Walking the Edge of Reality

[ Log In ]

Walking the Edge of Reality

A look behind the curtain to my world...

META - Intermission is ov- ***THWACK!***
Friday, March 27, 2009 1:37 AM

"Act 2" has begun.

Actually, I *wanted* "Act 2" to begin a few days ago, but nobody noticed or seemingly even looked for it. Stalling things for about two weeks tends to do that; players muddle around wondering who's fault it is for the apparent delay. Did they miss something? Are they doing something wrong? Or is the PM lying in a ditch by the New Jersey Turnpike?

Most of that (I'm nowhere near New Jersey) is true. As I've stated before, predicting what players will do or how they approach a given situation is borderline impossible. You can expect them to try certain things, things that are staples (and nuisances) in traditional ARGs, things that I've been borderline mocking throughout. As much as I'd like players to do non-traditional things... how does one go about getting them to do that? And if they don't, the game seemingly stalls until you once again whip out the bat.

I've already had to do that once, but it wasn't the player's fault: two ID cards (Motoko's and Flynn's) of the nine that were mailed apparently disappeared in to the ether, so I had to introduce those signons through alternate methods. And I have to admit there are two things players haven't found yet, despite one of them being referenced at least twice. Now I'm wondering if I'll even use that one at all; seems kind of useless at this point.

And, while on one side you expect players to do something and they don't, sometimes they do something you weren't expecting them to do. I'll come out and say it right now: the firewalls were not meant to be unlocked yet. Two things regarding that:

1) Think of the mathematical odds in this... Players successfully guessed at three missing chevrons of an eight key combination on two of THIRTY-SIX possible servers. I certainly did not expect that; either someone out there has way too much time on their hands or it's just plain luck.

2) There was/is a bug in the firewall code. Even with the right combination, the firewalls should not have allowed themselves to be unlocked. Actually, from a database standpoint, they weren't (the "IsLocked" bit wasn't flipped), but the client redirected to "Open=1" anyway. That was not intended. Worst of all, I *thought* I fixed that TWICE already...

This has kind of happened to me before: I did not expect the entire Umbrati/Lightbringer alphabet to be deciphered within minutes of the trailhead being received. You'd think I learned about the collective player potential by now, wouldn't you?

So what does one do in a situation like that? I admit I ignored it... what else CAN I do? They have the keys, the lock turns, but it's not that the door doesn't open; it's that the door SHOULDN'T open. There's a big empty room behind the door... You kids have to wait until the movers are done, OK?

Anyway, things are going to be a little entertaining in the near future. Game on!

Posted by David "Nighthawk" Flor on Friday, March 27, 2009 1:37 AM

2 comments [ View Comments ]

Posted by brooke on Friday, March 27, 2009 2:16 AM

The players aren't "doing something wrong" - they just don't know what's right and it's your job, as the designer, to show them that. There's more to designing a game than just throwing out some puzzles and websites, you have to provide guidance and if the players aren't playing as you think they should, it's probably an issue of guidance.

You also have to expect players to poke at anything and everything that's live - especially if they aren't getting that guidance. If something is out there, you've got to expect that players are going to poke at it. If something isn't ready to be poked, then don't put it out there. It's as simple as that. The fact that they poked and didn't get anywhere and got frustrated is not their fault and it's not the fault of a bug. It is the designer's fault for putting it out there. Sure, things happen and players may find things early, it's how the designers deal with the situation that shows what they're made of.

I hate to say it, but it's not the players that need hit with a cluebat. It really isn't that difficult to predict what the players will do or how they'll approach a situation. Well, it isn't if the designer has done their job because one of the biggest parts of being a designer is anticipating those things and setting up the experience with them in mind. It's like playing chess - you've got to be able to see a couple moves ahead and plan for things to not go your way.

Posted by Amanda on Friday, March 27, 2009 10:29 AM

GAH! I get busy RIGHT when Act 2 starts *cries*

I'll admit I saw the email from Gil/Gib and was like "Meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" and then work went "WOOOO! TIME TO DO STUFF!" *sighs* I totally missed the introduction of the new stuff, and it was sad. But that's ok, I'll hop back on the game and keep going from where it is now.

And while I will admit Brooke has some points, I will also say that as a designer, it's excessively frustrating to come up with things. When you make a puzzle, you want it to be challenging, but also solvable. And there's nothing more frustrating then putting a no brainer out there (complete with the way to solve it on the same bloody piece of paper) and never have anyone get it. (Had the only game I ever tried to make end before it even began that way.)

Still can't wait to know what we missed. *ducks out of the way of the cluebat and runs back to the game*

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