stuck in HLV3, new hint help a bit, but still can't get it.
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I'm stuck on part 3 of all three puzzle chains. The hints could still be a little more hinty. They tell me what not to look for but don't help me come up with the answer you're actually looking for.
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Well, it's still a puzzle after all. :)
Looks like they were hinty enough to help a few people almost from the moment I'd added them. I assume most of the people who are still trying to solve these will catch on fairly quickly once they've seen the new hints. But if I'd wanted everyone to solve them without any effort at all, I'd have just made a public giveaway and called it a day. :)
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I haven't given up...I'm just frustrated by the "Ha, ha, I trolled you!" hints.
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Sorry about that. :( Wasn't trying to make a puzzle so difficult it can't be solved, or make people waste hours of their life flailing about in quicksand, just wanted to make some where the people who reach the finish line didn't have to share their chances with those lazy guys who click "enter giveaway" (or have a script click it for them) without reading or saying anything. :)
Seems I'm not a very good judge of the difficulty of these puzzles. :) Actually I had received a generous offer from someone to discuss puzzle things before I made these, but didn't want to bother them since they seemed busy with other forum stuff at the time. Perhaps next time I will try to label them i.e. "CAUTION: TROLL PUZZLE. IF YOU'RE THINKING THAT LONG ABOUT IT, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG." Could be one or two in the current batch deserve that sort of label... :)
Anyway, good luck! And check the puzzle guide, maybe something will jump out at you. :)
edit: hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I should mention that somewhere. "L" is 100% puzzle, no monkey business. And that's the only one nobody's solved. Weird!
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Thanks for taking the time to respond to everyone who is posting in this thread. For the puzzles with the "YHBT" hints, does that mean I can completely ignore anything K-related, which would leave only the number blocks?
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Not even gonna try, link doesn't lead to a puzzle, puzzle is too hard.
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Thanks for the bump. :)
Read the amazing Puzzle Guide (click on the underlined thing called "Puzzle Guide") - it's a Guide for Puzzles.
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Bump for solved chain V and chain H :-) Still stuck at L2, which many people have already solved. Will not surrender yet :)
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Bump for still solving it! Now on L2.
H3 and V3... well, still don't know if I look at the description, at the question, at the bold, at the hints! OH GOD, WHY?! :(
I'm glad you're don't link the puzzle to the giveaway, or I would stop trying thinking your giveaway would be Binding of Isaac (that I already have) :P thinking better, nah, I would still try to solve the puzzle! :P
PS: is the text of the puzzles that don't need K auto-sufficient, or I might need some tool through the web?
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Ahh, good luck! and thank you for the bump but sadly I can't answer any of those sorts of questions, sorry. :(
The puzzles do have bigger hints now, big enough for people to have solved the "H" and the "V" - but perhaps they would still have been solved without those hintier hints, I don't know. :)
I'll explain things once the giveaways end, even though there's not much to explain, really. :) Just the usual lazy puzzles I always do. :)
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Bump for solved V chain. Thanks fiftykyu, great puzzle.
Still stuck at L3 and at H4. But I won't surrender till the end ;)
Edit: Solved the H chain ;) Could have solved it 2 hours ago, but my tired head changed one letter a little bit ;D
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Let's try this very scientific method of posting that I'm stuck and then immediately finding the solution
I'm so stuck
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I agree with Alpshrk, L2 is not obvious at all. Have been trying for 2 days and still no clue ^^
So don't be afraid about making too easy puzzle, you are not doing so :)
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You'll be surprized how clear the answer of L2 is.
Hope SilentGuy could tell me something similar about L3 lol )
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I'm sure I'll feel really dumb when I'll understand the trick. Now I feel only a little bit dumb, but still totally stuck :)
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Aha, sorry about that! Well, not completely sorry since it's a puzzle after all. :)
Read all the edits, read the hints inside the puzzles, and if you're not having fun remember you can always give up. :) But if you keep trying, good luck! :)
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Bump for looks like three people have solved "H" so far, and four have solved "V" - great odds for some bundle junk if anyone's still trying to solve them! :)
Also, nobody's solved "L" yet, the one I forgot to put any CV on. So get puzzling, any bundlemans who already gave up... :)
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Ok, only found the troll patterns :/
(mainly H3, won't say what I found, but PM the OP for his delightment :P )
But I won't have time to put effort on this puzzle anymore, so, congratulations and Good Luck for the solvers!
