Mystery Hunt 2012 Recast: COMPLETE!!!

[Suspence]

I'm may have the individual tiers, and therefore the character count needed for each letter, correct. I'm pretty sure I have the left/right/center part wrong, as it seems it should build up from the bottom left.

As far as I can see, though, the ternary codes would be obvious (though likely incorrect). Each number directs the decision at a decision point, 0=Left, 1=Center, 2=Right, I'm guessing.

So the letter R would be 02. W would be 2022. X would be 1102. What am I missing?

Your point about the frequencies only being provided to develop the tree is a good one.
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[gftt*]

Suspence, I agree with your chart, apart from the fact that you're missing V and J under the 35. Should read
35
8 V J
QXZ

[gftt*]

00 E
010 A
011 G
012 I
02 R
10 [space]
11000 Q
11001 X
11002 Z
1101 V
1102 J
111 D
112 U
120 P
121 F
122 B
200 H
201 T
2020 Y
2021 K
2022 W
210 M
211 S
212 L
220 N
221 C
222 O

[Suspence]

Good to hear that I'm on the right track, and good catch. Updated:


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[gftt]

If that's the code then the string reads

REENCODE THIS STRING OPTIMALLY THEN DECODE USING THE ORIGINAL CODE
YOUR ANSWER WILL APPEAR FOLLOWED BY GIBBERISH
WHEN OPTIMIZING INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PADDING
BOXTOP CLAMPS CLAY DAN DRILL DUMP DUNK FAMILY FEVER FLAY
FLUB GRAMMAR GRAMPS GROW GUNK HIGHWAY HIM HUMPS HUNT
JACK JAY JOKER JOVIAL JUMPER JUNK KISMET LOUSE MAJOR MAST
MAZE NEON NEST NOSE PLANTS PLOTS PUSHED QUICK RAFFLE ROAD
SLIM SLOT SO STOOP STUMPED SWANK THEOREM THINK THUMP UNDERWHELM
VIKING VIXEN WARP WHAMMY WHIG WHISKEY ZACK

OK, who wants to do the next step?

[Suspence]

Q 1
X 2
Z 3
V 4
B 5
J 7
F 8
C 9
Y 10
K 12
W 13
G 14
D 16
U 17
P 18
H 19
T 20
R 21
M 22
S 23
L 25
N 26
O 27
A 28
I 29
E 34
[space] 70

Does this count as "doing the next step"?
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[Scurra]

Well I'm glad I was going the right way at least, even if I didn't understand the next bit... (Distracted a little by Top GLer too. Well, that's my excuse.)
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[gftt*]

[Suspence]

I copy/pasted and I believe they are counted. There's no space at the end.

I'll do the grunt work tonight unless someone is already on it.
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[Suspence]

1 6
Q 1
X 2
Z 3

2 15
V 4
B 5
1 6

3 24
J 7
F 8
C 9

4 35
Y 10
K 12
W 13

5 45
G 14
2 15
D 16

6 54
U 17
P 18
H 19

7 63
T 20
R 21
M 22

8 72
S 23
3 24
L 25

9 81
N 26
O 27
A 28

10 98
I 29
E 34
4 35

11 162
5 45
6 54
7 63

12 223
[space] 70
8 72
9 81

13 483
10 98
11 162
12 223

I'll convert this to a grid, then list the ternary.
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[Suspence]

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[Suspence]

Here's what I came up with...I did it by hand, so I hope it's correct:


A 222
B 1011
C 2112
D 102
E 01
F 2111
G 100
H 112
I 00
J 2110
K 021
L 212
M 122
N 220
O 221
P 111
Q 10120
R 121
S 210
T 120
U 110
V 1010
W 022
X 10121
Y 020
Z 10122
[space] 20
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[Suspence]

1210101220211222110201201201120021020210120121002201002022111112000122222212212020201201120122020102012112221102012011021000220100201201120120221121001000022022221220211222110201 
020221110121202222202100220112120022002122122022211111101222121202111221212212221022011022010110202010000101110110112100210112 
02211201220202211111200012200101220022010020002202112212110102012012011201202111221212212221022002201002011122210210200220100 
10112211012112022111120211221222212211121020211221222202020102222220201021210021221220102110122111201021102200212021112221220021202020211101101001121202111212222020 
2111212110101120100121222122122222121201001212221221112102010012122102220100110220021201120010011202222202020112001222011211012211121020112110220120 
211022221120212021102220202021102210210112120211022110100022221220211011012211101121202110110220021200210021012201120202122211102100120122222211022112120122222210120 
122222101220120220012212202022001210120202202212100120111212222220120210201112122211202102011111021011201102201012011000211202120121222211121112120120121221222102 
21021200122202102122211202021022120210120221221111202101201101221110110220210022222220021201201120122112101122201201120022002120120112110122111201102201020112102211201212122 
101000021002201002010100010121012202002222212111120022112222122122020200221120010020022112002100210102020101222222112021 
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[Suspence]

Call in FABRIC
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[LordKinbote]

FABRIC is correct.

