[ARG] The Pizza Code Mystery

Black Mesa Archive The Cafeteria
#861

It was used as a way of giving feedback on the front page regarding the media update when the facebook page hit 20,000 fans.

Optronics is lab D upstairs - where the laser is.

#862

I think that line should consist of commonly used letters, so the “Y” in there gives me doubts.

#863

ok so no-clipped the b-jaysus out of Administration + the administrators office of Dr Bottomly (RIP). Nada, nichts, nowt, nuffink.
During my drive-by:
Saw a nice red stapler
Saw a few personal piccs on desks
Found an eyball in a lab and figured I’d pick it up and wave it over a few eye-scanners in corridoors - was hopeful but nothing happened
There were 2 nice pictures in Dr Bottomley’s office, well 4 really but only 2 with readable subject details. I’ll link pics below but don’t imagine they are leads because we’ve already had the wall-decoration clue by overlaying the pics near the Pizza further down the hallway.
https://picasaweb.google.com/HughJundys/BlackMesa#5791845822098705138
https://picasaweb.google.com/HughJundys/BlackMesa#5791845896560751602
edit: actually you can read the other 2 - hoover Dam & Specimen 47
oh and one message from Dr Horn to a Dr Foreman but can’t remember where this was:
https://picasaweb.google.com/HughJundys/BlackMesa#5791845724543671874

#864

coincidentally I found all of those images during my trawl through the texture files for the in-game models today: https://imgur.com/a/AgUAo#0

EDIT: nuts I forgot to upload the Dr Horn-> Dr Foreman msg

#865

I don’t see the point in allowing more than 6 digits, when the rest would be useless.
The date is used for 2 things:

The first 5 digits are subtracted from the random group, as the first step in creating the chain addition tables. The 6th digit is used to indicate where the random group goes in the final code. 2 extra digits have no meaning.

The spacing in the checkerboard index very much does matter. A space in the top row signifies the index for the next two rows of letters.

#866

Consider the case of today’s date: 2492012. That means we need 24920 to subtract from the identifier and 2 to place it. We only use 6 digits but need all 7.

It seems there are different instructions on how to set up the checkerboard.

#867

just a silly question: if there is no implementation of the VIC and you guys are coding it yourselves, what did the devs use to encode that message?
i have the slight feeling that this will lead nowhere… i mean it is so vague and requires so many inputs and not a single one of them has been confirmed
also, can someone explain me how the coin in the code c pic was interpreted? was it one lead to the VIC?

#868

So just enter a date as 249202. The 1 is just getting thrown out anyway.
Or you could enter the date in other formats, like 122409. There’s no rule about how the dates have to be formatted.

#869

The coin in Code C was interpreted as a 5-pence piece, and was thought to refer to the nickel that the VIC cipher was originally found in. At least that’s what I’ve gathered so far.

#870

code name victor, found in a 5c coin. it being a vic cypher hasn’t been clutched from nowhere… though I’ve worried that it seems TOO complex

#871

It would be INCREDIBLY helpful if we mysteriously found out exactly which set of steps were used for the VIC. I’ve seen 3 different implementations of the checkerboard alone now.

#872

Code C seems to contain the only certain clues that haven’t been used up:

Code A was all about the konami code and the fact there are four hidden codes, followed by the 1001.
The canteen code is purely a number - 0851
Code C is the text “Victor would like this extension” with an image of a coin sat on top of the message and also the code 3914.

Excluding the word extension, we’re using pretty much all we have for certain to find a solution to the ciphertext:

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=victor+coin+cipher

EDIT: The only thing we’re not using are 0851 and 3914…

#873

What if it IS ultimately the VIC code that is needed, but each piece of the code (it looks like 3 pieces) is solved using the 3 general steps to the VIC cipher; then, each solution would be a next necessary piece to move forward in the steps?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC_cipher

#874

New info noticed by PhlOgistOn–user named “Paul.Bottomley” is / was viewing this thread. Turns out he’s a real scientist WITH a PhD AND is from Australia–isn’t that where some of the devs are from?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bottomley_%28scientist%29

#875

The more important thing is that Dr Bottomley is the only character in the game who hasn’t taken a name from one of the devs (or was already a character in HL1)
https://thepizzaisalie.wikia.com/wiki/Dev_aliases

#876

cheeky

Is it this Paul Bottomley?

#877

Well Dr. Bottomley is related to Spectroscopy b/c it linked to that from the Bottomley wiki–and spectroscopy has a LOT to do with BMS. If you look at phrases like “mass spectrometer” and “resonant frequencies” from spectroscopy, they are all related to the HL and BMS games.

Hmmmmm

Xappy pointed out this: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Gruntfuttock

Guy’s name is Paul Bottomley and his ID is “Gruntfuttock”.

Urban dictionary definition of “Gruntfuttock”:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gruntfuttock

[origin: a character ‘J Peasemold Gruntfuttock’ appearing in a British humour show ‘Round the Horne’ with:

THE GRUNTFUTTOCK SAGA
Broadcast: 9th April 1967

which included:

Gruntfuttock of Arabia Captured by the Turks
Gruntfuttock 'tis of Thee
‘Barney, half a gruntfuttock closer’;

‘Stop gruntfuttocking around’.]

Anybody notice any key names in there? ; )

#878

It’s interesting that Gruntfuttock doesn’t have source SDK in his recently played games, so he hasn’t played Black Mesa recently.
Makes me think he already has.

#879

Ah, okay. We’ll stop mailing him pictures of our anatomy now.

#880

I suppose, since I’ve been formally introduced, I should say hi instead of lurking at the bottom of the page. Hello!

I’m Paul Bottomley (for my sins in a past life, no doubt), a friend of Chris’s, and was once shot in the head for science. I was planning to create some kind of short story about how “I” survived the BM incident through the clever use of[classified]. It wouldn’t have been related in any meaningful way to Stormseekers [classified].

But frankly, I’m just too tired. And it probably would detract somewhat from what Stormseeker has created for everyone - about which, I hasten to add, I know as much (less than, in fact) as anyone here. So, yeah, let it be known that Bottomley is alive and continuing his very ethical and worthy research in a major [classified].

:slight_smile:

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.