unforum

[Ehsan]

Why do players continue to play inferior games?

[Phaedra]

Re: Why do players continue to play inferior games?

[audioslave]

Well let me just say, I'm finally becoming to the point where I'm so jagged that I've been holding out for a coperate game, at least to reinstall my belif that ARGs do acctually finish (sometimes)



I'm still a big fan of grass routes games, but at the same time I'm becoming weary of these run-of-the-mill PMs who jump ship because they get bored with the idea


Got Your Dog never acctually intrested me, that much, I only stuck around because the PM contacted me. Cured PM...

Scapegoat looked like it had some potentinal to me, it looked like the PM had really put some time into it.

Pirate Shrubbery looked like fun, what can I say...

the two games that truely killed my faith on the average grass routes games were Jack Harrison and Angelo Beckett (I'm fairly convinced they're by the same person)

both appealed to my intrests, so I joined up, expecting little. I got more than I expected with Jack Harrison, but I soon became worried when I saw that the PM had little control over their own game, especially when the players started acting out. I leave for a week and the PM announces that there isn't enough player paricipation so he pulls up his routes and leaves. I found myself thinking "get back here little man and finish my ARG!

Angelo Beckett was another nice idea (and it promised cash, which did sound awfully suspicious ), I was a bit worried at the obvious lack of home page for it, yet I continued on, hoping for the best ("wow! they even have a phone number!") but once I saw the MySpace I did a mental groan. Of course, the game fizzled out with no word from the PM

anybody know when the next 42 game is comming out?

[Varin]

A specific phrase comes to mind - "To each his own"

This isn't a new phenomenon that is unique to ARGs. Why do people watch crappy television shows that will most likely be cancelled?

[rowan]

[ancalime]

In my case, it's the market's fault.

What're available are "inferior games." I'd be playing better games if they were being launched. I do lose hope in the MySpace- and AIM-heavy crap very quickly, but if those are the games that keep getting started up, those are the ones I'll keep at least trying out.

[rowan]

[ancalime]

[Phaedra]

[rose]

I've been wondering the same thing "why do people play this game" about the LostExp game. I quit that a long time ago, got drawn back in only to remember all the reasons I left and quit again. At the request of some of my friends who are playing, I went to Times Square to try to find a glyph and I then went to an event to get a free candy bar.

Whenever I am in the chat room, people talk about how much they dislike this game and how poorly it is written, the commercials. etc. Same thing with the forums.

I don't blame people for following a game - once you start a game it can create its own addiction.

I don't think we can limit the question of "why people continue to play a game" to "grassroots games" any more than we can assume that every "commercial ARG" will be playable.

But I too am waiting for the next 4orty2wo game. I'm still playing PPC because the end is coming sometime soon and it is getting more interesting. Despite the amount of time that game has lasted, it is still quite easy to follow along and keep up. And I am looking into the comics for CTW2 - there are playable games out there, but people have to choose what they want.

[European Chris]

[Phaedra]

[catherwood]

Re: Why do players continue to play inferior games?

[luke]

[MageSteff]

Why do I jump on the band wagon when the initial trail head is not a spectacular piece of work?

Because it is darned difficult to come up with something that 1.) will actually get a random hit by an ARG player who tells others about it without it being the luck of the draw to be in the right place at the right time, 2.) to do it without coming dangerously close to breaking the "TINAG" feeling while still getting people into your universe.

My hope is that if the case is new or inexperienced PMs that at some point one does pick up the ball and run with it in a playable manner to a logical conclusion. Yes there is a very small chance of that actually happening, but who am I to pre-judge a new PM who is just learning the ropes. It may be that the PM will need to do a lot of trimming of what was planned in order to keep the main story line cohesive for a shorter run, but I would rather the new PMs see that I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on a new game because I just may miss a game that turned out to not be the the game with the biggest WOW factor, but still be a fun time to laugh and play with my friends.

I want new pms to know that I a willing to give a new PM some room to make early mistakes as they get their ARG feet under them. Having run (or attempted to run a game gives one a who new appreciation for those who do manage to run larger or longer lasting games, and perhaps makes one a little more lenient on the small flubs, if they learn from the critiques, and start to use spell checkers or have someone proofread for them.


Its the PMs who still don't get it after their game folds in an unsatisfactory manner that really makes me mad. Learning to take critiques, learning to separate which ones adress items one needs to correct and which ones address differences in style is an important life skill that can help one in other relationships, work, home, school. Learning how to pull apart something that didn't work and use it to make your next attempt run better is also handy.

Now if the PM has started the game but the story line hasn't moved and I have done everything within my power as a player to help it move along, then I will walk away from the game.