We're skipping a puzzle called "Carb Pool" which involved identifying broken pieces of pasta. The answer to that one (which doesn't matter because, as I said, you can't solve this meta) was SEASON.

The next puzzle after that was called "Edge of Your Seat Fun". Teams had to send a player to headquarters to play a modified version of Jenga. They were able to cash in the Jenga pieces for words. They eventually got the following words (which were ordered by color and are presented in correct order below)...

PROUST
MAPLE
UNCLEAR
RIDER
AWNING
COIN
REACTION
EARTH

You can finish it off from there, and then we'll move on to a more meaty puzzle.

[Suspence]

STUPOR
AMPLE
NUCLEAR
DRIER
WANING
ICON
CREATION
HEART

Call in SANDWICH
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[LordKinbote]

SANDWICH is right, though your first word is wrong. Do you see why?

Next: Movie Musicals by Patrick Blindauer and Francis Heaney

[Suspence]

Not immediately. Must be SPROUT...

EDIT: Ah, yes...only only letter moves per word.
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[Suspence]

Charlie Wilson's War
The Color of Money
Duck Soup
Enchanted April
Fool's Gold
Grave of the Fireflies
The Help
Ishtar
Life Is Sweet
Madonna: Truth or Dare
Men in Black
The Mission
Mulholland Falls
Sabrina
Say Anything
Schindler's List
Spy Kids
The Star Chamber

Playbills:
Les Miserables
American Idiot
South Pacific
Dreamgirls
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Kismet
Falsettos
La Cage Aux Folles
Sarafina
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[gftt*]

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is at lower left.

[Suspence]

Top Row:
ON YOUR TOES - Older B&W playbill with no yellow banner
SARAFINA - 3 peoples faces, all wearing hats
HIGH SPIRITS - B&W with yellow banner, 3 people
DREAMGIRLS - 3 women's legs
BRING IN DA NOISE, BRING IN DA FUNK - Man dancing

Next Row:
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES - Red feathers
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT - Bus with sparkles
HELLO DOLLY - Very gray one, with a seated person
FALSETTOS - Three cartoon figures holding a heart
LITTLE WOMEN - Sketch of the profiles of several women
SONG & DANCE - Watercolor-looking man
AMERICAN IDIOT - Hand holding red grenade

Next Row:
SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET - Two disturbing cartoon people
STARLIGHT EXPRESS - Star
SOUTH PACIFIC - 5 people in a circle
GODSPELL - Face, half blacked out
LES MISERABLES - Little girl
KISMET - Older style playbill, sword at the top
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[Suspence]

17 CharlieWilsonsWar
15 TheColorofMoney
8 DuckSoup
14 EnchantedApril
9 FoolsGold
19 GraveoftheFireflies
7 TheHelp
6 Ishtar
11 LifeIsSweet
18 MadonnaTruthorDare
10 MeninBlack
10 TheMission
15 MulhollandFalls
7 Sabrina
11 SayAnything
14 SchindlersList
7 SpyKids
14 TheStarChamber

13 LesMiserables
13 AmericanIdiot
12 SouthPacific
10 Dreamgirls
25 PriscillaQueenoftheDesert
6 Kismet
9 Falsettos
15 LaCageAuxFolles
8 Sarafina
10 OnYourToes
11 HighSpirits
27 BringInDaNoiseBringInDaFunk
10 HelloDolly
11 LittleWomen
12 SongAndDance
38 SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet
16 StarlightExpress
8 Godspell

[gftt*]

[Suspence]

Call in PARTY
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[Suspence]

Hah...simulpost, but you win
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[LordKinbote]

Correct. We originally tested this puzzle without the blanks and it proved fairly impossible.

Not sure if this one can be solved remotely, but hey, let's give it a shot.

My Summer Vacation by Molly de Blanc and Emily Morgan

[Suspence]

I'll be in Boston later today. Should I bring this puzzle with me?

We started our historical tour at the Common. Dad wanted to see the burial site of some famous historical guy. Dad said he was a revolutionary and a brewer, but I wasn’t so sure about the brewer part.

This seems to refer to Samuel Adams grave at Granary Burying Ground, just outside of the Boston Common.
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[LordKinbote]

[Suspence]

The station looked different from the others. Mom said the style was “art deco”. It was decorated with tiles that seemed to be a childrens’ art project. I counted the skyscrapers on Pat Mogan’s tile.

The next train that arrived was pulled into the station by a smiling red engine. I didn’t think they used engines for city transit systems, but apparently they do in Boston? The engine continued to smile at me. His name was spelled out in shiny gold letters on the side (I knew it was his name because he told me), as well as an elegant “No. 1.”

He seemed a little lost, however. He kept saying he was supposed to be at the end of the Skarloey Railway, but I don’t think that’s anywhere near Boston...

This seems to be about Thomas the Train. Thomas is number 1, but he's also blue. I did find this.

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[Suspence]

I stopped paying attention because I was hungry. We tried to find the F&T restaurant that Dad remembered from his last trip, but apparently it had closed.

