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[Game] "Picture the Impossible"
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		[Game] "Picture the Impossible"
An interesting game activity thing in Rochester, NY
I don't imagine many people fFrom, say, all over the world will be all that interested in this, but then again maybe some interest is warranted, as this appears to be an example of how to do a cool local-focus game. Here's the basic press release description thing:

Quote:
Picture the Impossible is a community-based game developed jointly by the Lab for Social Computing at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The game engages members of the community in exploration of the City of Rochester and encourages creativity and charitable giving in the community. Players participate in a range of activities, including casual Web-based games, games that bring players out to events and locations throughout the city, and games that involve the tangible aspects of the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper itself.


The game launches today, and will involve people traversing around the city, collecting pictures of locations, meeting contacts, collecting clues, and playing online activities. It is unclear how much story will be involved, or how much of a "collective detective" sort of game this will become. There are fFactions, teams, the trappings of a real cool game ... It looks like living in Rochester is a major plus, but I think it might be possible to contribute to a lesser extent on-line only, maybe. (well, and there used to be a fFew Rochester/Buffalo local ARGers...)

Here's the link:
http://picturetheimpossible.com/

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ptigame


(Oh, I should add, I had nothing to do with the making of this game. In case you were wondering. But as you might gather, it appeals to me quite a bit. I really don't know where the game will go or how it will play out, but it looks cool.)
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Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:01 am
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		Day 1 of the game has come and gone. I thought it might be nice to summarise, fFor the interested.

fFirstly, let me say: This game could theoretically be done, in large part, remotely. The Big Adventure part of today was the scavenger hunt, done via text message. Google streets has the entire game area available in street view. There's a couple questions which would be tricky to know or guess without being on location (we actually guessed a couple of them ourselves). The fFinal thing requires taking a photo of yourself in fFront of a statue. That's why god invented Photoshop, right? Smile

Secondly, there was a "fFind the fFactions" quest. This explicitly would require either being on location, fFinding people scattered around downtown, collecting information -- or else having a fFriend go out and collect the information fFor you. If you're interested, ping me a PM.

Additionally, there is an interesting easter egg thing.
http://socialcollaborationproject.com/
I'm unclear if this is an entirely "In-game" site, or a side project of some of the game designers to watch, or what. I would love to see if it became a sort of rabbit-hole of some kind to a narrative.

In the newspaper, Page 1 of the living section, there was this lovely Rebus, which absolutely anyone can do. fFun little thing. I've attached it, below.

I probably won't be giving weekly updates on the game -- mostly because I don't suppose too many people care that much. Smile But I wanted to sort of describe the kinds of things the game involves. If anything really interesting happens, I'll let you know. Smile
Saturday Sept 12.jpg
 Description   Picture the Impossible, Rebus #1.
 Filesize   268.7KB
 Viewed   116 Time(s)

Saturday Sept 12.jpg
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Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:23 pm
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natas
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 		Just a sidenote for those watching/interested: Michael Anderson also did a nice article on this over at ARGNet

http://www.argn.com/2009/09/rochester_new_york_picture_the_impossible/

PostPosted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 11:14 am
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avonpaintball
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 		It's pretty cool that the top three players on the Leaderboard are all Unfiction members.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:24 pm
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 1140
Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		Hah! You noticed that too? Smile

Hello, again, by the way Smile
_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:11 pm
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avonpaintball
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 		You should join The Watch Scott. ;)

PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:38 pm
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		I really should. I joined the Tree because some other fFriend did, and I said "hey cool, you're actually playing one of these crazy games I'm always talking about!? AWESOME! What fFaction are you?" But now, predictably, the lout has not done a thing with the game. Bah! I might become a Watch next week. All the cool kids are doing it. Actually I don't really think the fFactions are in anyway relevant at all, unless you happen to go fFor that sort of team thing. Ehn.
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Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:38 pm
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avonpaintball
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 		Agreed. My faction just emails me a lot asking for answers...

PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:53 pm
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notgordian
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 		Well, there's the whole "supporting your charity of choice" thing...

PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:00 am
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avonpaintball
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 		Congratulations on winning the Recipe Run Scott!

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:29 pm
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		hee hee Smile Thank you Smile

I was hoping to see you at the meet-up, last night. Were you there and our paths didn't happen to cross?
_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:41 pm
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avonpaintball
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 		I dropped off my dish around 6:30 and then went with Dev to the Lab for Social Computing. It's a small room with a whiteboard full of Picture the Impossible information regarding the website. Nothing about achievements and stuff though.

