| Author | Message | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 236 Registered: 8-2010 |
This is an experimental new type of Lateral Adventure. It's in the form of a game, involving a series of short "escape the room" Lateral Adventures. Here's how it works. You will be given a scenario involving a room from which you must escape. You get five (5) posts. In those five posts, you must figure out how to exit the room. If you haven't after five posts, you are taken to the next room. If you do figure out how to escape, you are taken to the next room right away. There are ten (10) rooms. After all ten rooms have been completed (or failed), I will give you a score according to the following: -For each room you exit within the post limit, you get five (5) points. -Then, you get an additional number of points equal to 5 minus the number of posts you took. -If you only take one post, you get one (1) extra point. As an example, if you complete each room in 5 posts, you get 50 points. If you complete each room in only 1 post, you get 100 points, the highest possible score. Additional rules: -Any post containing a command (to me) counts. Please put any speculation or such in italics. -Each of my replies will contain a reminder of how many posts are left for the current room. -After four (4) posts, I will give a hint. If you fail the room, I will explain the solution to the room. -Google is allowed. -These rules may be subject to change, but changes will only apply at the start of the next game, which will be a new topic. So to start off, here's a practice round: You are in a room with one exit: a door. There is nothing else in the room, save for a table. Good luck! | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4313 Registered: 4-2010 |
Before starting, I have a rules question (THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS A POST). Can we include more than one command in a post? (Ex. if the room only had a door and a mirror, would all the following (in asterisks) count, if put into one post, as one post? *Try opening the door. If it's unlocked, go through it. If it is locked, look behind the mirror. If you can't move the mirror, smash the mirror. If this reveals the key, take it and unlock the door.* Another question: Can we ask you questions about the room without that counting as a post? (Example in asterisks below, concerning my made-up room with the mirror.) *Can you see your reflection in the mirror? Is anything written on the mirror?* | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 238 Registered: 8-2010 |
You can include more than one command in a post. Questions count as commands only if they would require an action more than looking around and possibly moving in order to do so. For example, if the room had a closed chest, "Is anything written on the chest?" would not count as a command. "Is the chest locked?" and "Is there anything inside the chest?" would. Also, generic commands such as "Try doing everything possible" will not be followed. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4319 Registered: 4-2010 |
All righty then... Is anything written on the walls? The table? The door? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 241 Registered: 8-2010 |
All righty then... Is anything written on the walls? The table? The door? No, and as a reminder, this doesn't count as a post. This room doesn't count anyway. For future reference, normally I will mention anything of interest that is visible. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4326 Registered: 4-2010 |
OK... Try to open the door. If it's unlocked, open the door and go through. If it's locked, look under the table. If you find a key there, use it to unlock the door - go through the door.. If the door is locked by a keypad instead of a keyhole, look under the table for a passcode. If you find it there, input it into the keypad and go through the door. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 243 Registered: 8-2010 |
OK... Try to open the door. If it's unlocked, open the door and go through. If it's locked, look under the table. If you find a key there, use it to unlock the door - go through the door.. If the door is locked by a keypad instead of a keyhole, look under the table for a passcode. If you find it there, input it into the keypad and go through the door. The door is locked, and there is a key under the table. It works. You exit the room. Every (action-related) post counts from now on. Room 1: You are in a small room with walls made of wood and a rough stone floor. There is a man sitting in the corner of the room. There is also a treasure chest in the center of the room. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4336 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is there a door in the room? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 248 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is there a door in the room? None that you can see. I'll rarely forget to mention a door, but if I do forget and you assume there is no door, I'll give you back the posts you spent and correct myself. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4347 Registered: 4-2010 |
Try to open the chest. If it's unlocked, take the contents. Talk to the man. Ask him for the key, or code, to the chest (if it's locked). Open the chest and take the contents. If the chest conceals a trapdoor (whether by being the entrance itself, or by covering it up (move the chest, BTW), go through it. If there's a trapdoor under the chest, try and open it. If it's unlocked, go through it. If locked, ask the man for the key, code, etc. and open the trapdoor. Ask the man to move. If he's covering the trapdoor, repeat above steps for trapdoor. If he moves and reveals a key/code/etc, open the chest and see what's inside. If a secret trapdoor, go through. If another item, take it. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 254 Registered: 8-2010 |
