Unknown Artefact (or artifact) Community Thread - The Canonn

[EAGLE 5]

Lol, hadn't thought of that. The way it corrodes the ships innards I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it in FPS mode.

I think if you don't have metal prosthetics you might be fine unless its Thriller.... Thriller Time.

Edit: In all seriousness that is not too an outlandish of a proposition considering we've done everything under the sun to "listen to them" short of hypothetically walking over to one and putting our human ears to work... the ears of an organic being trying to listen to another potentially organic object which the computer on our ship cannot interpret accurately because it has no real ability to do so with its (what I presume) digital processing. So that is why we get pseudomorse and other rhythmic sounds that aren't properly interpreted (my speculation here).

 

[GW42]

Hi all - long time lurker here.

The wiki page (http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Unknown_Artefact) obviously has a section for tests done. Right at the bottom of that, it does list places where they've not been taken, but I'd suggest a completely separate section for tests not done yet. Or maybe split up the tests section for each idea and list what's done/not done. So the permit bit could list permit systems not tried yet.

My 2p worth of "simple" things that could be done that don't seem to have been done according to the wiki? The first thing that occurred to me is that it might only be possible to do something interesting/unique with a UA in a particular location. So while the wiki says they can't be put in a module slot in outfitting, has that been tested in various different stations/systems of interest?

On a similar vein, another variable might be the type of ship being used e.g. maybe it can only be outfitted to a clipper - I'm thinking of the Gutamaya discovery scanner that Galnet talked about. Or maybe it acts as an amplifier of a basic/normal/advanced discovery scanner if both are in an Asp.

sidetracking myself, I assume someone has set off a discovery scanner with a UA in the hold? The wiki confirms it's been pinged with scanners and I presume that covers both while ejected and while in the hold. I'm sure someone has done this, but blimey, I can only imagine the collective groan if that was all it needed and everyone assumed someone else had tried it!

Perhaps the most obvious to me is selling a UA at stations/systems of interest - I think Leonard Nimoy is the prime candidate I've seen mentioned (based on the wings trailer?). Taking into account the comment that people have been overthinking it and FD having handed out enough clues already, that seems to me to be the single most obvious thing. I know it would mean losing a UA to test this so I guess I need to put my money where my mouth is, take my recently re-outfitted multi-role python, and try and find me a UA

 

[FDA]

These are clearly space whales, and we should take them to the space ocean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo2bVbDtiX8

More seriously though, maybe the significance isn't in specifically what the UA broadcasts, but it's method of broadcasting. We've confirmed that it's broadcasting morse.(I think someone actually did file digging to finally confirm, that already well backed theory?) That dictates a piece of designed technology. The rest of the sounds no one has really been able to make any sense of, they sort of sound organic.(Like space whales.) The UA even looks like some sort of organic/technological combination. Maybe the significance is in that combination, perhaps morse code and whale songs where the best way to indicate that combination without explicitly giving the UA fins and having it go "Beep boop bop".

Just cos we all love looking at them!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxxZB9ytxQw

One day the UA will release those cannisters!

WAtching this one I do wonder where the purple/blue light's coming from, it's almost chameleon-like.

Right at the beginning of that recording, and in a couple others as well, it sounds sooo much like there is some very faint speech. I have tried messing around in audacity in order to dig it out, though I know nothing about audio manipulation and everything I've done has been a wild guess work of trial and error. I did manage to, more or less, isolate the speech with a little noise removal and by playing around in the equalizer. I still can't make anything out of it though because it's just way too quite, and I can't amplify it too much without distorting the sound. It could possibly be nothing but noise anyways.

 

[bitstorm]

Ha so basically what you're saying is that the next major announcement by FD should be the ever so controversial first person expansion because the only real way to "listen to them" is by walking to your cargo hold and listen to the darn thing while it's in a climate controlled environment.

Well I was going to suggest ejecting it inside a station when your windowscreen is cracked, then turn off your life support but I'm pretty sure it would make no difference.

The sound over computer thing I can't help feeling is just hand waving from Frontier.

Much like when they say, when your ship blows up an escape pod takes you back to the last station where you can utilise insurance.

