Pre-bump for saving up strength to tackle the case?
Hidden bump
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Congrats! Did you pick up the bill or leave it for the other agents?
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I had a glance at the bill and damn... we drank way too many coffees there. Nope, not taking it.
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Only one more wall to scale now. A huge block of binary numbers standing between you and the coveted ARK. :)
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Interesting puzzle, thank you. Cafe stumped me good
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Don't worry, you're not alone. I might have to drop even further hints on it soon. :)
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Did you ever get back to check on all the hints to be able to solve it? I've been offering bacon breakfasts to all the people stuck there.
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I guess that means people are good in the café. Does people need help on the door?
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I wouldn't say no . . .TBH, I haven't looked at it much since leaving the cafe - it was such a traumatic experience.
I've got some ideas for the door . . . just need to find the key(s) and have some spare time.
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I'm just a bit worried that people have gotten too frustrated and have stopped looking at the thread when there are so many hints now that it's starting to be an easy challenge instead of a hard, like it was when they arrived.
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I think if anyone wanted to get out of the cafe now they could if they really wanted to. I can't speak for others, but I haven't lost interest. I know I've got a couple of weeks to get through the door, so no huge rush. Often I find that that stepping away from things for a little while isn't such a bad thing.
It's really up to you as to what level you want to have your puzzles. If you wanted something easy for everyone to complete, do some jigsaw puzzles (yes I've seen your latest thread!). If you want something diabolical that no one completes, do cipher upon cipher upon cipher. Something inbetween which is what this is just requires agents with a bit of tenacity and they'll make it through - and if you see a bottleneck (like the cafe) some well executed hints work well. I personally think this has been a great puzzle to date and I've thoroughly enjoyed it (especially because I'm not paying the cafe bill!).
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Thanks for the compliments.
Yes, the main thing is that I get enough people through to get at least 5 entries. Any hints more than that is not needed from my part, but I do like it when people can follow along with the story. This PA story has a wider arch so it's nice when people can say they did it all when it's over.
Oooh, brilliant idea just came up for a "Previously on...". I wonder if I have the time needed to make a video of all the cases before I release the next one. No promises!
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I loved the terrorist hacking one.
As for here, apart from the group puzzle which is solved, is there anything we "mere mortals" can do afterwards? Any guidance on what/where to look for anything in order to reach the supposed Cafe? Cause I haven't exactly understood for what puzzle I should be even looking for, too many posts here to look through all of them. (and I don't like ciphers to be honest)
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To get to the individual challenge, follow the link in the main post where it says "Group part solved" just below the puzzle itself, it leads to the post where the solution is posted and the 8 letter ITH code you need. You may need to read a few posts above it to be able to answer the single question on the ITH page, it's a small control question about how the group puzzle was solved.
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Hmm as far as I remember I have answered that one. But got stuck afterwards and didn't know what to do next or where to even look for next step. Does that mean I'm already at Cafe ?
EDIT:And yes your previous post is correct. This was a very hard challenge in the beginning and I did stop looking at this thread completely.
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The next one is a 3d note with binary numbers.
The café is after a sudoku-like binary puzzle.
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It's better if people tell me where they are stuck and ask for guidance than just leave when they get frustrated. :(
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I blame the cipher stuff. xD You are right of course, but this also depends on people's free time, so I guess I can understand it. It's kinda natural.
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At least I don't cipher the results of another cipher so you don't know if you're on the right track unless you manage to do both ciphers right. :)
Heh, well, you could say the 3d note is a cipher on another cipher. ^^ (Puzzle 2, Hint 1 ;))
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I thought you were past that point already, not getting anything new with the latest hints?
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I never proceed in a puzzle without letting the creator know. :P Nope, I think I've reached a point where I'm just stuck and no hints can help me. xD Plus I'm not having a lot of free time to work on it.
