up

[DarkHuman]

And episode 8 was shown in the Final solve locations.

I'm still amazed that the pirate ship is a real ship that was at Union Square.

Some of my favorite solves: Tom's cards J/J =J/11. that's when i knew i was doing the busses right. and Q/Q to get back onto the subway. only station the 11 hits. I had all the bus lines mapped out and the Franklin Ave solve where they all meet up, I knew I was back to one path. The 3.47 v 3.5 miles, again, I was dead on. Then I found Union Square and the uss recruit. kept working on a full solve and when i watched the video again and it was in grainy B&W, i knew i found the ship.

late night plea, please someone go dig in that sandbox, i just know it's in there!

[ccl28]

BTW, have you checked to see if playground sandboxes are deep enough to fit a chest? My understanding is that they are usually only 1' deep or less for safety reasons (this is based on private sandboxes not public). Maybe you can ask the park.

[DPNJ12]

Not to be a buzz kill, but if they were able to haul a 200+ pound chest into union square park, get it into the playground, dig a 2-3 foot deep hole, and fill that hole all without:
a) getting the cops called on them for being in the playground acting shady
-or-
b) having someone watch them and then dig it up as soon as they left
They should become professional ninjas.

I have a few concerns with the treasure being buried in any parks in lower Manhattan. First, there are just too many people. The likely hood of someone being able to walk into a park with a chest that size, dig a hole, and leave with out being noticed are minuscule. Also, if we operate with the accepted theory that the PMs are from Brooklyn then that means they would have had to drive to Manhattan, find a place to park near the park, and then move the chest.

I like the solve, and I think that to date it is the most coherent one anyone has come up with, and I certainly don't have a better answer to the puzzle, I just wish it ended in a different borough.

---edited spelling---

[TheHunter]

I'm also a little skeptic on the end-location (I think that the bus routing is GENIUS, though - I had a few 'DOH!' moments in reading your solve, things I should've put together, etc.)

I went down to Union Square last night (got to love living in Manhattan for that) and checked the spot. The Rock in the sandbox is foot-like, yes, and there is indeed a pole/stick/what have you sticking out of the sand, but I think DPNJ raises a very valid set of points.

I think there may be more to your solve than meets the eye however- More investigation to come.

[DarkHuman]

Cool, thanks for poking around! And thanks for the kind words, I worked very hard on this solve, and I and sooooo thankful that people that would appreciate these puzzle solve get to see them (and agree with them, lol)

I have thought ALOT about the location and how they could/did get the chest into the ground ANYWHERE in NY. The empty chest had to be put into the ground and then filled in the hole. The cash must have been hauled in backpacks. Anyways if I've learned anything from this game its that you can take a subway anywhere. union square is one of those places so they could have easily taken the money there.

The Playground was opened one month AFTER they placed the cash in the ground. It was places Nov '09, the park opened Dec. If you wait until the sandbox is filled, but before it's opened that sounds like the perfect time to place it.
I think the sandbox is at least 2' Deep.

EDIT: here's the park again, showing Everything that could be 250 feet away from the ship. Light blue shows the areas. (then take away 90% of that for areas you cant trespass) the SW corner is too close to the ship, so it's not there.