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Atemys · Veteran Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 90 Location: Boston, MA

[Trailhead]Extrasolar

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:58 pm

GuestUser17 · Entrenched Joined: 22 Feb 2011 Posts: 812

http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=887664

It's been asleep for a while.

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:02 pm

Atemys · Veteran Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 90 Location: Boston, MA

Bleh - and here I was all happy happy to think I posted first about something for once. I do now see that the copyright notices are 2011-2012. Also didn't love in the terms of service where it said " If you want to take full advantage of the features offered by the Game, we might also ask you to include your address or credit card information required to upgrade your account."

Feeling a bit deflated now...

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:07 pm

Atemys · Veteran Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 90 Location: Boston, MA

no...no...wait... now I feel special again. An anon insider who doesn't trust them saw that my application had been rejected by Extrasolar and gave me a backdoor to enter the system - a fake account complete with an aced entrance exam and a signed NDA. Yes, I will be a rover jockey after all!

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:15 pm

GuestUser17 · Entrenched Joined: 22 Feb 2011 Posts: 812

And even more so if you got the same message as I did after being told in the email I had a rover to pilot:

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:17 pm

duke9509 · Entrenched Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Posts: 812

Again, only being passive on this one. Although, considering how long it's been since I made that decision, interesting developments may inspire me to become more active... Smile

Either way, invitation accepted (and acceptance denied)! We'll see if I get a special email shortly...

Excited for this one!

EDIT: Yep! Email from "kryptex81." I'm curious: those of you who have also received emails from this anon letting you in, have they been from that same username?

EDIT2: My sponsor (go to your profile and click "view sponsor profile" at the bottom right) is apparently named Robert. Is that everyone else's?

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:45 pm

_________________
Actively playing: iDGi, Project Repertum
Played: Writing on the Moon

Adm_BlackCat

More meta over at http://www.whatisextrasolar.com/ with a link at the bottom leading to http://www.exoleaks.com/ a "crazy person's" conspiracy blog.

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:12 pm

_________________
AKA @Yankee White

duke9509 · Entrenched Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Posts: 812

Yep. Seems this is another attempt at a money-making, ARG-format game. This isn't an ARG to advertise a commercial game, this is an ARG that IS a commercial game, one that uses the "freemium" model becoming so popular, and one that is replayable (I don't know if it's so by the same person, but it certainly can be started by different people at different times). And the people who signed up through XRI's website are now being given access as beta testers (as the OOG comments and link to beta forum in the header of the acceptance email indicate). Interesting strategy IMHO, since completely commercial ARGs have not had great historical success, but things like... wasn't that called "In Memoriam"? (I still need to find and play that if still possible) have had better reception.

Still, I'm very curious to see where this goes and will never be 100% percent against paying for stuff.

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:30 pm

_________________
Actively playing: iDGi, Project Repertum
Played: Writing on the Moon

cherrytree98765 · Entrenched Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 849

@duke: In Europe the game was called "In Memoriam" in the US it was called Missing: Since January.

Honestly I really liked the game. The atmosphere and tension the game set was well done, and the actors weren't horrible. Sadly if I remember correctly, The Adventure Company sells a online digital version, but it's barebones with none of the original "conversation" emails included with it. I'm not sure if it still works, but the CD version may still have access to the full emails or the servers may have been stripped down, which is sad.

In terms of technology now, the games seem a little outdated and the emails are a bit cheesy at times.

Quite honestly with what we've got now transmedia-games could really go far, but as far as I know it may be an expensive risk.

Anyways back on topic, I just joined up and sent the rover on the first task. I guess we'll see how it goes and maybe I'll buy a membership. Like Duke I'm not beyond trying to pay the developers for good content.

**Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:45 pm

docwho2100 · Unfettered Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 327

there already is a forum for this arg here http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33110 - maybe these should be merged?

here is an article from awhile ago - http://www.argn.com/tag/extrasolar/

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:58 am

godder · Unfettered Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 523

It's been a long time, everyone. How's it hanging cherrytree? You too duke! kryptex81 let me in the backdoor also. Excited to see how this one goes.

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:10 am

_________________
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

Zobot257

I also got the email from this anon giving me clearance... I'ma gonna poke around.

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:36 am

cherrytree98765 · Entrenched Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 849

@godder: I've been hanging just fine. Just generally ghosting the forum and seeing ARG's that may catch my interest.

I have 3 new messages since the start. 2 at least seem to probably appear after awhile, and probably one after you photograph the lander.

I'll just post them here for people who wish to see them before they get them or just for completeness sake for people on the fence.

First message is a task message:

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:04 am

duke9509 · Entrenched Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Posts: 812

I was able to tag two species from my calibration photos. Didn't see anything by the lander. Not sure if the reflective thing/lander are semi-randomly placed or not (doesn't really matter too much...), but I'm not actually able to reach the marker in two moves based on where I already set it to take a picture before getting that task (can't schedule more than two points at a time), so it's going to take me a while to get there. In the meantime, hoping to catch some more life in the spots it's set to stop at!

EDIT: Oh, and Godder, good to see ya'! I've been fine. not playing these a ton due to time's sake. I was really surprised when I got those emails yesterday... I originally signed up in April of '11!

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:00 pm

_________________
Actively playing: iDGi, Project Repertum
Played: Writing on the Moon

cherrytree98765 · Entrenched Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 849

@Duke: Yeah. I only saw one. I tagged something in the black and white photo so we'll have to see if anything comes of it. It's probably gonna takeme at least 5 more hours to get to the object. Maybe longer.

I assume we all pretty much start in the same place. Though I guess the object could come from anywhere. Though the distance probably is the same for everybody. Got an awesome shot of the shoreline which was pretty cl.

EDIT:
So one of my photos just got slapped with "CLASSIFIED." I seem to have caught the object partially.

I've also caught 4 different species. Though I wasn't close enough to grab one near the landing site.

**Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:45 pm