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  • Subject: Let's spend some quality time together (Mail Sack).
Subject: Let's spend some quality time together (Mail Sack).

I'm glad I decided not to pursue this week's challenge. I've read through every post on every page, and I still don't know what the heck is going on.

  • 09.07.2012 11:40 PM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
I also maintain that Chrome is weaksauce, and IE9 is fast and works very well

There are 51 ample numbers.


Is that the answer? I think the question we're meant to be answering is "How many ample numbers are there?" because of the statement "YOU HAVE AMPLE NUMBERS TO FIND." We know that 7 is the ample number we're looking for ("AMPLE SEVENS").

As some of you have pointed out, a lot of P-words are used in the paragraph. What's special about P? Well, in binary P is 01010000. Why does that matter? Take another look at these sentences:
"WE GRAPPLE WITH ZEROES ALL THE TIME. EVEN NOW. YES. HERE. CAN YOU PEOPLE SEE THEM? RIGHT HERE IN THIS LONG TEXT? PAUSE TO TAKE A LONG LOOK."

That lead me to believe we're just meant to be looking at the last 4 bits of each byte. So finally, with 7 being 0111 in binary, I checked the last 4 bits of each and every character (of the "long text") and it turns out there are 51 that end with 0111.

amirite?

[Edited on 09.07.2012 11:46 PM PDT]

  • 09.07.2012 11:42 PM PDT

Also tried to do a binary creation from P's and Spaces (where they would have been) both in groups of 7 and 8 and also came up with nothing.

  • 09.07.2012 11:42 PM PDT

That lead me to believe we're just meant to be looking at the last 4 bits of each byte. So finally, with 7 being 1011 in binary, I checked the last 4 bits of each and every character (of the "long text") and it turns out there are 7 that end with 1011.

7 is 111 or 0111

  • 09.07.2012 11:44 PM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
I also maintain that Chrome is weaksauce, and IE9 is fast and works very well

Posted by: SpecOps11
That lead me to believe we're just meant to be looking at the last 4 bits of each byte. So finally, with 7 being 1011 in binary, I checked the last 4 bits of each and every character (of the "long text") and it turns out there are 7 that end with 1011.

7 is 111 or 0111
I must kill myself now.


So is the answer 51 instead?!

[Edited on 09.07.2012 11:45 PM PDT]

  • 09.07.2012 11:44 PM PDT
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Posted by: TheMisssingLink
This is actually a very interesting observation.

Well now, that was unexpected...

  • 09.07.2012 11:48 PM PDT

I don't think they're looking for just some number. Last week the "red herring" sentence just gave way to another short question and the answer to that question was the correct solution. I would imagine when you stumble across the correct trick you'll find either a phrase or a short question related to Bungie.

  • 09.07.2012 11:49 PM PDT

I want her...

I just woke up and my tired brain cant make sense of anything



Wat

  • 09.07.2012 11:52 PM PDT
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I think I've been looking at this too long... The only way I'm seeing "7" or "0" in the text is if I look at the ASCII-encoded version:

