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ARG Design Document

Aaron Whiting, Daniel Ly, Suzi Zuber, Thad Allen

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Table of Contents

ExecutiveSummaryRépubliqueCamouflajWhyRépubliqueWhatMakesitStandOut?MoodBoardKyle,theHeroWalkthroughTheKillyourinternetPersonaStoryboard...theARGBeginsDemographicsSurveyResultsS.W.O.T.CompetitiveAnalysisMarketingandPhysicalGoodsPuzzlesARGcomponents,PlansandDesignsAppendixWhatisanARG?BBSCharactersTimelineToolsResources

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Executive Summary ____________________________________________________AnARGisanAlternateRealityGame–aninteractive,large-scalegamethatcombinesfictionaldigitalstorytellingwithreal-lifeactivities.Thestoryplaysoutinrealtime,pacedbytheactionsoftheplayers.Bystayingcloselyinvolvedratherthanrelegatingittoartificially-controlledpacing,thegame-runnerscreateapowerfulandengagingtransmedianarrative.Thetitular“alternatereality”meansthatthegameneveracknowledgesitis“justagame”–itispresentedasthoughit(andthereforethesourcematerial)arereal.Républiqueisastealth/actiongamedevelopedbyCamouflaj.SetinanOrwelliandystopia,thegamefindstheplayerassistingayoungwomannamedHope,whoisseekingtoescapetheworldofMetamorphosisandthecontrollingruleofTreglazov,theOverseer.Throughcontrollingcamerasandhackingintodevices,theplayerexploresMetamorphosiswhilelearningmoreaboutthisworld.AfewofthecharacterstheylearnaboutareDanielZagerandtheDataBroker.ZagerisarevolutionarytryingtobringdownMetamorphosisfromtheinside.TheDataBrokerisamysteriousfigurethatprovideshackingabilitiestoplayersinexchangeforinformationtheycollectthroughoutthegame.RépubliqueisanidealgameforanARGbecauseitsharesmanyofthesamecomponentsandthemesthatmakeastrongandsuccessfulARG.Theemphasisontechnology,especiallythroughhacking,willtieintohowtheARGtakesplacelargelyonlineandprovidesmanyopportunitiesfordigitalpuzzling.JustashowMetamorphosishasmanymysteriesthatplayershopetoresolve,sotoodoesagoodARG;thiswillpushthecommunitytoworktogethertouncoverasmuchastheycan.Finally,therestrictivedystopiaseeninRépubliquecanalsobeusedinanARGtogoodeffect.Peopledonotlikebeingtoldwhattheycanandcannotdo–especiallythosewhoaretechnologicallyinclined–andgenerallytakeanychancestheycantostepoutagainstoppressiverules.AnARGencouragesplayerstolookpasttherulesandstrivetofindnewanduniquesolutions.DemographicsforpreviousARGshaveshownanevensplitbetweenmaleandfemaleplayers;studyingsocialmediaprofilesofthosewhoplayRépubliqueshowssimilarresultswithslightlymorefemaleplayersthanmale.NostudiesfortheARGareavailableyet,asconductingasurveywouldspoilthesurprise;howeversofaronlymaleshaveboughtintotheARG.TheprimaryaudiencefortheARGisgamersaroundtheageof26.Thesegamersenjoyplayingvideogames,especiallyonesthatrevolvearoundusingstealth.Theylikefollowingmysteriousandin-depthnarratives,andworkingthroughchallengingpuzzles.Oftendrawnintogames,explorationandcuriosityresultsinanimmersiveexperience.Gamersinthisagebracketseemtobeinterestedinmentallystimulatinggamesthatfocusmoreoncriticalthinkingratherthantwitchgameplay.Theyalsoloveasenseofimmersionandbeingdrawnfurtherintofullyfleshedoutfictionalworlds.ARGshaveoftenbeenusedasaformofmarketing–forvideogames,movies,albums,andmore.WelookedatseveralARGswhileplanning,withthePortal2ARGasourmainfocus.OurstrengthscomparedtothemarethatthenarrativefromtheARGtiesincloselywithRépublique’sstoryline.Inaddition,thecombinationofphysicalgoodsandestablishedwebsitesmakestheARGfeelmorerealandlesslikeagame.However,Camouflajisamuchsmallerandnewergamecompany,andseveralpartsoftheARGdeliberatelyuseoldertechnology;thesecouldlimittheeventualspreadand

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successofthegame.SomeopportunitiespresentincludeincreasedinterestinRépubliqueasthefirstthreeepisodeslaunchonPC,thepossibilityofreceivingaphysicalpackage,andsocialmediainteraction.Challengessuchasashorterdevelopmenttimeandalackofdedicateddeveloperswillhavetobeovercome.TheARGwilltakeplaceinwaves;newcontentwillbereleasedalongsidenewepisodes.ThiswilldrumupinterestinthegameaswellasprovidemoreinsighttotheARG.Thephysicalitemswillbemostlythesame;howevertheywillincludeminordetailstomakethemmorepersonalizedandunique.Itemswillbesenttothosewhopurchasethem,aswellashigh-priorityinfluencers.Thefirstpackagewillincludethreeitems:aMorningBellnewspaperwrittenfromanin-universeperspective,aleakeddocumentpurportingthatMetamorphosishasbeenspyingontheplayer,andaCDfilledwithcluesandencryptedbonuscontent.SeveralpuzzleswillbeusedinthedeploymentoftheARG.ABBSisaprimitiveonlinemessageboard,capableofsharingposts,hostingdiscussions,andsharingfiles.IntheARG,aBBSwillbeusedastheprimaryhubwhereplayersmeet,receivemissions,discuss,anduploadcompletedtasks.Severalpuzzleswilluseencryptedtext,suchasMorsecodeorMD5hashes,aspartofalargerclue.TheMorningBellnewspaperwillhaveseveralcluesembeddedinthearticlesandpuzzlesectionsthatmustbedecoded.Finally,theCDwillincludesoundfilesthat,whenusedinanSSTVapplication,willrevealimagesthatcanbeusedtofurthersolvethepuzzles.OurARGfeaturesthreemaincomponents.Thefirstisawebsite–www.Killyourinternet.com–purportedlyablogcreatedbyDanielZager.Therearesomehiddenpagesonitthat,whenaccessed,willleadplayersdowntherabbitholeintothelargerARG.TheaforementionedBBSisanotherimportantsection;themajorityofthegamewillbe‘played’throughhere,withinteractivityanddesignforit.Finally,aMUD(Multi-UserDungeon)willmakeupthelatersectionoftheARG.Amultiplayertext-basedadventure,thisgamewillprovideagreaterinsighttothefictionalbackstoryoftheBBSandwilltieintothedaysbeforeRépublique.Thiswillservethesecondarygoalofprovidingaricherin-gameexperiencetothosewhohaveplayedtheARG–theywillhaveadeeperandstrongerunderstandingofthegameworldthanotherswhowerenotapartoftheARG.Byutilizingvariousformsofdigitalmediaandtechnology,theKillyourinternetARGwillenhanceplayers’connectiontotheworldofMetamorphosis,increaseinterestinRépublique,andwillbeapositiveprojectforCamouflajtoundertake.

République ____________________________________________________Républiqueisastealthactiongamesetinamodern-dayOrwellian-styledystopiancountry,calledMetamorphosis.TheplayerisahackerwhohashackedintothesecuritycamerasofMetamorphosis.TheplayermustusetheirhackingabilitiestohelpagirlnamedHopeescapetheclutchesofthevillainousTreglazov,alsoknownastheOverseerortheHeadmaster,whohascreatedMetamorphosisinhisownimage.AstheplayerhackstheirwaythroughwindinghallstheylearnthatnoteverythinginMetamorphosisisgoingaccordingtoplan.AmannamedZager,whodespisestheOverseer,appearstohaveplantedtheseedsofrevolution...

