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Post by Beelzebibble on Feb 23, 2013 10:43:23 GMT -5
Finally showing some signs of life, eh, Sem, Testbug? I count sixteen words so far. That's two short of the minimum required to not incur any fine (less than eighteen words and the team is penalized 50 EP). So I'll extend this by just one more day. The challenge ends tomorrow evening.
In the meantime, you might want to have another quick look at the challenge-opening post, tl to r as it admittedly was.
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Post by Belle on Feb 23, 2013 13:25:52 GMT -5
unless I'm really bad at counting or misunderstanding something I missed in the first post, doesn't ten words from me, four from Testbug, and four from Sem meet the 18 minimum that you wanted?
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Post by Ninety on Feb 24, 2013 1:34:47 GMT -5
i am the mol and i win
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Post by Testbug on Feb 24, 2013 13:34:13 GMT -5
Oh.
Oh.
Belle gave me mine.
I am the dumb.
It is me.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Feb 24, 2013 17:55:38 GMT -5
Yes, in fact, my count was a bit off -- I tallied twelve words in Belle's post, not even noticing that "expromission" and "hecatomb" were on there twice. Very stupid considering I'd assigned you ten words each. However, omitting Testbug's words in my count was no mistake. The team is either lucky or unlucky that he went back and attributed his words to Belle, fulfilling a requirement without which his words would have been negated entirely. Now then. Challenge over. You managed to scrape together eighteen words, the minimum necessary to avoid a fine. Belle posted all ten of her words, while Sem and Testbug managed four each. In ascending number of letters, then, the results are thus: Sem fared worst with a total of 39 letters; Testbug managed to slightly outperform him with 44 letters, even though each of them posted only four words; and Belle took the win with 95 letters, since she posted all ten of her words. Here, for the record, are the three word lists (plus their definitions, if you're... curious). As you'll see, each list contains a word of five letters, a word of six, of seven, and so on up to fourteen letters -- therefore, you each had the same total of 95 letters that you could have accrued, if you posted all ten of your words. SEM 1. aurist (n. "a medical specialist in ears and their afflictions") 2. euneirophrenia (n. "the peace of mind which follows a pleasant dream") 3. exsibilate (v. "to reject with a hissing sound") 4. hypsiloid (adj. "resembling the Greek letter Upsilon, and so by extension the Latin letter Y") 5. imago (n. "the adult form of an insect") 6. labidophorous (adj. "equipped with pincers or pincer-like mandibles") 7. macromaniac (n. "one who is deluded into believing things are larger than their natural size") 8. monepic (adj. "composed of a single word, or a series of single-word sentences") 9. oligophagous (adj. "given to eating only a few sorts of foods") 10. tenesmic (adj. "pertaining to a painful but ineffectual effort to urinate or defecate")
TESTBUG 1. equiponderance (n. "the state of being equal in power to, and so counterbalancing, another") 2. flatulopetic (adj. "pretentious; pompous; inflated") 3. nival (adj. "pertaining to snow, especially growing in or beneath it") 4. omphalomancer (n. "one who predicts the number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime based on the shape of her navel") 5. orrery (n. "a moving clockwork model of the solar system") 6. oviparous (adj. "producing offspring via eggs") 7. reviviscent (adj. "capable of causing revival") 8. tripsis (n. "an act of massaging, or otherwise rubbing with both hands") 9. ultroneous (adj. "spontaneous; voluntary") 10. yataghan (n. "a slightly curved sword associated with the Ottoman Empire")
BELLE 1. astrapophobia (n. "the fear of thunder and lightning") 2. claudicant (adj. "limping") 3. electuary (n. "a medicinal syrup or paste") 4. expromission (n. "the act of relieving another from debt by taking it upon oneself") 5. hecatomb (n. "the sacrifice of one hundred animals, or any kind of slaughter") 6. izles (n. "sparks and soot rising from a chimney") 7. latebricole (adj. "living in holes") 8. nuncio (n. "a diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church") 9. ranunculaceous (adj. "pertaining to or resembling buttercups") 10. torchon (n. "a coarse machine-made variety of lace")
And the payout for this challenge is... ... Well, come on. Did you really expect me to tell you? No, obviously, I can't disclose the payout of this challenge right now, or the Mole's identity would be revealed. After the winner and Mole have been unveiled, then I'll disclose this challenge's payout. Since there are only three hypothetical scenarios, though, let's crunch the numbers: Sem: 95 + 44 - (39 x 2) = 139 - 78 = 61 EP Testbug: 95 + 39 - (44 x 2) = 134 - 88 = 46 EP Belle: 44 + 39 - (95 x 2) = 83 - 190 = -107 EP So if Sem is the Mole, the team has just won 61 EP; if Testbug is the Mole, you've won 46 EP; if Belle is the Mole, you've lost 107 EP. I'll spare you all the tedious postgame analysis, largely because it would be hard to say much while tiptoeing around the unidentified payout. That's not to say I don't think this mission offered a fair bit to chew on, especially the role Belle ended up playing, and Sem's surprisingly heavy decision. But I'll let you guys do the heavy lifting and draw your own conclusions. That leaves only the matter of the victor's prize. About which more immediately forthcoming...
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Post by Beelzebibble on Feb 24, 2013 18:14:49 GMT -5
As you know, as HORRIBLY UNBEARABLY LONG as this whole game has taken, episode 8 was not always supposed to be the final one. There would originally have been ten episodes, back when I was stupid enough to think I could have the whole thing wrapped up in half a year, tops. Probably no one regrets my decision to expunge Iron Mouse and DL, lop off six of the less inspired challenges, and burn the game down to an eight-episode run. But one small consequence concerns all those questions I asked you on the Mole application, many years ago. The number of those questions was intended so that there would be enough to get through ten episodes' worth of quizzes. Once we agreed to drop two episodes, we were left with a surplus.