Even though destroying innocent ships will always get you a murder charge, but shhhhh ok! *hand waves*

===========================================================

"If your ship is destroyed, your personal escape system will kick in and eject you from the ship,
micro-jumping you to the last starport you docked in, where you will be processed by the
authorities and your insurance company"

"Most systems share laws, though they may have differing penalties for breaking them.
The following is a list of common laws:
• Murder: The act of destroying a ship that is not wanted in the local jurisdiction"

http://hosting.zaonce.net/elite/website/assets/ELITE-DANGEROUS-GAME-MANUAL.pdf

 

[Grumbleweed]

Reading 'And Here the Wheel', looks like it might be known as 'Federation Blink Code' as opposed to Morse, but is federation and a thing in the galaxy. Just thought I'd mention it.

 

[PsychoFish]

August?

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=164529&p=2512606&viewfull=1#post2512606


August.

Special announcement at the Gamescom ... Thargoids confirmed.

 

[mikelowndes]

Here's a short summary of why I find Jmanis and QorbeQ's work convincing:

3. The reverse engineering of the game files supports it. Spoilered for those who disapprove of that technique...

Edited as the post I've replied to has been deleted.

I have not caught up with the thread yet, but I do hope this is not just a question of everyone getting hung up on a bit of lazy game asset reuse. The devs may be laughing / embarrassed depending on ther psychology...

 

[bartmoss]

Purrs

• There are 2 types of purrs that get a bit faster the closer the UA is to pop(which happens to any container after about 5 minutes).
  
• [...]
  

Has anybody tried to crack this binary code?

I get:

Same Position, Ratking, HIP 46388

25,38,83,89,21,18

Same Position, Wishblend, HIP 46388

??,53,102,73,83,90

[first number is missing a bit; it's either 37 or 45]

Different Position, Ratking, HIP 46388

38,9,19,91,91,38,108

Different Position, Wishblend, Sleipnir

26,9,42,45,37,77,106,89


I've ignored the isolated "leading" bits, under the assumption that they are likely leftovers from previous bytes (sequence) that started while the UAs were ejected. The numbers don't mean anything to me (I am just a regular dude, not Mathboy). For coordinates, some numbers would presumably have have decimals and be negative. You can obviously encode that in binary, I wouldn't know which method was used.

Some of the numbers are too small for simple ASCII. It could be a simple substitution cipher, but the sample size is not large enough to tell. (Since it has been established that the UA uses morse code, it's not a stretch to assume that English/Earth-ish is encoded in another form.)

Of course, numbers are ideal for positions, and these things gotta point somewhere - the only possibilities I see are coordinates or system names.

 

[bitstorm]

I have not caught up with the thread yet, but I do hope this is not just a question of everyone getting hung up on a bit of lazy game asset reuse. The devs may be laughing / embarrassed depending on ther psychology...

No way to know is there.

- - - Updated - - -

Has anybody tried to crack this binary code?

Of course!

The problem is the purrs don't seem to repeat. The chittering morse is consistent, but no consistency has been found in the purrs, how to solve something that seems to change every single time.

Obtaining a consistently repeatable sequence (or finding a consistent pattern within) is the basis to solving the purrs (if solvable) but we can't even get that. =(

I think there are two aspects to solving something like this and at least one is required, there's pattern and association.

With the morse chittering a pattern was found (a repeating cycle) providing something solid to work with, this led to the morse breakthrough.

It's possible I think to do it the other way, have no pattern but be given the association. For example if someone points at something and says roche, then something else and says arbre, you have association and so can infer meaning. Oh right it's just French!

It's just we haven't got either of those at the moment. =(

 

[Grumbleweed]

I wonder if its worth pming MB (Or Kerrash even) and asking them to scan the wiki as it stands and if there is anything listed as a deadend which isn't and to edit anonymously?

That way it Wouldnt be a direct clue, but at least stop us from discounting something important.

I sincerely hope this puzzle has a solution. Agatha Christi novels are not nearly as good without the last few pages.

 

[EAGLE 5]

I have not caught up with the thread yet, but I do hope this is not just a question of everyone getting hung up on a bit of lazy game asset reuse. The devs may be laughing / embarrassed depending on ther psychology...