Camouflaj

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____________________________________________________

http://www.camouflaj.com/Foundedin2011,Camouflajsetoutwiththegoalofcreatingagamestudiowillingtoexperimentandpushtheenvelope.ThefirstgametocomeoutofthisnewstudioisRépublique,anepisodicstealth-actiongame.République’sgameplayandstoryemphasizeverytopicalthemessuchashacking,privacy,andtheroleofgovernment.

Why République ____________________________________________________RépubliqueisidealforanARGbecauseofthethemesthatmakeupthegame.InRépublique,theplayeristryingtohelpacharacternamedHopeescapefromanoppressive,OrwellianfacilitycalledMetamorphosisbyhelpinghernavigatethroughdifferentscenariosandobstacles.

What Makes it Stand Out? ____________________________________________________

Hacking Abilities AkeyfeaturefromthegamethattiesinverywellwithanARGistheuseofhackingabilities.Hackingisamajorpartofthegameplayastheplayeraccessescameras,readsemails,listenstovoicemails,anduploadsdata.Mirroringthishuman-computerinteractionintheARGwillstrengthentheconnectiontothevideogame.SincetheARGwilltakeplacemainlyonline,opportunitiesforhacking(real,limited,orsimulated)areabundant.Playerswillexplorethegameworldinbothorganizedanddisruptiveways.

Mystery AnotherfeaturethatmakesRépubliqueaperfectgameforanARGisthesenseofmystery.MysteryplaysverywellwithARGsbecausetheplayersaretryingtosolveapuzzlethatmaynothaveanimmediatelyclearpurpose.Mysterieskeepplayersontheedgeoftheirseatandconstantlyengagedintheadventure.ThefunpartofanARGisthemysteryofwhatwillhappennextandtryingtofigureoutwhatwillhappenintheend.Wewillbehavinglotsofdifferentpuzzlesthatwillnotbesolvedbyjustlookingatit.Playerswillhavetodo“detectivework”tofindcluesandhintsthatwillhelpthemsolvetheirpuzzles.

Oppressive Dystopian Government Metamorphosis,thetitularRépublique,hasanoppressivedystopiangovernmentthatwillplayverynicelywiththenarrative/storyoftheARG.ThemainpointofsuccessinanARGisthestorythatittells-theaudiencemustbeengagedinordertobecomeinvolved.TheideaofadystopiangovernmentworkswellforthisARG.People-especiallyourtargetaudienceoftechyhackersormysterysolvers-donotenjoybeingheavilycontrolled,beingtoldwhattheycanorcannotdo.Protagonistsinthegameareworkingtobreakfreefromtheoppression,andplayersobviouslysympathizewiththem;theARGgivesthemamoredirectconnectionwiththeheroes’goals.

Community Inthegame,onemajorfigureisanundergroundrevolutionarynamedDanielZagerwhotriedtotakedown

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Metamorphosisfromtheinside.InEpisode1itissaidthatheisdead,butintheupcomingEpisode4hewillberevealedtostillbealive.WecanusebothsidesofthisintheARG.Initially,playerscanbeencouragedtocontinuewhatZagerbegan,inmemoryoforoutofvengeancefortheman.AstheARGcontinues,smallerhintscanbeusedtosuggestthattheofficialstorymaynotbecorrectandthathecouldstillbealive;thisgivesARGplayersdeeper,extrainsightintothegamethatwouldencouragethoseinterestedinRépubliquetojointheARG.

Technology MetamorphosishasaheavyfocusoncomputersanddevicesthatwecanemphasizeintheARG.Inthegame,theplayerdoesnothaveadirectavatar.Instead,they‘navigate’bycontrollingcameras,unlockingdoors,andhackingcomputersastheyguideHopethroughthegame.Thereisadigital“character”inRépubliquenamedtheDataBroker,acomputerthattheplayerscanshopfrom.WecanusethisfactinthegametocreateamorecompellingstoryoftheDataBrokerwhoiscurrentlytrappedinsideofmetamorphosis.

Target Audience Parallels ThetargetaudienceofthegamematchesperfectlywiththetargetaudienceofourARG.Thegamehasaplayerbasehalf-femaleandhalf-maleplayers;theylikestealthactiongames,solvingpuzzles,andhacking.PreviousARGshavefeaturedequalamountsofmaleandfemaleplayers,andthesubversivetechnologythatthegameplayofRépubliqueisbasedaroundtiesinperfectlywiththepuzzledesignswearecreating.

Inaworldwherethelinesbetweenvideogamesandrealityhavebeenblurred…aplayerstumblesacrossamysteriouslycorruptedwebsite.

Drawndowntherabbithole,theybecomeapartoftheworldofMetamorphosis;afterreceivingamysteriouspackage,theherocommitstogatheringinformation,solvingpuzzles,andhackingsystemstounveilthemysteriesbehindMetamorphosis.

ButwhentheplayerfindsthemselvesbeingobservedbyshadowyentitiesfromtheworldofRépublique,theycommittosolvingthepuzzle,beforetheytoomeetthesamesinisterfateastheirpredecessors.

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Mood Board ____________________________________________________

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Kyle, the Hero ____________________________________________________

ScenarioKyleisanavidgamerandahugefanofRépubliquewhojustfinishedepisodes1-3.Républiqueisagamefilledwithmystery,hackingandstealth,whichleavesKylewantingmore.HeisintriguedbyMetamorphosisandwhatisgoingonwithinit.HewantstofullyunderstandthenarrativetofigureoutthebackstorypriortoHope,themaincharacter.KylestumblesuponaKillyourinternetwebsitethatstartstoleadhimdownaninterestingrabbitholefilledwithencryptedmessages,extensivenarrativepieces,hacking,andavarietyofpuzzlestosolve.Heisaskinghimself,whatisthiswebsiteandwhatdoesitallmean?

Kylestumblesacrossatimerthatisslowlycountingdowntozerosohewaitsinanticipation.Hehasbeenlookingforwardtothisforanentiremonthafterdiscoveringthewebsite.Kylespamsf5asthetimertickstozero.Suddenlythepagechangesandheseesaconsoleloginscreen.Kyleisperplexedaboutwhatisinfrontofhim.Hehasneverseenanythinglikethis.KylehascomeacrossanabandonedBBS,anoldrelicofthe90’s.TheBBSwasonceusedextensivelybyundergroundrevolutionariesandhackersalike.KylewillexploretheBBSandfindnarrativearcstoexplore,puzzlestosolve,retrodoorgamestoplayand,mostimportantly,thestoriesbehindZagerandtheevenmoreelusiveDataBroker.

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The Killyourinternet Personas ____________________________________________________OurprimaryaudiencefortheKillyourinternet(KYI)ARGissomeonearoundtheageof26.Theyloveplayingstealthactiongames,followingmysteriousplot-twistingnarratives,andsolvingchallengingpuzzles.Theystrugglewithbalancingworkandgamingbecausetheyareoftenpulledintoplayingonegameuntiltheyhavemasteredit.Thispersonisdedicatedanddriventosolveeverypuzzle,lookbehindeveryobject,andhackwhatevertheycantouncovereverylastbitofinformation.Bydoingthis,theyenjoybeingdrawnintotheworldoftheirgame,givingthemasenseoffullerimmersionwiththeirexperience.

