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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Aware
[META] We need to change our paradigm
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konamouse
Official uF Dietitian


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 8010
Location: My own alternate reality

 		[META] We need to change our paradigm
As someone who likes to look at a given situation from "outside" the box, and who has proven to be able to keep multiple game/real life personalities going without becoming too insane (Heather/Konamouse/Angie during CTW) - may I provide my own insights to where - what - how for AWARE. Disclaimer: I am NOT any fictional character in AWARE and will not become one (my hubby has me on a very tight time constraint this summer).

First off, let us be reminded of this from Nash earlier this year:

Quote:
Things to expect:
1. Game will not incorperate supernatural.
2. Game will have phone, fax, IM, chatroom, email, web-cam, and possibly real-world encounter. And alot of it. If you aren't chatting or IMing, or on the phone at least 3 times a week, you are behind the curve of the game.
3. Three kinds of puzzles...
a. The kind where you try to figure out a code or diagram and the meaning hidden behind it.
b. Puzzles which require common sense and the ability to be inovative and investigative
c. Puzzles that have misled you down the wrong path. You will be figuring out which puzzle to trust and which ones are sabatoge (streetsmart testing).
The many characters written in the game might have some players doing things that other characters object to and those characters might not want to have anything to do with you afterwards.


It seems to me that this game is setting itself up to be one side versus the other (and I said it earlier this weekend, we don't know who is the "good" and who is the "evil" or "right" versus "wrong" viewpoint). But for this game, the PM needed a place where the characters could interact with the players - without the characters being told they are living in a "game" world. Hence the invention of IU (when it was made very clear that UF is off-limits to characters and exists outside the gameworld).

In UF we get to discuss meta-insights and theories - because we can refer to AWARE as a game, and the people as 'characters', and Nash as a 'PM'. In IU we cannot do that (and should NOT do anything to break that curtain). Hence my choice for signing up on IU as my 'character' - the persona I used to register as an Ideltech employee: Heather Hunter. I will not be discussing anything in IU as myself: konamouse (and that is why there is a different avatar and a different signature line). The only commonality is our location (because that is from my Ideltech application.

In UF we can have openly discussions between OE and Ideltech people - but we should not be hostile to eachother. However, I foresee that in AWARE this could be a two-sided game (and I guess you can't play for both teams right now). Maybe Nash could have made that clearer in the beginning. I think he started with the Ideltech applications to get people signed into the game, then the pre-game was to see who was really interested in playing, and to introduce us to the opposing choice and allow some Ideltech employees to 'quit' and go work for Alecia Church and OE instead. Then we have two groups that are not suppose to be working together, but working against eachother.

So, should both groups be sharing information with eachother (i.e. the current puzzle of obtaining information from the boys; or something in the future, like "I'm working for OE and next week we are going to do such-and-such to the Ideltech website, so I'm giving everyone a warning about it)? Or do we do our little assignments and only discuss them as if we are REALLY living in the Ideltech universe (where we wouldn't know who was on the OE side or who was on both sides playing double agent, etc)?

This is a hard call. Nash is breaking new ground for ARG. Rather than vilify him for 'breaking the rules', we need to help him create new possibilities for this still young and not yet completely defined genre.

And we can't let this game get between us as people/friends/co-gamers!
Don't take anything personally! If another player decides they want to play on a different side from you, great! This is what opens up the genre. And we had been warned (see above) that this would happen. Remember, this is a game (not "The Game", starring Michael Douglas). Please don't get caught up in all that garbage.

So, my little contributing (summarized):
1) This is a GAME. Remember it is a GAME.
2) Discussion in UF is for everything GAME related. If you are posting in UF, you are a real life person with real feelings and opinions that are your own. Treat others as you would want to be treated by them.
3) Discussion in IU is for everything "real" in the Ideltech universe. If you are posting in IU, you are an employee of Ideltech, a friend of Thad & the Restorers, or a member of OE. You are essentially, a 'character' in that universe. Everything you say and do can have an effect in that universe that may affect someone's job or life in that universe (but not in REAL LIFE).
4) So, what goes on in the Ideltech Universe, STAYS in the Ideltech Universe; please.

