Mikalye's 15th 2016 Puzzle - Just Follow Directions - Solutions

The Geometric One

As discussed, this is not an original puzzle. This was only lightly adapted from the MIT mystery hunt puzzle "Beirut" from the 1999 hunt.
Full Solution:
The three letters are A, A, and T, indicated by omission:
Step 2: "...in reverse alphabeticl order."
Step 6: "Rotte your drawing..."
Step 9: "...about he y-axis..."
There rest of the solution is found in the attached diagram. The answer is i
Geometric Puzzle Solution

The Straightforward One

This was the second unoriginal puzzle in the set. This puzzle was stolen from the puzzle "Fainéant Hawk" from the March/April 2010 edition of Panda magazine. (© 2010 P&A Magazine. http://www.pandamagazine.com) Panda stands for "P [uzzles] AND A [nswers]" and if you are into puzzles, you really should consider a subscription. [I have no financial interest whatsoever in this, I'm just a happy subscriber]

1. HINT
2. HAWAIINT
3. WHAAIINT
4. WHATWAITWINT
5. WHATWAPENNYWISEWINT
6. WHATWASPENNYWIEWINT
7. WHATWASPENNYMIEMINT
8. WHATWASPANNYMIAMINT
9. WHATWASPANNYFLORIDANT
10. WHATWASPANNYFLORIDAT
11. WHATWASPIANNYFLORDAT
12. WHATWASPIANNATYFLORD
13. WHATWATHESPIANNATYFLORD
14. WHATWATHESPIETYFLORD
15. WHATWATHESTARTTYFLOR
16. WHATWATHESTARTTWGLORD
17. WHATWATHESTARTTWGLORD
18. WHATWATHESTARTTGWLORD
19. WHATWATHESTARTINGWLORD
20. WHATWALTHESTARTINGWORD
21. WHATWASTHESTARTINGWORD or "What was the starting word?"
    The starting word was HINT, so I accepted either HINT, or the result of the actual puzzle hint: Strikeout, Potassium, 1000, Kelvin, Boltzmann's Contant all are things that can be abbreviated as K, so I also accepted K as an answer.

The Antonyms One

This was an original puzzle.

1. BEGIN
2. BEGOUT
3. BESTOPUT
4. WORSTOPUT
5. WORSBOTTOMUT
6. WORBOSTTOMUT
7. WORMOSTTOMUT
8. WORLEASTTOMUT
9. WORLWESTTOMUT
10. WORLWESTANDTOMUT
11. WORLWESITTOMUT
    12 WORLWESITFROMMUT
    12a WORLWESITFROMUT
    13 WORLDWESITFROMUT
    14 WORLDTHEYSITFROMUT
    15 WORLDTHEYFISTROMUT
    16 WORLDTHEYFIRSTOMUT
    17 WORLDTHEYLASTOMUT
    18 WORLDTHEYLASTNOMUT
    19 WORLDTHEYLASTYESMUT
    20 WORLDTHEYLASTYE
    21 THEYLASTYEWORLD
    22 THELASTEWORLD
    23 THELASTWORLD
    24 THELASTWORD or The Last Word
    ~The last word in the puzzle was "Energy", which was the accepted answer.

The Duck Puzzle

This was an original puzzle, albeit one written as a homage to Dan Katz's quite brilliant "The Duck Konundrum” that ran as part of the MIT Mystery Hunt in January 2000. Although the instructions that make up the puzzle are mine, the idea for this puzzle, and its tone are all inspired by the exceptional Dan Katz.
Anyhow, here we go, step by step.. Hoo boy....
Steps 1-3 are the setup. an asterisk will denote a vacant chair:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs   1 2 3   4 5 6   
PERSON   A B C   D E F    
Duck             D       

Then for step 4 we get:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 
Chairs   1 2 3   4 5 6  
PERSON   A B C   D E F  
Duck       D   

.
After step 5 we get:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2   3 4 5 6 1
PERSON     B   C D E F A
Duck               D    
Player B is now Green