Try to open the chest. If it's unlocked, take the contents. There's a ten-dollar bill. You take it. Talk to the man. Ask him for the key, or code, to the chest (if it's locked). N/A Open the chest and take the contents. N/A If the chest conceals a trapdoor (whether by being the entrance itself, or by covering it up (move the chest, BTW), go through it. No trapdoor. If there's a trapdoor under the chest, try and open it. N/A If it's unlocked, go through it. N/A If locked, ask the man for the key, code, etc. and open the trapdoor. N/A Ask the man to move. He moves, revealing nothing. If he's covering the trapdoor, repeat above steps for trapdoor. N/A If he moves and reveals a key/code/etc, open the chest and see what's inside. N/A If a secret trapdoor, go through. N/A If another item, take it. N/A Also, I forgot to mention: If you die somehow in a room, you automatically fail. This is not possible in all rooms, and I will tell you if and when it is. 4 posts remaining | ||
| Kaygee (Kaygee)
New member Username: Kaygee Post Number: 534 Registered: 9-2008 |
Take no action: Is there a ceiling in this room? Is (or now that he has moved) was the man sitting on a chair? or the floor? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 256 Registered: 8-2010 |
Take no action: Is there a ceiling in this room? Yes, always assume there is. Is (or now that he has moved) was the man sitting on a chair? or the floor? The floor. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4351 Registered: 4-2010 |
Give the man the $10 bill. Does he give you anything? The key to the door? If so, unlock it and go through. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 261 Registered: 8-2010 |
Give the man the $10 bill. Does he give you anything? The key to the door? If so, unlock it and go through. What door? He gives you a match. 3 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4383 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does any part of the wood seem flammable? If so, strike the match on the floor - that should light it - and light the flammable part of the wood on fire. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 263 Registered: 8-2010 |
Does any part of the wood seem flammable? If so, strike the match on the floor - that should light it - and light the flammable part of the wood on fire. The wall burns down and you exit the room. (I assumed you wanted to leave through the hole.) Score: This room: 7 points Room 2: You are in a room with a table and a grand piano. On the table, there's a cake saying "Happy Birthday!" and several lit candles, the only light in the room. There is also a closed gate out of the room with what looks like a giant photoresistor hooked up to it. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4389 Registered: 4-2010 |
Two questions (I'm hoping this doesn't count as a post): What is a photoresistor? Can we die in this room? | ||
| La_sparky (La_sparky)
New member Username: La_sparky Post Number: 147 Registered: 10-2008 |
Look under the table, and under the piano, is there anything there? is the gate wood or metal? sit down at the piano and play happy birthday. (GGAGCB, GGAGDC, GG+GECCBA, FFECDC) does anything happen? wwatch the birthday cake throughout. pick up the birthday cake and take anything that is underneath. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 265 Registered: 8-2010 |
Two questions (I'm hoping this doesn't count as a post): What is a photoresistor? A device that resists current depending on the amount of light it senses. Can we die in this room? No. Look under the table, and under the piano, is there anything there? No. is the gate wood or metal? Metal. sit down at the piano and play happy birthday. (GGAGCB, GGAGDC, GG+GECCBA, FFECDC) does anything happen? wwatch the birthday cake throughout. The candles blow out, and the gate opens. You exit through the gate. pick up the birthday cake and take anything that is underneath. N/A Score: This room: 10 points Room 3: Let's see how well you remember things ... You are surrounded by darkness. You feel as if you are swimming in water. You look down at yourself, and you are a mass of swirling, gray fog. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4392 Registered: 4-2010 |
I remember this one... Swim up, left, and forward until your color, sharpness, and brightness are back to normal. Hopefully this clears up any Disorientation you might be feeling =) | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 268 Registered: 8-2010 |
I remember this one... Swim up, left, and forward until your color, sharpness, and brightness are back to normal. Hopefully this clears up any Disorientation you might be feeling =) Well, that works. Score: This room: 10 points Room 4: You are in a small, stone room with a guarded doorway. There is also a man sitting on the floor. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4462 Registered: 4-2010 |
How is the door guarded? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 270 Registered: 8-2010 |
How is the door guarded? A big guy with a sword. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4471 Registered: 4-2010 |
Talk to the guard. Ask him what he wants. Talk to the man on the floor. Ask him how to get past sword guy, and if he has anything that can help. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 271 Registered: 8-2010 |
Talk to the guard. Ask him what he wants. "I want the password!" Talk to the man on the floor. Ask him how to get past sword guy, and if he has anything that can help. "I can tell you the password, but only if you answer my question correctly: What is my surname?" 4 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4509 Registered: 4-2010 |
