Mystery Hunt 2012 Recast: COMPLETE!!!

[LordKinbote]

[Suspence]

Can't tie it to anything, but "Get Your Dog Back" makes me think of country music, as in what happens when you play country music backwards.

The monkey is "Boots" from Dora the Explorer, which could mean that picture yields a B based on the red underline.

The area of Massachusetts that is highlighted is Bourne, however, which doesn't fit into the designated spaces. So there might be something more going on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bourne_MA_highlight_large.PNG
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[gftt*]

Can't make sense of the pictures. But I did work through Alice Chess:

1. B/g4: W C/e6: H
2. C/a4: L E/Qh4: A
3. F/Ra3: F L/Nc6: I
4. M/Re3+:E O/Kd8: R
5. P/d4: J R/d6: U
6. S/Nf3: O V/Bb4: S
7. I/a5: B A/Qf6: T
8. E/Ne5: E N/Bd7: V
9. O/Nd3: S I/Bc5: T
10. A/Rc3: R C/Nb8: X
11. A/Rc8: Y E/Qh4: A
12. O/Rg8+: C E/Rf8: E
13. Z/Rxf8: O R/Bxf8: T
14. L/Bf4: A U/Kc8: N
15. G/Bg2: O Q/d5: S
16. X/O-O: W T/Bc6: P
17. I/Nb4: D Y/Bd6: R
18. C/Nxc6: U S/Qh1: G
19. A/Bg3: T M/Bxg3: B
20. L/Rf6: R M/gxf6: A
21. B/Qxh1: O U/Nd7: N
22. W/Qh8+: I O/Nf8: R
23. N/Qxf8: E K/Kd7: L
24. L/Qxf6: C T/Rd8: L
25. R/Qxf7+:Y A/Kd6: E
26. U/Nd2: Y E/Rf8: E
27. O/Nd8: A E/Rxd8: G
28. E/Qf1: W P/e5: L
29. E/Qc1: T J/Ke7: D
30. O/Qc8: F I/Kf7: C
31. R/Qxb7: U C/Rd7: U
32. L/Qf3+: E R/Kg8: P
33. U/Ne4: N U/dxe4: H
34. L/Qe3: M O/Rd2: S
35. D/Qxd2: H A/Bb8: L
36. S/Bxe4: T G/h5: Y
37. E/Qc1: T K/c6: H
38. A/gxh5: H A/Bc7: T
39. N/Qd1: I R/Bd8: U
40. L/Qxd8+:O D/Kg7: T
41. V/Qc7+: H E/Kh6: G
42. E/Qxa7: E R/Kg5: H
43. T/Qc5: S D/Kh4: G
44. S/Qb6: H I/Kg4: N
45. E/Qa7: E K/Kf4: D

The last 7 moves, if they matter, are
H/Bb7: B E/Ke4: E
R/Ba6: N R/Kd5: O
I/Qf7+: I N/Kxd4: S
G/Qc4#: Y

This gives a tile order of
WHLAFIERJUOSBTEVSTRXYACEOTANOSWPDRUGTBRAONIRELCLYEYEAGWLTDFCUUEPNHMSHLTYTHHTIUOTHGEHSGHNED (BENOISY)

Anyone else want to tackle the Scrabble?

[DejMar]

From Suspence's hints I googled Country Music artists along with a phrase similar to the song's title. Those I gathered answers to first were "Meet in the Middle", "Little Good-Byes" and "Rope the Moon". The number of letters indicated beneath the picture are given I found were in opposite order. With this deduction I reduced my look-ups to artist names of the given lengths, in opposite order. It wasn't until I re-read Suspence's hint that I found the picture clues themselves reflect the
order reversely. With most of the names determined, I made a few logical guesses, and googled "MAYBERRY COKE" to get RASCAL FLATTS.

[Suspence]

I would guess RASCAL FLATTS. They also have a song called "Backwards", which is based on the joke that you get your car, wife, truck, etc back when you play country music backwards.

IT IS WHATEVER > WHATEVER IT IS > ZAC BROWN [B]AND

I have a feeling this is GA[R]TH BROOKS and FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES, somehow.

FLY TO BOURNE > BORN TO FLY > SARA [E]VANS
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[LordKinbote]

The answer is CHERRY.

Next is my inherited puzzle of the hunt. Not my original inkling of an idea, but it ended up being basically mine once all was said and done...

Impostors by Scott Handelman, Jordan Bennett Louis Smith, and Jit Hin Tan

[Elethiomel]

What a brilliant puzzle concept! Well solved.

[gftt*]

(5)
Cabbie
Doctor who creates a monster
Father of a computer science genius
Father of a mathematical genius
Supernatural being who fights to save Halloween

This might be Judd Hirsch in:

Taxi
????
Independence Day
Numb3rs
The Halloween That Almost Wasn't



(9)
Horse race announcer
Car salesman
Porn director
Murdered actor
Vice Principal

William H. Macy?
Seabiscuit
Fargo
Boogie Nights
???
Mr Holland's Opus



(9)
New York City pimp
Expert in cleaning cars
Textile factory manager
Sympathetic detective
Prince of Darkness

Harvey Keitel?
Taxi Driver
Pulp Fiction
???
Life on Mars?
Little Nicky

Hirsch's list seems to be all TV except one film role, whereas Keitel has all films except maybe one TV role. Might be significant, given the flavor text.

