Survey Writeup: Houseplant 2020

Ah… a survey challenge, usually a glorified sanity check, but not this time.

First question: How would you rate your experience with the CTF platform? I gave this a 4. But first, I didn’t have a mouse to click the answer with. I searched up and around my house, but to no avail, I couldn’t find a mouse. I then had to do the unthinkable: walk over to Argos to buy a mouse. I started by looking in the pets section, but there was no mouse to be picked up there. This made me extremely sad. So I stood 2 meters away from a member of staff(safe social distancing kids!) and asked them where to pick up a mouse. I picked up a mouse, scanned it with the smart shop app, and walked out the store, happy I have my mouse. I then got home and clicked the number 4 button.

Question 2: What changes could be made to improve the overall CTF experience? I pondered this question for a while. I decided on the lack of a brainfuck challenge really pissed me off. However, just as I was typing this, my mum walked in and saw that I had a naughty word on my screen. She decided on cleaning out my PC with soap, to cleanse it of its sins. As she left the room, I cried, not having a laptop to finish this survey would make me a shame to my team, and I would never live this down. So sneakily, I walked into my sister’s room, yoinked her laptop and logged back into the survey again.

Now time for Question 3: Which challenge did you like the most/was your favourite? Easy. Beginner 1, the only challenge me and my team were able to solve.

Question 4: Who was my favourite challenge dev? Easy again. William, her challenges were fun and enjoyable(she didn’t hold me at gun point to say this btw).

Question 5: Any other opinions? Easy question again, to give will a raise for being the best challenge dev.

Question 6: My experience in Cyber Security. I gave this a 5 because I am pro hax0r, I hacked roblox and gave myself 69420 robux once, I felt amazingly good about myself.

Question 7: My gender, I put other, as I sexually identify as an apache attack helicopter.

Question 8: my age: I put 13-18, as I am 14 years old(and 3 months and 1 day)

Question 9: How did you here about Houseplant CTF? Easy Question. I was hand delivered a message by my team about a new Capture The Flag Competition called Houseplant made by the RiceTeaCatPanda devs. This CTF also was bringing even crazier and innovative challenges to our community, with 100% same funny stories and (at least) 60% reduced guessing :3.

Question 10: Right or left? This question stumpted me very hard, so I had to close my eyes and do a blind pick. I chose down, in the end.

Question 11: One discord member was non human, who was it? Easy, willwam845#9584.

Question 12: Stickers or plushies, easy again, plushies (uwu)

Question 13: Which is cuter: Wumpus or Jubie. Very easy answer again, I picked Jubie, as I saw her and UnbeliveaBoat out on a date before this whole quarantine started. Hurrah! I had finished the survey! I leapt out of my seat with excitement! However, this was then spewed on me: F(K6"+A-'QAKWC8DBNV(EZdbEF"&5>EbT#p?Z]jf?XmMd?Z9FkA78j I immediately thought this was encoded in some way, so I tried all the bases. I eventually found out that this was b85 encoded, and the decoded message led to this: send Jade (in her DMs) rice_tea_cat_panda

Who was jade? What was jade? I eventually realised that Jade was a girls name, so I was doing the unthinkable, DMing a girl. I mustered up all the courage I could get, and messaged her the sacred phrase: rice_tea_cat_panda. She immediately got back to me and replied with this: You're such a great friend! Here, have a flag! rtcp{awaken_winged_sun_dragon_of_ra}. Although sad I was friendzoned, I was happy I got the flag, so I submitted it, only to find out that my teammate already submitted the flag. Fuck you teammate.

rtcp{awaken_winged_sun_dragon_of_ra}

-Jammy#0402