The Round Stable

(?) · by **Killing Vector** (?) » Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:35 pm

Poppit wrote:

Now she has a Tara Strong cutie mark! :yay:

(?) · by **Hollow** (?) » Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:19 pm

Hemoglobin wrote:I'd rather someone gets two than they sit in my drawer (forever )

Okay then. :v:

[Removed, see below for updated version]

(?) · by **LiamA** (?) » Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:43 pm

Haha, oh my God, that Cheerilee is so fabulous! :-D

Just thought you should know.

(?) · by **Hollow** (?) » Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:56 pm

The transparency got messed up on those, here's updated ones:

Thanks LiamA!

(?) · by **numsOic** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:03 am

Hollow wrote:

'80s Cheerilee is not an actual toy! :rainbert:

(?) · by **Casual Viewing** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:30 am

It should be! :rainbert:

(?) · by **pksage** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:45 pm

Here's some hints for the puzzle:

There are two steps to solve.
You're right that the first step is a cipher involving the emoticons, but it only requires information available in my post and the emoticons themselves (though associating them with the toys or episode listings was good thinking).
One of the things that Casual Viewing tried is the correct way to solve the cipher, just applied incorrectly (as far as I can tell).
The first part of solving the cipher should produce a sensible word or phrase, but there's something else you need to do to it before you're done with the cipher step.
The second step is not on mlponies.com.
THIS post doesn't contain any secret information or hidden hints or anything like that.

Good luck! I'll post more hints tomorrow or later today if needed.

(Also, if someone who doesn't need the Fluttershy solves the puzzle, I'm happy to give it to whomever.)

(?) · by **EquusStorm** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 5:09 pm

I've got a shelf that is so overloaded with pony merch (a few hundred dollars worth at least) that I'm going to have to move them to a bigger shelf. I should get a picture of the collection one of these days but I am a lazy little creature.

As for getting it in the first place, the first little bit - the Mane 6 in the $5 brushable line - a week after I got into FiM late last May was a little awkward, but after that I've had no problems buying merch; I even got a couple of toys from McD's directly last week. I've bought tons of blind bags at Walmart and all kinds of exclusive merch at Target and Toys-R-Us without much of an issue, though I got asked if I wanted a gift receipt once, haha. I do a lot of shopping online for stuff I can't get locally, though, and that's kinda cheating in the awkward department. :>

(?) · by **Throbulator** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:31 pm

pksage wrote:Here's some hints for the puzzle:

There are two steps to solve.
You're right that the first step is a cipher involving the emoticons, but it only requires information available in my post and the emoticons themselves (though associating them with the toys or episode listings was good thinking).
One of the things that Casual Viewing tried is the correct way to solve the cipher, just applied incorrectly (as far as I can tell).
The first part of solving the cipher should produce a sensible word or phrase, but there's something else you need to do to it before you're done with the cipher step.
The second step is not on mlponies.com.
THIS post doesn't contain any secret information or hidden hints or anything like that.
Good luck! I'll post more hints tomorrow or later today if needed.

(Also, if someone who doesn't need the Fluttershy solves the puzzle, I'm happy to give it to whomever.)

:gotcha:

gmpgvvgyvoangv

71316722 22725221 5114722 = 11 14 8 14 10 11 = knhnjk

celestia cheerilee
pinkie rarity
rainbow rainbow
celestia fluttershy
rainbow sweetie belle
fluttershy scootaloo
celestia rarity

ccprrrcfrsfscr

3316181818371819619318 = 6 16 18 10 19 14 12 = fprjsnl

161818187181961918

---

Princess Celestia Cheerilee
Pinkie Pie Rarity
Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash
Princess Celestia Fluttershy
Rainbow Dash Sweetie Belle
Fluttershy Scootaloo
Princess Celestia Rarity

---

PCCPPRRDRDPCFRDSBFSPCR = 1633161618184184163618419261916318 = 7 3 3 7 7 9 9 4 9 4 7 3 6 9 4 8 2 6 8 7 3 9 = g c c g g i i d i d i d g c

161616181841841661841926191618

I don't even know anymore. It all becomes a blur of poniponiponi :psygum:

(?) · by **Crow** (?) » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:53 pm

Just got back from the post office and they're all on their way! The parcel y'all are looking for is a white box about 7" x 4" x 3" between 5-7 ounces. The box itself weighed more than the toy in it :v:

I had to make up names for a few of you, so be on the look out for something addressed to "Mr. [first name] W. Whiskers", "Mr. O. Zone", and "Kitesail P'Goon" :gotcha:

Also, Hollow, your drawings are very lovely. :vogue:

I wish 80s Cheerilee was a real toy :iamapony:

I still have 1 Rarity if anyone would like it!

(?) · by **pksage** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:11 am

Throbulator wrote:I don't even know anymore. It all becomes a blur of poniponiponi

New hints! (sorry to shit up the toy thread with a puzzle)

The text in my original post is significant.
Think 7, not 14.

