The Void Within Discussion [Split 2]

[Pickles]

Glitch seems to have been fixed for every one, yay! (Wish I could say the same for the TaDa glitch I and many others currently have.)

Weekly bonus: Dark Nova Sofa. No such luck on the Rainbow Pool Coin or Guardian Of Spectral Magic Stamp that I do actually need for my album. Maybe I'll get lucky with one one of these days?

New chapter SHOULD start on Monday at 10am NST. Guess we'll see if we get a puzzle to go along with the comic then?

Congrats on the coin, Blue! It's worth...like...25 mil?

[Blue]

Congrats on the coin, Blue! It's worth...like...25 mil?

Really? I didn't check. Looks like it will be for sale

ETA: meh. Already down to ~12MM on the TP.

[Siniri]

Can I please get something other than Doglefox with a stick plushie from ultimate dogleeye?

Relatedly, if anyone would like a Doglefox with a stick plushie, I have extra and am happy to send you one.

Also, new page, so new checklist. (I was missing Tarla. Leaving the 8 autocorrect because you should smile once you finish the list.)

1) Quest Log: daily quests, daily bonus, weekly bonus (+Neopass stuff if you do that)

2) Trudy's Surprise

3) Tarla

4) Timed activities:
a) volunteer shifts*
b) training
c) wheels/buried treasure/scratchcards/etc.
d) healing springs

5) Plot daily activities: (* see above for timed activities)
a) void essence collection
b) battling
c) daily games
d) new story parts/activities as they come up

6) Skirmishes: (activity depends on timing)
a) use daily boon
b) sign up
c) battle

7) Cookies (daily quests, training, etc.)

Other dailies

Note to self:

You only have #8 and repeats of #4 left for today (and #3 when your timer goes off).

Edit: I remember for past chapters, there was a warning to finish everything with the deadline. I can't remember where it was, but I checked the news alerts, the main TVW page, the story page, and the rewards page and didn't see it anywhere? Did I just overlook it? Forget where it was? Or maybe chapter eight isn't actually over?

Edit: Chapter 9 is up. Guess that answers that question. Finally some puzzles. I'll put a hint in spoilers for the first one.

A couple other notes: the Lost in the Dark game no longer has a helpful Doglefox giving hints. I'm going to wait for JN to update their guide in case there's some hidden clue (or at least until later in day) to increase my chance of a prize and the achievement.

Mini rant: they told us there was a song, and I was fully expecting to get the song, but it seems fairly obvious we're not getting the song at this point. I just really wish TNT would hire better writers. Or give them more time to write. Or something. It's like the AC stories. I stopped reading them halfway through because they were way too long for whatever payoff they had because they felt the need to put in every single player -- and describe their role, appearance, and personality, even if they didn't even speak or have any real relevance (except they all spoke because of course they had to).

Cryptogram (not really a spoiler, just an explanation of how I was spoiled and why it's not a very fair puzzle):

The long word in the cryptogram isn't a real word, so I ended up having to look up the solution. I did get the last word. I was just looking for hints but accidentally saw too much of the answer. I was able to figure out the next to last word after being spoiled on the first word. I'll add hints in spoilers for the first and last words in case you want to do the same.

P.S. One of the letters in the puzzle represents itself.

This spoiler contains a hint for the last word:

I could only think of two common words that have this pattern. It's the one that starts with a vowel.

This spoiler contains a hint for the first word:

It's a pronoun you would use for belonging to a group -- the one that makes the most sense when repeated in the long word, considering vowel placement.

This spoiler contains hints for the third word:

It's a verb and ends in a common letter that ends present tense verbs for third person singular.

The repeated letter is a vowel.

The second letter is the most common letter that occurs after the first letter at the beginning of words, because combined they make a prefix (though it's not one here).

And here's a spoiler for the long word:

The first eight letters do spell an actual word, a noun. One of these letters represents itself. The next three are an ending often used to verbize a noun, and the whole would be someone who verbizes the noun (though I'm not sure what verbizing this particular noun might mean).

[Pickles]

Lost in the Dark has become a daily puzzle, but our guide is now gone. So...Faerie Caverns again. Good luck!
Our 3k point bar has been reset, as expected.

There are more chapter prizes:

Page 2: Puzzle Chamber Threshold Sketch
Page 5: Ancient Vandagyre Statue
Page 9: Miniature Paint Puzzle

There are also prizes for completing the two puzzles:

Page 3 puzzle: Perplexing Puzzle Door Background
Page 8 puzzle: Sera Nero Stamp - album - Grey page

See Siniri's notes for the first puzzle.
But in case you really need it, here's the solution:

OUR GOURMANDIZER UNIFIES ALL

The second puzzle is pretty straight-forward. Basic color knowledge is all that is needed.

