unforum

[Withe Bartbi]

[Law of Five]

Not sure if you were there at the time or not, Soll, but there was a bit where the title of the chat room kept changing - like 6 or 8 times in about 30 seconds. Initially I thought it was because of the slightly risque turn that our chat had taken, but then a moderator turned up to explain that it had happened to keep Triscal from getting in, as he had been attempting to. There was reference to having to block out log-in under any and all combinations of the word 'Triscal' and some discussion of block IP banning (which is heap bad medicine, I think we all agree).

Oh, and Withe, I'm sure you've heard this little story before:

Once upon a time, there was a fox and a scorpion who met on a bank of a deep, fast-flowing river.

The scorpion asked the fox "Hey, Foxy Lady, I really need to get across that river but I can't swim so good. If you're going across, can I hitch a ride on your back?"

The fox replied, "No way, Stinging Scorpion. As it happens, I have to cross the river too, but you scorpions are just nuts. I know all you want to do is sting me!"

Said the scorpion: "Well, it's true that normally I would be interested in stinging you, but I really need to get across the river. Anyway, if I sting you, then you'll die and I'll never get across."

"Hmmmm.." said the fox, "yeah, I guess if you stung me while we were crossing, then we would both drown.... OK, it's just this once, mind ... hop on!"

And so they started to cross the river, the scorpion clinging to the fox's back. Just as they reached the middle of the river, the scorpion made a sudden movement, viciously burying his stinger deep in the poor fox's back.

With venom coursing through her veins, and pain racking her body, Fox tried to keep her head above water, but she could already feel herself sinking. With her last breath, she gasped to the scorpion "why? why did you sting me? Now we will both die"

As the water rose around the pair, the scorpion replied "I tried to resist, but I couldn't help it. It's in my nature.

Law of Five

PS Breakthrough? What breakthrough?
Days: 6 Hours: 21 Minutes: 45

[Raeden]

Law, it would seriously help if you'd post the problems you guys discussed last night. I'm just a rookie, I know, but I don't see anything worth the fuzz (I do not say that I think the whole thing is going just perfect, but nothing worth getting all anoyed).

[Law of Five]

Raeden: This is a [REAL WORLD] thread, so I can't really post In-Game stuff here. People will just start discussing it all over again and down the slope we go. I would direct your attention to the main Book Zero thread, pages 33 and following. If you really don't see a problem, then best of luck and keep going until you find Book Zero. Also, can I have some of what you're smoking? (=

Best wishes

Law of Five

[vibration13]

Real World: Statement

[Law of Five]

Just came across a fascinating link which describe what we, as a group, as going through.

http://www.catalyst.uq.edu.au/designsurfer/team_stages.html

I think we've FORMED and are in the process of STORMING. We still have to NORM, PERFORM and then MOURN. I can't think of a more appropriate day to encounter this topic (I was doing some reading on small group educational theory when it just popped out!)

Isn't coincidence a wonderful thing?

Law of Five

EDIT: Ah, the Oracle speaks...

EDIT 2: A clear statement from Toby at last. So Book Zero is really lost, then... Where DO we go from here... [going to work now, will check in later]

[Varin]

[Raeden]

Well, Rowan was kind enough to explain the problems people have with this "game". And after reading Toby's latest blog update, I can only agree with him, Law, and anyone else who's quickly losing interest in this game. Still, I want to try and not let it spoil my fun. I will see this game through, because I want to enjoy the company of the wonderful people I met through Triskabiblios for as long as possible.

[rowan]

Btw, a clarification of what was going on in chat the other night.

Basically, I was alerted to the fact that vibration13 changed his initial trailhead post again, this time claiming that this was no longer a recruitment, or an ARG, but an Actual Reality Game (and this is why it no longer gets the ARG tag in the forum title).

I decided at that time to read a little more through the threads to figure out just what was being said about all of this. During my searches, I found reference to Triscal coming into chat and giving cryptic information. I had already warned vibration13 for coming into chat and speaking in character. When he did not respect my warning, he was banned. Upon finding out that he had delibriately tried to avoid the ban I had set by going through a cgi client, I went ahead and placed some more bans to keep him out in the future, since he obviously has no self-control when it comes to breaking the rules that have been set up in the channel.

I love the fact that the active players have set up both an in-game chat room and forum for Toby, Triscal, et al. What I cannot understand is why Toby, Triscal, et al cannot use what you have created but instead continues to be disrepectful to everyone here and on chat-sol.

I don't think this thread is about making people stop playing. No one can tell someone else that they can or cannot play certain games. I think it's about making you take a good hard look at why you are playing. I understand the allure of ARGs and how fun they can be and why so many of you are eager to see this through to the end. If it was just a matter of different playing styles it would be one thing, but that is not what I see is the biggest flaw of this "game".

To me, the first and foremost reason why I am no longer playing, is that the PM has absolutely no respect for anyone. He does not respect the chatroom. He does not respect these boards. He does not even respect our privacy as witnessed from a least one previous conversation. I cannot trust him not to lie, not to break the rules, and not to screw around with us at every chance he can get. If I have no respect or trust in a PM, there is absolutely no way I am going to play the game. It's just not worth any potential risks to my personal safety to do so. You may say "Well it's just a game. Nothing real is going to happen to you" but if a PM cannot respect the protective boundries already established within the game structure, how can you assure me that he will continue to respect the boundries between what is fake and what is real? The answer is you can't.

