Chronopolis: the Chrono ARG

[Licawolf]

Excellent, excellent.  I have a couple ideas to add.

One element that I believe would really enhance the gameplay would be creating the appearance that the user has actually made a minor change to the timeline.  The easiest way to do this would be to have a few fake websites for fictional organizations ready to go online at the drop of a hat.  Once some task has been completed, ta-dah, it exists.  The next missions the user would receive would then involve either investigating the new organization(s), or changing the timeline back to a state that doesn't host the new powers.  Once they undo their timeline blunder, ta-dah again, they get a 404 error every time they try to go to the website after that.  Obviously, this plan would only work for teams of users working together in the game.  It wouldn't be worth it to create and take down a website repeatedly for every individual user that played.

I like the idea of the websites that start existing or stop existing based on the outcome of the missions. Maybe missions should  have deadlines, maybe agents can only complete a mission until a certain date and after that time the mission is no longer available. If enough people finished the mission in time then it's considered succesful and it would affect the timeline for all the players (causing the websites appear or dissapear, or changing the news uplink in the homepage).

Looks really cool, but I can not figure out what it is? Can you explain it to me.

It's an idea for a web-based game about Chronopolis in which players play the role of "Chronopolis agents" and complete missions involving Time Traveling (sort of like mini-games or puzzles related to the Chrono series).

[CuyahogaRiver]

Thats really creative! I would love to play! I can not wait to see the finished project!

[tushantin]

Licawolf, could we have an SVG version of those vectors too? The format is widely supported and is OpenSource. Just sayin'.

[alfadorredux]

Just one note: if you're exporting SVG from Adobe Illustrator, please make sure you uncheck a couple of options (very last sentence in the top linked paragraph) to guard against subtle reimport compatibility problems.

[hiddensquire]

Ok then, here are the things this project needs if it is ever going to get off the ground and into Zealian skies:

• 1-3 people with at least passing skill in web development.
• Consistent, non-contradictory principles of time and dimensional travel.
• Writers to invent missions for agents (players).
• Writers to invent a bunch of crazy and fun fictional organizations that can pop into existence at a moment's notice.
• Amateur actors who can pretend to be members of the aforementioned organizations and amateur photographers to take pictures of them.
• Spare web space to put ad-free websites on.  I can provide some of this at no cost.
• You.

Step right up and volunteer even a small thing, or watch the dream fade into obscurity.

Edit: Oh yeah, and Zeality said he'd be granting bounty points to people who made significant contributions to this project, if that means anything to you.

[Licawolf]

Here it goes the SVG http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QXBG8JVN

@alfadorredux: I unchecked all the options, I'm not sure if that's what you meant.

I can take any photograph needed (unless you want photos of the real actors xD i can't go there in person), and anything that can be done with phototshop, illustrator... I would love to help the writers with ideas for the organizations and missions (maybe everyone can cooperate with that, brainstorming for ideas?).

EDIT: I'm going to try to coax my brother into helping with this, he's a programmer(though I'm not sure how versed he is with HTML and CCS), and he's very good with flash and actionscript .

[Kodokami]

Writers to invent missions for agents (players)... Writers to invent a bunch of crazy and fun fictional organizations that can pop into existence at a moment's notice.

Yes!

Consistent, non-contradictory principles of time and dimensional travel.

Ah, fuck.


Joking aside, I'm up for this.

[alfadorredux]

Let's break down the purely technical side of this a little further.

Tracking information--"agent" data and the state of various challenges--is going to require a database to be glued into the main site using PHP or similar. If we already have the database, it should be possible to patch in code that activates and deactivates the auxilliary websites automatically based on whatever criteria we set (assuming an Apache-compatible server, modifying an .htaccess file is probably the easiest way). It may be possible to do this with a CMS such as Joomla! or Drupal, but that might also be more trouble than it's worth. (On the gripping hand, a large part of the purpose of CMSs is to allow people to edit the content of a site without having to mess with the code, which might be to our advantage...)

hiddensquire, do you have any idea what the capabilities of the server where you're offering webspace are?

Anyway, that's the backend. For the most part, it will communicate with the frontend only through PHP and possibly Javascript. Creating the frontend will require people with HTML/CSS, Javascript, and possibly CMS template knowledge as well as writers, designers, etc. One thing: I would advise avoiding Flash as much as possible, as security-conscious people often block or uninstall it.

