Contest Question Archive

• 1. . Found by iHerty (with bonuses).

7 - Pizza Hut Stands and Delivers

Sal's Realm (February 15, 2010)

It had 52 points, 33 of which were bonus, and had 8 finds. 15 bonus points were lost.

Finding Easter eggs:

• 1. What font did I use for the "WolfieMario's Machinima Contest Entry" text? 3₧ The RuneScape Large Font (seen in book, scroll, and quest titles, and some interfaces). Found by Chaoss.

  2. What emote is the Spectral Shield Guy (Viral Aether) using in the third scene? Why is it like that? 2₧ (+5₧) The Angry emote, which is modified by a Powdered Wig. Question and bonus found by Randomness.

Finding references:

• 1. Where are the six symbols in the last scene from? 1₧ The minimap and floor of the Grand Exchange - found by Ewout.

Figure out how I faked it:

• 1. To get the Spectral Shield Guy's (Viral Aether's) arms into the position that I could give him a cell phone, what emote did he use? 6₧ [2 incorrect guesses] Beckon - found by Ewout.

  2. The Pizza Boxes and Pizza Cutter items are faked by putting them over existing, similarly-shaped items. What types of items were the two pizza guys wielding so I could do this? Bonus: give the items' specific names and what materials they are made of (15₧). 3₧ (+15₧) The Pizza Hut guy held an Iron Kiteshield, while the DiGiorno guy held a Steel Dagger and Bronze Kiteshield. Randomness earned 3₧ +3₧ for the question and figuring out the weapon was steel.

  3. What program did I do the graphics of the animations for "WolfieMario's Machinima Contest Entry" and "Grand Exchange"? What program did I animate them with? You get 3₧ for guessing the graphical program, and 5₧ for guessing the animating program. If you get one but not the other, this question is crossed off the list and the points you did not get are lost. 8₧ [1 incorrect guess] Marcromedia Fireworks 8 for the graphics and Macromedia Flash Pro 8 for the animation. Flash found by Randomness.

  4. Did I use the actual RS logo for the "Grand Exchange" text, or did I make it with the pen-tool and filters? (One-shot question) 5₧ I made it, silly!

  5. (Found by Scurfie)The icons at the end are from the Grand Exchange minimap. Why are they not pixellated at that size? 4₧ [4 incorrect guesses] I made them from scratch by pen-tooling over the original minimap icons. Found by Chaoss.

8 - My Snipes At The Ge from 2/1/11

Zybez (February 2, 2011), Sal's Realm (February 3, 2011)

This is the first time my contest is opened to Zybez, and the first time an official contest topic is open at another forum.

It had 51 points, 3 of which were bonus, and had 8 finds. No bonus points were lost.

Finding Easter eggs:

• 1. There's a pun somewhere in these fakes - where/what is it? 3₧ For the coins offer on the history, the it says "You trolled" instead of "You sold" (Actually, it's hard to tell whether using money to get money is a buy or sale). Found by LonelyWolf (Sal's Realm).

  2. You may catch what at first seems to be a typo - but it does make sense if you think about it. What is it? 3₧ [3 incorrect guesses] For Tehnoobshow on the history, it says "I cost you" instead of "It cost you". Found by GT-R (Zybez).

Understanding references:

• 1. The cost of the Stone of Jas is actually something very specific. It vaguely references one of the theories of what "Jas" means. So, what is the significance of the number 443? 18₧ One of the theories is that "Jas" references the acronym "Java Application Server," which is what RuneScape runs on. 443 is the port number that RS now runs from. Found by Smooth (Zybez).

  2. What is Tehnoobshow's price a reference to? Here's a hint: the number changes frequently, and has increased by now, but the three highest digits remain unchanged. 4₧ The number of subscribers he has. Found by Smooth (Zybez).

