Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Wed Nov 13, 2024 1:43 am
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Meta » Puppetmaster Help
[QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Moderators: imbri
View previous topicView next topic
Page 1 of 1 [10 Posts]  
Author Message
AtionSong
Unfettered


Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Posts: 352

 		[QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Please help answer, some facts some opinions
Okay, so I've been working on ARG concepts recently, and have actually started development on two of them. Just some quick questions I have, some of fact/help and some of opinion.

QUESTION 1: Fact/Help
Starting a Business
Does anybody know what steps I would need to go through if I wanted to start an official, non-profit organization to market my ARG? (I don't need a complete walkthrough, but if anybody has helpful links or ways to get started, I'd appreciate them)

QUESTION 2: Opinion
How hard is too hard?
When planning puzzles, what would be some good general guidelines to make sure they are neither too easy or too hard? Also, is it better to under or over estimate the intelligence of the players of your ARG?

QUESTION 3: Opinion
Quantity vs. Diversite
Is it more important to dispense plot elements and clues in a variety of different ways or to dispense them more often? For example, would you rather get 3 blog updates, or 1 comic book to disperse the plot elements?

QUESTION 4: Opinion
Incentive
Does the incentive offered in an ARG need to be monetary/tangible (e.x. Perplex City), or can it just be for an intangible purpose (e.x. SF0)? Will players enjoy/participate in one or the other more?

QUESTION 5: Fact/Help
Some Technical Questions
5a. How do you code into HTML a field that will only proceed to a certain page if a certain term is entered into it such that this is not viewable when viewing the source code of the page
5b. How do you code in HTML a flash pop-up to open in a specific place on the screen and so that doing a certain task in the pop-up directs to another page (e.x. "Kill 3 terrorists to win an iPod" style)?

Thank you in advance to anybody who helps me by answering

PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:45 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Phaedra
Lurker v2.0


Joined: 21 Sep 2004
Posts: 4033
Location: Here, obviously

 		Re: [QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Please help answer, some facts some opinions
AtionSong wrote:
QUESTION 2: Opinion
How hard is too hard?
When planning puzzles, what would be some good general guidelines to make sure they are neither too easy or too hard? Also, is it better to under or over estimate the intelligence of the players of your ARG?


I'd worry less about the exact difficulty and more about making sure that solving the puzzle is satisfying/fun for the players, and about making sure that the payoff is enough to balance out the frustration they may have experienced in solving it (i.e. the more difficult/frustrating the solve process may be, the more fun the "Aha!" moment should hopefully be).

And always try to err on the side of overestimating the intelligence of your player base. Because even if you do that, they'll still manage to surprise you once or twice at least.

AtionSong wrote:
QUESTION 3: Opinion
Quantity vs. Diversite
Is it more important to dispense plot elements and clues in a variety of different ways or to dispense them more often? For example, would you rather get 3 blog updates, or 1 comic book to disperse the plot elements?


Again, I think you're asking the wrong question here. It's not about the media used per se, but rather their "stickiness" and the quality of the material. I'd rather get one compelling, fun-to-read blog update than 3 blog, comic book, and phone call updates that aren't that interesting to wade through.

AtionSong wrote:
QUESTION 4: Opinion
Incentive
Does the incentive offered in an ARG need to be monetary/tangible (e.x. Perplex City), or can it just be for an intangible purpose (e.x. SF0)? Will players enjoy/participate in one or the other more?


Hmm, this question tells me you haven't really spent much time looking into the history of ARGs, which I'd suggest you do before you make any attempt to make one, as well as playing a few.

Most of the most popular ARGs have not had any sort of tangible "prize."
_________________
Voted Most Likely to Thread-Jack and Most Patient Explainer in the ILoveBees Awards.

World Champion: Cruel 2B Kind

PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:03 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
AtionSong
Unfettered


Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Posts: 352

 		Re: [QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Please help answer, some facts some opinions
Phaedra wrote:

AtionSong wrote:
QUESTION 4: Opinion
Incentive
Does the incentive offered in an ARG need to be monetary/tangible (e.x. Perplex City), or can it just be for an intangible purpose (e.x. SF0)? Will players enjoy/participate in one or the other more?


Hmm, this question tells me you haven't really spent much time looking into the history of ARGs, which I'd suggest you do before you make any attempt to make one, as well as playing a few.

Most of the most popular ARGs have not had any sort of tangible "prize."


No, I'm fairly well read in the history of ARGs. I was just curious whether people think that games such as Perplex City or Jack's Revenge (think that's the name) attract more people than ones without rewards.

Thanks for your other opinions, too.

PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:32 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Lovek
Unfettered


Joined: 02 Mar 2005
Posts: 434

 		Re: [QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Please help answer, some facts some opinions
AtionSong wrote:

QUESTION 1: Fact/Help
Starting a Business


I think that's different from place to place. You'll probably need to look around online a little, but I'd suggest basing your search on how to start, say, a community theater. I imagine it's close to the same process. Mostly, I suspect it's just a matter of getting the right forms filled out in the correct order. And start digging around hereon the IRS website.

AtionSong wrote:

QUESTION 2: Opinion
How hard is too hard?

What Phaedra said. There are some crazy smart people around here.

AtionSong wrote:

QUESTION 3: Opinion
Quantity vs. Diversite

What Phaedra said. Always quality over quantity. But a large quantity of good quality is always appreciated.

AtionSong wrote:

QUESTION 4: Opinion
Incentive

Everybody plays for fun. No prize is needed. But it doesn't (always) hurt, either.
AtionSong wrote:

QUESTION 5: Fact/Help
Some Technical Questions
5a. How do you code into HTML a field that will only proceed to a certain page if a certain term is entered into it such that this is not viewable when viewing the source code of the page
5b. How do you code in HTML a flash pop-up to open in a specific place on the screen and so that doing a certain task in the pop-up directs to another page (e.x. "Kill 3 terrorists to win an iPod" style)?

Ok, the real reason I replied. On it's own, HTML can't do what you want. You'll need a little "backend" programming in PHP, ASP, Perl, etc. Find the closest nerd and promise them a case of Mountain Dew. They'll get something put together for you.
_________________
Played: G.O. IV, Must Love Robots, Who Is Benjamin Stove?
Pining For: Eldritch Errors
Lurked: Dozens and dozens

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:38 am
 View user's profile AIM Address MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
konamouse
Official uF Dietitian


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 8010
Location: My own alternate reality

 		Making an ARG
If you don't know how to make your webpages, and you are going to want to make your own, then you need to take the time to learn.

But more importantly, you need a good PM *TEAM*.

Don't try to do any ARG alone, whether it's a "business" or "grassroots", you need a team. No successful game has worked without a team.

Team members help with the websites (creating them, updating them, correcting them). Help with answering emails. Help with fielding phone calls. Help with monitoring discussion forums to head off problems (the audience will find each and every hole and you have to be fast enough to plug them up).

Good luck!
_________________
'squeek'
r u a Sammeeeee? I am Forever!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:05 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
EmmanuelGoldstein
Decorated


Joined: 20 Oct 2004
Posts: 281

 		Re: [QUESTIONS] Some Questions about My ARGs
Please help answer, some facts some opinions
AtionSong wrote:


QUESTION 1: Fact/Help
Starting a Business
Does anybody know what steps I would need to go through if I wanted to start an official, non-profit organization to market my ARG? (I don't need a complete walkthrough, but if anybody has helpful links or ways to get started, I'd appreciate them)


Talk to a Lawyer, asking advice like this on an Internet Forum is not the best place for it.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:01 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Nightmare Tony
Entrenched

Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 824
Location: Meadowbrook

 		Have you read Dave Szulborski's book "This Is Not A Game" yet? If you havent, I do suggest it. Absolutely indispensable for PMs to read.
_________________
For this is the place where dreams and nightmares are birthed and bred
Nightmare Park

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 1:12 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
Phaedra
Lurker v2.0


Joined: 21 Sep 2004
Posts: 4033
Location: Here, obviously
Nightmare Tony wrote:
Have you read Dave Szulborski's book "This Is Not A Game" yet? If you havent, I do suggest it. Absolutely indispensable for PMs to read.


Well.

I believe PMs run successful games all the time without having read that book, so I don't know that I'd call it "indispensable." I'd say your time would be better spent getting a variety of experienced PMs' opinions.

That is one of the reasons this forum is here, and there are other resources as well -- for example Imbri holds fairly regular PM chats on IRC.
_________________
Voted Most Likely to Thread-Jack and Most Patient Explainer in the ILoveBees Awards.

World Champion: Cruel 2B Kind

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:12 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
Nightmare Tony
Entrenched

Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 824
Location: Meadowbrook

 		Didnt know you ran PM chats. Can definitely be useful for a project. Let me know when, day time that kind of thing Smile

I think Dave's book is quite useful, a good overview.
_________________
For this is the place where dreams and nightmares are birthed and bred
Nightmare Park

PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 12:52 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
krystyn
I Never Tire of My Own Voice


Joined: 26 Sep 2002
Posts: 3651
Location: Is not Chicago

 		A few threads down is this thread, about the PM chats in IRC:

http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14077

The channel is open all the time, as well as for defined chats at specific times. Has been for some time!
_________________
Alternate Currency
Stories and dreams, crossing my palm like silver.

xbl gamertag: krystyn

PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:00 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 1 of 1 [10 Posts]  
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Meta » Puppetmaster Help
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group