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How about a real puzzle cointest?

moscow32

By moscow32
in Trackables

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Scoutbound

+Scoutbound

Posted
Posted

Brain hurts.. and I'm getting frustrated (my 99.9% turned out to be about 85%) =(

You should see my sticky note.. It's covered in M, O, S, C and W.

 

I'll check back in a little while..

SCYoli

SCYoli

Posted
Posted

Hubby says: "almost 100% sure, you need to use a square to decode, then take the decoded cipher text and run it through either Caesar, Vigenere, or a keyword code. Finding the right square pattern is the trouble, but I bet the square pattern will be the keyword for the 'decoded' cipher text. We went with "moscw" and "mscow" in the square, and not "Moscow" since the O's would repeat and cause problems decoding. "

MommyFinder

+MommyFinder

Posted
Posted

Brain hurts.. and I'm getting frustrated (my 99.9% turned out to be about 85%) =(

You should see my sticky note.. It's covered in M, O, S, C and W.

 

I'll check back in a little while..

Sticky notes? I'm using full sheets of paper, front and back!

LadyBee4T

+LadyBee4T

Posted
Posted

Hubby says: "almost 100% sure, you need to use a square to decode, then take the decoded cipher text and run it through either Caesar, Vigenere, or a keyword code. Finding the right square pattern is the trouble, but I bet the square pattern will be the keyword for the 'decoded' cipher text. We went with "moscw" and "mscow" in the square, and not "Moscow" since the O's would repeat and cause problems decoding. "

 

That's what I have been doin and so far nothing that makes sense

MommyFinder

+MommyFinder

Posted
Posted

Hubby says: "almost 100% sure, you need to use a square to decode, then take the decoded cipher text and run it through either Caesar, Vigenere, or a keyword code. Finding the right square pattern is the trouble, but I bet the square pattern will be the keyword for the 'decoded' cipher text. We went with "moscw" and "mscow" in the square, and not "Moscow" since the O's would repeat and cause problems decoding. "

 

That's what I have been doin and so far nothing that makes sense

That's been my approach, too.

moscow32

+moscow32

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi guys! I just got back from a cache run where I ran out of daylight too fast! Lots of fun, and no, I didn't drop any coins tonight. (Sorry, The Walkabouts, LB4T, and SOC...)

 

Like I said before, I'm ok if it doesn't get solved tonight. So far, I have not received the correct answer.

 

You won't like the next hint, so don't ask for it until you are absolutely ready for it. I promise. You won't like it.

 

Group effort is one of my favorite things to see, rather than solo effort. :o

 

Good luck! And really, you won't like the next hint. I promise!

sillygirl & jrr

+sillygirl & jrr

Posted
Posted (edited)

I agree about the square (well really rectangle). As for the size, there are 128 characters in the original puzzle 128 is not a perfect square but it is divisible by 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. Was going to post earlier but internet connection went down.

 

We have a similar puzzle here and I finally put all the letters into and MS Word table (each letter one cell) so that I could manipulate it without rewriting the grids. Don't have time to work on it now...

 

Actually now that I look at the link, I am thinking of a different cipher. On based on something in a Dan Brown novel.... I'll go find that link.

Edited by sillygirl & jrr
SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

How would one decypher this if the keyword was TRAVELER?

 

Traveler is kinda large what I was doing is:

 

m s c o w

m a b c d e

s f g h i j

c k l m n o

o p r s t u

w v w x y z

(I left of "q" but in theory any letter could be missing/ or combined. i/j as one, etc.)

 

so "Hello" would read CS WM SC SC WO.

MommyFinder

+MommyFinder

Posted
Posted

How would one decypher this if the keyword was TRAVELER?

 

Traveler is kinda large what I was doing is:

 

m s c o w

m a b c d e

s f g h i j

c k l m n o

o p r s t u

w v w x y z

(I left of "q" but in theory any letter could be missing/ or combined. i/j as one, etc.)

 

so "Hello" would read CS WM SC SC WO.

Actually, I believe "Hello" would read SC MW CS CS CW. The examples I've seen read row then column.

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

My brain is kicking out random thoughts now, don't know if this will help or not but a-z = 26, moscow = 6 26+6 = 32.

 

moscow as the keyword in the square?

ie. Moscowabcde or tuvwxyzmoscow?

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

Actually, I believe "Hello" would read SC MW CS CS CW. The examples I've seen read row then column.

QFT. :o

 

If anyone needs I have a list of the pairs I'm using:

 

MM OO CC CS OM MM CM MW OW OC OC OM CW CS OS OO MS MM MW

MM CS CS MC MC OM OM SW SW CS SC SS CC OS MO OW MC MS SC

WW SC CS MS CC WW CO SC CS CO OM MM SM MO MC SO WS SC OM

MC CM WC CM CC OC CS

GPX Navigators

+GPX Navigators

Posted
Posted

I was thinking we needed to use the Digital Fortress cipher, or something similar.

 

Yep, exactly what I was thinking based on the numbers. And I played with it this way earlier. Never thought there would be such a good link on the web. I just gave the book back to the person I borrowed it from. I had written the code and how to down but heck knows where I saved it - lol.

 

Oh well - back from an event cache meeting. Time to tackle again - maybe. :o

surteb

+surteb

Posted
Posted

I know I got caught up in the type of moth pictured, but what if the code has more to do with the fact that the wings are identical, like mirror images of one another?

