unforum

[Oriza]

Did a small image thingamabob with the background of the Smile page (http://www.freewebs.com/fucktinag/smile.htm). I sharpened the image. The odd drawings don't look like much more than a couple of badly drawn manga characters, but there's a little photo inserted in the right corner of the Pennsylvania Police Headquarters.

Just thought that that might do something

[notgordian]

The quote the middle character is saying -- "You Will See Such Pretty Things" -- was from the Wyoming Incident CF.

[ncfriend]

Just catching up on this one. Interesting.

I see alot of tooman graphics used. wickedly cool concept.

i'll be watching

[Rekidk]

Oh! A meta-rant disguised as a game which is not-a-game though it claims to be a game and contains a meta-conversation within itself!

I think that it's clear that our PM is encouraging meta-discussion of the TINAG philosophy, and it's one that applies to the characters in an ARG just as it applies to characters in every other media.

Characters have to believe that they're real [unless you pull one of those crazy things where characters realize that they're fictional and begin to question their existence, but let's not go there]. Anyways, characters have to believe that they're real, and the game's universe has to believe that it's real... Otherwise, the universe falls apart. Admitting that this is a game in a meta way, even in the IG-universe, is different than the game itself admitting that the game is a game. Eg. There's a difference between a character saying, "Please help my fictional friend; we're pretending he's been kidnapped. Would you mind solving this puzzle that the non-existent kidnapper left behind? By
'you,' I mean a player of this game, because that's all this is, remember?" and a webpage containing a small note that this is actually just a game.

It's an oft-used example, but you don't have directors popping in throughout movies to say, "Hi! Just wanted to remind you all that this is just a movie; I was sitting just off-screen in a plushy chair. Oh, and that cool special effect was added in post-production." It would just ruin the experience of watching the movie. It takes you out of the fantasy. It destroys your suspension-of-disbelief.

Just because the characters/universe believe themselves/itself to be real doesn't mean the players/PMs/game-in-a-meta-sense believes itself to be real. Y'know?

A meta-site and any analysis of a game in the meta-sense, as long as it is discrete from the game's universe, is when the PM can communicate that the ARG is, indeed, a game. Eg. Schmeldritch. For examle, a director may give an interview about his upcoming movie, but that's separate from the movie itself.

ARGs are tricky in that aspect, as they lack pre-written boundaries between the game and reality and the game-in-a-meta-sense. The PMs have to recognize and respect the boundaries between those entities.

Am I making any sense? Maybe it's the headcold, but I have a feeling this is my most nonsensical and rambling post yet.

---

As for the game itself... I love the concept, because it's very fresh and unique. Spoofs are always welcomed, and so is encouragement of healthy meta discussion.

BTW, spoofs don't have to follow any rules. So hoorah for this-is-not-a-not-a-game-so-it-actually-is-because-I-said-so thing!

/me apologizes for threadjacking and runs away.

[ncfriend]

[Star Spider]

I agree that characters should believe in what they are doing... but I guess what confuses me is why the ARG world sees the need to make that the 'slogan'. Movies don't have a slogan 'this is not a movie'. Also I don't see why something calling itself is a game is a bad thing - for example there was a show called Murder in Small Town X (Amazing Show) and within the shows plot the main character told the players they had to 'play his game'. Does it count when a game is saying it is a game within the context of the game? LOL...

I guess what I am basically trying to say is: DUH - if it goes without saying that the characters believe that what they are doing is for real then why the heck does the ARG world have to say it so much. It is a game & all (or most) games believe in the universe in which they exist.

I have seen (in other meta discussions) people refer to TINAG in other ways - regarding the players being fooled into believing it is not a game etc... so that is where my confusion comes from.

Why can't we just say: This is a game - so the typical rules apply (ie. not disrupting the universe & role playing along with the characters).

As for this game - yay! I would like to see where it goes... hope it continues!

[Will 2.0]

hahaha GO mirror, asking about 48HIP.

[hoj_lebowski]

Err...A little late, but did everybody get a different "number" when they first got the e-card? For example, I know that the link of the one posted by Star Spider says To: 3, and mine says 6...

[Star Spider]

Yeah I am not sure why the numbers were different - but when I asked the GM they said that I was number 3 - for some reason I didn't ask why though - duh on my part

Also the GM has said that we are missing something on the MySpace account... I have not had time to look but maybe someone knows what they are talking about?

[Macavity]

Well, the only thing I'm ever going to use MySpace for is Station Alpha (the whole James T. Lorenzo et al thing) . . . so I suppose I could poke around in there, see what I can see.

[Guest]

LOL.

[avengedsamurai7]

[RoseKittyEllie]

Just received an email from fuck tinag, entitled "i'd like you to meet my friend"

[Star Spider]

I recieved the same e-mail...

It seems that the 'friend' is into satan worship and stuff...

Chuthulu is not something he should be messing with - although I always considered that he was vastly misunderstood - I mean in his dimension eating people could be a compliment

I am trying to find my MySpace account - it has been inactive for so long I forgot my password!

Anyone befriended the GM???

[Oriza]

Ditto here.
If you ask me, this guy is just a nutty idiot who likes to piss people off.