Return of Dr Sloth [Split 8]

[May]

Previous Thread


ATTENTION

!! Please make sure all your posts are coherent, and that you have spelled all words to the best of your ability. Also, please try to use correct grammar.
PLEASE keep all posts on topic. If you would like to speak to someone personally or off-topic, PM them.


=====COMICS=====
Chapter 1 (29th Jan)
Chapter 2 (1st Feb)
Chapter 3 (5th Feb)
Chapter 4 (8th Feb)
Chapter 5 (13th Feb)
Chapter 6 (15th Feb)


=====Helpful Links=====
Wondering about whether you’re ready to battle, if it comes to that? Check out the Weapon Advice & Recommendations thread!

If you're new to PPT forums, and are just joining for our comprehensive & helpful plot assistance, please remember to read The Rules!



=====PLOT ASSISTANCE=====


Step One - Maintenance Tunnels (30th Jan)

The plot begins! The Maintenance Tunnels appeared under the space station map. At the Maintenance Tunnels, if you click on the left hand tunnel, you get directed to this Game in which you must orientate the bubble/arrow things to get Gorix through the maze.

Using the arrows, you have to change the direction he will go when he reaches particular turns, and then press go. While Gorix is walking you cannot change anything. Conveniently, the direction of a particular arrow will change going clockwise each time Gorix walks across it.

Solutions
Blatantly stolen from Siouxper's post here and re-formatted by the lovely Alex.
(Note - these are not the only solutions, there are many combinations that will finish the level)

MAZE 1
Arrow points DOWN

MAZE 2
The four arrows in a straight line, point (left to right), LEFT, UP, DOWN, RIGHT.
The remaining arrow points RIGHT.

MAZE 3
Arrow by itself on the left points LEFT
Top arrows point (left to right) RIGHT, DOWN
Arrow by itself on the bottom points DOWN

MAZE 4
Arrows along the top point (left to right) UP, RIGHT, RIGHT
Two arrows in the middle row point LEFT, RIGHT
Leftmost arrow in the bottom row points UP (other two can be ignored)

MAZE 5
Top arrows point DOWN, LEFT, DOWN, LEFT
Bottom arrows point DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
*Note, for this one, let the robots close the doors themselves - you don't have to do anything except wait.

Once you have completed the mazes, go back to the Maintenance Tunnels and you'll find a new door that has opened.

Step Two - Breaking Military Grade Encryptions (5th Feb)

!!!DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT USING A DECODER PROGRAM OR POSTING LINKS TO ONE HERE!!!

Note: You can only participate in Step Two if you have previously completed Step One.

1. Go here
2. Press "4"
3. Press "2"
4. Cry because the next part is super tedious.

(NOTE: You may need to click the screen a few times then push the numbers. Do not use the number key pad on the right of your keyboard.)

Before you is a list of different emails.
If you open any of them, you'll see a screen with a bunch of alien letters to the right of the screen. These are your modifier codes.

On the left is a KEY - a bunch of alien letters, up to 3 empty modifier boxes, a RESULT line and a TARGET line.

The purpose of this step is to decode the emails by using the modifiers to change the KEY into the TARGET. It sounds a bit confusing, so let's start at the beginning.

PLEASE NOTE: YOU CANNOT DECODE EMAILS IF THEY SAY "INCOMPLETE DATA." IF THEY SAY THIS, LEAVE THAT EMAIL FOR LATER

If the email you have opened has more than one modifier box, click "Return to Inbox at the bottom of the page." Keep opening emails until you find an email with only one modifier box. There should be five of them.

One Mod

These are easy. You have ten codes on the right and only one box to try them in. Click and drag each modifier code in turn from the right into the modifier box. Once the RESULT is the same as the TARGET, the email will be decoded.

Once it is, back out of the email and find another email that is able to be decoded.

Two Mods

These are slightly more tricky, as the combination of two modifier codes affect your result.
For this, look at the first letter of the KEY and the first letter of the TARGET. Then go to a helpful guide like KyootestLenny's.

