Lonelygirl15

[janesalteredstates]

Edited out all the stuff I totally agree with...

[ShardinsKitten]

[Loki]

[FallingIntoSin]

So I totally agree with Sphinx and Lad but I'm going to add my own two cents in (beware it may be jumbled because I SO should be sleeping).

This is my first ARG and since I had no clue what the letters ARG even meant when I first started playing, I spent a bit of time researching past ARG's online and tried to get a feel for exactly what this type of game entails. The one thing I noticed WITHOUT FAIL, is that every one of the Puppet Master’s stayed behind their curtain until the game was complete, then they got their fame. These PM's knew, going into the ARG, that not getting the fame/recognition until the end was part of the deal and even though I'm sure they wanted to come out, they didn't. Staying "hidden" is just one of the unfortunate aspects of the job, it sucks, but you deal and hopefully you deal because you care more about the game them the fame...and well, even if that's not true, you stay hidden because that's how the game is run.

Our PM didn't stay hidden. Perhaps he had his reasons, perhaps he needed the money, perhaps he saw the great opportunity to join the LG creators, perhaps he wanted the fame, perhaps a big green alien from space came to him and told him to become unhidden, perhaps he promised a dying friend on this death bed he'd come out...whatever, the reasons don't matter...the fact is the curtain is gone, the game has lost it's mystique, and frankly I think that if the PM/player interaction doesn't cease, this ARG will become nothing more then a harsh lesson to all the other PM's on what NOT to do. I mean, It’s kind of hard to write a sexy email to OpAphid when you know that instead of some sexy vixen responding to your emails, it’s really a man with a beard and honestly, that part of the “mystery” may truly be ruined forever…but I think with good damage control, perhaps even that can be reversed.

The forums are dying, the IRC is dying and disappointment mars almost every chat lately. It's no fun to play a game when thinly veiled "hints" of when the next drop is going to come (or not come) are being given out. We should have a game that's so alive, so kicking, so rocking that we have way to much to do then to just log in when rumors of a drop come and to log out when it's been postponed and we shouldn't need the PM to tell us this or hint at this. We should be too busy figuring out puzzles, interacting with characters, finding drops to even think about interacting with the PM in an OOG way. A lot of people say they are here for the game and I hope that's true, perhaps if our PM went back into the shadows we'd see if that was true.

I miss the old game, with the PM was nothing more then a Bot. As a counselor, I'm always reminded not to break that boundary of counselor/friend and I think the same way there's a reason why the boundary of PM/Players should not be broken. You can't be both a PM and a friend, just like I can't be both a friend and a counselor to my clients. And when you break the PM curtian it becomes harder and harder to observe and respect those boundaries.

Anyway. Rereading this it seems a bit harsh and I don't make it sound like I don't appreciate all the PM has done, because did make something out of nothing and I know it's taken a lot of hard work, he's done an excellent job with so many of the videos and puzzles. I just hope he realizes how fragile this ARG is at the moment because I know none of us want to see this great community get pulled off of life support.

So here's to hoping for some kick-ass puzzles and drops in the upcoming weeks in true old-fashion ARG style
_________________
I fall down, a lot.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
OpAphid Angels Unite!
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"Men think if women are grabbing and clawing at each other there's a chance they might somehow you know... kiss." --Jerry Seinfeld, on the appeal of Catfights

[Ziola]

Falling,

I agree with what you are saying and I don't think that it sounds harsh at all. You made some excellent points and have brought up things that I had forgotton at this point.

Well said, dear.

[Loki]

Try as I might, I cannot seem to come up with a single excuse to defend the PM of this ARG... as much as I want to, and as good as I am at such things.

The selling out bit, well, that's easy to excuse, maybe he needed more resources. But the subsequent relative abandonment of the ARG? Inexcusable. No question.

I began watching the forums, and the ARG back around the time that lg15 was revealed as a "fraud" on YT. I watched CiW for awhile, and I glanced at Op vids from time to time. But now... I make the decision to start actively participating, only to find that I've missed the main event.

