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

When you say ascii encoded version, do you mean the original hexadecimal blob?

  • 09.08.2012 10:18 AM PDT


Posted by: Verachi
Posted by: TheMisssingLink
I have a question for you or anybody that can answer this.
How did you get the colors to say this....
First convert the hexadecimal to binary. Then, regroup the bits into chunks equal to our favorite number. Finally, read as ASCII.

Posted by: Jumbus

Thanks for the explanation that actually makes sense.


I posted a fairly detailed solution awhile back also.

  • 09.08.2012 10:19 AM PDT

themissinglink - i sent you a private message last night. could u respond to answer my question please.

  • 09.08.2012 10:21 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: Locker537

Could you point me to the nearest page? This thread is a beast I don't want to go through it again.

  • 09.08.2012 10:21 AM PDT

Based on TheMissingLink's hints, this should be the 'correct' hexadecimal blob as we progress from the human readable paragraph:

4d4f5354454e47494e4545525357484f5052414354494345434f4d5055544 552534349454e4345505241474d41544943414c4c5952455045415445444c 59474f57495448544845434f4d4d4f4e5052414354494345414e444c45564 5524147454f4e4553414e445a45524f4553544f50454e544845495250524f 4752414d532e47454e45524154494e47434f44454c494b455448495347454 e4552414c4c5949534150524554545957454c4c2d464f554e444544504154 5445524e544f454d504c4f592e4f4e544845464c4950534944452c42554e4 7494549534e4f54594f55525459504943414c454e47494e454552494e4747 524f55502e5745575249544550524f4752414d53574954484f55544f4e455 32e4f555250454f504c45444f4e4f544c494b455448454e554d4245522e57 48593f57454c4c2c5448455245415245475245415445522c4752414e44455 24e554d42455253544f4150504c59464f524f555257494c5943524146542e 4d4159484150594f5544495341475245452c5045524348414e4345594f554 1475245452e574841544d415454455253495354484154534556454e49534d 4f5245415745534f4d455448414e4f4e4557494c4c45564552494d4147494 e45495453454c46544f42452e414e44534f2c5745434f444557495448414d 504c45534556454e532c4e4f544f4e45532e464143543a50524f4752414d5 35041434b454457495448534556454e534152454d4f5245415745534f4d45 5448414e504954485950524f4752414d53544841544150504c594f4e45532 e5a45524f45533f57454c4c2c57455354494c4c5448494e4b544845592752 45474f4f442e50524554545950414c415441424c452e574547524150504c4 5574954485a45524f4553414c4c54484554494d452e4556454e4e4f572e59 45532e484552452e43414e594f5550454f504c455345455448454d3f52494 7485448455245494e544849534c4f4e47544558543f5041555345544f5441 4b45414c4f4e474c4f4f4b2e5045524348414e43455448495348415342454 54e4157494c5947414d424954414c4c5448495354494d453f57454c4c2c50 4f4c49534854484f53455448494e4b494e47434150532e594f55484156454 14d504c454e554d42455253544f46494e442e48415645534f4d4546554e21 5354415948415050592e

It has exactly 91 instances of the number 7 and the number 0 in it.

  • 09.08.2012 10:22 AM PDT


Posted by: Locker537
5 lines (of code), to get the message.
https://gist.github.com/3671583

If anyone wanted to know how to solve the first part (the image), you need to get the (r,g,b) values for the "odd" pixels in the lower right hand corner of the image. There are two rows of 86 pixels making 2 by 2 squares. This leaves you with 172 pixels, but only every fourth pixel matters (the unique ones). Iterate through them, convert the r, g, and b values from integers to characters, append it together and you get your first message.

You can see an implementation in the link above.


Here is my post on page 11 for you, Verachi.

[Edited on 09.08.2012 10:24 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 10:24 AM PDT

Posted by: Enormous Corgi
Posted by: Unanimate Objec
There's no way Nate Hawbaker's favorite hero is Alan Stuart


ALAN IS A BEAUTIFUL MAN!

Here's the (hopefully) decimal version of the hex blob.