Find the column in the chart on the guide you are using (more at the bottom of this section) that has your first KEY letter and first TARGET letter. There are three possible combinations of modifier letters that will get you from the key to the target. For example, to get from 8 to X, you could use a modifier starting with P and a modifier starting with V, or a modifier starting with V and a modifier starting with X or two modifier starting with X.

From here, its simply a case of trying all possible combinations of the modifiers that will give you the first letter. One combination will decode the email.

Three Mods (No O symbol)

These codes have six different alien characters, and don't include the Orn Codestone Symbol.

These are starting to get very difficult. Like the two modifier codes, see a reference chart for the KEY to TARGET combinations.

I found it easiest from this point on to write down on a piece of paper, all the possible combinations to get from my KEY's first letter to my TARGET's first letter, and cross them off as I went.

Some helpful hints with these:

Immediately cross off any combinations that are impossible to do with your modifiers (EG: If you only have 2 Z's, you couldn't use the ZZZ combo to get from X to X)

Try the combinations that have as few variables as possible.
(EG: If you only have 2 Zs, try any combinations that are ZZ_ or Z _ _)

Keep a rough idea of how many modifiers start with each symbol. Whichever you have the lowest of out of the three modifiers, put at the top. Put the one you have the most of at the bottom and swap that one. Once you have tried all the bottom one, change the middle one to the next of its kind

The order of the modifiers doesn't matter - don't recheck things in different orders if you can help it, it just creates more work for you.

NOTE: The moment the next category are unlocked (usually after one completed 3 Mod, no O puzzle), ignore the rest of these.


Three Mods (With O symbol)

These codes have seven different alien characters, which includes the Orn Codestone Symbol.

These are the same as the Three Mods (No O symbol), except their are more combinations and you'll have to use a different reference chart.

One of these emails has the message you are looking for in it. As soon as you are able to decode these (IE: As soon as they no longer say INCOMPLETE DATA) you should focus all your attention on these.

Once you decode the following email, STOP and refresh the page - you're done

My Lord, We've begun moving the civilians to the transport shuttles as planned. The public decks are secure although we've had some trouble finding our way around the maintenance levels; there could still be traitors hiding in that maze. Nonetheless, the shuttles will be ready to launch shortly, and then we won't have to worry about the civilians anymore. -Commander Garoo


HELPFUL OTHER GUIDES

http://www.neopets.com/~_Blue___Berry_ <--- for 2 mod encryptions
http://www.neopets.com/~charmander2058 <--- for 3 mod encryptions
http://www.neopets.com/~Vulpixxx20 <--- for 3 mod encryptions with O as a possible symbol
http://www.neopets.com/~KyootestLenny <--- for 2 and both kinds of 3 mod encryptions
viewtopic.php?p=775264#p775264 <--- theonlysaneone's intelligent brute force method
http://www.neopets.com/~LadyRheyna <--- Navar57's 3 mod code guide
viewtopic.php?p=775996#p775996 <--- AySv88's fast, yet heavily maths orientated way


-------------------------------

A more math orientated guide from ELiPteK

The symbols are just integers written in an alien language. Each symbol in the "modifier" performs an operation on the corresponding symbol in the "key". If you are familiar with the modulus operator from discrete mathematics, then you can probably anticipate where I'm going with this!

The symbols have the following values:
"C shape" = 0
"V shape" = 1
"X shape" = 2
"mushroom" = 3
"figure 8" = 4
etc...

All you need to do is figure out what you need to add to the key to get the target. Anything above the highest available symbol makes you roll back to zero.

...The only other thing you need to know is that the codes with multiple modifiers may perform an automatic operation on the key. I found, for instance, that the codes with two modifiers automatically subtract 1 from the key!

Hope that helps!! (Let me know if you have any questions)

Step Three - Escaping the Guards (7th Feb)

Note: You can only participate in Step Three if you have previously completed Step Two.

Go here.

This is a game where you must avoid the guards and get to the next stage. You can move two spaces in any direction.

If the Garoo Elite Guards are facing you in an unobstructed line, they will capture you and a really annoying buzzer will go off.

You can hide behind civilians (IE: Travel so civilians are between you and the guards, obstructing their line of sight) as guards cannot see past them. Guards acan see past eachother, however.

