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Post by offsky on Jun 7, 2017 10:01:29 GMT -5
I keep checking back in these forums to see if anyone has uncovered more to do, but nothing is turning up. It seems that C&C is now a 2-3 day experience, down from 3-4 weeks. And all of the extra layers and puzzles have been removed. Im wondering if I am in the minority with my feelings. And now that I have influenced your judgement, forget everything I have just said and please post an honest answer to this survey.
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Post by Todd on Jun 7, 2017 10:54:36 GMT -5
I personally believe it's too early to tell. Those of us who have worked all three volumes can get a bit of perspective by looking at Volume 1 Issue 1. Apart from a cryptic message about collecting digits , there was very little to go on, and yet the very next issue started us on the Dancing Men , culminating in the Bridge Letter . What an adventure that was! Even Volume 3 Issue 1 left us a bit perplexed and anxious, because the Vault had not yet gone live and so we just seemed to be collecting random words. Indeed we failed to see many of the puzzles until the Vault told us they were there. As I recall, the Vault went live about the time Volume 3 Issue 2 shipped. In Gods of Madness we have one confirmed hidden message, and rumors of others. We have several anomalies in the puzzles and articles that may come into play later. We have the beginning of a story of conflict between the Curator and the Editor. There are building blocks there that could turn into something excellent, and perhaps we simply cannot see it yet. I know many people have expressed similar feelings to MPC, and I would not be surprised if they are re-evaluating their plans for Curios & Conundrums based on feedback. Indeed I have heard people mention encouraging responses from MPC Concierges that there may be more than meets the eye. But MPC employees appear to be highly trained in obfuscation, so even that might just be high hope. If it truly is what it seems to be on the surface, it is a significant disappointment for me and the puzzle-solving community. But I'm not prepared to draw a conclusion just yet. |
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Post by squirrel on Jun 8, 2017 11:42:07 GMT -5
I'm in the wait and see camp as well. I've only just joined up and sprinted through the back issues in the past few months. I'm willing to give the MPC the benefit of the doubt and see how things evolve. I'm going to need the 2nd box (and at the very least the theme announcement/site update for the 2nd box) before I make any decisions.
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Post by thegenii on Jun 8, 2017 15:58:28 GMT -5
The second box is called "The Brain Butchers."
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Post by neutronstar on Jun 8, 2017 16:09:36 GMT -5
yes, exciting, is anyone trying to work out the redacted email?
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Post by johnkiddier on Jun 8, 2017 16:12:12 GMT -5
I'll give it one more issue but of it truly is a very expensive set of a handful of puzzles with some random stories then I'm done.
However I do think that there's far more to this as the oddities and 'S' inspired spat between the editor and curator offer plenty of room for further development.
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Post by wortelboer on Jun 8, 2017 16:15:11 GMT -5
A little disappointed that it is not shipping until sometime in August though.  |
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Post by craigrj on Jun 12, 2017 4:43:21 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying it, actually.
I get why people are disappointed with it - I'm yet to see v1 and v2, but v3 was a hardcore ride, a huge investment of time and community which led me here and I wouldn't have that bit any other way.
However, in the last six months, my work load has increased dramatically, and the number of these puzzle or mystery boxes seems to have increased likewise. And when I'm not working invariably I'm with the kids. I don't want to get to the stage that I receive an issue of C&C and just feel I have no time to crack this intricate egg. For me, this direction is working...
...of course, I appreciate that the community here eat tough puzzles for breakfast and spit them out afterwards, so I can see your point of view, absolutely.
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Post by thebardess on Jun 12, 2017 8:28:33 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying it, actually. I get why people are disappointed with it - I'm yet to see v1 and v2, but v3 was a hardcore ride, a huge investment of time and community which led me here and I wouldn't have that bit any other way. However, in the last six months, my work load has increased dramatically, and the number of these puzzle or mystery boxes seems to have increased likewise. And when I'm not working invariably I'm with the kids. I don't want to get to the stage that I receive an issue of C&C and just feel I have no time to crack this intricate egg. For me, this direction is working... ...of course, I appreciate that the community here eat tough puzzles for breakfast and spit them out afterwards, so I can see your point of view, absolutely. I actually don't mind "easy" puzzles. At the end of the day, puzzling is supposed to be fun, and it's nice sometimes to just sit and relax with a crossword. And while I don't want all my puzzles to be simple fluff, I felt that some of the puzzles in Volume 3 were designed to be ridiculously convoluted for no other reason than just to say "Look, we made a really difficult puzzle!!" For me, what I really miss in this Volume is the subtlety and intricacy of the previous ones (especially 1 and 2), the way the puzzles were elegantly linked to each other to form an engrossing, immersive story. I mean, look back to Volume 1- we had a cipher (based on a Sherlock Holmes story!) that led us to a phone number that, when called, gave us another cipher, that led to a website which hosted mysterious broadcasts that were (in one case, anyway) solved using books we were directed to by way of crafty riddles sent out to members on postcards.