For some of you, the potential benefits outweigh this risk, and I suspect these are the people still playing. But for me, it scares me to death and I'm done with it except for making sure that the PMs follows the rules within the areas that I have some control over.

[Rogi Ocnorb]

I, too was in the chat when the tedium we were all experiencing and the concept of a period of healing was discussed. It was (reluctantly) agreed to by some of us that the magic was wearing off and that additional commitment to this cause/quest/game would require some direction. Seven days seemed an appropriate amount of time to stick it out while the PM(s) regrouped and gave us some better direction. I fully supported this timeframe as fair to both the PM's and us as players.

I've read Toby's post and must say that I signed on with the intent that I would be playing a game and that there would be those (the ones who initiated the game) who would direct me to solve a mystery given clues provided by them.

I, like Toby, don't want to be the leader. I'm not good at it and I don't like the role. So, if nobody is driving this bus, I'm afraid I'll have to jump off now, before it reaches terminal velocity.

I've tried analysing what could possibly be occurring from every possible angle up to and including the concept of this as a period of "Boot Camp" where we needed to be broken down so that we might be rebuilt in the new mold. While I'm not normally a subscriber to the precepts of Occams Razor as I've always thought of it as too defeatist, several people have mentioned it in discussions regarding my analyses. Maybe they were right as, retrospectively, a LOT of people put a LOT of effort into something that didn't esist. I'm speaking of a goal, here. If there is no defined goal, what's the point.

I've learned a lot and met some really decent folks, (possibly some with mental issues). All in all it's been a good experience, but again, it grows tedious. The carrot is less appetizing each time it is presented.

I'll hang around for the seven days and if not much has happened to change my outlook, I'll mosey on to something else and hope there won't be any hard feelings.

[Jillah Pie]

*jillah pie enters group hug*

about the one week thing, i dotn think thats such a bad idea at all, but i thought this was kind of a nontraditional arg (a=alternate or actual?) as in normal rules dont apply to lets say... the PM. but maybe im wrong cause ive never participated in one before

[Jillah Pie]

woah.. that was a little late. sorry.

[Law of Five]

What a day. I didn't anticipate what a hornet's nest I was stirring up with my little 7-day suggestion (not a deadline, not an ultimatum, if you actually READ the post).

But at least we got some feedback from Toby, although it raises more questions than it answers... Raeden is rightfully annoyed at Toby's half-truths exposed in his chat log, and I think is right to see this as a none-too-subtle attempt at player manipulation. Sincere apologies for the 'whatever you're smoking' crack, btw, Raeden, just my weak attempt at humour. If you've spoken to Rowan by now, we are presumably on the same page again. I suspect you will not be so keen to complete your 'task' now after your interaction with Toby, which is the danger of manipulation when it goes wrong.

I have posted a comment over at the Vib13 blog, but I present an edited version of it here too as food for thought (as if we needed it!):

Dear Toby: Thanks for making this statement - at least now we are a little closer to the truth which lies behind the game so far.

3 thoughts arise:
1. Can you go further and tell us exactly how you have been interacting with Islington, what his instructions were and why you followed his orders to leave Book Zero where you did? Did you think that someone would be there to pick it up based on the clues to date? Did you think the clues made sense? Given the information that was presented, would YOU have been able to decipher the message as: be at the British Library gates on Monday morning? And what about the map that Jackalope was supposed to have? Was that a mistake? As you know from all my posting, I was keen to get this puzzle solved IN TIME so that we could collect Book Zero on the Full Moon morning, but events turned in a different direction, partly because the key was only found on Sunday tea-time. I understand what the KEYWORD was needed to see what Book Zero looked like, and I got the connection to the British Library early on, but why was Newton's finger pointing to the northern end of Tower Bridge? If there was no location to be had from the first map, why use a map at all? And why the long, convoluted series of clues directing us step by step to Islington? Why the Old Red Lion Theatre? Why 1970 and then 1790? And why did the numbers keep changing? And a bigger question: where did you get Book Zero from? Did you make it/write it yourself? And what does it contain? You seem to be the only one who has held it in your hands. I'm SURE that others want these questions asked and answered. Oh, and one other - who is Islington and where did you meet him?

2. This is a radical idea, but it did come up in chat last night: If this is the Story that wrote itself, and you are not the leader of the experience, would you mind if we, as a group, took over 13books and took it forwards?

3. Do we know if Book Zero is truly lost, or could it remain where you left it? Would it be worthwhile putting a poster up at the gates to see if anyone picked it up? It's a long shot as there are 1000s of people at the Library every day, but you never know...

Please feel free to email me to discuss further (you have my email and I found the missing pillowcase)

Waiting for the (many many) answers

Law of Five

[ThatDeadDude]

I'm interested to see what comes out of this. I really don't want to see this go down the tubes. Most interest I've had in something in a while.

[Jillah Pie]