portal

portal:

• What is ‘portal’?
  • A ‘portal’ is a magical or technological doorway that connects two distant locations, whether separated by time or more commonly, space. It usually consists of two or more gateways, with an object entering one gateway leaving via the other instantaneously.
    And if you are talking about ‘The Portal’ you are in, it is the online gaming platform of Nucleus ’10, the annual technical symposium of ‘Shah and Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, Bombay’.
• What are the games available on ‘portal’?
  • Currently there are two games, Web-Hunt and Google Whack! available on the portal. You can look forward to more games in the future.
• When can I play these games?
  • portal contest begins on 18th March, 2010 00:00 and ends on 21st March, 2010 12:00, IST. You can play to your heart's content during this period. You will also be able to play after this period, but you won't be entitled to anything (read: prizes) if you lead/top after this period. (Better luck next year)
• How do I play these games?
  • Upon log-on you will be presented with a choice to choose the game which you want to play. Also you can also select the game from the “Play” menu on every page (that top red coloured bar).
• Can I play these games without logging-in?
  • Sorry. You can’t play these games without logging-in.
• How do I get a username and password?
  • You have to fill-out the registration form to get your username and password.
• The registration form asks for a ‘Registration number’. Where do i get one?
  • The ‘Registration number’ is written below the bar-code on the reverse-side of your Nucleus ’10 registration ID card. If you have any trouble locating it please feel free to contact us.
• How do I get the Nucleus ’10 registration ID?
  • You will get one only if you are a registered participant0 at Nucleus ’10. If you haven’t registered yet (what were you doing till now?) please contact ‘Shah and Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, Bombay’ to get yourself registered ASAP
• I want to tell the world my score. How do I do it?
  • Make it your status on Facebook, Orkut or whatever 'Social Networking' site you are on. Once you log in, you can tweet your score with a readymade button. Alternatively, we do have an Elite 5, if you are one of the top 5 your name will appear there. Not to forget the Global Scoreboard, which shows the top 50, if not in the Elite 5, you can still be in the Hall of Fame!
• What do I get if I win this thing3?
  • Honour, respect and a hell lot of praises.
  • Not enough? Winners will probably win cash prizes, along with hampers and goodie bags.
• If some conflict arises, who'll sort it out?
  • In cases pertaining to portal, the decision of the Webmaster will be final and binding.
• I like this whole concept/website/design. Whom do I thank?
  • Well, Thank you! And to reach out to the awesome people behind this event, check out the About Us page.
• I would like to implement this myself. What are your plans about that?
  • The complete server-side source code will be released in an Open Source license after the contest period ends. Check back here for details and links.

If you have any problems in ‘registering’ or ‘playing’ (only after reading everything written above) please feel free to contact us.

Google Whack (FAQ):

• Why is my search result count less than that actually shown on Google?
  • Don't blame us, the search result count differs (is less) because of a bug in Google's API. Even Google knows that.
• Why the name “Google™ Whack!”?
  • No reason in particular. It just felt good. And why bother about the name, just go play.
• Will Google™ get angry if I Whack! it too much?
  • No, it will not. Even if it does, it won’t go tell your mommy. Ok beta?
• It says the word I am entering is not normally used in the english language. What should I do?
  • Step One: Search for that word in your dictionary. If you find it, burn that dictionary and buy a new one that does not have it. If you don’t find it, slap yourself 3 times for wasting your time.
  • Step Two: Think of another word. We check every word against a standard British English dictionary, chances are that the word you are entering is not a part of the dictionary.

WebHunt (FAQ):

• What are the recommended things to have to win this thing?
  • Firstly you need to ensure that your cerebral cortex* is charged up and raring to go. And then, we recommend you the use of the following:
    • A good enough computer1
    • A good enough internet connection
    • Keyboard with all keys working
    • Electronic Mouse (preferably without feet)

    and that might be all...

• How many levels are there?
  • Enough to keep you occupied for the contest period atleast. And by the way, try as you might, you'll never really know how many levels there are...MUAHAHAHAHAHA
• May I share the answers to the levels with others?
  • Feeling generous, eh? Well, we will reciprocate with the same. We will give away your prizes to others as well and you’ll get nothing.
    Sharing of answers is quite forbidden2. It will lead to your disqualification and your name being entered in our Hall of Shame.
• Where can I expect the answers?
  • Anything and everything on this website (or for that matter, the Web) is a clue. (Even this question could be a clue) Keep your eyes, ears and browser open. And if you need hints, visit the portal blog (Help -> Blog).
• Do I need to know any prior computer knowledge to win this hunt?
  • We've made this game unlike other nerdy games. This one needs more brains than computer whiz. Can you type? Can you click your mouse? You can? You Pass!

 

 

0Have you registered for any event in Nucleus 2010? If you have, you have probably recieved a 'Registration ID Card' signifying your participation. On the back of that card is a four digit number. That's the 'Registration No'.

*a part of your brain that helps you think. It's existence is questioned in some people. (remember, it only 'helps' you to think)

1We recommend the following configuration:- OS (with full Unicode UTF-8 support (Hint: Can you see the hindi words of the title on top? Then you are probably good to go)): Fedora 12: Unite or Windows 7. Browser: Firefox 3.6+, Opera 10.5+, Chrome 4+. Screen size (Higher is better): 19" Wide (1440x900), Minimum: 1024x768. (If you see any empty boxes in any levels, you probably lack unicode support (and lack of respect to follow the recommendations). To see those 'boxes' as they ought to be seen, copy-paste them on WolframAlpha and solve the riddle)

2Any sharing of clues through any medium (electronic, social, or otherwise) will be deemed disqualifiable.

3The final prize goes to the contestant who reaches the last level. If nobody manages to reach the last level of Web Hunt by the end of Nucleus ‘10, the award will be distributed among the contestants who are most ahead.