Does anyone know anything about THE TOWER, or CAMBRIDGE?
Part of the recently discovered 6 TWIG SYSTEMS SOFTWARE games (only 2 are adventures) that formed the "Twig Treasure challenge" where £10,000 could be won.
Was it a case of solving the adventures to get a clue to the location of a a physical treasure? or was it just a lottery? or even a scam with no real prize?
The games are now available on bbcmicro.co.uk should anyone fancy having a go at solving or hacking them.
P.S. one of the games still has a genre of "Unreleased game" on CASA
Twig Treasure Challenge
Moderator: Alastair
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I'd be surprised if anything came of the competition. The whole venture seems to have been a big leap for Twig, who had previously released golf (admin?) software.
Even the news articles and adverts are a little vague about the actual mechanics of the prize... although they do say details will be provided along with the games.
News articles refer to "solving" six (sometimes five) games...
Even the news articles and adverts are a little vague about the actual mechanics of the prize... although they do say details will be provided along with the games.
News articles refer to "solving" six (sometimes five) games...
or"But if you can solve the first five you may be eligible for the Countdown Quiz, whose winner will receive £10,000".
From the full page colour advert:"To score high on the games... you'll need to use brains rather than brute force. But do well at all six, and you'll be in the running for DLT's Monster Challenge, and a prize of £10,000".
When 10 competitors have solved all the games, they'll be a televised final in London to pick the lucky - or skilful winner.
Re. the golf admin software though... Windfall magazine mentions this module system (for the Apple II) had a collective cost of £1842.50!! If they had any takers for that perhaps, they did have a spare £10K lying around to run a competition with."All the games are independent puzzles but each has a clue. Unravel the clues and put them together to solve the riddle. The first 10 who can will be finalists in my Ten-Grand-Slam to win a cool £10,000."
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I tried to play the tower. Not a very interesting game. Each time you enter a room with an object you can investigate two objects and have to leave one of het three behind (you start with two objects in your possession). Objects you leave behind cannot be taken again. So if you make a wrong choice you have to restart the game. The game has 40 objects so this will probably mean starting over a lot of times.
The game only knows the following few commands:
N,S,E,W,NW,SW,NE,SE,U,D,LOOK,NORT,SOUT,EAST,WEST,UP,DOWN,OUT,QUIT
The game has 71 locations.
When you have finished the game you get the text:
You have done well, and may now reap the benefits of your efforts.
In order to progress, here is what you must do:
1)Plot your route to here
2)From which town was the merchant derived?
3)Who was imprisoned within the walls
4)Send the solutions to Twig at the address on your registration card"
The game only knows the following few commands:
N,S,E,W,NW,SW,NE,SE,U,D,LOOK,NORT,SOUT,EAST,WEST,UP,DOWN,OUT,QUIT
The game has 71 locations.
When you have finished the game you get the text:
You have done well, and may now reap the benefits of your efforts.
In order to progress, here is what you must do:
1)Plot your route to here
2)From which town was the merchant derived?
3)Who was imprisoned within the walls
4)Send the solutions to Twig at the address on your registration card"
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I still think the game is crap, but because it is too hot today to do anything else I’ll keep playing The Tower for a while.
I looked at one of the other games. The Quiz. You get 105 open questions of which you have to answer correctly 100 questions. If you do so you get the following text:
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) What are the correct solutions to all the questions you answered
2) What was the last question before the final session
3) How many seconds passed?
Send the solutions to Twig Systems Software, 6 High Street, WENDOVER
Bucks. along with your name, address, and registration no.
This game is also very hard if you don’t look at the code. If the answer for instance is a name of a person sometimes you have to give a full name and sometimes only a last name or only a first name. This is however not indicated in the question.
Returning to the tower I solved a few things. One was a binary code written on a horses bit. 101000 010001 001010 011011 001010 100100 000110 010001 000011 011101 101000 011110 001100 101101 001010 011101 010010 000110 001010. This gives the message : THE MERCHANT OLIVENCE. I assume this is the answer to the second question.
I’ll first finish my map. I never went to The tower, but luckily I found a 1948 tourist guide of the tower between my book collection with a map and some backgrounds. I understand that to finish the game you have to reach the Martin tower and give certain objects to Colonel Blood ( the one who in 1673 tried to steal the crown jewels).
I looked at one of the other games. The Quiz. You get 105 open questions of which you have to answer correctly 100 questions. If you do so you get the following text:
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) What are the correct solutions to all the questions you answered
2) What was the last question before the final session
3) How many seconds passed?
