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Titanium22
your chamber lye breeds fleas
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 12253
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 Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 5:50 pm Post subject: Coming soon... |
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Just to let you know, there's a new (and very different) section of Puzzletome about to hit your screens.
A lot of people competing in PT1 (and also Alphabet Set, for that matter) have said that they lack puzzling experience and are not sure how to approach the various puzzles, and that they are unfamiliar with some of the techniques used.
We are addressing this issue even as we speak - and a new section on Puzzletome will be starting shortly. We are in beta-testing phase at the moment, so it's not going to be instant - but it will hopefully be fairly soon...!
The new section is called "Back To Basics", and covers (as the title implies) basic riddling techniques - including different types of substitution, cryptograms, various codes such as Binary and Morse, plus loads more.
Each section has both explanations and worked examples to illustrate the technique(s) in question, and there are also lots of accompanying puzzles of varying difficulty to solve. It is not a "contest", though - so the sections and puzzles can be accessed in any order... you don't need to solve one puzzle before you can move on to the next one.
We'll keep you informed about a launch date - so watch this space...!
T22
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theandygrant
This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet
Joined: 07 Feb 2004
Posts: 1264
Location: The Lethargic Dodecahedron
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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fantastic!
I could kiss you. In fact, I think I will...
*MWAH* |
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Titanium22
your chamber lye breeds fleas
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 12253
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| theandygrant wrote: | fantastic!
I could kiss you. In fact, I think I will...
*MWAH* |
Glad to hear you like the idea - I thought it would be useful...! And the puzzles are fun too, as the playtesters have discovered - as well as the "information element" involved.
Think I'll live without that kiss, though...LOL! 
T22
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Rebecca
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 128
Location: Perth
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: Coming soon... |
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| Titanium22 wrote: | | The new section is called "Back To Basics", and covers (as the title implies) basic riddling techniques - including different types of substitution, cryptograms, various codes such as Binary and Morse, plus loads more. T22 |
In the mean-time if you need help :
http://www.puzzletome.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16551#16551
Edited to ask : Guys are you going to use some riddles from contests already done or create new riddles just for the purpose of learning ? as if you want you can disect some RP ones (well mine at least)
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Growing old is INEVITABLE. Growing up is OPTIONAL |
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Strife777
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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And if you need to show what NOT to do, take 1.24 and 2.24  |
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Stretham
Forum Hardass
Joined: 15 Sep 2003
Posts: 24411
Location: Here, there, somewhere, everywhere
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:44 pm Post subject: Re: Coming soon... |
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| Rebecca wrote: | | Edited to ask : Guys are you going to use some riddles from contests already done or create new riddles just for the purpose of learning ? as if you want you can disect some RP ones (well mine at least) |
We're creating new riddles, but it's a cracking idea to dissect previous ones (and let's face it, there are some really notorious ones out there  ). I'll leave the decision to T22 as she's doing most of the hard work for this, but one possibility would be to have a request section where we do exactly as you say. The only thing we'd need to do is be careful to mark any spoilers, in particular for external sites.
Stretham
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Titanium22
your chamber lye breeds fleas
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 12253
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: Coming soon... |
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| Rebecca wrote: | | Guys are you going to use some riddles from contests already done or create new riddles just for the purpose of learning ? |
They are all original and specifically created to illustrate and practise particular riddling techniques. There will be approximately 80 new puzzles (in addition to lots of worked examples) in the complete module.
I am not really comfortable with the idea of dissecting existing puzzles because of the "spoiler" issue that Stretham has mentioned. In any case, we have a section here for PT1 in the "Winners' Enclosure" which is devoted to explaining how specific puzzles in the contest worked, and I think that is probably enough.
T22
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Strife777
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't dissect any recent contests if you go with that...but there are plenty of "dead ducks" out there, if you catch my drift. I agree that it should mostly be original riddles since youre sticking to basic concepts...but hell, if you can recreate an original Vraal riddle to teach people off of...ouch :-p . Would be kind've cute if you set it up as a learning environment...aka, if you have 80 to "teach"...you should have a 20 question final exam at the end so people can put the new skills to practical use.
Also, are you sticking to relatively common methods? Aka, the usual suspects...or are you going to delve into harder puzzles to define, for example a multistep or highly difficult methodology. I guess I'm asking if its going to be a basic tutorial, or are you going to reach the level of some of the most difficult we've seen?
