unforum

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Great to see some folks from Unfiction signing on for Maddison Atkins!

SpaceBass has posted an article about the Maddison Atkins Reboot over on Despoiler.org

"Must Love Reboots"

Most interesting is a quotation from puppetmaster Jeromy Barber indicating that there is already a drop out there that players may miss out on if we don't get cracking on interacting with the characters. See the article for details and links.

A discussion has started in IRC and over on the Maddison Atkins forum:
http://www.maddisonatkins.com/forum/topics/are-we-missing-a-drop

**Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:55 am

Rekidk

The latest video has an upload of the postcard that came with the pigeons; there appears to be morse code on the back. We're currently in IRC attempting to solve it; my translation of the morse is here.

In text form:

573, 228, 509
473, 342
469, 135, 145
461, 232, 519
295, 551, 469
512, 227, 284
557, 18, 123
383(,) 382
367

So, we currently have a set of numbers that we don't know what to do with. Any thoughts?

**Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 10:29 pm

_________________
iTube - iTweet - iNetwork

Hazred · Boot Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 21

If the pigeons are homing pigeons the numbers may somehow relate to where they home to.

**Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:38 pm

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Just a quick update:

The biggest mystery so far is the arrival of a box of pigeons addressed to Maddison. She went to the vet who sent them to try to figure out who they came from, but no luck, so for now she is keeping them in a new pigeon coop she and Adam built.

So, after the first week, we have had five videos already (see them all at http://www.maddisonatkins.com or watch directly on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/maddisonatkins), some twitter updates, communications via facebook and myspace and youtube with Maddison and Adam, and a lot of people discussing things on the forums and in IRC chat irc.freenode.net chatroom #maddison

Links to all the in-game sites are on the maddisonatkins.com forums in the Contacting Maddison thread.

By the way, we solved the morse/numbers code after getting a clue from the other side of the card (that arrived with the pigeons) ... it was a PORTA digraphic code, a message was decoded,

"wait to send safe for sixty lives at stake x we are so sorry"

which is our only real lead at this point. We have not figured out anything solid leading to a drop, although there is supposedly one out there to find somewhere. We have been able to locate a couple of the video locations on a google map of Nacogdoches.

Right now, community members are putting together a video to introduce themselves to Maddison, and help open up communications/interaction further with the main characters.

**Posted:** Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:19 am

notgordian

Just started looking into this today. Neat stuff.

There are a series of beeps in video #6 (the Blueberry Farm) starting at 0:50. 7 beeps, then 26, then 1.

**Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:10 am

Hazred · Boot Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 21

good spot on those beeps. I spectrographed the audio, it's constant, no pattern. It's not Morse, unless it's just counting a hidden number, I think it's the sound final cut pro puts in when you've got "unrendered audio". Just a goof in other words.

**Posted:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:08 am

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Looks like Saturday is Maddison Atkins (http://www.maddisonatkins.com) thread update day again...

This past week has been all about players interacting with and getting to know Maddison and Adam better. Kudos to the actors playing these parts, Faye Austin and Jason Zednick, as per the credits they are co-writing the scripts, helping shoot the videos, and handling the IC interaction. There is a thread where players are posting their IC interactions, including 1 on 1 convo's via facebook, twitter posts, youtube messages, and chatlogs from visits to the IRC chatroom (on freenode #maddison). See http://www.maddisonatkins.com/forum/topics/contacting-maddison-and-adam

Fans have made about a dozen response videos to interact with the main characters, including one that was a group effort, Hello Maddison, introducing about eight or ten members of the community. This was all basically a way to deal in character with the oddly large response of fans aka "basement dwellers" to the Maddison Atkins videos, given that this is a restart/altered version of the story, but the characters, of course, don't know that. So we are all friends now, and Maddison will now allow us to try not to lead her to her death again. Shocked

There have been 9 official episodes (videos) so far total, but here are two highlights, definitely worth a look:

Feeling stressed out about life in general, a text message from an ex-boyfriend (living in NY), and the weird pigeon delivery w/ coded message, Maddison took her feelings out on Adam this week. In this video (written by the actress), she explains all this and apologizes to Adam ...
Ep 7: Just Maddison

And here is Adam's hilarious response later in the week ...
Ep 9: Whiskey and the Brain

New characters making appearances this week were Adam's girlfriend Emily, and the Vet's daughter Jane (who delivered the pigeons and gave a few details about that). We still don't have anything solid towards finding a drop, but are continuing to ask questions ... it's possible that a clue was "lost" when the pigeon delivery box was tossed out... stay tuned.