Whatever happened to that girl OpAphid?
_________________
A trickster god with a modern twist.

Everything is not as it first appears.

Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost. -- Aleister Crowley

[FallingIntoSin]

[surrealisticpill]

wow.... this used to be a thread about a video.

[mourningbelle]

It seems like the blame for pulling back the curtain (or whatever you want to call it) is being firmly placed in the PM's hands, and I don't think that's right..

If I remember correctly, the first people to officially "out" the PM were a group of posters from Anchor Cove. And it wasn't as if he started messaging people on irc or youtube saying "Hi, my name is Glenn, and I'll be your friendly PM today". In every case I know of, the players have reached out to him in some way, whether it be for clues or hints or just to say hello and maybe talk about something non-meta.

I'm not trying to point fingers at any of the players, and I'm sorry if it's coming off that way. I don't think that anyone can be specifically blamed for this.

On the idea of the arg being "on life support", I agree that it's been.. Slow. To underestimate. Perhaps I'm being too forgiving, but I genuinely think that the "wait!" we've been getting as of late is acutally going to lead up to something.

It seems so harsh to be left out of the loop, not knowing what's coming next. I think that over the last two months of 2006, all the puzzles and videos came at such a quick pace that we didn't have a real chance to consider the contents fully before the next part came out. We all became so emotionally involved in the story at that point that now, being left in the dark waiting for something, we're all feeling a little like we've been dumped without a good reason. It's not you, it's me.

I do have faith that the game will continue soon enough. Wasn't the extreme let down of CIW part of the reason this game was created in the first place? I don't believe that the PM would leave us hanging out to dry like that.
_________________
Dust on the window
The sun's darkened angle
Write your initials with mine
At this time tomorrow
I'll be just one day closer
One sunset further behind

[FallingIntoSin]

[ladron121]

I'm not going to say anything about the PM. I will say that anyone who has "meta" chats with a PM about the game they are playing is breaking the 4th wall dynamic of any ARG.

My official bottom line is there is no more OpAphid. There is the ARG aspect of LG15. And because it has changed, so has the game. Now we are going to have to wait longer periods of time for puzzles, and have shorter periods of time to solve them because they need to keep their video release schedule. That is going to always be more important to them than the game. The characters from OpAphid have become as diluted as the LG characters, and their interaction with us will be on the same level, which is only when it allows the story to move forward.

[bethy]

Here's something to consider, something that I think got missed yesterday.

They're in the LA area again....



On the way to pick up Alex, they drove by the Santa Monica Toyota...which makes a lot of sense if they were driving to LAX from Malibu.


Here's a map of the location of the Santa Monica Toyota


That's the exact route I would take if I were going to LAX from Malibu. In fact, I've often done that very thing when I've wanted to avoid the 405. I head over Malibu Canyon to the coast from the west valley and down to Santa Monica, taking Lincoln past the Marina. It's a longer drive...but easier than the freeway during rush hour.


Now, if Bree went with Tachyon,is it safe to assume that Tachyon picked her up? They said Bree took off within 2 hours...that's not enough time for Tachy to drive south (we assume Alex lives in Malibu, I guess) from her usual stomping grounds up north.


We know that OpAPHID is in LA...so I guess it's safe to assume that Tachy is also in LA again.

[bethy]

OH!!!!


And yeah...the ARG is basically pooped out...big time.


I said this a long time ago...okay, it was only a month ago, but it seems longer...in the PM Revealed thread:

[ladron121]

Good job w/ the screencap bethy! However, travel hasn't always been a big problem for the characters in LG15. Jonas drove from Ukiah to the Los Angeles area to pick up Bree when he first became involved. That is easily a 10+ hour drive. And since Tachyon is always moving, she could have just been in the area when she picked up Bree. j

Who knows anymore. If the drops are in LA again, we have plenty of Jr. D.R.O.P. members ready to go I'll sit back and get drunk w/ everyone else. Its good to be the boss

[Nieriel.Manwathiel]