(I'm capable of coding PHP, HTML/CSS and--under duress--Javascript and some limited Flash stuff, but I have way too many projects on the go right now and I'm not sure how much time I would be able to give to this one. I might be of more use as a writer/editor, anyway.)

@Licawolf: The problem options are "Preserve Adobe Illustrator Editing" and "Optimize for Adobe SVG viewer" (IIRC, they're in the save/export dialog somewhere). If you unchecked those, perfect. If not, the file can still be hand-corrected in a text editor (SVG is an XML-based format), so no real worries.

[Licawolf]

  I would suggest everybody to check out some some documentation about ARGs, here's a good list of resources and examples.

Also, I think it may be a good idea to ask for help too to the ARG communities like the Unfiction forums, they give guidance and support to this kind of projects.

Maybe this thread would be better at Kajar Labs... since this is not just a fanart  anymore 

[hiddensquire]

@alfadorredux: I understood about 80% of what you said there... I can tell you that I get my hosting from mister.net, and that they support the stuff found on this page (I'm using the "Free" plan).  There is definitely database support because I have installed and used forum software on my website before.  I was planning on using domain masking to hide the fact that all the websites of these various fictional organizations are actually on the same website.  Running all this information through a database would definitely be pretty slick and sweet (and I do like the automatic activation/deactivation idea), but not strictly necessary.  I mean, how much information would we really be asking from users?  We could always have them send information to a dedicated e-mail address which multiple people working on the project would have access to.  Not using a database would also eliminate your Flash security concerns, yes?  I would prefer the database option myself; requires more manpower to set it up, but virtually no manpower after that, whereas running everything through humans might be more of a hassle.

@Licawolf: I will check that out, thanks.

[tushantin]

No Flash? HTML5 FTW!  .... If someone's willing to code/design using that, that is.

Okay, the technicality's all well and good, but what would the theme be? ARGs are incomplete without some story, and a story requires a theme. It's the mystery that draws the people in to the game. We also need to construct a fictional world, with fictional characters and elements. Belthasar? Perhaps four to twelve of his "Agents" helping the players out? A mysteriously absent Hero, thus heroism being taken up by the players? A secret "villain" mastermind that only shows up near the end or halfway through?

How about possible scenarios? Certain companies and organizations being mysteriously wiped out (or being killed/destroyed) as the story progresses? New leads and clues? Ciphers and codes? Hackers? Impossible situations and mysterious messages? Perhaps aliens?

[Licawolf]

I agree with tushantin, we must have in mind all the technical limitations and possibilities, but I think the plot and the characters should be developed first. All the fictional companies, their designs, the missions and games should be derived from the plot, and not the other way around.

we need writers here... xD

[hiddensquire]

Licawolf, I read a bunch of stuff on that unfiction forum; seems like most of their games require you to be a web-head and/or cryptographer, which seems... unfun... to me.  I mean, sure, I'm technically minded enough to be able to solve those kind of puzzles, but it just seems like a lot of unnecessary work.  More importantly, a lot of our potential players will NOT be that technically minded.  I can definitely see some people getting a real kick out of it, but not everyone.  Furthermore, it would not be realistic for Chronopolis to use those kinds of puzzles as a form of security, since basically anyone with the right technical skills can crack it.  You would have to be insane to think those kinds of puzzles are secure... which gives me an idea.

Someone can play the role of a former Chronopolis agent who has lost his marbles and gone rogue.  He's the type of person who WOULD use those kinds of puzzles.  Solving his mystery(ies) can be an optional mission for the people who are actually interested in cryptography and such.  For anyone interested in playing that role, I recommend you do visit that website Licawolf mentioned.

Still trying to figure out what form other missions might take.  And yes, I also agree on plot development being a priority.

[ZeaLitY]

I'll gladly advise on the principles of time & dimensional travel. Keeping CE's internal logic fluid was really something.

I'm going to read about ARGs and post again later. This could be such a lifeblood explosion. We could also probably get hundreds of participants with a little word of mouth, we maybe we should plan for big capacity.

[hiddensquire]

Let's not forget that the Compendium itself is a ready resource for story plots, and I'm not just talking about the fanfiction.  Between what was established in Chrono Cross and Crimson Echoes, I'm pretty sure everyone has a decent working idea of what Chronopolis is like.  No sense in reinventing the wheel here, right?  We're just making a wheel into a really, really awesome wheel.