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You've used binary decoding, correct? The first hint is in that. Use that hint and match it with something else that's been said in a hint or by the waitress and search on google for the second word. I suggest adding words to the search get a more relevant result for the problem at hand.
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Yes, I believe I found the first hint and the other word you mentioned, if it's what I think it is. And googling it did lead me to a cipher, but it doesn't make any sense with the binary code. Thanks for trying to help, but I think I'll just sit this one out. :)
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You should read the Puzzle 4 Hint 4 again. You've probably deciphered the HINT. And all you need is to decipher the CODE
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Changes nothing. I still don't know how to decipher the code. :P
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You have found out what the cipher is, and how to decipher it, but the result is not understandable? If so, pay more attention to the properties of the ciphering method ;)
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The problem is I'm not sure if I found what the cipher is.
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If the cipher you've found is a base-2 cipher, then you have the right cipher most likely. If you wish to confirm or ask a specific question that you don't know if it's a spoiler, feel free to ask on steam.
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Bump for finally having some spare time to try the wall.
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Still stuck on the wall? Want me to send you an agent over from the café with some coffee?
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He's not the only one stuck there. All the relief I felt after leaving the café faded away as soon as I tried to decode the damn wall. Those terrorists know what they are doing. :P
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Maybe someone should open up a new coffee shop right next to the door? Actually from the sounds of it, I suspect Cipher Bin Ary is being unwittingly funded by agents buying coffee from his strategically placed coffee shops.
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Brilliant business plan! I'll let Cipher know when I discuss the next set of puzzles with him. ;)
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It didn't turn out to be some spare time. But I have (I hope) some spare time now. There is another puzzle that reaching it's deadline tomorrow, will work on that and get back to this ASAP.
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Perhaps if you catch up to Cipher Bin Ary you can take some of his terrorist funding money to pay for that bill.
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Too much cipher stuff and blind searches, so I gave up on this puzzle way too soon. I hate cipher puzzles. :/
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Don't give up. I still need a few more entries for Kingdom Rush and ARK. :)
What can I do to get you over the treshold? Make you a nice bacon breakfast?
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Haha bacon breakfast does sound indeed nice. :) As a matter of fact I'm not really interested in any of those games, so it's ok, I guess I'm less motivated you might say. But truth is I never liked to spend much time on ciphers, I'd rather do something else. :P Your terrorist bomb puzzle was by far the best puzzle you ever made. Well for my taste at least. xD Looking forward to similar style of puzzles in the future.
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The next one will be more visually inclined, but knowing Cipher Bin Ary, they are definitely going to be binary puzzles. ;)
Currently working on the first one right now, I have 3 fully planned so far. None of which the actual deciphering is hard, it's more about getting the right digits to decipher. Trying to come up with ideas for two more that will fit the theme of the story.
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I think you missed the point of the decipering itself isn't hard. :) It's not going to be based on trickery, like in the current case where I've made a point of using ones and zeroes in different ways. It's going to be about finding the ones and zeroes for a simple binary to ascii translation. :P
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First puzzle finished. Teaser:
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Yeah, I was surprised so few people wanted Kingdom Rush compared to Velocity Ultra, if I had known I'd have switched order.
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I guess a lot of people already own Kingdom Rush (myself included). Very good game though!
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Didn't enter before because I already have Kingdom Rush on mobile -- it's a good game indeed ... but I'm always happy to help when entries are needed, so now you have 4 entries for that :P
But I still have no idea for the last puzzle ... didn't have spare time to think about it much, and it seems to be too difficult for my subconcious to solve ... I'm still intrigued though :)
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Bump for no new comments for a while, so don't know if people are stuck or just not trying.
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You know, most of the puzzle beasts are dealing with March's Puzzle event right now. But PA is still on my mind and I will be back, (hopefully) tomorrow. The hints look charming.
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Bump for definitely stuck (and trying to do the March event in tandem).
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Did you try cutting yourself loose with a pair of scissors?