Send the solutions to Twig Systems Software, 6 High Street, WENDOVER
Bucks. along with your name, address, and registration no.
This game is also very hard if you don’t look at the code. If the answer for instance is a name of a person sometimes you have to give a full name and sometimes only a last name or only a first name. This is however not indicated in the question.
Returning to the tower I solved a few things. One was a binary code written on a horses bit. 101000 010001 001010 011011 001010 100100 000110 010001 000011 011101 101000 011110 001100 101101 001010 011101 010010 000110 001010. This gives the message : THE MERCHANT OLIVENCE. I assume this is the answer to the second question.
I’ll first finish my map. I never went to The tower, but luckily I found a 1948 tourist guide of the tower between my book collection with a map and some backgrounds. I understand that to finish the game you have to reach the Martin tower and give certain objects to Colonel Blood ( the one who in 1673 tried to steal the crown jewels).
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I finished the map, I found the location of all the objects but one of them I did not manage to get yet although I have an idea. I found an inscription:
)e 6u4 305pr 54wr7 t05 RP&* 000=E+
Anyone any idea what it could mean? The binary code was easy, but this one I did not understand.
Some puzzles solved. A few more to solve.
)e 6u4 305pr 54wr7 t05 RP&* 000=E+
Anyone any idea what it could mean? The binary code was easy, but this one I did not understand.
Some puzzles solved. A few more to solve.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I don't know if the inscription makes any sense. I tried several decoders, but I don't know if it is needed or if it is just a red herring. I just solved one of the remaining puzzles. One more puzzle to go and the game has been solved.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I've finished The Tower. I've uploaded a map and a walkthrough.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
Yes, I have an idea in fact. It is possibly a key, or a series of keys, for the code on the disk. Parts of the text of the game are encrypted with a XOR cipher on disk; for instance, the block at location 29184 reads:Alex wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 3:54 pm I found an inscription:
)e 6u4 305pr 54wr7 t05 RP&* 000=E+
Anyone any idea what it could mean? The binary code was easy, but this one I did not understand.
Code: Select all
su~mplttum|?Hqzvhli8o#|~hfvr#z?{bozkbb?~fwpk#owy#ysslf<#;kst~mm~~n#op<wsz<Abh}q?}m?^fws<#;?<wthyqh1<B;ludu?hl;ktf;Qsqow<ju{u`zkyp;?<ws~h#bpi#x~rmtk<szlo/;~rg;ysqvl<b;nijoz<f}yy`ovjf;}}qivyq;~rzl~eo}phvrdCode: Select all
overlooking Traitor's gate in a gateway below the bloody tower near to the Byward and Bell towers. A sign to the North indicates that you cannot pass, and forms a quite effective barrier anyway passingRe: Twig Treasure Challenge
Ok could be.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
Good work.
For those that are interested, the original cassette media in UEF form before the games were transferred to disc are available on Stardot: https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic ... 70#p489870
Lee.
For those that are interested, the original cassette media in UEF form before the games were transferred to disc are available on Stardot: https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic ... 70#p489870
Lee.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
These are the endings of 5 of the 6 games:
*Air sea missile
Congratulations.
Here is your clue of what you must do:
1) Plot the ship locations
2)How many planes / ships do you have left?
3)What aircraft were being flown?
4)Send the solution to Twig, at the address given on your documentation with your name, address, telephone no. if available, and, most important, your registration number
*Reversi
Congratulations- here is your clue
1) Plot the completed board
2) What was your score?
3) Send the answers of the above to Twig Systems Software at the address given on your registration card, along with your name, address, a daytime telephone number (if possible) and your registration number.
*Take the strain
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) Plot the route that got you here
2) Where is the boat heading?
3) Send the solutions to Twig at 6 High Street WENDOVER Bucks.
along with your name, address, a daytime 'phone no (if possible), and your registration no.
*The Quiz
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) What are the correct solutions to all the questions you answered
2) What was the last question before the final session
3) How many seconds passed?
Send the solutions to Twig Systems Software, 6 High Street, WENDOVER Bucks. along with your name, address, and registration no.
*The Tower
You have done well, and may now reap the benefits of your efforts.
In order to progress, here is what you must do:
1)Plot your route to here
2)From which town was the merchant derived?
