Puzzle Solving Exercise Thread

[deagol]

I gave a shot at coding some messages, and I'm curious how you guys are so good at unravelling this stuff. My YouTube account has three videos filled with puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty, and I thought I'd offer them up as excercises and for critique.

Hey brucker, err, about that YT account... is finding it part of the puzzle?

Oh and, I know my poetry sucks, but it's still a word puzzle. If it helps, the answer's always the same for all of them verses.

[Ziola]

[deagol]

C'mon Ziola, I know you hate this thread, but I really tried to get away from codes and all that math stuff. Have a shot at my crappy couplets.

[Brucker]

I gave a shot at coding some messages, and I'm curious how you guys are so good at unravelling this stuff. My YouTube account has three videos filled with puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty, and I thought I'd offer them up as excercises and for critique.

Hey brucker, err, about that YT account... is finding it part of the puzzle?

I figured that would be the easiest part. I didn't give a link on this thread, but I've hardly hidden the videos. If you must, my YouTube account is BBrucker2.

[deagol]

I gave a shot at coding some messages, and I'm curious how you guys are so good at unravelling this stuff. My YouTube account has three videos filled with puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty, and I thought I'd offer them up as excercises and for critique.

Hey brucker, err, about that YT account... is finding it part of the puzzle?

I figured that would be the easiest part. I didn't give a link on this thread, but I've hardly hidden the videos. If you must, my YouTube account is BBrucker2.

Alright fair enough. Just checking.

[deagol]

1. Heed This Warning
Description:
424163 433367 454b2b 763334 385050 334277 4c392b 41
Hex says: BAcC3gEK+v348PP3BwL9+A
[Stuck. Looks like b64 but doesn't decode into anything.]

Tags: BEER TOO ENDS PUKE CLUB
[EU Blockbuster opened? I hate anagrams]

Code from video:
73416645
74596649
72537421
Hex says: sAfEtYfIrSt!


2. Where Is Dan Thing?
Description:
cnZlZCBiciBFRQ
BsTCB5ZGVTIGUg
IEggQVRIIGVmdS
VBc3QgZ08gVCB3
RCBBTkkgRUxCIG
b64 says: rved br EElL ydeS e H ATH efu%Ast gO T wD ANI ELB
[something] Bree [something something] got[?] DanielB
[I'm not sure how to decode your b64 stuff]

Tags: RIDDANCE LOSES IT ENTROPY HELPER
[Not bothering with this one]

Code from video:
... . .- -- .- -. / ..-. .-. --- -.-. -.- / -. - .... / --- .--.
Morse says: SEAMAN FROCK NTH OP
[ugh]

3. Warn These Hiding!
Description:
TF47IyhZVV1eQ1dK
XVtBQ0dVVVl9Q2Ve
SVNRV0VdSktRXlVB
S1dKUV1ZTlNVZU5R
1 8
2 10
4 20
b64 says: L^;#(YU]^CWJ][ACGUUY}Ce^ISQWE]JKQ^UAKWJQ]YNSUeNQ
[I must be missing something. No clue what 1, 2, 4 mean]

Tags: MANY MEDIUMS KEEPING HUMOR LISTS

Code from video:
5832303f686f6e6f72
697374616b656e6672
6f6d6a6f6e61735533
702c787577712c807b
2c80746d7a772c7985
2c797b792c727b7e2c
707b757a
Hex says: X20?honoristakenfromjonasU3p,xuwq,Ç{,Çtmzw,yà,y{y,r{~,p{uz
[Again, I have messy code. It's reminding me of my steganos puzzle but I don't see what I can do with it.]
[Can't do reverse audio. Sorry.]

Comments (JMHO):
- If the tags are anagrams, they're pretty much impossible to solve without any more hints.
- There should be clearer clues on how to procede with the b64 decoding.
- Try to stick with a theme. Obscuring stuff in so many different ways makes me think there is not much of a purpose behind it, feels like obfuscation just for the sake of it, and prevents me from engaging them with any enthusiasm. But maybe it's just that I'm not getting the theme.
- Eventhough I'm not getting half the jokes, I think your videos are funny.
- Keep having fun!

[Brucker]

Okay, a hint or two if you need help, but I'm really wanting to see if these are breakable without help. It impresses me that so many of you have top-of-the-line solving prowess>

I'm not good at anagrams either, to tell you the truth. One thing I did do to make the anagrams a little bit easier (despite the fact that I suspected anagrams are the easiest thing for most people to decode) is that many anagrammed phrases have been anagrammed in chunks rather than the whole phrase together. Also, most of the anagrams are variations of phrases found in well-known lg15 or fan videos.

As for the more complex codes, well, they get more complicated on the later videos since I got more creative as I went. (Actually, that first code was probably harder than anything in the second video, but I think I could have solved it.) Nonetheless, I don't think I used any sort of coding that I haven't seen talked about in these OpAphid threads when I browse them. What I have done in a few cases is combine numeric with non-numeric codes or scrambled things in unusual ways for which I do give hints.

Oh, and no codes in the reversed audio, only humor, and some of my favorite stuff, especially in the Jonas video.