77 79 83 84 69 78 71 73 78 69 69 82 83 87 72 79 80 82 65 67 84 73 67 69 67 79 77 80 85 84 69 82 83 67 73 69 78 67 69 80 82 65 71 77 65 84 73 67 65 76 76 89 82 69 80 69 65 84 69 68 76 89 71 79 87 73 84 72 84 72 69 67 79 77 77 79 78 80 82 65 67 84 73 67 69 65 78 68 76 69 86 69 82 65 71 69 79 78 69 83 65 78 68 90 69 82 79 69 83 84 79 80 69 78 84 72 69 73 82 80 82 79 71 82 65 77 83 46 71 69 78 69 82 65 84 73 78 71 67 79 68 69 76 73 75 69 84 72 73 83 71 69 78 69 82 65 76 76 89 73 83 65 80 82 69 84 84 89 87 69 76 76 45 70 79 85 78 68 69 68 80 65 84 84 69 82 78 84 79 69 77 80 76 79 89 46 79 78 84 72 69 70 76 73 80 83 73 68 69 44 66 85 78 71 73 69 73 83 78 79 84 89 79 85 82 84 89 80 73 67 65 76 69 78 71 73 78 69 69 82 73 78 71 71 82 79 85 80 46 87 69 87 82 73 84 69 80 82 79 71 82 65 77 83 87 73 84 72 79 85 84 79 78 69 83 46 79 85 82 80 69 79 80 76 69 68 79 78 79 84 76 73 75 69 84 72 69 78 85 77 66 69 82 46 87 72 89 63 87 69 76 76 44 84 72 69 82 69 65 82 69 71 82 69 65 84 69 82 44 71 82 65 78 68 69 82 78 85 77 66 69 82 83 84 79 65 80 80 76 89 70 79 82 79 85 82 87 73 76 89 67 82 65 70 84 46 77 65 89 72 65 80 89 79 85 68 73 83 65 71 82 69 69 44 80 69 82 67 72 65 78 67 69 89 79 85 65 71 82 69 69 46 87 72 65 84 77 65 84 84 69 82 83 73 83 84 72 65 84 83 69 86 69 78 73 83 77 79 82 69 65 87 69 83 79 77 69 84 72 65 78 79 78 69 87 73 76 76 69 86 69 82 73 77 65 71 73 78 69 73 84 83 69 76 70 84 79 66 69 46 65 78 68 83 79 44 87 69 67 79 68 69 87 73 84 72 65 77 80 76 69 83 69 86 69 78 83 44 78 79 84 79 78 69 83 46 70 65 67 84 58 80 82 79 71 82 65 77 83 80 65 67 75 69 68 87 73 84 72 83 69 86 69 78 83 65 82 69 77 79 82 69 65 87 69 83 79 77 69 84 72 65 78 80 73 84 72 89 80 82 79 71 82 65 77 83 84 72 65 84 65 80 80 76 89 79 78 69 83 46 90 69 82 79 69 83 63 87 69 76 76 44 87 69 83 84 73 76 76 84 72 73 78 75 84 72 69 89 39 82 69 71 79 79 68 46 80 82 69 84 84 89 80 65 76 65 84 65 66 76 69 46 87 69 71 82 65 80 80 76 69 87 73 84 72 90 69 82 79 69 83 65 76 76 84 72 69 84 73 77 69 46 69 86 69 78 78 79 87 46 89 69 83 46 72 69 82 69 46 67 65 78 89 79 85 80 69 79 80 76 69 83 69 69 84 72 69 77 63 82 73 71 72 84 72 69 82 69 73 78 84 72 73 83 76 79 78 71 84 69 88 84 63 80 65 85 83 69 84 79 84 65 75 69 65 76 79 78 71 76 79 79 75 46 80 69 82 67 72 65 78 67 69 84 72 73 83 72 65 83 66 69 69 78 65 87 73 76 89 71 65 77 66 73 84 65 76 76 84 72 73 83 84 73 77 69 63 87 69 76 76 44 80 79 76 73 83 72 84 72 79 83 69 84 72 73 78 75 73 78 71 67 65 80 83 46 89 79 85 72 65 86 69 65 77 80 76 69 78 85 77 66 69 82 83 84 79 70 73 78 68 46 72 65 86 69 83 79 77 69 70 85 78 33 83 84 65 89 72 65 80 80 89 46
Removing numbers without (or with) 7s or 0s just produces gibberish, so I don't think this is the right path. I was hoping the two-digit nature of these numbers explained significance of the passage being in ALL CAPS (since lowercase letters have higher ASCII codes in the 100s).

[Edited on 09.08.2012 12:10 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 12:08 AM PDT
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Exalted Unexplainable Member

I can n07 wai7 p7h0r 7he answer; whoever wins this Mailsack, really deserves the prize.

This has already set records for challenge longevity. :D

  • 09.08.2012 12:10 AM PDT

Owning Noobs Since 05

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like his passengers."

Jim Harkins

I just read through this thread again and all I can think of is..
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!

I really want to help but I can't. I've tried messing with the numbers and everything but I don't go anywhere. I feel like this whole hex/binary/acsII are different languages that I've never heard of before. Can anybody link me up to articles so I can familiarize myself with it? Did most of you learn this stuff in High School or College? I'm guessing you learned this in College.

  • 09.08.2012 12:11 AM PDT

I have leaked images of your mother, Trebek!

~B.B.
I play League of Legends, you should too! | Win | Boycott DHL! |
~Scientia est potentia!~


Posted by: Verachi
I just read through this thread again and all I can think of is..
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!

I really want to help but I can't. I've tried messing with the numbers and everything but I don't go anywhere. I feel like this whole hex/binary/acsII are different languages that I've never heard of before. Can anybody link me up to articles so I can familiarize myself with it? Did most of you learn this stuff in High School or College? I'm guessing you learned this in College.


I've been learning Binary and Hex in my computer and engineering classes in college. I've used this in the past to kinda teach myself a little binary and whatnot.

Regular words go in the box to the left, hit decode and it'll turn what you want into hex or binary or base 64.

[Edited on 09.08.2012 12:17 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 12:16 AM PDT

Owning Noobs Since 05

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like his passengers."

Jim Harkins


Posted by: sacktapped

Posted by: Verachi
I just read through this thread again and all I can think of is..
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!

I really want to help but I can't. I've tried messing with the numbers and everything but I don't go anywhere. I feel like this whole hex/binary/acsII are different languages that I've never heard of before. Can anybody link me up to articles so I can familiarize myself with it? Did most of you learn this stuff in High School or College? I'm guessing you learned this in College.