Do i think asset reuse is happening? Yes. I've said it before that it starts to sound like a joke when you say.. so two frontier developments sound engineers are sitting at a bar ....... Do I think this is unintentional? Not even close. The UA's appearance and reference in the trailer is all orchestrated. Does FD have an idea where this is going? I'm not sure..yet I think they thought they were going to play on the player base's curiosity a bit, but I don't think they ever dreamed of such a response and because of it I do believe we have here the beginning of one of the best examples of player involvement I've ever seen, and the ball is clearly in their court now. I find it really hard to believe that they had this thought through right from the start. I think they are making it up as we go and that is why we may be seeing some asset reuse. By now I think they have some great ideas because the experience so far has been far too compelling for them to drop the ball. Before EDs release David Braben kept hitting on the point of Elite being a source of major emergent player involvement, well folks here it is. It would be madness and frankly disrespectfl for them to not see it through and I don't think David would allow that. I say exciting times are ahead.

 

[Wishblend]

Mistake made in testing

Hi Guys,

It is my sad duty to report due to heavy testing and a mistake on my part, my unknown artefact has been lost.

I had completed colour test 3 and had just gone to colour test 4's location when I mistakenly jettisoned the ua into super cruise thinking I was in normal space.

I am sorry I have let you all down.

Here are my results for test 3.

I moved to a fresh area in normal space for each drop and scan.

For each drop and scan I pointed my ship at the same point in the sky every time.

 

[rizal72]

Hi Guys,

It is my sad duty to report due to heavy testing and a mistake on my part, my unknown artefact has been lost.

I had completed colour test 3 and had just gone to colour test 4's location when I mistakenly jettisoned the ua into super cruise thinking I was in normal space.

I am sorry I have let you all down.

CODE deciphered! Here what the UA was chittering while jettisoned in SC:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.................................!

EDIT: BTW you made an AWESOME work, Wishblend! Really! You deserve at least 10 UA for Xmas!

 

[bitstorm]

Crikey, oh well.

To be honest I think it had to happen sooner or later, it was a really good run!

 

[bartmoss]

The problem is the purrs don't seem to repeat. The chittering morse is consistent, but no consistency has been found in the purrs, how to solve something that seems to change every single time.

Obtaining a consistently repeatable sequence (or finding a consistent pattern) is the basis to solving the purrs (if solvable) but we can't even get that. =(

I don't suppose there are more transcripts than what Kulin did?

 

[nilreb]

Hi Guys,

It is my sad duty to report ...

Don't hang the head. Was a martyr UA.
A new one will be found for you, for sure ...

We salute you!

 

[bartmoss]

It is my sad duty to report due to heavy testing and a mistake on my part, my unknown artefact has been lost.
[...]

For each drop and scan I pointed my ship at the same point in the sky every time.

Well, that sucks. Thanks for all the work you did!

Unfortunately your latest results seem to rule out "flashes = distance to a destination".

Still, even a negative is progress.

 

[PsychoFish]

Too bad you lost your UA Wishblend. I'm outfitting my UA-Hunter right now and will try to acquire a new one over the next few days.

 

[Topgear201]

Out of curiosity what ships do the people who are hunting/or have UA's use? That's too bad Wishblend nice job on all your work though.

 

[Dr.Evanzan]

Hi Guys,

It is my sad duty to report due to heavy testing and a mistake on my part, my unknown artefact has been lost.

I had completed colour test 3 and had just gone to colour test 4's location when I mistakenly jettisoned the ua into super cruise thinking I was in normal space.

I am sorry I have let you all down.

Here are my results for test 3.

I moved to a fresh area in normal space for each drop and scan.

For each drop and scan I pointed my ship at the same point in the sky every time.

View attachment 49368

View attachment 49369

You haven't let us down, you've done far more testing than any of us could have reasonably asked for or expected.
It was bound to happen at some point and you have done AMAZINGLY well to get as much out of it as you did.
To be honest, you are well due a rest - I imagine carrying a UA for all that time can be pretty draining.

I say all this as someone who managed to accidentally destroy my (cloned from Red Wizzard's) UA on the first attempt at releasing one.