1.49539027543E+27

OR

(4d4f5354454e47494e4545525357484f5052414354494345434f4d505554 4 552534349454e4345505241474d41544943414c4c5952455045415445444c 59474f57495448544845434f4d4d4f4e5052414354494345414e444c45564 5524147454f4e4553414e445a45524f4553544f50454e544845495250524f 4752414d532e47454e45524154494e47434f44454c494b455448495347454 e4552414c4c5949534150524554545957454c4c2d464f554e444544504154 5445524e544f454d504c4f592e4f4e544845464c4950534944452c42554e4 7494549534e4f54594f55525459504943414c454e47494e454552494e4747 524f55502e5745575249544550524f4752414d53574954484f55544f4e455 32e4f555250454f504c45444f4e4f544c494b455448454e554d4245522e57 48593f57454c4c2c5448455245415245475245415445522c4752414e44455 24e554d42455253544f4150504c59464f524f555257494c5943524146542e 4d4159484150594f5544495341475245452c5045524348414e4345594f554 1475245452e574841544d415454455253495354484154534556454e49534d 4f5245415745534f4d455448414e4f4e4557494c4c45564552494d4147494 e45495453454c46544f42452e414e44534f2c5745434f444557495448414d 504c45534556454e532c4e4f544f4e45532e464143543a50524f4752414d5 35041434b454457495448534556454e534152454d4f5245415745534f4d45 5448414e504954485950524f4752414d53544841544150504c594f4e45532 e5a45524f45533f57454c4c2c57455354494c4c5448494e4b544845592752 45474f4f442e50524554545950414c415441424c452e574547524150504c4 5574954485a45524f4553414c4c54484554494d452e4556454e4e4f572e59 45532e484552452e43414e594f5550454f504c455345455448454d3f52494 7485448455245494e544849534c4f4e47544558543f5041555345544f5441 4b45414c4f4e474c4f4f4b2e5045524348414e43455448495348415342454 54e4157494c5947414d424954414c4c5448495354494d453f57454c4c2c50 4f4c49534854484f53455448494e4b494e47434150532e594f55484156454 14d504c454e554d42455253544f46494e442e48415645534f4d4546554e21 5354415948415050592e )16 = (1.49539027543E+27)10


So, now what?

[Edited on 09.08.2012 10:32 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 10:28 AM PDT

I am just looking for confirmation that the texts solution is still valid if deej or themissinglink could check the link?

  • 09.08.2012 10:30 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: Locker537

Thanks for the explanation but it doesn't make sense to me. At this point I'm not trying to win this challenge, I'm just trying to figure out how the hell you guys are getting all these results. This challenge makes me want to take a computer class, that way I'm not so dumd in this area.

  • 09.08.2012 10:34 AM PDT
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Posted by: SpecOps11
themissinglink - i sent you a private message last night. could u respond to answer my question please.


SpecOps11, I have replied. You are really really close!

  • 09.08.2012 10:36 AM PDT


Posted by: TheMisssingLink


The prize better be worth it.

/sounding greedy.

  • 09.08.2012 10:37 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Mythic Member
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Posted by: Locker537
It has exactly 91 instances of the number 7 and the number 0 in it.

Interesting... There are definitely exactly 91 hex values that contain a 7 or 0. Of that, there are only 3 different letters: "G", "W", and "P" (0x47, 0x57, 0x50) . This definitely raises flags for me since TheMisssingLink commented last night on my notice that there seemed to be a lot of P's...

We're sooo close!

[Edited on 09.08.2012 10:39 AM PDT]

  • 09.08.2012 10:38 AM PDT
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The answer is:

http://www.bungie.net/inside/soffish/soffish.html!

Ha soffish!

WOOT

http://cl.ly/image/3B290P1k1r1M
http://cl.ly/image/3y0H2M2U0u3b
http://cl.ly/image/421J2L2O051S

  • 09.08.2012 10:40 AM PDT

This challenge, to this point, has involved what I would consider an entry to mid level understanding of number systems, cryptographic concepts, and general information security tomfoolery. :-)

If you have not been exposed to any computer science or computer engineering, there is no shame in being confused! Even if you have experience, these types of challenges are creative thinking puzzles; they don't REALLY test your aptitude but instead your determination.

I've help run some "cyber capture the flag" games in the past, which is basically creating a set of challenges like this and letting teams battle to solve them. I would not have expected to start working on this; it was pure chance that I read the mail sack and decided to give it a shot!

  • 09.08.2012 10:40 AM PDT

Posted by: Enormous Corgi
Posted by: Unanimate Objec
There's no way Nate Hawbaker's favorite hero is Alan Stuart


ALAN IS A BEAUTIFUL MAN!

When I posted (1.49539027543E+27)10 to to be converted form mixed decimal to words, I got "One a Seven."


Another interesting one:


Ordinal numbers to words? "First."

  • 09.08.2012 10:41 AM PDT


Posted by: beorn
Posted by: Locker537
It has exactly 91 instances of the number 7 and the number 0 in it.

