Return of Dr Sloth [Split 5]

[amarise]

Does that help at all with the two mod ones as well? Because those are what I'm stuck on. ><;

The process is the same, although the symbols are used in a different order. The Blue Berry petpage is set up the exact same way as the charmander page, so it should work the same, too.

[thetrueoogabooga]

Is anyone here done yet or done multiple three mods?

[Machiito]

Does that help at all with the two mod ones as well? Because those are what I'm stuck on. ><;

The process is the same, although the symbols are used in a different order. The Blue Berry petpage is set up the exact same way as the charmander page, so it should work the same, too.

Is there a more simple way to go about doing this? Because I really don't understand how you're explaining this. ><;

I find the last symbols in both, then match them up with the columns on the page, but from there I have no idea what to do. ><;

[Lee]

Is anyone here done yet or done multiple three mods?

Yes I finished the three mods. It took me hours of guess work with matching the first and last symbols.

[laurenb]

Is anyone here done yet or done multiple three mods?

*raises hand*

When they introduce the new symbol I got messed up for a while, since it threw everything I had off (at least, it felt like it). But...yeah. I had a system though which likely knocked off time - it's no different than the rest of the systems out there - find the combos that yield the first (or last) symbol and trial and error my way through. I got lucky that the last few seemed to start early (like mode 1 was within the first 5 options), which helped loads.

[Siniri]

Click and drag modifiers that match the middle two symbols (between the ones you found on the chart), going through in a systematic fashion, until you find a combination that works.

[thetrueoogabooga]

Did you just keep guessing or look on the guide, see what existed with the requirements, then start guessing?

[Siniri]

I'm reposting the strategy I used for the earlier puzzles. Sorry if it's confusing; it's the best I could do.

1) Find the puzzles that only take 1 modifier (there should be 5). For the first one, randomly drag the numbered choices on the right over to the modifier box and wait for a result. If you're correct, the message will decode. If you're wrong, you'll get a result. The puzzles are a form of addition {key=ABCD, modifier=EFGH, result=(A+E)(B+F)(C+G)(D+H)}, so if X+Y=Z in any space, it will always = Z. Each symbol is only affected by the ones in the same column (so you don't have to think of them as math at all). So if you got the code wrong, you can look at the last (or first) symbol of the key and target and likely figure out what the missing last symbol of the modifier is (based on the code you've deciphered). Try all the choices that have the correct symbol until you get it right. The same code will work for the other 1-modifier puzzles, so solve them all the same way.

2) For the 2 modifier puzzles (there are also 5), I found it easiest to try two modifiers randomly. I made big boxes for each symbol on a piece of paper. Then I went through my random results and wrote down all the combinations I got for each symbol (for example X: ABB, ACD, DDE). Next, I looked at the last symbol in the key and target and went through the choices one by one. If the first choice had a symbol that would work, I put it in the first box and then tried all the other choices with the final symbol in the second box. If none of those worked, I tried the second choice in the first box with all the matching choices under it (because you already tried it with those above), etc. For example, using the above possibilities for X, if X was the target and A was the key, I'd try all the B's with all the other B's and all the C's with all the D's until I got it right.

3) The 3 modifier puzzles can be solved the same way as the 2's, but they have a lot more possibilities and take longer. I'd recommend using one of the pages with the code to reduce the number of possibilities you need to try.

If none of the above makes sense, you can try the complete brute force method:
1) For the 1 modifier puzzles, try each solution until you get it decoded.
2) Then for the 2 modifier puzzles, put choice 1 in the modifier one box. Then try choices 2-20 (or however many choices there were) in order in modifier two box. If you haven't gotten the solution yet, remove choice 1 from modifier one box and replace it with choice 2, trying choices 3-20 in box two. Continue down the row until it's decoded.
3) For the 3 modifier puzzles, put choice 1 in the modifier one box and choice 2 in the modifier two box. Then try choices 3-20 (or however many choices there were) in order in modifier three box. If you haven't gotten the solution yet, remove choice 2 from modifier two box and replace it with choice 3, trying choices 4-20 in box three. Continue down the row until you've tried all possible combinations with choice 1; then replace choice 1 with choice 2 in box one and proceed down (yes, it's a ton of possibilities).

The petpages tell you which combinations will get the target, so you can only try the choices that might work, eliminating a lot of the choices, especially in stage 3.

I hope this helps people who are having trouble!

[Pickles]

Is anyone here done yet or done multiple three mods?

{raises hand} I finished last night, at around 10:15 NST. Thought I had 3 of the Military Comms left for today, but apparently I'd gotten the one done that was needed. Wouldn't have gotten to see the Star Wars reference if Siniri hadn't posted it earlier today.

[Valrigard]

Can someone please explain how to use the two guides? I've checked the guides and I keep getting unexpected results, so maybe I'm not doing things correctly. What's up with the key on the top of the screen? How does that make a difference? I've only been able to do one 2-modifier puzzle so far, and it took me AGES. So I guess I'm not doing this the right way.

[Pink]

...EDIT: Yeah..I'm still not understanding. jedknd I feel like I want to cry. TNT knows this is a site for all ages, why would they make puzzles that are too hard for people who haven't even gotten to algebra yet? ><

I was just thinking about that myself. I'm not a child, but I did have a hard time with this task. For a site that's supposed to be "kid-friendly," it certainly was not in this instance.

On the other hand, we don't want it to be so easy that it's not a challenge. There is a healthy balance that was thrown off in this one, methinks.

[Siniri]

Can someone please explain how to use the two guides? I've checked the guides and I keep getting unexpected results, so maybe I'm not doing things correctly. What's up with the key on the top of the screen? How does that make a difference? I've only been able to do one 2-modifier puzzle so far, and it took me AGES. So I guess I'm not doing this the right way.

Have you tried the brute force method I explained above? The petpages just give you the key; some people's keys don't match, so they've had to make their own. In addition, have you solved all 5 of the 1-mods? You need to do them in order of difficulty or the harder ones won't work right (unless they've fixed this glitch).

[butterflygirl]

In addition, have you solved all 5 of the 1-mods? You need to do them in order of difficulty or the harder ones won't work right (unless they've fixed this glitch).

Is it a glitch? I figured it was put there to force you to solve them in order...

[Valrigard]

Can someone please explain how to use the two guides? I've checked the guides and I keep getting unexpected results, so maybe I'm not doing things correctly. What's up with the key on the top of the screen? How does that make a difference? I've only been able to do one 2-modifier puzzle so far, and it took me AGES. So I guess I'm not doing this the right way.

Have you tried the brute force method I explained above? The petpages just give you the key; some people's keys don't match, so they've had to make their own. In addition, have you solved all 5 of the 1-mods? You need to do them in order of difficulty or the harder ones won't work right (unless they've fixed this glitch).

I'm trying brute force right now, and it's TEDIOUS.

[cybertrini]

I just spoke to a friend of mine and they didn't know a new plot was out. Does anyone know if you haven't done the Maintenance Tunnels yet, can you still do them, or do you have to start at the Military Decryption stage?