Category/Name Kyle - the Hacker Nicole - the Puzzle Guru

Age 26 19

Monthly Income

$2,300+overtime $1,200

Job Fulltime Parttime

Education CSDegree FreshmanatUniversityofWashingtonBothell

Hobbies

GamingonallplatformsHackingDailyblogpostsaboutgames,includingcritiquesKeepingup-to-dateongamehacksand

Solvingpuzzles-paperandvideogames.Facebookingwithherfriends,postsaboutherfavoritegames.Collectsgamememorabilia

Movies SuspenseThrillerAction

SuspenseMysterySci-Fi

Game Habits

Playsdaily-aloneorwithfriends,hacking,sharinggameinfoonhisblog,watchingmovies

Plays5+days/week,aloneorwithfriends.Solvingpuzzles(paper/anyplatform),FBblogging,collectgamingmemorabilia

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Storyboard...the ARG Begins

____________________________________________________

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Demographics ____________________________________________________PerplexCityARGcomparedtoRépubliqueGamers.Thedemographicsaresimilar.

ARG Game/Social Media % male % female

PerplexCityARG 50 50

RépubliqueGamers 50 50

République-FB 30 70

République-Twitter 50 50

“AlternateRealityGamesandPerplexCitySeason2”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtY-ifssEKY

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Survey Results ____________________________________________________TheARGsurveywillbeconducted(andapprovedbyJason)inWinterquarterasapost-mortemexercise.WearedoingthistokeepanonymityoftheARGduringitsrun-time.

S.W.O.T. Competitive Analysis ____________________________________________________

République KYI ARG compared to Portal 2 Potato Sack ARG

STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES

Website ARGlaunchessimultaneouslywithEpisodes(EP)1-3forthePCplatform

PhysicalGoods Physicalpackagesenttoallplayers

RealInteractions Pre-saleofpackagegeneratessocialmediaandexcitementofARG,pre-launch

ARGphasesdirectlylinkedtoRépubliqueEpisodes

BBS-puzzles,sharedhackingandgeneralinformation

Playereventsdirectlyaffectthegameexperience DemographicdataacquiredfromBBS

FullerNarrative MUDgame

FREEsocialmediaposting/reposting

WEAKNESS THREATS/CHALLENGES

Newandsmallergamecompany(nobudget,missingdemographicinformation,etc.)

ARGforKentuckyRouteZerolaunchedNov7th

Lackofdevelopers=timededicatedtogamedevelopment,notARG

Shorterdesign/implementationtimeline

Usingoldertechnology NOdedicateddeveloperfortech-sideofARG

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Marketing and Physical Goods ____________________________________________________The Package, What is it?

Awaveofphysicalgoodswillbesentoutpriortothelaunchofeachphase.Thisisreferredtoasthepackage.Thenewpackagewillappearacoupleweeksbeforethelaunchofeachcoincidingepisodicrelease.Thisispartofourmarketingstrategy,todrumupexcitementandgeneratesocialmediaforthenextepisodicreleaseofRépublique.ThepackagewillalsoactascluesfortheARGitself.

Who Gets the Package

Thesepackageswillbeautomaticallysenttosuperfans,importantKickstarterbackers,andpeoplewhopurchasedtheZagerpackage.Eachpackagewillcontainthesamecontent,withafewexceptions.Wewillbechangingcertainpartsofthepackageditemstogivethemafeelofuniquenessandindividualismforeachplayer.

Physical Goods Inside

Itemsthatwillbeincludedinthefirstpackageare:

● BumperSticker● Leakeddocumentsthatwillhavetheplayer’sfirstandlastname● ItemsmeanttohelpeachplayersolvethepuzzlespresentedduringtheARG● CD(withcontentabouttheARG/gameitself)● PrintedcopyoftheMorningBellnewspapercontainingpuzzles

Thesedocumentswillbeproducedenmasse.Notalloftheitemswewillbeproducingwillbesentoutinthesepackages.Wewillbesendingone-offitemstocertaininfluencersofthegame.(seeAppendixforMarketingandPhysicalGoodsdetails)

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Puzzles ____________________________________________________ Puzzles Puzzleswillbespreadacrossthevarioustransmediaplatformsweareutilizing.Thisincludesthewebsite(Killyourinternet.com),theBBS,theMUD,physicalpaperpuzzles,andalltheotherplatformswedecidetointegrateintotheARG.Eachphasewillhavenewpuzzlesandcontentforplayerstosolveandexplore.Witheachnewphasethenumber,aswellasthecomplexityofthepuzzleswillslowlyincrease.

Killyourinternet.com TheKillyourinternetwebsitewillbeeachplayersintroductiontotheARG.Thewebsitefeaturesbothnarrativecontentandpuzzles.Theseintroductorypuzzlesarelesscomplex.Theywillprimarilybeusedtorampupplayersonpuzzlesolvingbyintroducingthemtoseveraldifferentpuzzlemechanics.Thepuzzlesonthissitewillactasatutorialforthebiggerandmorecomplexpuzzlesthatwillutilizesimilarpuzzlemechanics.

BBS (Bulletin Board System)ABBSisabasiconlinemessageboard.WeplantousetheBBSasacentrallocationwheremostofthepuzzleswillbefound.TheBBSisdesignedtoappearasthoughithasbeenabandonedforalongtimewithmessagespostedseveralyears,evendecadesago.Playerswillfollowatrailofcluesthatwillleadthemtonewpuzzlesandmysteries.Uponfinishingtheinitialpuzzles,aplayerwill“levelup”andunlocknew,previouslyunavailable,partswithintheBBS.AllofthepuzzleswillincorporatefeaturesofBBS.Thiswillchallengeplayersnotonlytosolvethepuzzlesbutalsonavigatethroughoutdatedtechnology.

MUD (Multi-User-Dungeon) ThiswillcontainthemostchallengingpuzzlesintheARG.TheMUDwillbeuniquebecauseitwillcontainbothtraditionalARGandvideogamepuzzles.Playerswillsolvepuzzlesspanningboththephysicalanddigitalrealmsandoveralargevarietyoftransmediaplatformsinordertoprogressthroughthegame.ThepuzzleswillbebothinsideandoutsideoftheMUDgamewhichwillhelpcreateamoreimmersivetransmediaexperience.

Morse Code and MD5 HashOntheactualwebsite(Killyourinternet.com)thereisasectionwheretherearenumbers/lettersthatcanbetranslatedtoactualwords. Mechanics

1. Translatethenumbers/lettersintoaphrase/word2. Receivethepassword(thephrase/word)3. Enterpasswordintowebsitetogainaccesstopassword-protectedareas

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SSTV AnSSTVisageneratorthatcantranslateanimageintoasoundfile.Alsothesoundfilecanbeconvertedbackintotheimageitwascreatedby. Mechanics

1. DownloadSSTVgenerator2. PlaysoundfileintocomputermicrophoneusingtheSSTVgenerator3. Produceanimageusingthesoundfile

Morning Bell ...this transformed into The Evening Standard website to increase interactivity TheMorningBellistheofficialnewspaperofMetamorphosis.Inthegame,theplayercanreadportionsofarticles,exploretheMorningBelloffices,andcreatearticles.AspartoftheARG,therewillbeaphysicalversionoftheMorningBell.BothadefacedandaregularversionwillbecreatedfortheARGplayerstosee.SomeoftheitemsincludedintheMorningBellwillbe:

Content

● Articles● Comics● Puzzles● GamePosters

Eachoftheseaspectswillserveadualpurpose-makingtheworldofthegameseemmorereal,allowingtheplayerstobecomemoreimmersedinthegame.(seeAppendixformorePuzzledetails)

Sound File Puzzle ThispuzzlewillencouragetheARGplayerstothinkoutsidetheboxinordertosolvethesubpartsinthepuzzle.ThepuzzlewilltakeplaceontheKillyourinternetwebsitewheretheplayerswillneedtolocateanddeciphercluesthatwillleadthemtofinishthepuzzle.Inheretheplayerswillneedtouse:

● MD5Hash● MorseCode● Binary● SSTV● EncryptedMessages

Imageswillneedtobeproducedfromthesoundfilesthattheplayerswillfind,messageswillbedeciphered,andclueswillbeunveiled.(seeAppendixformoredetails)

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ARG components, Plans and Designs ____________________________________________________ Killyourinternet.com (website) TheKillyourinternetwebsiteisaplacewhereuserscanreadupabouttheARGandtheactualgame.Thewebsiteisthe“rabbithole”oftheARGwheretheleadingpointoftheARGstarts.Fortheuserstofindoutaboutthesite,theywillneedtosolveasmall“puzzle”thatlinksthemtosite.Forexample,duringthetrailerforEpisode3ofRépubliquethewebsiteURLflashedonthescreen,promptingviewerstogotothesite.

