Did you try to solve this yourself?
I'm getting errors on step 2.
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Hmm, it looks like I used a symbol that gives some problems with different sites. However, the tool listed in Zelgh's guide returns you the right result (at least for me). Use that for now, I'll see if I can change it so it works everywhere.
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Nice puzzle, but too strong for my brain :( Everything I try on the step 2 gives out the same nonsense result
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Ky4uKysgKystLi0gKy0uLi4gKy4rLS4gKysrKys=
original: K+KAouKAoisrICsrLeKAoi0gKy3igKLigKLigKIgK+KAoist4oCiICsrKysr
Game is Shadowrun Returns, level 1+, ends 22/01.
Three steps. If you need some help, check Zelgh's guide.
Hope everything's correctit wasn't. Have fun!Hint 1: Second step is not found on Zelgh's guide.
Hint 2: Sequences in step 2 are all made of the same number of types in this particular case. But, generally speaking, they could be made of a variable (any) number of types, depending on what they represent.
Hint 3: Scales.
Edit 14/01: as TheRegalMachine pointed out, looks like encryption of a particular type only worked in the site I used and gave strange results on other sites. Therefore, I changed that character with a common one that will hopefully work with every site.
SOLUTION:
Step 1: this was easy, it was a simple base64 encryption (I used this tool). The decrypted message contained this line:
+..++ ++-.- +-... +.+-. +++++ or the original one: +••++ ++-•- +-••• +•+-• +++++
Step 2: there are only three different types in these strings: + , - and • ; this could suggest it's a ternary system. However, it isn't a normal base 3 system (0 1 2 10 11 12 20...), but it's a balanced ternary system (hint 3). It's a way to represent numbers using the powers of 3, similarly to the binary system where 0s and 1s represent the powers of 2. Every type stands for a power of 3 (starting from the rightmost 3^0 and raising the exponent at every type towards left), and the +, - and • (different notations can be used) indicate whether the respective power has positive, negative, or null value while summing all the numbers together. Some examples:
+- = 1x3^1 + (-1)x3^0 = 3 - 1 = 2
-+• = (-1)x3^2 + 1x3^1 + 0x3^0 = -9 + 3 + 0 = -6
+•-+ = 1x3^3 + 0x3^2 + (-1)x3^1 + 1x3^0 = 27 + 0 - 3 + 1 = 25
Now, our 5 strings: +••++ = 85, ++-•- = 98, +-••• = 54, +•+-• = 87, +++++ = 121. The fact that all strings each have 5 types is a coincidence (as stated in hint 2). 5 types are needed for numbers from 41 (+----) to 121 (+++++).
Step 3 (not really a step, but was needed to create step 2): very easy, these numbers represent ASCII characters and can be easily converted to a giveaway code using the same tool as before. 85 98 54 87 121 = Ub6Wy.
I know, it wasn't simple. Congratulations to solvers, thanks for trying to everybody else!
Have a nice week!
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