2010 Game Discussion

Last time on Star Trek: The Next Generation

A thread was started by SkcepticOverlord entitled: Heads Up! A new game will begin in September, on ATS.

In which Springer replied:

First hint:

It may or may not "start" September 1st, 2010 U.S. time.

That is all...

Springer...

Which was followed up shortly afterwards by AboveTopSecret.com stating:

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Notice the link to the ATS Twitter account on that last dot.

Administrator Crakeur later amended Springers previous post to embolden certain letter to spell out 'hatter'.

Crakeur later points out:

folks, it's easy to get caught up in the games here and the time sink that is ats could become far worse for some of you. in an effort to promote the collaborative nature of the site, let's keep the game discussion in one place so that newcomers can jump in and catch up and others can follow along without jumping from thread to thread.

Since this is a BBQ thread that merely announces the game, which starts toMorrow, i've stArted a new threaD for you here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...


have fun.

Which apparently needlessly capitalises characters to make the word 'MAD' as well as points to this thread for further discussion.

In this thread we seem to have established via crakeur's word (and on two occasions too!!) and an apparently apparently applauded (yes, it's meant to be written twice) member 'One Step Beyond...' that the previous dots post once decrypted from Morse code say 'go now' with the last dot being the aforementioned link to the ATS Twitter account.

We've also established that from Twitter accounts we've had these messages:

the future looks calm from AboveTopSecret.

The End is nigh, or not from SpringerATS.

calm from AboveTopSecret.

43200 +/- from AboveTopSecret.

These 'tweets' are in order of being posted.

'Information Account' AboveTopSecret.com then started the thread 'September, 2010 ATS Game Rules and Solutions for potential solutions to be posted to and stipulated that the thread you are currently reading is for general discussion of the event.

Rules of note (to me at least) are:

Originally posted by AboveTopSecret.com
2) Staff, and family of ATS staff are not eligible for the prize, and may not play the game. remain open more than 48 hours after a correct solution is observed.

This is why I have omitted moderators remarks from this overview as I interpret 'playing' as being either playing to solve or playing as a 'puppet master' - if I am wrong on this could someone in-the-know correct me on this.

Originally posted by AboveTopSecret.com
General Info.

The game will begin some time between midnight EST on September 1, 2010 and midnight EST September 6, 2010. No announcement will be made.

Whilst I am sure there will be fireworks galore and multiple red herrings come the stroke of midnight Californian time the game proper has a fairly wide window of opportunity to begin spanning 6 full days.

Member Esoteric Teacher made some nice remarks about the potential meaning of the '43200 +/-' 'tweet' involving all sorts of ATS inspired thoughts although my preference for this stage of the game aligns with member Myendica's observations about 43200 +/- being the number of seconds within 12 hours. Which makes me think we'll have at least another 8 hours until a reasonable clue and not another 15 minutes at the stroke of midnight. This also allows for most of the membership in the the US and Europe to join in at the launch instead of missing work because of it.

I wish someone would think about us who live in the East or Australasia - but I suppose you can't please all of the people all of the time. I suppose I'll settle for one of crakeur's t-shirts if he'll hold onto it for another year until I can get to South America.

And now the conclusion...(Cue epic intro sequence and Patrick Stewart voice-over).

-m0r

reply to post by m0r1arty


Excellent summary!

Just one correction. I don't think the dots in the Abovetopsecret.com Information Account post were translated at all.

The morse code for "go now" was given in a post by member Zeptepi in this post as a hint to fellow players to follow the link instead of paying too much attention to the dots (confirmed in this post).

reply to post by m0r1arty


great summary thus far. we may not have a Sherlock Holmes here, but we have his respected foe. that has got to be worth something.

i'm still thinking it will take a group effort to collect up clues to this.

i was just putting ideas out there, the other member's time thing concerning seconds may be more accurate, i agree.

and then maybe it is just ... "pre-season" game events???

obviously some of us already have our heads in the game, or as much of it that we can spare. fun stuff.

-et


[edit on 1-9-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

reply to post by americandingbat


You are correct, I was just catching up with it all and delivered what I would have wanted to read when I first showed up.

I took the liberty of translating the Morse myself and got 'EIOSMS' (Could be wrong).

Seems like Old MacDonald is sending text messages or an anagram of how our eyes react when we enter the light.

If the top team here at ATS want to get rid of my contribution bar I'm sure I can turn it into something feasible and applicable to the competition for them due to my fly spin tactics

-m0r

reply to post by m0r1arty


Good summary, but we are overlooking some very early important clues SO left in his opening post.

The winner will be that ATS member who both successfully identifies the game, as well as deciphers what is involved with the game.

Ok lets look at that...what IS involved with the game?
He tells us in the next lines.

There will be a very unique and cool prize (specific to the game) as well as some cash for the winner.

And most importantly:

NOTE: ATS is receiving no compensation for this event and when completed, all will agree a worthy cause is involved.

1) Prizes that are specific to the game.
2) A worthy cause is involved that we would all (ATS) agree with.

to identify the game, we must figure out what cause most, if not all, of us at ATS would agree is worthy?? It is in fact the nature of the game.

Ok what could that be? My first guess would be a charity that would honor the memory of William One Sac. What would that charity be??

I might be way off on that guess, but if we can narrow down the "worthy cause" we will know the answer.

What other "worthy causes" would be appropriate? AND have "cool prizes" that are related to that cause?

Thoughts? opinions? Scorn?

[edit on 1-9-2010 by Zeptepi]

Originally posted by Zeptepi
Scorn?

Certainly not from me!

