Battlefield 1/A Beginning
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A Beginning | |
---|---|
You've found something that does not belong to you. | |
Creator | DICE |
Type | Main ARG |
Status | Completed |
Discovered | 22-10-2016 |
Completed | 19-02-2017 |
The Marconi Easter Egg is exclusive to Battlefield 1 multiplayer maps. It involves collecting hidden pairs of headphones, delivering them to secret MCOM telegraph stations, listening to Morse Code transmissions, deciphering them, then acting upon the deciphered message.
Headphones
The first step to beginning this EE is to find one of the hidden pairs of headphones. For details about where to find them, visit a map-specific article here.
Behavior
Each multiplayer map, except Giant’s Shadow, contain 5 total headphone spawn locations. Only one pair of headphones (usually referred to as an “HP”) will be present in the map per rotation. When walking over an HP, an ‘ammo resupply’ sound effect can be heard, and the model will disappear. The player now possesses this item until death or change of maps. The next step is to deliver this item to a secret MCOM.
MCOM Telegraph Stations
Similar to HPs, MCOMs are present in all multiplayer maps except Giant’s Shadow. Its purpose is to deliver a Morse Code transmission to the player who possesses the HP. The 2 light bulbs will change color according to what phase of the EE the player is in. It is very important to note this color, because it is essential to knowing how to decipher the message.
Behavior
There is only one secret MCOM per map, and it will always be in the same location. There is a radius of roughly 2 meters surrounding the station in which the HP holder will be able to hear the message. Once this player exits this area, the MCOM will explode, rendering all usage of it useless for the rest of the round. Be careful when approaching it, as to not accidentally enter and exit in one motion, causing it to explode before the audio has a chance to play.
Morse Code Messages
A large portion of this EE involves interpreting Morse code messages delivered by the MCOM. The transmission rate is very high, so video or audio recording software will need to be used so that the code may be further examined.
Format
As of writing this, there is a total of 10 ‘colors’, or phases, of Morse. The phase is named after what color the 2 light bulbs will be on the MCOM while receiving the transmission. Each message begins with ciphertext, and ends with lore text. However, phases 1 and 10 will not feature ciphertext. To decode the cipher, use the method written in the parenthesis.
NOTE: Each individual player will receive a random location/ciphertext. The example shown here is only one possibility out of 27.
Phase 1 – White Morse:
GO STRAIGHT TO (loc) (loc) (loc). OLD METHODS COMPROMISED. MUST ACQUIRE NEW KEY. WILL MISS DROPOFF IF DELAY OR INCORRECT LOCATION.
example location:
OUTPOST BARREL FAW
Phase 2 – Yellow Morse
(reverse) REMEMBER FIRST RULE. IF COMPROMISED. L PILL.
example ciphertext:
CITAIRDASSERTROFLATSAOC
Phase 3 – Purple Morse
(Atbash) SECOND RULE. SIGHTING. REPORT AND WAIT. INVESTIGATING ALONE COULD LEAD TO DEATH
example ciphertext:
ZKIVNLMGIRGAEBVW
Phase 4 – Green Morse
(Rot+7 or -19) THIRD RULE. IF TAKEN BY THE OTHERS DISCOVER MEANS TO COMMUNICATE TO HOUSE
example ciphertext:
HIILFTHWHWYLTVUA
Phase 5 – Clear Morse
(anagram or reverse Railfence with 5 rails) FOURTH RULE. KILL ALL ON SAME TRAIL. REMOVE DOG TAGS AND REPORT TO HOUSE
example ciphertext:
PEECCVERIYANOTARNTT
Phase 6 – Gold Morse
(E->A, T->B, Baconian, then Atbash or Rot-n) MORSE MESSAGES BEING INTERCEPTED. BEGINNING FULL ENCRYPTION SOON
example ciphertext:
ETETETTEETETTEETETETETTTEEEETTTTEETEETTETETETETEEEEETEETTEETETETETETETETTEEETTEEETETETEETTT
Phase 7 – Pink Morse
(Vigenere "edward") ALLIES CAN BE CLOTHED AS ENEMIES ENEMIES CAN BE CLOTHED AS ALLIES ALWAYS USE ID
example ciphertext:
PXCGRJIEWSVPIQPVRUIQJEJDPOEEJFEQXETOSWDEUDWHJEDLIVANVPMHOCRQFHYLFWLHZAJDPOEEJDPZWOJXWHED
Phase 8 – Lime Morse
(Autoclave ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY, "george") FINAL BELIEVE EVERYTHING REPORT EVERYTHING
example ciphertext:
ONADIFZWMPTJSHJGXROUUEKUWFHGJHNWUYMESYQYXXFAWAUGQNMESY
Phase 9 – Teal Morse
(reverse, Autoclave "london" ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY, reverse) GIANTS SHADOW WIND MILL BALCONY LOOKUP
example ciphertext:
ZQBRIPPQOHBFIUPEYLAZAMARZIOZDSYJB
Phase 10 – Red Morse
MASTER MAN
Ghostly voice audio can be heard playing simultaneous to the Morse.