Ask the guard for the man's surname. If he gives it to you, tell it to the guy on the floor. If he gives you the password, tell it to the guard and get out of here. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 273 Registered: 8-2010 |
Ask the guard for the man's surname. If he gives it to you, tell it to the guy on the floor. If he gives you the password, tell it to the guard and get out of here. The guard says, "Well, how am I supposed to know? I've never met the guy!" 3 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4517 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is there anything written on the floor? The walls? The sitting man? The man's clothing? The guard? The guard's clothing? The sword? Is there anything else on the room? If so, is there anything written on that? Random idea...tell the man that his surname is "What." If that's right, and he gives you the password, tell that to the guard and get out of here. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 274 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is there anything written on the floor? The walls? The sitting man? The man's clothing? The guard? The guard's clothing? The sword? Is there anything else on the room? If so, is there anything written on that? Nothing is written anywhere. Random idea...tell the man that his surname is "What." If that's right, and he gives you the password, tell that to the guard and get out of here. That's not right. 2 posts remaining | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 344 Registered: 6-2005 |
Ask the man to stand up and move from where he is. If he moves, check if anything was hidden under his body. Maybe his wallet drops and we can look for an ID. If not, ask him if you can have a look at his wallet. Also, have a careful look at the stone walls and at the floor, is there any movable part? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 279 Registered: 8-2010 |
Ask the man to stand up and move from where he is. If he moves, check if anything was hidden under his body. No. Maybe his wallet drops and we can look for an ID. If not, ask him if you can have a look at his wallet. "I don't have a wallet." Also, have a careful look at the stone walls and at the floor, is there any movable part? No. 1 post remaining! HINT: Where do most people get their surnames? Can you make a general statement? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4607 Registered: 4-2010 |
Ask the man for his father's full name. Then tell him his surname back (his father's surname). Get the password from him and vamoose! | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 280 Registered: 8-2010 |
Ask the man for his father's full name. Then tell him his surname back (his father's surname). Get the password from him and vamoose! The man tells you his father's name, "Bob White." You tell him that his surname is "White," and he tells you that the password is "Rebel." You give this to the guard and exit. NOTE: I accepted this answer out of mercy, but in the future, especially if you have one post left, try to come up with every solution possible before posting. The intended solution was that you simply tell the man that his surname is the same as his father's, answering the "What is my surname?" question. Score: This room: 5 points Room 5: You are in a room with no door. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all chalkboards, covered in math problems. On the floor is a piece of chalk and a math book. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4611 Registered: 4-2010 |
I appreciate the mercy - that was a very lateral solution indeed. I don't think I would have come up with the intended answer for a while. May I ask questions about the specific problems without it counting as a post? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 282 Registered: 8-2010 |
May I ask questions about the specific problems without it counting as a post? Yes, because that only involves looking around. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4620 Registered: 4-2010 |
What are the problems on the chalkboards? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 284 Registered: 8-2010 |
What are the problems on the chalkboards? One problem says "ò-infinity infinity 1/(1+x2) dx = ?" (If you see an O with a grave accent, it's supposed to be an integral.) Another says "How many lattice points in 4D space are on the glome defined by the equation (x-13)2+(y-3)2+(z+8)2+(w+18)2 = sqrt(17)?" Another one says "Prove that there are infinitely many primes." The last one says "What are the last 501 digits of Graham's number?" Wait, there's one on the ceiling that says "Prove that there exists a bijection between the set of all subsets of the set of integers with cardinality aleph0 and the set of all irrational numbers." These are going to be very hard. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4623 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is there a math problem on the chalkboard on the floor? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 285 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is there a math problem on the chalkboard on the floor? No; I would have mentioned it, but it's best not to assume, right? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4628 Registered: 4-2010 |
All righty then, let's get to work... Take the chalk. Read the math book. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 287 Registered: 8-2010 |
All righty then, let's get to work... Take the chalk. Read the math book. It's a copy of "Math Curse" by Jon Scieszka. 4 posts remaining | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 354 Registered: 6-2005 |
