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Post by Ninety on Apr 25, 2012 11:53:56 GMT -5
fooooooooook youuuuuu
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Post by Beelzebibble on Apr 25, 2012 12:16:37 GMT -5
I know, I feel really bad. Hey, here's one more clue.
Clue 11: The dossier is located at the bottom of a page.
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Post by The Evil Biscuit on Apr 27, 2012 10:31:28 GMT -5
I'm stumped.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Apr 27, 2012 13:23:45 GMT -5
I've got to admit I'm a touch disappointed. Unlike "The Hidden Awards", this challenge wasn't meant to confound you guys. (And the image link hasn't broken again.)
I can give another clue, but it'll cost the team 20 EP, which will instead go to the Mole.
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Post by The Evil Biscuit on Apr 27, 2012 23:53:58 GMT -5
I'll pay it. I'm sure I've missed it in my searching, because I've touched every thread from 2011.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Apr 28, 2012 9:17:44 GMT -5
Clue 12: The dossier is located on the second page of a second page.
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 1, 2012 19:02:14 GMT -5
Well, I think it's quite stupid how long this challenge is taking, so I'm deducting 5 EP from the pot and giving it to the Mole for every day from here on out until all six of you have PMed me with the dossier's location.
Starting today!
THE TEAM POT: 238 EP THE MOLE'S POCKET: 186 EP
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Post by Ninety on May 1, 2012 19:41:52 GMT -5
What if no one finds it?
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 1, 2012 20:14:38 GMT -5
Then you miss out on a pretty distinctive opportunity.
But there's really no reason for this to have taken you so long. I just checked the image. It's right where it's supposed to be.
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Post by Testbug on May 1, 2012 22:58:51 GMT -5
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Post by Testbug on May 1, 2012 23:05:57 GMT -5
You guys should post in here when you send him the post so we can increase our average EP income.
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Post by Ninety on May 2, 2012 0:01:31 GMT -5
i pee em'd
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Post by Belle on May 2, 2012 0:44:59 GMT -5
I have also pee em'd
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Sem
Adventurer
<.<
Posts: 96
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Post by Sem on May 2, 2012 14:33:42 GMT -5
I looked at that thread too ._.
PM'd
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Post by The Evil Biscuit on May 2, 2012 23:44:33 GMT -5
I pee em'd
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Post by Yoshimitsu on May 3, 2012 4:28:41 GMT -5
All done
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 3, 2012 12:14:10 GMT -5
All right, players, this challenge is a wrap! See how easy it was, in the final analysis? Testbug only had to open like six tabs! First, let's review the clues that each player received: Ninety's clues: Sem's clues: Biscuit's clues: Testbug's clues: Belle's clues: Elliot's clues: All of which, along with the four supplementary clues I provided throughout the challenge, pointed toward the dossier, which had been squirrelled away in a wholly odd location: this post in the old RP Discussion topic "Expecting to See Carnage in the Results". (I've now removed it again; also, for posterity's sake, the most recent post in that topic at the time of this challenge was Stel's from May 21, 2011.) Why pick that post, in particular? Man, I dunno. What shambling mortal can fathom the whims of Pohatu! The real business, of course, lay in the PMs, so let's see how that unfolded. - The first to PM me with the dossier's location was Testbug on May 1 at 10:58pm. He also posted the dossier's location in this topic at 10:58. Testbug guessed that he was the first to PM me, which was correct, earning 5 EP for the pot.
- Next was Ninety on May 2 at 12:01am, who also confirmed his action in the topic at 12:01. Ninety guessed that he was the second to PM me, which was again correct, earning another 5 EP for the pot and bringing the total to 10 EP thus far.
- Next was Biscuit on May 2 at 12:25am, though he did not confirm his action in the topic until 11:44pm that night. Worse, Biscuit guessed that he was the fifth to PM me, which was dead wrong! He earned 0 EP for the pot.