Video of Red Morse
Symbol Locations
The ciphertext found in phases 1 – 8 will decipher to a 3-part phrase representing a specific location of a specific map. There are 27 possible locations. Players will receive them at random.
Format
There will be 3 parts, progressively becoming more specific. However, the order is mostly random.
For example: “PILLAR OUTSKIRTS JIFAR”
- JIFAR = code name for the Sinai Desert map
- OUTSKIRTS = a region, or outpost within the map
- PILLAR = the specific object to look for within this region
All possible location names:
--- ADRIATIC = Empires Edge ---
COASTAL FORTRESS ADRIATIC
CASTELLO ISLE ADRIATIC
HILL BARN ADRIATIC
--- AMIENS = Amiens ---
AMIENS NEUF FURNITURE
CHURCH RUINS AMIENS
LONGUEVILLE STATUE AMIENS
--- APREMONT = Argonne Forest ---
LUGGAGE BASEMENT APREMONT (prev. VARENNES)
PANEL WATER APREMONT (prev. VARENNES)
TREE TRAIN APREMONT (prev. VARENNES)
--- CANAL = Suez Canal ---
CANAL KANTARA VASES
CRATE TRENCH CANAL
HILL TOWER CANAL
--- FAW = Fao Fortress ---
BUCKET MARSHLANDS FAW
OUTPOST BARREL FAW
TREE FORTRESS FAW
--- JIFAR = Sinai Desert ---
CRATE JABAL JIFAR
PILLAR OUTSKIRTS JIFAR
PILLOW MAZAR JIFAR
--- PERONNE = St. Quentin Scar ---
HOTEL CHECK PERONNE
RUIN VENTURE PERONNE
TRAVECY ATTIC PERONNE
--- VARENNES = Ballroom Blitz ---
BALLROOM MAP VARENNES (prev. ABBEY APREMONT)
VARENNES SERVANT BED (prev. APREMONT RITZ)
STATUES GARDEN VARENNES (prev. APREMONT)
--- VENETIAN = Monte Grappa ---
CRATE SEREN VENETIAN
FERRO FIRE VENETIAN
STOVE TURRET VENETIAN
Symbols
Upon arriving at the location, the next task is to find a very small symbol hidden at the given location. It will either be on the mentioned object, or very close to it. Some locations are significantly more difficult to find than others. It is recommended to use a guide to find them. There are 8 total symbols, each one corresponding to the ‘phase’ that the player is currently in. The order of these symbols will be the same for every player. The symbol design is meant to be a hint as to how to decipher the message that will be heard upon returning to an MCOM.
Behavior
The symbol is VERY small (~5cm wide), and will be invisible until a player is within 1 meter of it. In order for the game to acknowledge that you found the symbol, you must first get close enough to bump into it, then face directly at it for 4 seconds. A musical jingle can be heard, which is confirmation that you ‘found’ it.
Types
“Reverse” Symbol
“Shift” Symbol
“Atbash” Symbol
“Railfence” Symbol
“Baconian” Symbol
“Vigenere” Symbol
“Autokey” Symbol
“London” Symbol
Rules
After reaching the Phase 9 (Teal) Morse, the lore text from the transmissions can be grouped together into a set of rules. As of writing this, no use for these rules have been determined. Rules 5 and 6 may not be a part of the list, because they weren’t prefaced with “FIRST RULE” or “SECOND RULE” like the ones before it.
“The Rules”
1. If compromised. L Pill (suicide).
2. Sighting. Report and wait. Investigating alone could lead to death.
3. If taken by the others discover means to communicate to house.
4. Kill all on same trail. Remove dog tags and report to house.
5(?). Allies can be clothed as enemies, enemies can be clothed as allies, always use ID.
6(?). Believe everything report everything.
Dog Tags
“A Beginning”
The Phase 9 (Teal) Morse instructs players to visit Giant’s Shadow, climb to the top of the windmill behind the German spawn, and “look up”. When waiting on this balcony for exactly 2 minutes, a pigeon will swoop down through the player, and the ‘symbol found’ audio can be heard.
When exiting the map, then looking in the dog tag list, players will find a new category of tags titled “Misc”. A tag named “A Beginning” will be there with the description:
You’ve found something that does not belong to you