30th Contest - For the Whole Guild!

[lessigfan]

Like every year at this time, strange pumpkin seem to appear in the weirdest places all over Estiah.
Are they a whim of the bunny god? Or some dark experiment performed by the Soul Harvesters? The only thing we know is that this year again they seem relatively harmless, and it is almost like they are hiding the key of a secret...

This post marks the start of the 30th contest: "Pumpkin Feast" !

The contest is a guild event in which you will have to find two things: A key, and the door it opens. There are no other instruction! You'll have to figure out the rest yourselves. Do not worry, Play the game normally and you'll find out soon enough.

When you think you have found the solution send an in-game or forum message to myself (Lezard) with a proof of the "door" opened. I will announce that there is a winner, and will post the solution a few days after so that other people might try to finish for sports.

Prizes
The first player to find the secret will be awarded :
- 100 Phoenix Feathers that he can redistribute with all those that helped
- A little Surprise

In addition, all the members of the winner's guild will be given:
- 10 Sweet Brownies
- 20 Extra inventory slots

Happy Hunting!

[lessigfan]

OK we're working on the problem here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10816412/estiah%2030%20revised.xlsx

Here is what we've figured out thus far:

Spoiler:

If you want to help, download this excel sheet and fiddle with the chart.

[MeDeFe]

I've got the following so far:

8|3;20-1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
1|7,1,7;19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3
1-7,1,7;15|7,2,3,1

And this one twice
11-1,5,2,2,2,1|1,1,3,1,1

[Howie Feltersnatch]

From kysin: 1|7,1,7;19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3

Is there an easy way to copy that text? I had to bring up text editor and type it in, then cut and paste it back here.

Please note where you got the pumpkin from,may or may not be important.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

I started a spreadsheet in google docs. I added you 2 to the list (forum email addies), I wasn't sure if there was an easy way to share it or if we just wanted to add those that express interest?

[lessigfan]

I had to type the stuff out, so I don't know if there is a way to copy paste. You can open notepad in a small window, hover your mouse over the pumpkin and keep focus on notepad to type away.

[Tabernacle]

8-3;18|1,3,1,1,2,3,1 (dark tide)
16|1,1,2,1,1,2;16-1,1,2,2,1,2 (dark tide)
4-1,3,1,4,1,3,1;13-1,5,4,1,1,1 (WWAMS 3)
7-7,1,1,1,7;12|1,2,1,1,1,1 (Bitter Nourishment 4)
12-1,1,1,2,3;20|1,2,1,1,1 (Soul Harvester 3)

[SinMan]

Looks like most of them have two parts separated by a semi colon.

The first part of each half has a dash or a vertical bar between two numbers.

Just stating the obvious...

[Howie Feltersnatch]

There are 2 sets of numbers 1-21. I set is separated by a | the other is separated by a -

Not sure if this means anything or not, but they are sorted in order on sheet 2.

The dungeon correlation didn't seem to matter since the same codes were coming out of multiple dungeons.

[shadowmirror]

I got
4丨1,3,1,2,1,3,1;19丨1,3,1,1,1,3,2

from fight 4 in WWMAS and fight 3 in L.15 Abandoned Manor both in wildhowl.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

I added up what was after the initial numbers, then added both 1s 2s etc up.

[shadowmirror]

Statue also gives pumpkins,and give several diffierent ones,so I thought...there might be no relation between the places the pumpkin drop and the clue?

[MeDeFe]

14-3,1,1,1,2;7|7,1,1,1,7
4-1,3,1,4,1,3,1;13-1,5,4,1,1,1

There's probably no relation between the clues and where they drop since it's a contest for all levels.

[Obadiah]

Dang, I knew I should have checked the forums before I sold those empty shells... >.< Guess I'll know for tomorrow.

I've updated the sheet from the last shell I had on an alt.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

There are some really quick thinkers in the guild Kaleidoscopic Dreams, who managed to crack open the hidden doors in less than a day!
Congratulation to all of them!


However, this contest is not completely over. The door is now closed and will not open again, but there will be rewards for other people:
- All the other guilds that manage to find the key before the end of the event will earn 10 sweet brownies and 10 extra inventory slots for all their members.

All you have to do is to send me a message with the key, and a brief description of how you managed to find it.
The only thing I will ask is to keep the details for your own guild if you manage to find it, to keep the competition fair.

I will just add one hint for everyone: "YES, IT IS!".
Do not worry, this will make sense when you need it!