I'll follow up for the answer for the puzzles: H3 L3 V3.
Thanks for the fun!
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So now I'm completly clueless what to do :(
Maybe this "i'm stuck" comment will help me a bit ;D
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+1, but not at the same stage. This L2 thing is driving me nuts, I must be missing something obvious : I can't solve it, but I can't stop trying :) Good luck to all of us !
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Sorry! It's very difficult for me not to give any hints, especially since some people have spent hours on this thing... I will say good luck though! :)
If it's any consolation, when I'm stuck on a puzzle this long I give up - usually means there's something fundamental I've never seen before, so I don't know what to do. In this case, however, I think it only means the person making the puzzle is a big jerk, and wants to keep his bundle games to himself.... :)
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Your puzzles are very addictive, mostly by that you can't stop trying more methods, or more precisely watching at question and hints looking for the key. There is always a thought: "last one turned out to be obvious when you see it, this one should be the same".
So I'm sitting at L4 (and half)) trying not to overcomplicate something %) Hope I'll be screaming "WHY! why haven't I seen this before" when I have it solved. Or when you reveal the answers ^_^
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I'd say L1 has some loose logic and V5 require some more advanced tools than calculator and notepad.
All other seems pretty logical to me. Yes, we must figure out the way, but it doesn't involve no mad guessing or complicated calculations. Great puzzles, I assure you ;)
ps Noticed something inconspicuous at L4 but can't realize how to connect it to other pieces of the puzzle. And wondering if those hints is a must to solve it..
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Hmm, I don't know which hints are mandatory, and which are merely a big help. I believe several people reached Part 3 of each chain with my original (i.e. useless) hints. Probably "Bundle Chain V, Part 4" could be solved without the hint, since there are so many clever puzzle solvers around. For "Bundle Chain L, Part 4" and "Bundle Chain H, Part 4" you'd probably be wasting your time. :)
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I hope it is difficult for you, no reason that you don't suffer a little bit with us :) I'm close to give up since I've no idea what to try next, but I'll have another look, in case the obvious thing pops up. And I'll check AGAIN the previous steps ! I've never been so addicted to a puzzle... ^^
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This is going to sound stupid but how do you get the hint timers to start? I figured out H1 but I've been stuck on the rest for days and it won't reveal any of the hints...
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that can't be the case, I've entered half of genesis into L1...
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Hello, I'm completely ignorant of how all these things work, is it possible for something like "noscript" to prevent the timer working? Any time I've tried to solve a puzzle, the timer will stay at "Hints will appear in 2h 0m" for example until I take a guess - then it starts counting down. Did you try to "refresh" the page and see if the time's changed? Not sure what else you can try, but hopefully someone else knows an idea...
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apparently it's something with my computer, I've got it counting down on my laptop now...
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Sounds great, good luck! By the way, at this late date I'd probably change the timers if I could, but don't see any way to edit it. :( So I'd suggest starting all the puzzles you can find, and just guess anything at all to get the timer moving... :)
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Same here. Stuck on those exact puzzles for many days now.
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Afraid I can't give any more hint than is already in the puzzles. :( Also I'm worried to reveal the solutions when the giveaways end, people will want to throw rocks at me. :) Good luck!
Also, "H" and "V" seem to be the easier ones as nobody has finished "L" yet. So either spend more time on "H" and "V" since you know they can be solved - or try "L" so you would have 100% chance to win... Good luck either way! :)
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+1, I just give up and check if there is any new hint here.
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Bread crumbs! Bread crumbs for everyone!
I won 3 Codemasters from IndieGala and I can't use them all!