Up until recently I couldn't have cared less, but then, in the final planning stage for this episode, I realized the opportunity. I needed some incentive to get you guys to treat this challenge as a competition -- so you wouldn't just pass around everyone's words and call it a day -- and "jokers" and obviously exemptions were out. Since we have a surplus of questions, though, I can offer the following prize.
Belle, since you accrued the most letters in this challenge, I will PM you with a list of twelve questions from the application that haven't yet been used in any quiz. You will choose three of those questions to appear on the final test.
Of course, this isn't as good as getting three "jokers" (or even one), but still, information is power. Knowing three questions ahead of time might give Belle a crucial advantage on the final test. What's more, unlike "jokers" or exemptions, this prize is equally useful if Belle is the Mole: allowing her an opportunity to choose difficult questions, or those to which she's supplied false answers, to make the final test harder for Testbug and Sem.
I'll PM you shortly, Belle. And all three of you, hang tight. I've got just a few preliminary actions to set up the final challenge (THE FINAL CHALLENGE YOU GUYS), but I'd like to have it up and running within the next two or three days.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Feb 25, 2013 21:48:43 GMT -5
Belle has made her decision.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 2, 2013 22:35:19 GMT -5
Testbug, Sem, Belle, please post here to check in. I'm ready to begin the final challenge when you are.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 2, 2013 23:05:48 GMT -5
Ideally you should post a funny animated gif, I'm just saying.
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Post by Testbug on Mar 3, 2013 0:15:45 GMT -5
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Post by Belle on Mar 4, 2013 11:59:45 GMT -5
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Sem
Adventurer
<.<
Posts: 96
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Post by Sem on Mar 5, 2013 18:07:53 GMT -5
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 5, 2013 22:05:46 GMT -5
Then, players, it's time to begin.
This final challenge takes the form of a puzzle. If you solve the puzzle, it yields a six-word question; answer that question and the challenge is won.
Let me state that more precisely: The challenge ends when all three of you PM me your guess as to the puzzle's single-word answer. You do not need to PM me the puzzle's six-word question. There is no time limit; once all three of you have PMed me matching guesses, the challenge ends.
How about the puzzle, then? The puzzle is encoded in a series of images. I'll PM each of you shortly to send you a packet of images that will get you started. Unfortunately, those aren't the only ones you need.
Three seven-digit codes have been scattered around the forum in different ways. You must find those passcodes and send them to me by PM. Only one person needs to PM me any one passcode, but you assuredly need all three to win the game. Upon receipt of each passcode, I'll send the player who PMed me several more images. By finding all three passcodes and combining those unlocked images with the ones you'll receive at the start, you'll pool all the images you need to determine the six-word question.
Most of the images contribute directly to cracking the six-word question. Others aren't directly involved, but will help you in other ways. And a few others don't seem to serve any purpose at all. I'll trust you to figure out which ones are which.
Let's stake the prize for this challenge at a nice 40 EP. Why forty, when other challenges have held potential for greater earnings? Because right now, the team and the Mole stand precisely 80 EP apart -- the team pot contains 532 EP and the Mole's pocket contains 452. Should you three fail this challenge -- should your first matching trio of guesses to me be incorrect -- you will lose 40 EP which will go to the Mole. Consequently, you'll stand neck-and-neck as the contestants take the final quiz, and only after the winner and Mole are revealed will we learn who came out ahead (remember, the bonus or penalty from "The Ten-Word Task" is still up in the air). If, on the other hand, you three succeed in this challenge, you can rest assured the team will have out-earned the Mole no matter the outcome of "The Ten-Word Task".
I'll send the PMs out now. Good luck, players.
One more thing: Since you're looking for a question and an answer -- and since the final quiz looms -- it couldn't hurt to take a peek in the Q&A thread.
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Post by Ninety on Mar 6, 2013 3:32:53 GMT -5
8675309
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 6, 2013 13:59:27 GMT -5
Incidentally, since all three of you have since logged in, I'd better add that you're very much allowed to post in this topic to share ideas. You're not restricted to communicating with each other by PM. You just have to send me the three passcodes & your single-word answer by PM.
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Post by Belle on Mar 6, 2013 14:19:15 GMT -5
did anyone else get a hair monster in a rather striking shade of green?
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Post by Ninety on Mar 6, 2013 18:40:33 GMT -5
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 10, 2013 8:48:32 GMT -5
I would hate to think that "no time limit" has been interpreted as "take all spring on this, who cares".
Maybe I'm judging you wrong, players, and the PMs are flying fast and loose, but what I see in this topic so far is a major disappointment. You don't think maybe sharing your pictures or something might be a viable first step?
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Post by Belle on Mar 11, 2013 19:14:57 GMT -5
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Sem
Adventurer
<.<
Posts: 96
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Post by Sem on Mar 18, 2013 21:53:08 GMT -5
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Post by Ninety on Mar 18, 2013 23:22:27 GMT -5
Now I know what will be watching me while I sleep tonight.
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Post by Testbug on Mar 25, 2013 17:25:27 GMT -5
i'm so sorry life has been wringing me out lately i will get to work on this stuff asap
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 26, 2013 13:29:16 GMT -5
The first of three passcodes has been correctly entered.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 26, 2013 13:41:49 GMT -5
The second passcode has been correctly entered.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Mar 26, 2013 14:39:06 GMT -5
The third and final passcode has been correctly entered.
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Post by Belle on Mar 26, 2013 23:03:35 GMT -5
WHO THE FUCK this is what I get for not signing in for like a week and then checking in yesterday and today
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