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Bump for continually being smacked in the face with hints and still not getting it.
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I guess with all the papercuts and bruising from hints smacking you in the face, you're gonna look like you've had fisticuffs with Edward Scissorhands.
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How can you complain when you yourself is taking a vacation elsewhere? ;))
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OH NO!! We need more agents at the finish or Cipher Bin Ary will kill us all!!!!
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The solution is quite easy. It only needs one of the agents who went through the door to come back, open the door and wedge it open. Problem solved.
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Good plan! But how do you know they are able to come back? :O Du duu duuuuuu!
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Well if they're already dead, don't expect me to follow!
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There could be other reasons we can't come back :-o I'm still very much alive!
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Added a weird curiousity at the puzzle for the door about the café-puzzle that m3rc just discovered, and I have no clue how it's possible. If anyone is able to enlighten me, please do.
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Bump for returned and finally entered the door. The new hints did their job and pulled me back on the right track ...
But I had a great time overthinking the last step and now I have about 12 new ideas for completely unsolvable puzzles. Yay?
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Alright, I'm free for the next 4 hours. Will see if I can do this.
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Any luck with the door?
Also, bump for less than 24 hours to go.
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I didn't have any ideas - or I'm too lazy to work on them, so I went on to play some games instead. :P
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Well, Gracee managed to solve it now at least. :) And here's Mandrill's comment about it: "That was ... embarassingly easy actually ... I was way overthinking this."
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Bump for giving up. Probably overthinking and going to smash my head against the wall after the solution, but I have a lot of work to do for tomorrow.
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Yes, as Mandrill said: "That was ... embarassingly easy actually ... I was way overthinking this."
All you have to do is return a few times and then you can enter.
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Bump for another case solved. I didn't really understand the new hints until I broke in O:
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Well, I must confess got here only 2 hours ago. And hints helped a lot. So have a bump :)
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Just a last bump to say it's has ended and the solution has been posted in the Puzzle Agency steam group.
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More hints may be posted if they are asked for or if you at least tell me where you're stuck.
Previously on the Puzzle Agency.
You have become an agent at the Puzzle Agency. Shortly after proving your loyalty to the agency in the Case of the Secret Ruler, a hacker managed to plant a bomb in the building. After defusing it, you found a compartment with a mysterious note.
Story: The Case of the Mysterious Note
The boss has gathered a group of agents in a conference room. You are here today because you are among the brighest of the Puzzle Agency. In the center of the table lies a note with text written on both sides. Cipher's name seem to have been smudged out, but otherwise the note is intact. The lab has scanned the smudged out part, but the results aren't back for another couple of days. You need to find out what's on the note, it might reveal information of Cipher Bin Ary's next target, or even his location.
Front side
I declare, from here on out,
an equal world all without
secrets to hide what's true and real.
Independence for all puzzles I steal.
Yours truly, CXXXXXXXXEXX
Back side
126 1 126 2 189 4 189 5 37 5 37 6 89 3 89 4
561 4 561 5 561 6 205 4 205 5 584 3 426 1 557 1 742 2
753 4 753 5 17 2 17 3 17 4 255 3 255 4 530 2 54 1
Group part solved
Disclaimer
The first puzzle is a group puzzle, share anything you want about it, including the full translation. However, do NOT post links to any results it may uncover. All puzzles after that are individual challenges and standard puzzle rules apply, no sharing of information.
This case involve use of p3d. All hidden codes are to be used on that site to reveal that puzzle's setting. It also uses ITH which 8 letter codes can be used on.
Earlier cases (optional)
Prelude: the Puzzle Agency entrance
The Case of the Secret Ruler
The Case of the Terrorist Hacker
There's also a Puzzle Agency steam group where news for upcoming cases are shared.
Rewards
Shadowgate: MacVenture Series
Kingdom Rush
Wargame: European Escalation
Velocity®Ultra
ARK: Survival Evolved
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