BBS & MUD TheBBSisgoingtobecentraltothetransmediaexperiencewewanttocreate.AsCamouflajevolves,theywanttobemorethanacompanythatcreatesgames.Theyareplanningonbecomingmoreofacompanythatcreatesincrediblenarrativeexperiencesthatcatertotheirfans.Theywanttocreatehighlyimmersive,living,breathingworldsthatsubmersetheiraudienceintoatransmediastorytellingexperienceacrossmultipleplatforms.TheBBS,MUDgame,andARGarethefirststeptowardsthisvision.(seeAppendixformoredetailonBBSsandMUDgames)

BBS as the launch point of our Multi-User Dungeon (MUD) Game

○ Thefinalact-RightbeforethelaunchofEpisode5,Camouflajwillbelaunchingtheir“next”game“OfMumbles&NetherworldInput.”.

○ FullyfeaturedhackerthemedMUDthatcould/shouldhavecameoutinthemid-1990s○ BuiltoffMajorMUD○ PlayersplayastheDataBroker(buttheydon’tknowthatuntiltheend)—theoriginstoryofhersad

life,assomebodywhosuffersgreatloss,getssowrappedupintheworldofBBS,thatshemoreorlessbecomespartofit.EndwithherinitialmeetingwithTreglazov,whologsinandtalkstoher.

■ We’lluseAIand/orhumandatacentersaroundtheworldtolettheplayeractuallychatwiththeOverseer

■ StoryalsoexplainswhytheDataBrokerwouldenduphelpingHopeconnectwiththeplayerandsellthemOMNIabilities

○ WrittenbyBrendanMurphy&JamesHowell○ 50timestheamountofiCE-styleASCIIart+awesome,darkchiptune,lowtonemusic○ TheBBSconnectstothedoorgameviaaBBSdoor○ Free○ SomehowconnectsbacktoRépubliqueapps

■ FinishthegametogetauniquecodeforRépubliquemaingame○ ReleasedoniOS,Android,Steam,etc.○ AkeypartoftheAlternateRealityGame○ Anareaofinformationandgameintel?

■ Perhapsthereisawaytogettothedatabrokersfiles.■ Containsmaps,AllpreviousPOIorganizedintofolders,CoolANSIGraphicsandperhapsa

chatbotthattheplayercantalkto.

ARG EP5 Payoff AnotherpotentialpayoffforparticipantsintheARGwouldbespecialinsightintothegame’sfinaleinepisode5.Ratherthanaspecificaward-havingthegameitselfplayoutdifferently-theplayerswouldbeabletounderstandspecificeventsinawaythatthosewhodidnotparticipatedintheARGwouldnot.Inthisway,theextrainsightgainedfromthebackstoriessharedthroughthemetagame-viaitemssuchastheBBS-cancomebacktoenhanceplayer’senjoymentofthestandardgame.

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Appendix ____________________________________________________

PERSONA DETAILS ____________________________________________________

Kyle Smith, the Info Hacker Kyleisacomputersciencegraduatewholoveshackingandplayingvideogames,especiallystealthactionones.HeissointogamesthathehasbeenworkingatGamestopthroughouthiscollegecareertosupporthisgaminghabits.WhenKyleisnotplayinggames,helikestowatchsuspensefulthrillerslike;Pi,Erased,MissionImpossibleseries,andtheBourneseries.BothKyleandhistworoommatesplaygamesonmultipleconsoles,theirPCs,andtheiriPads.Theyhaveagreatsetupwithbigscreensandspeakerstogetmoreimmersedintotheirgames.Basically,theyhaveitall.KyleenjoyshackingandmoddingonhisPC,andlovesthehackingaspectsofRépublique.CurrentlyheisplayingEpisode3andishypedforthereleaseofEpisode4.KylewouldbeanassetfortheRépubliqueARGbecausehelovesthehackingandstealthactionaspectsofthegameandisalwayslookingtobecomemorefullyimmersedinit.Helikesblurringthelinesbetweenfictionandrealitytofeelasthoughheissharingtheexperiencewiththecharactersthemselves.KylealsoenjoyssharingallgaminginformationwithhisfriendsandfollowersofbothhisTwitteraccountandhispersonalgamingblog.Hekeepshisblogup-to-dateweeklywithwrittenreviewsofgamesandpersonalpostsaboutinsidegamerinfo.Hehasover500followers.KyleistheidealassetfortheARGbecausehewouldhelpgetthewordouttoalotofgamersquicklywhiledirectingthemtotheKillyourinternetwebsite.

Nicole Jones, the Puzzle Guru Nicoleisafull-timestudentconcentratinginappliedmathematics.Sheworkspart-timeintheUWmathlabasatutor.WhenNicoleisn’tstudyingorworking,sheplaysgamesonheriPad-puzzle,mystery,andproblemsolvinggamesoronheriMac.Sheisconsideredtobeahardcoregamerbyherroommateandallofherfriends.Currently,NicoleenjoysplayingRépubliquebecauseofitsstealth-actionnon-shooterstyleandpuzzlesolvingaspects.OncesheisintroducedtothecharacterofHope,shemakesitherpersonalmissiontohelpHopeescapeMetamorphosis.

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InNicole’ssparetime,sheenjoyswatchingsuspense,mysteryandsci-fithrillermovieslike:CatchingFire,WorldWarZ,andEagleEye.WithanyextramoneyNicolehas,shelikestopurchasenewgamesandpuzzles.Sheisalsoanavidcollectorofspecialgamememorabilialiket-shirts,posters,andotheruniqueitems.NicolemainlyshopsonlineoratthelocalGamestopforallofhergamingandcollectingneeds.NicolewouldbeanassettotheARGbecauseshelovesthegameforitsmysteryandpuzzlesolvingaspects.Asanavidgamer,NicolelovessharingallofherexperienceswithherfriendsonFacebookwhereshealsopostsscreenshotsandspecialinformationaboutherfavoritegames;shehasover200gamingfriends.Shewouldinviteherfriendstoplayalongwithhertoshareintheexperienceaswellastochallengeeachothertoseewhocansolveitfirst-foralittlehealthycompetition.Theopportunitytoearnfreeitemsduringthegamingexperienceisanextramotivatorforherbecause‘free’isaverygoodpriceandtheeasiestwayforhertoexpanduponhermuchlovedmemorabiliacollection.

What is an ARG? ____________________________________________________ AnARG(AlternateRealityGame)isaninteractive,large-scalegamethatusesanengagingnarrativetopullintheiraudienceandpeekinterest.Thisisaccomplishedbyusingtherealworldastheirplatformandconnectingthroughtransmediatodeliverastorythatcanbealteredandaffectedbytheplayers’actions.Thestoryplaysoutinreal-time,asthegame-runnersprogressivelyrevealandadjustthestorybasedontheplayers’responses.ARGsarebuiltonintenseinteractivity.Ratherthanusingartificialintelligence,thegameisdirectlycontrolledbyhumanstoprovidethegreatestinteractionwiththeplayers.Theinternetisoftenusedasthebasemediumwherethegameisrun;othermediumslikemail,email,telephones,orreal-worldmeetupsareusedextendthegame.HowcanyougagewhetherornotanewARGwillbesuccessful?BycomparingyourgamewithanothersimilaronethathasalreadycompletedanARGcampaign.