I found this:
Dozens of denizens of the former F&T Restaurant gathered last week to share memories at the June 5 dedication of a plaque commemorating the bygone eatery, which once stood at the site of today's Kendall Square inbound subway entrance.
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[gftt*]

[Scurra]

Movie/book references:

#1 May be The Fugitive? (Harrison Ford movie version, set in Chicago)

#2 As noted this ought to be Thomas the Tank Engine (set on the island of Sodor) but there's something odd going on.

#3 is the plot of Hickory Dickory Dock, an Agatha Christie novel, so the detective is Hercule Poirot (set in London)

#4 is obviously Harry Potter, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger but not apparently from any particular book (set in London)

#5 ???

#6 is The Doctor and Rose from the episode Rose in Doctor Who (set in London)

#7 appears to refer to Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City

#8 is Dark City (one of my favourite movies!)

#9 is Ghostbusters II (set in New York)


Alas, I know nothing about Boston metro stops... I guess the numbers we are supposed to find will index into the titles of the works?
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[gftt*]

The settings all seem to be stops on the MBTA, probably all on the red line.

#1: Park Street (near Boston Common & the Sam Adams grave site)
#2: ???
#3: Kendall (F&T Restaurant, as mentioned above)
#4: Harvard (oldest university)
#5: South Station (transferring from airport)
#6: Andrew (next to South Boston VFW)
#7: Charles/MGH (outdoors, next to river & hospital)
#8: Central (Rock Band makers = Harmonix, headquarters in Cambridge)
#9: Downtown Crossing (3 lines meet)

[gftt*]

It would make the stations non-consecutive, but #2 might be Davis, given that it does have a childrens' art project with tiles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_%28MBTA_station%29

[Scurra]

The non-Red Line location of #5 appears to be the Tech Nickel Plate Railroad which is the MIT model railroad club layout.
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Suspence]

I went to Boston and didn't manage to do any puzzle solving. I did see the Sox lose 14-13 in a crazy game, however.
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[Scurra]

[Scurra]

I have been trying to find out if the numbers we need can be found online, but it's proving tricky.

#1 Number of lights on the outbound track at Park Street. Possibly the answer is indeed the same as the number of gunshots in the film but I don't have a copy of the film to check.

#2 Number of skyscrapers on the tile at Davis. I can't find any with skyscrapers at: http://davissquaretilesproject.com/davis-square-tiles though (and there is no Pat Mogan in the list of children.)

#3 Number of instruments at Kendall. This is either 3 (for the thee separate installations) or 18 (because one of them consists of 16 parts.)

#4 Second historical display at Harvard. No idea what this is referring to, and can't seem to find any pictures or anything

#5 Number of payphones on one side of the track at South Station. Can't find a picture.

#6 Number of red stripes at Andrew (multiplied by 2). I think this is six http://www.flickr.com/photos/54690684@N07/5967658017/

#7 Number of advertising hoardings in the middle of the tracks at Charles/MGH. Based on this picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/freakpower/814931616/ I'd say the answer was four (or possibly five if there is one beyond the picture.)

#8 Number of murals at Central station. There appear to be seven murals in total in the “East Indian” set

#9 Number of electronic signs(?) at Downtown Crossing, Very difficult to determine from photographs but it looks like only one or two.

However, I have had more luck with the other part: the entries appear to refer to fictional stations within the stories described, and - conveniently - they are coming out in alphabetical order... Of course, this probably means we need to find a sort order as well. (This was prompted by my wondering why the Harry Potter wasn't specified. First thought was that it was because they all started with the same letters so it didn't matter!)

#1 ? The Fugitive (Balbo)
#2 ? Thomas and Friends (Crovan's Gate - end of Skarloey line)
#3 3 Hickory Dickory Dock (Hickory Road)
#4 ? Harry Potter and the whatever (Hogsmeade)
#5 ? Tech Nickel Plate Railroad (annoyingly I think this ought to be Gifford City which doesn't fit the alpha)
#6 3 Doctor Who: Rose (Queen's Arcade)
#7 4 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockford - Shoreside and Staunton aren't alpha)
#8 7 Dark City (Shell Beach)
#9 2 Ghostbusters II (Van Horne)
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[LordKinbote]

If we deem it impossible, I can just give you the necessary numbers.

[Scurra]

Sorting by station order gives:

#2 ? Thomas and Friends (Crovan's Gate) Davis
#4 ? Harry Potter and the whatever (Hogsmeade) Harvard
#8 7 Dark City (Shell Beach) Central
#3 3 Hickory Dickory Dock (Hickory Road) Kendall
#7 4 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockford) Charles/MGH
#1 ? The Fugitive (Balbo) Park
#9 2 Ghostbusters II (Van Horne) Downtown
#5 ? Tech Nickel Plate Railroad (Gifford City???) South
#6 3 Doctor Who: Rose (Queen's Arcade) Andrew

??ECK?A?E

I do not for one moment think that the answer is CHECKMATE (partly because BALBO does not have an M in it!) but I would probably call it in at this point just to get a "no"...
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}