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high rated
More than a year has passed and it's time for another Esoteric Challenge!

The text of the challenge is here:

<span class="bold">http://pastebin.com/raw/FFhvB96Y</span>

The answer is a game code that can be redeemed at GOG. The format is 20 hexadecimal characters.

As in the previous giveaway, I will not be adding any direct hints. There are already a few hints included in this post and in the text of the challenge itself. And some red herrings. As usual, I will help those who help themselves, so if you're stuck please feel free to discuss here or PM me. Just don't include any direct answers in this thread.

And again: there is nothing arbitrary or unfair about the solution. So nothing along the lines "if I change vowels to 0s and constants to 1s, I'll get a binary code that is the answer" because that would require you to arbitrarily assign vowels to 0s and constants to 1s. If you are required to do something you will be told to do so. This is actually a hint in itself. If you find yourself thinking of solutions that are too arbitrary or too unfair, then know that you are on the wrong track.

Of the three giveaways, I'd think this one would be easiest. This however is not easy to judge by the person who made the quiz, so I could be wrong. Either way, I'm hoping this will prove to be a nice challenge to the usual crowd and also get new people interested in the topic.

Happy solving!

LINKS:

First, I'll use this opportunity to shamelessly promote my Globe Quine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws-bRLdMJrs
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/my_gogcom_brainf_quine/page1
Still working on a better version

And previous challenges:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general_archive/esoteric_challenge_giveaway/page1
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/esoteric_challenge_ii_giveaway/page1

EDIT:
I'm going to give an extra tip, because I just discovered something a little bit frustrating.

It seems that some (and by "some" I mean "a lot", bordering on "most" in fact) esoteric online interpreters of a certain language do not conform to its full specifications.
My challenge is dependent on some less-commonly-used features of a language, that are nonetheless documented in the specs, and I just discovered that your average online interpreter might not give you the correct result.

I don't want you to be stuck and bang your head in frustration because you can't find a decent interpreter, so if you think that that's what's preventing you from solving it, then if you want PM me and I'll send a link to working ones.

Alternatively just search for them yourself. If an interpreter/compiler mentions that it conforms to all specifications then it will work. I just tested it an a few.

ADD:
I never intended for this to be a "find the right interpreter" puzzle, so please if you do figure out the language, PM me what interpreter you're using, and I'll let you know if it's good.

I'd just post it here, but that would just give away the language.

Solved so far (none claimed the game yet):
_Wishbone
_helpo1
_Urnoev
_adaliabooks
_blotunga

EDIT:
Solution in attachments. For hint 6 and 7 (final) check next post, since GOG only allows 5 attachments.
Attachments:
hint1.png (4 Kb)
hint2.png (9 Kb)
hint3.png (3 Kb)
hint4.png (3 Kb)
hint5.png (6 Kb)
Post edited February 14, 2017 by ZFR
Didn't you just say this wasn't going to be a Brainfuck?


[EDIT] lmao, indeed. Too funny.

Okay. Next.
Post edited January 18, 2017 by yogsloth
As much as I love a good puzzle, I despise coding.
+1 for ya, though.
I dunno. I know what it looks like, but that doesn't appear to be it. So I dunno.
avatar
yogsloth: Didn't you just say this wasn't going to be a Brainfuck?

[EDIT] lmao, indeed. Too funny.

Okay. Next.
... or is it?

...
avatar
yogsloth: I dunno. I know what it looks like, but that doesn't appear to be it. So I dunno.
Aaaaargh.

I'm going to give an extra tip, because I just discovered something a little bit frustrating.

It seems that some (and by "some" I mean "a lot", bordering on "most" in fact) esoteric online interpreters of a certain language do not conform to its full specifications.
My challenge is dependent on some less-commonly-used features of a language, that are nonetheless documented in the specs, and I just discovered that your average online interpreter might not give you the correct result.

I don't want you to be stuck and bang your head in frustration because you can't find a decent interpreter, so if you think that that's what's preventing you from solving it, then if you want PM me and I'll send a link to working ones.

Alternatively just search for them yourself. If an interpreter/compiler mentions that it conforms to all specifications then it will work. I just tested it an a few.

yogsloth, if in light of the above you want to give it another try, PM me.

EDIT:
Hint 6 and 7 (final) in attachments.
Attachments:
hint6.png (3 Kb)
Post edited February 14, 2017 by ZFR
As always, this is interesting :-)

And as always, I am stuck :-(

I will look at it some more when I get home from work today.
This gave me an idea of how it might be fun to make a contest that somehow involved solving a complex puzzle with TIS-100. :)
Haven't got time right now, but I'll take a crack at this later, thanks for hosting this again ZFR :)
We have the first solver!

However, his solving of it did highlight the necessity of using a proper interpreter. Unfortunately, even if your interpreter correctly interprets one part of the puzzle, it might not interpret another one, and you'd be wasting time trying to figure out what to do.

I never intended for this to be a "find the right interpreter" puzzle, so please if you do figure out the language, PM me what interpreter you're using, and I'll let you know if it's good.

I'd just post it here, but that would just give away the language.
avatar
ZFR: We have the first solver!
I suppose it should be said that I already own the game in question, so the code is still available for any other takers ;-)
Bah, really struggling with this one... XD
Managed to find the first hint by way of the challenge text, but it's likely because I'm new to this that I might not be able to see the pointers or "red herrings" you want me to see to go on. Interesting subject though, esoteric languages.
We have a second solver. Game not claimed yet.
Thank you for another Esoteric Challenge, ZFR. Already looking forward to possible ECIV sometime. :)
avatar
ZFR: Of the three giveaways, I'd think this one would be easiest. This however is not easy to judge by the person who made the quiz, so I could be wrong. Either way, I'm hoping this will prove to be a nice challenge to the usual crowd and also get new people interested in the topic.
Personally, I found the first one easier. This was about on par with ECII (which I admittedly made much more difficult for myself because of an oversight on the last step, though).
Officially giving up. I am defeated once again.