Final Strategy Advice
A lot of you have been asking what I am going to do for the finalists. I am more than happy to try and help someone win the Grand Prize, so let me know what you need me to do.
To make this managable, if you have information that is helpful and you would like it contained in a blog post, please email me the information directly to davincicodequest@gmail.com with a subject line finalinfo.
What would I do if I were in your shoes. Well first I would tell you that I can generalize the finalists into 3 categories, and they are:
1. Those who could care less if they win the grand prize.
2. Those who don't really care if they win the grand prize, but will try hard now that they have been given the opportunity.
3. Those who will do anything to win the grand prize.
Now, if someone from the blog wants to win I suggest the following. Order the finalists in each group ( IE. group 1. (1, 2, 3..., n) followed by group 2. (n+1, n+2, n+3, ..., m), followed by group 3. (m, m+1, m+2, m+3, ..., l). Each of you should play the puzzle one at a time according to your numbering and then report back your findings to the blog.
The first group, since they don't mind to sacarifice in order to benefit the whole, should take their time and take down as much detail (in the form of questions asked and screenshots) as possible.
The second group should work from the knowlege gained from the first group and play the puzzles as quick as possible, but if new information can be gathered that would be beneficial to the whole, the second group will stop and take the time to collect that data rather than just pushing through to try and finish quickly.
The final group of finalists should take the time to read through all of the material and information provided by the first two groups and then play the challenges as quickly as possible. It might also be beneficial the third group of finalists to start a chat room on an IRC server (or msn conference or something of that nature) and then schedule a time to meet. But how beneficial that would be depends on if the answers require research.
Here is how I see it. If the answers are such that there is an answer that can be provided from memory, everyone has lost to that one person, that Ken Jennings out there. If it is one that can be deduced by formula or must be acquired through research, then you might find it helpful to have more than one person working on the problem with you. If it is a simple chess game, you will probably lose to a Grand Master.
Good Luck Everyone! Let me know how I can help. Don't forget about the Eurostar quest, see http://eurostarquest.blogspot.com for more details. Get all of the MSN Conspiracy Game Answers here
posted by G00GLEFACT @ 5/16/2006 09:42:00 AM
33 comments
33 Comments:
I just found out I finished 10,001. H-Sizzle, gimmie that cryptex.
hmm.. I'm not lying either.
wow.. it's pretty bad when you comment on your own blog post before anyone else does
It would appear that the "Limited Edition Cryptex" is really just a bad run of this fully working cryptex available for $60:
http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=NN5335&catid=0
I assume the reason that the MSRP on our prizes is only $30 is because they are defective.
Only the last two letters, "IL", are needed to unlock the prizes, but on mine, if all 5 rings had been needed, the code would have been "DYDIL", not "GRAIL".
Way to turn a $300,000 mistake into a marketing campaign Google & Sony!!!
GF, how did you find that out? Also, has anyone NOT recieved any email at all? I got the confirmation email from Sony, but have yet to recieve an email telling me whether I am a finalist or not.
BTW, sounds like a good strategy.
Oops, the item I linked to previously, is apparently a "mini-cryptex", and only 4" in length.
The cryptex that appears to be the same as the "Limited Edition" prize is at:
http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=NN5119&catid=52
And from the picture, also appears only to use the last two wheels.
So funny.
How did you find that?? g00glefact!
I do not think you should provide the final answers, its not fair....let the winner win the right way, not by cheating, its bad enuff google cant get their act right in giving thousands error messages in the last puzzle, let the winner really be a WINNER.
Upon furthur review, mine is also the mini-cryptex.
synch, i did sumbit the right answers, and i did get the congrats page after i submitted my address, etc, i had registered correctly, but what gets me is i havent gotten any e mails, and i know my answers were right, there is something wrong with the way google did this, and im sure im not the only one. i loaded the correct page and told i had registered correctly, i even got the mssage on my google page i had completed all 24 answers correctly...its in google hands that this was unfair
it sounds like everyone has already received their cryptex. has anyone else who received a finalist email not yet received the cryptex?
ive lost all faith in google, ive had their e mail since it came out, and love their search engine, but after this mess with this contest, and so many contestants who should have made it as finalists, but for the mess with google and even; in my case, i know i was in there but never got a single e mail, i doubt i will use google for e mail or for their search engine, this whole thing, 24 days of work and not cheating, leads me with a sour stomach, google should keep out of the contest game, and stick to disappointing thousands of contestants on a daily basis, this whole mess was rigged guys.
I think the best way to prepare for the final quest would be to go back and do all of the puzzles again. Then go back and hit "reset puzzle" and do all of those. I have a feeling it will be all of the puzzles, except for the observation puzzle, just back to back. Possibly with no second tries or hints.
I think someone posted the link to a page where you can go back and do the puzzles. Does anyone have it?
Ya'll may have already seen this site:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/can-you-crack-code.html
it's from one of the guys who worked on creating the puzzles. The last sentence states:
"P. S. Okay, this wouldn’t be a Da Vinci-related post if I didn’t give you a clue: if you really want a mental workout, try solving the Chess Challenges by looking only at the board, without using the multiple choices to help you. The training you get may very well prove helpful should you turn out to be one of the elite few who reach the Final Challenge."