Step 6:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2   6 4 5 3 1
Person     B   F D E C A
Duck               D    

Step 7:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2 6 4   5 3 1
PERSON     B F D   E C A
Duck               D    

Step 8:
Player B is green, so nobody is in a position to move

Step 9:
Player C is now chanting "U"

Step 10:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2 6 4   5 3 1
PERSON     B F D   E C A
Duck           D

Step 11:
Player B wanders off, Player C is now chanting "S"

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2 6 4   5 3 1
PERSON     * F D   E C A
Duck           D        

Step 12:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2 6 4   5 3 1
Person     F * D   E C A
Duck           D        

Step 13:
Chair 6 is now marked "S" Player C is Green

Steps 14-15
Here the asterisk on the duck is there to denote that the duck in in C's lap rather than under her chair. Player B has been cleansed.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     2 6 4   5 3 1
Person     F B D   E C A
Duck                 D* 

Step 16:
Looking back at the charts above, player D was blessed in step 3, player B in step 4, player E in step 5, player D was blessed for a second time step 10. Players A, C and F have not yet been blessed. (though C has a duck on his lap).

Step 17:
Player’s B and C have been green and would normally paint, but C has a duck in his lap. Player B is player 3 sitting in chair 6. Chair 6 now reads “SC”

Step 18:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 4   5 3 1
Person     B F D   E C A
Duck                 D* 

Step 19:
Players B,D,E have been blessed (see step 16); they are players 2, 4, and 5, which sum to 11. Player F in chair 2 at side 3 paints “K” (11th letter) on chair 2

Step 20:
C molests the duck, who moves over and blesses A

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 4   5 3 1
Person     B F D   E C A
Duck                   D

Step 21:
Players A, B, D, E have been blessed (see step 16 and 20); they are players 1, 2, 4, and 5, which sum to 12. Player F in chair 2 at side 3 paints “L” (12th letter) on chair 2. Chair 2 now reads “KL”

Step 22:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 4   5 3 1
Person     F D E   C A B
Duck                   D

Step 23:
A ,B, D, E have been blessed; they are players 6, 1,3, and 4 which sums to 14. C is chanting “N”

Step 24:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 4   5 3 1
Person     F D E   C A B
Duck       D            
F is now blessed.

Step 25:
A, B, D, E, and F have been blessed (all but C). F and C (players 2 and 5) go to the loo. E sums 2 and 5 to get 7. Player E paints “G” on the bottom of chair 5.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 4   5 3 1
Person     * D E   * A B
Duck       D            

Step 26:
This is tricky. Remember rule 2, number changes only become effective at the beginning of each step, so for this entire step, B is 1, D is 2, E is 3 and A is 4.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     * D E   * A B
Duck                   D

Step 27:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     D E *   A B *
Duck               D    

Step 27 (did your notice that there were two step 27's)

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     D E A   * B *
Duck           D        

Step 28:
Chairs 4 and 5 are vacant (sum to 9). A (player 4) paints an “I” (9th letter) on the underside of chair 3.

Step 29:
STEP THIS STEP (see step 39)

Step 30:
Table 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs 6 2 3 5 1 4
Person E A B D
Duck D*

Chairs 3 and 6 get painted with the first letter of the duck's name, which we will not discover until steps 36-37, It turns out to be "Y". So chair three now reads "IY" and chair 6 reads "SCY"

Step 31:
C and F return. F was blessed. C never has been. So F sits at side 2 (chair 6) and C at side 4 (chair 3).

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     F E C   A B D
Duck                 D* 

Step 32:
"Duck, Duck, Duck" is now being played. A is "it" and will return to his seat at the end of step 37.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     F E C   * B D
Duck                 D* 

Step 33:
Player 5 is C. He started chanting N in step 23 and has never stopped. N is painted on chair 5, which now reads “GN”

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     F E *   C B D
Duck                 D* 

Step 34:

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs     6 2 3   5 1 4
Person     F E *   C B D
Duck         D          

Step 35:
E is player 4. He sums 1-5 and gets 15 and paints an “O” on chair 2 so it reads “KLO” making sure not to disturb the duck under chair 2.