[gftt*]

One thing I do wonder about... how are the 5 roles for each actor arranged? They're not alphabetical by clue or by show, nor are they chronological.

[Suspence]

(8)
Dentist
Medical Intern
Celebrity publicist
Band frontman/Radio show cohost
Duplicitous courtier

JOHN STAMOS
Glee
ER
Jake In Progress
Full House
?????
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[Scurra]

I think I've worked out what's going on here, although it's horribly complicated to explain.
<takes deep breath> One role in each list relates to a role played by another actor who also appeared in a British tv series that had a direct US remake where both actors played the same role in the corresponding shows.

For instance, for Harvey Keitel:
New York City pimp - Taxi Driver
Expert in cleaning cars - Pulp Fiction
Textile factory manager - Philip Glenister in Clocking Off
Sympathetic detective - (not sure)
Prince of Darkness - Little Nicky

So the part played by both Keitel and Glenister was Gene Hunt in Life on Mars

Judd Hirsch:
Cabbie - Taxi
Doctor who creates a monster - Ralph Bates (The Horror of Frankenstein)
Father of a computer science genius - Independence Day
Father of a mathematical genius - Numb3ers
Supernatural being who fights to save Halloween - The Halloween that almost wasn't

They both played John Lacy in Dear John

William H Macy
Horse race announcer - Seabiscuit
Car salesman - Fargo
Porn director - Boogie Nights
Murdered actor - this must be David Thelfall - possibly Hot Fuzz?
Vice Principal - Mr Holland's Opus

They both played Frank Gallagher in Shameless

I've also managed to do

Marley Shelton

Sheriff’s deputy - Scream 4
Apocalypse-surviving anesthesiologist - Planet Terror
Bit-part actress - Ashley Jensen – Extras
Pregnant cheerleader - Sugar and Spice
Owner of an art gallery - (don't know)

They both played Rachel Young in Eleventh Hour
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Suspence]

(5)
Heavy metal drummer
Extraterrestrial overlord
Costumed vigilante
Science teacher
Pirate

RAINN WILSON
The Rocker
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Super
The Last Mimzy
????

He's on The Office, which has a British parallel.

Dwight Kurt Schrute III, portrayed by Rainn Wilson, is based on Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) from the original UK version of The Office.

I assume the (5) suggests that this should yield CROOK?
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[Scurra]

I'm now working my way down the Wiki list of "American shows based on British tv series" to see if anything leaps out at me..
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Suspence]

Stamos was in You Again? based on Home to Roost. Stamos played Matthew Willows, as did Reece Dinsdale in the UK version.

(8) = DINSDALE
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[gftt*]

Glenister is 8 letters when the number indicates 9? Maybe a typo?

Perhaps the position of the "impostor" role in the list of 5 tells us an index into the name?


Oh, and here's one more ID:

(5) - Sam Huntington (same role in Being Human as Russell Tovey in Being Human)

Newspaper photographer - Superman Returns
Car salesman - Fanboys
Young tribesman - Jungle 2 Jungle
Crewman aboard the Titanic - Tovey's role on Dr. Who
KISS fan - Detroit Rock City

[gftt*]

[Suspence]

Aggregating:

(5) - Mackenzie CROOK / Rainn Wilson (Gareth Keenan / Dwight Schrute - The Office) 
Heavy metal drummer 
Extraterrestrial overlord 
Costumed vigilante 
Science teacher 
Pirate 

(9) THELFALL doesn't seem to fit the (9) requirement / William H. Macy (? -?)
Horse race announcer 
Car salesman 
Porn director 
Murdered actor 
Vice Principal 

(9) - Philip GLENISTER / Harvey Keitel (Gene Hunt - Life On Mars) 
New York City pimp 
Expert in cleaning cars 
Textile factory manager 
Sympathetic detective 
Prince of Darkness 

(6) - Ashley JENSEN / Marley Shelton 
Sheriff’s deputy 
Apocalypse-surviving anesthesiologist 
Bit-part actress 
Pregnant cheerleader 
Owner of an art gallery 

(5) - Russell TOVEY / Sam Huntington (Josh - Being Human) 
Newspaper photographer 
Car salesman 
Young tribesman 
Crewman aboard the Titanic 
KISS fan 

(9) 
Stanford scientist 
Special Agent in a Violent Crimes Unit 
High school principal/Love interest 
Vice-president of Research and Development 
Surgeon/Love interest 

(8) - Reece DINSDALE / John Stamos (Matthew Willows - Home to Roost / You Again)
Dentist 
Medical Intern 
Celebrity publicist 
Band frontman/Radio show cohost 
Duplicitous courtier 