53H9J-JDYPZ-Z5MNH 53H84-AX3ZZ-2ZEFZ - Red River
546K4-TI34Z-9E8GG 544Q8-Q53QZ-LI3Q6 - Fuel
563ZW-FNBZX-PGKM0 563G8-NWWJJ-WQ3MX - Overlord 2
54P4F-JD06T-BVEH5 54NY9-G6A3I-ALY93 - Overlord Raising Hell
54Y3J-G6JDE-AFHEQ 54WTD-RYR3N-CEE07 - Dragon Rising (one is already redeemed)
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Wow, just noticed this, thank you for dropping all these keys! I bought that bundle myself so can't try to ninja any of them. :) Hopefully whoever takes them will remember to thank you, but after two hours it's probably not going to happen. :( Bump on the off chance they are still unused, so someone can get one... :)
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Bump for looks ten hours left in this junk pile... In case anyone's still struggling with it, no more hints are coming so save your strength for work/school/whatever tomorrow! :) I've finished writing some explanations, will put them up after the giveaways end, and try to dodge the tomatoes... :)
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It's a pity no one solved L4 :(
SilentGuy seems to abandon it completely and I just can't link together the title, the grid, the verses and its numbers, and decide what's important and what's abundant. L4 is really really bad puzzle! Jk :)
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Yes, was hoping someone would solve that one, but I think you're right many bad puzzles in this thing. :( I think when a puzzle is too much work for too little reward, sensible people quit and find a better puzzle. :) Can't say that I blame them, I would have quit this one too. :)
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Maybe you'll post links to all puzzles after the GAs, so everyone could try all stages? And leave it for a couple hours.
I want to know maybe there's somebody clever enough to crack that L4? :)
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I could try that, but to be honest I don't think anyone would bother. Something I'll try to remember for next time - put a small reward giveaway after each step, so people have a reason to keep going. Right now, if you spend an hour solving one of the puzzles, when you finally see the answer your only reward is a new puzzle. It's just not fun for most people. :(
I've made explanations for the puzzles, but perhaps I could start by posting the answers to Part 1-3 and add Part 4 later. We will see if anyone cares... :)
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I think that way people will not bother to solve last puzzle to get grand prize as they already have entered a bunch of giveaways )
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I agree with madmonarch, I gave up L2 and I'm craving for the solution, but I'd really like to try the following L things. So it would be great to separate URLs and solutions so we can get to a particular step without reading the solution.
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Sorry about that... But at least you won the Bundle Chain H, i.e. the Hitman Bundle... :)
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Original message:
I keep trying, but all my puzzles suck. Too lazy, not clever enough, you decide. :)
Still no hints, and also trying the suggestion of Noctis149 so won't even say if you already own it this time. Sorry! :)
Various edits:
Edit 1: by the way, I was falling asleep while working on some of the puzzles, so there's a good chance they don't work at all, or point into outer space. If you find a broken one let me know (without spoiling anything) and I'll try to fix it. Except in those cases where it's not broken and you're just being trolled, that is. :)
Edit 2: Remember the amazing Puzzle Guide if you've never tried solving one before. Also read it if you have solved one before, you may have overlooked something simple.
Edit 3: So far I don't think anyone's found a broken puzzle, but they may have found some very simple puzzles camouflaged by a bunch of extraneous stuff. :)
Edit 4: If someone casually says you will probably want K, that's not nearly stating it strongly enough. If you're stuck on Part 1 of something, you will absolutely need K to solve many of these puzzles, no man cometh unto the Giveaways, but by me.:)
Edit 5: Made the puzzle hints more hinty. Go back and read all the hints, even if you've already solved one. Any more hinty and I'd be typing the answers for you. :)
Edit 6: Some clever people have solved "H" and "V" (in spite of all the monkey business) but nobody's solved "L" yet (in spite of the lack of monkey business) - don't let me keep it! :) Actually "V" was the only one I might have wanted to keep, but that chance has gone. Oh well. :)
Now it wouldn't be fair to say precisely where, but for both Bundle Chain H and Bundle Chain V imagine a sign "CAUTION: MISDIRECTION/TROLL PUZZLE WITHIN. IF YOU'RE STUCK THAT LONG ON IT, YOU'RE PROBABLY DOING IT WRONG." Good luck! :)
Explanations, up to "Part 3" - giving you a chance to suffer for a bit longer... :) Will put "Part 4" later. :)
First of all, read the Puzzle Guide because I'm not clever enough to create an original puzzle idea. Whatever nonsense I might dream up, someone else has done it earlier (and better!)
So, the first part is reached via the link in the smiley - but that hardly counts as a puzzle.