- Next was Belle on May 2 at 12:43am, who confirmed her action in the topic at 12:44. Belle guessed that she was the third to PM me, which was incorrect, but only off by one, earning 2 EP to the pot and bringing the total to 12 EP thus far.
- Next was Sem on May 2 at 2:36pm, who miraculously then went back in time three minutes and confirmed his action in the topic at 2:33. (Okay, so he just doesn't know the difference between past tense and future tense, no big deal.) Sem guessed that he was the fourth to PM me, which was incorrect, but again only off by one, earning another 2 EP to the pot and bringing the total to 14 EP.
- Finally, Elliot PMed me on May 3 at 4:28am, and also confirmed his action in the topic at 4:28. Having made the apparently-wise decision to hang back until everybody else's bullshit got sorted out, Elliot correctly guessed that he was the sixth to PM me, finishing the challenge with an extra 5 EP and bringing the total to 19 EP.
So, 19 EP to the team and the remaining 11 EP to the Mole. Jeez, you guys really should've been able to make the full 30, shouldn't you? And where do we cast the finger of suspicion? Biscuit. Biscuit, Biscuit, Biscuit. He may not appear to sabotage as often as some of the other players, but when he does, he properly carpetbombs the place -- an unorthodox yet very appealing strategy for a potential Mole. Biscuit just didn't do anything right in this challenge. To start with, he accepted my offer of another clue without a second thought, promptly throwing away the 20 EP that Sem had earned for the group in "The Surprise Audit". Of course, 20 EP isn't a huge deal either way: what's important is that he took the offer straight away in his next post, without so much as lifting a finger to check in with the rest of the team. Something like "I don't know guys, should we accept the offer? Where has everyone searched so far?" would've done the trick -- but not for Biscuit! Then, of course, his really damning action was that after PMing me, he failed to announce that he had done so in this topic, which subsequently led Belle to misjudge her own place in the line. Practically twenty-four hours had passed by the time Biscuit got around to notifying the group that he'd PMed me, by which time both Belle and Sem had been tricked into submitting ordinal guesses that were off by one. And then, after all that, Biscuit couldn't even get his own ordinal guess right -- not even close to right! You have to wonder if Biscuit is just outright daring you to vote for him on the upcoming quiz, hoping to scare you off. Which I have to give props for, because I've always known that if I were the Mole, that would be my exact strategy... Still, Biscuit's not the only one who transgressed here, even if his actions were much more obvious. Belle also stands to receive a portion of the blame. As the next in line after Biscuit, she seems to be an innocent victim of his wrongdoing, but to pigeonhole her into that role means ignoring the fact that she could have avoided the problem quite easily. Biscuit's not invisible these days -- he shows up in the "Active Users in the Past 24 Hours", even to nonstaff. Had Belle cared to check that register, she would've noticed that not only Ninety but also Biscuit had been online in the time since Testbug had divulged the dossier's location. At that point, nothing would have stopped Belle from shooting Biscuit a PM to ask whether he'd gotten in touch with me yet! Instead Belle seemed quite happy to assume that since Biscuit hadn't posted in the topic, he must not have PMed me. Either an uncharacteristically naive mistake, or an act. If Belle and not Biscuit is the Mole, then she didn't even need to do anything personally to screw up this challenge: his error must've been exactly what she was waiting for. But enough speculation. We have something more immediate to attend to. THE TEAM POT: 257 EP THE MOLE'S POCKET: 197 EP
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 3, 2012 12:29:44 GMT -5
Testbug. I indicated in the post which opened this challenge that the first person whose ordinal guess was correct would be eligible to receive a special prize. I also said it was kinda obvious what the special prize would be. You were the first player to PM me, and your ordinal guess was correct, making you the obvious winner here. You found the Host's dossier. I own that dossier. It's mine. A more exhaustive catalogue of suspects, challenges, and quiz questions you will not find. It is simply filled to bursting with information that would rip this game a new one. And you're allowed to look inside. Mind, it'll cost the team 30 EP (the maximum payout for this challenge), which will be transferred to the Mole. Already, for the first time in a while, the team has finished a challenge with less money than when they started; taking the opportunity to look inside the dossier will open that gash even further. But if you're the Mole, you don't really care about that, do you? It's a win-win situation. And if you aren't the Mole, well, hear me out. Looking inside the dossier will privilege you with a bundle of information which no player has seen -- at least, not in its entirety. Admittedly, one-sixth of the information there will be familiar to you. And one-sixth of the information will be sheer lies. If you're the Mole, then those two parts are the same. But if you're not the Mole, then the rest of what you read in the Host's dossier might very easily set you on track to win the game. Or, what you read might send you down the wrong path entirely. That'll be your own burden: not only to separate the lies from the truth but to figure out how to interpret what is true. No one else has a say in this matter (although that won't necessarily stop them from weighing in). It's your decision, Testbug. Please post your answer, either to accept or reject the offer, here in the topic within the next twenty-four hours. If you fail to do so, the opportunity will move on to the next player in line who got their ordinal guess correct: Ninety.
