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An ARG ARG
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Wishi-san
Unfettered


Joined: 20 Oct 2003
Posts: 602
Location: UK. Southwards.

I kinda agree with that point. Things are hidden in html and things can be hidden in flash...
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 4:12 pm
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Giskard
Sassypants


Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

So it looks like the 'Horah!' is in the original flash as well and thus not related to the ARGN ARG Smile

Btw, Horah could be a play on hora, the Latin word for hour.

"Hora!" or "Hora est!" are sometimes used for "It is time!".
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 5:32 pm
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phi
Boot


Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
Location: Around

On the note of reverse engineering flash documents... Myself along with a number others (as this thread seems to demonstrate) see looking in a flash document to be akin to looking in an HTML document.

The issue lies not with us but with the quiz masters. Many QMs consider circumventing the puzzle in the flash, and going straight for the code to find the answer, to be cheating. Hidden data in an HTML document is seen a common way of hiding clues, but if something has been done in flash/shockwave then it is intended that the player focuses only on the flash interface prsented to them. I say if you can get to the data, then that is just another method of problem solving. The end result is that a Flash document becomes just another form of stenography.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this issue.
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:02 am
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AnthraX101
Entrenched

Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 797

phi wrote:
On the note of reverse engineering flash documents... Myself along with a number others (as this thread seems to demonstrate) see looking in a flash document to be akin to looking in an HTML document.

The issue lies not with us but with the quiz masters. Many QMs consider circumventing the puzzle in the flash, and going straight for the code to find the answer, to be cheating. Hidden data in an HTML document is seen a common way of hiding clues, but if something has been done in flash/shockwave then it is intended that the player focuses only on the flash interface prsented to them. I say if you can get to the data, then that is just another method of problem solving. The end result is that a Flash document becomes just another form of stenography.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this issue.


I agree with you to an extent. Fundamentally, I think it depends on what the PM's expected to happen. If it is a big puzzle that groups are working on and you find the answer to it by disassembling the puzzle, I think that's bad. Simply put, the reason we are doing this is for fun. If you can shortcut the puzzle, then it's similar to getting a hint-book and putting in the god code (I like your hint book analogy Smile ). It's similar to using reverse-DNS. It can give you information before the story gave it to you. While you did nothing "wrong" really to obtain it, you are depriving yourself of the story experience (and others, if you tell them) in finding it. It may be the PMs fault, but the end is still the same.

The problem is that it becomes a judgment call. You are trying to figure out what they were thinking of when they made a puzzle. Perhaps they expected people to decompile the flash. I guess what's called for is self restraint. In this case, chances are they assumed we would subvert the flash, and nothing was spoiled. On the other hand, if there really was something there at a particular time, I think it would have been a bad thing if it was found and disseminated. It's all about the thrill of the hunt. Smile

AnthraX101
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:46 am
Last edited by AnthraX101 on Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:49 am; edited 1 time in total
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krystyn
I Never Tire of My Own Voice


Joined: 26 Sep 2002
Posts: 3651
Location: Is not Chicago

It's a tricky line to keep balanced on, but some of the reasoning behind not decompiling Flash files was hashed out during the Beast. There was a puzzle at the sleep clinic site that was solved immediately by someone decompiling, and of course they shared with everyone, and it was considered a victory over that puzzle.

However, the actual solution to the puzzle, like many things in that game, lent more of a feeling and empathy for the characters, and gave a fuller and richer sense of the story. By circumventing that with a decompile, the players lost out on that piece of ambience and immersion, which is sort of a shame. After the fact, several people, IIRC, tried to work backwards and work the logic of the puzzle as it was originally supposed to be played, but there was little interest in that, as it was solved, and there were new pieces of information and puzzles being released all the time.

I suppose you could liken it to taking a big ol' nutritional pill for dinner, instead of savoring the delicately steamed vegetables and perfectly-done medium well filet mignon served to you by candlelight. Or something. You've still got the 'benefit' of your meal, but hardly any of the taste, ambience, or emotional satiation.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:48 am
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phi
Boot


Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
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I see exactly what you mean.

If you are in the ARG for the AR and you manage to circumvent a puzzle then it's like skipping a road-trip and teleporting straight to the destination.
Sure you are at the destination... but you haven't had the road-trip, so in a way you have failed.

In this case I suppose it goes from Alternate Reality Gaming to Puzzle Solver Gaming. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:28 am
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phi
Boot


Joined: 14 Jun 2004
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Location: Around

Now that's a lot of metaphors! Laughing
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:29 am
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Giskard
Sassypants


Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

When discussing this subject in general, I agree with Krystyn completely. However, in this specific case, I think Steve won't mind decompiling at all... after all he wrote:

vpisteve wrote:
My feeling has always been that decompiling flash is fair game. To me it's no different than looking at HTML source code.

Flash isn't secure at all, and whoever's creating the flash file will know that.


...a while back. So he's probably prepared Wink

(Source Smile)
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:28 pm
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phi
Boot


Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
Location: Around

the page has been changed again... check the source to remove any confusion.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
18 June 2004 22:00:00 GMT (just to avoid any confusion!)


... it would be when I'm not at work. Sad
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:02 am
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phi
Boot


Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
Location: Around

BTW... that clock it totally wrong. I'm in GMT and it says 4 hours when it should say 11
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:11 am
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konamouse
Official uF Dietitian


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

phi wrote:
the page has been changed again... check the source to remove any confusion.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
18 June 2004 22:00:00 GMT (just to avoid any confusion!)


... it would be when I'm not at work. Sad


And it would be when I *am* at work Crying or Very sad
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:09 am
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Varin
I Have No Life


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 2456
Location: South of where I used to be

konamouse wrote:
And it would be when I *am* at work Crying or Very sad


And that would be when I'm in a minivan driving to Michigan with my in-laws. Sad
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:00 pm
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aliendial
Unfictologist


Joined: 29 Sep 2002
Posts: 3438
Location: Far Far Away. Nowhere Near You. Really.

Hmmm.

wine-tasting <> game launch

game launch <> wine tasting

how to choose???
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:00 pm
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Giskard
Sassypants


Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

aliendial wrote:
Hmmm.

wine-tasting <> game launch

game launch <> wine tasting

how to choose???


How about "tasting wine while the game launches"? Smile
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:21 pm
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aliendial
Unfictologist


Joined: 29 Sep 2002
Posts: 3438
Location: Far Far Away. Nowhere Near You. Really.

Quote:
How about "tasting wine while the game launches"? Smile


Sadly, the wine tasting part imputes certain social obligations to my partners and the summer associates, who we are trying to fool into believing we entertain like this all the time so they'll come work for us at the absurd salaries we have to pay... oh, sorry, forget that.

Anyway, me sneaking off with one of the bottles would be noticed . . . but I may try to be here anyway

Are people hovering in #unfiction?
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:34 pm
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