(?) · by **Gravenstein** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 2:21 am

pksage wrote:puzzle

Okay, so here's what I'm picking up from this (that might be significant):

There are ten different emoticons there, which probably means each represents a numeric digit (0-9).
The left side only has the first four emoticons on the list of emoticons.
:v:

and

are the only two that repeat.

Unfortunately, I can't quite get what the pattern is beyond that. Good thing I've already got a McDonalds Fluttershy, I guess.

(?) · by **Casual Viewing** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:39 am

This puzzle is far too vague and it's starting to annoy me. :applejargh:

You say your original post's text is important, and it mentions "combined generosity". Generosity meaning Rarity? Do we combine the number values connect to only the Rarity emotes?
Or is the hint supposed to refer to the actual words in your post? 1 = Thanks, 2 = to, 3 = the, 4 = combined, etc.?

You say one of my strategies was correct, but the only strategy that didn't involve outside sources was the order of the emotes in the emote list ( 1 = :pinkieshrug:

, 2 =

, etc) but :ohboy:

is #30 which rules out individual letters.

Taken by themselves and attaching them to the words in your post gets:
Combined you thanks another to to combined Davyinatoga to to the yours combined want.

Combining the values and then trying again gets:
Yours friend combined I is all for.

The answer is obviously Captain Planet.

And if that doesn't work I'm gonna say: A Man, because that's the skeleton key answer to all riddles. :cool:

(?) · by **Gravenstein** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:43 am

Aww yeah.

Oh, and unless I'm mistaken, the second, "not on this website" part of the puzzle involves entering the answer as the hashcode or whatever of a tinyurl or something similar and getting the final clue from that.

(?) · by **Stuntwoman** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:43 am

Hemoglobin wrote:Just got back from the post office and they're all on their way! The parcel y'all are looking for is a white box about 7" x 4" x 3" between 5-7 ounces. The box itself weighed more than the toy in it

I had to make up names for a few of you, so be on the look out for something addressed to "Mr. [first name] W. Whiskers", "Mr. O. Zone", and "Kitesail P'Goon"

Also, Hollow, your drawings are very lovely.

I wish 80s Cheerilee was a real toy

I still have 1 Rarity if anyone would like it!

Getting that Rarity would be kickass. Thanks in advance.

(oh god why did I draw this abomination)

(?) · by **EquusStorm** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:21 am

Ahaha oh god I bought the local Walmart out of blind bags for like three weeks straight until I was satisfied with the amount of blind bags I had... and I went there a few hours ago and they have two whole boxes there, as opposed to the usual one. I almost wonder if my constant business caused them to put out an extra box. And the sad thing is, there's awesome poni on the shelf and I have a little money but I'm saving for the next wave of blind bags...

But blind bags! There are so many on the shelf! And I want them! And that wave of blind bags is apparently almost over! And I have a debit card! And I am financially irresponsible! :gotcha:

So, um, I may or may not go back and throw my money down on a whole unopened box of blind bags. Anyone want me to buy it for them at a tiiiiny premium? :ohboy:

(?) · by **EquusStorm** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:45 am

Actually, screw it. Let me just post a photo of my collection. Well, two actually, the shelf is long. There's a lot of overlap but still.
http://i.imgur.com/gPDIt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xWvzd.jpg
2012 poni calendar visible at bottom left on first image. Not shown are the three 'official' plushies Hasbro has put out thus far (the Twilight pillow-thing and the TS and PP Toys-R-Us plushies) and three other copies of Friendship Express cuz I'm a hoarder. The bag next to the most awesome fantasy trilogy since LotR (and apparently the chihuahua) on the far left of the first image contains a complete set of 2012 McD's toys I ordered (was only able to snag Lily Blossom and AJ directly from the local McD's) . There's a poni coloring book up there somewhere. I also have a couple print-outs of last year's Comic Con poni poster thing and there's a Twilight motivational by my door. Not toy related but I own three poni shirts as well.
And as you can see, crammed in every little space I could find, blind bags are taking over my shelf :gonkity:

But obviously the highlight of the whole thing is my awesome little cardinal thermometer. Yay birdies!

Also some of you guys here are probably the same people that are outbidding me constantly on eBay pony merch; stop doing that for it rather rustles my jimmies ಠ_ಠ

(?) · by **reidransom** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:34 am

That's a lot of Pony.

Also, ponies received, Willsun! :yay:

- you rock! woohoo.

(?) · by **Crow** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:23 pm

Stuntman wrote:Getting that Rarity would be kickass. Thanks in advance.

(oh god why did I draw this abomination)

Impressive! :gotcha:

Send me a PM with where you want it sent and I'll send you a pony! :pinkietoot:

(?) · by **pksage** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:06 pm

Casual Viewing wrote:This puzzle is far too vague and it's starting to annoy me.

