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The Secret Link

#1 bro

FEELING GREAT, FEELING GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?
In this topic, talk about the secret link game, whether you've found it or not, blah blah.


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Okay, here's my honest opinion on the secret link game: It sucks.

The rest of the tCoD site is amazing, but this is like the stain on its perfect record. It seems to be at first glance a very devious game that takes tons of logic to solve, but in reality, it's not logical at all.

Let me explain.

I found the link by accident while browsing the site, as I believe most of the people who found it did. My initial reaction was "WTF!!?!?!?! IS THIS THE SECRET LINK LOL WUT HAPPEND", but then I read the explanation and realized where it was hidden, and I was like "ahhhhhh... clever, clever". Then, later I realized that: while the hiding place is clever, the method of getting to the hiding place isn't clever. At all.

(hopes what he is about to post is not a spoiler)

Pretty much all but one clue in the entire game is meant to lead you astray. (If you've found all the clues, what that one clue is will probably be obvious.) But anyway, the very first clue you probably will find seems to point you towards some sections of the site, when in reality it doesn't. A bit annoying. This wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact the clue is actually entirely useless to finding the link. Most of the clues are like that too, seem like cryptic hints to finding the secret but are actually totally meaningless.

Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

But what's even worse is that there's no way to play the secret link game right. Let me explain.

There are three ways that you can win the game, a) cheating, b) finding the link by accident and c) figuring it out on your own. Obviously, a) is bad because cheating is not good in any sort of game. b) is also probably not what Butterfree intended. So (captain obvious), c) is what you are supposed to do, right?

But here's the thing. Most secret link veterens will agree, there is no way to logically find out the answer without getting that one crucial clue. "Why is that a problem?" you ask. "If you can find that clue, then you can win!"

Well, that's the thing. The place where the clue is hidden is a place where you are NOT supposed to look. In fact, Butterfree/Larissa calls you a "fool" for looking there. Which means that if you do everything right, you WON'T find the clue. Let me repeat that, you can't win the game without doing something wrong.

What fun is that? Furthermore, how is that logical?

The only other way to find the crucial, necessary clue is by doing the "semi-cheating" thing it mentions in the FAQ, but you probably aren't supposed to do this either.

So there you have it, if you do everything right, you will not find the clue.

AND the clues are hidden in really lame places. They're not at all scattered in secret places around the site as the page makes it out to be. I can't really say anything more without spoiling it, but trust me, the game isn't as much of an easter egg hunt as you might think it is.

Furthermore, even though I know the general area of where the link is, if I want to go back to it, it still takes me a couple tries to find the exact place. Meaning, if someone got the idea of "OH! I know where the secret link is! OMG! I need to go there right now!" and it was the right place, they might be very close but still not exactly where they need to be, and therefore dismiss the idea, searching on for more areas where it could be, not realizing that they left it behind.

So, I guess, all in all, the reason that I disliked the secret link is that when I found it, and thought about all the clues a bit, I got the feeling that I had been had. When I first came on to this site and found the page explaining the secret link, I felt like this would be an incredibly clever game that would take months of careful thinking to find the page. In reality, finding the page and the clues is a crapshoot, and very illogical at that.

I guess my point is, since the clue game and the crossword are both 1000x better mental challenges, I suggest Butterfree either gets rid of the secret link, or scraps it and makes a better version.

The above is all my opinion and my reaction to the game, if you have contradictory opinions, that's fine to. And let me say, Butterfree, your site is brilliant except for this one facet of it I wasn't pleased with.

(also, butterfree, how the hell did you keep it from showing the answers in the source code, and also in the marquee of doom. HOW?)



</longpost>
 
:|

You know I'm not allowed to tell.

Just browse around the site a lot, you'll probably find it without trying eventually.
 