That seems like a plausible set of potential solutions based on deductive reasoning.

I'd probably keep it down though as there are plenty of people who pour scorn all over such thinking around here

I can't think of 1 thing in or out of existence that everyone here would agree is a good cause short of supplying an all powerful anger nullifying truth that embraces all scrutiny whilst massaging every facet of ego and I don't think that needs a $500 prize to go along with it - so let's not take SO as being 100% accurate in his description of how the competition will run or try to ascertain too many clues from such an obvious fallible statement (Other than perhaps it's fallibility).

It would be nice to see a William One Sac inspired competition but I think it would be too problematic to keep professional, private and free from trouble.

I'm going with the site gets overhauled, there are clues set throughout this overhaul and a potential prize for who guesses whatever outcome there is and so increases traffic to the site making ATS a bigger media outlet on the web.

It's marketing 101 and I'm not against it - it can be a lot of fun and could potentially make ATS a better place due to the new influx of opinion we'd get from more members.

I am against the use of Facebook as a method of either delivering clues or accessing information which could be found in a variety of other ways. Let's see how that pans out eh?

Well we're well into September everywhere now so eyes open everyone!

-m0r

AHA! I found the next clue!



[edit on 1-9-2010 by rajaten]

Originally posted by Zeptepi
reply to post by m0r1arty

 

Good summary, but we are overlooking some very early important clues SO left in his opening post.

The winner will be that ATS member who both successfully identifies the game, as well as deciphers what is involved with the game.

i have some ideas about some of the stuff you mention here.

There will be a very unique and cool prize (specific to the game) as well as some cash for the winner.

i wish everyone the best of luck. i honestly mean this. i get a generous retirement pention from the usaf, i don't "need" the money. i'm here to enjoy the game. but i am curious about what the very unique and cool prize is, and i hope to at least find out what it is/was when someone recieves it.

NOTE: ATS is receiving no compensation for this event and when completed, all will agree a worthy cause is involved.

again, i have some thoughts about some stuff you mention here in your post.

Thoughts? opinions? Scorn?

I have some thoughts. i'm not holding back here or holding out. i just want to see the game become what the game is meant to be. and the thoughts i have about some of the things you mention don't really amount to too much at this point anyways. we have time, the game will unfold.

The winner will be that ATS member who both successfully identifies the game, as well as deciphers what is involved with the game.

"Successfully identifies the game"
"deciphers what is involved with the game"

these are our objectives. these are our goals.

let's pay attention to detail, and have integrity when doing so. i have been known to interject humor into my posts, i will effort to keep my sarcasm and humor at bay in this thread from this point forth, for the most part.

good luck to all,
et

[edit on 1-9-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

Originally posted by Esoteric Teacher
"Successfully identifies the game"
"deciphers what is involved with the game"

these are our objectives. these are our goals.

Agreed.

Not much to go on at the moment but I'm off the mind that doing either does both. To identify the game one must decipher what is involved with the game or once what is involved is deciphered it identifies the game.

It's like the chicken and the egg Will, the chicken and the egg!



(Skip to 2:15 for full effect!)

-m0r

reply to post by m0r1arty


keep listening to what is said soon after "the chicken and the egg" by the professor (the one who holds a job as a profesor in that episode/time line).


[edit on 1-9-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher


His name is Data and yup he understands that Picard is describing a paradox and infers that they may have created the very thing they are searching for...and this being a user generated content site...well I'll let those who can do and those who can't wonder. I only ever pick choice videos to paraquote

I don't think Data is referred to as a Professor in that small Youtube video so you must have a good memory there ET!

Sometimes the fun is in the "what if's" that players come up with more than the actual predetermined rules and solutions eh??

-m0r

ok, ive been absent awhile but i knew something would suck me back in. Falling off the wagon yet again. i am honestly still lost though, despite your awesome rundown m0r. ahh well, ill get it soon enough. good luck to all.


love and peace

[edit on 1-9-2010 by M157yD4wn]

Originally posted by Myendica

Originally posted by americandingbat
More on the Twitter feed...

posted "about one hour ago":

43200 +/-

thats the amount of seconds in 12 hours! hmm.. maybe when the next clue comes?

if correct we have approximately 5 hours +/-

reply to post by m0r1arty


Wow - m0r1arty
That summary was excellent.
Now please u2u me that in plain english.
I. Need. It. Spelt. Out. To. Me. Cause. I. Still. Don't. Get. It.

Edit to add: just kidding

[edit on 1/9/2010 by Netties Hermit]

Boy you mods sure are good. I give you credit for your tricks and traps but I have discovered the next clue:


Where to next?


[edit on 1-9-2010 by rajaten]

reply to post by Netties Hermit


Nettie I found the next clue for us:

reply to post by rajaten


Ahhh - Grasshopper - you are doing well ...

Wow this is so much fun watching you guys scurrying around for the next clue or trying how to figure it out.

I am quite sure there are fellow members who are intelligent like me who are not sharing their information. If you are truly competing to win then why would you help someone else?

It was hilarious when everyone was trying to figure out what the dots meant, they were to make you think when all you need to do was look.

Wow, competing with a crowd like you should be fun. It is the ones that are keeping their information secret that I am worrying about.

Good luck to everyone though. May the best man or woman win!

reply to post by Netties Hermit


AHA! Yet another clue:


Listen to the lyrics for one of the secret keys to the ATS game.

[edit on 1-9-2010 by rajaten]

reply to post by Misoir


Fear not, you too will be susceptible to my diversionary tactics. muuh HaHa
good luck to you!