[arg_discuss] On ARG Web Design

[John Evans]

>From: Beth Aileen Dillon <beth.a.dillon at gmail.com>

>

>Just another thought and/or question really...

>

>How essential are web pages to ARGs? I mean historically, how much

>have they really been the main playing field for ARGs? I'm trying to

>think of ARGs without web pages, and those seem to be more like street

>games or temporary GPS related games, nothing long term with a

>persistent world.


There are several great things about websites.

1) Anyone with a net connection can visit them.
2) They can be visisted at any time of day or night.
3) It's easy to tell someone else the link so THEY can visit.
4) You can have all kinds of content, from text to images to audio
to video to entire Flash games.
5) It's also easy to have hidden areas, areas that need passwords,
information hidden in source code, and so on.
6) It's easy for visitors to interact, though email or submitting
forms. Even the act of visiting the website can affect the game.
(How Heisenbergian!)

So, that having been said, what can we do that can provide those
benefits in other ways? Let's focus on something that's easily
accessible and available 24 hours a day. You could post something
in the window of an office or a store. (Wasn't there some famous
author who would write a couple pages every day, then tape them up
onto his window so passersby could read them?) Or, how about a
bulletin board? I'm imagining a school where some student groups
have bulletin board space set aside from them in public areas,
while there are also public bulletin boards that anyone can use.

--John Evans
Chaoseed Software - http://chaoseed.com