Now, have fun! Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 11:21 am
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Varin
I Have No Life


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
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Location: South of where I used to be

 		Thanks kona! That sums up alot what I have been thinking about the past couple of days, but you've said it better than I think I could have. I think everyone should read that at least a couple of times and let it sink in Wink

Quote:
Nash is breaking new ground for ARG. Rather than vilify him for 'breaking the rules', we need to help him create new possibilities for this still young and not yet completely defined genre.


Guess I should clear up some of my past comments. I never meant to portray Nash as some sort of villian and I'm all for expanding this genre. I think the core matter (at least in my mind) was that there is a difference between breaking the rules of a specific site (UF) and breaking the rules of ARGs. The genre can't expand with a set of rules that each and every ARG should strictly follow, but when using someone's site the rules should be read and followed.

I think his new in-game forum is what should have been used from the beginning. I think it will solve alot of the problems we were experiencing. I also think Nash obviously wasn't aware (for whatever reason) about the rules of UF, that characters shouldn't post here. Perhaps, he also confused the rules of UF and the rules of ARGs. Maybe he wanted to break the ARG rules, but didn't realize he was breaking the rules of UF also. We all live and learn.

So overall I respect what Nash is trying to do and I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out. And hopefully our issues of where the curtain lies have been set to rest.
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 11:50 am
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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 		Just to clarify: thad and the restorers don't yet have a place in IU. I have no idea whether he will. I suppose this means that if I post any information from him here it is not in the IU world?

And I know you guys won't take it personally if I choose myself how I want to respond to things that concern me. Smile
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 12:09 pm
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Varin
I Have No Life


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 2456
Location: South of where I used to be
rose wrote:
And I know you guys won't take it personally if I choose myself how I want to respond to things that concern me. Smile


Nope not at all Smile
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 12:38 pm
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konamouse
Official uF Dietitian


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 8010
Location: My own alternate reality
rose wrote:
Just to clarify: thad and the restorers don't yet have a place in IU. I have no idea whether he will. I suppose this means that if I post any information from him here it is not in the IU world?


Good point, Rose. I think you are the only one of us (players) working with Thad right now. Well Melody is opening dating him (and uses her blog to pass along information about him in the IU world). However, there is a section of IU open to everyone (there is only one part that is Ideltech employees right now). So I assume we'll see some postings from Alecia and Thad eventually.

Stuff posted here in UF regarding communication with in game characters still happend in the IU world. However, if IU was real world, you wouldn't be posting your emails with Thad in a public forum. And if it is posted here and not in IU, then we (as characters in the IU world) CANNOT react or respond. It is posted for informational purposes. You are just letting us in on what you and Thad are discussing.

If you need to pass something to us in the IU world, then make a post on the public section of IU and then anyone in the game can react.

I also agree with you, Rose, that information that can be obtained only by use of UF, #ruaware & #unfiction is off-limits. But if information obtained by googling or open conversations in the IU world chat is available, then that is fair game. And when someone (a player) oversteps these boundries, they owe an apology and it is up to the people running the game (the PM and the BTS people) to IGNORE spurious information that was not gleemed from legitimate sources. The BTS/characters and PM have the ability to IGNORE rather than REACT, and LEAD rather than PUSH....hint ...hint ...hint.

We also have to question any new information or sites found as potentially being out-of-game or fan-based until verification by an appropriate reaction of an established in-game character. All ARGs so far have suffered from TROLLS (nasty) and RENEGADES (benign). Some have added content and color to the game; the PMs have nurtured these and incorporated them into the game. But others have distracted and misdirected. There needs to be a better way for us to avoid wasting our time, energy, and emotions on TROLLS. Nash planned for puzzles that would be misdirecting, but I don't think he also meant characters to misdirect us.