Now I feel terrible! :fluttersmith:

It was supposed to be hard, but not that vague.

Casual Viewing wrote:You say one of my strategies was correct, but the only strategy that didn't involve outside sources was the order of the emotes in the emote list ( 1 = , 2 = , etc) but is #30 which rules out individual letters.

Hint time!

Casual Viewing's emoticon list strategy is correct. Ish.
The first four emoticons are used for the first column.
The second character's number is the number of the character.

That's not vague at all, no sirree! :wat:

Just remember that there's more puzzlin' to be done after you solve that bit. Sorry.

While that's wrapping up, if anyone wants a 2012 Fluttershy mailed to them for free, pipe up and it's yours! (Since I think Casual Viewing said he already has one?)

(?) · by **Tallgeese** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:12 pm

I don't suppose I could have it? Tee hee.

(?) · by **Throbulator** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:56 pm

No you get down and dirty like the rest of us plebs solving this puzzle! Go inhale some more owls! :applejargh:

Well those new hints should make it easier. The most sensible word I've gotten so far is:

33
1618
1818
37
1819
619
318

=

6 16 18 10 19 14 12

Thank s tothecombinedge n erosityofDavyinat o ga
andano t herfriend,Iendedup w ithanextr a 2012Fluttersh y .

S N O T W A Y

Google searches for snotway and pony didn't turn up anything useful.
:ohboy:

(?) · by **pksage** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 2:14 pm

Ah, crap. I think the :wantitneedit:

emote was added after I made my original post. And maybe some other ones? Anyway, it's changed some of the puzzle, which is why I should never have used emotes for this. (It's also possible that I just messed up the first time around.)

Just so you know, none of you have gotten the cipher right yet anyway ( :iamapony:

), so this won't have affected you, but it needs fixing anyway.

THE FIXED PUZZLE: (also fixed in the original puzzle post)

Thanks to the combined generosity of Davyinatoga
and another friend, I ended up with an extra 2012 Fluttershy.
If you want it, it's yours FOR FREE! All you have to do is solve the
quickly concocted puzzle attached to this post.

:gotcha:

...and then drink your Ovaltine! Your tiny, redirecting Ovaltine.

(?) · by **Hollow** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:40 pm

Hemoglobin wrote:Also, Hollow, your drawings are very lovely.

I wish 80s Cheerilee was a real toy

Thank you! :iamapony:

I wish I had a crimping machine, I'd make 80s Cheerilee reality. :lol:

EquusStorm wrote:Actually, screw it. Let me just post a photo of my collection. Well, two actually, the shelf is long. There's a lot of overlap but still.

I can still see books. YOU NEED MORE PONY TO OBSCURE ALL THE BOOKS. :gotcha:

(?) · by **Gravenstein** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:39 pm

Wait, so

being added to the list only changed one symbol? Hmmmm....

(?) · by **Nissl** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:32 pm

I guess this goes here? Hasbro is opening a custom t-shirt design site for girls. Nice to see that the target demographic is still getting attention.

(?) · by **EquusStorm** (?) » Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:08 pm

Hollow wrote:I can still see books. YOU NEED MORE PONY TO OBSCURE ALL THE BOOKS.

Welp, that's all the motivation I need. MORE PONI IT IS! Brb ebay :ohboy:

EDIT: Speaking of more poni, I went to ebay to check messages aaaaaaand got a second chance offer on a poni toy I lost bidding on yesterday. :pinkieshrug:

(?) · by **Paperback Writer** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:32 am

When I went to check the mail today, a most curious package appeared in with the bills. It doesn't seem to have been delivered through the US Mail:

On the other side was a strange, yet very familiar symbol:

So I flipped the package over to the side with the label, and who should I see but a familiar candy-colored equine librarian?

Enclosed were three of the 2011 McDonald's ponies (Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia, and Twilight Sparkle), and a cool note.

A better look at the note, that isn't quite so over-exposed:

Thanks a lot, Willsun! I was sick in bed all day and I feel like crap, but this made the whole day awesome. :yay:

I gave Celestia and Dash to the other pony fans I know as gifts, and they were both pleased as can be to get new ponies today, too. Twilight is staying with me, to make sure I actually study for my exams properly.

(?) · by **Casual Viewing** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:11 am

pksage wrote:While that's wrapping up, if anyone wants a 2012 Fluttershy mailed to them for free, pipe up and it's yours! (Since I think Casual Viewing said he already has one?)

Yeah, that's fine I'm not looking to grab a second Fluttershy.

pksage wrote:Now I feel terrible! It was supposed to be hard, but not that vague.

Your puzzle is bad and you should feel bad. :glare:

It would make a good code though. Enough to make even the Navajo jealous.
And yet, I won't be able to stop until I crack it...
I must...