[Howie Feltersnatch]

1-7,1,7
1|7,1,7

2-1,1,4,1,1
2|1,1,2,1,1

3-1,3,1,2,1,1,3,1
3|1,3,1,1,2,1,3,1

4-1,3,1,4,1,3,1
4|1,3,1,2,1,3,1

5-1,3,1,4,1,3,1
5|1,3,1,1,1,1,3,1

6-1,1,2,1,1,1
6|1,1,3,1,1

7-7,1,1,1,7
7|7,1,1,1,7

8-3
8|3

9-2,1,4,2,1
9|1,3,1,2,2

10-1,1,1,3,1,1
10|6,2,2,1,1

11-1,5,2,2,2,1
11|4,3,4,1,2

12-1,1,1,2,2,3
12|1,2,1,1,1,1

13-1,5,4,1,1,1
13|2,3,1,3,2,1

14-3,1,1,1,2
14|4,1,2

15-7,4
15|7,2,3,1

16-1,1,2,2,1,2
16|1,1,2,1,1,2

17-1,3,1,2,2,2
17|1,3,1,4,4

18-1,3,1,1,1
18|1,3,1,1,2,3,1

19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3
19|1,3,1,1,1,3,2

20-1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
20|1,1,2,1,1,1

21-7,1,2,2,2
21|7,2,3,3

A different order of the above numbers

1|7,1,7
2|1,1,2,1,1
3|1,3,1,1,2,1,3,1
4|1,3,1,2,1,3,1
5|1,3,1,1,1,1,3,1
6|1,1,3,1,1
7|7,1,1,1,7
8|3
9|1,3,1,2,2
10|6,2,2,1,1
11|4,3,4,1,2
12|1,2,1,1,1,1
13|2,3,1,3,2,1
14|4,1,2
15|7,2,3,1
16|1,1,2,1,1,2
17|1,3,1,4,4
18|1,3,1,1,2,3,1
19|1,3,1,1,1,3,2
20|1,1,2,1,1,1
21|7,2,3,3

1-7,1,7
2-1,1,4,1,1
3-1,3,1,2,1,1,3,1
4-1,3,1,4,1,3,1
5-1,3,1,4,1,3,1
6-1,1,2,1,1,1
7-7,1,1,1,7
8-3
9-2,1,4,2,1
10-1,1,1,3,1,1
11-1,5,2,2,2,1
12-1,1,1,2,2,3
13-1,5,4,1,1,1
14-3,1,1,1,2
15-7,4
16-1,1,2,2,1,2
17-1,3,1,2,2,2
18-1,3,1,1,1
19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3
20-1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
21-7,1,2,2,2

[SinMan]

Could the vertical bars relate to the "door" and the dashes relate to the "key"? Just a thought I had this morning, not sure if it helps yet though.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

I had a similar thought. Perhaps doors and keys are also a reference to questions and answers, but I can't see how they relate or what the pattern is.

[SinMan]

Only these three have keys that match doors then:

1-7,1,7
1|7,1,7

7-7,1,1,1,7
7|7,1,1,1,7

8-3
8|3


I don't know...

What is there 21 of? There are 20 basic types of charms.
The highest number in the lists is only 7 that has to mean something.

[Obadiah]

I can't figure out what there is 21 of, it's not classes, it's not cities, it's not charms...definitely not dungeons.

There are a ton of 1's within all the numbers.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

21x21 box?

[lessigfan]

So our resident smartypants, howie, figured out that the numbers create a grid. Take this one:

1|7,1,7;19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3

The semicolon denotes a new instruction. So code is really two instructions: 1|7,1,7 and 19-1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3. The | indicates a column and - indicates a row. So the above code is saying, on column number 1, do "7,1,7." On row number 19, do "1,3,1,1,2,1,1,3."

With me so far? Ok, the numbers create a 21x21 grid. Howie also figured out the a 21x21 grid is likely a QR code, where version 1 was 21x21. QR Codes have two colors, black and white. So the instructions tell us which blocks should be black, which should be left uncolored.

The instructions are for error correction - they work kind of like sudoku mixed with battleship. Do 7,1,7 means the column has 3 colored sections, the first section is 7 blocks long, the second is 1 block long, the last is a section 7 blocks long. We know the size of the colored sections and their order, but not their position.

Clear enough? We have both row & column instructions, so we have to guess at where the different sections lay across the chart such that they satisfy both sets of instructions. Now the trick is filling in the chart.

We know the basic shape of QR codes. They've got outlined squares in 3 corners (which explains the 7s in row/column 1 & 21) so that should get us started.

If you want to help, download this excel sheet and fiddle with the chart. Also, I think we've got some bad data on 6|, 9|, 11|, and 11-, so if you've got any of those in empty pumpkin shells, please post here.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

Also, I think we've got some bad data on 6|, 9|, 11|, and 11-, so if you've got any of those in empty pumpkin shells, please post here.

'

Those are all correct on the in order spreadsheet.

[lessigfan]

Great, I've updated the spreadsheet linked to above: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10816412/estiah%2030%20revised.xlsx

[SinMan]

How are we supposed to figure this out, trial and error? There doesn't look to be any places besides what you have that only have a single option for the colors.

Also, how do we collect pumpkins faster? I have only been getting them after beating a dungeon, I only got about 5 or 6.

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