"Keep in mind that every GA code on SG is 5-characters long, and every quiz code on ITH is 8-characters long. So if you find 5 or 8 letters first try those. Creator may also hide code for different site (like for example imgur), but he will usually hint it somehow telling you which site you should go to."
Before we start, take a look at the edits:
it's not broken and you're just being trolled
Also read it if you have solved one before, you may have overlooked something simple
extraneous stuff
you will probably want K and no man cometh unto the Giveaways, but by me
read all the hints
CAUTION: MISDIRECTION/TROLL PUZZLE WITHIN. IF YOU'RE STUCK THAT LONG ON IT, YOU'RE PROBABLY DOING IT WRONG.
Not to get ahead of ourselves, but unsurprisingly there was a broken piece! madmonarch found some broken numbers in "Bundle Chain L, Part 4" but we'll get to that one eventually...
Hopefully a link to www.i-forgot-to-block-the-bundlemans-so-you-still-have-a-chance-with-one-of-the-puzzle-giveaways-but-dont-get-excited-because-they-suck-this-time.com/rbLFf leads to your trying http://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/rbLFf/ - where you find all the bundle junk, one giveaway at a time. Contents are:
PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
A Valley Without Wind 1 and 2 Dual Pack
Aztaka
Bridge It plus
Dungeon Hearts
Hacker Evolution
Naval Warfare
Tropico 4: Steam Special Edition
The Tropico 4 giveaway giveaway states:
"H L V
and you will probably want K.
edit 1: Ok, maybe you don't want K, but you're not getting anywhere without it... :)
edit 2: If you managed to get this far without reading, time to stop. :) You need K for these puzzles, use it or get nothing. :)"
As the Puzzle Guide suggests, these www.sorry-these-puzzles-really-suck-i-was-too-lazy-and-they-are-probably-broken.com urls should lead to your finding
Bundle Chain H, Part 1
Bundle Chain L, Part 1
Bundle Chain V, Part 1
"K" is http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10 = The King James Version of the Bible. I suggest keeping it open in a separate window if possible so you don't waste a lot of time switching tabs back and forth.
Now, remembering the Puzzle Guide, the hints and the edits, let's take a look at these puzzles, starting with the one I wanted to keep. Keep? So these aren't bundle games? No, that was a lie. There is a lot of lying in these puzzles, as you'll see.
Bundle Chain V, Part 1
The Third Book of Moses: Called Leviticus
The title has "Boold" in italics only because I couldn't find a way to italicise "Blood" - close enough. :)
HINT: No, the answer isn't "blood."
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: Find the correct next verse.
Find the Book of Leviticus and try to spot the pattern. If those are the first three verses, what is the fourth? Blood is italicised, so you may think to search for "blood." There's "blood" in 1:5, 1:11, 1:15 - hey, that's an interesting coincidence! Is it really that simple? The next verse with "blood" is
ANSWER: 3:2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
And when we try it, it works. Hooray!
RESULT: link to Bundle Chain V, Part 2
Bundle Chain V, Part 2
The First Book of Samuel
HINT: No, the answer still isn't "Blood."
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: Find the correct next verse.
Again "Blood" is italicised, but this time it's just a small taste of the trolling to come... Sadly this is one of those "either you see it or you don't" situations. If I were good at making puzzles, I would have hinted at the next step in some fashion - but I'm not so I didn't. Sorry.
If you don't notice the significance of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and you don't get lucky with a google search you could be stuck trying verses here for a very long time. But hopefully despite the lack of a hint you recognise the Fibonacci numbers, the next two of which are 13, 21 - and so try
ANSWER: 13:21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
which works. Hooray!
RESULT: link to Bundle Chain V, Part 3
Bundle Chain V, Part 3
(It's a wall of digits, 2600 if you counted them. This is relevant, but not the way you might think at first.)
plus
26:12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
(2600 again? It must mean something.)
and ten verses.
The words in boldface are "counteth to twenty seven forty one multiply nine five seven." which as everyone knows signifies...
Well, I don't know what it signifies. But there's a lot of numbers to play with, why not try something? Anything at all, just get the hint timer ticking and then either keep experimenting or come back in two hours. Spoiler: you should just come back in two hours.
HINT: The answer still isn't "Blood" but at least this time you're getting warm.
HINT: You don't need "K" for this one.