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

I know I got caught up in the type of moth pictured, but what if the code has more to do with the fact that the wings are identical, like mirror images of one another?

 

My daughter has a vanity, it has a mirror on it...

"Vanity" = mirror image? would tie in with your thoughts on the moth, and why he chose that particular book. :D

 

Of course all the stuff I learned about the book and the time period I learned today, goes out the window... :D

 

So far I think we've reached a consensus it's a square, followed by some version of cipher text. I think we just need to figure out the right keywords... :):o

wwflover13

wwflover13

Posted
Posted

Well I'm back from another unsuccessful coyote stakeout (don't ask) :) To find that nobody has solved this puzzle yet! :o

 

I know I got caught up in the type of moth pictured, but what if the code has more to do with the fact that the wings are identical, like mirror images of one another?

 

I thought about that also - because since the answer is one word, not all of the groups of letters can mean someting (not many 26 letter words exist)

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well I'm back from another unsuccessful coyote stakeout (don't ask) :) To find that nobody has solved this puzzle yet! :o

 

I know I got caught up in the type of moth pictured, but what if the code has more to do with the fact that the wings are identical, like mirror images of one another?

 

I thought about that also - because since the answer is one word, not all of the groups of letters can mean someting (not many 26 letter words exist)

 

the answer doesn't have to be in the text. it could decode to something like "whatistwentysevenplusseven" or whatever the answer would then be "thirtyfour", which broken down would add up to whatever...

Edited by SCBrian
Damenace

+Damenace

Posted
Posted

Hubby says: "almost 100% sure, you need to use a square to decode, then take the decoded cipher text and run it through either Caesar, Vigenere, or a keyword code. Finding the right square pattern is the trouble, but I bet the square pattern will be the keyword for the 'decoded' cipher text. We went with "moscw" and "mscow" in the square, and not "Moscow" since the O's would repeat and cause problems decoding. "

 

I'm with you on this, I understand the actual decoding of this I am just not sure what to set up as the Square code? I am almost thinking that the words on the picture are the plain text. The problem is you have to reverse engineer the words to get what is needed.

wwflover13

wwflover13

Posted
Posted

the answer doesn't have to be in the text. it could decode to something like "whatistwentysevenplusseven" or whatever the answer would then be "thirtyfour", which broken down would add up to whatever...

Hmm... well that puts a new spin on what I was doing. :o

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

code words to think about/play with

 

Moscow (and derivites of him)

...Mscow,Moscw, wocms, wcsom

 

Moth, I O MOTH, Lepidoptera, Automeris io, and all backwards spellings. I'm not to far from unconsciousness, so I've a feeling the left coast folks can build on the framework...

MommyFinder

+MommyFinder

Posted
Posted

the answer doesn't have to be in the text. it could decode to something like "whatistwentysevenplusseven" or whatever the answer would then be "thirtyfour", which broken down would add up to whatever...

That's the way I've been attacking it. I just can't figure out what the keyword would be. I've used all of the obvious.

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

surteb - I wonder if you might be onto something:

it answers the book question I've been having... Thank God I've dealt with Sissy and fendog in my area! :o

 

"Vanity Fair" Vanity = Mirror; fair = fairplay (the basic square cipher)

LadyBee4T

+LadyBee4T

Posted
Posted

surteb - I wonder if you might be onto something:

it answers the book question I've been having... Thank God I've dealt with Sissy and fendog in my area! :o

 

"Vanity Fair" Vanity = Mirror; fair = fairplay (the basic square cipher)

 

I mentioned the playfair cypher a long time ago....

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

your right, you did. :o Just thinking out loud... the more I think about it, the more I like it, but I cant seem to make it work, I'm feeling strongly that "Vanity Fair" = Mirror & Playfair; but I cant see it working. I like the ADFGX cipher and it makes more sence, but...?

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

something else to think about, in the original string of letters there are some repeats in a row:

MM CS CS MC MC OM OM SW SW CS perhaps someone can use this to brute force something out of it?

SCBrian

+SCBrian

Posted
Posted

Notice that can spell Moscow again.

 

back to square 1? :):o

 

ok, it's time for those of us on the east coast to drop off to bed and try not to dream about random strings of MOSCOW & IO Moth running through my head. Good luck to those on the west coast!

bluecherry

+bluecherry

Posted
Posted

Well I'm going to call it quits for the night good luck to everyone. I sent an email with what I thought it was but after reading all of your guy's comment I'm think I'm way off. I need to give my brain time to thing about it. I do like the mirror thing. I really has to have some thing to do with the moth. I do not know if the name is important or not.

rchdlyn

+rchdlyn

Posted
Posted

Well I'm back from another unsuccessful coyote stakeout (don't ask) :o To find that nobody has solved this puzzle yet! :D

 

I know I got caught up in the type of moth pictured, but what if the code has more to do with the fact that the wings are identical, like mirror images of one another?

 

I thought about that also - because since the answer is one word, not all of the groups of letters can mean someting (not many 26 letter words exist)

 

Mind you, there are 26 letters in the alphabet. I have found if I try hard, I can make it close to quite a few words ..... none much help. Perhaps it spells red herring? Still early in the evening :) for us downunder fellas.

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