The Backroom • 5.5 Gentle Guide
5.5 Gentle Guide
Pages: 1
This will attempt to be a "gentle walk-through" to help you if you're stuck. I'll update it if there are suggestions for improving it. The goal is to NOT give you the answer - if you want those, I'll link to a thread at the very end with all the spoilers.
I will offer a very gentle clue, then a less subtle one, then a fairly obvious one, all spaced apart reasonably, finishing with a link to the explicit answer. Then I'll move to the next step.
1. First of all, if you're stuck, think of where you found out about the first heist.
Step #1 wrote:
Ok, do you remember the dynamite?
Step #1 wrote:
What was that page name? Or you could check the RSS feed . . .
Step #1 SPOILER wrote:
Go to the Boom page.
Step #2 wrote:
2. Not too hard to find the next step. Did you move your mouse around?
Step #2 wrote:
Did you move your mouse over the text?
Step #2 wrote:
Did you click?
Step #2 SPOILER wrote:
(sigh) go here.
Step #3 wrote:
3. Now for the fun part - take your time here and think. If you get stuck, approach from a different perspective, and use Google.
Step #3 wrote:
Click on one of the unlit "spotlights". Explore some and think some.
Step #3 wrote:
Still stuck on one or all? Try something other than a color (and don't get hung up on the spelling of colour).
The following clues are from left to right:
Step #3 leftmost wrote:
-Have a deck of cards? What comes next in the sequence? Taken math lately?
Step #3 second from left wrote:
-This could be a tough one. Get out your thesaurus. What do both images have in common?
Step #3 third from left wrote:
-What is his name? Google him and the phrase in the clue.
Step #3 fourth from left wrote:
-ignore the "colour" part of the clue, just read the first part.
If you need more help, continue further down.
Step #3 cards picture wrote:
-Just look at the numbers - what's next? What is that called when using cards?
Step #3 two pictures wrote:
-What do you call those things on the strings in the right picture?
Step #3 Sex Pistols wrote:
-Wikipedia can tell you his name. Go to his page and make sure you've got the right person. See what he and "fair weather friend" have in common.
Step #3 Police Car wrote:
-In the U.S, what do you do if you need help in an emergency?
Need more help? Continue on . . .
Step #3 card picture wrote:
-It's also a term used in tennis, when you get a point on a serve with no return.
Step #3 string together wrote:
-b e a . ....
Step #3 Johnny Rotten wrote:
-What song did Johnny Rotten write with those lyrics?
Step #3 call for help wrote:
-It involves a phone. And what you dial.
Step #3 SPOILER wrote:
Answers here if you need them still.
Step #4 wrote:
4. Once you type in the correct answers in the previous clue, all the lights will be on and you will get a very familiar phrase, except it is slightly incomplete . . .
Step #4 wrote:
Ok, try googling "Borg" and "futile". You can also look for "assimilate". Also, what is interesting about the lights?
Step #4 wrote:
What word has been used in all the steps so far? What was the "theme" of this so far?
Step #4 wrote:
What does color and resistance have to do with each other? Google for color and resistance.
Step #4 SPOILER wrote:
answer here and and here. (Skip page 3 of that thread, nothing useful and lots of misleading stuff there)
Step #4 wrote:
Ok, Google for resistor color code. Numbers - this is a good sign. If you're stuck, try http://www.the12volt.com/ and look for "resistors" in the side bar.
Step #5 wrote:
5. If you haven't realized, you are at the end. What do you need for the end, and how can you get that?
Step #5 wrote:
so you want to open the safe. Did you get any numbers from the last step?
Step #5 wrote:
Not getting the exact right code? Use the chart (not calculator) from http://www.the12volt.com/resistors/resistors.asp
and realize the 4th band is a multiplier.
Ok, here's the answer. Hope you didn't need this spoiler. Sure you don't want to try again - there's no hurry, go do something else for a bit, then come back and try again.
Ok, here's the spoiler link:
Step #5 SPOILER wrote:
Wondering now about the prize numbering? You could wait and find out . . .
Step Prize Numbering wrote:
Ok, if you want to know where prize #18 is, go see what Johnred has to say. Good luck, and Happy Heisting!
Last edited by step (April 3, 2007 9:22 am)
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
Guys, let me hear your feedback?
Like / Dislike, Helpful / Lame, or specific suggestions for improvements?
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
Yeah nice work.
Though I still wanna know where that app #18 is....
"If the pen is mightier than the sword, than the keyboard is a friggin lightsaber!"
"Computer are like air conditioners: they stop working when you open windows."
Thats an undead warlock if you're wondering.
abramgornik wrote:
Yeah nice work.
Though I still wanna know where that app #18 is....
I think what the directorate has been insinuating was that reward # 18 is the delicious generation shirts.
Give a man fire, he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Great guide! Just the right blend of hints and spoilers :-)
Excellent hints. I appreciate that you don't just spell it out.
I wouldn't suggest searching for "borg" and "futile". Searching for "color" and "resistance" would be more helpful.
I would suggest one more hint. I figured out that the colors were keys to a resistor code, but all the charts and converters I found gave me 67000 Mohms as a result (like http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm). But if I had known that the fourth band was a multiplier, I would have had 679 X 10,000 = 6,790,000 and would have had the code. Not being an electrical engineer this escaped me.
Not knowing how they get the answer bugs me so I did more research and found http://www.the12volt.com/resistors/resistors.asp. The calculator on the page doesn't help, but the chart does.
Great heist! 
Muse: @DouglasCootey
Madness: @SplinteredMind
Thanks for the suggestions, DRC. I tried to incorporate them all in the top posting. I was also a little puzzled by how they got that number out of the resistor codes - didn't match my training exactly, but hey . . .
I also added a link to the #18 explanation, per the numerous requests / confusions. 
I'll second DRC - Great Heist!
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
Hm, kinda wish I hadn't already done it so I could use your guide. Excellent.
Thanks guys! I plan on doing one up for Heist 6 also, as soon as possible - so if you hold your horses (and stay out of the spoilers thread) I'll try to have it up within hours if I can. I'll try to put up a placeholder post right away and fill it in - would that help?
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
FWIW, Dillon has done walkthrough threads is a great format in the past:
http://macheist.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1622
What's nice about them is that because the answer text is hidden (you have to select it), it prevents seeing things too far ahead if you just need a simple hint.
Ah - I forgot about those. I'll have to figure out how he did that, and repeat for my next walk-through.
Speaking of, anyone heard from the Dillon-meister lately? Oops - OT.
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
step wrote:
Ah - I forgot about those. I'll have to figure out how he did that, and repeat for my next walk-through.
Press the quote button on his post and you can see the source for it.
Ok, updated again. Should be safer this time.
Man, that was a lot of cutting and pasting! Sure wish I was on my Mac with iClip today. (I'm dead serious about that...)
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
ok.... I have the resistor number and whatnot, but what do I do with it? There is no space to put it in....
Edit: Never mind... sorry for being a n00b
Last edited by Fruzion (April 4, 2007 12:18 pm)
Step, could you make a guide for heist 6 please?
Han shot first.
Sure can. Not sure if I'm up to it tonight, though. I'll see about getting one started at least.
Whistle while you work. Patience is key.
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