EDIT: Oh, and we looked all over the Sentinel since it's been mentioned a few times... Nothing there either.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:13 pm
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 1140
Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		I said I would update on interesting events or happenings. Here's what I can report.

We have just entered Week 3 of the game. Weekly challenges and puzzles continue apace. Quite fFun, certainly, and I think it's possible fFor long-distance players to submit something cool fFor prizes this week. If you're into that sort of thing. Take a picture of yourself with an assortment of objects. Also, the web-games are rather cool.

-------

This weekend's newspaper puzzles were a bit noteworthy. Do you recall The Perplex City Sentinel, and how we sometimes thought it was fFunny that they would have some goofy errors? Well, apparently getting a super-secret puzzle published in an actual newspaper is like that, but 20 times harder. The Saturday puzzle was supposed to be embedded in the header of many pages of the newspaper. However, due to technical difficulties, the message did not get delivered in fFull in all newspapers. The PMs issued this statement on the subject (in part):

Quote:
Since all players can not have a level playing field for this puzzle, we'll award the Saturday newspaper achievement to everyone as soon as possible. We apologize for the error and for ruining the challenge for all of you who look forward to solving the puzzles.


Now, a lot of players have objected to the broad, sweeping universal non-solve. I think there was a mad race by players to get their solve in before the global-solve was granted. People wanted to get the solve the honest way. Yes, the puzzle was broken, missing 4 letters, but you could guess the missing bits. No global-solve has been given yet, and, since so many people did do the puzzle as printed, I wonder if they decided against it.

-------

We have some plot developments. http://clockworkexposure.com is a site which we have been directed to. Initially, it seemed like it might be simply a vehicle fFor another code fFor points. The verbage in use is a lot of paranoia and the normal kind of drama we usually get fFrom nervous unnamed blogs. But now, this week, we have some lengthy encoded documents. We've collectively hit a small dead-end on that. I will help you out here with the complete decoded documents:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Meeting 1932.2

Elmer bennett hosted tonight's meeting, having called it for the sake of some unknown Reason. As a group we had been meeting quite infrequently of late, the monthly meetings Becoming bimonthly, and then eventually becoming whenever calvin calhoun decided it Was prudent to hold one. I am unsure if the lapse in meeting was due to the shrinking size Of our group, or if the shrinking side of our group was because of the lapse in regular Meetings. Although how things came to be as they are now is really of no consequence, But it is likely the catalyst for why elmer called for the meeting as he did.

After having cocktails while waiting for the remaining members to arrive, we adjourned To elmer's study, where the five of us could hold the meeting and not be disturbed. Mr. Calhoun started things off as he always did, with some poem or some such that was Apparently supposed to be read before the start of each meeting. It was something i had Long since forgotten the words of, or never really listened to and remembered in the first Place. Mr. Calhoun then ceded the floor to elmer, since it was he who had called the Meeting, so it was finally his turn to explain what the point of this all was.

Elmer explained that he wished to do something because he had grown tired of the apathy the group had been showing of late. He said that we were not only not living up to the potential of the group but also not doing what the group was created to do. "Considering what is going on in the world, and how bad things have been for people these past few what we were created for?"

He then laid out his idea, which was to use whatever was left of the group money to pay for a large public works program that would not only build something that would be of great benefit to the city, but would also provide jobs to those who now, because of the depression, had no jobs or at least had no steady income. It instantly sparked discussion and argument amongst the group, which from what I could tell of Elmer's expression, was not what he had expected or wanted. I could only surmise that he wished this idea to be the swan song for the group - to go out in a blame of glory, as it were.

Although I personally found his idea to be an admirable one, I could not see sacrificing the group to do it, which from what I could tell was the sentiment of most of the other members. The only one to speak out against it on all its merits was John Thomas, but this was unsurprising, as he was not a supporter of such programs.

Much of the discussion seemed to fall on myself, Mr. Calhoun, and Huey Fairbanks, since we wished to execute Elmer's idea, but without bankrupting us. Thus, much of the remaining discussion involved how we would go about funding such a large-scale project. Mr. Calhoun adjourned the meeting without a final decision on the matter, and instead gave us the task of coming up with different proposals for how we might be able to fund it. Elmer seemed to concede somewhat by the end of the meeting, while Mr. Thomas continued to argue against it even more furiously - even banging his cane a number of timed when he thought he had being ignored.