There is another achievement that can be unlocked. Solution in spoilers:

Click on the three missing pieces of parchment.
Page 1, 5th panel, on the ground to the left of the puzzle:

What's This?
This notebook is inscribed with the initials “F.J.S.” and contains research once written in an elegant script. A quill with a broken nib has been stuffed between the pages.
Day 34: Oswalde’s ancient tablets led us to an enormous wall of boulders. Despite the impediment, I have faith in my scholarly research and will not abandon my quest. I commanded the excavationists to shift the face of the mountain. They grumbled until I invoked the name of our king (and carted off a dissenter for ‘sabotage of standard fieldwork’). Now, they dig.
Day 37: Fortuitous day! I have discovered the rumoured tunnel on behalf of our king. It is pitch-dark and unreachable, but I have compelled the excavationists to clear the way. They delve day and night. My colleague Oswalde now mutters to himself all the while; delirious from excessive exuberance, no doubt. To think Elderus may be more than myth… it would necessitate its very own archive!
Day 39: I identified the original entry point in the rubble. The tablets depict a set of challenges, once a rite of passage, deep within. I would speculate with Oswalde about the best route forward, but he has been acting strange. I could have sworn I saw his eyes flash with anger when I told him to quit that incessant music-playing. Even now he plucks at a lyre, neglecting the literal mounds of work ahead of us. Indolence.
Day 41: I caught Oswalde composing a poem about the ruins’ whereabouts, despite my pleas for the utmost secrecy. He has been carted off to the Court of Knowledge for ‘endangerment to research confidentiality’. May his lyrics die in the dungeons. They were pitiful anyway, as most poems are.
Day 42: I am the first in centuries to get this close. And I have ensured I shall be the last; I have demolished the tablets. The rules have been recorded on wax-sealed papyri for his majesty’s eyes only. Henceforth, the Ruins of Elderus shall be under Brightvale’s guardianship, and all discoveries therein shall be sealed in my our royal archives.
[Undated] The next half of the journal contains a scribbled map of tunnels, sets of hastily written letters, and failed attempts to decode a message.
[Undated] Blast this door. Blast this blasted word door. Blast Oswalde and his poetry. Blast that monstrous mutt whohunts us still. I refuse to submit these findings to the University. I WILL make other discoveries. I WILL name an archive. MARK. MY. W

Page 5, 1st panel, bottom right corner:

What's This?
A set of ancient, brittle papers with neat, faded handwriting.
Trial of Brush and Brawn, Cohort C
Fabius – Eating nuts in the corner, not participating. Failed.*
Palma – Chewing nervously on her feathers. No confidence. Failed.
Marcella – Bullied Palma in the hallway. Made a mess. Recommended for Banishment.
Titus – Actually attempted the trial this time. Close, but no talon. Failed.
Cato – Flew through colours, struggled with weight. Passed.
Tullia – Passed. Predictably.
* Trial halted; Fabius lodged a pellet of nuts deep in the gears. We will resume in twenty moons.
Overall Assessment: Deeply Unimpressive
Advisement: Reevaluate curriculum. These ‘champions’ are woefully unprepared, unmotivated, and uninspired. Where is their zeal? Their ambition? Do they not desire the Gift? Our diminishing supplies are no excuse. We MUST continue the trials as we await His Imminent Return.
Employ any means necessary to reach the final trial of worthiness with this set of contenders.

Page 10, 1st panel, bottom right corner - this one is hard to see, just click around that area:

What's This?
The scroll is old, but not yet tattered. Deep red blotches mar the edges. The writing is rushed and lopsided.
HIKER BEWARE!! this isn’t a game for children, don’t be fooled by the old song. It’s a test of merit, and they look for perfection. this society was VERY smart, must’ve traveled a lot. I’ve tried everything in the room, but I’m stuck. the items are too old & broken & don’t work. ugh.
I can’t move. don’t know if I’ll ever get out. turn back if you can. outsiders not welcome. don’t try to solve it. It’s not worth it. don’t be stupid like me.

- Find the 7 hidden notes relating to the secret tunnel

[Siniri]

I'm going to wait for the other four to get that achievement, even though I know I can get it now. Based on what's on the notes, maybe we will eventually get the song? It still seems like if you mention a song with hints to finding something your group is trying to find, you'd share it with the group so you can work together to solve it... Or at the very least explain why you refuse to in an emergency!

Sorry, the writing really really bothered me.

I got past Cave 1 in one of my 4 playthroughs in the Caves since they reopened. I really hope you can get the achievement during any more hiatuses, because I suspect it's going to take every single available day for me to get it. I'm still waiting for that pumpkin stick.

I do appreciate that TNT gave non-premium users the same chance to get the achievement, as long as we're willing to watch an ad.

[Pickles]

I don't know if there will be any more parchments to find. Wondering if they goofed with the "7" or changed it since they originally made the achievement?

My first play through today, I made it to the end, but no bonus treasure. Second play through, found the bonus treasure, but didn't make it to the end.
Both of them yesterday were busts. Maybe...tomorrow for the achievement? Maybe?

[Blue]

Found a Luperus Right Head Stamp "on the way" mid-puzzle.

Congrats! You made it out somehow!
And look at that, the prize was waiting for you out here all along! Surprised you missed that going in actually...

You've found: 879 NP! & Banana and Chocolate Rock Stick

[Siniri]

Congrats, Blue! That means you have the achievement, right?

Meanwhile, I still haven't found the exit or the chest at all... Hopefully tomorrow. And that darn Doglefox keeps giving me the same three prizes. Hopefully I'll get something different there, too. And that pumpkin stick.