Uh. Since when was the secret link ever supposed to be a mental challenge? That's what the Clue Game and crossword are for. The Secret Link pretty much is supposed to be found by accident, actually - something you eventually stumble upon and have that "Oh, that's clever!" reaction at the location. The clues and explanation of the game are just to add to the mystery, keep people on their toes so that they'll realize what it is when it pops up and actually feel like they've solved a mystery - if they're lucky, it will be one they've been puzzling over for a long time. (Just having a secret page you never knew about pop up all of a sudden is rather lame, after all.) Then when people have found the link, they can go look for the clues, which are pretty fun to find as well (I especially like the location of one particular clue, which I wouldn't think anybody has ever found the "right" way since I moved it sometime a long time ago (and come on, it's not like I expect people not to even click on the fake secret link when they find it; you're taking the "fool" thing too seriously). I'm well aware that nobody is ever going to actually figure out where the link is. That's not the point.

And now the game has completely lost its point to anyone who reads this, of course, since it tells them they're never going to figure it out, but whatever.

There is also another reason I'm keeping the secret link game as it is through hell and back: it's one of the oldest original features of this site. It was on the site the day I opened it, and I'll be damned if it isn't staying until the end no matter what who thinks of it. When I was twelve years old it was the most brilliant and awesome thing I had thought of ever. I'd sooner get rid of "Keeping Pikachu Happy" than the secret link game. Sorry.

Now you made me want to make another twisted game for the site. Hmm.

(also, butterfree, how the hell did you keep it from showing the answers in the source code, and also in the marquee of doom. HOW?)
Magic. :o

(Also, what's with the "Larissa" thing? If you're thinking of the "Blame Larissa" thing, that's because she inspired me to reword my clues into crappy poetry; she had no part in the actual creation of the clues.)
 
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:D Found it about four years ago, back when there was still a Cave style and the menu links were all Comic Sans.
 
Uh, may I ask how large the area for the link to secret link is?

Ick, I have two ideas where the link would be, one due to the fifth clue, and one due to Zeta's post.
 
Now you made me want to make another twisted game for the site. Hmm.

I am SO glad I posted this. :D

Also, I believe I am missing one of the clues. Well, I seem to remember actually going and finding all five, but I might be crazy because I can only now remember the location of four of them. (Of course, I found them all using the semi-cheating method from the FAQ) I can't seem to find number 4... any little hints towards it that might jog my memory?

EDIT: Um, so since I have no life I went on oldestofold.htm and ctrl+f'd for "clue" because I knew that clue 4 HAD to be on there somewhere, since the secret link game has been around since then. But I didn't find it.

Incidentally, what number is the clue that you think is really cleverly hidden? One is a bit clever.
 
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Personally, I think the Secret Link is a good idea, but I can't really say too much about it because I've never found it (and after spending a week obsessively thinking about it and guessing, wrongly, where it was, I kinda gave up).
 
I am SO glad I posted this. :D

Also, I believe I am missing one of the clues. Well, I seem to remember actually going and finding all five, but I might be crazy because I can only now remember the location of four of them. (Of course, I found them all using the semi-cheating method from the FAQ) I can't seem to find number 4... any little hints towards it that might jog my memory?

EDIT: Um, so since I have no life I went on oldestofold.htm and ctrl+f'd for "clue" because I knew that clue 4 HAD to be on there somewhere, since the secret link game has been around since then. But I didn't find it.

Incidentally, what number is the clue that you think is really cleverly hidden? One is a bit clever.
It's number four. It's insanely well hidden. You seriously are almost definitely not going to find it. Or rather, it's very different from the others because it's not actually hidden in text.

And yes, I actually started making that new game! :o
 
:D
:D
:D
:D

Guys, when that game gets put up, remember, it was all because of me, Zeta Reticuli. Okay?

Also: on the subject of clue four... YOU SAID THAT ALL THE CLUES WERE MARKED "CLUE!". YOU LIED. So it's in an image, or something? Can I have a hint? Is it on oldestofold.htm (because you know that's where I'm going to look).

I'm making a notpron-like game (currently made forty-something out of 101 levels) so I am really interested in riddles right now. As a matter of fact I should be working on 45 but it's incredibly tedious. :|

EDIT: Butterfree you are EVIL EVIL EVIL. I ctrl+f for "clue4" in the source of every page on oldestofold and I STILL don't find it? What kind of sick game is this? I HAVE TO KNOW WHERE IT IS. MY CURIOSITY CANNOT BE SATISFIED. I will go insane because of you. I'll be in an asylum all "cluefour cllllueueue FOUR BUtterFree wheri s it my ineed it ineawefwEED IT" and the asylum workers will be all "what is this clue four and isn't butterfree a pokemon lol i remember when i collected pokemon cards" and it will be YOUR FAULT.

