[DROP] What makes a drop video?

ladron121 · Post by **ladron121** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:19 pm

In light of recent events, I felt it necissary to post what exactly HAS made a drop video SO FAR. As their vids change, we will update this. Also if any mods/ops want to make this part of the main Drop post, feel free

OpAphid: Most of her drops involve uncertainty. Her drops are not something that she left for someone, but rather something she is trying to intercept, so the location is fuzzy at best. There have only been 2 OpAphid drops, La Cienega Park and Yokayo Bowl. Her vids are pretty straight forward, some reverse audio. The real clue we get to tell that its a drop video is the discription of the video, or the YouTube profile update, usually a call to arms for all who assist her to come together and get the info/items. When uncertain, we usually message OpAphid through YouTube to get some kind of cryptic confirmation.

Tachyon: Her drops have all been information that she is leaving for Brother. She wants him to know exactly where this information is, so we get a pretty specific location (usually right down to a doorway/staircase, etc). However, landmarks surrounding the drop location are scattered all over her videos as well (see the first Phoenix Theater Drop). Since Brother does have more "backstory" on Tachyon than we do, we do have to decode some of the references she posts with/in the videos to help him find the package. Her drop videos ALWAYS have ended with her calling card "Tag, You're It".

itsreallyreal · Post by **itsreallyreal** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:46 pm

Question...

Some of us have decided to be Opites and others Tachiens/Breenies...

So what happens if an Opite gets a Tachy drop or a Tachien/Breenie gets an Op drop?

Ex: Op says, "I think they left that 1/2 eaten PB + J Sandwich in this area... GO GET IT!"

But the first person to the drop is a Tachien/Breenie...

Does the "Retriever" go with the story line that they are helping Op or do they "Claim" the info for the Tachiens/Breenies???

bethy · Post by **bethy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:59 pm

IRR...I asked the same question awhile back. It's one of the issues I have with this particular ARG.

Apparently, both "sides" decided that they would act together for drops to prevent game jacks. That's one of the reasons that they want the drop retrieval recorded on video. Also, puzzle soving and the like is done as a collaborative effort for the same reasons.

So, Lad...who is clearly an Ophead...will retrieve the drops meant for Brother. Even though he's really "intercepting" them for Oppy...the contents are still shared with everyone, as if Brother sucessfully retrieved it.

Personally, I think it makes choosing "sides" completely ineffective and silly, but it makes for a good omniscient story as opposed to a suspenseful mystery game. I suppose they need a happy medium...but I don't think this can be a real not a game game without a little bit more push and pull between sides.

ladron121 · Post by **ladron121** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:59 pm

When there are drops, there are no sides. We work as one team to get the drop, then to decode the information within. Once all information is decoded, then everyone goes back to their sides and trash talk each other

The last thing that anyone wants is competition for a drop, or hiding of information because its for a certain side. That would ruin the ARG. We all share all info, then how you interpret it kinda determines your side.

That is why we require that the person getting the drop has an operator in constant contact with the IRC chat, that they make a video of them getting the drop, and post multiple pictures of the contents of the drop. That way no one misses anything

***edit: won't change what I said, but will say that Bethy beat me to most of it***

colbertnationgirl · Post by **colbertnationgirl** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:07 pm

this is interesting, thanks for posting it!

itsreallyreal · Post by **itsreallyreal** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:10 pm

HHHhhmmmmmmmm....

I guess I am just a little confused then. Like was already said that defeats the purpose of "Sides" for game purposes. Yes it makes for great banter in the forums and all but... I dunno.. Takes the sting out of it a bit I gues...

Don;t get me wrong.. Making sure all the puzzles got slved and everyone had the right info would be more difficult fot the creators to track and clearly the discussions on the forums would be impossible to "Hide" but still...

I guess it is what it is... I just hope a drop is close enough to me one day that I get to bust out the camera and go... Opites and Brenies be damned...

bethy · Post by **bethy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:49 pm

Amen, IRR.

Sides, Schmides.

ladron121 · Post by **ladron121** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:54 pm

If we were to have actual sides, it would require:

2 different forums
2 different IRC chats
A way to hide videos from each side depending on who they are for

It would also promote competition for the drops, hiding actual information, creating false information, and an actual split in the friendly atmosphere that we have here. It would also make it almost impossible for new people to join the game, since they would be seen as moles for the other side and immediately distrusted and flamed.

