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[Tobester]

[META] Oh what a tangled web....

[Omnie]

Heh. Yes. It sure seems like there are many unconnected plotlines. The problem is that these plotlines will surely merge together at some point...we just don't know how. I mean, there's lots of interesting spec that some of the characters in various "separate" plotlines may be the same people...but we have no way of knowing, right now. That makes it very difficult to make a coherent summary of everything. We don't know how it all fits together.

I can't wait to see how the PMs manage it, personally. This reminds me of a good book, except that I usually don't put this much thought into the plotlines of books, so it's even better in that respect.

[DonkeyOatey]

As excited as I am about this ARG, I don't really have the opportunity to invest the time I'd like to follow along. I've only been scratching the tip of this iceberg, and I'm already aware that it's a pretty big world, with mabey more opportunities for confusion than many other ARGs. Given the relatively short time it's been live, I suspect it'll soon get much more "confusing" (read: big). Having delved into the ARG world previously, I can offer some advice: there is nothing more critical to the understanding (and therby the progression) of existing storylines and puzzles than a solid Guide and Trail. It's critical to have places that document all the events in an organized format. It's used countless times to refer new players for "catch-up" work, and it's invaluable for the "expert" players when a particularly tough puzzle nut needs to be cracked. But what it's REALLY great for is trying to fit all the pieces together (mapping out all the stories). Sure, all the real action takes place in the forums and chatrooms, but good "support sites" are quickly used as a sort of map for the game. And when it's over, it's often the only (certainly the best) documents that can begin to show what actually happened (this might not seem critical now, but someday you'll "need" that).

Talk to any author about the process of making these things, and you'll likely get a response mixed with repulsion and obsession. It's a mammoth task, demanding huge amounts of time, organizational skills, and patience. On the other hand, these people usually end up being some of the greatest resources, with the most detailed understanding of the game.

I've seen some (not all) of the player-support sites for this game, and am impressed with the work and some of the "new" ideas (that "contact management" thingy is really cool). Some are jam packed with information, some are timely, some are easy to follow. Now, I'm weary of being too critical, but none yet seem to embody all of those qualities (and more) that are so critical to a good Guide & Trail. And, as the game progresses, I can promise that generating really good support sites becomes more critical and more complicated to START.

I'd advise anyone currently working on something, or considering it, to review some of the existing ones for past games. The two that come to mind are for the AI and Lockjaw games.

Beast Trail
Beast Guide

Lockjaw Trail
Lockjaw Guide

Reviewing these will reflect the level of detail usually included, as well as what they've looked like in the past. You'll probably note some "evolution" in the design and organization between them. I think all these authors would be the first to say, in hindsight, that there might have been better ways to organize and present these things, so don't be afraid to try "new" things.

This isn't meant to belittle all the effort behind the existing support sites. I can imagine how much work has already been put into them. I can only emphasise their roles and suggest some ideas to make the group's work more efficient and the game more fun.