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EDIT: Latest update

fabpig has stopped the destruction this time, but now the real game is afoot!

How would you fare as the evil mastermind? Pit your wits against the world and come up with a cunning code! See more

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Previous game, read this first if you don't know what's going on:

Greetings, people of the world, I bring good news!

For too long this planet has suffered with consumerism, pollution, global warming, bad hollywood scripts, energy crisis, and growing population leading to shortage of food and space. It's time somebody did something, and since we at OctopuppyCorp believe in proactive responsible action, we've decided to step up. We have taken control of the computer systems of all the world's armed forces, and will now proceed to obliterate the United States of America with a massive nuclear stike. Now don't worry, people of the USA, there is no cause for alarm. In order to assist with your orderly evacuation, we will only destroy one state at a time. I think it best that I don't tell you which states in advance so as not to cause panic locally.

The world's nuclear missiles are now controlled by our distributed computer system which I, the CEO of OctopuppyCorp, will command remotely from my secret island base. Don't think that just because you can also transmit commands to the system, this will help you in any way. The system accepts 51 commands, 50 of which are the name of the US state to obliterate. The other command is "ABORT" which shuts down the system completely. Frankly I can't remember why I put that in there, well anyway, it's no use to you because each command has its own unique password. I understand the US govenment is offering a huge reward to whoever can guess the password for "ABORT", but since all passwords are 8 character alphanumeric strings, you have no hope!

Commands and passwords are all uppercase.

ABORT

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEWHAMPSHIRE

NEWJERSEY

NEWMEXICO

NEWYORK

NORTHCAROLINA

NORTHDAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODEISLAND

SOUTHCAROLINA

SOUTHDAKOTA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WESTVIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

Also don't bother trying to find the passwords written down anywhere. I know 51 passwords is too much to remember, but writing them down wouldn't suit my hectic lifestyle and paranoid megalomaniac personality. I devised a cunning hashing algorithm, so that each password is derived from the command it authorizes. It's simple enough that I can do it in my head in just a few seconds, without memorizing any big lookup tables. I've probably said too much, since every time I destroy a state you will be able to intercept the command (name of state) and accompanying password. Still, my hashing algorithm is so clever you will never figure it out!

The winner of the game will be:

ME!!! hahaha

But in the unlikely event that somebody guesses the password to "ABORT" it will be the first person to do so.

Anyone can join in at any time, but each player can only make one guess for every state that I destroy.

You may make suggestions as to which state I should obliterate next, if you think it will help your futile attempts to thwart me. Or if you just don't like the place much. We at OctopuppyCorp pride ourselves on listening to our client base and taking suggestions on board. Thank you for your time.

Now, what have I forgotten? Oh yes, the laugh...

heh heh, heh heh hahaha, ahaha, MWUHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Commands sent:

Command: CALIFORNIA

Password: JOQPGJMZ

Command: DELAWARE

Password: FQBXZKDE

Command: ALASKA

Password: LTZKBZJR

Command: TEXAS

Password: TZWDSRBY

Command: ALABAMA

Password: NZCZKBZL

Command: TENNESSEE

Password: FFTTFOOF

Command: IDAHO

Password: IZEJNGBC

Command: ARIZONA

Password: ONYHSZBO

Command: HAWAII

Password: JJZVBIJJ

Command: MAINE

Password: FOJZLDMH

Command: IOWA

Password: XNHBXNHB

Command: UTAH

Password: IZSTGBUV

Command: INDIANA

Password: OZHEOJZM

Command: OHIO

Password: JINPJINP

Command: LOUISIANA

Password: OZHRHTPM

Command: KENTUCKY

Password: ZLDVUOFL

Command: VERMONT

Password: UONLSFWU

Command: MARYLAND

Password: OZKXSZLE

Command: MICHIGAN

Password: OZFHGBHL

Command: FLORIDA

Password: JQPMGZEJ

Command: NEBRASKA

Password: LTZSADMB

Command: COLORADO

Password: MNBPCBQP

Command: OREGON

Password: ONFDSNMP

Command: NEWMEXICO

Password: DJYFNXFO

Command: ILLINOIS

Password: TJNMHKKH

Command: ABORT

Password: UQPABUQP

Thwarted by fabpig!

It's not a one-off puzzle, but a game of guess the hashing algorithm, which can be repeated for as many algorithms as people can think up. I'm hosting it for now but others can step in later. At that point it may be necessary to give more specific rules about what kind of algorithms are allowed, so they aren't ridiculously difficult. The key attribute is that you can do it quickly in your head, which limits the complexity.

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Indiana next please? :D

I think that I may be dead by this post, but... :D :D :D

I'm sorry, this is very embarrassing. My missiles came back with a note saying you weren't in. I'll re-send them today.
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Here are the failed passwords for reference:

UQNAZSSP

USPCBSSP

UQPASSSP

SPABUSPA

UQPAZSSP

USPCBSQN

Here's a new one based on new insight:

ABORT

UQPABSSN

And I can live with losing Utah... ;)

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Here's a new one based on new insight:

ABORT

UQPABSSN

And I can live with losing Utah... ;)

I like your thinking but you're not quite there.

I'll grant Framm 18's request:

Command: INDIANA

Password: OZHEOJZM

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I kinda figured I don't live in the States so...

XPHBXPHB

Interesting variation, you're welcome to initiate more nuclear strikes but in this case the password is not accepted.

In any case, Iowa has

While I'm here, lets do another one:

Command: LOUISIANA

Password: OZHRHTPM

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I think I may be onto something (but at the very least, I'm one-to-one :D ):

ABORT

UQPAZSQN

It's hard to tell whether you're thinking on the right lines or not. Password not accepted, anyhow ;)
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Dude, I think most of you are making the same mistake

Start at the second to last letter not the last letter

[EDIT: comment deleted] I don't want to give any clues. But you might want to double check that statement
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Not necessarily

Hell, I should just keep out of this

Hmm, Yes I can see sometimes it is last and sometimes it is second to last, there is more to this hash than focusing on one city can provide.

1/ Need to figure out rule of where to start

2/ Meed to figure out rule for which way to go one above or one below

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I'm not sure if you're fishing for clues or pursuing vendettas. Who cares? Your wish is my command:

I've already had to "evacuate" twice, I'm afraid I'm completely useless at any kind of coding/crypto, but would you please get rid of the *darn* hand next & blow up Michigan? I am pursuing a vendetta. ;)

In other news, it's a good thing I stocked up on maple syrup ... :rolleyes:

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