You said google is allowed, so I couldn't avoid to look for the book you mentioned, and it seems that the heroine of this book faces the same exact situation as the one we're dealing with in this room. And she escapes the room by "breaking the chalk in two, because two halves make a whole". So... break the chalk in two, let's see what happens. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 288 Registered: 8-2010 |
You said google is allowed, so I couldn't avoid to look for the book you mentioned, and it seems that the heroine of this book faces the same exact situation as the one we're dealing with in this room. And she escapes the room by "breaking the chalk in two, because two halves make a whole". So... break the chalk in two, let's see what happens. You put the two halves together, they make a hole, and you leave through the hole. I'm too lazy to calculate the score and come up with the next room now, so in the meantime, here are the answers to the math problems, in the order given: 1. Pi. I was curious about this once, and I used the Wolfram Mathematica Integrator. The result was a bit surprising. The indefinite integral of said function is atan x, which has a horizontal asymptote at f(x) = pi/2. This is then the area under half the curve, and the function is even, so we double this to produce the final value. 2. First, a BLOOPER on my part was that sqrt(17) should be 17; otherwise, the answer is 0. To ease the computation, shift the glome's center to the origin, as the lattice is invariant under such a translation. Then, we need to find quadruples of integers whose squares add to 17. There are two unique ways to express 17 as the sum of four squares: 9+4+4+0 and 16+1+0+0. The first case gives us the point (3,2,2,0). The coordinates can then be permuted, having 12 permutations. Also, any of the non-zero coordinates can be negated, so we multiply that number by 8 (=23) and get 96 points by the first case. For the second case, we get (4,1,0,0), in 12 permutations and times 4 for sign-flipping, giving us 48 more. Thus the glome contains 96+48=144 lattice points. (A glome is the locus of all points a fixed distance from a given point in 4-space (i.e. a 3-sphere), and a lattice point is a point whose coordinates are integers.) 3. Say we have discovered a finite number of primes. Now if we multiply all of them together, we get a number that for each prime p is congruent to 0 mod p. Add 1 and the number is congruent to 1 mod p for each prime; it is not divisible by any known prime, so it must be prime itself. Thus, for any finite set of primes, there exists a prime outside the set, and there are then an infinite number of primes. 4. There is an algorithm that can find this, but I do not have the time or tools to compute an answer, as it requires working with numbers over 10500 with exact accuracy. 5. The set of all infinite subsets of the integers has a cardinality of beth1-beth0, because the set of all subsets of the integers (their power set) has cardinality beth1, and the set of all finite subsets of the integers has cardinality of beth0; a known bijection involves summing the powers of 2 corresponding to the elements of the set, once converted from integers to whole numbers, then converting the result from a whole number back to an integer (by counting 0, 1, -1, 2, -2, etc.). The set of irrational numbers has a cardinality equal to that of the reals minus that of the rationals, which is beth1-beth0. Since the two sets have the same cardinality, a bijecetion must exist, though I do not know of one. Have your brains exploded yet? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4682 Registered: 4-2010 |
Yes, they have. And I'm good at math, too. Speaking of, we got 8 points in that room, bringing the total score to 40 at the halfway point. | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 1044 Registered: 5-2007 |
Have your brains exploded yet? No. The last 500 digits of Graham's number are in the public domain - no doubt someone is working on the one preceding that, just as for one reason or another someone is working on the third-trillionth digit of the decimal expansion of pi. There are indeed an infinite number of primes, but if a chap with beth1 money were to be fined a million dollars for every prime number in existence, he would not change his lifestyle one iota, or even one epsilon. In the realm of the finite integers, there are only two numbers x such that sqrt(x)=x, and 17 is neither of them. Carry on regardless, with perhaps a fraction less in the way of contempt. | ||
| It_so_happened (It_so_happened)
New member Username: It_so_happened Post Number: 574 Registered: 5-2010 |
I'm familiar with most of that stuff, but my brain explodes a little every time I think about it, regardless. I'm not certain what it has to do with the puzzle, but math proofs are always fun, nonetheless. On another note, I tend to hold issue with cardinalities of infinite sets, as the various bijection proofs (such as Cantor's diagonalization) seem to be lacking, but I suspect that's because I just don't fully grasp the logic. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 291 Registered: 8-2010 |
There are indeed an infinite number of primes, but if a chap with beth1 money were to be fined a million dollars for every prime number in existence, he would not change his lifestyle one iota, or even one epsilon. True, but even if he only had beth0 dollars, he could still have that much money after the fines. Remember, any infinity minus itself can be defined as anyhthing from 0 up to that infinity (for instance, if you take the cardinality of the set of all real numbers and subtract the cardinality of the set of all positive real numbers (which is the same), you end up with the cardinality of the set of all negative real numbers plus 0 (which is still the same)). | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 298 Registered: 8-2010 |
