Decoding Secret Message

[Endy0816]

Spoiler

43
6f
6e
67
72
61
74
75
6c
61
74
69
6f
6e
73
20
20
74
6f
20
74
68
65
20
65
78
74
82
06
e4
75
6d
74
69
66
20
79
6f
75
20
68

61
76
65
20
67
6f
6e
65
20
74
6f
20
74
68
65
20
65
78
74
65
6e
74
20
6f
66
20
64
65
63
6f
64
69
6e
67
20
74
68
69
73
20
68
65
78
20
64
75
6d
70
4e
65
70
68
61
6c
69
6e
65
2e

So this hex code was found as an Easter egg in an old game. The original investigator was able to decode part, then the translation messed up as there was an error in the egg itself.

I got it further along by adding an 'e' increasing the length and letting the rest of the code translate correctly. I also added another 'e' at the end as I'm assuming the second part for the period was left off as well. Both letters are bolded to make my additions clear.

 

This is what a hex translator gives so far:

"Congratulations  to the ext��umtif you have gone to the extent of decoding this hex dumpNephaline."

Was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what the error was and what the messed up word or words were supposed to be.

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Endy0816

[Sensei]

1 hour ago, Endy0816 said:

Was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what the error was and what the messed up word or words were supposed to be.

I created little .NET Framework app to decipher it and removed "8" from "7482" chunk:

Dumt means dumb in Swedish and Norwegian..

 

[Endy0816]

Yeah I was thinking it was in English but haven't found anything that makes sense either, in respect to the existing code.

[Endy0816]

Harv, messaged me over on Discord about this thread:

Quote

My theory is that the abrupt malformed characters are actually the result of either copy/paste errors or just programming errors during data entry into whatever tool the devs use to store the in-game strings. Running with that assumption, here's the logic train I followed:

Original Data:
436f 6e67 7261 7475 6c61 7469 6f6e
7320 2074 6f20 7468 6520 6578 7482
0647 56d7 4696 6207 96f7 5206 8617
6652 0676 f6e6 5207 46f2 0746 8652
0657 8746 56e7 4206 f662 0646 5636
f646 96e6 7207 4686 9732 0686 5782
0647 56d7 02e2 04e6 5706 8616 c696
e652

Adding in trailing comma hex digit to mirror game text on screen... "Tri-Nepheline, also known as Blue":
436f 6e67 7261 7475 6c61 7469 6f6e
7320 2074 6f20 7468 6520 6578 7482
0647 56d7 4696 6207 96f7 5206 8617
6652 0676 f6e6 5207 46f2 0746 8652
0657 8746 56e7 4206 f662 0646 5636
f646 96e6 7207 4686 9732 0686 5782
0647 56d7 02e2 04e6 5706 8616 c696
e652{c}

Identifying garbage data " to the ext�", "dumt" from the later "to the ext[ent]" and "[hex ]dum[p]":
436f 6e67 7261 7475 6c61 7469 6f6e
7320 [2074 6f20 7468 6520 6578 74][82
0647 56d7 4]696 6207 96f7 5206 8617
6652 0676 f6e6 5207 46f2 0746 8652
0657 8746 56e7 4206 f662 0646 5636
f646 96e6 7207 4686 9732 0686 5782
0647 56d7 02e[2 04e6 5706 8616 c696
e652c]

Removing garbage data:
436f 6e67 7261 7475 6c61 7469 6f6e
7320 696 6207 96f7 5206 8617
6652 0676 f6e6 5207 46f2 0746 8652
0657 8746 56e7 4206 f662 0646 5636
f646 96e6 7207 4686 9732 0686 5782
0647 56d7 02e

Realigning bytes:
436f 6e67 7261 7475 6c61 7469 6f6e
7320 6966 2079 6f75 2068 6176 6520
676f 6e65 2074 6f20 7468 6520 6578
7465 6e74 206f 6620 6465 636f 6469
6e67 2074 6869 7320 6865 7820 6475
6d70 2e

Resulting message:
Congratulations if you have gone to the extent of decoding this hex dump.

 

Very relieved to get an answer.