unforum

[Kaveris]

Keep in mind too though that swearing is a cultural norm that can vary dramatically by region. A realistic amount of swearing for a film based in Kansas is going to be different from the amount that would be realistic for a film based in NYC. Obviously, as with everything, it can be overdone, but it can also be underdone. Sometimes I find the polite panics even more disconcerting.

[Tharol]

On topic short videos to be delete week later so pointless.

[Deathlylogic]

I can see where the videos every month or so is nice, but shouldn't it vary by series? I doubt Noah encounters slenderman and the collective every few weeks, so there is no need to have videos that often, however, someone else might have slenderman or the rake in their house so it would be common for them to have footage every week or so.

I prefer putting them out every few days when actiony stuff isn't going on, because IG! things worth recording don't happen everyday.

[Lithp]

Well, most series have swearing, because most people swear.

Slendersickness is informally interpreted as almost like radiation poisononing, so the symptoms do make some sense, except for lack of burns.

[knifebladepresents]

Well, of course they have swearing, but when it gets constant, it can get annoying and the words don't mean anything.

[Checkmite]

Here's an idea - how about some actual "cosmic horror"?

Assuming that's what one is going for; everyone or at least most folks who have responded to this thread at least seem to think Slender Man is supposed to be some kind of cosmic/eldritch horror or "force". To be honest I think the designation is quite arbitrary - in all the slendercontent I've seen thus far (and I'll admit I have read or watched even close to everything that's out there) the character seems more like some kind of mere phantom, or perhaps a "demonic" entity if we really want to take some liberty with what we're shown. At the very least, there's no reason he can't be just some kind of ghost-thing, like the Banshee or the Wendigo - again, given what we've seen and been told.

A figure in a business suit and not having a face, or having a slightly out-of-proportion body, is certainly interesting but it doesn't whisper of anything cosmic or Lovecraftian; some additional context is needed. Our slendercontent providers are not...providing that context. The guy stands there, occasionally looks around, might reach out and touch people on very rare occasions - again, there's no reason this can't be just some kind of angry ghost, so far as I've seen.

Eldritch abominations might have inscrutable motives; but they don't have to be wholly indefinable. Action of some kind is definitely needed - and I don't mean making the guy's arms or head or "tentacles" move; Cthulhu and the rest of Lovecraft's Old Ones fought whole wars with each other over domination of the Earth. Their cults, consisting of humans, have far more easily understood and obvious aims - to bring the Old Ones back from death, or back to the Earth from "outside", or whichever. When they come after protagonists, there's a discernible reason - the protagonist "knows too much", his bloodline is important, he's actually a scion of the horror in some way, or what-have-you. But in all our stories so far, our human non-slender antagonists are attacking our protagonists for no reason whatsoever.

I suppose it might seem like I'm advocating for one particular interpretation of Our Main Man here, but I'm really not - the slim one actually can work as some kind of ghostly entity, or a Banshee-type creature, as well as a "cosmic force". But I'd like to see creators not being so afraid of criticism for "breaking" the character that they're reticent to define him as anything more than a figure who stands there and twitches once in a while. Make him what you want, but make him that, and don't worry about what other blogs have made him.

I've been toying with the idea of making an ARG - not necessarily a Slender Man one, but the thought crossed my mind so I have enjoyed reading through the offerings in this thread. I'm not sure that I would ever try a Slenderstory played straight; I think I'd have to do something very nonstandard - perhaps a series in which a character or small set of characters tries to make a slendyvlog but does a poor job of it, and winds up getting stalked by an angry and obsessed Slender Man Fan.

[Peppercorn]

I agree, because I like Slender Man more as an Eldritch horror than anything else. I'd still like to see more well-made Alien Geometries or perhaps just the right amount of paranoia and hopelessness to pull off that kind of story. The Slender Man in general is just better when series about him create a bleak atmosphere, rather than "there's a faceless guy stalking me but he doesn't affect me in any way."

[Oscar Langley]

You know those places on Google Earth where the camera gets messed up and starts looking like something out of your darkest nightmare? Somebody should use that instead of distortion.

[knifebladepresents]

Could you give me an example? Google Earth messes up in a LOT of ways.

[Oscar Langley]

[Lithp]

[Checkmite]

Here's another idea: make sure your audience interaction matters. Particularly if you create one or more Dragons who will be posting cryptic things which have coded or hidden messages in them for the players to solve. I understand that these characters are supposed to be enigmatic; but if all they have to say in any particular post is "I am evil" or "I still hate the hero(es)" or "be sure to drink your Ovaltine", think about why they would be giving that statement in an elaborate coded form rather than just saying it outright, especially if we already know all these things because they've already told us (again).

And the longer the game runs, the less of an excuse you have to jerk the players around like this. I for one begin to lose interest in games when after a year the same character is still sending ciphers that, when solved, are nothing but chaff like "I see you" or "we are watching".

[xemnasvii]

[DKaine]

[OhWhatProvidence]

Have there been any series that deal with feature erasure?

I've had a few ideas that I've connected into the beginning stages of a plot, (proxyfication erases features in horrible ways) but they'd all require heavy use of prosthetics and video editing. Lots of body horror fun, without too much actual blood (at least with the ideas I have so far...) and I also don't have much meat for the plot either, the how's and whys.

It's not that I don't have the skills or resources, its more a matter of time and funds...

Maybe as a blog? I know blogs get a lot of flack, but the written word could leave more up to the mind and things. (Though why would the Main be blogging as their life falls apart?)