Room 6: You are in a room. In front of you, there are three pillars. The first one has three stone rings of increasing radius from top to bottom around it. The rightmost pillar has a green dot at its base. There's a door, which you suspect is locked. | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 393 Registered: 6-2005 |
Do the pillars go from floor to ceiling, or are they "accessible" from top, so that you could eventually move the rings from one pillar to another? Hanoi relevant? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4874 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hanoi definitely sounds right, but I'll wait to see if the rings are easily accessible before trying anything with them. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 299 Registered: 8-2010 |
Do the pillars go from floor to ceiling, or are they "accessible" from top, so that you could eventually move the rings from one pillar to another? The latter. Hanoi relevant? This does resemble a Towers of Hanoi puzzle. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 4891 Registered: 4-2010 |
Move the rings from left to right post, as follows: Small ring = 1 Middle ring = 2 Large ring = 3 Left pillar = A Center pillar = B Right pillar (with the green dot) = C 1 to C 2 to B 1 to B 3 to C 1 to A 2 to C 1 to C If the door opens, head on through. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 310 Registered: 8-2010 |
Move the rings from left to right post, as follows: Small ring = 1 Middle ring = 2 Large ring = 3 Left pillar = A Center pillar = B Right pillar (with the green dot) = C 1 to C 2 to B 1 to B 3 to C 1 to A 2 to C 1 to C If the door opens, head on through. It does, and you go through. Score: This room: 10 pointsRoom 7: You are in a small room with nothing but a bookshelf. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5081 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is anything on the bookshelf? On the walls? On the floor? Is the bookshelf against the wall? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 316 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is anything on the bookshelf? Books and dust. On the walls? The bookshelf. On the floor? The bookshelf. Is the bookshelf against the wall? Yes. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5086 Registered: 4-2010 |
What are the books on the shelf? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 318 Registered: 8-2010 |
What are the books on the shelf? Seven sets of encyclopedias. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5087 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is there writing on the spines of the encyclopedia? Can you read the spines? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 320 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is there writing on the spines of the encyclopedia? Can you read the spines? "VOLUME I: A-AE," "VOLUME II: AF-BA," etc. Nothing unusual. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5091 Registered: 4-2010 |
Remove all the books from the shelf...maybe one of them will open a secret passage. If not, open the books and see if there's anything secreted inside one of them. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 322 Registered: 8-2010 |
Remove all the books from the shelf...maybe one of them will open a secret passage. If not, open the books and see if there's anything secreted inside one of them. The books appear to be glued to the bookshelf, with about six exceptions. These books can be pulled out a bit. 4 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5099 Registered: 4-2010 |
Which books can be pulled out? Pull all of them out. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 324 Registered: 8-2010 |
Which books can be pulled out? It doesn't matter what the exact books are, just that there are six of them. Pull all of them out. Nothing happens. 3 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5111 Registered: 4-2010 |
How many shelves are on the bookshelf? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 328 Registered: 8-2010 |
How many shelves are on the bookshelf? Three. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5164 Registered: 4-2010 |
Push the six books in. If nothing happens, then pull them out from left to right, top to bottom. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 333 Registered: 8-2010 |
Push the six books in. If nothing happens, then pull them out from left to right, top to bottom. Still nothing happens. You may want to read back over your questions from before and ask more questions. 2 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5172 Registered: 4-2010 |
Where on the shelves are the pullable books? Does it matter what they say on the spines? What do they say on the spines? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 335 Registered: 8-2010 |
Where on the shelves are the pullable books? Two on the top shelf, three on the middle shelf, and one on the bottom shelf. Does it matter what they say on the spines? No. What do they say on the spines? Irrelevant. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5176 Registered: 4-2010 |
Try pulling the bottom one, top two, then middle three. If that doesn't work, try 3, 2, 1. If that doesn't work, try 1, 2, 3, but pulling out the two on top (and 3 in the middle) at the same time. If THAT doesn't work, try 3, 2, 1, with the same simultaneous pull. | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 411 Registered: 6-2005 |
Are the movable books coloured in any way? Do they all have the same size? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 337 Registered: 8-2010 |
Are the movable books coloured in any way? Do they all have the same size? Not particularly, and yes. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5260 Registered: 4-2010 |
You missed my post above Mattiel's last one.... | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 341 Registered: 8-2010 |