HINT: Actually you don't need anything for this "puzzle." YHBT. :)
Wait a minute, YHBT? Yes, the numbers, the boldface gibberish, all of it is a giant troll meant to distract you from the ridiculously simple puzzle. If you want to know, the numbers are 2600 digits of pi I grabbed off the internet somewhere. If there's a secret message inside them, I didn't put it there. :) The verses aren't random - I wanted to give everyone something numbery to play with while you wait for the hint. The main purpose they serve can be found in the Puzzle Guide. Take the first letter of each verse and you get
ANSWER: BLOODLINES
Yes, it really is that simple. Sorry. :)
This puzzle also contains a bonus hint: the number 2600. There's no reason you would check it, but store.steampowered.com/app/2600/ = Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Hooray!
RESULT: link to Bundle Chain V, Part 4
Bundle Chain V, Part 4
Google, your memory, the hint or maybe just a good guess will tell you this is an extract from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, chosen because it's in the public domain, because there's a vampire in it, and of course because I could hide the next link inside it somehow. :) The
QUESTION: Do you have the password?
is borrowed from Umberto Eco's novel "Foucault's Pendulum" - and after a few tries you should find the
ANSWER: NO
which leads to:
RESULT: Well, that was unexpectedly simple. I wonder if I've overlooked something.
Oh, goody. Trolled again. Let's hope that whatever we overlooked, the hint will explain it.
HINT: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345
Why would I bother to give that hint if I've already pasted a big chunk of the book inside the puzzle? Maybe we should grab http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345 and find out. Now you could read the story if you're tired of reading this puzzle nonsense, but remember there's a giveaway to find - let's not get distracted! :)
Let's hope you didn't try this next part by eye, and instead compared the text I copied with the original text from Project Gutenberg using your computer. You will hopefully discover that somehow eight characters from the original didn't appear in my copy, "yTDSwHD2" - and with eight characters you know to try:
REAL RESULT: Bundle Chain V, Part 5 (END)
Bundle Chain V, Part 5 (END)
QUESTION: Was all that really necessary?
ANSWER: NO
RESULT: the Bundle Chain V giveaway, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
Hooray! Solved it! :)
Next is one I couldn't keep for myself, since I already owned all of it.
Bundle Chain H, Part 1
Psalm 47
Just guess anything to get the hint timer started, then either keep guessing or wait for the hint. Hint: Most people waited for the hint.
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: For this question, first find the correct next verse. Then give the correct word from that verse. You can get it by random guessing, but if you understand why that word is correct, you will have a much simpler time solving some of the other puzzles. HINT HINT HINT.
So find Psalm 47, making sure I didn't change anything (no, they are identical.) The next verse is
47:9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
Which words are italicised? If you solve this with brute-force, you won't need to find the pattern and will instead miss an important clue for later. And sadly nothing hints at the correct word, because I'm terrible at making puzzles. Sorry! :( Hopefully you notice the pattern, which involves counting from the end of each verse. Counting from the end of each verse, the italicised words are #4, #7, #4, #7, #4, #7, #4, #7. So try word #4 from the next verse,
ANSWER: HE
Hooray? More likely, bleah. I suspect at this point some people already know the prize at the end of this bundle chain, but let's not get ahead of ourselves! :)
This is one puzzle I would redo if possible, since a "Part 1" shouldn't require either brute force or a random brainwave. Next time I'll remember to hint "right" or "end" somewhere to get you started. :)
RESULT: Bundle Chain H, Part 2
Bundle Chain H, Part 2
The Fourth Book of Moses: Called Numbers
A bunch of verses, and in boldface you find "numbered five thirty five into four hundred fifty" which means... Oh, I don't know what it means. Let's just get the hint timer moving and find out what we're supposed to do with this thing.
HINT: Those aren't the Numbers you're looking for.
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: You don't need to do anything with it, just give the correct next verse. And if you wonder what all that other stuff was for, some of these puzzles are less YHVH and more YHBT...
Well, if you need "K" for this one, let's take a look at it. Find those verses in the Book of Numbers:
1:47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
3:47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)
4:47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.
7:47 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
26:47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
31:47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Now that's quite a coincidence. Search for the next occurence of ":47" which is
ANSWER: 33:47 And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
Hooray! Did you guess the game yet? No? Well, let's keep going!
