unforum

[BubbleBoy]

While I have not read the entire 3 pages of this topic, I still would like to post a comment on this.

First; Martin, Steve, whatever online name you have chosen for yourself, I commend you on your efforts. Your concerns about "backstory" are no more different then those concerns that others of us have had, and I am sure that there are more than a few people who have considered doing what you did. The only difference is that you saw it through.

I am not commending you on the act itself. I am commending you for taking a risk. Most people would have thought about doing this and believed the consequences of such an action were to much to bare. That the backlash wasn't worth the risk. But not you, sir. You stood up tall and jumped where others would have stepped back.

Many people will see this as a negative thing. But not I. I believe that in order for art to exist there must be some people out there who are willing to push, not only the boundaries of what is and what is not right, morally or otherwise, but also be willing to push the buttons of the public.

That being said: I did this same thing 2 years ago.

I won't go into all the details because it might come across as bragging and that is not my intent, but our situations are very similar. I created an on-line persona and got him involved in the ARG community. You created a post that got onto ARGNet. I created a voice mail and e-mail that got onto the ARGNetCast.

I created blogs and websites having to do with ARG's. I even created one blog that was dedicated too my character complaining about world events as he saw them.

I was doing what I thought the community was asking for - a character that, if searched, had an on-line history that could be found and noted. But I later figured something out that caused me to cease all of the characters activities.

I learned that a characters history is not something that is on-line, per say. It is something that is written into the story, something that players can discover through playing the game itself.

Now, I know that this might be a bit confusing on some levels, but there is actually a difference between what we, as creators, see as history and what ARG's see as history.

We see history as a past that can be traced through google searches and youtube tags. ARG's see history as a past that can be traced through character interaction and IG web-sites.

That is NOT to say that a future character can't create a freewebs blog right now for a game that will launch in a year or so... because THAT would be considered an IG web-site. It's when we start getting that character involved in the present - when no trouble is afoot, when no one has gone missing - that is when our difference in opinions on what "history" is as defined comes into conflict with how we play these games.

I've been known to cause trouble here on the forums in the past. I've posted as the PM (undetected, and without any backlash what so ever, I might add) in my own game topics. I've pushed more than my share of buttons around these parts. So, take it from someone who knows about these kinds of things. There are lessons to be learned from all of our actions. I have learned so much more by the mistakes that I have made then I have through listening to any PodCast or reading any forum topic.

Good luck in all of your future projects and please leave the rule breaking to me.

Amateurs! Pft.

[rose]

I wonder if any of the PMs who have broken the rules here have any concern for how their actions affect the community as a whole? I see people thinking only of themselves, usually with ideas that are wholly unoriginal, and not mentioning any concern for the community.

I care much more about the community than I do about any individual who thinks the only way to be creative is to break rules. I note that the most successful games have always respected the community...and have always told good stories.

[krystyn]

[johnny5]

[TAPshooter]

Irresponsible not innovative

[Varin]

[BubbleBoy]

[krystyn]

[Rogi Ocnorb]

Wow! is it time for another name change, already?
http://howtocreateanarg.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/the-lead-puppetmaster/

http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/search.php?search_author=itwasntmeiswear

I'm sorry. But, it's really hard to know where you stand on an issue.

[BubbleBoy]

[imbri]

[Gupfee]

[ndemeter]

He was more of a 'p' person. Now he's more of a 'e' and heading towards 'q'.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[konamouse]

[johnny5]

Comedy Gold.

This should be a road show...
or maybe an ARG.