I've been learning Binary and Hex in my computer and engineering classes in college. I've used this in the past to kinda teach myself a little binary and whatnot.

Regular words go in the box to the left, hit decode and it'll turn what you want into hex or binary or base 64.

Thanks, Beon also gave a link to that website and I've been using it but none of that stuff makes any sense to me. I still have no idea how you guys decoded this.....

Posted by: DesertStormer27
Alright, got it! After getting the RGB data from the colors on the bottom right, it adds up to be
466972
737420
636f6e
766572
742074
686520
And those are ASCII, a converstion of those brings us to this, "First convert the hexadecimal to binary. Then, regroup the bits into chunks equal to our favorite number. Finally, read as ASCII". That leads to this
Most engineers who practive computer science pragmatically repeatedly go with the common practive and leverage ones and zeroes to pen their programs. Generating code like this generally is a pretty well-founded pattern to employ. On the flip side, Bungie is not your typical engineering group. We write programs without ones. Our people do not like the number. Why? Well, there are greater, grander numbers to apply for our wily craft. Mayhapy you disagre, perchance you agree. What matters is that seven is more awesome than one will ever imagine itself to be. And so, we code with ample sevens, not ones. Fact: programs.

....how in the hell did he get that? I know he explained it on his post but I still have no idea. If you want to explain it then I'll appreciate it but if not then meh it's not a big deal. I'm going to bed I'll check this thread tomorrow.

  • 09.08.2012 12:22 AM PDT

beorn - thought I would try to take the first digits as either 7 = 1 or not 7 = 0. And didn't get anything - might have done it wrong though, my coding is probably getting a bit sloppy it being 3:30 and all. Not sure if this might help you see it another way though.

  • 09.08.2012 12:27 AM PDT

I have leaked images of your mother, Trebek!

~B.B.
I play League of Legends, you should too! | Win | Boycott DHL! |
~Scientia est potentia!~


Posted by: Verachi

Posted by: sacktapped

Posted by: Verachi
I just read through this thread again and all I can think of is..
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!

I really want to help but I can't. I've tried messing with the numbers and everything but I don't go anywhere. I feel like this whole hex/binary/acsII are different languages that I've never heard of before. Can anybody link me up to articles so I can familiarize myself with it? Did most of you learn this stuff in High School or College? I'm guessing you learned this in College.


I've been learning Binary and Hex in my computer and engineering classes in college. I've used this in the past to kinda teach myself a little binary and whatnot.

Regular words go in the box to the left, hit decode and it'll turn what you want into hex or binary or base 64.

Thanks, Beon also gave a link to that website and I've been using it but none of that stuff makes any sense to me. I still have no idea how you guys decoded this.....

Posted by: DesertStormer27
Alright, got it! After getting the RGB data from the colors on the bottom right, it adds up to be
466972
737420
636f6e
766572
742074
686520
And those are ASCII, a converstion of those brings us to this, "First convert the hexadecimal to binary. Then, regroup the bits into chunks equal to our favorite number. Finally, read as ASCII". That leads to this
Most engineers who practive computer science pragmatically repeatedly go with the common practive and leverage ones and zeroes to pen their programs. Generating code like this generally is a pretty well-founded pattern to employ. On the flip side, Bungie is not your typical engineering group. We write programs without ones. Our people do not like the number. Why? Well, there are greater, grander numbers to apply for our wily craft. Mayhapy you disagre, perchance you agree. What matters is that seven is more awesome than one will ever imagine itself to be. And so, we code with ample sevens, not ones. Fact: programs.

....how in the hell did he get that? I know he explained it on his post but I still have no idea. If you want to explain it then I'll appreciate it but if not then meh it's not a big deal. I'm going to bed I'll check this thread tomorrow.


I'm not going to lie....I have no idea. I don't know anything about RGB data and how they got all that. I've only been checking this thread out periodically throughout the day. I'll try to read up on it and see what I come up with.

Someone solve this already! I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and need my man-beauty rest!

  • 09.08.2012 12:28 AM PDT

RGB data is stored in bytes so you can imagine it like hex. Each color channel has 2 bytes. The description there cuts off most of the hex, but basically they took the pixels in the bottom corner and took those hex values to get an ASCII message.

  • 09.08.2012 12:32 AM PDT
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Twitter.
WyIdfyre: 'lol, who the hell would even wear those?'
AuSam: 'lol, who the hell would even have sex with dogs?'

-K-

Fun sack!
I have no chance with this challenege, unless it's actually super simple and no ones notices it.
It looks pretty though!

  • 09.08.2012 12:32 AM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
I also maintain that Chrome is weaksauce, and IE9 is fast and works very well

Posted by: sacktapped
Posted by: Verachi

Here's my explanation for how to approach from the beginning.