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Post by The Evil Biscuit on May 3, 2012 13:00:27 GMT -5
I accept all responsibility for botching this challenge. It's finals. My last semester of finals, I might add. So I'm a little distracted. Apologies.
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Post by Testbug on May 3, 2012 13:11:46 GMT -5
Fuck it, I want that dossier.
Gimme.
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 3, 2012 13:28:30 GMT -5
My my, how things change! Today we witness Testbug, who has so long purported to advocate fair play and an equal footing for all, change his tune entirely! In case you missed it, he first replied with "Um... what does everyone else think?", but all that white knighting must have finally worn the man out. Very well: Testbug accepts the offer to look inside the Host's dossier, passing an additional 30 EP out of the team's pocket and into the hands of the Mole. Which, by an absolutely god damned beautiful coincidence that I could never in a million years have planned, sets the team and the Mole currently neck-and-neck.
THE TEAM POT: 227 EP THE MOLE'S POCKET: 227 EP
Of course, this equilibrium won't last. By the end of the episode, either the Mole will lose 50 EP or the team will lose 100. We'll find that out very soon. I'll leave the board open for the rest of today and tomorrow, and then run the quiz over the weekend. In the meantime, Testbug, please enjoy chewing on the PM I'm about to send you; Ninety, please remember that you'll be taking the quiz anyway even though you have an exemption; and Sem, please enjoy not having to gather notes for this quiz, because your exemption is a normal one.
See you guys at the chapel for the execution ceremony!
<3
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 7, 2012 15:13:47 GMT -5
Players.Players, my my. We have quite a bit to talk about. So much, in fact, that I've called in my special friend HSQ-3000 to assist me in presenting the conclusion to this episode. HSQ-3000 was designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to regulate and combat otherwise deadly levels of Holy Shit Quotient. Everyone's new robot buddy is prepared to work hard and happily to ensure that your face isn't ripped straight off your face by what I have to disclose. Say hello, HSQ-3000! "GREETINGS, EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE LIFE FORMS. SCANNING. SCANNING. SCAN CONCLUDED. DIVINE FECAL MATTER LEVEL 0%. CLEARED TO PROCEED WITH CEREMONY."[/size] Isn't he a charmer? Thanks, HSQ-3000! And now to business. First on the agenda is something I'm sure Testbug and Elliot, at least, are quite curious about. You'll recall that each of them went into this quiz with a "joker" worth +2 points. Elliot received his as a result of stacking two exemptions in the previous episode, while Testbug acquired his in "The Suitcase Claim". But in that same challenge, Biscuit picked up a "batman", giving him the power to nullify a "joker" in this episode's quiz. While the quiz period was underway, I asked Biscuit for a decision on how he intended to use this power. I also, however, offered him a third option. Instead of nullifying either player's "joker", I allowed him the alternate choice to turn in his "batman" for a full refund, adding 20 EP to the pot (10 EP x 2 "jokers" in play). Both Elliot and Testbug would keep their "jokers" and Biscuit would recoup what he'd sacrificed for Clue #12 in our last challenge... but this option would also increase the likelihood that Biscuit himself would be the one executed. Unless, of course, he were the Mole. A thought-provoking offer, I'm sure you'll agree, but Biscuit didn't need all that long to reach his decision. He chose... ...to forego the "batman". Both Elliot and Testbug keep their "jokers", and 20 EP have been added to the group's winnings. THE TEAM POT: 247 EP THE MOLE'S POCKET: 227 EPWow, what a play! HSQ-3000, can we get a read on that? "SCAN CONCLUDED. DIVINE FECAL MATTER LEVEL 32%. PARTICIPANTS ROUNDLY UNSHOCKED. THIS WAS A HIGHLY LOGICAL MOVE, HOST."