If a guard is two spaces away from you, and they are not pointing at you, you can jump onto their space, which will remove them from the game.

There are five levels, each with increasing difficulty. In the first four, you must make your way to the door on the top of the screen. In the fifth, you must reach the family in the top left corner.

Some things to note:

- The game screen is taller than most computer screens, so watch out for guards down the bottom as you might walk into their path without realising it.

- It doesn't matter if a guard can see you in your final landing space, I jumped right into a guard's line of sight to reach the family.

- You can go backwards, which is extremely helpful if you are about to enter a guard's line of sight.

- The guards move differently each time, depending on your route and randomness, therefore no single walkthrough can be given.

=====A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME...ERRR, PLOT=====

Around 4 years ago, the "in things" were Neopets Trading Cards (exactly how "in" Trading Cards are is an entirely preferential opinion...). Neopets would put out booster packs, as so many card companies do, and one such pack was the Return of Dr Sloth TCG kit.

To accompany the release of the Return of Dr Sloth TCG, Neopets were intending on releasing a Return of Dr Sloth plot. However, time constraints and a certain annoying Usul's plot prevented them from being able to ever actually release it. After post phoning it a few times, they just decided to scrap it and focus on making the next plot - a Curse on Maraqua - better.

Believing they'd never do the Return of Dr Sloth plot, TNT began (creating and) releasing the games they had set to tie in with the plot - IE: The Return of the Return of Dr Sloth, Escape to Kreludor and Moon Rock Rampage - but what to do about those awesome characters (and their escapades) that featured in the TCG expansion pack and in the games?

Simple - throw together some articles in the Gallery of Heroes that detail what the plot was going to be like, release some cool looking items and pretend like the events actually happened in Neopia, but not in the Neopets.com realm of users, plots, events etc.

Now, TNT (in an awesome move) have decided to revisit the Return of Dr Sloth plot in all its chicken-headed glory. Unfortunately, as they didn't want their characters and games to go to waste, the plot's rough outline is already detailed throughout the site. Long story short? There are articles, games and cards that explain what the expected plot will be. Short story long? Anything by DickensKoL ftw

[theonlysaneone]

FIRST!!!

No new plot steps = suck.

[FizzyOtter]

That Ylana is quite the vicious one. She might be back with Sophix II later on...interesting.
I don't think Gorix took out Ylana. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't really see TnT "killing off" characters in story lines.

Just have to wait and see.

[Pickles]

That Ylana is quite the vicious one. She might be back with Sophix II later on...interesting.
I don't think Gorix took out Ylana. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't really see TnT "killing off" characters in story lines.

Just have to wait and see.

Yeah, I doubt she's "dead." More than likely just stunned or frozen or something. (Gorix's weapon looked like something that could freeze to me, at least).

I hope she comes back so we can kick her butt in the battledome.

[Eternal Serena]

I'm still struggling these darned 3 mods. Driving me insane.

There was a post in one of the threads that gave details as if they were talking to a stupid person. Was describing to put the 3 in, then remove the last one and going in order and such. Does anyone know the link to that? I don't think it's part of the guides on the first page. That or I'm blind... I can't tell if I'm doing this right. My brain feels like it's gonna combust.

[Rachel]

I'm still struggling these darned 3 mods. Driving me insane.

There was a post in one of the threads that gave details as if they were talking to a stupid person. Was describing to put the 3 in, then remove the last one and going in order and such. Does anyone know the link to that? I don't think it's part of the guides on the first page. That or I'm blind... I can't tell if I'm doing this right. My brain feels like it's gonna combust.

Are either of these the one you mean?

viewtopic.php?p=775264#p775264 or viewtopic.php?p=775996#p775996

If you don't mind me asking, are you stuck on the 3-mod or 3-mod with o's ones?

[smudgeoffudge]

I think he zapped Ylana and then he zapped the door to make it smash appart so she couldn't follow him. When I first looked at the comic I thought it did look like he killed her. But she has to be back later on in the plot, I think.