Razz
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 12:50 pm
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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 		THank you Konamouse, you have made some very good points. Very Happy
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A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 1:53 pm
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Giskard
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Magesteff wrote:
THank you Konamouse, you have made some very good points. Very Happy


I'd like to second that. I hope we can all give this game the chance it deserves.
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 2:21 pm
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Giskard
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Joined: 07 Oct 2003
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 		Also:

rose wrote:
Just to clarify: thad and the restorers don't yet have a place in IU. I have no idea whether he will.


There is a request forum on UI, where you can post requests for additional forums. As Saucey asked for a place OmniscientEyes-fanatics could share their views, maybe you should do that too for the Restorers?
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 2:54 pm
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Mos
Mostly Harmless

Joined: 19 Oct 2002
Posts: 117
Giskard wrote:
Also:

rose wrote:
Just to clarify: thad and the restorers don't yet have a place in IU. I have no idea whether he will.


There is a request forum on UI, where you can post requests for additional forums. As Saucey asked for a place OmniscientEyes-fanatics could share their views, maybe you should do that too for the Restorers?


There wouldn't be much to discuss, though..

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 7:50 pm
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		Mos is right. I can use these boards to post any information about Thad.
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Mankind was my business, the common good was my business.~ Dickens

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 11:13 pm
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Yliandra
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Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Quad Cities, IL, USA

 		I just got my official job offer and am getting everything set up. You guys are talking about different part so the IU forums, so I wanted to double check something. When I got setup the section I have currently only has to topics, one about Sysygy and the Requests section. My status is strictly Idetech employee, so I'm not worried about the section for OE people obviously. But I was concerned because you made it sound like there was a general area and an area for Ideltech employees. Am I misunderstanding you guys, or do I not have the right access?

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2004 11:41 pm
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konamouse
Official uF Dietitian


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 8010
Location: My own alternate reality

 		When you sign up for an account on IU, you get access to the Ideltech part if you are an Ideltech employee. If The Creator (the guy running the IU forum) doesn't recognize your registration so he can give you the proper access, you can probably private message him tomorrow.
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:13 am
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Yliandra wrote:
I just got my official job offer and am getting everything set up. You guys are talking about different part so the IU forums, so I wanted to double check something. When I got setup the section I have currently only has to topics, one about Sysygy and the Requests section. My status is strictly Idetech employee, so I'm not worried about the section for OE people obviously. But I was concerned because you made it sound like there was a general area and an area for Ideltech employees. Am I misunderstanding you guys, or do I not have the right access?

Yliandra, you're right that there are a general section and an Ideltech section. If you register with your Ideltech nickname and Ideltech mail address, you'll get a confirmation email. Follow the instruction in the email. After that, you'll be able to see the Ideltech section at IU once you login. You may have to hard refresh (Ctrl F5) for it to work.
Hope that helps.
driz

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:22 am
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Yliandra
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Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Quad Cities, IL, USA
Anonymous wrote:
Yliandra, you're right that there are a general section and an Ideltech section. If you register with your Ideltech nickname and Ideltech mail address, you'll get a confirmation email. Follow the instruction in the email. After that, you'll be able to see the Ideltech section at IU once you login. You may have to hard refresh (Ctrl F5) for it to work.
Hope that helps.
driz


Which nickname do you mean? I used the kwilliams, that's part of my ideltech e-mail, and I did use my ideltech e-mail addy for my e-mail confirmation. Am I supposed to use Yliandra for my nick instead?

Edit*** driz was nice enough to pop into IRC and help me out with this. Apparently I just need to give Marcus time to set my status. Thx

PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:26 am
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Slyfox
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Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 323
Location: Manchester, UK

 		Well said Konamouse. Perhaps it time we all took a step back and a deep breath. Group hug anyone? Very Happy
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2004 4:40 am
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