RESULT: Bundle Chain H, Part 3
Bundle Chain H, Part 3
The First Book of Moses: Called Genesis
Great, a bunch of numbers and some verses with things in boldface. Let's see where we stand:
Two groups of numbers, and two groups of verses. The first group of numbers is six lines, with sixty numbers each, divided into six groups of ten. The second group of numbers is ten lines, with sixty numbers each, divided into six groups of ten. The first group of verses is six lines, and the second group of verses is ten lines.
The things in boldface look promising. Some letters have been replaced by numbers, we have "19 multiply 20 9 7 9 4 7 14 9 18 18 5 8 4 divided 5 18" which of course means... ???
At this point, you probably try a few random guesses, fool around with the numbers, look for patterns, fail fail fail and give up. Let's move on to a different puzzle, and (hopefully) remember to check the hint in two hours.
(Bonus early hint which at least one person found: If, before you give up you happen to get a lucky brainwave and switch those numbers back to letters you get "s(multiply)tigidgnirrehd(divided)er" - which of course means... Well, backwards it says "re(divided)dherringdigit(multiply)s" or "red herring digits." Yes, it's a troll puzzle again. Sorry!)
So, either you noticed the backwards message, or you waited for the hint:
HINT: 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
HINT: You don't need "K" for this one.
HINT: Actually you don't need anything for this "puzzle." Two words. YHBT. :)
Yes, all this stuff is another giant troll. The digits are more random digits of pi, but "last" is a genuine hint. And apparently we're looking for two words.
Well, if the digits are a red herring, what's not? Let's try the solution from "Bundle Chain V, Part 3" - remember, a bunch of nonsense distracting you from "BLOODLINES"? So let's see "AAAAAA BAAABWAAAI" - seems this is nonsense too. Instead, if you remember starting from the end of the verses in "Bundle Chain H, Part 1," or you notice "last" in the hint, or if you've simply seen this sort of thing before - you may think to look at the last letter of these verses. And there you will find the solution.
ANSWER: HITMAN COLLECTION
Hooray! Agent 47, see?
RESULT: Bundle Chain H, Part 4
Bundle Chain H, Part 4
Psalm 119
Nothing has been changed in these verses, unlike with "Bundle Chain V, Part 4" - but if you solved that one first, you will probably check. Good job, you need to keep those puzzle makers honest! :)
Since there's nothing at all to suggest the next step, let's just guess something and wait for the hint.
HINT: 7:15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
HINT: -->
HINT: Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Find that verse somewhere in "K" - according to the hint, somehow
7:15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
is supposed to lead to
Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
So, which verse was that again? 119:22. Hopefully you notice 7 + 15 (from the hint's question) = 22 (the hint's answer) and the rest is simple. If not, well, maybe you can brute force it, there are only so many verses to try... :)
102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
102 + 19 = Verse 122
ANSWER: I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.
79:5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
79 + 5 = Verse 84
ANSWER: How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
49:19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
49 + 19 = Verse 68
ANSWER: Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
66:17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
66 + 17 = Verse 83
ANSWER: I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
78 + 41 = Verse 119
ANSWER: Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.
59:13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
59 + 13 = Verse 72
ANSWER: The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
51 + 17 = Verse 68
ANSWER: Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
37:13 The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
37 + 13 = Verse 50
ANSWER: This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Solving these questions gives:
RESULT: Well, what was that all about?
Oh, one of those? Yes, the answer doesn't point to the next part of the puzzle. However, the numbers we use to get that useless answer should make puzzle people think of ASCII ENCODING. If not, the Puzzle Guide mentions it. In fact, blackfyre solved this without troubling to enter the verses - briefly I thought I'd screwed up and posted a link to the giveaway somewhere. No, he was just a step ahead of the amateur troll puzzlemaker. :)
So ASCII 121 84 68 83 119 72 68 50 becomes yTDSwHD2. Finally! :)
REAL RESULT: Bundle Chain H, Part 5 (END)
Bundle Chain H, Part 5 (END)
QUESTION: Was all that really necessary?
ANSWER: NO
RESULT: the Bundle Chain H giveaway, Hitman Collection.