I really have the worst random luck, don't I?

[Blue]

Thanks... and nope. I apparently found a stamp, not the chest that is required for the achievement

I also still see a lock on that achievement. Should it be unlocked? If so, what did I miss to unlock it?

ETA: Apparently, you need to both find the chest and find the exit to get the achievement. That's not going to be easy. Odds are against us.

ETA2... Hmm. I was having trouble posting when I got that and had copy/pasted the results into notepad...

Found a Luperus Right Head Stamp "on the way" mid-puzzle.

Congrats! You made it out somehow!
And look at that, the prize was waiting for you out here all along! Surprised you missed that going in actually...

You've found: 879 NP! & Banana and Chocolate Rock Stick

"Worst random luck"...? Doesn't seem random

[Pickles]

Yesterday's Lost in the Dark runs were both busts.
Today's first one was a bust, but the second one I got the treasure AND made it out and successfully got the achievement! Yay!

No updates today other than them randomly deciding to cut the hospital shift time in half for premium players, which means all the 6-hours things that I've been doing together are no longer synced unless I hit them right at the 3 hour mark. I know that seems silly to complain about, but they TRIPLED the points for hospital shifts when the plot came back already - we don't need more shifts!

[Siniri]

Congrats on the achievement! Bummer, Blue. Hopefully you find that treasure and the exit soon. Sooner than me.... No, it doesn't seem random.

You get half time all the time? I could watch an ad and get it, but apparently it's only once per day like the wheels. Or are those every time for you too?!

I think a lot of people want the stats boosters. I'm guessing people going every three hours hit the points max already, anyway.

[Pickles]

The cap for a chapter is so low that without the shorter shifts, I was hitting it by the 3 day of the chapter without trying too hard already. So....yeah.

We get half time all the time, it appears. Wheels only get a double spin once per day.

However, the hospital is now buggier. It keeps refreshing the page funny while I'm trying to assign my guys to shifts.

I get the interest in the stat boosters...but the only ones I'm even slightly interested in are the swamp waters, because they're the only ones that do anything for levels or HPs, but they're a like, 1 in 10 chance of actually working, so you can really blow through them with little to no result. I've started a hoard of Strength Serums and Twisted Potion of Strengths which I will probably eventually turn over to my kiddos in exchange for like, 1 red codestone per 10 or something. We'll see. I can't make good use of them myself, so...yeah.

...but mostly what's happening is my SDB is filling up with more junk, and with no proper CC event, it's just rotting there, taking up server space.

[Blue]

I am interested in the strength potions....

I agree about the wonky refreshes on the volunteer page. It seems to jump all over the place as it randomly refreshes.

[Siniri]

I've been able to shorten all my volunteer shifts by watching ads since day 1, and while the refreshes are annoying, I've gotten used to them (it refreshes after joining shifts and sometimes after watching an ad, but not when collecting prizes, so I find it best to collect all my prizes per act, then join, waiting for the refresh before joining the next, and finally reducing all the timers, which you have loads of time to do, anyway). The interface still has about five hundred too many unnecessary clicks, but that's just Neopets.

I'm still waiting for marshmallows on a stick and pumpkin stick from Cosy Campfire, but I just got a book from Doglefox Fetch. And today I made it to cave 3 twice, but I still haven't come across any prizes, chests, or exits in the caves. Boo. Still, I only need to do them both once, right? At the same time...

I really enjoyed the puzzles in the rest of chapter 9. I was able to solve them without any extra help, even getting the achievement on the first try. I even found the first hidden note right away and tried to warn them, but...

You didn't even really need to read that note to know that was going to happen.

A couple of comments on the other two notes in spoilers:
Page 20 note:

Ooh, Tavi! Graffiti, girl? It's weird that the names and dates are all fairly recent on this one... Pretty sure I recognize Jake, makes sense... And is that first one Professor Agatha?

Page 25 note:

But none of those names made it to the exit? Very weird. Unless they all just didn't notice the second list since they'd already signed on the list for solvers of the last puzzle? Except that last name...

I did go visit the archivist, because his mention on the last list was sketch, but he wasn't talking about anything but Altador. It's funny to think he might have been Nom Nom, but I suspect his adventuring days would have been before he became archivist, when time was measured in sands, but if so, he either didn't claim his spot on the door, or it's been lost to time because he didn't use proper archiving techniques.

The only thing that was confusing is how Tavi ended up above everyone else when she fell so far and they blasted through a wall, but I guess there was a time skip while they went downhill through some tunnels. I'm not the most observant comic reader.

I've been complaining about the writing a fair bit, so I do want to acknowledge when it was well done, like in this chapter. More of this please, TNT! And these puzzles were very fair. More of these as well, please!

[Blue]

Lost in the dark...

Now look at that. You've found something!
Guess recklessly entering these dark, ominous tunnels actually paid off...
This tunnel also only has one way to go. Now all you have to do is find your way out of here or else it will just be you and your prize wandering around. Lost forever...

You found a hidden item!

Luperus Right Head Stamp
This item is now available in your inventory.

...and wrong turn.

No Achievement