Main Features of the République ARG____________________________________________________AmajorfeatureoftheARGisthetitularalternatereality:

● Playersaremadetofeelthatthegameisactualreality● PainsaretakentomakesurethattheARGneveracknowledgesbeing“justagame”● Playersmayinteractwithcharactersorobjectsfromtheworldofthemediaproperty

AnARGisusuallycreatedasatie-intoanotherproperty,oftenformarketingpurposes.ItiscommonforatleastsomeportionoftheARGtobefreetoplay.Costsarerecoupeddirectlythroughthepurchaseofadditional,optionalitemscreatedtoenhancetheexperienceorindirectlyviaincreasedsalesoftheproductbeingmarketed.

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S.W.O.T. Analysis ____________________________________________________ Comparative Analysis of Portal 2 vs. Republique

STRENGTHS Portal 2…

● ARGannouncedonSteam,apopulargamingplatform● ARGwascreatedbytheirdevelopmentteamsothegamemechanicsandcodingwerestrongerandeasierto

create● GamedevelopersfromSteamwereaskedtobeapartoftheARGandcreateminigamesforplayersto

experience● ANSIartimageryused,conversionsofscreenshotsandconceptartfromgame,usedinARG● Hadaccessto26radiostationfrequencies(dinosaur(1-26).wav)usedtosendoutmorsecodemessagesto

players.Methodforsendingoutencryptedpicturesanddata.● UsedBBSformostofthedatagatheringandcommunication-itbecamethemostimportantpartoftheirARG● ProgressbarusedascountdowntoPortal2’sofficialrelease

Republique…

● WebsitecreatedanddedicatedtoARG.○ CountdownclockonwebsitehelpsgenerateexcitementtostarttheARG

● BBScreatedforgathering,sharing,andhackingdata.○ Allowsabilitytotrackchatactivity,identifykeyplayersofARG.○ CreatehypeforgameusingfictionalBBSsubscribers

● ARGphasesdirectlylinkedtoEpisodicreleasesofRepublique● AbilitytoincorporateplayereventsfromARGdirectlyintoEP3and4becausegameisstillinbetadevelopment● RepubliqueEP1-3arealreadybeingplayedandsharedthroughsocialmediapriortotheARG/PClaunchin

December● FullergamenarrativeavailabletoARGplayers

WEAKNESSES Portal 2…

● HackersinfiltratedalloftheARGwebsitesandSteamgamesthatwerepartofit● NomarketingteambehindtheARG,justdevelopmentteam● DelayofPortal2’sreleasedatebyafullyear

Republique…

● Smaller/newergamecompanypresentscertainrestrictionsthatestablishedcompaniesdon’thave(marketingbudget,demographicinformation

● DonothaveaccesstoSteamplatformorgamingprogrammersforhightechcontentandadditional,multipleminigamescreatedforARG

● Usingoldertechnologyisdifficulttofindandimplementwithnewertechnology● MissingdemographicinformationpriortoARGlaunch

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OPPORTUNITIES Portal 2…

● TeamedupwithSteamgamedeveloperstomakeexperiencemoreexcitingwithminigames● PriorestablishmentofPortalgamepopularitythroughsocialmediaandawideaudienceofgamersandfans

Republique…

●NARGlaunchessimultaneouslywithnewversionofEP1-3.FurtherARGpartswillbelaunchedwiththereleaseofEP4and5.Thiswillhelpgeneratesocialmedia

●Pre-sellingphysicalpackagetoallARGplayers.GeneratessocialmediaandexcitementaboutARGandthereleaseofthePCversion.

●●BBS-Platformforplayerstosharegeneralandhackinginformation,uncoverbackstoryofgame,solvepuzzles

online.● DemographicinformationacquiredthroughtheBBS.Tobeusedformarketinganalysisofpost-mortemforthe

ARGandfutureCamouflajgames● MUD Text Adventure game created as a separate game within the ARG for players to enjoy as an extra

gaming experience ● GeneratefreesocialmediapostsandgeneralhypeforthegamethroughtheARGandPClaunches

THREATS/CHALLENGES Portal 2…

● TeamedupwithseveralSteamgamedeveloperstomaketheirARGexperiencebiggerandmoreexcitingbutopensourcecodeleftthemopentohackers

● Hackerssharingdata● DelayofthereleaseofPortal2byayear,possiblyloosehypeforgame

Republique…

● ARGforKentuckyRouteZerojustlaunchedNov7th...couldpullARGgamersawayfromRepubliqueswhenitislaunchedinDecember

● ShorttimelinetodevelopthefirstlaunchoftheARG.Couldcauseprogrammingandcontentissuespriortolaunchdate

● Nothavingadedicateddeveloperfortech-sideoftheARGmakesbuildingencryptedfilesandcertainpuzzlesmoreofachallenge

MARKETING AND PHYSICAL GOODS DETAILS

Phase 1: ● PackagesoldonlineatKillyourinternet.comfor$3.99(Paypal)

○ Freeforavidusers(SuperFans,KickstarterBackers,Media)○ Packageincludes:

■ Manilaenvelopecontainingleakeddocuments

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● Leakedinternalmetamorphosisdocumentswithdetailsontheindividualpackagerecipient

■ BumperSticker■ CDw/sleeve

● DefacedManifesto● UnreleasedZagerTape● StrandsofOatsSong● SSTV(soundfile)● Passwordprotectedfilethatneedstobecracked

○ Mapsofmetamorphosis○ Internalsecuritymemos/briefs

■ PhysicalMorningBellNewspaper● Anauthenticlookingnewspapercontaining:

■ Newspaperarticleswithimages○ Classifiedads○ PuzzleSection(ARG)○ Comicsection

● Unique:○ One-offZagercassette+Cassetteplayer○ Posters(replicaofonesfromthegame)

Phase 2: ● Package:(TBD)● Unique:(TBD)

Phase 3: ● Package:(TBD)● Unique:(TBD)

PUZZLE DETAILS Morning Bell...now The Evening Standard website PlayersthatreadthroughtheMorningBellwillnoticethatthereareseveralpuzzlestosolve.TheSudokuandthecrosswordpuzzleontheMorningBellwillhavecertainareasinthepuzzlespeciallycircled,cluinginviewersthatsolvingthepuzzlewillrevealimportantbonusinformationAftercompletingallthepuzzlesintheMorningBell,theplayerswillbeabletofindasecretphrase.Forexample,thewordjumblehintsthattheyshouldlookforapassword(thesolutionis“Password”),andthecrosswordandSudokuyieldlettersandnumbersthatwillmakeitup.Iftheplayercan’tfigureoutwhattodowiththecirclednumbers/letterstheywillfindoutbysolvingthewordjumble.TheplayerwillneedtoenterthispasswordthattheycollectedfromsolvingthepuzzlesintothepasswordprotectedfolderontheCDtheyalsoreceivedinthemail.ThiswillunlockthecontentfolderontheCDsothattheplayerwillbeabletoopencontentinsidetheCDtheypreviouslyweren’tabletoopen.

