I revised the code and it looks like it’s working after doing some hand calculations.
EDIT: This is now version 1.3. It seems to be performing the second transposition correctly with multiple triangles. It has also definitively proven the web based encoder/decoder to be incorrect on several test cases.
VIC.txt (13.2 KB)
If anyone wants, I could try my hand at writing a Python script.
Seems much more suited to this type of task than a more raw and robust language like C.
I noticed that too, but I have no idea how it could possibly be related. Or what it means. Or what it is.
Y’know, due to the chamber locks and the valves, I’m thinking it’s related to some sort of semiconductor. If that’s the case, then it COULD be directly related to the Tesla chamber, and, therefore, not related to the ARG at all.
I just kinda assumed that it was something to do with all those tanks and fluids in the main room; it is the bio-aquatics laboratory, after all.
It seems to me that that image has pusedo-technical information. It should be a refrence to how the things in there work but in-game it doesn’t work out like that. The date, if it’s in that same picture, could be the date when the picture was made… A refrence to how outdated some stuff in the facility is?
We should gib it. (Rrefrence back to my previous post about how to properly get something to gib.) Wikilink
it’s related to Aquatics, which is part of Lab b, hence the AQ-B6 part of it.
the texture file is c2a4_Sign_aquaticsflow.vtf - aquatics flowchart.
Ahhhh okay
Anybody know what the context of this texture is? It has the number ‘20536’ taped to it.
materials/models/props_questionableethics/labcage_d.vtf
Pretty sure that’s what they keep the headcrabs in in the QE labs.
You are correct. After seeing that my first thought was it’s just their species identifier for a headcrab. But Xappy pointed out on IRC there are Houndeye cages at the beginning of the chapter. I checked those cages and the same number appears on them too, but it’s a different cage model. Also, according to the whiteboards, Houndeyes are species X019.
So this could be significant, considering the cages are right next to the VIC code whiteboard.
I couldn’t get this to give out anything useful. Just segfaults every time. It also asks for information that it should automatically know based off previous input.
The only thing you should need to input is:
The digits to be decoded
The passphrase, ie ‘THEPHILOSOPHERSSTONE’
A 6 digit date, ie ‘111998’
The checkerboard top letters, ie ‘AT ONE SIR’
A personal ID number (1-16) to determine the transpositional table lengths.
Some issues:
The passphrase seems to be case sensitive.
What is Input ID?
The 5-digit message identifier should be extracted from the encoded message and the date.
The raw message should be sent in as a file name or something to arg1. If you try to paste in the message as is, it blows up on the first carriage return.
The checkerboard top letters ignores spaces. Spaces should be used to signify where the indexes for the next rows are.
What is the point in entering a random number at the end?
I dunno if anyone’s noticed this yet, but it appears as if the last block of numbers is missing from the code… It’s just a thought and I have no idea if it will be any help but when I was looking at the image above with the cage I instantly thought of this:
in a VIC cipher the code only has to be a multible of 5 long, how many columns you write it in or where it ends should not affect anything…
But as someone else mentioned, why is the code divided into 3 segments (150, 250 and 170 digits long) maybe there is something else to it.
The wiki is now up to date with all the codes found:
https://thepizzaisalie.wikia.com/wiki/The_Pizza_Code_Mystery_ARG_Wiki
More textures/images in high quality can be found on my ftp as well, if anyone wants to update the wiki even more:
ftp://ev1te.myftp.org/BMS-ARG/
Name of dr. horn consist of 4 characters, maybe answer is here?
My web based VIC encoder/decoder is complete. You can find it here:
^ Easier access for those without VB / VS know-how. Thanks, man
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