Mr. Calhoun set that we would meet again in two months to discuss possible solutions to the budget problem. Now, although Elmer may not be getting exactly what he wants, at least he has done the group a favor by breathing some life into it by giving us something to do.

Eve Monroe

-------------

Meeting 1932.3

The meeting was held with only four of us in attendance, namely Mr. Calhoun, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Fairbanks and myself. We were informed by Mr. Calhoun that due to some unforeseen circumstance Elmer (Mr. Bennett) would not be attending the meeting. This meant that nothing could be put to a vote, but we could at least discuss the possible budget proposals for the large public works project.

There were a few proposed ideas for how to fund the project, but much of the discussion revolved around Mr. Thomas and his disdain for the public works project. Seeing it as both a drain on our time and resources, he also stated that he believed that this sort of project would, in the end, only prolong the unemployment and economic problems of the city.

At this point Mr. Fairbanks began to make snide and deprecating remarks pertaining to Mr. Thomas, most of which were in reference to his age. However, between remarks he did attempt to argue against Mr. Thomas' objections to the project, stating that it would be better to help some people now then to help no one at all.

Regardless of whatever point he had been trying to make, the discussion of the project eventually evolved into a yelling match between Mr. Fairbanks and Mr. Thomas. It was at this point that Mr. Calhoun chose to adjourn the meeting, before tempers escalated further. He tentatively scheduled the next meeting to be held in two months. Mr. Thomas quickly departed, still quite enraged about Mr. Fairbanks.

Mr. Fairbanks, looking triumphant, asked if I would attend a late dinner with him. Although I would have liked to have gone, I did not want to appear to me taking sides between him and Mr. Thomas. As I explained to him, Mr. Thomas was an old family friend, and I did not wish to give the appearance of having any sort of allegiance. He seemed to understand, and we left the meeting separately.

Eve Monroe

-----------------------

Dear Eve,

I understand your reluctance to have dinner with me last night after the meeting, but I can assure you that I only wished to discuss with you what occurred at the meeting. Since that was not possible, I thought it would be best to write to you to explain what I had wished to discuss with you.

I did have a proposal for the group, but I was reluctant to address it without all of us in attendance. However, due to spectacle that Mr. Thomas and myself put on, I was assured of not being able to bring it forth for discussion. I fear that had I, things with Mr. Thomas would have gone much worse. So I have determined that perhaps it would be best to discuss my proposal with someone within the group first to receive some input, as it were, on the subject at hand. Since you seemed to be the most levelheaded of those in attendance at the meeting, I thought that you would be the wisest person to discuss this with.

Firstly, I just ask you to not discuss this with anyone else, as I do not wish to get embroiled in a debate with everyone in the group through letters. It would be most inefficient. Thus I would much prefer to debate the proposal at the next meeting with the Mr. Thomas, as it would be easier. So the reason I come to you is that I wish to possibly have someone on my size when I propose this, or at the very feast I can have an understanding of what issues there might be with my proposal so that I am more able to address them at the meeting if and when they come up.

If you would agree to this stipulation of secrecy, then I will enclose in my next letter exactly what it is I am thinking of for this proposal. I eagerly await your response.

Sincerely, Huey Fairbanks 14/4/32

------------------

Dear Eve,

I understand your trepidation. By intent is to not do anything suspicious, or even appear to be doing so. I am only asking for your opinions and possibly your support with this idea. Although it may seem a bit risky, I think it would end up being of great benefit to our group by supplying the money needed for this public works project concocted by Mr. Bennet.

Now allow me to set the stake, as it were. With the enactment ox the prohibition on alcohol, the supply of continues to decrease while the demand for alcohol continues to be on the upswing. As things stand, those in charge of supplying it tend to be unsavory fellows, who are using their ability to supply alcohol as a way to get a foothold on A community so that they might take control of it. It is a sad sight to see, and it is something I have seen in my travels to places like Chicago and New York.

What I am proposing to prevent such unsavory elements from corrupting our city, as well as providing ourselves with the funding we need, is going into the alcohol production business. Obviously, this is quite illegal, but I think that with the connections and power that our group possesses with the city, keeping any law enforcement off our backs would be quite trivial.