Hooray! Solved one more! :)
Ok, here's the one nobody managed to finish. This was completely my fault: people needed to notice too many random things, without any hints, well, hinting at them. Will try to do better next time!
Bundle Chain L, Part 1
The First Book of Moses: Called Genesis
Well, there's a "to" in italics. Maybe the answer is "to" - nope. At this point most people quit to look for a better puzzle, and I can't say I blame them. The stubborn few waited for the hint, so let's see what it says.
HINT: No, the answer isn't "to" or "Cain."
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: For this question, find the correct next verse. That's it.
Turns out this was a poor choice for a "Part 1" - with only two verses, the pattern could be almost anything. The hint probably would have made more sense if it had said "No, the answer isn't "2" or "Cain." Yes, it's looking for the next verse with two instances of "Cain" - so hunt around in Genesis until you spot
ANSWER: And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Hooray! Unless you don't think of that bit of nonsense, in which case you're left to wonder why I didn't make a better puzzle. Sorry!
RESULT: Bundle Chain L, Part 2
Bundle Chain L, Part 2
Ezra
This is another bad puzzle, but let's try our best with it anyway... :) Find these things in Ezra, and see if the italicised stuff means anything. Sadly this was very ambiguous, since "first" "one" and "seventh" actually make sense for an instruction, which is not at all what I was intending. Fool around with verses, then either see the pattern or get frustrated and wait for the hint.
HINT: Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: For this question, find the correct next verse. That's it.
The words in italics weren't very well chosen - all I wanted was for you to think of the numbers "1" "1" and "7". Anyway, here's what I was trying to do:
Ezra 1:1, with a "1" italicised. And hopefully try 1 + 1 = 2. Which leads to:
Ezra 2:1, with a "1" italicised. And hopefully try 2 + 1 = 3. Which leads to:
Ezra 3:1, with a "7" italicised. And hopefully try 3 + 7 = 10.
Some variety in the numbers chosen, or a better hint, would have made this a more fair puzzle, so for next time I'll have to make all the alternative explanations simply not work.
So, try Ezra 10:1, i.e.
ANSWER: Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
Yes, that works. Hooray!
RESULT: Bundle Chain L, Part 3
3undle Chain L, Part B
(The title of the puzzle is not a typo, it is a hint)
The Book of Nehemiah
Well, it's some more verses, do we start experimenting or wait for a hint? Go ahead and try something, you've nothing to lose... :)
HINT: NT sneaks in via a hint... But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
HINT: You Need "K" for this one.
HINT: For this question, find the correct next verse. That's it.
First shall be last, and the last shall be first? Ok, let's find these verses in the Book of Nehemiah and see what jumps out at us.
Hopefully you notice before you got too busy with your last and first business - these verses aren't actually correct. The correct verses are as follows:
2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
3:2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
3:7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river.
The names of the people have been switched. The hint should reassure you that you're on the right track. Now all you need to do is find the pattern in the verses, so you can find the next one.
There's no hint to suggest this next part, so you either have to get lucky or notice what's going on:
Nehemiah 2:10 and Nehemiah 3:2 are 12 verses apart. And 2 + 10 = 12.
Nehemiah 3:2 and Nehemiah 3:7 are 5 verses apart. And 3 + 2 = 5.
Again, one more verse would have made this obvious but sadly I didn't find one in time.
If we're on the right track (spoiler: person who makes the puzzle is probably on the right track) Nehemiah 3:7 and something are (3 + 7 = 10) verses apart. So we count 10 verses and reach
ANSWER: 3:17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.
Wait, it doesn't work? Oh, of course, we have to put the first person last, and the last person first. So try
REAL ANSWER: 3:17 After him repaired the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Rehum, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.
And this works, hooray!
RESULT: 4undle Chain L, Part B
Wait a second, Puzzle not found? Idiot puzzle maker put the wrong link? Not exactly. Hopefully the title "4undle Chain L, Part B" gives you an idea. Yes, one more time we need to put the first last, and the last first. And that works.
