unforum

[stuckindublin]

I want...

[neon snake]

The best immersive fiction would have...

(Now bear with me, as I've not played an ARG before)

- Multiple story arcs
- Different ways to get to the same answer, with greater rewards for the more complex solutions, whilst allowing less experienced players to still feel the buzz
- Real time-related puzzles - I wouldn't want to miss out on a story because I had a heavy week at work. I'd want parts of the story to come out two days after a particular aspect had been solved, to give me a chance to catch up.
- Player driven scenarios; I'd want the story to develop along with the actions of the players, and not just continue of its own accord whether anyone is watching or not.
- On the other hand...some parts of the story SHOULD be taking place anyway - and if anyone notices, well, that's a bonus for them.
- Physical interaction. If I'm on a PC, I'm playing a game. If I'm outside, I'm not. Text me. Email me. Write me. Leave messages on my answerphone. Make me subscribe to a technology magazine and leave me clues in there.
- A reward structure; if players solve a difficult puzzle, pick one of them at random, and send them a PDA. Put the next clue in the PDA, and let them keep it afterward...think of the buzz that will create.


I hope this helps.

[Omnie]

I'm sort of getting the impression that some want ARGs to have more competitive aspects (although I may be reading too much into it), so I'd just like to add that I think a good ARG wouldn't encourage competition. PMs, please don't set up situations where people get directly rewarded for solving puzzles and things like that. It'd set up a sort of constricted (I can't think of a better word) atmosphere, and would probably turn off a lot of people (me included) who aren't really playing for the puzzles. One of the things I've liked best here has been the open and welcoming atmophere.

[edit] That really wasn't addressed to anyone in particular at all, so, you know, please don't take offense or anything like that. Just in case that wasn't clear.

[Guest]

[neon snake]

dammit...should have logged in before posting the above..

[yanka]

[bagsbee]

I think what neon snake is trying to say (correct me if I'm wrong) is that, sometimes the puzzles are just too hard for first-timers. I know I experienced this while playing Metacortechs - it's not that I'm dumb, I just didn't have the experience to know what to look for.

Maybe have a "high road" and a "low road". The low road is for the newbies - not a walk in the park, but the solution isn't completely obvious, and requires some leg work. The high road could be a much harder puzzle, requiring a mind-bending, IRC-based, collaborative solution, which could be the same as the newbie solution, with a "reward" for old-timers such as an extra lead to another puzzle, which the newbies may not get. Regardless, we are all posting here, so they'd have access to it anyway eventually.

[Guest]

Just a thought - how popular are PS2's, XBoxes and Game Cubes? And noone wins prizes for completing any of their games....... Even though we pay up to 40 quid for them.....

[neon snake]

Hmm...I appear to have unwittingly caused some controversy here...

Please be aware, I've not played an ARG before, and have held off from researching previous games too thoroughly for fear of spoiling what is currently a 'new experience' for me. I understand that some of the ideas I proposed may be complete anethema to the more experienced players.

[Guest]

what yanka said

[Varin]

Re: what yanka said

[Adrian]

(dances around room and makes 'raise the roof' gestures)

[Slyfox]

Does anyone have any experience of taking part in an ARG without visting a site like UF during the game? Perhaps they only found about about the forum once the game awas finished.

Or putting it another way do args work best went the story is revealed through in game sites without the need for places like UF or is part of the fun of ARGing getting together to swap ideas and speculation?

Finally to what extent do you think that a game should change during the course of play as a consquence of what is posted on forums, i.e. should player spec change the plot or should the PM(s) stick to the story the've mapped out at the time of the launch?

[Guest]

I think a story should have the flexibility to fluctuate depending on what players are doing, what the know, what's happening etc. It would make it all more interesting IMHO.

[Wishi-san]

For this particular game I don't think the PMs will need any financial aid from the players. I think the best thing we can give them is to be good players and to enjoy what's coming.

But hey maybe they would enjoy a little personalised present from us at the end

From speaking to danhon/Adrianhon they appear to have new ideas about how they'd be making money from the game. I couldn't figure it many ways, and of course they were keeping schtum.

Slyfox: The only problem with cutting yourself off from communities such as UF and similar is that if a large group of people are moving on quickly and getting through the puzzles, the story will most likely be advancing faster than your solo effort can keep up with.