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[konamouse]

[GENERAL/META] The BIG Picture of Year Zero

[rose]

I'll go first

[blackhawk127]

actually i understand most of your feeling because i agree on allot of it, and its one of the reasons why i think musicians shouldn't involve themselves with the political world so much. It always seems like theres a desire to run around and point out problems, and accuse different parties, but no one wants to try and help solve the problems, o well i guess. Also you can read the websites a little easier if you highlight the whole site

[Red_Encephalid]

Big Pictures...

[Delusional]

Re: I'll go first

[rose]

let me clarify what I said. I accept the game world. I accept the characters acting within the game world. What I think is the characters (whether they are from the future or not) are lying to us. I don't find the story that the characters are telling us to be convincing. I think that the characters are telling us a story designed to manipulate us into believing something about the future. I think that story rings false. I don't trust them or believe them - so maybe they have other motives within the story - I just am not buying what the characters are telling us.

But, hey, I've been wrong about stories before. This one - the story told by the characters - doesn't convince me.

[blackhawk127]

yes the human race is leading itself down a destructive path and many people like to point this out in a highly ethical manner, but at this point the only way to stop it would be to take highly unethical stands. Im not advocating anything at all in anyway what so ever, but at the rate we are expanding we can only reach a sudden point that will eventually cause mass losses. You can almost equate it to why hunting can almost be described as humane, almost all of the natural predators of the deer have been decreased in large numbers. So in some areas if hunting were to be outlawed the remaining deer in the area would simply consume all of the resources in the area and all die anyway. Sound at least a little familiar? Once again im not advocating anything drastic, but its kind of getting old the way so many musicians feel they need to do this.

Thats why ive chosen to ignore the political points of this game, and take it at a story level. I only wish there were more puzzles involved so far it seems like the hardest thing players have had to do is search through bathrooms.

[Delusional]

Ok rose, Perhaps I misunderstood you a little than. You're looking at this from a story point of view. That the charters might be lying and at some point there may be a plot twist where we find this out.
Again I think this has to be approached from a view different than most ARGs.
I don't think this was made to be a game like your used to where it's made to be played to just tell a story/ sell a product.
It's meant to get you thinking about the direction humanity is currently headed in. In that way I don't see any great surprise plot twists like your suggesting happening.
If you are "playing" this with the intention of ignoring the message and just following along, I think it's a waste of your time. There are lots of other games out there that cater to that much better.
But I do think this is a great opportunity to expand your ideas of what an ARG can be.

Blackhawk, what i said in reply to rose can also be directed what you said, but to address some of what you said directly,

Music like all art forms does not and should not exist solely for the purpose of entertaining you, in fact if that were the case a lot of great art would not even exist. Where do you think they get inspiration form?
So agian if your looking for puzzles and the typical ARG experience I think you are better off looking elsewhere.

[Sonrisa]

Just throwing in my two cents.

Is this CD/Music/ARG political in nature? Of course it is. However, it's not a blatent scream about anything specific like "I hate Bush/Iraq War/Hippies/etc!" like most musical 'stands' are.

That being said, it is a statement about the way things have been going in the goverment and -how it could progress-. If anything, I think Trent is trying to get everyone to be just a little more aware and be a littler more active in the world/government today.

Half of the stuff in the ARG from the future is about government control and such are true today. We have the blanket Patriot Act that basically lets the government do whatever they want to the general populace without reason.

The Department of Morality can easily be compared to Homeland Security where you're either a full-blooded, patriotic, law abiding American, or you're aiding the terrorists. "Let me look at your shoes..."

The whole thing also has a V for Vendetta feel, which it should. We should be ruling the government, not the other way around, but as of late you can't even write a letter to your local Congressman without getting a Big Brother evil eye.

So, is it a political CD? Yep. Is it horrifically blatent? No. You can still enjoy it for what it is in the world Trent has made. Still, it never hurts to be a little wiser and a little more aware of things going on around you.

[rose]

Delusional: I do think this is an artistic experience. This is what I said:

[Phaedra]

Re: I'll go first

[rose]

Yes I know people have different views. I'm don't recall saying that the art isn't valuable. But I am very optimistic about the future.

[Phaedra]

[rose]

Actually, because I was talking about the context of this game I was thinking more of the immediate time and the near future- like when people would write books about "the coming stock market crash of whatever" or all the fear mongering around Y2K.

[Phaedra]

Ah. I just get a little worried when people start suggesting that artists should apologize for their art because it took place in the future and didn't actually come to pass.