REAL RESULT: Bundle Chain L, Part 4
Bundle Chain L, Part 4
The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ok, a bunch of numbers, and eight verses. The last time we saw this, it was a big troll to distract us from the obvious answer. Let's try the obvious - does "IGONJTBE" or "Dtsslmlb" mean anything? Seems not - although the fact we have eight characters is promising. How about http://www.itstoohard.com/puzzle/IGONJTBE or http://www.itstoohard.com/puzzle/Dtsslmlb? Puzzle not found (thank goodness!) :)
Ok, let's not pretend we're going to solve this without a hint - just type something and come back later. :)
HINT: And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. --> 88 --> X
HINT: You don't need "K" for this one.
HINT: Finally a real puzzle, YHNBT.
First of all, what's that hint supposed to mean? Just looking at the bold parts, we have Aa -> 88 -> X. Now if we remember to check ASCII ENCODING, we can see that 88 does indeed represent "X" - so that's promising. But how do we go from "Aa" to 88?
Take a look at the big pile of numbers, which according to the hint for once are not trolling you. It's a 26x26 array, and that's convenient if it's somehow related to the 26-character alphabet - but there have been convenient grids in the other puzzles that turned out to mean nothing at all. Fine, now do any 88s jump out at you? In the upper-left corner!
88628592967605048203864343
Perhaps we can decode this by using "Aa" in this grid? Let's test it!
..ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
..||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A-88628592967605048203864343
B-10877956289712540563894097
C-19482687110428281638939757
D-11757786915430165058602965
E-26545958198887868040811121
F-84327398671986213062055598
G-55266036405046282158506106
H-59447448990883908199973874
I-74582698107762014871340065
J-22535522246665409315213057
K-33791579802697955571050850
L-74738747507580687653764457
M-82524432638046143042889235
N-93485296105826938265349048
O-04052484070844035684678089
P-70512813378805705643450616
Q-11933042444079826037795119
R-85486945591520519600930412
S-71007277849301555038895360
T-33826192934365708187432122
U-99141595933963681106275572
V-95278004254863060054523839
W-15106899891357882001941178
X-65356821491185282078521301
Y-25518518493711503422159542
Z-24451190020739353962740020
So if we go to "AA" in the grid, we find 88. Unfortunately we don't know if we should go "A" down, and "A" over, or "A" over and "A" down... :) Let's try to find out with the first question:
49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
"ID" --> ??? --> ???
Well it's either "91" or "82" so we'll look both of them up in the ASCII table and hopefully one of them works. "[" doesn't, but "R" does! So we use the grid eight times, answering each question like this:
I-74582698107762014871340065 --> 82 --> R
G-55266036405046282158506106 --> 85 --> U
O-04052484070844035684678089 --> 84 --> T
N-93485296105826938265349048 --> 65 --> A
J-22535522246665409315213057 --> 66 --> B
T-33826192934365708187432122 --> 65 --> A
B-10877956289712540563894097 --> 71 --> G
E-26545958198887868040811121 --> 65 --> A
Finally! So we get...
RESULT: What am I supposed to do with a rutabaga?
RESULT: Ok, no trolling this time, just more misdirection - which is completely different! :)
Good grief. Just to be safe, let's check http://www.itstoohard.com/puzzle/RUTABAGA - (thankfully!) nothing there. Well, there's nothing else to do, we may as well start fiddling with "RUTABAGA" using that number grid.
(...) :)
I'm going to let you write the finish yourself, since I don't know how long you will spend chasing this final piece of the puzzle. Actually, I've given a huge hint by writing out those lines of the grid. See it? No trolling this time, just more misdirection. You don't need to do anything with "RUTABAGA" - you just need to look on the right side of those lines, like in those previous puzzles. Do you see 065 106 089 048 057 122 097 121? Yes, sorry, one final troll at the very end...
REAL RESULT: Bundle Chain L, Part 5 (END)
Bundle Chain L, Part 5 (END)
QUESTION: Was all that really necessary?
ANSWER: NO
RESULT: the Bundle Chain L giveaway, Legacy of Kain Collection!
If anyone's read this thing to the end, they're probably glad they quit these puzzles last week. Sorry the puzzles were so bad, sorry the rewards were junk, sorry you all wasted so much time chasing troll nonsense... :) But congratulations to the lucky winners! If I ever try something like this again, I'll spend more time making sense, and less time finding ways to troll everyone. One idea: put some small giveaway after each step of the puzzle, so people who don't have 12 hours to spend on it can still try for something. Thank you for playing along! :)
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