[Brucker]

Actually, I'm so bad at anagrams, I can't for the life of me remember at the moment what MANY MEDIUMS KEEPING HUMOR LISTS anagrams to.

[deagol]

Hey Brucker, that helped me get the anagrams in the first two vids. But I'm lost about the hints for the b64 reordering and decoding. Sorry, but if even you can't solve your own anagrams I think I better stop wasting time on it.

[deagol]

You guys are so lazy I've decided to provide some tiny incentive for this one: it's a pic from my crazy "freeballing" years!

CPQMENHEGFMMEDDOCPQNEDHFCFMMEDDECFMCAN==

No, no, wait a sec. Before decoding you need to de-V it. The key for that is:

3|4, 2|2, 5|1, 5|1, 4|13, 1|6, 6|7, 5|4

Here's the thing: to figure out that key you'll need the six words/answers from each of the first six couplets in my previous riddle (excluding Hodgepodge 'cause those are too easy). Mwahahaha... hey, it's been more than two days and there's not even attempts on it. C'mon you guys!

Now, if you find it, I implore you not to post the pic here, just link it, Ok? There, now go solve it.

[sphinx]

You guys are so lazy ...

hey, it's been more than two days and there's not even attempts on it. C'mon you guys!

Now, if you find it, I implore you not to post the pic here, just link it, Ok? There, now go solve it.

Not lazy, um time restrained?

You know I was looking at it today, and hopefully I'll finish this new addition tomorrow

I just KNOW the pic is going to be a disappointment tho LOL

[Brucker]

Hey Brucker, that helped me get the anagrams in the first two vids. But I'm lost about the hints for the b64 reordering and decoding. Sorry, but if even you can't solve your own anagrams I think I better stop wasting time on it.

Well, so you're not an anagram guy, neither am I. With the exception of the anagram, I'm sure I could have solved all the codes on the first one easily.

[sphinx]

Ok. I feel bad that this solve is so late, because deagol made a great puzzle that included a reference to a thread that has since died.
I have to admit that he had to hold my hand during parts of it, as i was being a woman and complicating everything

Anyway, here it is, and thanks again, deagol, for your wonderful puzzles.
Sorry it's so late
Would it help if I said you were hawt?

Hodgepodge
Home-thy? pr-gate d-mine --what's this mish-mash?
A cure? multiply brain stuff... I am the dash!
Danger! also a wacko, killer or freak,
there's two acronym versions as well, I'm in all that.
Now, dear, please don't think I'm a prick,
but I'm proud, yes: though broken, I'm even in Oprah!

This is the easiest place to start.
HomeOPAthy = a cure
prOPAgate = multiply
dOPAmine = brain stuff

From these answers, we see that "I am the dash" = OPA, which is what we need to look for to solve the rest.

Danger = jeOPArdy
wacko, killer or freak = psychOPAth
and OPA is in Oprah.

So going back to deagol's poetry...

A rainbow of color and light, I am
light sheets, when in front of a line.

in front of a line = opaline

Between tea and sea, I am loved by les femmes
hard and dense with a glimmer --amber: a gem.

amber: a gem = topaz

Oh, but when having a whole city behind
I will veil any glitter, twinkle, or shine.

having a whole city behind = opacity

Find me there, in the middle of a reference work,
amongst all human knowledge in several tomes.

all human knowledge in several tomes = encyclopaedia

Between men and use, you'll see me decay
shriveled and dry, "no more fun," some would say.

between men and use = menopause

Ellie, me, are thee? Yes, try saying that,
and beware of the big, black-spotted cat.

black spotted cat = leopard

Then we have his second post, where he decided to complicate things...

CPQMENHEGFMMEDDOCPQNEDHFCFMMEDDECFMCAN==
No, no, wait a sec. Before decoding you need to de-V it. The key for that is: 3|4, 2|2, 5|1, 5|1, 4|13, 1|6, 6|7, 5|4

De-V = Vigniere Cipher
To get the key, the number pairings represent word number|letter number in the word.

Therefore:
3. opacity: letter 4 = C
2. topaz: letter 2 = O
5. menopause: letter 1 = M
5. menopause: letter 1 = M
4. encyclopaedia: letter 13 = A
1. opaline: letter 6 = N
6. leopard: letter 7 = D
5. menopause: letter 4 = O

The key for the vigniere cipher is COMMANDO.
Using it we get this string:
ABEAEAEQERAAEQAAABEBEQERARAAEQAQARAQAA==
abeaeaeqeraaeqaaabebeqeraraaeqaqaraqaa==
Which is base 64.
Decoding it gives us:
00 11 00 10 01 10 11 10 00 11 00 00 00 11 01 11 01 11 01 10 00 11 00 10 01 10 10 00 in hex,
which looks a lot like binary, so decode it as binary and get:
2n07v2h, which looks like a tiny pic.

Which brings us to http://www.tinypic.com/2n07v2h.
And no, I'm not disappointed

[deagol]

Yay! Sphinx, you're the best!

Here's your star

[sphinx]

Yay! Sphinx, you're the best!

Here's your star

what? no cookie?