Try pulling the bottom one, top two, then middle three. If that doesn't work, try 3, 2, 1. If that doesn't work, try 1, 2, 3, but pulling out the two on top (and 3 in the middle) at the same time. If THAT doesn't work, try 3, 2, 1, with the same simultaneous pull. None of them work. 1 post remaining! HINT: You notice that there's more dust near some of the books than others. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5375 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is there a different amount of dust on/near each of the pulled books? If so (and ONLY if so), pull them out in order by dustiest book to least. If that doesn't work (again, ONLY on the condition from the first question), try from least dusty to dustiest. | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 444 Registered: 6-2005 |
I guess those with more dust are the ones which are never moved, rather that the ones that are moved at last... I'd rather move only the books with less dust, but let's first see: could you make a "ranking" of the dust on the books, and telling about possible "ex-aequo"? :-) | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 344 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is there a different amount of dust on/near each of the pulled books? If so (and ONLY if so), pull them out in order by dustiest book to least. If that doesn't work (again, ONLY on the condition from the first question), try from least dusty to dustiest. I guess those with more dust are the ones which are never moved, rather that the ones that are moved at last... I'd rather move only the books with less dust, but let's first see: could you make a "ranking" of the dust on the books, and telling about possible "ex-aequo"? :-) Well, I'll just say that the solution of pulling out only the less dusty books works. The bookshelf reveals a passage, and you exit. Score: This room: 5 pointsRoom 8: You are in a small room with a doorway leading out, blocked by a portcullis. There are four people standing here. There's a dagger in the middle of the room. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5402 Registered: 4-2010 |
Describe each of the four people. Describe the dagger. Is it just laying on the floor? Or is it in some other "pose," so to say? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 266 Registered: 9-2010 |
What's a portcullis? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 347 Registered: 8-2010 |
Describe each of the four people. A young man in his late teens, a woman in her twenties, a man in his thirties, and a a woman in her forties. Describe the dagger. It looks like the kind you would stab someone with. Is it just laying on the floor? This. Or is it in some other "pose," so to say? What's a portcullis? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Stirling_Castle_portcullis_dsc06571.jpg | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 270 Registered: 9-2010 |
Oh, one of THOSE! Hey, I learned a new word!! I always called it the barred-gate-thing. Thanks muchly, Whirligig! | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5412 Registered: 4-2010 |
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty....hmmm. I meant, is the dagger edged? Or rounded (like a misericorde)? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 349 Registered: 8-2010 |
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty....hmmm. I meant, is the dagger edged? Or rounded (like a misericorde)? Irrelevant, but let's say it's a misericorde. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5416 Registered: 4-2010 |
Can we die in this room? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 271 Registered: 9-2010 |
And what's a misericorde?! Your vocabulary is too advanced for me :-P | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 351 Registered: 8-2010 |
Can we die in this room? If you do something stupid like stab yourself. The people won't hurt you, though. And what's a misericorde?! Your vocabulary is too advanced for me :-P It's a narrow dagger/knife that they would use to kill a knight out of mercy, like euthanasia. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5426 Registered: 4-2010 |
All righty then, stab yourself. Just kidding, don't do that. Instead, pick up the dagger, and talk to the people in order from youngest to oldest. Ask them how to get out. And Kaylee, to help you get a better picture, a misericorde is typically an edgeless dagger with a very sharp point. I'd post an image, but Google is not being helpful. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 355 Registered: 8-2010 |
All righty then, stab yourself. Just kidding, don't do that. Instead, pick up the dagger, and talk to the people in order from youngest to oldest. Ask them how to get out. The teenage guy: "Hi. I'm Matt. Kill the odd one out." The younger woman: "Hi. I'm Elizabeth. Kill the odd one out." The older man: "Hi. I'm Mario. Kill the odd one out." The older woman: "Hi. I'm Anne. Kill the odd one out." 4 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5431 Registered: 4-2010 |
Kill Anne...the other three are LTPF members (me, Kaylee, Mattiel). Then leave. | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 457 Registered: 6-2005 |
Ha! Glad to become a LTPF puzzle character! Yes, I think Balin is right... let's see what happens... | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5454 Registered: 4-2010 |
Well, I know I don't want to be killed, I'm pretty sure you don't....I highly doubt Kaylee wants to be killed either, so I went with Anne. Hope she doesn't mind being killed - 'tis a tragedy that she had to go before being introduced to the wonderful world of lateral thinking. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 282 Registered: 9-2010 |
