unforum

imbri

*blows whistle*

you! in that corner!
you! in that corner!
no! not that one! the other one!

Let's everyone breathe before we all go all crazy like. Not that going all crazy like isn't fun, cause it sure can be, but oxygen sure does feel good. I suppose that's why there were all those oxygen bars a few years ago. What ever happened to those, anyway.

Ok, back to the bit at hand. Everyone seems to be arguing different things. Just because you see the word "real" in a post does not mean that someone's talking about making The Game which, I think we can all agree, would make a really crappy ARG. Seriously, who wants to play a game that drives them to suicide?! That is NotFun.

And, while more reality based plots - not real as in The Game but real as in the here and now without all the fantastical elements - might make it more difficult to provide the framework needed for people to become immersed (the Phaedra argument), they may be more attractive to other audiences (the Cooler_King argument).

Frankly, I think both arguments have their merits.

There is something to be said for creating that obviously fiction framework that allows people to feel safe and secure which helps to facilitate their ability to become fully immersed in the story and attached to the characters. At the same time, there is something to be said for experimenting with more realistic plots and trying other methods for creating that framework.

For example, the corporate training games that I did were very much "reality based". We used humor and bad puns to help create that obviously fiction framework. Though, admittedly, we were never looking for that great of an attachment to the story and characters. With a two-week long run time, they were more like ARG shorts than ARG epics an;d we used a combination of comedy and mystery to keep people intrigued and moving on.

I wonder what other methods could be used to help create that framework or safety cage?

edit: stupid homophones