[arg_discuss] [players] Communities and resources

[despain at quantumcontent.com]

>>I like to play the ARG, not the UF politics.
>
> Could you elaborate?

Every community has internal politics. Members gain status through use of
whatever currency that community holds dear. In some forums it's number of
posts. On others it's how long someone's been registered. Others value
grammar skills over logic or vice versa. To really be a part of that
community, a member has to be involved - at least to some degree - in the
politics of the community.

And I'm speaking generally here, not specifically about Unfiction.

All that maneuvering - how long do I have to be registered before my
opinion is considered worthwhile? - As a player, I'd rather put that time
and effort into the game.

If all the puzzle-solving and narrative-tracking are happening somewhere
other than a previously-established community, (like a board attached to
an in-game site) every player comes in on equal footing. (For the most
part, unless unspoken status is brought over with a large chunk of players
from one community.)

Starting in a fresh space, every new idea gets explored. Otherwise, the
weight of attention is tipped in favor of ideas from players who built up
credibility in the community and ideas from newbies are at best grudgingly
examined and at worst patently ignored.

And I mean this in the context of puzzle-solving. It's subtle, but it's
there. I think it's a part of human nature, so I don't expect anybody to
stop it just because I ask.

It's just a concern I have, and need to take into account when I design
games and consider the part community will play.

One of the valuable assets the Unfiction community brings to the table is
that they don't need the "rules" explained to them. They already know what
an ARG is and can set an example for less experienced players. That's
awesome. But it does come with both pros and cons.

Wendy Despain
quantumcontent.com