[forcesinbalance]

As to Ylana, I have this to say: "BOOM! Headshot!" And with a blast capable of blowing large holes in metal deck plating, at that. Logically, she should be dead. I very much doubt she is, though. Quite aside from TNT's reluctance to have one of their hero characters killing someone "on-screen" (as it were), there are the conventions of the comic medium to contend with. Even if we saw her incinerated and her ashes scattered in space, it wouldn't mean she wasn't coming back. The only person who stays dead in comics is Ben Parker.

On an altogether more disturbing note, I discovered this evening that I left the window with the code page open after I decoded the key message...and I've been going back and decoding the others, just because I can. Worse, I've been doing it while listening to GlaDOS sing "Still Alive".

Clearly, Neo plots are a sickness.

[saine]

Huh? You're still working on the codes? I had two left to do (I've been working insane hours lately) and now the page just has a big 'Continue' sign. I thought that section of the plot had closed? *confused*

Edit: My bad. I thought you had to decode them all, not just get the key message.

Last edited by saine on Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

[smudgeoffudge]

I looked at it again and it looked like he zaps her. The he zaps her gun apart so she can't fire back.


Does anyone remember any of the trading cards or books about a good Sloth Clone?

I seem to remember that one Sloth clone is good. I can't remember where I saw it, though.

[darkfire]

Oh wow, that was painful.

At last all my mods are done, of course I had to get the message on the very, very last one

After they were done the guards thing was laughably easy.

Edit: Hello PinkPT! Haven't been here in a while.

[Unitylejean]

"I like your spirit. Reminds me of when I was your age."
"What, like last year?!"

That cracked me up. That and Ylana hoping for a pay rise. She's definately not dead, her character design is way too good to kill her off at this stage.

The comic had me wondering about the effectiveness of those guns. I mean, Ylana hit the Scout in the leg, but on the next panels she's not even limping...

[darkfire]

"I like your spirit. Reminds me of when I was your age."
"What, like last year?!"

That cracked me up. That and Ylana hoping for a pay rise. She's definately not dead, her character design is way too good to kill her off at this stage.

The comic had me wondering about the effectiveness of those guns. I mean, Ylana hit the Scout in the leg, but on the next panels she's not even limping...

Agreed on the cracking up.

On a side note I so love Ylana, but then I have a thing for Acaras no.

[Arka]

I'm still struggling these darned 3 mods. Driving me insane.

There was a post in one of the threads that gave details as if they were talking to a stupid person. Was describing to put the 3 in, then remove the last one and going in order and such. Does anyone know the link to that? I don't think it's part of the guides on the first page. That or I'm blind... I can't tell if I'm doing this right. My brain feels like it's gonna combust.

Here is what I wrote, back in Split 6, I think. I really didn't mean it to seem as if I were talking to a stupid person, it was what I found worked for me in the numb state I became after working for hours. Good luck!

This was the easiest way I could find- at least it is mindless- other than having to avoid becoming dazed by the tedium.

Put #1 in the first mod, #2 in second, then #3 in third. Observe whether you get the last (or first) symbol in the goal. You can use one of the charts linked to in other posts, or I found it just as easy to write down the groups of three symbols if they gave me the desired symbol.

When you determine what symbol you need to add to the mod 1 and mod 2 to get the goal (all last- or first symbols) then you can plug in just the codes that have that symbol. This will save you having to plug in every code.

Using code #1 in the first mod, work down the chart one code at a time in the second mod, and whatever codes have the needed last symbol.

Then with #1 still in the first mod, change the second mod to code #3, figure out which last symbol is needed to match the last symbol of the goal, and work down the chart plugging those into mod 3

Then switch mod 2 to code #4. After you have worked through every code in the list in mod 2, then switch mod 1 to code #2 and start over.

Extremely tedious, but it worked, finally.

[Hidinger]

As to Ylana, I have this to say: "BOOM! Headshot!" And with a blast capable of blowing large holes in metal deck plating, at that. Logically, she should be dead. I very much doubt she is, The only person who stays dead in comics is Ben Parker.

Clearly, Neo plots are a sickness.

Looks to me like the gun could easily have different settings. One used to freeze/stun her and then other to blow up things like the door or floors.

And if I remember correctly Bruce Wayne's parents stayed dead...