Steps 36-37
According to step 37, we perform only alternate sentences. That is, either the odd or the even odd below. If we performed the odd column, then we get a contradiction (the duck has two names. So we only perform the sentences in the even list. This gives us the name of the duck (Yling-Yling) and with it the initial “Y” that we needed in step 30, and we know that ducks are fond of stewed beets.
Odd: Player 3 switch chairs with player 1 but return to the same place around the table. Incidentally, the duck’s name is Donald (his parents were big Disney fans). Player 1, paint a comedy moustache on yourself with the new improved non-drippy paint. Incidentally, the duck’s name is Reginald.
Even: If more than one player has been it, then player 5 swap places (and this time chairs) with player 2. Player 3, if there is a vacant side of the table adjacent to yours, then slide your chair (and yourself) over to fill the vacant side of the table. Incidentally, the duck’s name is Yling-Yling (he’s a Peking duck). Player 3, give food to the duck, who will come over and sit under your seat (ducks are particularly fond of stewed beets).

Following the even list: Only one player has been it, so players 2 and 5 do not swap places, but there is a vacant seat next to player 3 so he slides over, and the duck moves to his seat. At the end of this step, player A finishes playing Duck, Duck, Duck and returns to the vacant seat 3.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs   6   2 3   5 1 4
Person   F   E A   C B D
Duck     D              

Step 38:
C, Player 2, Paints “N” on the bottom of chair 4.

Step 39:
F is named Irving, E is Suzette, A is Daniel, C is Trevor, B is Janice and D is Hortense.

Step 40:
C, Player 2, Paints “N” on the bottom of chair 4. It now reads “NN”

Step 41:
F is named Irving, E is Suzette or Popcorn, A is Uberduckmaster (who became “it” in step 32), C is Trevor, B is Hortense and D is Janice.

Step 42:
C, Player 2, Paints “N” on the bottom of chair 4. It now reads “NNN”

Step 43:
C finally stops chanting “N”. The duck lands in B’s lap.

Table    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Chairs   6   2 3   5 1 4
Person   F   E A   C B D
Duck                 D* 

Step 44:
Chair 2, 4, and 6 have 3 letters, chairs 3 and 5 have 2. Chair 1 cannot flip over as there is a duck in B’s lap. So player DC in chair 5 paints a T, the first letter of Trevor on that chair which now reads “GNT”. Player A in chair 3 now paints a U, the first letter of “Uberduckmaster” on chair 3 which now reads “IYU”

Step 45:
The upside down chairs are 2-6. They read:
Chair 2. K L O
Chair 3. I Y U
Chair 4. N N N
Chair 5. G N T
Chair 6. S C Y

Solution: Reading down we get "KINGSLYNNCOUNTY" Adding some spaces and punctuation, we get "King's Lynn County".
King's Lynn is a fair-sized town in the English County of "Norfolk" which was the correct answer. When you enter the correct answer, the end text reads "Wahaay. Give yourself an A. Even maybe an A+."

Finale

The first four questions just required you to enter the directions you got from solving the four puzzles. The fifth question was the puzzle. It said:
Putting your answers together, and what you got or gave yourself after each puzzle, can you identify a place where it can be important to follow directions.
So what did we get from the four puzzles solutions or what we got:
Geometric: Solution was I (we got nothing after the puzzle), Straightforward: Solution was K (we got nothing after the puzzle)
Antonyms: Solution was Energy (we got nothing). Duck: Solution was Norfolk (we got A)
Combining the solutions of the first three with the A we got from the duck,and using the common abbreviation E for energy we get:
I - K - E - A, or IKEA the Swedish flat-pack furniture giant with operations in 43 countries.
Anyone who has ever bought flat-pack furniture, can clearly understand the importance of being able to follow directions.