3)Who was imprisoned within the walls
4)Send the solutions to Twig at the address on your registration card"
In the last Cambridge game, I couldn't manage to see the end text. You also have to play an arcade section. You can start it immediately by entering CHAIN "VIDEO", but my emulator is much too fast to safely cross the river.
*Air sea missile
Congratulations.
Here is your clue of what you must do:
1) Plot the ship locations
2)How many planes / ships do you have left?
3)What aircraft were being flown?
4)Send the solution to Twig, at the address given on your documentation with your name, address, telephone no. if available, and, most important, your registration number
*Reversi
Congratulations- here is your clue
1) Plot the completed board
2) What was your score?
3) Send the answers of the above to Twig Systems Software at the address given on your registration card, along with your name, address, a daytime telephone number (if possible) and your registration number.
*Take the strain
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) Plot the route that got you here
2) Where is the boat heading?
3) Send the solutions to Twig at 6 High Street WENDOVER Bucks.
along with your name, address, a daytime 'phone no (if possible), and your registration no.
*The Quiz
Congratulations- here is your clue:
1) What are the correct solutions to all the questions you answered
2) What was the last question before the final session
3) How many seconds passed?
Send the solutions to Twig Systems Software, 6 High Street, WENDOVER Bucks. along with your name, address, and registration no.
*The Tower
You have done well, and may now reap the benefits of your efforts.
In order to progress, here is what you must do:
1)Plot your route to here
2)From which town was the merchant derived?
3)Who was imprisoned within the walls
4)Send the solutions to Twig at the address on your registration card"
In the last Cambridge game, I couldn't manage to see the end text. You also have to play an arcade section. You can start it immediately by entering CHAIN "VIDEO", but my emulator is much too fast to safely cross the river.
- CAMBRIDGE.jpg (16.41 KiB) Viewed 77 times
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I've started mapping Cambridge. The first part has 90 locations. The game consists of 3 parts. The first and third are textadventure en the second is the ride on the river. This game has a few more verbs, but it is still very basic. In the first part you have to get on the bus within 114 turns. Today I'm not at home so I'll continue tomorrow.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
I've finished the map of Cambridge. I'll upload it later. I finished the first part and managed to finish the arcade part where you have to retrieve a key with a punt (by making a lot of save states) . However on entering the second part (where you have to return to the bus station) the game stopped, telling I did not have sufficient time to reach the latest bus. I'll try again, but if it the time continues to pass while playing the arcade bit I'll probably will never make it.
I did however manage to retrieve the ending of Cambridge:
Congratulations!":You have completed your mission!"
To get the clue, Here is what you should do:
1) Plot your route
2) Which King has most significance?
3) What is the degree of the charter?
4) Send the solutions of the above to:
Twig Systems Software 6, High Street, Wendover, AYLESBURY,Bucks.
along with your name, address, a daytime telephone no. (if possible) and your registration number.
This is the only one of the six games which explains that you will receive a clue after sending in the solution. So in the end after finishing all games you would receive 6 clues which you could use to solve a riddle. And only after 10 persons would have made this almost impossible achievement (without cheating the games) there would be a 10-grand-slam among the finalists. Something which probably never took place.
I did however manage to retrieve the ending of Cambridge:
Congratulations!":You have completed your mission!"
To get the clue, Here is what you should do:
1) Plot your route
2) Which King has most significance?
3) What is the degree of the charter?
4) Send the solutions of the above to:
Twig Systems Software 6, High Street, Wendover, AYLESBURY,Bucks.
along with your name, address, a daytime telephone no. (if possible) and your registration number.
This is the only one of the six games which explains that you will receive a clue after sending in the solution. So in the end after finishing all games you would receive 6 clues which you could use to solve a riddle. And only after 10 persons would have made this almost impossible achievement (without cheating the games) there would be a 10-grand-slam among the finalists. Something which probably never took place.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
During the arcade section, the time continues to run. Each time the punt blinks another 5 minutes pass. Due to the speed of my PC, it was not possible to retrieve the key before 19:30. Therefore, I immediately returned after entering the arcade section (moving down) and created a save state with BeebEm. If you alter address 1559 of the save state from 5a to 00, you will have the key in your possesion after reloading the state.
I've uploaded a walkthrough.
I've uploaded a walkthrough.
Re: Twig Treasure Challenge
Alex, most emulators allow you to adjust the speed. Which emulator are you using?
P.S. It's good to see you back.
P.S. It's good to see you back.