[/size] Really? I'm... I'm kinda surprised. Nobody else is that surprised?? Maybe it is the most logical move. If Biscuit's a contestant, I'd wager from his behavior in the game so far that he's pretty confident in his suspicions. And if he's the Mole, then other players' "jokers" mean nothing to him. Sure, that makes sense. Well, bravo, Biscuit! I'm sure both Testbug and Elliot are singing your praises right now. That is, unless one of them is the Mole. (Always got to keep my bases covered.) Now, I'll say it just one more time for the sake of clarity: Even though both Elliot and Testbug are keeping their "jokers", it's worth repeating that no "joker" was factored into the team's success percentage on this quiz. Only a player's natural score, so to speak, was tallied into that calculation, and "jokers" were applied afterward. And that is a lovely segue into our next order of business...[/spoiler]
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 7, 2012 16:34:40 GMT -5
At the very beginning of this episode, way way back in mid-February (I BLAME YOU GUYS), I told you about a bet I'd allowed the Mole to place regarding the outcome of this quiz. I informed the Mole of the entire team's success percentage to date on the four preceding quizzes. That was a singularly unimpressive 24%. "REALLY? ONLY 24%? IF THE DIVINE FECAL MATTER LEVEL WERE THAT LOW, IT WOULD RANK AS A REVELATION JUST BARELY WORTHY OF MAMMALIAN SCROTUM-SCRATCHING APATHY. I HAVE UNDERGONE SEMIANNUAL DISK DEFRAGMENTATIONS WHICH ELICITED HIGHER DIVINE FECAL MATTER LEVELS THAN THAT."[/size] I know, HSQ-3000. "24%? WHY NOT JUST--"[/size] Ha-ha, okay HSQ-3000, let me finish! Anyway. The Mole bet 50 EP that the team could not surpass that cumulative success percentage on this episode's quiz. If the team scored 25% or higher on this quiz, the Mole would lose that 50 EP from his/her pocket (though the money wouldn't be passed to the team, but simply discarded). On the other hand, if the team scored 24% or lower on this quiz, they would lose 100 EP (twice the Mole's bet) from the pot (again, to be discarded, not given to the Mole). That wager became a hot issue with the introduction of this episode's two opportunities for exemptions. These exemptions were obtained by Sem (in "The Suitcase Claim") and Ninety (after "Story Time!"). In each case, I asked the rest of the team to vote on whether they wanted the newly-exempt player to take the quiz anyway, so that their results would be tallied into the success rate, even though they wouldn't be in danger of execution. And in each case, the results were unanimous. Within the appropriate timeframe, only Ninety and Biscuit voted on whether to let Sem take the quiz, but they were agreed: he should not be allowed to take it. Did this mean that they were considering him as a suspect for the Mole, or that they believed he was a contestant but weren't willing to put much faith in his test-taking skill? Perhaps it was a combination of both, to varying degrees. At any rate, since the other three players didn't pipe up in time, Sem was barred from taking the quiz this episode. Ninety's exemption, however, garnered a very different reaction. Biscuit, Belle and Elliot all vouched for him to take the quiz, and although a majority had already been reached, Sem also snuck in a word of approval, leaving only Testbug silent on the matter. Clearly, Ninety had won the goodwill of the team, and despite being exempt, his quiz results have been factored into the success rate. So, to summarize: Sem didn't take the quiz this episode; Ninety did; and among Belle, Biscuit, Elliot & Testbug, at least three of them also took the quiz, or all four if none of them are the Mole. I think that's way more than enough buildup, so why don't I just tell you the damn success percentage from this quiz, already? The success percentage from this quiz, already, rounded to the nearest 1%, is................... 12% "OH MY GOD." [/size] What?! "SCANNING. SCAN IMMEDIATELY CONCLUDED. DIVINE FECAL MATTER LEVEL 78%. APPROACHING CRITICAL DENSITY. DISPENSING SEDATIVE PERFUMES."