Yeah, thanks, I'd rather not be killed, Balin! Hurrah for being a puzzle character! | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 362 Registered: 8-2010 |
Kill Anne...the other three are LTPF members (me, Kaylee, Mattiel). Then leave. You got it. Score: This room: 8 pointsRoom 9: You are in a room with a high ceiling. There is a dagger on the floor. Next to the dagger, there's a small pail. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 5750 Registered: 4-2010 |
Kick the bucket. (At least, I'm hoping kicking it works - this is definitely an idiomuzzling room.) | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 363 Registered: 8-2010 |
Kick the bucket. (At least, I'm hoping kicking it works - this is definitely an idiomuzzling room.) You kick the pail across the room. Nothing else happens. 4 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6130 Registered: 4-2010 |
May we ask questions about the idiomuzzle without it counting as a post? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 367 Registered: 8-2010 |
May we ask questions about the idiomuzzle without it counting as a post? Yes. | ||
| Lordofthegeeks1000 (Lordofthegeeks1000)
New member Username: Lordofthegeeks1000 Post Number: 37 Registered: 1-2010 |
Hmm... Neat puzzle, I think I'll try to help with the end. And sorry, but what's an idiomuzzle? I seem to remember reading about one in another puzzle, but can't remember. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6154 Registered: 4-2010 |
Pail: bucket? LOTG: There are three or four idiomuzzles in the September 2010 solved section - mine (titled "D'oh!") has the rules in it. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 368 Registered: 8-2010 |
Pail: bucket? Yes. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6157 Registered: 4-2010 |
High: Drop? So maybe we have to get a "drop in the bucket"? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 526 Registered: 9-2010 |
Is there any liquid around here? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6162 Registered: 4-2010 |
Or, if that's right, we could just drop the dagger into the bucket.... | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 369 Registered: 8-2010 |
High: Drop? So maybe we have to get a "drop in the bucket"? Is there any liquid around here? No to all. | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 1846 Registered: 7-2009 |
High: Up? Upend? Tall? High: Drunk? Stoned? something similar? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 370 Registered: 8-2010 |
High: Up? Upend? Tall? High: Drunk? Stoned? something similar? None of these. | ||
| Lordofthegeeks1000 (Lordofthegeeks1000)
New member Username: Lordofthegeeks1000 Post Number: 38 Registered: 1-2010 |
High: Physically high? Socially/Politically high? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 381 Registered: 8-2010 |
High: Physically high? Socially/Politically high? no to both, assuming you mean "far from the center of the earth" and "ranked in a wealthy class" | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6242 Registered: 4-2010 |
Are we looking for a synonym for "high"? Antonym? Homophone? Homonym? Something that is used in a phrase with "high"? Slang? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 384 Registered: 8-2010 |
Are we looking for a synonym for "high"? thisish, no to rest Antonym? Homophone? Homonym? Something that is used in a phrase with "high"? Slang? not sure whether I would call this slang | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6260 Registered: 4-2010 |
High: is it related to drink or drugs? To sports? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 385 Registered: 8-2010 |
High: is it related to drink or drugs? thisish To sports? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6263 Registered: 4-2010 |
To drinking? To using drugs? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 387 Registered: 8-2010 |
Well, this is getting a bit tiresome and pointless, so I'll just tell you that "kick the bucket" was the correct idiom. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6269 Registered: 4-2010 |
And we already tried kicking it - is there a door in this room? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 389 Registered: 8-2010 |
And we already tried kicking it - is there a door in this room? No. Keep in mind that this room is slightly unorthodox. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6277 Registered: 4-2010 |
Stab myself...? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 6406 Registered: 4-2010 |
Thinking that that would be the only way to "kick the bucket," since booting the pail did nothing.... | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 646 Registered: 9-2010 |
We're too young to die, Balin!!!!!!!! | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 401 Registered: 8-2010 |
Are you going to stab yourself or not? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 722 Registered: 9-2010 |
Yes, I guess so...but we're too young to die!!! | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 420 Registered: 8-2010 |
Yes, I guess so...but we're too young to die!!! To make a long story short … It works. Score: This room: 8 pointsRoom 10: You are in a small room. There is no door. On the floor, there are 25 buttons. On the wall to the right, there are five levers. On the wall to the left, there are 4 light switches. On the ceiling, there's a lit chandelier. A man is sitting in the corner. An inscription on the back wall says "DON'T WORRY -- JUST PFAD!" (NOTE: Pfad is a neologism.) | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 1270 Registered: 9-2010 |
