Listener 4011

[cruciverbali]

This week's challenge is Conflict Resolution by Kea

[AHearer]

Thanks for the link.

[cluelessJoe]

Thanks C, have a good weekend

[kayakamina]

Thanks again for the link.

[Clamzy]

Many thanks for the link. Gird up your loins for this one my friends:-)

[mad max]

Many thanks for link much appreciated

[AHearer]

Quite a nice one, with about the right mix of common and obscure words/phrases in clues and lights. I'm having some difficulty with the additional puzzle, though.

[midazolam]

thanks for the link c

will be taking this with me to the south of france tomorrow

[cruciverbali]

Thanks everyone, and have a safe journey tomorrow midazolam.

[starwalker]

A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle - just as one has come to expect from Kea.

[Walterloo]

I agree. A solid puzzle which represents, I think, everything a Listener puzzle is all about. When I realised what I had to do in the final step I couldn't quite believe it was going to work, thinking there's no way someone could craft a puzzle in such a way. When it did all fit together my appreciation of it magnified tenfold. Thanks, Kea.

[bobbycollins]

Couldn't agree more.

We who solve these pretty much think that we are rather clever, but this kind of offering brings me down to earth with the realisation that there are many out there much cleverer than I - Einstein for starters, and Kea is up there with them. Awesome stuff.

[IntoTheBlue]

For me one of the best of the year. As Waterloo and BobbyCollins have already said I couldn't quite believe the final step would work out. Total respect to Kea I still am in awe of the brilliant safecracking...

[alice50]

Okay, I've solved all but one clue, got all but one clash and got the message. Do I have to convert letters into numbers somehow?

[suilven]

I've discovered the process for dealing with the clashing squares and appled this process. This leaves me with a letter to enter into each of these squares. Taken in top-to-bottom, left-to-right order these squares now reveal a further message. Do I need to act upon this message or have I reached the end? If there is further action required based on this message I'm blowed if I can see what it should be. Any hint would be very gratefully received.

[Walterloo]

Suilven, I can only presume, hopefully, you've ended up with the same three worded message that I did, although I had mine written down on a separate sheet. Leaving the clashes where they were for the moment, I then took the message absolutely literally, initially thinking I was on a wild goose chase because I couldn't conceive of how anyone could create a puzzle where the final step I was imagining could possibly happen . The most important word of the message is the middle one.

[IntoTheBlue]

Hi alice50 and suilven you are both on the right track.

Yes converting letters into numbers and gaining an answer which can be translated back to a letter is correct and yes you do have to act on the second message in its 'entirety' to get the final grid.

Hope that helps.

IntoTheBlue

[Cruncher]

Really great puzzle. Classic Listener fare. One of the best this year in my opinion.

[cluelessJoe]

Agreed Cruncher and all ... though I solved this quicker than I at first expected, I had to marvel at the construction of the puzzle, and I'd put this one right at the top for 2008 - even ahead of Quadrivivum, city tour, Collusion and Argentum. Well done Kea

[AHearer]

Yes, the construction was beautiful. I have a confession to make, though: I didn't really get the wordplay in 33, which left me uncertain about one letter. The final step resolved that for me. I can't remember another instance where the end-game has helped me out in that way.

[Clamzy]

AHearer
I had the identical experience and had to change the e to an o, and still don't get the wordplay.
May I ask the experts and any setters we may have on here, if the software Sympathy which I know many setters use, would have made the final stages of this puzzle easier, as excel does for number puzzles?