[/size] Are you fucking serious, guys?!? Three episodes away from the finish line and you scored 12%?? That's pathetic!! Please tell me you're actually putting any amount of thought into the quizzes at all and that you're not just picking answers out of a... Out of a... Wow. That's... That smells really nice. Smells like lilacs... and absinthe... ... ... Well, players. You're in a wee bit of a pickle, aren't you! Pardon me as I do the math but I am pretty sure that 12% is not greater than 24%. In fact, a little quick calculus assures me that (notwithstanding the fact that both these results were rounded to the nearest 1%) it is exactly half of 24%! This was, in a walk, the lowest average quiz score of any episode to date. And I'm sorry, but you know what that means... THE TEAM POT: 147 EP THE MOLE'S POCKET: 227 EPNot the first time in the game that the Mole's come out ahead, but the first time any episode has ended with the Mole in the lead. And what a substantial lead it is. Of course, one's first instinct is to consider who was required to take this quiz, and who was blocked from doing so. Could it be that the team was unwise to invest their faith in our golden boy Ninety? Maybe he really is the Mole, after all, and knew he could scam you guys out of an easy 100 EP! Or maybe he's a contestant, but his suspicions about the Mole's identity are way less accurate than he's managed to convince you. Or, then again, maybe his results were the only thing keeping this quiz afloat, and it was everyone else who bombed! And then there's Sem. Astonishing to see the success percentage drop by 12% without his involvement. Perhaps I was right to suppose, so many years ago, that he might be the only one who's onto the Mole's identity. Then again, it could just as well be a fluke to suppose that Sem's not taking the quiz had anything to do with the results. Correlation, after all, does not imply causation. And yet I can't resist the urge to interject this observation: while Ninety was the first player to prohibit Sem from taking the quiz, Sem was the last player (barring the absent Testbug) to endorse Ninety's taking the quiz. I'll let you figure all this out of your own accord. That is, after all, your job as contestants. But in the meanwhile, we have one final item on the agenda...[/spoiler]
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Post by Beelzebibble on May 7, 2012 16:38:23 GMT -5
The fifth execution ceremony begins now. You know how this works. I'm not going to reveal the execution victim right away. Instead, you players must post in this topic -- post anything at all -- in order to volunteer to receive your results. I'll reply to you with a gray[/color] thumbprint much like this one. Exactly like this one, actually. Click on that image and a new thumbprint will be displayed. If the new thumbprint is green[/color], you passed the fifth quiz and are cleared to continue on to the next episode. If the new thumbprint is red[/color], then you are the Mole's seventh victim. You have been executed, and will no longer participate in the game. I don't think there's much need to impose a time limit any longer, with so few of you remaining. We'll proceed until the executed player steps forward. Elliot and Testbug hold "jokers" for this episode, but whether this has saved them from execution remains to be seen. Sem and Ninety hold exemptions for this episode, and need not volunteer their names unless they simply wish to rub it in. That's all. If you would like to receive your results, post anything at all now.
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Post by Ninety on May 7, 2012 17:07:17 GMT -5
holy fuck
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Post by Yoshimitsu on May 7, 2012 17:25:32 GMT -5
haiiii
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