Now, there are obviously ethical issues attached with doing something like this, but I think that this course of action would do the post good. This is because it would not only provide us with the money for Mr. Bennett's project, as well as prevent any criminal type from gaining a foothold in the city, but also the production of the alcohol itself would require a number of full-time workers, not only in the production but also in the transportation.

Obviously, I am not oblivious to the fact that some in the group will have a great many issues with this proposal. I only ask that you try to look at this with a level head, because I believe that this solution would not only be the best one for producing the money we need but doing so in the quickest amount of time.

Sincerely, Huey Fairbanks 1/5/32


It's rather long. Sorry about that. Also it was fFairly tedious to decode, since every line's letters are rotated a different amount.

I think that's all to report at the moment. If anyone is interested in the assorted puzzles to have appeared, just ask. They're pretty clever.

Cheers!
_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:39 pm
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Scott
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Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 1140
Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		More documents.

We learn some backstory about Eve, and learn a little about these people's attitudes towards each other.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Meeting 1932.4

The meeting began rather typically, but it did not end in quite the way it normally would. All were in attendance, and after some small talk and general business, Mr. Fairbanks put forth his proposal. He explained it much as he had explained it to me and as per my request had not mentioned that he had consulted me on it. Although I had the feeling that during his speech he likely would not have said such, even if I had made no request for silence at all.

He addressed many of the issues with the proposal while he was laying it out, but it did not prevent the other members from asking about them once he was finished. It seemed that only Mr. Thomas and I were without questions on the proposal after Mr. Fairbanks' speech. I had decided to stay generally quiet on it, due to Huey having consulted me on the matter; I did not want to come up for or against it straight away. Though I expect that that is what Huey wanted when he consulted me, an ally to help support him within the group once he proposed it. I was not sure that I wanted to be his ally, and I am still not, which was the reason for my silence.

Mr. Thomas' silence, however, I found to be rather surprising and bothersome, as he was not sitting calmly. Rather, he looked as though he were a volcano about to erupt on an unsuspecting village. Which is why I found myself watching him instead of paying attention to the debate Huey was having with the other members, but from what I could gather it seemed many of the issues were much the same as ones I had had, and in some cases still had.

Once the debate had calmed somewhat, Huey asked for Mr. Thomas' concerns. Mr. Thomas surprisingly said nothing; he merely stood up and walked out of the meeting. This of course made it impossible for us to vote on Huey's proposal. Mr. Calhoun decided to adjourn the meeting then and there since it was obvious that nothing more would be done that night. Huey did not talk to me afterward; he merely gave me a nod and then was on his way. However, I was approached by Mr. Calhoun, who asked me if I would be able to accompany him to see Mr. Thomas. I agreed in hopes that it might help me decide where I fell on this proposal.

Eve Monroe

---------------------------

Meeting with Mr. Thomas and Mr. Calhoun

It was a miserable night when Mr. Calhoun picked me up to see Mr. Thomas. It was raining rather heavily, but that sort of weather is not unexpected around here. We were set to meet with Mr. Thomas at his house, where we found him in his library, smoking as a chimney would.

He did not seem as angered as he had been at our previous meeting, but he did flash me a rather nasty look when we entered the room. I guess he had not been expecting me to be attending this meeting.

Mr. Thomas explained his departure from the last meeting as the only civil thing he could do to stop a vote from being called on the alcohol issue, and that his objections to it were not only moral but that he felt that Huey was up to something with this plan. The thought of ulterior motives had never crossed my mind, but considering how Huey seemed to be going about things, I could understand where he was coming from.

Mr. Thomas continued saying that he knew that I was in some way allied with Huey, and thus did not trust me. He also suggested that if my father had not died and left his spot to me, he would have marched out of the meeting right along with him. It seemed a bit of a cheap shot, and so I explained the correspondence I had had with Mr. Fairbanks prior to the last meeting. I also explained that although I had been in contact with him, I still had my own qualms about Mr. Fairbanks' proposal. I agreed that my father would not have liked the proposal, but he was also a man who would have not run from a debate.

We spent the next hour or so discussing the proposal, and in the end Mr. Thomas agreed to attend the next meeting and not leave again. This time he agreed that he would actually debate the issue outright with Mr. Fairbanks until one of hem yielded. It is something I am quite looking forward to seeing.

Eve Monroe

_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:10 am
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avonpaintball
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 		Elan Lee visited RIT today to give a talk on ARG's. It was awesome.

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:36 pm
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