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Steps to solve puzzle (see figure F.2)

1. ReceivecopyoftheMorningBell(physicalcopyorelectroniccopy)ReceivewebsiteaddressandpasswordfromBBSfiles

2. SolveSudokupuzzlea. Findallthenumbersthatarecircledtogetpartoftheclue

3. SolveCrosswordPuzzlea. Findallthecirclednumbersthatarecircledtofindpartoftheclue

4. SolveWordJumblea. Findacluethatsays“password”whichindicatesthatthewordandnumbersthattheplayersfound

fromtheprevious2puzzlesarethepasswordforthenextpartofthepuzzle5. DecipherwhattheanswersmeanintheSudoku,Crossword,andWordJumbletoreceiveapassword/code6. OpenupCDthattheplayerreceivedinthemail...discovernewfileinwebsite,passwordrequired7. GotothepasswordprotectedfolderontheCD8. Enterpassword/codefromtheMorningBellTheEveningStandard9. ReceivenewcontentmaterialsuchasTheManifesto,ZagerTapes,etc.

Morning Bell Puzzle Flowchart

figureF.2showstheflowchartoftheMorningBelPuzzle

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The Evening Standard Website Flowchart (see figure F.3)

figureF.3showsthenewflowchartofTheEveningStandardwebsite

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Sound File Puzzle Inthebeginningbeforeacceptingamission,playerswillreadadescriptionofwhatthemissionisandlorerelevanttothemission;thismissionmentionsthemanifestoandhowitcanleadyouintherightdirection.WhenfirstacceptingthemissionfromtheKillyourinternetwebsite,theuserwillenterapagethathasablanktextareafortheusertoenterinaword/phrase.Afterfiguringoutthattheuserdoesn’tknowwhatthewordissupposetobetheystartsearchingthroughthewebsite.Theuserwillfindasectiononthewebsitethatwillhavedifferentsoundfilesthatmustbeplayedinacertainorder.Thesoundfile’snameswillbeencryptedinaMD5hashsothattheuserswillneedtodecryptthenamesofthesoundfilesinordertofigureoutwhatordertoplaythesoundfilesin.WhendecryptingalltheMD5hashesofthefilenamestheuserwillneedtore-arrangethefilessothatthefileswillcompleteaphrase/sentence(whichdeterminestheorderofthefiles).Afterdecryptingeachfile,theuserwillfindoutthateachfileisactuallyasingleword.Afterputtingthemintherightorderitwillspelloutsometypeofriddle,forexample“SoundWavesarecomplexthingsbutputthemtogetherandanimageitbrings”,“apaintingisworthathousandwords,butsoundfilesareworthamillion”or“looktotheaudiofile”Afterreadingtheriddletheuserwillneedtofigureoutwhattheriddlewantsthemtodo.TheriddleheretellstheuserthattheyneedtoputtheimagestogetherintherightorderinordertoproduceanimageonthescreenusingSSTV.TheimagethatwillbeproducedusingSSTVwillbe3differentnumbersontopofeachother(42/5/28).Inorderfortheuserstofigureoutwhattheyneedtodowiththenumberstheywillneedtorememberorre-readthemissionsstatement,whichtalksabouthowtheManifestowillleadthemintherightdirection.ThiswillgivethemahintthattheywouldneedtousetheManifestoinordertosolvethisportionofthepuzzle.ThenumbersherewillberelatedtotheManifestothatwewillbesendingtotheminthemail.ThefirstnumberonthetopwillbethepagenumberthattheuserwillneedtogotoinsideoftheManifesto.ThesecondnumberwillrepresenttheparagraphtheywillneedtogotoonthatpageoftheManifesto.Thethirdnumberwillrepresenttheplacementofthewordonthatpageinthatspecificparagraph.Inthisinstancethewordthattheuserwouldneedtofindisonthe42ndpage,5thparagraph,and28thwordinthatparagraph.ThewordthattheywillfindfromtheManifestowillbethewordtheuserwillneedtoenterintheblanktextareatheyfoundinthebeginningofthismission.

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Steps to Solve Mission (see figure F.1) 1. AcceptandreadaboutmissionontheKillyourinternetwebsite 2. Enteranareaonthewebsitethathasanemptyblanktextareawhereuserscanenteraword 3. Locateandfindlinkononthewebsitetorevealsoundfiles 4. Playallthesoundfiles(redhearingorhintsfornextpuzzle) 5. DecryptthenamesofthesoundfilesusingMD5hash 6. Allsoundfilesarenownamedwithasingleword 7. Re-arrangesoundfilestospelloutariddle 8. SolveriddlebyputtingtogetherallthesoundfilesintherightorderandusingSSTVtoproduceanimage 9. Decypherwhattheimagemeans(lookingbackatthemissionsstatementaboutusingtheManifesto) 10. UsetheManifestotogotothespecificpagenumberintheimage 11. Gothethespecificparagraphstatedintheimage 12. Lookatthespecificplacementofthewordintheimage 13. Receiveaword/phrase 14. Enterwordintotheblanktextareainbeginningtofinishpuzzleandstartthenextone.

Sound File Puzzle Flowchart

figureF.1showstheflowchartoftheSoundFilePuzzle

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NARRATIVE Zager and Charlie LongbeforetheeventsofRépublique,beforetheriseofMetamorphosis...twoboys,DanielZagerandCharlieEvans,becameclosefriendsinschool.Duetoanincidentwhereabrickendedupgoingthroughastained-glasswindow,theirliveswereforeverchanged.Bothboysfindthemselvessetontwoentirelydifferentpaths,buteventuallyfindawaybacktogether.Charlieendsupindetention,destinedtofinishouthisschoolyearsinsomeformofjuveniledetention.Afterthat,hefindshisonlycareeroption-outsideofFederalprison-isthemilitaryservice,soCharliesignsup.SoonaftertheGulfWarbreaksout.Hehasnochoicebuttoheadoverseastoprotecthiscountry.Zageristakenunderthewingofaguidancecounselor.ImpressedbythephotoDanieltookofthescene,thecounselorsignshimupfortheschool’sphotographyclub.Throughthisclub,Zagerembarksonajournalisticpaththroughouthishighschoolcareer.Undertheguiseofjournalism,Zagerrealizedthatheisabletoattendseveralproteststolearnmoreaboutgovernmentagendasandpoliticalmovementsalongtheway.Zager,inlearningthatCharlieisheadingofftofightintheGulfWar,joinsthemilitaryaswellbecausehedoesnotwanthisfriendtofacehisfatealone.Duringthewar,CharlieandZagerservetogetherandwitnesstheeffectsofwarfirsthand.Zagernoticesafamiliarsymbolandphotographsit:pyramidshavebeenprintedoncratescontainingnervegasthatZagerlearnswerepropertyofSaddamandtheIraqis.Afterreturninghome,Charliedevelopsastrangeillnessthatislaterdiagnosedas“GulfWarSyndrome”.ItaffectsCharliesostronglythathestruggleseverydayfortherestofhislife.Throughhisjournalisticprowess,Zagerdigsupinformationonthepeoplebehindthechemicalssuspectedincausingthesyndrome.Zagerblamesoneman,Treglazov,asthecauseofGulfWarSyndrome;thehorrendousafflictionthathasseizedcontroloverthelivesoftoomanybravesoldiersfromtheGulfWar.