  3. Not all offers are in the same units of currency - why's one different? 2₧ [2 incorrect guesses] The Chaotic Longsword is in tokens - specifically, dungeoneering tokens, which is what you buy rewards such as the cls with. Found by LonelyWolf (Sal's Realm).

  4. In the history, it says "You bought player moderatorship", "It cost you your cc's respect". It's not saying people stopped respecting you because you're a mod; instead it implies that something else happened. What general trend in popular clan chats does this refer to? 6₧ It implies that the player got their moderatorship, not quite from "buying" it, but from reporting people in his clan chat. This references how it's become common for people to get reported by wanna-be-mods for the silliest reasons and most harmless jokes in clan chats. Found by Chaoss (Sal's Realm).

Figure out how I faked it:

• 1. How did I make the Stone of Jas item? Specifically, where did I get an image of the Stone from, that I was able to resize and use as an item sprite? You have to post the exact image or one that is similar enough. (Here's a hint: the image I used isn't on a page that most people will come across... But it used to be. And yes, it's still viewable to anyone... Who knows where to look.) 10₧ [5 incorrect guesses] I got it from an outdated version of the While Guthix Sleeps quest scroll, found on RuneWiki in the image history of the current quest scroll. Sort of found by LonelyWolf (Sal's Realm) (he linked this image, but the Stone looks exactly the same).

  2. How did I make the player moderator crown item? You only need to say a general technique (pixelling, recolor, etc.). Bonus if you figure out what program I made it in. 5₧ (+3₧) [1 incorrect guess] I did it with 3D modeling in the open-source program Blender. Figured out by Kyra10987 (Sal's Realm).

9 - Orbs of Oculi

Tip.It, Sal's Realm, Zybez (March 30, 2011)

This was the first time my contest was opened to all three forums.

It had 62 points, 26 of which were bonus, and had 12 finds. 10 bonus points were lost.

Understanding references:

• 1. What game have I referenced with the designs of my custom orbs? Hint: think of an RPG where you visit diverse enough locations that each of these orbs would have a place. Also, the game's graphics aren't 3D. 5₧ [2 incorrect guesses] Chrono Trigger, found by Chaos23456 (Zybez).

  2. The order of the orbs is not random. They are actually placed in an order that references something specific from the game I mentioned above. What exactly does the order reference? 6₧ The order refers to the order of background styles in Chrono Trigger. See this image. Found by jjjon123 (Tip.It).

  3. [4 Finds] The Stone of Gazing, Sphaera Vigiliarum, Scrying Orb, and Sphere of Sight (2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th orbs) could all fit in particular time periods in the game I mentioned above. Match each orb with its time period. You get 2₧ for each. 8₧ {Sealed by Understanding references #1} [3 incorrect guesses] The Stone of Gazing represents the prehistoric period. The Sphere of Sight represents the future. The Scrying Orb represents the Antiquity. The Sphaera Vigiliarum represents the Medieval period. The Stone of Gazing and Sphere of Sight ones were found by kasame10 (Zybez). The Scrying Orb and Sphaera Vigiliarum ones were found by jjjon123 (Tip.It).

  4. The Depths of Vision (last orb) makes a reference to a dungeon from the game mentioned above. What dungeon does its design represent? 2₧ bonus: why is the orb's name fitting? 4₧ bonus: the orange symbols on it do not reference the dungeon - what do those reference? 2₧ (+6₧) [2 incorrect guesses] The design represents the Ocean Palace (a design also used by the Sun Temple). The orb's name is fitting because the palace is deep under water. The orange symbols come from the eighth interface background style (see this image). Question and both bonuses answered by jjjon123 (Tip.It).

  5. The Eye of Malediction (third orb) makes a reference to another dungeon in the above mentioned game. What dungeon does its design represent? It actually references the dungeon in two different ways - you get 3₧ bonus for each of the two you figure out. 3₧ (+6₧) It represents the Black Omen. Its shape is based on the floating dungeon's exterior, while its color and glowing effects are based on the blue rooms deep in the dungeon. Found by jjjon123 (Tip.It), but only with the first bonus.

