[arg_discuss] On ARG Web Design

[Hugh Davies]

I run the odd street based treasure hunt though my arts group Analogue Art
Map and as the title suggests, we aim to use non-digital technology in
favour of obsolete media.
However we have used web sites and blog a couple of times for the reason
that John suggests above.

While its great to leave notes, hide maps, leave notes on bulletin boards,
jigsaw puzzles and other physical media, players can only experience these
things one at a time and player and non players alike might also remove them
from their locations destroying the interactive architecture at any point.
This also restricts your game to physical locations and only people within a
certain proximity are able to participate.

In terms of something that you can access anytime of day, a phone number
that can be called with an answering machine giving players more information
is always good. This also allows payers to leave messages and if its
engaged, there is sense of other players involvement.

Accepting a single location of play area, I also recommend reffering to
immovable objects such as statues, names of buildings and streets etc to
provide information. for example.

"add the street number of the city library with the post/zip code of its
location. Call that number to recieve your next clue"

Chances are that you have their phone number now too.

But getting back on subject, i believe that ARG's can be achieved without
websites, but are fairly limited to say the least.

hugh


On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 10:04 PM, John Evans <btradish at earthlink.net> wrote:


> >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

>

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