unforum

[ProfMoriarty]

"Local" ARGs

[aiesha_anonymous]

Hey PM (you've already got the right initials)

I don't have a great deal of experience behind the curtain yet but I just wanted to point out that, despite the 'blockbuster' games like ilovebees, the player base for ARGs currently isn't really that big. That might be to do with lack of exposure or it might be that these style of games just aren't the majorities cup of tea.

Anyway, my point is that you might need to take this into account if you're looking to run a game in a geographically limited space. How many active players will your game need, what sorts of skills will they need, what will they need to have access to ... and how does that compare to what's likely to be available in your home town.

BTW, I'm Australian so for all I know your home town is the size of Sydney and it won't be such an issue ... Anyway, all you can do is try! Who knows maybe your town will emerge as the puzzle-solving capital of America!

Good luck!

[jchillerup]

Ive thought of the idea of making ARGs in Europe... It's quite difficult to participate in RL events when you are at least $150 from NY (one-way without food and such)

[ProfMoriarty]

The current plan is to do a mostly story-based ARG with puzzles sort of sprinkled in. I want people to think creatively most of the time. There will mostly be e-mail interaction with some IM. THe idea is get the residents of my small town to work together. I understand this won't turn Juneau upside down or anything, but if some people have fun, then I'm happy.

I, of course, will be monitoring their progress by being a player

EDIT: And the building begins. I have the concept in mind, and I'm setting the stage. It starts at http://www.livejournal.com/users/akstudious/

I'd like to share my experience here and look to you all for advice as this small, unambitous game progresses. Hopefully, I'll be able to captivate a few locals in an interesting story that will make them think back fondly.

If you have any friends in Juneau, do me a favor and keep them away from the curtain, k?

[White_Knight]

If you see me in the Chat rooms PM me I'd love to discuss this.

[BenSerwa]

First of all, if you know a lot of people in your local town, you can target specific people based on their knowledge and hobbies.

Example: Say you have a friend named John who's a GPS enthusiast, you could send him a letter with the GPS co-ordinates for a message under a tree that starts the story off vaugely and mysteriously. Soon John will be telling all his friends about the weird letter he got and how it talks about _____... then when you find out who he's told, you can figure out those people's e-mail addresses and e-mail them instructions on how to find out more, and you've got an ARG. If you've got a bit of money to spend, and a cell phone, you could get a voice modulator for your cell phone and use 'axons' like The Haunted Apiary does, giving GPS co-ordinates to payphones then waiting somewhere within binocular-sight distance for the right person to come along, then phone that payphone and have a creepy, mysterious conversation.

Another one: Got a friend who's a cat/dog freak? Sneak a secret message related to their favourite household animals into one of his/her pet's collars. This should be enough to get your started on using traits of people you know to manipulate them into playing the ARG.

Second of all, if you know all the local hangouts, then you can plant clues where you know people are likely to find them. You could put posters on bulliten boards, fliers, perhaps put a fake business card in with all the real business cards in town. You could get a lot of people going with it this way.

Third of all, avoid doing things that require specific sets of skills, in a small town, you should especially avoid making clues that require tech-savviness to figure out. Things that anyone has the potential figure out: Anagrams, logic puzzles, wordplay, references to classic literature and faerie tales and nursery rhymes, and puzzles related to things only the locals would know about would be perfect in this situation, because everyone involved will feel like the game is personal.

Fourth of all, don't let ANYONE, ANYONE, catch you planting a clue or doing something game related. If anyone DOES catch you, deny having anything to do with it, over and over and over, as many times as necessary, even if they go so far as to say "I know you're the one who's doing all this" don't stop denying it for a second.

And last of all, it'd be best at the end to give everyone something at the end, an actual physical gift for figuring out the game all the way to the last hurrah, so they don't feel so manipulated. Something simple like a box of candy bars buried somewhere will do it. As soon as the game has reached it's conclusion, fess up, and let everyone know it was you doing it the whole time, because you don't want anyone getting paranoid or stressed out over a game.

That's my advice! Good luck, and tell us how it goes!

EDIT: One last note, if you're going to bury anything, call to find out where electrical lines and gas pipes and the like are, and don't bury anything very far in the ground, for safety purposes, and to make sure people don't give up looking.

And if you're going to make people look for something buried, don't disguise the digging site, make it very obvious, and mention that it's buried somewhere in the clue leading up to it.

[ProfMoriarty]

Wow, you guys are full of good advice! Thanks a ton!

The initial rabbit hole has been developed in the form of three eccentric blog entries. I have aquired an accomplice in the matter of seeing this thing through. There's no way I could do it alone, even with all your help.

I'll be coming up with an appropriate riddle tonight, and sending it out.. Wish me luck

[ProfMoriarty]

Well, after much delay: Destiny is live. Tonight, about 50 juneau-ites recieved this e-mail.

[vpisteve]

Woo! Good luck.

[Fi]

Yeah - good luck indeed! Keep us updated with how it all goes.

[RobMagus]

This is indeed a very cool idea. I shall be watching!

Side note: what if I answer no to your question? You know the one.

[ProfMoriarty]

Woo! I was afraid The Looking Glass puzzle may have been too obscure. Here's hoping some locals get it.

(I really should come up with a "no.html"...)

[Nightmare Tony]

Building up a good rabbit hole with orignality is always fun. The same with puzzles. Should Ie ver decided to work out a puzzle, I have adoozy whihc involves something on the net well over a decade old

[enerbrat]

Yea I want to start my own but most people around me haven't even heard the term ARG and I haven't done much in them but I looked through everything on ilovebees.com if anyone has any advice I'm enerbrat on aim. Good luck on yours though.

[Shavo]

hey im from anchorage and i think that would be a great idea for you to do that, i wouldnt think we would get much ARG attention up here