My purely OOG impression is that the pacing is a bit different (more time for story and character development) this time around since this is more of a summer-long event with work spread across a handful of people rather than an intense two week puppetmaster-killing delivery of content. But it's also possible that we, the players, are missing opportunities to find answers to mysteries by asking the right questions. It feels like the stage is set for things to really take off in the next couple of weeks. Players have been very active in chat and on the forums, so there will be a swift response when any new clue emerges.

On the OOG "What's an ARG?" front, site admin (wearer of many production hats) Miranda has posted a thread asking for input on 'getting started' info - some of it specific to Maddison Atkins, and some of it about ARGs in general. If you have expertise and would like to contribute suggestions go here: http://www.maddisonatkins.com/forum/topics/and-all-that-jazz

Also newsworthy this week, the Maddison Atkins reboot was discussed during this podcast ARG Netcast, Episode 93: ARGFest-o-Con 2009 Preview Special. Per the podcast, indy-ARG puppetmaster / producer Jeromy Barber will be participating on one of the discussion panels at the ARGFest-O-Con 2009 (Portland, Oregon July 17-19).

Whew, that got crazy long - did not intend that!

**Posted:** Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:25 pm

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

In the latest video, Ep12 The Postcard, Maddison received a postcard with a coded message giving us a lead on a drop in the Omaha NE area.

The details are here:
http://www.maddisonatkins.com/forum/topics/omaha-postcard-puzzle

We are focusing on two locations: Standing Bear Lake and the First National Bank of Omaha.

None of the current players lives close, so we are looking for someone near Omaha that would like to get involved and help look for the drop. This involves (ideally) making a video, documenting everything (digital photos or scanning in anything found), and coordinating with someone connected to the IRC chatroom by phone so others can follow along.

If you want to jump in and are near Omaha, this would be a great time to play an important role in this ARG.

Or even if you can't help with the drop, it's still early days in this story. See http://www.maddisonatkins.com ... the more the merrier!

**Posted:** Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:23 am

DarkWings

QofC, Ive been trying to get going with this, just casnt seemt o catch it at the right time

Open message to all PM's, make something happen in OHIO for once lol.

**Posted:** Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:33 am

notgordian

**Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:40 pm

_ghost · Boot Joined: 20 Apr 2009 Posts: 27 Location: Ohio

question: do we know the Facebook/Myspace for Maddy and Adam? I've looked and can't seem to find them...

but I'm glad to be kind of catching a game at the beginning! yay!

ETA: found her myspace - www.myspace.com/maddyatkins

**Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:58 pm

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

**Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:07 pm

_ghost · Boot Joined: 20 Apr 2009 Posts: 27 Location: Ohio

ahh thanks for that link, QC! I was looking all over the place and every time I was encouraged to 'be their friend' on facebook/myspace/twitter, it would just link me to the home pages of each site!

thanks for bearing with me on that one... Very Happy

**Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:28 am

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Just a quick update...

After finding the first drop, Maddison visited chat and revealed that her mother died at a young age by what looked like an epileptic seizure. Her father is concerned that she may have inherited an illness from her mother.

Players advised Maddison and Adam to release one of their five pigeons with a coded message. In the video they made for the release, a second drop clue postcard was received yesterday (see Episode 15 Trotsky's Mission), solved, and the drop found near the Claremont Depot in southern California.

This was very quick response by the players to pick this one up, and it's a good thing, because a possible game-jacker was seen by the person that went to collect the drop, adding to the excitement of finding it successfully. There's a chat log describing what went down on the drop thread discussion linked above.

If you haven't had a look yet, this ARG is getting pretty interesting, and it's not too late to get caught up. I would recommend watching the videos and reading through all of the Episode discussion threads here: Maddison Atkins Episodes

There is also a "new? Start HERE" tab on http://www.maddisonatkins.com

**Posted:** Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:34 am

QuinceTheCarpenter · Boot Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Since the last update, Maddison Atkins has posted three more video blogs, focusing on her recent spinal tap and the difficulty of talking to her dad about they mysterious goings-on (postcards, codes, drops) that she is now beginning to take seriously.

Maddison's father is played by veteran soap opera actor Brad Maule, who has a relationship with Stephen F. Austin university, where Maddison and Adam are taking summer classes. He appears in Episode 17, "Talk With Dad."

These recent videos also include some original music by Jeromy Barber's band, "The Mustn'ts"

See episodes 16, 17, and 18 and discussion threads.

Reminder: Jeromy Barber is on the list of speakers for ARGFest-o-Con (his biography there is pretty humorous) coming up July 17-19 in Portland, Oregon.

Hooray! It's my 3 year anniversary on the unforums and still a "boot" Wink

(this is my 33rd post). With just a little more effort, I should be able reach the 1 post per month plateau. But that's a pretty big commitment, so no promises.

**Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:46 am