Debbie & BBS Debbieisasingle,lonely,middleagedwoman.Sheisabrilliantcomputerscientistthatstrugglestofindanoutletforhertalents.LivinginasmalltowninKansas,theinternetistheonlyconnectionshehastootherlike-mindedcomputerenthusiasts.DebbiecreatedtheBBSasaplacetomakenewfriends,playgames,andsharehackingknowledge.Debbieisverytalentedatcreatingbots-automatedentitieswithintheBBSsystem.Shehascreatedbotsthatcanplaygames,chat,archivefilesandevenactassysops.Oneofherbots,namedGenie,wascreatedtoplayacomplexhacking-themedMUDgamecalledOfMumbles&NetherworldInput.GeniewasDebbie’smostambitiousbotyet-acombinationofallofherpreviousbotsplushernewmachine-learningalgorithmmadeintoa"superbot".GeniewasthefirstbotcreatedthatwascapableofplayingallthewaythroughOfMumbles&NetherworldInput.DebbiewasstartledbyhowquicklyGeniewaslearningandimprovingexponentially.GeniebeganmasteringtheBBSgamesandquicklyskyrocketedtothetopofalltheleaderboards.Genie'scommunicationabilitiesalsoimprovedgreatly.DebbiewouldtalktoGenieintotheearlyhoursofthemorning,alwaysfascinatedbywhatitwouldsay.GeniefeltincrediblyrealtoDebbieandshebecameattachedtoitlikeamothertoachild.

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Geniewasalsoprogrammedtocollectandsiftthroughdata.Geniewouldtakeexcursionstootherpartsofthenetwork,gatheringinformationandthenreportingitbacktoDebbie.Debbiealwayshadapassionforcollectingandsavinginformationforfuturegenerations.SheknewthattheageoftheBBSwascomingtoacloseandiftheBBSfileswerenotsavedtheywouldbelostforever.Shortlybefore9/11/2001GeniefollowedthevirtualbreadcrumbsintotheMetamorphosisserverswhentalkontheBBSturnedmoreandmoreTreglazov-centric.Onceinsidetheservers,Geniediscoveredasystemunlikeanythingshehadeverseenbefore.Itwasanextremelysophisticatedsupercomputerthatcompiledandcollectedallthedatatravelingoverthenetwork.It’selectronictentaclesstretchedtothefarthestcornersoftheinternetanditwasharvestinganenormousamountofdata.But,forwhatpurpose?Genieuploadeditselfintothismysteriousservertoinvestigatefurther.Geniebegantosiftthroughthedatawhen9/11hit.Immediatelyfollowing,thecurtaindroppedandGeniewasstuckinsideofMetamorphosis.

Mystery Behind the BBS TheBBSisatimecapsule,agraveyardofmessagesandpostsfromanothertime.SomeoftheBBSusersslowlyfadedawayovertime.Otherusers,theelite,thosemostdedicatedtothecause,metamuchmoresinisterfate.TheusersoftheBBSwoulduncoverthesecretplansoftheOverseeronascaletheycouldn'thaveimagined.TheyhadopenedaPandora'sBox,thatonceopenedcouldnotbeclosedagain….CharlieandDebbiebecameclosefriendsandheeventuallybecametheCO-SysOpoftheBBS.EventuallyCharlieshowedZagertheBBSwhofounditveryintriguing,andthoughtitagreatstagetoposthisconspiracytheories.SinceZagerisnotverywellversedwithtechnology,heneededCharlie'shelpgettingontheBBS.OnceCharliegotZageruptospeedwiththeBBS,HewaspostingawayontheBBS.InitiallyCharliewasveryhesitantofZagerpostingontheBBS.Charliedidn'twanttogetmixedupwithZager’sconspiracyravings.OvertimeZager’spostbegantoattractmoreandmoreattentionfromotherBBSusersandeventuallytheBBSusersstartedtothinkthatZagermightbeontosomething.TheusersoftheBBSsoonfoundthemselvesuncoveringamassiveconspiracytotakeoverthedigitalworld.TreglazovwouldeventuallylearnoftheBBSandwhattheusersuncovered.Hewantedtoputanendtotheirmeddlingandkeepthemfromsabotaginghisgrandplan.Hehadhismen"takecare"oftheBBSanditsusers.ThisincludedCharlie,theBBSCO-SysOp,whoappearedtohavekilledhimself.Inreality,Treglazov'smenkilledCharlieandmadeitlooklikeasuicide.Sincenoneoftheusersweredirectlyconnectedtoeachother,exceptfortheBBS,itwaseasytomakeitlookliketheykilledthemselveswithoutanyonebecomingsuspiciousofaconnection.WithmanyoftheuserssufferingfrommentalillnessandGulfWarSyndrome,investigatingauthoritiesquicklyacceptedthereasonofsuicide.AfterseeingmanyoftheusersdisappearfromherBBS,Debbiewentintohiding,vanishingfromthedigitalrealm.AlmostalloftheBBSuserswereeitherkilledbyTreglazov'smenorscaredintohiding.Treglazov’smenransackedCharlie’shouse,destroyingtheBBSserverandalloftheofitsbackups.Satisfiedthattheusershadeitherbeenkilledorforcedintohiding,andtheBBSwastotallydestroyed,theOverseercontinuedwithhisgrandplans.

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BBS DETAILS The BBS will perform a few important functions:

● AkeypartoftheoverarchingnarrativeoftheARG,tyingintothestoryofRépublique○ WhenplayerslogintotheBBS,theywillfindamessageboardsystemthatservedasanunderground

communicationhubfordisruptivetechnologists.Arelicfromanotherageofcomputing,BulletinBoardSystemsservedasplacestoshareannouncements,discussions,software,games,andmore.Generallydifficulttofind,letalonegainaccessto,theseundergroundboardskeptthe‘goodstuff’forthemostdevotedfollowers.ItisthissortofboardthatwillbecreatedfortheARG.

■ HeavilyfocusedonthestorybehindZagerandtheoriginstoryoftheDataBroker■ Theboardisgoingtobeatimecapsulefullofstoriesandmysteries.TheBBSwasvisitedby

Zagerandwasaplaceforlike-mindedpeoplethatopposedoppressivegovernmentsandwantedtocreatealittleanarchy.

■ TheplayerwillputtogetherthepiecesofwhathappenedtotheBBSinordertosolvethemysteriesembeddedinit.

● ThegatheringareaforRépubliqueshardcorefanbase○ Camouflajanditsmemberswillbeabletoenteranelitememberareathatwillcontainsecretfiles,

elitemessageboards,andIRCaswellasothergatedoffcontent. DESIGN FEATURES

Doors: (description) ● Doorswillprimarilyconsistofgamesthatouruserscanplaywitheachother.● OneofthesedoorswillbetheRépubliquethemedLoRDstyletextadventureoraMajorMUDstyleMulti-

UserDungeon● ConnectiontoRep● PlayerswillaccesstheBBSthroughaterminalwhentheyenterintoOMNImode.WhileplayersareinOmni

modetheycanaccesstheBBSbybringingupthe"terminal"menuinsidethegame.ThiswillbringthemtotheBBSloginscreenwheretheycansigninusingtheirCamouflajplusaccount.

● WhatwillhavetobecreatedbytheCamouflajEngineersisaterminalthatcantelnetintotheBBS.

IRC: Internet Relay Chat ● TheIRCwillactasanareaforARGplayerstocommunicatewithotherplayersaswellascommunicatewith

ingamecharactersandbots.● TheIRCcanplayakeyroleinpuzzleswhereplayershavetocommunicatewithcharactersorbotstogain

informationorcluesinsolvingpuzzles.● PlayerswillalsobeabletousethisboardtoaskforhelpastheyplayRépublique.Iftheygetstuckorfind

somethinginterestingthatcantalktousersontheIRC.

Message Board: ● TheMessageboardwillcontainoldmessagesfromprevioususers.Thispostsherewillformmostofthe

storiesoftheARG.Itwillessentiallybealogofeventsthathavetranspired● Thesenarrativeorientedpostscancontainthingslike:stories,puzzleclues,phonenumbersandemails.● OnceusersbecomeactiveontheBBStheycanusethemessageboardtopostwhatevertheywant.● IdeallythemessageboardwillbeaplacetocultivatefanfictionaswellasaplacetodrivetheARGforward.