Figure out how I made it:

• 1. What specular shading algorithm did I use for the shiny parts of the Sphere of Sight (7th orb)? Note: although I made this in Blender, knowledge of Blender is not necessary to answer this question - the algorithm is not unique to Blender, and I will accept any name that refers to the right algorithm. 7₧ bonus: what diffuse shader did I use, and how did I get it to create the faux-reflections? (You're more likely to need to know Blender if you want to answer the bonus). 3₧ (+7₧) [1 incorrect guess] I used the Ward anisotropic (WardIso in Blender) shader for the specular highlights of the lens. I used the default Lambert shader for the diffuse, but made faux-reflections by giving the shader a color ramp. Found by Capt Hunter (Sal's Realm) (bonus not earned).

  2. This image shows the "item versions" of my models. Similar to how Jagex makes their inventory/dropped models less detailed than the equipped versions, I have reduced the quality for some of my item versions. Ignoring textures, how many item versions are not any lower quality in item form? You also get 1 or 2₧ bonus for each model you correctly say is unchanged. 2₧ (+7₧) Five orbs are not any lower in quality - they are the Orb of Oculus, Stone of Gazing, Sphaera Vigiliarum, Box of Viewing, and Depths of Vision. All five have been found by Capt Hunter (Sal's Realm).

  3. What was the base shape I used to create the Depths of Vision (last orb)? Don't say "sphere", because you can't have a perfect sphere in 3D modeling. But if you know a little about 3D geometric shapes you should be able to get this even without knowing about modeling. Note that my starting shape is actually a modification of one of the platonic solids, so it has four times the amount of faces the true platonic solid has. 3₧ An icosphere - specifically, one with 80 faces. Found by Capt Hunter (Sal's Realm).

  4. What is the source of the stone texture for the Sphaera Vigiliarum (4th orb)? Hint: it's from the same game mentioned in Understanding References #1. 4₧ [1 incorrect guess] The fourth window type in Chrono Trigger has a stone tile texture like that in its background. Found by jjjon123 (Tip.It).

11 - April Fools

Zybez, Tip.It (June 4, 2011)

This was the first time my contest was not open to Sal's Realm.

It had 91 points, 26 of which were bonus, and had 16 finds. All bonus points were lost.

Finding Easter eggs:

• 1. I modified an icon for no real reason. What icon did I change? 2₧ [1 incorrect guess] The XP counter says XP^-, implying Negative Bonus XP for this day

  2. . Found by Gandorf61 (Tip.It).

  3. Something is missing somewhere in the interface. There is actually a reason it is missing - you may get it if you read the Behind-the-Scenes well. What is missing, and (5₧ bonus) why it not there? 5₧ (+5₧) [2 incorrect guesses] The minimap dots of Wilough and Shilop (two of Gertrude's sons) are missing. They aren't there because they would be involved in the quest, Gertrude's Cataclysm. Found by Michaël (Zybez) (bonus not earned).

  4. Something really random happens for no reason - you'll see it in the interface somewhere. What is it? 4₧ Baraek the fur trader randomly runs north to Varrock Castle, and then back south to where he belongs. Found by CaptHunter (Tip.It).

  5. This one is actually sort of a flaw: something is not right about the minimap. What is it? (It has nothing to do with the cats.) 6₧ Some dots on the minimap, such as Zaff and Naff, stand still throughout the animation. Found by CaptHunter (Tip.It).

Finding References:

• 1. You can blame me taking AP Calculus for this question. I noticed that the amount of swears in my sentences forms a mathematical curve when you consider frequency of swears over time. You don't have to be specific, but what type of curve is it (e.g. linear, etc.)? 8₧ It's an exponential curve - here's how the censorship beeps look in my editor, Adobe After Effects. Found by Gandorf61 (Tip.It).

