Oots - Haley's secrets REVEALED!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Allyx, Apr 25, 2006.

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  1. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

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    So if you've been reading this excelent comic strip recently, you'll already know the main characters Roy (human fighter - greatsword specialist), Durkon (dwarf cleric), Elan (human bard), Haley (human rogue), Vaarsuvius (elf wizard), and Belkar (halfling barbarian/ranger). And in the most recent edition, half of what is said is unreadable (due to Haley's inability to pronounce words).

    Here are the translations of what Haley said in this comic strip.

    Panel #3 Elan I'm in love with you. (no surprise here)
    Panel #5 Elan I'm in love with you, completely in love. love, love, love, love.
    Panel #7 My dad is being held ransom by an evil dictator. I'm not really in the thieves' guild anymore.
    Panel #9 I cheat at solitaire, I have a tattoo you've never seen, I kissed a girl once, ok, ok, more than once!
    Panel #11 Elan, it turns out I may not be exactly what you would call - (then it ends)

    Before every Co8 reader asks "why are you decyphering comic strips, when you should be modding?" let me just tell you, everyone needs something completely meaningless to do to keep them occupied during the day, and it was mildly amusing for about an hour!
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2006
  2. Lord_Spike

    Lord_Spike Senior Member Veteran

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    Nice work, Big Al! You'll know you're really a fanatic if you go back & translate all of her goofy word stuff.
     
  3. Libri

    Libri Member

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    Darn it. You had me all excited, I thought that somehow the awesome CO8 crew had an in with the Giant, and I was going to find out what the REAL secret was a day early. Boo, boo, for getting my hopes up.:poop:
     
  4. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    O stop complaining and take some fibre.

    I translated a few lines somewhere along the way, but frankly I think the "can't understand Haley" thing is getting old. AND did you notice V was referred to as "he" in that recent one about needing 7 pages for a one word spell, thus ruining the whole "just wtf gender is V" thing?

    Awww crikey, now I'M COMPLAINING!! Where's me fibre? :poop:

    Anyway, here's something from the depths of the site, some fan art. Some people need to get a life. I guess that includes me, since I found it ;)
     

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  5. Cujo

    Cujo Mad Hatter Veteran

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    I spent all of about 5mins trying to figure out what she says but then the pizza arived so I "gave up" so whats the code breaker to translate what she says?
     
  6. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

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    It was just simple letter substitution, the first line she say's in the thought bubble is obviously the same words she say's in gibberish, so I wrote down the alphabet along the top of a sheet of paper, wrote the substituted letters in underneath, and using the letters I DID know from the first sentence translated the other sentances in the same way, then filled in the blanks. THere were a few missing letters, J,Q,X and Z I think.
     
  7. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    "Elan, it turns out I may not be exactly what you would call...

    A CHICK!"

    :blink:
     
  8. Libri

    Libri Member

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    I know the feeling. It's just sad how many times a day I refresh the comics page at work, anticipating the new one.
     
  9. rufnredde

    rufnredde Established Member Veteran

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    Yes that worked to translate that but does it hold true in the previous strips?
     
  10. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

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    No I tried the same substitute alphabet with a few other strips, but it didn't seem to fit, perhaps they used a different substitute alphabet, or perhaps there wasn't any particular patern before. Either way as there is no way to know what she is trying to say decyphering it becomes a lot harder. Though I have heard of a method to decypher codes like that, it involves working out the most commonly used letters in both the coded text and normal language to dicearn what is actually written. Unfortunately, that is about all I know about that code breaking technique.
     
  11. Ugignadl

    Ugignadl Established Member

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    If you guys are really keen on this, then I would put money on the fact that they were using a Vigenere cipher earlier. I think there is a good wikipedia page on it.

    You could probably work out how to break it by just googling Vigenere.
     
  12. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Not sure what Ug's big word meant, but you start with the single letter words (must be either I or a), and abbreviated words will end in t (can't, don't etc). Once you've got t, any 2-letter word must be 'to', so now you've got 3 vowels. It should only take a couple minutes to figure out the gist of it overall.

    I can tell u now, its not an Atbash - go on, google that, I dares ya!
     
  13. Ugignadl

    Ugignadl Established Member

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    Vigenere cipher is a polyalphabetic cipher (as opposed to monoalphabetic (or Caesar), which is what you and Allyx are describing). It's generally seen as the next step up...but still a classic cipher, nonetheless.
     
  14. Inexorable

    Inexorable Member

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  15. Lord_Spike

    Lord_Spike Senior Member Veteran

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    Of course we knew. We figured that someone would be translating it, so there was a conscious effort to draw the wisdom hither by concentrating on a soul to bear it hence. Thank you for answering our summons.
     
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