(?) · by **Sobana** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:17 am

I has the entire McDonald's set and another on the way... I believe.

(?) · by **pksage** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:17 pm

Casual Viewing wrote:Your puzzle is bad and you should feel bad.

More hints, you say?

The hints I gave in the last post are big ol' huge hints. Focus on them.
The text at the beginning of the puzzle post is split into 4 lines. The first emoticon in each of the rows is one of the first 4 emoticons in the palette.

(?) · by **Sobana** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:00 pm

pksage wrote:
More hints, you say?

The hints I gave in the last post are big ol' huge hints. Focus on them.
The text at the beginning of the puzzle post is split into 4 lines. The first emoticon in each of the rows is one of the first 4 emoticons in the palette.

Sounds clever to me.

(?) · by **Crow** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:31 pm

And the last Toy is sent!

Thanks for everyone humoring me with your fantastic artworks! :gotcha:

Except for Hollow, who's art was :awesomedash:

This was really fun for me. I wish I had more to give away :fluttersmith:

Please post here letting me know you've got 'em!

(?) · by **Hollow** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:58 pm

EquusStorm wrote:EDIT: Speaking of more poni, I went to ebay to check messages aaaaaaand got a second chance offer on a poni toy I lost bidding on yesterday.

Yesss that is always awesome.

Hemoglobin wrote:Except for Hollow, who's art was

NO U! In fact if you want me to draw a thing, just PM me. :allears:

I have a question for our esteemed Toy Thread lurkers and posters. My Toys R Us has blind bags now, I assume they are the first wave/set?

(?) · by **Venusy** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:28 pm

It should list all the ponies available in that wave on the side of the box or on the back of the bags, just look for specific ponies to determine which wave you're looking at. W1 has Minty, W2 has Cheerilee, W3 has Heartstrings and Big Macintosh, W4 has the crystal Lulamoon and the metal Rarity, and W5 has the princesses, Lyra Heartstrings and Trixie Lulamoon. I don't think W5 is out anywhere yet, I suspect it's going to start going out to stores when the (SPOILER) brushies and white Celestia become available.

(?) · by **Bag of Magic Food** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:16 pm

And then we'll know for sure how much of Wave 5 was a hoax! :racis:

(?) · by **Gravenstein** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:01 pm

Is this the puzzle solution?

http://imgur.com/eTsQJ

(?) · by **EquusStorm** (?) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:59 pm

Hollow wrote:Yesss that is always awesome.

Third 2011 McDs Fluttershy, you are MIIIIIINE! Muahahaha

Okay I am completely lost regarding the different waves of blindbags now. :gonkity:

The set I've been collecting, and the only one I have ever seen in stores (not that I was looking till recently, and also I have no access to a ToysRUs or Target anywhere near here) is the set that includes Minty, Roseluck, and Lily Blossom, and the crystal-like version of RD, PP, and TS. I have the complete set of this and multiples of many of them if folks want to trade. Where and when is the newer/est set supposed to come out?

(?) · by **Wylie** (?) » Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:39 am

Gravenstein wrote:Is this the puzzle solution?

http://imgur.com/eTsQJ

Not quite. We have been thinking the same thinks, though.

For the record: If I just won, I have a '12 Fluttershy. It should go to someone who needs one.

(?) · by **Wylie** (?) » Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:57 am

The solution to pksage's pony puzzle, hidden behind spoilers for your pleasure:

1. The funky line spacing was the first tipoff. There was no need to break those lines there unless they were meaningful.
2. The emotes were keyed as numbers, based on their position in the Smilies list at the right of the posting window.
3. Two emotes per line: The first is a row number, the second a position number (or a column number, if you're using a monospace font).
4. Using that key, you get "ponypuz", which is a recognizable series of letters and a good hint that we're on the right track.
5. Putting that into tinyurl (tinyurl dot com slash ponypuz) doesn't work. We need to do something else.
6. The "drink your Ovaltine" clue is a reference to the Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring, which was referenced in A Christmas Story and also happens to be a real thing.
7. It's a decoder wheel, so we're using that sort of cipher. "ponypuz" is actually the ciphertext here, we need to "decode" it by spinning the letters around.
8. The most common cipher system like that these days is rot13, which gives us "cbalchm" as a result. That leads to the imgur link Gravenstein posted.
9. Putting that image into Photoshop and cranking down the brightness makes the following message appear:
10. "good job! pm me the word "snarfblat".

I (and possibly Gravenstein, and maybe even someone else) have already completed the puzzle, so please don't flood pksage with answers- someone's already a winner, we just need an official announcement from pksage as to who it is.

That was fun. I would love more of these sorts of things, with or without a prize at the end. Thanks for making me think! :crack:

The Round Stable

Plays with Ponies: The Toy Thread

Re: Plays with Ponies: The Toy Thread

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