Plays with Ponies: The Toy Thread

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

That was fun.

"Oh, hi there puzzle that makes Aramek feel stupid!"



"Right in your face!"

[Sobana]

I already figured out the puzzle a while ago but thought it best if someone more deserving then me won the prize.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

That's not very nice, Aramek!


Now try to solve this one:





Content...sort of:

I went to repair a couple things just now and the couple that live there's daughter was playing with MLP toys. I only made notice of it when I heard her say, "The Great and Powerful Trixieeeeeeeee!"

[pksageLAUGHTER IS PEACE. FROWNING IS SLAVERY. PARTYING IS STRENGTH.]

Wylie got it, complete with an accurate explanation! I was under the impression that most traditional decoder rings were ROT13, but I'm glad you got it anyway.

I really like putting together web puzzles, and might do one on a larger scale for Ponygoons as a whole if there's interest. I don't pull punches, though; I would be trying for notpron levels of difficulty. But with !

I'll give Wylie the official crack at determining my 2012 Fluttershy's fate, but if Wylie doesn't care I'll be sending it to Tallgeese.

[WildfireYa ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ya ta ta ta ta ta ta ta do doh duh va zha da ya dya da KABOOM. KABOOM.]

Pretty awesome coding (I didn't try it because I already had Fluttershy ).
With the arrival of my complete McD set from Davyinatoga, I now have an extra Fluttershy and Twilight. I might try a similar thing with them ( I've always liked coding and stuff).

[NisslMarching bravely into a bold new pony future]

Over at MLP Arena, someone has the wedding ponies in hand via Taobao.

[WylieCIDER CIDER CIDER]

Honestly, the rot13 bit was a wild (well, not -too- wild) guess on my part. This is a Little Orphan Annie decoder pin:


It's a numeric cipher that can be keyed. The small arrow can point to any of the numbers, and its position changes the code. (Setting the arrow to M would be a rot13 cipher.) The one in the movie seems to work a bit differently (and is probably not an actual cipher anyway), but the way the one in the picture would work is they would announce where the arrow was to be set (6 in the picture) and then you'd spin the inner window around to match the numbers in the code to reveal the letters.

Once I hit on using rot13 on the code result, the rest of it fell into place nicely. I had already solved it and sent the PM to pksage before I saw that Gravenstein had posted the correct image from imgur, thinking that it was the final solution. I thought I might not have been a winner then, because once the image was public, anyone who thought to take that image into an editor could've won easily without doing any of the prior work.

I have absolutely no idea what made me take that image into Photoshop and reduce the brightness all the way, but it was the first thing I did, and it happened to be exactly the right thing to do:


Maybe I've seen this trick before? If so, I can't remember where.

And now, we return you to your regularly-scheduled toy thread. I'm your host, Wylie, and this has been Unnecessary Cryptography Derail. Thanks for tuning in, and remember to drink your Ovaltine™! Congrats to Tallgeese on the new pony!

[GravensteinCURSE YOU LARSON FOR MAKING ME THIS WAY!]

Aw, man! I was at work when I figured out the 13-letter rotation (through brute force ) and had no access to any kind of photo-editing software. It was still a pretty fun distraction, though, thanks!

[Tallgeese]

Aw, thanks a lot Wylie and pksage! I appreciate it a lot!

[londonarbuckleAND SOMEDAY YOU WILL BUCK LIKE I BUCK.]

I now have an extra Fluttershy and Twilight.

Dang, those are the two I need (Well I don't have Cheerilee or Lily Blossom either but a complete main 6 would be nice at least.)

I will try if you do a code even though I am terrible at those things.

[HollowThis place needs a miracle.]

Over at MLP Arena, someone has the wedding ponies in hand via Taobao.

I adore his hair, it makes him so different.

Naturally some oldpony fans are bitching about his hair, but god dammit you wenches it's boy pony we haven't had that in forever SHUT UP AND BRUSHIE BRUSHIE

[Throbulatorhello.jpg]

"Oh, hi there puzzle that makes Aramek feel stupid!"



"Right in your face!"

But you solved it in the end! You attacked them horse letters and came out triumphantly!

Also I've never heard of Little Orphan Annie before, so the whole ovaltine bit was lost on me. I did a google search on the phrase "tiny redirecting ovaltine" and surprise surprise, this thread was number 1 hit. Number 2 hit was a blog post about cracking code using base64 and hex editors. Guess what I've done a lot.
Still, I think I deserve honourable mention for 'SNOTWAY'. Sounds like an awful pony though.

Good job Wylie!

Little Orphan Annie, huh? Finally I get the joke in Robot Chicken's Star Wars special.

[KronosGiver of Zero Bucks]

The Little Orphan Annie/Ovaltine connection is actually a reference to one of the more famous scenes in A Christmas Story when Ralphie, finally in possession of the decoder ring he'd waited weeks for, ends up in a race against time as he tries to decode a "super secret message" in the bathroom while his younger brother needs to use the toilet.

The message was "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine".

Also, I'm expecting my Diamond Rose brushie to arrive any day now. The wait is killing me, simply because my need for more plastic pony crack is starting to bite again

[Doctor Wheeze]

Pretty awesome coding (I didn't try it because I already had Fluttershy ).
With the arrival of my complete McD set from Davyinatoga, I now have an extra Fluttershy and Twilight. I might try a similar thing with them ( I've always liked coding and stuff).

Oh god oh god I want a Twilight but I don't know anything about codes

[Sobana]

You are correct, good sir!

[VoodooTikiALL the gems.]

Now try to solve this one:

The voynich manuscript? Good luck!

[Paperback WriterStarry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caughtTrapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended]

I don't understand anything about cyphers or encryption.

