Happy Easter everyone! I just added a new sandbox mission, a continuation of the first mission. Mission Type: Research Mission Difficulty: Hard Mission Number: 8 Server: Beta 3.0.7 Storyline: Standalone (not related to other beta missions - other than my previous sandbox mission) It's a little harder than the first, and I'm trying out something a little different. I would say more but I don't want to give anything away. Anyhow, good luck and hopefully your Easter sugar buzz will help.
Spoiler: Feedback that might include potential spoilers Thanks for the mission - was good fun ^^ Only "issue" (why I put that in quotes is explained at the end) was that it was quite possible to skip to the final answer with just one step unlocked, and then find the rest of the keywords retroactively. However, considering the objective of the mission, I see no reason why that shouldn't be an option in this case. Makes it feel like it has it's own built-in hint system, which in turn makes it either less frustrating, or more rewarding, depending on whether you utilize all the "hints" to get the final answer, or manage to bypass them and skip straight to the answer. Either way, was very enjoyable.
Thanks Santiak, glad you enjoyed it! Spoiler: Response to feedback may contain spoilers Yeah, I wanted to make it possible to find the final solution without having to do all the steps. Although, I didn't mean for it to be solvable after only one step unlocked - that is good to know.
I did but I really wouldn't have gotten started if Santiak hadn't pointed the way, he was my saving grace!
Hehe, thank you for the kind words, but I'm rather sure you would've done just as well - if not better - without my confusing attempts at non-spoilery hints Besides, it depends - in my opinion - on which semantic frame you land yourself in, and that's largely a matter of luck. It's also part of the reason for why we all, regardless of experience or affinity for mystery solving, get what feels like impossibly stuck at times - and so often resort to facepalming when we do discover the answer, because a given frame is so often self-evident once established - but so hard to break into if you're stuck in another one. Which is also why (this is turning into a recruitment post, isn't it?) we need as many Agents to join in as possible, regardless of experience with ARGs or puzzle-solving, because the chance that someone will land in the right semantic frame for a given puzzle increases with every new Agent, and it's also why there's no need to be shy about sharing stray thoughts or silly ideas, as any brain-fart or "silly" postulate can trigger that all-important frame shift.
Very well put Santiak. In these sandbox missions, but also in the game as a whole, we want to design missions that require knowledge on very specific topics, so that not only does the community need to communicate in order to find people of that particular skill set or knowledge base, but also so that when it is your turn to be the expert in a subject, you feel the pride and accomplishment of helping the whole community.
I just finished it with some help from Branwen. I like the style and being able to try a different part when you get stuck, and once you get a correct answer it confirms your train of thought. The hardest part for me was knowing when to go for a generic term or a very specific answer. I spend considerable time searching for details that were absolutely unnecessary.
(oops, I wrote this earlier) Having attempted to pay-it-forward help wise, with the same non-spoilery--I know the feeling (that Santiak shared.) But it is a lovely aspect of the game to discover a rapport with someone who genuinely provides a different perspective/and wishes to help. One day, I hope to be the one with the epiphany--though I may have to write it up myself to do so Another cool aspect is having agents say, "I've never played a game like this, and I'm lost and clueless," and then they make the leap and you can just feel their amped-ness--and they don't even realize that they brought an entire new perspective/advantage to the arena. And you sit back and are like, damn I wish he/she'd been in a group CFH with me when I was spending hours banging my head against the wall.
Branwen, you pay it forward beautifully. Just glanced at this sandbox but already have Lady Marmalade by Patti LaBelle playing in my mind. I can expect you will hear from me unless I pounce on Santiak! This sandbox now has a soundtrack in my mind! Dern you Puppetmaster *winks as she shakes her fist*
I don't need help anymore. I'm not sure how to give clues for this mission without spoiling all of them.
This would have been close to impossible for me without help. I'm finding that some people had XXXs while some didn't though. This would have helped at least rule out some of the wild good chases I had done for days as I didn't have them. For those of you looking for hints I have a few which I will compose in a separate post after dinner.
Mission Hints: Warning due to the nature of the mission, these could all be considered 'heavy hints'. The final spoiler in each code is the solution. Code #1: Spoiler Format: XXX Spoiler Focus on something that was created in the years given Spoiler Gin Code #2 Spoiler Format: XXXXXX Spoiler The word translates to Malaria. Which leads you to something else that has to do with code 1... Spoiler Quinine is used in gin & tonics, tonics doesn't work so what other drinks used quinine in their making? Spoiler Lillet Code #3 Spoiler Format: XXXXXX XXXXXXX Spoiler Image search brings up marmalade. Spoiler the first marmalades were made from oranges, and based on the first two solutions, we are going with a drink theme, so what goes into drinks? Spoiler Orange Bitters Code #4 Spoiler Format: XXXXX XX XXXXXX Spoiler Do this one last! I had to go back after finding the solution to get the connection Spoiler you must copy and paste the solution as it requires the tilde atop the Spoiler Crème de Noyaux Password Spoiler Format: XXX XXXXXXX Spoiler It's a drink that uses the previous answers as ingredients Spoiler Old Etonian
I really needed a stronger hint towards the theme before 1 1/2 parts here. For both the text and the image, I can't manipulate my search results to make the answer show even knowing the answers. Once I got the theme down it was quite enjoyable. Spoiler For Dash text, the website I used to essentially find the answer spelled it "Creme de Noyeaux" instead of "Creme de Noyaux" blurg
The search terms I found that yielded the answers - some retroactively - were: Spoiler: Search terms to yield answers -- Strong hints! #1: Cocktail 1769 Hinges on making the initial connection between steps. #2: Cocktail Blanc // Quinine Blanc Found this after realizing there must be a reason for the colours - and having searched historical records of flags to no avail, that the colours were more basic than pointing at a given location. This, combined with the fact that "Malaria" was written in French, meant that, once the overarching frame of "booze/alcohol" was about, it wasn't a huge leap of faith that "yellowish" might be "white" in french (i.e. as in wine). #3: Cocktail Orange Quinine This was some trial and error, but the inclusion of Quinine yields the result, as "Bitters prepared from the tree bark containing the antimalarial quinine were occasionally included in historical cocktail recipes" And, as you might have guessed by now: #4: Tempus fugit prunus cocktail Will also yield the correct result.
thank you for the hints bink! i didn't have any xxxs, and i think had i had them i probably/hopefully would have done better? but thank you for providing the answers!