Interesting... There are definitely exactly 91 hex values that contain a 7 or 0. Of that, there are only 3 different letters: "G", "W", and "P" (0x47, 0x57, 0x50) . This definitely raises flags for me since TheMisssingLink commented last night on my notice that there seemed to be a lot of P's...

We're sooo close!


Yep, that is where I am too.
{'P': 40, 'W': 23, 'G': 27, "'": 1})

  • 09.08.2012 10:41 AM PDT

Posted by: Enormous Corgi
Posted by: Unanimate Objec
There's no way Nate Hawbaker's favorite hero is Alan Stuart


ALAN IS A BEAUTIFUL MAN!


Posted by: bluechill9
The answer is:

http://www.bungie.net/inside/soffish/soffish.html!

Ha soffish!

WOOT

http://cl.ly/image/3B290P1k1r1M
http://cl.ly/image/3y0H2M2U0u3b
http://cl.ly/image/421J2L2O051S



I...will never understand how you got there.

  • 09.08.2012 10:43 AM PDT
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Posted by: Verachi
Thanks for the explanation but it doesn't make sense to me. At this point I'm not trying to win this challenge, I'm just trying to figure out how the hell you guys are getting all these results. This challenge makes me want to take a computer class, that way I'm not so dumd in this area.


Let me see if I can explain how I encoded it instead of decoded it, since we're all past that part now.

Originally, I created the message, as you pointed out.

First convert the hexadecimal to binary. Then, regroup the bits into chunks equal to our favorite number. Finally, read as ASCII.

Then I went here (not really here, but it's equivalent) and pasted the string into the TEXT box and pressed ENCODE.

I then copied the text from the HEX box (the hexadecimal equivalent).

46 69 72 73 74 20 63 6f 6e 76 65 72 74 20 74 68 65 20 68 65 78 61 64 65 63 69 6d 61 6c 20 74 6f 20 62 69 6e 61 72 79 2e 20 54 68 65 6e 2c 20 72 65 67 72 6f 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 62 69 74 73 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 63 68 75 6e 6b 73 20 65 71 75 61 6c 20 74 6f 20 6f 75 72 20 66 61 76 6f 72 69 74 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 2e 20 46 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 2c 20 72 65 61 64 20 61 73 20 41 53 43 49 49 2e

Now colors to a computer are hexadecimal triples. And given that I've got a string whose length is divisible by 3.

So #466972 yields the darn aqua for the color block on the far left. #49492e is the yellow-ish color on the far right.

  • 09.08.2012 10:44 AM PDT
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Posted by: bluechill9
The answer is:

http://www.bungie.net/inside/soffish/soffish.html!

Ha soffish!


This is the correct answer. Congrats!

  • 09.08.2012 10:45 AM PDT

"Dad, your drunk again. Stop posting on the forum, or i'll ban you, and it'll ruin Christmas." -Deej

What in the name of holy hell just happened?

  • 09.08.2012 10:46 AM PDT

Posted by: Enormous Corgi
Posted by: Unanimate Objec
There's no way Nate Hawbaker's favorite hero is Alan Stuart


ALAN IS A BEAUTIFUL MAN!


Posted by: TheMisssingLink

Posted by: bluechill9
The answer is:

http://www.bungie.net/inside/soffish/soffish.html!

Ha soffish!


This is the correct answer. Congrats!



Most ridiculous challenge of them all?


Check.

  • 09.08.2012 10:47 AM PDT

The name's Ian, Game Designer at Whisper Game Studios, very off-and-on Bungie.net visitor and avid Bungie fan overall. Message me if you wish.


Posted by: TheMisssingLink

Posted by: bluechill9
The answer is:

http://www.bungie.net/inside/soffish/soffish.html!

Ha soffish!


This is the correct answer. Congrats!


Drat, I didn't even think to go after the binary once we got the hexadecimal translation.

  • 09.08.2012 10:47 AM PDT

In a time long past, the armies of the dark came again to the lands of men. Their leaders became known as the fallen lords, and their terrible sorcery was without equal in the west.
In 30 years they reduced the civilized nations into carrion and ash. Until the free city of Madrigal alone defined them. An army gathered there, and a desperate battle was joined against the fallen
Heros were born in the fire and bloodshed of the wars which followed and their names and deeds will never be forgotten

It always comes down to Soffish

  • 09.08.2012 10:47 AM PDT

Glad someone got it!

  • 09.08.2012 10:48 AM PDT

What were the final steps from the point where you have the 91 sevens and zeroes?

  • 09.08.2012 10:49 AM PDT