Surely it's not just us solving this?
We've got to the final answer as a joint effort with me and MsBeej. Still missing one of the intermediate answers, I think I know what the word is but no idea why (no 6).
Oh, excellent.
The first two on breakfast TV this morning. I worked both out in my head in a few seconds. I expect they're the easier ones though.
Number 6 has a lot of superfluous information. Went down a bit of rabbit hole with binary and ascii, turned out to be much simpler.
Two left to get for me
Getting there.
I've got two of the links to find in 3, two of the sequences in 5, and I've not even looked at the music one yet. Done the rest.
All done*. Totally missed the clue to decode the final answer but got it from the letter count, doh!
(*Still missing one sequence and one of my gift tag groups is a bit iffy)
They did this a few years ago and my lad got quite a fair way through the sections before he got stuck with it.
Great way to get kids thinking and puzzling
All done here too... but just can't quite work out what the second sequence in 5 relates to, even having worked out the answer for the whole clue!!
but just can’t quite work out what the second sequence in 5 relates to, even having worked out the answer for the whole clue!!
Maybe when you look back at it you'll be able to finish it
Thanks for the hint... got it now...
Ah, it was 5 we didn't have - 6 was a pretty quick solve for me. Will look at 5 again.
OK, can't get the first sequence in 5, even knowing the last two letters.
Think 4, 3, 2, 1…
Just had a quick go. Got the first four. Was pleased to work out Q4.
OK, got #3 finally. It would have to include a sodding
And, solved.
Cool.
Think 4, 3, 2, 1…
Doh! Of course. Ta!
The real question is how fast does ChatGPT solve them?
I’ve got the final answer, and from that I’ve got the answer to number 7, but can’t see how to work it out from the jumbled message, any tips? Proud that my 14 yo daughter got the music one before me!
any tips
This is where my escape room experience paid off.
It's a substitution code. They've left the spaces and punctuation in the right places. I started by guessing "gq’l" and "c", did a bit of frequency analysis, guessed what "m" was and words started to reveal themselves.
Once you've cracked the code, the answer word is pretty clear.
When does that big xmas picture quiz come out???
Not sure I solved it the way it was intended.
1+4 = really really easy
3 - made a guess from 1 set of three words
that was enough to make an educated guess at the final answer, and from that work out what the answers to 5+6+7 were without having to do any actual solving of those clues
When does that big xmas picture quiz come out???
Someone has already posted the link on a thread.
I'm woeful at the GCHQ thing, I guess that's why I chose my career path, good with guns, not with codes. 😂😂😂
I managed to guess the final one after several hours but still can't crack Q.5 or Q.7, or Q3 fully! More mince pie than clandestine spy I think.
Quite fun, though.
What are you missing? How far have you got?
The real question is how fast does ChatGPT solve them?
I'll find out later today when I give it to my criminologists - including the chat got user 😃
Got the answer for 6 working back from the final but utterly bamboozled as to how it works
The vertical position of the notes on the stave isn't relevant.
Q2 actually stumped me for a while as two of those clauses don't agree with my lexicon. Skipping and Leaping. The first can be done and the second is more commonly referred to by another name.
You lots' brains must be wired different...I'm about to rip it up in frustration
Yea, I didn't know what a substitution code is. Should be able to get Q.7 now.
Q6 has me stumped. I've got the answer by working backwards from the final question, but not knowing how it is solved is driving me nuts! (No spoilers please).
For Q6 see beej's post half a dozen back.
fun diversion, though in the spirit GCHQ/Bletchly Park isn't a brute force solution the way to go ?
theres a finite number of words that follow chrismas, and you know the order from each word and theres a christmas theme in the answer.
Bet this kid could knock it off in a few minutes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67663128
Despite having his laptop confiscated, Kurtaj managed to breach Rockstar, the company behind GTA, using an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV and a mobile phone.
I mean, holy shit. We should be promoting him, not locking him up!