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[pancito]

Scripting

[Vecheeso]

Honestly, pancito, I believe it really varies, and let me tell you why:
see, for me personally, i love acting in my ARG, but I am terrible with scripts. So I memorize key points, things that need to be said, then just ad-lib the specific lines. Do it on-the-fly.
if you have a team of people, or are hiring actors, it may be necessary to see what kind of acting talent they have. if they can be asked to do things as the players generate content, then there cant be much of a script, because you dont know how players will interact with the story.
if all the filming/acting is done before the ARG goes live and not much on-the-fly content is released, then it is up to the actors/actresses. some people can adlib very well but others cant, so it depends on the team
so:
1.) do your actors/actresses need or are used to full scripts?
2.) is most of the content going to be completed pre-launch?

as for an example of what a script might look like, that depends on the medium. again, if its chatroom speech, then its on-the-fly, and only a rough outline of speech can hopefully be provided. but if the medium is video, and its not based on player-made content, then, I will give you an example of what that would look like. this is by no means professional, or 'the norm' but it has served a pretty good purpose so far:
(your character is breathing heavily, like they just ran a mile) "I dont know how much longer I have..." (your character looks around, like someone might be watching from the shadows behind them) "It's(shakes head) I dont know... something happened, and... wait..." (you turn your head to the right, as if you are staring at something behind the camera, and off to the side) "... this is the last thing I have to say" (look back at the camera) "I'm so sorry Karen, I didnt mean for this to happen. Goodbye..." (you reach to turn the camera off as fast as you can, like whatever it was is coming straight for you now.)

that is just something I made up right there. Its nice to give the people lines, things they need to follow generally, as well as give them directions. let them know where their character is, what they see, what they are feeling, how they should think.
I usually have an irc or other-type chatroom chat with the actors/actresses everytime I send them a new script. they get to ask all the questions they need to. the who/what/when/where/whys, etc, and really be able to get into character.

anyway, I hope this helps some. I'm certainly no expert, and I certainly cant speak for everyone, but this is just my personal suggestions and experiences.

good luck to you!

[Nighthawk]

I've never "scripted" anything until minutes before it goes live.

Sure, I've got all sorts of papers, notes, etc... relating to puzzles, website designs, and general story concepts, but the character interactions and responses are entirely off the cuff.

In the end, it depends how much "on the rails" your project is. If the players have some sort of impact in the game, albeit a tiny one, it's hard to script it. But if the players have no impact, you can script it all you want. For example, I am convinced that "Cloverfield" (OK, let's not start the "that wasn't an ARG" discussion here) was *entirely* scripted from day one, because the players had absolutely no impact in to the outcome of the game (the only inpact we might have had is from a timing standpoint; we may have found sites earlier or later than expected).

[Agent Lex]

One piece of advice which I'm tying to stick to: use a wiki.

That way, even if your interactions are improvised, if specific information is asked for you can refer to (and add to) the wiki. For example, if a character's dob is asked about, you can quickly refer to the wiki and see if it's there. If not, make one up and add it to the wiki for future interactions.

[Euchre]

If you really want to keep the chaotic in Chaotic Fiction, don't lock yourself into a tight 'script'. There may be some verbiage that you absolutely want to adhere to at some points, but an outline would be far better. A lexicon of jargon to keep your continuity might be handy, but scripted dialog isn't much use if you actually intend for direct character to player interaction of the type most conventional ARGs are known for. Basically a straight jacket of a script could lead to your character failing a sort of Turing Test, which basically ruins the TINAG concept.

When it comes to things like Cloverfield, the point is shifted from the conventional ARG's character to player direct interaction in real time (which they did try a little of and failed, e.g. Hud's comic book) to one of a forensic observation of real time events. Cloverfield was an expression of the Chaotic Fiction genre in the mode of not being like a TV program - same time, same channel. We didn't know what came next, from whom, or where - and the PMs weren't even sure what we'd discover first. Made for some interesting times for sure.

To see where a 'script' falls into the two, how about you figure that your characters shouldn't have one but that the events should if you choose to focus on character interaction, especially in real time. If you want to have a strict script for your characters, perhaps you need to change the way the player interfaces with your project as a little less interactive with the characters and more focused on the pursuit of the next elements.