Toys R Us finally got in the wave 1 blind bags. They're hanging them up on the pegs instead of leaving them in the box.

[Pocketis she just gonna go booty booty]

The voynich manuscript? Good luck!

Pfff. Randall Monroe figured that one out already.

[OctaviaHow does Frederic do it?]

http://www.shapeways.com/model/492474/s ... lassy.html

I want this but I don't want to pay $40 for it.

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

She looks so...pissy!

[HollowThis place needs a miracle.]

http://www.shapeways.com/model/492474/stylized-cartoon-horse-classy.html

I want this but I don't want to pay $40 for it.

This place is amazing, but I don't get it. Are you paying for the actual item, or just the download files to print from your own 3d printer?

[KronosGiver of Zero Bucks]

This place is amazing, but I don't get it. Are you paying for the actual item, or just the download files to print from your own 3d printer?

I believe the way Shapeways works is that it prints the stuff and sends it to you.

And I'd also TOTALLY buy that Octavia for $40, provided she was also pre-painted like that and was scaled with the brushies. She can't come in those colors out of the printer, unless it's some new kind of process I'm unaware of.

EDIT: Wait, it just might come like that. Need to check something...

EDIT2: Holy crap, it DOES come like that! Apparently the material used allows for multiple colors to be added during the printing process. There's a warning about color fading if exposed to water for too long, but I doubt anybody will be giving Octy a bath anytime soon. And those are some SHARP details, too, so the price isn't too unreasonable, although if I had $40 to blow it's already reserved for a different figure already.

[londonarbuckleAND SOMEDAY YOU WILL BUCK LIKE I BUCK.]

Why doesn't she come with a cello? She NEEDS her cello!

[ArtificerGoes well with All Natural Milk Naturally Flavored with Natural Flavors.]

Because its not a Cello!

[Throbulatorhello.jpg]

But where's the brushie brushie?

[Willsun]

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

Aw shucks, I'm glad to put little things in my mail. They're fun to draw.

Anyway I just came back from sending things out again. An update to my list, as I had some information wrong. Here's what's left:

• Full 2012 set: [Claimed, paid]
• Full 2012 set: [Unclaimed]
• Lily Blossom: 1
• 2012 Applejack: 1
• 2011 Rarity: 2
• 2011 Princess Celestia: 2
• 2011 Twilight Sparkle: 3
• 2011 Rainbow Dash: 1

If anyone's PM'd me stuff and I forgot to respond, please let me know again. I think I'm caught up on sending out everyone's stuff so far.

[londonarbuckleAND SOMEDAY YOU WILL BUCK LIKE I BUCK.]

Because its not a Cello!

I KNEW I'd get that wrong and that someone would call me on it.

[Opposing FarceDon't you smile at my faceSpit on my backDo you kiss your mother with a mouth like that?]

I KNEW I'd get that wrong and that someone would call me on it.

To be honest it could go either way. I like to think of it as a bass, though, 'cause basses are cooler.

[Sobana]

I want this but I don't want to pay $40 for it.

My response http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UBH41bAxyw

[LiamA]

I love how she's a "Stylized Cartoon Horse."

If that person had some more to choose from, then maaaaybe.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

I would buy a "Stylized Cartoon Horse" of Rainbow Dash if she was in this pose:

http://kp-shadowsquirrel.deviantart.com ... -211279369

[WylieCIDER CIDER CIDER]

Those look like they're done using the same process as the folks at FigurePrints use. I've seen their work up-close- they had one of their production machines at Blizzcon a few years ago. There's a demo movie on their site that shows how they're made if you're interested in the process.

They look great, but they're really display pieces only- they're about as fragile as a porcelain figure, maybe even a little more so. (The Figureprints people ship them with glass domes to protect them for display.)

I guess what I'm saying is don't get one expecting to put it on the shelf next to the rest of your ponies - it would really need some protection from the elements/humidity/breakage.

[Sobana]

I guess what I'm saying is don't get one expecting to put it on the shelf next to the rest of your ponies - it would really need some protection from the elements/humidity/breakage.

Wait, then it would be prefect sitting next to my other ponies. I got some mad collection skills.

[reidransom]

That stylized cartoon horse is indeed classy as fuck. I'd definitely pay $40 for a quality pony model, but not Octavia, I think. And I don't expect we'll be seeing any core ponies any time soon; that's asking for trouble.


In other pony merchandise news, I got my Rainbow Dash "business card holder" in yesterday, which I have to say looks suspiciously like you could use as a cigarette case instead, a thing of which I no longer approve . Or maybe I'm just seeing things and the size isn't quite right afterall.

[Sobana]

Show pic or it didn't happen!

[reidransom]

Of the "card holder"? OK.

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

Rainbow Dash thinks smoking is cool.

[KronosGiver of Zero Bucks]

Now, if they made a Rarity version, then you could go cosplay as a Brony TF2 Spy.

Also, it makes me think of that funny photoshoped series of pics from the last episode that has everpony smoking some kind of cigarette and Dash has like, five going at the same time.

[Throbulatorhello.jpg]

Wait, then it would be prefect sitting next to my other ponies. I got some mad collection skills.

I'm starting to worry about you man. Should we consider hosting an intervention?

[KronosGiver of Zero Bucks]

YES! My Phoe...er, I mean my Diamond Rose came in today! Will post pics with her and the rest of my pony gang later. Now my collection is complete until the TRU exclusives come out in the fall. I also may need to pick up a Blossomforth sometime in the future if I can, since she did make an appearance/get two namedrops over the course of Hurricane Fluttershy, but as she was a bit character with no lines I don't have a driving need to have her.