Is "Pfad" an acronym neologism? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 422 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is "Pfad" an acronym neologism? Yes in part. Don't try to figure it out this way. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7968 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does "pfadding" involve the chandelier? Levers? Light switches? Buttons? Man? Inscription? Is it possible to die in this level? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 425 Registered: 8-2010 |
Does "pfadding" involve the chandelier? Levers? Light switches? Buttons? Man? Inscription? Yope to all. Muhaha! Is it possible to die in this level? Not unless you really try. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8011 Registered: 4-2010 |
Muhaha...EVIL!! (Although I've been just as evil in some of my puzzles, so I shouldn't be complaining.) Does the A in PFAD stand for "and"? "All"? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 430 Registered: 8-2010 |
Does the A in PFAD stand for "and"? "All"? this | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8018 Registered: 4-2010 |
May I ask for information about how the buttons/levers/etc are arranged, without it counting as a post? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 432 Registered: 8-2010 |
May I ask for information about how the buttons/levers/etc are arranged, without it counting as a post? Of course! | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8028 Registered: 4-2010 |
How are the buttons/levers/etc arranged? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 433 Registered: 8-2010 |
How are the buttons/levers/etc arranged? LOL, I figured that was next … The buttons are in a 5X5 square grid, spanning most of the floor. The levers are arranged in a line lining up with the buttons. Ditto for the switches, except the middle switch is missing. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8042 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the chandelier lit? Can you describe it in more detail? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 435 Registered: 8-2010 |
Is the chandelier lit? Can you describe it in more detail? It is lit. It contains 42 candles and 69,105 golden leaf patterns. It is held to the ceiling by a gold chain. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8048 Registered: 4-2010 |
Wow, you must count well. How large are the buttons? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 437 Registered: 8-2010 |
Wow, you must count well. It's an inside joke, actually. How large are the buttons? About 3 inches in diameter. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8145 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the P in "pfad" stand for "push"? "Pull"? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 440 Registered: 8-2010 |
Does the P in "pfad" stand for "push"? "Pull"? Neither. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 441 Registered: 8-2010 |
Did you notice my "don't try to figure it out this way"? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8151 Registered: 4-2010 |
Talk to the man. Ask him what to do. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 442 Registered: 8-2010 |
Talk to the man. Ask him what to do. "Well, I'm really not sure. Maybe it has something to do with the numerous buttons, switches, and levers. Maybe you should try them; after all, you can't really mess up badly enough to die, right?" 4 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8168 Registered: 4-2010 |
Push/pull/flip everything. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 446 Registered: 8-2010 |
Push/pull/flip everything. Nothing interesting happens … wait … one of the candles went out! 3 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8173 Registered: 4-2010 |
Do that over and over, and put out all the candles. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 451 Registered: 8-2010 |
Do that over and over, and put out all the candles. One candle still stays lit. 2 posts remaining | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8179 Registered: 4-2010 |
Try the push-everything thing again. If that doesn't work, ask the man what to do. Can the candle be removed from the chandelier? If so, do it. | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 456 Registered: 8-2010 |
Try the push-everything thing again. If that doesn't work, ask the man what to do. The one candle still stays lit. The man says, "Well, I don't really know. Try stuff. I wish I knew what pfadding was …" Can the candle be removed from the chandelier? If so, do it. It cannot. 1 post remaining! HINT: You're actually doing really well right now. There's only one thing left to do, and that is … | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8191 Registered: 4-2010 |
Aagh, I can't think right now. I'll be back in a bit, hopefully with some actual thinking done. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 1392 Registered: 9-2010 |
Blow out the candle? Assuming there's a way to reach it... | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 460 Registered: 8-2010 |
Blow out the candle? Assuming there's a way to reach it... You try to blow out the candle, but there is no effect — the candle stays lit. You have used all of your posts. But wait! After you try to blow out the candle, a door appears in front of you. You exit the room through the door to win! ("Pfad" is in fact an anagram of an acronym; it means "do all five posts," as in use them all up.) Since this room would be unfair in that you would always earn 5 points, I'll make an exception and instead give you the (rounded) average of all of your room scores so far, which is 71/9 = 7.89 -> 8 points. Score: This room: 8 points Thanks for playing! **********SPOILER********** | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 8222 Registered: 4-2010 |
These were fun - I definitely enjoyed this! | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 462 Registered: 8-2010 |
These were fun - I definitely enjoyed this! :D |
