The Return of Dr Sloth (split 3)

[Trilian8]

The ones that say Incomplete Data will give you random answers, even if you put three of the same in. The ones that don't can be solved by logic... but I haven't been able to do that yet.

WOW, i went back through my puzzles. I already finished the 1 and 2 modifier puzzles, but I found a 3 modifier without the "Incomplete Data" and the answers don't change.

[yvonne_l_d]

The ones that say Incomplete Data will give you random answers, even if you put three of the same in. The ones that don't can be solved by logic... but I haven't been able to do that yet.

WOW, i went back through my puzzles. I already finished the 1 and 2 modifier puzzles, but I found a 3 modifier without the "Incomplete Data" and the answers don't change.

THAT is the secret! Thank you Nekopan and Trilian!

Now we should be able to create a key to help us decipher this. I don't know if our keys will all be the same or not. They might be the same, because for the 2-modifiers, most of the combos in my key matched Warnold's, but one of them didn't. We might not be able to help each other out.

[zorg]

o.O

I knew i shouldn't of gotten up this morning.

[Pickles]

I've discovered a tip for at least the 2 modifiers puzzles - work as if it *is* a math problem. Try different combinations to try and get the LAST symbol to match up first.

IE:
23
+45
68

Work to figure out what will give you 8 first, then try different combinations (IE, if C+C gives you '8', try different combinations that end with C).

Doing this had me solved through the 2-modifiers in no time (once I started it)

They really need to stop putting up new puzzles/parts when I'm either on my way home or cooking dinner!

Edit: I'm not sure if anyone posted this yet. Sorry if it's been said.

[Siniri]

I just solved my first 3 puzzle! I just randomly combined ones and wrote down all the possible combinations of 4 for each symbol. Then I went down and systematically tried all possible combinations in order (I put the first one that could be right into the first spot, then tried each subsequent second possibility with each final match, going down the columns). Nine to go!

ETA: Is anyone else starting to experience lag? It seems to take longer each attempt!

[satiran]

I am still hugely confused by everyone's advice and have been playing around with the combos myself. Just matching up symbols and somehow to my surprise I've solved half the puzzles. But now I have TEN 3-modifiers to finish *wails*

Best piece of advice I have is to get some pen and paper out and try to match up your symbols (for example, X + X + X = C); there seems to be some kind of consistent pattern but I can't see it, let alone articulate it lol.

But for me, matching up the first 'digits' in the 2-modifier puzzles worked better than matching up the last 'digits'.

(And in real life, I'm seeing strange colours from the green-on-black of that puzzle screen. )

EDIT: Siniri, definate lag on my end. Must be more users getting on and trying the puzzles, or giving the servers a workout with the 3-modifiers lol.

EDITED AGAIN: I can confirm that the 'incomplete data' 3-modifiers are totally random. Tried the same combo 3x and each time, it spat out a different result. Argh!

[Tachi]

It doesn't matter which end you choose from, be it the first or the last, you just have to find a combination of symbols and simply stick with that, matching up to get the first or last symbol in your target code.

That sounds confusing, but really, it's just trial-and-error. Stick with a combination of symbols and keep trying different ones that make up that symbol. Don't even pay attention to the key.

[MahMu]

If I may ask... is it important we save our answers? Just got on and started trying...

[Daze]

Currently, I am just doing random guessing because I cannot solve any 2 or 3 modifiers

I am in the same boat - the maths is just too ..... out there for me.

For the 2 modifier, I am just working through the list in sequence

Eg.

[warnold]

2 3 mods down, and all my incompletes have become complete.

They're 10 places with 1 new symbol.

My key is: Z=0 X=1 V=2 C=3 8=4 P=5
and I assume the new one is 6 but I haven't verified that.

[Pickles]

Woo! Got my first 3-modifier.

I'm not sure why working from the back is working better for me. My husband thinks it's some sort of math in a non-10-Base number system.
I'm just gonna stick with matchin' the last ones up, rather than try to hurt my brain breaking the code.

It really does help if you find out what "makes" the target you're looking for, and try different combinations of those. At least, it goes faster than hammering out all the different combinations.

And yes, the lag has been up and down.

[theonlysaneone]

2 3 mods down, and all my incompletes have become complete.

They're 10 places with 1 new symbol.

My key is: Z=0 X=1 V=2 C=3 8=4 P=5
and I assume the new one is 6 but I haven't verified that.

Wait, is that really working?

As an aside, I've found that using B instead of 8 makes things much easier.

[laurenb]

FINALLY. One 3 modifier down...9 to go!

[Siniri]

I'll try to clearly explicate my strategy since it seems to work for me.

1) Find the puzzles that only take 1 modifier (there should be 5). For the first one, randomly drag the numbered choices on the right over to the modifier box and wait for a result. If you're correct, the message will decode. If you're wrong, you'll get a result. The puzzles are a form of addition {key=ABCD, modifier=EFGH, result=(A+E)(B+F)(C+G)(D+H)}, so if X+Y=Z in any space, it will always = Z. Each symbol is only affected by the ones in the same column (so you don't have to think of them as math at all). So if you got the code wrong, you can look at the last (or first) symbol of the key and target and likely figure out what the missing last symbol of the modifier is (based on the code you've deciphered). Try all the choices that have the correct symbol until you get it right. The same code will work for the other 1-modifier puzzles, so solve them all the same way.

2) For the 2 modifier puzzles (there are also 5), I found it easiest to try two modifiers randomly. I made big boxes for each symbol on a piece of paper. Then I went through my random results and wrote down all the combinations I got for each symbol (for example X: ABB, ACD, DDE). Next, I looked at the last symbol in the key and target and went through the choices one by one. If the first choice had a symbol that would work, I put it in the first box and then tried all the other choices with the final symbol in the second box. If none of those worked, I tried the second choice in the first box with all the matching choices under it (because you already tried it with those above). For example, using the above possibilities for X, if X was the target and A was the key, I'd try all the B's with all the other B's and all the C's with all the D's until I got it right.

3) The 3 modifier puzzles can be solved the same way as the 2's, but they have a lot more possibilities and take longer. You could make a program that would give you all the potential solutions and search for them, but that'd take all the fun out of it...

I hope this helps people who are having trouble!

[claricerose]

FINALLY. One 3 modifier down...9 to go!

Me too!