MGWCC #768 — “Second Look”

[three]

A quick discord jump on this one has me beaming.

[Joe]

My god. The rabbit holes.

[boharr]

Beamed.

[Meg]

I’ve transported. I was stuck for awhile but Pavel Chekhov rescued me.

[TheFusionMoose]

I am literally half there. Unless I'm in a rabbit hole. But that a solid half.

I’m right there with you. Hoping this isn’t a rabbit hole

[StunGun]

I could use a slight nudge, if someone feels charitable...
So frustrating that some of the "hard" metas seem obvious, and some "easy" ones are total head-scratchers.
What makes it addictive!

[ricky]

My god. The rabbit holes.

I just got this one - the second step was very hard for me to nail down. But even getting to the first step involved climbing out of a rabbit hole so big I think I saw a mountain lion walking around down there. There is at least one thing in the puzzle that you would never, ever think was a coincidence unless you'd solved enough of these to know these puzzles don't always get test-solved by a wide range of people before going out to the public and two people can miss something that another 98 will all pick up on.

[benchen71]

Nudged (multiple times) to the tractor beam.

[MarkWoychick]

Waiting to be beamed up - fun puzzle and a good challenge!

Edit: beamed up at #40. Had a breakthrough while I was on a walk - love it when that happens

[Laura M]

Beam up requested, might be too late for transport tonight but I'm pretty confident I'll get there. This was a good one, but I was confused for way longer than I should have been!

[DrTom]

Well at least I seem to be in good company. I thought sure somehting HAD to be part of the mechanism, and I cannot shake the feeling that it is, but I am getting nowhere. Maybe morning light will help.

EDIT: OK, must have been VERY early morning light because I believe I have the first half, hopefully I can turn it into somehting.

[woozy]

Ah, Geez Louise. Got it with a nudge.

I *knew* there was something really off about aspects of the puzzle.

And there *is* a not uncommon mechanism that trips me up that I really got to get used to.

[DrTom]

Well, got to an answer without help for a change, now the wait to determine if it was the correct answer. I'll be amazed because I kind of rawhided it but....hey if it is a solve I'll be delighted.

EDIT: Well knock me over with a feather #48 on the board. that may well be one of my best yet! Still not sure how the get the answer the right way but I got there all the same.

[bflock]

I think I’ve got a solid first and potentially second step. But not getting to the final answer. Anyone willing to offer a nudge. Happy to share my data set for the first part.

[Tina]

Haha I think I have half of it solved, but I'm not sure it's the first half or the second half. I solved one of these backwards a while ago, so it's possible I'm doing it again. Either way, I'm stuck.

[PuzNewbie]

Is anyone able to provide a nudge? I see one major standout, but I'm not sure what to do with it. I've also spent hours trapped down a few different rabbit holes (Ooh, if I change this to that! Ooh, if I put this with this! So Many Rabbit Holes). Very grateful to anyone who can lead me in the correct direction! Thanks!

[HoldThatThought]

Like a fair number of our MGWCC regulars, I'm always happy to provide a glimmer in the darkness of puzzle despair, but....

These puzzles are best enjoyed (and appreciated!) like a long-simmered stew or tender-roasted, fall off-the-bone ribs, and not as a three-minute soft-boiled egg. There is an aha! moment, and it won't always come, but the simple exercise of wrestling, for a bit, develops the toolkit, and sharpens the solving skills.

TLDR executive summary: Play with these for a while, put them away, look with fresh eyes, tomorrow. Find a solving buddy, and contribute your efforts to a group solve. If you're going to spend 20 minutes, throw up your hands, and say "please nudge me!", you're cheating yourself of the joy, and, my experience suggests; you're less likely to receive helpful nudges.

Just my opinion. Some (kinder?) contributors here feel differently.

Oh, and I am not addressing this to anyone in particular.

P.S.: I can't recommend buddy solves enough. I get tremendous value from sharing my thoughts with another regular here who really makes the shared deliberations all the more enjoyable!

[woozy]

The problem with #37 is that time when you don't know and can't see it is so painful. Which is too bad because you are correct that being given anything too soon takes all the flavor out of it. But it can't be avoided that the moment of seeing nothing and not seeing anywhere to go is acutely painful.

The trouble is it's impossible to gauge how to make the thread so thin that it's useful but not so thick it destroys your appetite. (And my appetite is spoiled by mere microns... and worse, hunger worsens my vision that a mere micron won't be perceptible until *after* it's ruined my appetite.... it's tough road all over.)

[HeadinHome]

Finally got there, with some brainstorming with @MikeM000 and some veteran’s knowledge/nudging from @Eckless . MAYbe I would have gotten there after many more hours on my own? but who got time for that? I gave it a good try and still can claim mental victory, as I was definitely rowing my boat… while someone else was doing the bailing because of all the HOLES!

Awaiting beam. Not on the list yet, but I’ll give it a second look in a few hours. (hee hee hee). UPDATE - in like Flynn.

[MikeM000]

Finally got there, with some brainstorming with @MikeM000 and some veteran’s knowledge/nudging from @Eckless . MAYbe I would have gotten there after many more hours on my own? but who got time for that? I gave it a good try and still can claim mental victory, as I was definitely rowing my boat… while someone else was doing the bailing because of all the HOLES!

Awaiting beam. Not on the list yet, but I’ll give it a second look in a few hours. (hee hee hee)

I just submitted as well and I'm sure I'll be on the board in short order. Much fun puzzling it out with you this afternoon!