The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

AMWhy · 2014-08-23 09:01:27

Over the past week, I have given up my own home in pursuit of the games largest star: Mr Earl Michael Case. My tale begins with another robbery entirely. The lesser known Donald Milton Hall.

His entrance looked like this:

Mr Hall's house was the first 20k+ house I had robbed for a long time. It was also the first house I robbed using a new mapping method. This first house gave me a taster for more to come.

I then set my sights on many of the bigger houses with the ultimate aim of conquering Mr Case.

After a few adventures in the Case house, I soon realised that the place was impenetrable. I figured that after the house was robbed by Blip, a long time ago now, the house had been broken and the owner, Eppfel, had probably left the game. I still continued to pursue the house, knowing that it would be an expensive venture.

Cotton, Chamness, Flinn, Palmer, Hood, Rodriguez and Perkins were all being mapped. It wasn't long before Palmer fell giving me a dilemma. But first, this was Palmer's entrance:

The bounty for Palmer was 31k. My dilemma was to choose between building a house or keep robbing. Being a single-account player, I knew that if I had something to protect, I would stop trying to rob. Thankfully, the decision was made for me as I foolishly killed myself in a self-test. My thieves life continued.

With Mr Case's house proving expensive, I concentrated my scouting on limiting my expenses per visit. Eventually, I reached a point where the cheapest way I could progress would cost me a water, a crowbar and a gun. Not items that a fresh 2k player could afford. My progress was slowed significantly as I now had to earn my fare before each visit.

The next house, Mr Chamness, was a big one: 61k.

Chamness fell quickly once I had seen below the lower powered door.

I did use Chamness' money to build a new house, but my thieving hands didn't stop twitching. It wasn't long before I was back out on the streets again. The lure of Mr Case was too high!

It was at this point that I had a major breakthrough with Earl Michael Case! I made a discovery that changed everything and I realised that the house wasn't broken at all. It was merely devilishly difficult. I recreated part of the house in my own home, using windows instead of walls and after some trial and error, I realised the path that would solve both seemingly impossible scenarios! My scouting of Mr Case would progress much faster as I now knew how to traverse the house without spending a penny!

On my next visit to the Case residence, I saw the safe! I was nearly there! Just two specific tools would be enough for me on my next visit! And you never know, as I could take the correct path toolless to that point, there was one move that I could change that could yield great results for me! The only problem: The two tools that would guarantee the job cost more than 2k. I needed another heist first.

Two hours came and went and I hadn't scraped together the money needed. Instead, I chose to enter without tools and see if I could complete the house correctly. Unfortunately, I made a foolish error near the start ruining my attempt. I would have to wait longer to try again.

My scouting of other houses had continued and it was at this point that I added a new conquest to my list: Mr Rodriguez.

This robbery was completed just two hours ago, giving me 17k! I built a temporary house and waited down the timer until now. Time to enter and vanquish Mr Case's house!

However...

The cruellest twist of fate. Earl Michael Case's house is NO LONGER ON THE LIST!

I am so close to a $140,000 jackpot, yet the house has vanished.

I have checked the auction for his paintings, but they are not there, which leaves just two possibilities:

Either Mr Case was robbed or Eppfel, Mr Cases true identity, has returned!

Either way, it is bad news for me. If Case is gone, my chance at the jackpot has passed me by. If Eppfel has returned, then the hour he has been in his house has given him plenty of time to change the path. After a week of work and many large steps forwards along the way, it could all be in vain...

AMWhy · 2014-08-23 09:11:35

Notes:

Maps:
I have kept maps of the conquered houses (as well as Mr Case's). I will post these in a few days, if the owners of the houses don't recreate them in the meantime.

Mr Cotton (now Mr Winter):
I am still drawing blanks on how to progress with Mr Cotton's house. Every so often I have an idea, but every time I reach the same conclusion: Cotton is a genius!

Mr Perkins house is frustrating in the same way that Mr Case might be. I mapped it out to within 2 spaces of the safe, but had no intention to claim the money at that point: I wanted to go through Case's house once more first. However, I never got the chance again as Perkins changed both of his combination codes as well as giving the house a makeover. I guess I was too close to the safe for his comfort!

Mr Flinn is still a work in progress...

AMWhy · 2014-08-23 10:13:10

I did wonder what happened to Cotton!

An update on Case: He is dead. His paintings are now up for auction.
My guess is that I got a bit too close to the vault so Eppfel decided to change it. However it proved a change too much. RIP Earl Michael Case.

thoth · 2014-08-23 11:58:49

as an aside note, Case robbed my house just last week, so Eppfel was definitely still active. RIP Earl Michael Case

eppfel · 2014-08-24 09:36:25

Jep. Case closed ;-)
I will post a obituary later with maps, robberies and deaths! Thanks for the condolences..

PS: Rodriguez was my other account. I wanted to build a scout able house (not another Case), but with the two hour chill this is close to impossible.