[pancito]

Thanks, all. I wasn't talking so much about a script in the traditional sense, but more like an outline, I guess. I can see scripted dialog or whatever depending on the circumstances. All that makes sense. I guess what I'm really asking is something like 'How much of the story is set in stone?' Obviously you know where you are going to start. You probably have a good idea of where you want to end up. How much of the middle of the story do any of you plan? How set in stone is that? How do you handle it, in a nutshell.

I know this is different for everyone, but a sampling of what people do could help me figure out what I'm capable of while I'm finding my own way of doing things. All comments so far have been very helpful, and I'm sure any additional will be too. Thanks.

[Fishjp]

While I havent finished and launched my game yet, I can tell you what I am doing. I am starting out with an rough outline of the overall plot, finding the begining middle and end so to speak. then I have fleshed out that outline to determine who the characters are and what their individual goals might be. Then I have further fleshed that out to determine what websites and puzzles are approriate. Lastly I began working on the content of the websites from a point of veiw of what has happened through the characters eyes before the game starts. (admitedly thats as far as I am now and what follows is what I INTEND to do) Once the game launches I will add information and character interaction on an evolving level, sticking to by characters goals and personalities but allowing the content to be influenced by the game play itself. (ask me this fall how it worked out)

[Nighthawk]

I should use a Wiki... for now, I have one big text file.

In LGL, in the beginning I never intended for Ivan to be a musician; during the conversations with the players, it just kinda happened. And, when I made first reference to his music interests (citing Coltrane and Davis), I personally knew absolutely nothing about jazz. There was no way I could have anticipated that it would go in that direction, but I think it turned out rather well, as music became an integral part of the game from then on. I suddenly became a jazz expert.

Also, the only Joshua write-up that existed prior to the game going live was his criticism of Baby Got Back, which was the reason the game existed in the first place (I wrote that on a whim, and suddenly realized "hey, I can do more of these!"). Some of the songs and art were inspired by players, some were changed because of how the game was moving along. For example, the Nina Simone song was suggested by a player (and I'd never even heard the song prior to that, but it fit in so perfectly it needed to be done), I had originally planned to use Indigo Girls' Least Complicated (and chose Galileo instead to focus on the reincarnation and mortality aspects), and had planned to review movies like A.I. but never got around to it.

All of this was documented sequentially in a text file for reference, and I kept every email and noted who was told what and when. Yeah, a Wiki would have probably been easier...

[Euchre]

[LordIllidan]

[pancito]

I just wanted to pop in and say "Thanks!" once again for all the great advice. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to easily do a plot progression flow chart. (Sort of 'what has to happen before/after this?' 'What is the fallout?' etc). Yes, I'm keeping notes in a text file and when I get further along I'll probably wiki most of it. The idea for a wiki, esp. w/ multiple PMs, once a game gets going seems really sensible. I don't know if it'd be easier or harder than being wiki-monkey for a running game though. I'm guessing harder. And that's the small end of the stick .

Thanks again, all.

[lil'e]

 Scripting and Clue Production

[Nighthawk]

Re: Scripting and Clue Production

[FLmutant]

Tossing in a few thoughts here on process in hopes it helps.

I swear by an Excel technique for planning out the beats of the narrative. Make a column for each "week" of the narrative, and a row for each major "approach" you'll be using (perhaps "site 1," "site 2," "live events," "media," "character interaction," etc ... totally depends on the narrative tactics you're using.) Now start filling in descriptions in a just a sentence or two of what happens in each of those boxes. This is exercise in both integrated narrative flow, rhythmic intensity and "stuff to do". Then, that can be turned into all matter of other planning documents (my favorites are Word docs for narratives, backwards planning milestones for development tasks, etc.)

This means you have things at least rough scripted all the way from beginning to end, but you're doing it with the mindset that the chart at the end of project isn't going to look that much like the chart you developed at the beginning ... and the amount of concrete planning you have done is likely higher for those things closer to now and more fuzzy for things further away from now.

My personal approach is to let puzzles and interactivity flow from the narrative rather than starting with a "bucket o' things" ... but that doesn't mean there isn't a bucket o' things lying around (it's a more global bucket o' things to draw upon across multiple projects, rather than trying to force fit an activity into a narrative.)

Most of all: treat each project you do as a learning exercise. Take a few risks, be prepared to lose big and hope to win big, but realize each project makes you smarter for the next one!

Of course, I also rip the first page out of every new journal I start -- the blank perfection is always to hard for me to lay the first idea down on

[lil'e]

Scripting