Community Event / Creation January 2024 Rat Race - 1 Billion Credit Prize!

[SolemGaming]

This event is over. Thank you everyone for playing!

Attention Players:
The prize has been increased to 2 billion credits!


By reading this post, you have entered yourself into a Rat Race: a game that is a mixture of The Amazing Race & Codebreaker. In this race, you will be challenged to solve a series of puzzles/ciphers. The answers to which will lead you to a destination. Pay extra attention to the directions, else you may be disqualified. Please note: if you are disqualified, there is no appeal to continue playing.

To facilitate the game we will be using the following:

Elite Dangerous - You will not need Odyssey specifically to play this game.
Discord - A non-community discord has been set up will be deleted once the game is complete.

You may use whatever resource you would like to solve the challenges, but there will only be one winner of the prize. This prize is currently being held on my Fleet Carrier Naglfar (KLV-9VG)

If this has caught your attention, then please feel free to give this game a shot.

To begin, join the Discord.

 

[SolemGaming]

Update: First person to complete Challenge 1.
Update: First person to complete challenge 2.

 

[Kayvan]

Sweet idea!
But some clarification of the rules please: There is a direction given but it doesn't really say what to do with it. Are we supposed to post a screenshot of the location in the Answers channel? Or what. Is the next task supposed to unlock immediately after posting the answer, or do you have to unlock it manually?

 

[SolemGaming]

Sweet idea!
But some clarification of the rules please: There is a direction given but it doesn't really say what to do with it. Are we supposed to post a screenshot of the location in the Answers channel? Or what. Is the next task supposed to unlock immediately after posting the answer, or do you have to unlock it manually?

Great question. The answer gives a location. Please type that location in the 'answer' channel for that task.

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 2

We have 2 people in the lead, but stuck on challenge 3.

 

[Kayvan]

tbh task 2 has me stumped :/

Ah I just had an idea, gotta follow up ^^

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 of the event!

Current standings are as follows:

2 people hold the lead, resting at challenge 4.

3 people were disqualified.

Current prize sits at 1.7 billion (I am working on raising this to 2 billion).

The game is still open for anyone to join - and win.

 

[SolemGaming]

tbh task 2 has me stumped :/

Ah I just had an idea, gotta follow up ^^

I have given several hints in the discord to solve. I may have made that one too hard.

 

[Kayvan]

My idea checked out. =)
Now however I'm completely stumped at task 3. Maybe I just haven't found the right tool yet.
nvm I'm on the right track now ^^

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of the event!

Current standings are as follows:

2 people hold the lead, resting at challenge 5.

3 people were disqualified.

Current prize sits at 1.7 billion (I am working on raising this to 2 billion).

The game is still open for anyone to join - and win.

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of the event!

Current standings are as follows:

2 people hold the lead, resting at Challenge 6.

3 people were disqualified.

Current prize sits at 2 billion.

The game is still open for anyone to join - and win.

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 6
Welcome to Day 6 of the event! We are nearing the end of our little race, with players solving puzzles left and right.

Current standings are as follows:

3 people hold the lead, resting at Challenge 7.

Current prize sits at 2 billion.

The game is still open for anyone to join - and win.

 

[Kayvan]

At this point I would like to thank @SolemGaming for creating this challenge, and invite everyone to give it a go as well while the race is still on.

I am currently doing quite well in the puzzles department, and can confirm the puzzles are tricky but doable - basically my first reaction is always "I am totally stumped", and they gradually begin to make more sense. And it feels great when the other shoe drops. ^^
However I probably won't be able to complete task 10 in time. So what the OP is saying is true -- still not too late to join and win =)

 

[SolemGaming]

At this point I would like to thank @SolemGaming for creating this challenge, and invite everyone to give it a go as well while the race is still on.

I am currently doing quite well in the puzzles department, and can confirm the puzzles are tricky but doable - basically my first reaction is always "I am totally stumped", and they gradually begin to make more sense. And it feels great when the other shoe drops. ^^
However I probably won't be able to complete task 10 in time. So what the OP is saying is true -- still not too late to join and win =)

Dont give up!

 

[SolemGaming]

Day 7
Welcome to Day 7 of the event! We are nearing the end of our little race, with players solving puzzles left and right.

Current standings are as follows:

3 people hold the lead, resting at Challenge 8.

Current prize sits at 2 billion.

The game is still open for anyone to join - and win.

 

[SolemGaming]

After 9 grueling days, CMDR (and aptly named) "Cypher" has solved all 10 puzzles in the 2024 Elite: Dangerous Rate Race!

They secured 2 Billion credits as their prize, which will be collected tomorrow on their schedule.

I want to thank the mods for allowing me to use this platform to give back to the community. I also received a lot of good feedback which I hope to use in future events.
Thank you everyone whom played, explored the Galaxy, and saw the game in a new light along with me. Elite: Dangerous is every bit a puzzle as it was when it released~

Where do you go from here?
I think I need to assemble a team (please do not PM me, I am not recruiting right now) before I do this again. I also intend to set up a donation (for the players, not myself) to increase the prize pot. What was 2 Billion credits could have easily been 10 billion.

What was the hardest challenge?
Surprisingly, there was this puzzle here:

This tripped up the final 3 for longer than I intended. Luckily, they did solve it!

What do you get out of this?
Me? Nothing I guess. I gave out 2 billion of my own credits, made some puzzles and ciphers, and had people play while I watched their internal torment, rendering their minds and souls bereft with anguish.

What would like to do next time?
Whats wrong with a good puzzle? Lol, but really, I like the idea of mixing more types of challenges into the game next time. Something that allows players to schedule their own time, but maybe put a time limit somewhere? We shall see.

Was there anything negative about the experience?
Oh yes. I received several threats from a particular 'community' within the game. They know who they are and frankly, they're unimportant. The rest of us had plenty of fun!

Anyways, that's enough from me. Again, thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.

CMDR Salem Valkyrie, O7.