Last edited by eppfel (2014-08-24 09:40:33)

tacobandit744 · 2014-08-24 12:30:20

I'm still trying to crack willard mack's house. I'm getting pretty close.

AMWhy · 2014-08-25 06:09:02

I believe your new name is Robert John Tedford, but I could be mistaken.

AMWhy · 2014-08-27 06:53:41

You have a new name: Douglas Robert Tan.

voxel · 2014-08-30 22:09:20

AMWhy wrote:

An update on Case: He is dead.

Wow, man, game over! The end of a legend. He'll be missed.

AMWhy · 2014-08-31 01:50:27

Well, here was the map I had made for Case's house. I look forward to Eppfel finally revealing the rest of it!

The solution:

First, a key. The red writing represents my notes on how to solve the map. Up from the entrance, the red C represents the starting position of a cat. To the right, the three red D's represent the starting position of pitbulls visible from the entrance.

The solution to this map relies upon the careful manipulation of the two right-hand dogs and the cat. You must ensure the cat turns off the power to the left hand grates and kills itself when you reach the top by having it step onto the live grate at the top left (third column, second row). At the same time, you have to guide the two right hand dogs into the corridor above them (that's just about the red scribbles on the map).

You have to ensure both dogs enter through the powered door before the first dog locks it permanently. You then have to ensure that the dogs DON'T open the next powered door by having them turn both pressure pads on. Both pads are defaulted to on, meaning if you do nothing but move up at the start, one dog will be able to walk all the way through and lock you out of the top middle part. Even if you do manage to trap one dog, the other dog would be waiting to kill you when you reach the second corridor later.

So, how do you do all of this? Well it involves a lot of back peddling and I wrote the code down on the left (the list of letters, starting from the top. Naturally, L=left, R=right, U=up and D=down. When followed correctly, you will kill the cat and trap the dogs. You will find yourself in the top left corner of the map.

From here:
RRDRRURRDRRR.

This will lock doors behind you. Without the dancing at the start, these doors would be locked by one of the dogs. From here:

RRDDRDDDDDDDDD.

You are now at the point where the two dogs started. Of course, you've trapped both dogs and the area is clear! The third dog (the left of the three D's) cannot reach you as there is already a dead cat in the pit.

You can now enter the corridor where I've marked all the switches with On or Off. You have no dogs chasing you yet, so set them all as listed. Now move all the way up and release the dog at the top (top right on the map). Ensure the dog is three spaces behind you (a gap on two spaces between you and the dog). From here, go all the way back down to the switch that is off and... well, turn it on. The dog follows and you can safely step R onto the grate, then D onto the pit (the one with a dog in it on my map - the dog shouldn't be there), then you can go through the doors.

I only reached this point once and as you can see from my map, I opened the door making that cat at the bottom visible. I don't know if this was necessary or not. From here, you can keep opening doors and reach the two powered pits to the right of the safe. I had a brick which let me see the safe and planned to return with two ladders on my next visit.

However I never had the chance. I can only speculate from here and hopefully Eppfel can fill us in, but I believe he returned to his house and must have seen my attempt to get so close. He decided to make changes to the house but they proved too much and he must have died while proofing his house.

I have to say the complexity of the entrance was amazing, and for a long time I was convinced that the house wasn't solvable!

Osmium_Planet · 2014-09-15 08:40:22

Like, this is the kind of thing I meant in my post...how in the world did you work out that entrance? Statistically, it would be impossible for you to work it via trial and error

AMWhy · 2014-09-15 11:04:02

First, I died in the house many, many, many times. Each time if go knowing I'd die but with the sole aim of seeing a little more of the house. I'd spend my 2k of tools on just the right equipment to see past a wall or grate or door.

Once enough of the map is available to me, I then start to work out how to walk through each part without tools. Every map has to be solvable so there must be a clear path. The key to understanding the entrance for this maze was the two dogs. First, I worked out that if 1 dog walked up that corridor, your path would be blocked. Second, I worked out that if 1 dog was left at the start, it would be impossible to progress without tools, meaning both dogs had to go through the corridor. Also, knowing the cat had to be killed so the top path was safe, I recreated the entrance in my own house, using windows instead of walls. I then practiced, moving slowly until I had the correct path to get through!

The Castle Doctrine Forums

#1 2014-08-23 09:01:27

The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#2 2014-08-23 09:11:35

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#3 2014-08-23 10:13:10

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#4 2014-08-23 11:58:49

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#5 2014-08-24 09:36:25

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#6 2014-08-24 12:30:20

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#7 2014-08-25 06:09:02

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#8 2014-08-27 06:53:41

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#9 2014-08-30 22:09:20

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#10 2014-08-31 01:50:27

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

#11 2014-09-15 08:40:22

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#12 2014-09-15 11:04:02

Re: The Mystery of Earl Michael Case

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