Finally, a request. I personally am not the best at Cryptic Clues, though I am getting the hang of it. A puzzle using all types of these clues would be appreciated. |
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Titanium22
your chamber lye breeds fleas
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 12253
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Strife777 wrote: | I wouldn't dissect any recent contests if you go with that...but there are plenty of "dead ducks" out there, if you catch my drift. I agree that it should mostly be original riddles since youre sticking to basic concepts...but hell, if you can recreate an original Vraal riddle to teach people off of...ouch :-p . Would be kind've cute if you set it up as a learning environment...aka, if you have 80 to "teach"...you should have a 20 question final exam at the end so people can put the new skills to practical use.
Also, are you sticking to relatively common methods? Aka, the usual suspects...or are you going to delve into harder puzzles to define, for example a multistep or highly difficult methodology. I guess I'm asking if its going to be a basic tutorial, or are you going to reach the level of some of the most difficult we've seen?
Finally, a request. I personally am not the best at Cryptic Clues, though I am getting the hang of it. A puzzle using all types of these clues would be appreciated. |
Funny you should mention a "final exam" - I've just completed exactly that, and with 20 puzzles in it too...LOL!
Yes, the relatively common methods. It would be impossible to cover all puzzling techniques, and this is indeed designed as a basic tutorial (although some of the puzzles are quite hard and include things like "disguised" Morse or Binary).
And you'll be pleased to hear that there are also some worked examples and puzzles specifically using cryptic clues, together with an explanation of some of the common words/expressions/abbreviations etc that are used when constructing such clues.
T22
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goetzy89
Thy mother's name is ominous to children
Joined: 05 Feb 2004
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Strife777 wrote: | | And if you need to show what NOT to do, take 1.24 and 2.24 |
So True... I Had Nightmares Over Both... no really... too many possible answers for both of those 
James
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Strife777
Thou whoreson cullionly barbermonger
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't worry about that...you shant see anything like that from me again I've written a good 30 or so newer ones, but Im still going back and forth between two mediums on how I'd want to present them. |
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january
Banbury cheese
Joined: 29 Jan 2004
Posts: 166
Location: Derbyshire
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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Please....I have one request.
Every time a read a description of either cyphers or binary, the explanation is more puzzling than the puzzles themselves. 
It would be great if examples and explanations can be written so that they are easily understandable by the totally dim ( like me)
Some of us ( maybe just moi) went to school pre-calculators let alone computers, and the jargon that goes with them.
Please...someone...somewhere...own up...don't let me be the only ancient artifact on PT  I might be kicked off
January |
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CognosZeteo
You bull’s pizzle
Joined: 31 Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Location: N.B. Canada
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Strife777 wrote: | | Finally, a request. I personally am not the best at Cryptic Clues, though I am getting the hang of it. A puzzle using all types of these clues would be appreciated. |
The "Back To Basics" section sounds great!!
And I definitely second Strife's idea of a puzzle using and explaning all types of Cryptic Clues cuz I'm not even getting the hang of it.
Pre-calculators...yes. Slide rule era, but it still did not work miracles on 5.12 tho.
Cognos |
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Titanium22
your chamber lye breeds fleas
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 12253
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| january wrote: | Please....I have one request.
Every time a read a description of either cyphers or binary, the explanation is more puzzling than the puzzles themselves.
It would be great if examples and explanations can be written so that they are easily understandable by the totally dim ( like me) |
I sympathise - I had a similar struggle myself when I originally tried to understand how some of the different codes actually worked. It's all too easy to bang stuff into an online solver without having a clue about how or why a code actually works, and that's one of the things I'm trying to address in this module.
But I think (hope!) you'll find that my explanations and examples are clear and accessible - and there will also be a forum to accompany Back to Basics so that people can ask further questions if there's anything they are not sure about.
T22
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theandygrant
This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet
Joined: 07 Feb 2004
Posts: 1264
Location: The Lethargic Dodecahedron
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Titanium22 wrote: | It's all too easy to bang stuff into an online solver without having a clue about how or why a code actually works, and that's one of the things I'm trying to address in this module.
T22 |
There are online solvers???
I've been doing it by hand!
No wonder I'm behind everybody else  |
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