Then again, it could be they just pick one out of 10,000 at random, the way it seems to have been to get to the final phase. (trying not to be bitter)
Either way, congrats and good luck, finalists!
I got my cryptex! (Still no email, though.)
GOOD FOR YOU MATT, I HOPE YOU WIN
Based on what the crytex's look like (I haven't received mine yet) I think you can modify them for 5 code entries.
If the 3 other wheels have gogs on them (they probably do) then all you need to do is add the bumps onto the inner piece. This could probably be done with something like liquid metal or an expoy putty that would harden well and make 3 more bumps.
But, I haven't seen a crytex IRL, so I am speculating a bit. I'm assuming the inner piece is metal and not plastic.
allyson:
very interesting. i went back to the rules page, and this is what it states:
"Sony Pictures Digital, Inc.'s computer is the official clock for purposes of determining all timing issues in connection with Phase 1 of this Contest. Google Inc.'s computer is the official clock for purposes of determining all timing issues in connection with the Final Phase of the Contest."
Let's hope that the Google clock works better than the Sony clock for the finalists!
GAAAAAH! I got my finalist email last night, but still no cryptex in today's mail! And I live in California!
Anybody knows if it's possible to sue the USPS over this, if I don't get it by the end of May 18th?
how do you propose you would sue USPS??
thats crazy talk.. give it time. they had 10,000 to mail out..
chill buddy
Alice, I'm not sure that we'll need the actual cryptex for the final challenge.
I got my cryptex finally, the code on mine is set to "lgoil" if all 5 rings were there, so apparently the first 3 characters are random.
buffon... There have been at least a few dozen posts mentioning that only the last two letters of the code matter and the first three are random. Makes me wonder how *you* got through the quest.
Did anyone else get the email confirming that you had completed all 24 puzzles, and get a cryptex, but NOT get a "You are a winner" email?
buffon, duh yourself. You seemed to imply that Sagron didn't know that the code was grail. Everybody already knows it's grail. Or, rather, that the intended code is grail. Sagron was simply saying what the code on his cryptex *actually* is.
I felt bad for all the people on here who said that all they really wanted was a cryptex. My buddy and I both made it to the finals, so we opened one of the cryptex boxes and left the other sealed. I have listed the sealed box on ebay click here to go to the listing. I left it sealed, and can easily replicate the original shipping label (standard 1"x3" white label)
Most of the cryptex listings on ebay have been opened and played with, but this one is still sealed. One thing that not a lot of people mentioned is that the box came wrapped in protective tissue paper that was impossible to remove without ripping, so all of those opened boxes can never be put back in mint condition. If you pick up this one you will receive it exactly the same way the finalists did.
I created a one day auction, so that someone can receive it on the 18th (if they want to pay for next day shipping.) Hope that helps ease the pain.
David
baffon, I'll take that as a compliment. Alice is the smartest person in the Dilbert comic strip.
@pgp
According to the picture of the fully functional cryptex on noble collections website, the metal ridge would extend beyond the tip of the barrel.
Might you be able to cut a notch out of the spring cap and extend the ridge?
Everyone that is complaining about google and the final contest snafu's should read this post from Wei-Hwa Huang (The guy at google that created the puzzles) http://onigame.livejournal.com/ Also (as previously stated in this posting) the registration confirmation page was hosted by sony, not google.
David
Just got my cryptex in the mail. For those interested, the combo is "ORJIL" (though only the last IL is needed). Sorry for those who didn't make it. Good luck those those in the final round!
Hmm. This is very unlikely, but what if one of the things you had to do was enter the full code for your cryptex. That would mean that everyone who has changed theirs is also screwed.
Zach,
'nother thought on the potential re-calculation because of server errors...
On one of my 24 puzzles, the last symbol/sudoku challenge, I actually did request a new puzzle without having been able to figure out/finish the first one.
Since I received successful registration page from Sony at 1:07 pm EDT, am wondering if maybe that resetting counted against me and put me in the 10,002nd place (GF!)
So, what this means is that the people who are paying in the $200 range for a "simplified" cryptex on ebay should really pay just $60 for the real thing. How sad.
Oh, yeah. I finally got mine today! Woohoo!
Has anyone who got a finalist email not received their cryptex yet? I am getting worried that I am never going to get it. I hope its not needed for the final
I dont recall ever being able to submit wrong answers on the puzzle when they immediately tell you that you are wrong. The puzzle had told me something like "you have two correct answers, think harder..concentrate for the right answer".. that I had two of three right when I was struggling to figure out if its was madonna or mary of the rocks.. So it didnt let me put the wrong answer in, I know because when I really can't figure something out, I guess and use averages to answer the question, I start averaging with mutiple choice answers that I figure out until I get it right by doing a process of elimination. Also the rules state that you are immediately told when you are wrong or right. I figured it was impossible to submit incorrect answers AND register to complete the first phase.
hmm
MR
gnrkrazy
If I were you, I would find the links every one else got and use those for your entry to the final phase on the 18th. I don't see that having the physical cryptext (with no screen shots incidentally) will matter.
MR
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