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If there are 8 characters then I would think it would be bytes. In clusters of 2 - that would give you 256 combinations. Is it ascii? Or maybe EBCDIC.Comment
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Hope everyone is having fun. Take a break, watch a video, have fun!
Here's a silly one:
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That was a clue, wasn't it?!
At exactly 2:53 in the video - there is a Canadian/American hybrid flag. So those nations fought in 1812 and so if we multiply 1812 by 2.53 we get.....
Or... the clue could be 4 or "4 by 4"
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hehe, one of the clues is definitely 4x4....it's popped up in other parts of the challengeLast edited by b_hackin; July 31, 2020, 05:34.Comment
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​​If it is indeed a hex encoded IP address, and making the assumption that the rotations are shifts to the left, it is possible to determine which symbols are which.Last edited by robe1221; July 30, 2020, 08:06.Comment
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I found a Flash Gordon parallel!
Stick with me, because it's a logical (and emotional) roller coaster! So, Flash Gordon was a rock opera with an *amazing* soundtrack by Queen... After testing various substitution approaches over the last 5 days, another of my attempts failed and this popped into my head:
Ok, well, I guess that's really all of it. No magic or hints, just more dead ends as I'm rehashing the same approaches, digging through the wealth of hints/clues, and trying to figure out where I missed something obvious.
This is my first year truly digging into the contest and while I didn't expect it to be easy, these late nights have been rough! That said, I've found community with some really great people with awesome ideas and good puzzle-solving discussion :) So, in my book, Defcon's already a success!
"Once upon a time there was love in my life,
now there's only glyphs on lanyards.
Nothing I can say... oh shit it's just made out of caaaake"Comment
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Hi Puzzlers,
I really really want this to be true - it fits in so many ways; 4x4 grid, parallels with DTMF, of the 8 runes 4 align horizontally and 4 vertically.....
But here's the rub... I can't find any way to pair the symbols in such a way they group in 1 horizontal & 1 vertical consistently 😱
So have at it & good luck!!
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It's late and I'm new here but following along with enthusiasm. I tried something tonight that looks promising but I'm way far out in left field compared to where most folks seem to be and also working most of the weekend so I won't have a chance to personally do much more with this. If I were to make something of a grid with this pattern, would that be potentially aligned with the goals of this adventure or at least stumbling down the right path? There were an awful lot of clues lining up for me that seemed to point this way.Attached FilesComment
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Building off of a couple different posts here (maybe complicating the situation) I also assigned each symbol a number 0 - 7 (minus the 'green' separator symbol). Except I based the order off of the rotation 0xbadf00d presented. I came up with this...
04 35 65 64
64 04 75 11
05 44 44 05
24 41 21 64
The third line is very interesting. It's a palindrome.
This attempt at something led me to wonder what if you added these up to get Hex digits. After having done this it seems like a dead end but I still thought I'd share.
4 8 B A
A 4 C 2
5 8 8 5
6 5 3 A
48BA . A4C2 . 5885 . 653A
I don't know.Comment
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So, how are people deciding on the orientation that they are using for reading the lanyard? I think there are 4 possible ways to read it: straight across from one end, straight across from the other end, read half/flip and read the other, or read the opposite way flipping. I used the awesome color coded pic that was uploaded and arranged the possible orientations for reading it.Attached FilesComment
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another note: one of the columns has 3 possible symbols, and the other spans all 8 possible symbols. if the symbols substitute digits, the column with the fewer possible symbols would likely be the higher place value. might work for both octal, where the most significant place spans [0, 3] or decimal, where it spans [0, 2], assuming each pair maps to one of the 26 letters.Comment
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It's fascinating to hear about all these different perspectives and approaches. I'm new to this entire defcon experience, but I find this stuff so much fun. I might be way off, but here's the direction I've been going in:
- how many times has a symbol appeared?
- should each rotated version count as 'different', or the same?
- the symbols do not read the same on both sides/directions, meaning they are not an exact inversion.
- i'm assuming the green symbol is a '.' or spacer here.
I've tried mapping out my thought process in a spreadsheet:
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Has anyone considered folding the lanyard in half lengthwise? Notice if you do, some symbols look like mirrorish images of each other. Cut in half lengthwise and treat the code like a cassette tape? Read bottom like a b side?
You still get two symbol pairs separated by what looks like a w, which front to back is symmetrical.Comment
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Considering the packaging the lanyard comes in, I think you might be onto something mk2. Wondering how to consolidate that with the 4x4 hint...
EDIT: Think the quote on the package is relevant, too, or just about corona? Here it is for reference: "I feel confined, only free to expand myself within boundaries." - Motoko Kusanagi -> main protagonist from Ghost in the ShellLast edited by oblivia; August 5, 2020, 10:16.Comment
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