unforum

[LindbergMTL]

Automated ARGs?

[Pixiestix]

EEK, this post left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth... I decided to go look at your other posts, because the hunch that this really wasn't hypothetical was real strong - and true as it seems.

Why not hire someone to help you, we have VERY talented PMs in our community. Many PMs also do consulting work.

At the very least, be upfront and don't claim this is a hypothetical when clearly you want to use other people's ideas for your documentary. Nothing wrong with asking for a little help - I just don't agree with your methods.

[Dominic1978]

Hmmmm....

What you might be looking for is an automated puzzle trail.
There are some in the Timewasters forums.

What comes to mind is the puzzle trail that was used for the Davinci code, where you had to browse a bunch of websites and each one leading to the next.
This concept is one that can stay online for eternity and can be replayed at any time.
However, hardcore ARG players will not classify it as an ARG as one of the characteristics of an ARG is the interaction with the characters, so unless you do this in an automated way (chat bots, auto reply emails etc. etc.) it would just be a puzzle trail.

Anyway, possibly still better than nothing.

Dominic

[Daeld]

[imbri]

Re: Automated ARGs?

[Daeld]

Sure, but if you're doing a documentary about ARGs where you will be following the experience of the players and the PM(s), then you would not want one of those games to represent the genre.

Nothing against them, but I just think that the archetypal ARG will be one in which you might have an automated component, but you'd want the player/PM relationship to be dynamic.

[LindbergMTL]

[krystyn]

Fourth Wall seems to have captured the essence of a replayable experience that could be called an ARG, for sure, and there's always puzzle trails that tell a story, etc., so I think you could really do a decent mockup of the experience to give a taste to the documentary viewers of what playing one is like.

Part of the 'magic' of ARGs will always be the community response and organization and group motivation towards common goals, for me. It's difficult to get close to that in a replayable format, but perhaps you could drop in little places where people can 'convene' - if they make it to a certain point in the story, maybe there's a virtual wall they can leave a graffitti tag on, or a guestbook or a special hidden forum (if the plot is post-apocalyptic in nature, it might make sense that people are only passing through in small groups or individually).

G'luck!

[LindbergMTL]

Thank you all, your answers were all very helpful and enlightning!

I am very close to sending my proposal to a producer, who may send it to a broadcaster. I will keep you posted as I keep my fingers crossed.