Walking the Edge of Reality

[ Log In ]

Walking the Edge of Reality

A look behind the curtain to my world...

Follow the White Rabbit (Revelations, Part Two)
Wednesday, March 04, 2009 12:13 PM

(Cue yet another song change!)

*NOTE*: As hinted to in the prior post, this is the first time and the last time this project is going to be mentioned on this blog.

In the last installment we talked about what's going on in the present. Now it's time to talk about the all-important future.

First of all, the obvious question... why reveal? I admit we're taking a chance here, hoping this doesn't fall in to the same lunacy we've been known for in the past. But you have to admit something: knowing about our involvement has attracted people to our games in the past. So if we maintain silent about this, we run the risk of having some of our past fans, fans that have been diligent followers of everything we do and alongside us every step of the way, missing out on our greatest creation. We simply couldn't live with ourselves if that happened, so we're taking a chance here so that none of the people we care about miss out on this.

About eight months ago, during ShadowWatch's run, I had a really, really crazy idea. It was, for the most part, inspired by my gaming roots and that which has influenced a great deal of what I have done up to now: the "interactive fiction" genre of games made famous by Infocom (the Zork series), LucasArts (the Monkey Island franchise, and similar text/graphic adventures), Sierra (the King's Quest and Space Quest franchises), SirTech (Wizardry), Origin Systems (the Ultima series) and others.

So I set out to create something that has never been done before: a "hybrid" alternate reality game that not only contains the traditional elements of ARGs, but also contains elements of classic interactive fiction and even elements from role playing games (from table-top RPGs to online MMORPGs). A fully immersive world, where the players are in control of everything around them, able to interact and manipulate with people, places and things through a specialized interface.

It would be a technological marvel unlike anything we've ever done before, so much so that we are actually considering registering patents for some of the technologies.

But all that is nothing without a story, and for a change I actually had one, what I thought was a really good one. It's the sort of story that, if I were a writer, I would have written a children's novel about, a story influenced by a myriad of authors we've grown to love: from Lewis Carroll to J.R.R. Tolkien, from George R. R. Martin to Orson Scott Card, from Neil Gaiman to Piers Anthony, and many others. It's a story filled with mystery, fantasy, heartache, and joy.

At first I was doing this alone, but realized that this not only was this project larger than I could handle by myself, but it deserved the attention of more than one person. It was a project that needed a team dedicated to making it work. So I "hired" Lauren Soffer (IneffaBelle) to assist with the creative aspects of it, and she has been unbelievably helpful in that regard. I may excel in all the technical aspects, but creatively (at least in the artistic sense) I'm seriously lacking. She has given this project the creative attention it deserves, and we have come a long way thanks to her input and support. There is no way I would be able to do this without her.

The whole project has been in development for the past six months (there are currently three of us working on it), and because of the sheer size of the project (we're referring to it as our modern day "Beast") we've missed two launch deadlines already. But this project, more than any other project I've ever worked on, needs the attention and the time required to make it perfect. Everything about it, from how it looks to how it works, even the smallest details, must be flawless. We wouldn't have it any other way.

So, in the Spring of 2009, David Flor (President and Project Lead) and Lauren Soffer (Vice-President and Creative Director) of Darklight Interactive invite all of you to come along with us and journey to a magical new world. Explore the vast lands, interact with the diverse population, and discover a domain that exists only in dreams.

Come along with us... on Rachel's Walk.

Posted by David "Nighthawk" Flor on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 12:13 PM

1 comment [ View Comments ]

Posted by FractalP on Friday, March 06, 2009 3:06 AM

So, when exactly is Spring 2009? :)

Post a comment:

Name:
Email Address:
	(Email address is not public information)
Website URL:
	(Website is public information and will make your name a link)
Comment:
	(HTML is NOT supported in comments)

[ <- Previous ] [ Next -> ]

David "Nighthawk" Flor

View Complete Profile

My Image Gallery

2010
May
2009
December
November
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2008
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April

Links:
Darklight Interactive
Brain Clouds
Facebook profile
DLIMedia @ Twitter
DLIMedia @ Facebook
Partners in Crime:
Icarus' Labyrinth
Iriarte Files
Christy Dena
Avant Game
Novel Patient
Adventures in Reality
Alternate Reality Existence
Resources:
unFiction
unfiction Forums
Despoiler
ARGNet
ARGology
IGDA ARG SIG
Online Comics:
Penny Arcade
Save Hiatus
Order Of the Stick
XKCD
Odd Fish
HijiNKS Ensue
Questionable Content
Punch an' Pie
Goblins
Shortpacked!
Garfield w/o Garfield
Basic Instructions