But above all that, it would make it almost impossible for the Puppet Masters of this ARG to keep the story going the way they wanted. If one side needed a piece of info to progress the story, but it was stolen by the other side, then the game would be over. We don't want that, so we cooperate when there are drops, and our "sides" come out when we participate in "in character" discussions and threads.

itsreallyreal · Post by **itsreallyreal** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:04 pm

ladron121 wrote:If we were to have actual sides, it would require:

2 different forums
2 different IRC chats
A way to hide videos from each side depending on who they are for

It would also promote competition for the drops, hiding actual information, creating false information, and an actual split in the friendly atmosphere that we have here. It would also make it almost impossible for new people to join the game, since they would be seen as moles for the other side and immediately distrusted and flamed.

But above all that, it would make it almost impossible for the Puppet Masters of this ARG to keep the story going the way they wanted. If one side needed a piece of info to progress the story, but it was stolen by the other side, then the game would be over. We don't want that, so we cooperate when there are drops, and our "sides" come out when we participate in "in character" discussions and threads.

Don't get me wrong I am not AGAINST working together at all...

I aknowledged that the PM's would need to make this thing a full time job and the semantics would be crazy but hey... a guy can dream about the perfect ARG can't he???

I would like to point out though that just because the game doesn;t go AS planned... Doesn;t mean a game is "over"

If the PM of an arg was hard core enough to run it with full on sides then it would stand to reason they would also have the resources to react to the organic nature of the game

ladron121 · Post by **ladron121** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:07 pm

LOL, point taken IRR. You find a company that will actually pay someone to do an ARG full time, and I'm sure you'll get the game you are searching for

ApotheosisAZ · Post by **ApotheosisAZ** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:29 pm

I'm just gonna sticky this excellent reference topic! I think it will save a great deal of time for the players, and having it stickified will make it that much easier to find when anyone needs to refer players to it.

Thanks!

deagol · Post by **deagol** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:13 pm

ladron121 wrote:If we were to have actual sides, it would require:

2 different forums
2 different IRC chats
A way to hide videos from each side depending on who they are for

It would also promote competition for the drops, hiding actual information, creating false information, and an actual split in the friendly atmosphere that we have here. It would also make it almost impossible for new people to join the game, since they would be seen as moles for the other side and immediately distrusted and flamed.

But above all that, it would make it almost impossible for the Puppet Masters of this ARG to keep the story going the way they wanted. If one side needed a piece of info to progress the story, but it was stolen by the other side, then the game would be over. We don't want that, so we cooperate when there are drops, and our "sides" come out when we participate in "in character" discussions and threads.

To paraphrase someone *sparkles* ...what prevents me from making two accounts, one for each side, and simply being careful not to blow my cover? I think every hardcore player would do this, thus rendering the sides aspect irrelevant. The response from established players would be to reject any new account from the info sharing circle (Lad's point highlighted above), thus making it a closed game.

bethy · Post by **bethy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:27 pm

It would also promote competition for the drops, hiding actual information, creating false information, and an actual split in the friendly atmosphere that we have here. It would also make it almost impossible for new people to join the game, since they would be seen as moles for the other side and immediately distrusted and flamed.

....and the problem is?

ladron121 · Post by **ladron121** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:29 pm

bethy wrote:
It would also promote competition for the drops, hiding actual information, creating false information, and an actual split in the friendly atmosphere that we have here. It would also make it almost impossible for new people to join the game, since they would be seen as moles for the other side and immediately distrusted and flamed.

....and the problem is?

LOL

the end of the game?

tiltingwindward · Post by **tiltingwindward** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:39 pm

Way back at the beginning of the game, there was an attempt by the PM (through the plot of the game) to create sides, and it was met with a lot of resentment and confusion on the part of the players. Nobody was really interested in working against other people they were playing with, and I think the PM got the message. Also, it wasn't really possible to make even a semi-informed decision about what side to choose until mid-December, a full two months after the game began. By that time, the pattern of working together had been established...a pattern, I must say, that I fully support. Not only does it allow people to trust the drops we find, but it also allows new people to join the game, and people to play even if they don't want to choose a side.