At the bottom right of the PAX image is a row of 43 coloured squares. Here they are (credit to SkilPhil for the image). Using the colour picker tool in an image editor (Paint will do) you can get the hex value of each colour. From left to right that gives the hexes:

466972 737420 636f6e 766572 742074 686520 686578 616465 63696d 616c20 746f20 62696e 617279 2e2054 68656e 2c2072 656772 6f7570 207468 652062 697473 20696e 746f20 636875 6e6b73 206571 75616c 20746f 206f75 722066 61766f 726974 65206e 756d62 65722e 204669 6e616c 6c792c 207265 616420 617320 415343 49492e
When you convert hex to text you get the instructions telling you what to do with the wall of hex provided in the Mail Sack:

First convert the hexadecimal to binary. Then, regroup the bits into chunks equal to our favorite number. Finally, read as ASCII.
So, convert the wall of hex to binary, remove all of the spaces, split the resulting wall of binary into groups of 7 bits each, add a 0 to the front of each group and then convert all of that binary into text. That gives you the brain teaser (spaces have been added manually):

MOST ENGINEERS WHO PRACTICE COMPUTER SCIENCE PRAGMATICALLY REPEATEDLY GO WITH THE COMMON PRACTICE AND LEVERAGE ONES AND ZEROES TO PEN THEIR PROGRAMS. GENERATING CODE LIKE THIS GENERALLY IS A PRETTY WELL-FOUNDED PATTERN TO EMPLOY. ON THE FLIPSIDE, BUNGIE IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL ENGINEERING GROUP. WE WRITE PROGRAMS WITHOUT ONES. OUR PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THE NUMBER. WHY? WELL, THERE ARE GREATER, GRANDER NUMBERS TO APPLY FOR OUR WILY CRAFT. MAYHAP YOU DISAGREE, PERCHANCE YOU AGREE. WHAT MATTERS IS THAT SEVEN IS MORE AWESOME THAN ONE WILL EVER IMAGINE ITSELF TO BE. AND SO, WE CODE WITH AMPLE SEVENS, NOT ONES. FACT: PROGRAMS PACKED WITH SEVENS ARE MORE AWESOME THAN PITHY PROGRAMS THAT APPLY ONES. ZEROES? WELL, WE STILL THINK THEY'RE GOOD. PRETTY PALATABLE. WE GRAPPLE WITH ZEROES ALL THE TIME. EVEN NOW. YES. HERE. CAN YOU PEOPLE SEE THEM? RIGHT HERE IN THIS LONG TEXT? PAUSE TO TAKE A LONG LOOK. PERCHANCE THIS HAS BEEN A WILY GAMBIT ALL THIS TIME? WELL, POLISH THOSE THINKING CAPS. YOU HAVE AMPLE NUMBERS TO FIND. HAVE SOME FUN! STAY HAPPY.


I think the answer is 51.

  • 09.08.2012 12:56 AM PDT
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Twitter.
WyIdfyre: 'lol, who the hell would even wear those?'
AuSam: 'lol, who the hell would even have sex with dogs?'

-K-

The answer is 11.
There are 11 numbers in the final paragraph!

  • 09.08.2012 1:25 AM PDT
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WyIdfyre: 'lol, who the hell would even wear those?'
AuSam: 'lol, who the hell would even have sex with dogs?'

-K-

Or the answer is 6!
Bungie engineers do not like ones, so subtract them from 11.
It wouldn't be 11, eleven is like two ones, or even 11 ones!

  • 09.08.2012 1:28 AM PDT

I run Skirmish!!!

this entire thing has given me a headache, i don't even like math or puzzles :(

  • 09.08.2012 1:49 AM PDT

Just reading what people have been posting makes it sound like base-7 might fit in somewhere.

  • 09.08.2012 2:06 AM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
I also maintain that Chrome is weaksauce, and IE9 is fast and works very well

Posted by: dazarobbo
Just reading what people have been posting makes it sound like base-7 might fit in somewhere.
Earlier I thought base-8 might have a part to play because that goes up to 7. I have no idea what you would do with that or base-7 though, so I'm sticking with my answer of 51.

  • 09.08.2012 2:11 AM PDT

Кланяються мені!

Read the whole thread, brain hurts, Bungie assumed we could have done this in an hour, we didn't. The answer must have been fairly basic, so basic that a wild guess had a chance of being right. Being nearly every twist and turn of this puzzle seems to be solved by 7, I say the answer is 777.

[Edited on 09.08.2012 2:28 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 2:23 AM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
I also maintain that Chrome is weaksauce, and IE9 is fast and works very well

DeeJ or TheMisssingLink! If 51 isn't the answer is ASCII art the answer? Considering the challenge was issued after Avatar Korra politely asked for a challenge about art, ASCII art could be the answer.

[Edited on 09.08.2012 4:07 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 2:35 AM PDT