  2. What does the item at the bottom-right of the inventory represent? 5₧ bonus for figuring out why the number of the stack is 73. 4₧ (+5₧) [1 incorrect guess] They are bonus points from my contest, and there are 73 of them because there were 73 "lost" bonus points before this fake's contest started. Bonus points are lost when someone answers the main part of a question, but not the part that gives bonus points. Found by CaptHunter (Tip.It) (bonus not earned).

  3. I made references to many things in the Behind-the-Scenes. So we're all clear lets get the obvious two out of the way: you should all know that Gertrude's Cataclysm is referenced in the BTS section of the same name. But where is the ripping of a party hat mentioned in the article? Just post a quote of that part of the article. 1₧ "Due to an editing error, the ‘wear’ option on party hats will no longer be the default option. Be careful when donning one, as we have corrected it to the intended ‘tear’ left-click option, for those who need to clear inventory space for ranaar." -found by dash berlin (Zybez).

  4. [2 Finds] The chatbox, at the beginning, contains two references to the BTS (Behind-the-Scenes). One reference is worth 5₧, and the other is worth 3₧. What are they? 8₧ The level 78 hunter pet is from "Werewolf and Vampire Hunting", and Cherryboom is from "Little Pwny Unicorns". Both found by dash berlin (Zybez).

  5. I made a completely new interface icon - no, it's not the cursor, and it's not any of the inventory items. What is the icon, where is it, and what does it reference in the BTS? 2₧ At the beginning, you see a sailing icon at the bottom of the skills interface. It references the one-word mention of "Sailing." at the bottom of the BTS. Found by Gandorf61 (Tip.It).

  6. There is one reference to the BTS that comes as two separate inventory items. What is referenced by the items? 3₧ The grey/white hairs and red guitar reference "TzHaar Hero" - found by dash berlin (Zybez).

  7. [2 Finds] Explain what two of the inventory items are meant to represent. You get 5₧ for explaining the grey/white stuff below the party hat, and 2₧ for explaining the red thing next to the grey/white stuff. {Sealed by Finding References #6} 7₧ The grey/white things are the beard-hairs of an imcando dwarf, and the red thing is a Toktz-ak-tok (Obsidian Guitar). You may see a close-up image of the guitar here. Both found by dash berlin (Zybez).

Figure out how I made it:

• 1. Not really a question of how I made it, but this is the only section I could put this question under. How many cats are there? You don't have to be exact, of course. I will accept your guess if it is within 20 of the correct number (e.g. 20 greater or 20 fewer). If I get 10 guesses and none of them are within 20 of the correct answer, the closest guess gets the points. Maximum of two guesses per person. Also, if your guess is exactly the correct number, you get 16₧ bonus. (Hint: don't count the minimap dots, they aren't exact and overlap too much!) 8₧ (+16₧) [9 incorrect guesses] Gandorf61 (Tip.It) guessed 666 and was wrong, but close to being within 20 of the answer. CaptHunter (Tip.It) guessed 250 and was far, far too low. Bonesman (Tip.It) guessed 616 and was too low. Michaël (Zybez) guessed 647 and was also too low. Oryza Sativa (Zybez) guessed 600 and 680, both of which were too low (680 was close, however). Michaël (Zybez) guessed 700, and was painfully close... dash berlin (Zybez) guessed 698 and 706, again being very close but too low. Finally, I am Nyu (Zybez) guessed 740, which was within 20 of the real answer - 730. Thus I am Nyu scored 8₧.

  2. How did I make that platebody in my inventory? Did I fake it? Did I get it from somewhere? If you think I faked it, state the general tool/technique I used. If you think I got it from somewhere, say where I got it from. 4₧ It's a quest reward, Carnillean armour, which is one of the two possible rewards from Hazeel Cult, found by dash berlin (Zybez).

  3. What is that potion in my inventory? 3₧ It's a Super Energy (3) potion, found by dash berlin (Zybez).