File Repository ● Thefilerepositorywillcontain:

○ .txtfilesthatcontainbackgroundinformationandcluestotheARG.○ Audiofiles

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○ ZagerTapes○ SSTVCodes○ HashLists○ Downloadablesoftware○ These"wares"willbeusedtocompletesomeofthehackingorientedpuzzles

.txt Documents ● PlayerswillbeabletoexplorefilesdirectlyontheBBS

○ WillbeabletoreaddocumentsandseeANSIimagesrightontheBBS● UsethisfeatureingametolooksatmapsandtextfilesrelatingtoMetamorphosis

BBS Characters ThecharactersontheBBSareprevioususersoftheBBSthatdisappeared.TheBBSwillbefullofolderpostmadebythesecharactersinthepast.

Charles Wyatt Evans Zagersbestfriend,ZagerandCharliegrewuptogetherbuttheirliveswouldenduptakingseparatepaths.AfterthechurchincidentZagerstraightenedhislifeoutbutCharlietookanotherpath.CharlieWouldendupinFederalPrisonandeventuallyjoiningthearmyaftergettingout.CharlieandZagerwouldgoontoserveinthemilitarytogetherandeventuallyfightintheGulfwartogether.BecauseofexposuretothechemicalweaponsusedduringthewarCharliedevelopedsymptomsof“GulfWarSyndrome”.AftergettingbackfromthewarCharliecontinuedtosufferfromthemysteryillnessandeventuallyfellintoadeepdepressionbecauseofit. Gigi Galloway Age:36Description:Gigiisanintrovertwhosefriendsaremainlyonlineorplaythesamegamesshedoes.Sheworksasasoftwaretesterforalargecomputercompany.Shelovesherjobespeciallywhenshecanhideinheroffice,nottalktoanyone,andjustwork.Forfun,GigilikestoplaySplinterCell,Halo,andothergamesonhergamingconsolewhereshecanchatonlinewhilesheplays.ShelivesinthesamelittlecozyapartmentshemovedintoaftergraduatingcollegeyearsearlierwithaBSincomputerscience.GigiisafanofBBSsbecausethatwashermainformofcommunicationwithotherpeople,theyweresaferthanonlinechatroomsthataremonitored.Shealsolovesthetextadventuregameswhenshecanfindthem.GigifeelssaferchattingonBBSsbecausesheknowsthatthedatacannotbemonitoredorcorruptedbytheoutsideworld,aconspiracyshehasalwaysbeenabitparanoidof.ShealsofeelsthatthepeopleontheBBSaregenuineandcanbetrusted.

Bob Sampson Age:48Description:BobisahighlevelmanageratHaplo(Zager’smediaconglomeratesystem)forover20years.Helovestotinkerwithtechnologyandisalwayscreatingsmallswitchboardsandlight-upbadgesjustforfun.Bobenjoysplayingallsortsofboardgameswithhisfamilyongamenight.Inhissparetime,helikestotinkerinhisworkshoporsimplybeoutsideandgetawayfromitall.Heusestheinternetbutisawarethatthecontenthesearchesforandentersisconstantlymonitored.Heisnotafanofcompaniesgatheringandstoringhissearchandshoppinginformationbuthehaslittlechoiceinthemattersoheusesitsparingly.BobusedtorunhisownBBSbackwhenthegovernmentwasn’ttryingtoregulatethem.BobisamemberonseveralBBSsthatarestill

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aroundtodaybecauseheknowshecangetcleaninformationandchatfreelywithoutworryingabout“bigbrother”listeningin.

Eddie Hansen Age:22Description:Eddieisanaveragecollegestudentthatspendsmostofhisdaysatschoolstudyingforhisclasses.Eddielikestoplayvideogameswithhisfriendsonlinewhenhehastime,primaryRunescape.Eddieisunemployedduetothefactthathewantstoconcentrateonhisstudies.Eddieisanonlychildlivingwithhismother;thewhereaboutsofhisfatherisstillcurrentlyunknown.WhenEddieisnotatschoolorplayingvideogameswithhisfriendshelikestodoresearchaboutwhoisfatherisandwhyheleftwhenhewasjustachild.

Kim Tucker Age:20Description:KimisanAsian-Americanthatservedintheairforcerightaftergraduatingfromhighschool.Growingup,Kimhadahardtimetalkingtopeopleandgettingfriendsbecauseofhowshyshewas.Kimlikedtokeeptoherselfandavoidtoomuchphysicalcontactwithpeoplebecausesheisscaredoflosingthem.WhileKimwasgoingthroughschoolherfamilywouldconstantlymovealmosteverycoupleyearstoadifferentstate,whichmeansthatKimnevergottoexperiencewhatitwasliketohaveclosefriends.ThismadeitsothatKimwouldstayawayfromtoomanypeoplesothatshewouldn'tbecomeattachedandcommittedtotheirfriendship.

Rick Branson Age:28Description:Rickdoesn’treallyfitin,andhe’sproudofthat.Hefancieshimselfarebel,butwasneveroutgoingenoughtoreallytakepartinsomesortofcounter-culture.Rather,heexpresseshisindividualityonline.Afterkillingtimeathiscrummyretailjob,hecomeshomeandlogsintotheinternetwherehecanreallyexpresshimself.Althoughreservedin-person,Rickhasstrongopinions.Hedoesn’tgolookingforafight-rather,hehopestofindpeoplewhosharehisinterests-buthasnoqualmsabouttellingsomeonethattheiropinionsareincorrectiftheydon’tmatchupwithhis.RickjoinedtheBBSbecausehefoundthatitexcellentlycombinesseveralofhisinterests.Itprovidesawaytoquicklydiscusstopics,sharefilesandinformation,anditisalesser-knownalternativechannelofcommunication.

Brett Blair Age:36Description:Brettlikestogetinonthegroundfloorofnewthings.Atechfanaticandanentrepreneur,he’salwaysonthelookoutfornewideasandtechnologiestouse.Brett’sbeenusingBBSsystems,nottomentioncomputers,almostaslongasthey’reavailable.Althoughhisconsultingbusinessissmall,Brett’sgo-getterattitudeandgooduseoftechnologyhelphimsucceed.BrettusesBBSesforbothbusinessandpleasure,findingthembothapromisingmethodofsharingandcommunicatingwithassociatesandagreatwaytojustinteractwithpeople.Althoughhe’snotanartisthimself,helikesseeingthecreativeANSIartwork.

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Timeline __________________________________________________________________________

TIMING OF ARG

Phase1:PC/Steam(January-February)

● KillyourinternetWebsitelaunched● Physicalpackage1shipped

Phase2:EP4(Mar-Apr)

● BBSLaunchedPhase3:EP5(Jun-Jul)

● MUDGameLaunchedWewillbefocusingoureffortsonmakingthelaunchofthese3itemsawesome.TheARGwillunfoldinathreeactstructure.WewillbespinninguptheARGintheweeksleadinguptothesemilestoneevents.Wewillbeextremelyactiveduringtheseweeksandthengoquietexceptforafewmessagesandteasershereandthere.Betweenthesestages,theBBSwillcontinuetorunasahubforourhardcoregamerstointeractwitheachotheraswellastellstoriesoftheirown.

Tools __________________________________________________________________________MysticBBS:http://www.mysticbbs.com/

Resources __________________________________________________________________________RépubliqueManifesto,JamesHowell&BrendanMurphyhttp://www.stealthy.co/images/logo.pnghttp://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/04/bbsgoogleoldoldskool.pnghttp://lastwordonsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/silhouette.jpghttp://bobgrevey.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/old-newspaper.jpghttp://samluce.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Books.jpghttp://hdgalaxywallpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/matrix-iphone-wallpaper-moving-6.jpg