</insanity, quite literally>
 
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oldestofold will not help you; it's just a saved copy of the original front page of the site, linking to much later copies of the other pages.

And the fourth clue is hidden in the word "Clue!"; it is, however, not a link or any instance of the word that you have to click. Figure out for yourself how that works.
 
oldestofold will not help you; it's just a saved copy of the original front page of the site, linking to much later copies of the other pages.
Looks like someone needs to know her own site better.

Anyway, since all of the clues were present when the site was first up, this means I can look for the clue on oldestofold, and it'll be there, right?

And I have no idea how it could be hidden in the word clue... but not something you have to click...?

The title of all the clues is "Clue!" but you can't click the title, now can you?
An imagemap? No, that would mean that you have to click, still...
Typing in Clue! in the end of the Art Thieves Click Here? No, that's illogical.

Uh... so clicking will NOT get you to clue4? I'm very confused now... are you given the URL somewhere?
 
Uh, what? Those are much newer than oldestofold.htm (more specifically, they're from the same time as pokesite.htm, September 2003, while oldestofold.htm is from November 2002). Do not accuse me of not knowing my site. I still know the filenames of pages that were on the site five years ago. >:/

Anyway, since all of the clues were present when the site was first up, this means I can look for the clue on oldestofold, and it'll be there, right?
No. The particular page that clue four was on doesn't exactly have it anymore. And in any case, it's in a completely different and unrelated location now; even if you found it on the old page, you know you'd want to try to find it where it is now. :P

And I'm not saying a word about how to actually find Clue 4. Let's see you actually puzzle over that for a while. (And this, mind you, actually is a mental challenge! :D)
 
Uh, what? Those are much newer than oldestofold.htm (more specifically, they're from the same time as pokesite.htm, September 2003, while oldestofold.htm is from November 2002). Do not accuse me of not knowing my site. I still know the filenames of pages that were on the site five years ago. >:/
http://dragonflycave.com/oldestofold.htm

Click the links on the side, they all still work. Unless we're referring to different oldestofold.htms.

And I'm not saying a word about how to actually find Clue 4. Let's see you actually puzzle over that for a while. (And this, mind you, actually is a mental challenge! :D)
You are evil incarnate.

So, if I am REALLY bored, will ctrl+f'ing for "clue!" work? I am completely and utterly lost on this one. Is it something like

HERE ARE SOME POKEMON
Castform
Luvdisc
Umbreon
Espeon
Unown !

where it's an actual puzzle to find the word "clue!"? Will I have to view the source at all?

Can you at least answer this: will I get to clue 4 by clicking something?

Also, has anyone ever found clue 4 the right way?

EDIT: HOLY SHIT I FOUND IT

got to say, there wasn't that much logic behind it, but it was cool
where was it originally?

EDIT 2: I just realized, now that we've had this little discussion, and I found the last clue, I've begun to looooove the secret link game. This would be awesome if it didn't remind me so much of 1984. :P
 
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http://dragonflycave.com/oldestofold.htm

Click the links on the side, they all still work. Unless we're referring to different oldestofold.htms.
Yes, they still work - still work; those are exactly the same links as they were in 2002, because that's just a copy of what pokesite.htm looked like in November 2002. I did not save a copy of what secret.htm, pokemon.htm, basics.htm, redbluecheats.htm, etc. looked like in 2002; those are links to the pages exactly as they were when I stopped updating those particular files, which was in 2003 (that's when I made the menu appear on every page, which required me to remake all the files as .shtml; when I moved on to .aspx, however, I changed the extensions on the already existing .shtml files, so those don't exist anymore). Kind of like how the links on this version link to the modern-day versions of various pages, because that's just a saved copy of the front page which links to pages that I've been constantly updating since the time it was saved.

EDIT: HOLY SHIT I FOUND IT

got to say, there wasn't that much logic behind it, but it was cool
where was it originally?
:P It was very logical.

Originally, it was on the original Quest for the Legends page.
 
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