None of the individual steps in that path was overly difficult to solve on its own. But put them all together and...wow! What a ride! There was a sense of being part of something bigger, of each step leading to another one, of adventure and mystery that is sorely lacking in this volume. That kind of simple elegance and those detailed, well thought-out connections between puzzles- that's what I miss, and what I dearly hope C&C can get back to. |
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Post by Todd on Jun 12, 2017 8:49:34 GMT -5
I actually don't mind "easy" puzzles. At the end of the day, puzzling is supposed to be fun, and it's nice sometimes to just sit and relax with a crossword. And while I don't want all my puzzles to be simple fluff, I felt that some of the puzzles in Volume 3 were designed to be ridiculously convoluted for no other reason than just to say "Look, we made a really difficult puzzle!!" For me, what I really miss in this Volume is the subtlety and intricacy of the previous ones (especially 1 and 2), the way the puzzles were elegantly linked to each other to form an engrossing, immersive story. I mean, look back to Volume 1- we had a cipher (based on a Sherlock Holmes story!) that led us to a phone number that, when called, gave us another cipher, that led to a website which hosted mysterious broadcasts that were (in one case, anyway) solved using books we were directed to by way of crafty riddles sent out to members on postcards.
None of the individual steps in that path was overly difficult to solve on its own. But put them all together and...wow! What a ride! There was a sense of being part of something bigger, of each step leading to another one, of adventure and mystery that is sorely lacking in this volume. That kind of simple elegance and those detailed, well thought-out connections between puzzles- that's what I miss, and what I dearly hope C&C can get back to. I confess that my high hopes and nostalgia have compelled me to purchase both of the books the Editor recommended in Gods of Madness. |
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Post by ww12345 on Jun 12, 2017 12:01:58 GMT -5
See, I'm just the opposite. During volume 3 I wasn't able to keep up due to work, but that's what I loved. I liked the fact that it was more than a 99c crossword book...
Call me crazy, but I hope they return to the more involved and more intense version. It was what set them apart.
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Eleduar
Assistant
Sitter of the original sitting room. Vault 3 opener. Lover of mystery, otherworldy, supernatural.
Posts: 68
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Post by Eleduar on Jun 24, 2017 20:22:54 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying it, actually. I get why people are disappointed with it - I'm yet to see v1 and v2, but v3 was a hardcore ride, a huge investment of time and community which led me here and I wouldn't have that bit any other way. However, in the last six months, my work load has increased dramatically, and the number of these puzzle or mystery boxes seems to have increased likewise. And when I'm not working invariably I'm with the kids. I don't want to get to the stage that I receive an issue of C&C and just feel I have no time to crack this intricate egg. For me, this direction is working... ...of course, I appreciate that the community here eat tough puzzles for breakfast and spit them out afterwards, so I can see your point of view, absolutely. I completely understand your point of view. My hope is that in the future after the MPC has continued to grow, it will perhaps offer two separate mailing subscriptions. One for "breakfast puzzle eaters" and one for subscribers like yourself. Here's hoping! Have a good day. |
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Eleduar
Assistant
Sitter of the original sitting room. Vault 3 opener. Lover of mystery, otherworldy, supernatural.
Posts: 68
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Post by Eleduar on Jun 24, 2017 20:35:22 GMT -5
"...And while I don't want all my puzzles to be simple fluff, I felt that some of the puzzles in Volume 3 were designed to be ridiculously convoluted for no other reason than just to say "Look, we made a really difficult puzzle!!" The fun of it was in the obsessing. I never thought of it as convoluted. I thought of it as an intoxicating hit for my addictions. Maybe I need to attend Puzzle Solvers Anonymous meetings. I would also like to note that, compared to some, I considered myself a "casual" when going at volume 3. I didn't step into its vault until 2017's spring was around the corner. I suppose that like craigj I often found myself busy. However, having something to look forward to was delightful: a treat of excitement and mystery at the end of a long and difficult week. Now that was wonderful. Having things to look forward to always makes the journey seem brighter. |
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davidgpeterson
Assistant
"I'm only a poor, corrupt official."
Posts: 67 
Blood Type: Bourbon+
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Post by davidgpeterson on Jul 28, 2017 15:28:55 GMT -5
I think our beloved Curator got a lot of feedback on the last volume about how hard the puzzles were. This was fun but I miss some of the depth and mystery. I did strugggle with volume 3 though. I just can't spend that much time on this stuff. I want them to bring more of the ISS story line back. And I'm good without the big paper cutout creation things.
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