(6) 
Obese adolescent 
Royal doctor 
Former CIA spy 
OB-Gyn 
Former New York criminalist 

(6) 
Cop-turned-lawyer 
Incompetent Army captain 
Bus depot manager 
Death 
Egotistical prosecutor 

(9) 
Adoptive parent 
Ad agency executive 
Bumbling stage actor 
Mall overseer 
Television addict 

(6) 
Half of a comedy writing duo 
Convenience store clerk 
Makeshift superhero 
TV Cameraman 
Flamboyant housekeeper 

(5) - Ralph BATES / Judd Hirsch (John Lacy - Dear John) 
Cabbie 
Doctor who creates a monster 
Father of a computer science genius 
Father of a mathematical genius 
Supernatural being who fights to save Halloween 

(6) 
Seductress who improves a man’s luck 
Psychiatrist at a police station 
Madam of a brothel 
Wife of an ex-gangster 
Egyptologist 

(10) 
Father of a star quarterback 
Assistant to a drug czar 
Businessman whose stepdaughter is orphaned 
Man in love with a florist 
Unethical sensationalist reporter
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[gftt*]

It's THRELFALL not THELFALL.

If you take the position of the impostor as the index, you get

KEENE*D****A**

which I will guess is Keen Eddie **A**
or Keen Eddie's *A**

As Keen Eddie is a remake of a British TV program this makes sense. Also, since all other answers in this round seem to be common words (LK, can we get an update of the page-1 post that keeps track of the metas? thanks!) I'm going to go even further out on a limb and guess that it's Keen Eddie's Mark which would mean we should call in VALLEY????

*crosses fingers*

[gftt*]

[LordKinbote]

[Suspence]

No idea what to make of 7E yet.

Looking at the meta, this could be coincidental:

FIRESTONE
CLINTON
UNION

MERCURY
PERSHING
CHERRY

VALLEY

Currently, MERCURY and CHERRY also share RY, while CLINTON and PERSHING share IN. We'll see if the next two solutions share a pairing with VALLEY, and then also with either FIRESTONE or UNION.
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[Suspence]

Bump.

Still nothing on 7E for me...any ideas?
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[gftt*]

[gftt*]

[Scurra]

I'm thinking 7E is about something like Pokémon (although it obviously isn't) - or at least it sounds like it could be a game* involving creatures that can evolve into other creatures. Although it also seems to involve making structures as well.
*unless that overt reference in the first entry is just a red herring...
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[gftt*]

Alice Scrabble: after EXACTLY comes RATHS and SNOWDROP, with this grid:

[gftt*]

On Course 7E, I think you just need to have the right knowledge base. Can it be gotten otherwise?

I did manage to finish the Scrabble. Turns out you use some words from Jabberwocky that Alice sees mirror-imaged. Evil.

The word list is
AWHILE
FRABJOUS
TOVES
EXACTLY
RATHS
SNOWDROP
EBARGTUO (outgrabe in the mirror)
ALICE
ONLY
GREW
READILY
AFTER
PUNCH/AH
HUMPTY
YHTILS (slithy in the mirror)
THOUGHTS
HUSH
EDGES/HE
NO,

the initials of which lead us to call in DRAWLING (wrong Alice book, but oh well).

And phew. That was a long solve.

[LordKinbote]

[kaihuang]

This puzzle requires very specific domain knowledge. I think we should at least provide the domain (i.e. the name of the game) here, and probably also the subdomain within the game. But I'll let LordKinbote decide since he's running this recast.

Note that this puzzle was written for teams of 15 MIT students, not teams of 4 people of unspecified background.

PS. I didn't want to chime in (didn't want to taint the solving process), but I can't help it anymore after seeing you guys stuck on my puzzle for over a week.

[novice]

[Suspence]

It looks like CI-M is a term on normal MIT course pages.

http://student.mit.edu/catalog/m7a.html
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[LordKinbote]

Sorry, my hard drive died.

The game is...Starcraft.

[kaihuang]

Slight correction: The game is StarCraft II (2010), not the older StarCraft (1998).

[LordKinbote]

[Suspence]

Never played Starcraft...more of a Warcraft II fan, way back in the day. Used to play friends via modem, and the game would end abruptly when they got a phone call. Those were the days!

I'll see if I can make heads or tails of Starcraft tomorrow.
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[Suspence]

Should we move on, perhaps? gftt usually does the heavy lifting, and he's out of this one.

Given my lack of knowledge of/appreciation for Starcraft, this one hasn't captured my imagination.
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[LordKinbote]

Okay. Next puzzle: Functions by Kai Huang

[Suspence]

Yikes...another one that is way out of my wheelhouse. Looks like I'll be waiting for someone else to make a breakthrough on this one.

The Dodgson meta listed in the first post - that is the one gftt solved recently, correct?

So the only two open puzzles are these - Course 7E and Functions?
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[LordKinbote]

[novice]