OpAphid FAQ/Q&A Thread

tigerlilylynn · Post by **tigerlilylynn** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:33 pm

Please use this thread to ask any questions about the game, characters, plot, strategies, what have you. Also feel free to PM me with questions if you'd rather not ask on the forum.
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Disclaimer from TWJ:
OpAphid is the official alternate reality game of Lonelygirl15. We encourage every one to participate in this exciting new avenue of interaction with the Breeniverse. For those of you unfamiliar with the concepts behind an ARG, we invite you to read this article on the Wikipedia for more information.

Please bear in mind the following information. All the sites featured by OpAphid will be public locales. At no point will the personal details of any of the creators, production staff, actors, and/or crew of Lonelygirl15 be considered to be "in-game". This ARG will never compromise their privacy. We ask that all participants use discretion, common sense, and courtesy in this regard.

Thank you and have fun!
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New to ARGs? New to OpAphid? Let me show you around.

First, a summary of the story so far:
http://www.lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2769

Are we all back? Good.
ARGs, Alternate Reality Games, play with our sense of what's real and what isn't. For example, past puzzles have lead to receiving phone calls from characters.

Terminology

TiNaG: This is Not a Game. The ARG motto
Read up here:
http://www.argn.com/archive/000247this_ ... osophy.php

IG: In game. These communications are to be as if the game was 100% real.

OOG: Out Of Game. Also called Meta. These are normal posts to the boards. Characters can not read them.

PM or Puppet Master: The creators of the game.

The Curtain: Behind the Curtain, you know...Wizard of Oz.

Puzzle tools:

Anagram engine: (there are many)
http://wordsmith.org/anagram/

Binary/Hexadecimal/Base64
http://www.paulschou.com/tools/xlate/

Morse code:
http://morsecode.scphillips.com/translator.html

Rotation Ciphers:
http://www.unfiction.com/resource/rot-it/

Vigenere Cipher:
http://makcoder.sourceforge.net/demo/vigenere.php

Chat Rules
We have an IRC Chat room #operationaphid
Rule 1: On topic when work needs to be done. When no clues need solving...whatever.
Rule 2: Basic human decency shall prevail at ALL times.
Rule 3: As needed.
Rule 4: Abusers of the watcherbot or sparklebot shall be summarily disembowelled by the ops.

Are you new to IRC? Need a refresher course? Well then read here: http://www.lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3170

Drop Rules By Shifty & Ladron
OK, so you wanna go on a drop? Wanna run around in the dark at 3am in the middle of nowhere looking for a small white envelope? Well there are some rules, well now more rules since we all think its a good idea for group drops. Anyway, here they are, and let me know if I missed anything:

1) LET US KNOW YOU ARE GOING! - the last thing anyone wants is to send someone out for a drop, only its not there. Because you already got it and didn't say anything! Get on the forums, get on the chat, and let us know you plan to go! Then confirm you are going!

2) GET AN OPERATOR! - find someone and give them your cell phone number. Get their cell phone number. Make sure they are on the chat when you leave, and that they will stay there until you have the drop. Call them when you need them, and especially when you arrive at the drop site. You have no idea how helpful a room full of OpAphid fans can be, especially when you are at the drop site and have no idea what you are looking for.

3) BRING A FLASHLIGHT! - everyone should have one, duh!

4) NO HATS! - take it from the guy who knows

5) MEET WITH YOUR GROUP AWAY FROM THE DROP! - you should all arrive at the drop site at the same time. So meet somewhere close, but not at, the drop. That way you can prep the camera, flashlight, maps, whatever. Plus introducing yourselves would be nice.

6) ALL DROP RETRIEVALS MUST BE RECORDED! - no exceptions! You will put it all on video. Not just you with the drop, not your just opening the drop. You walking up to the site, you searching for the drop, you pulling the drop out of the deepest, darkest hole they could find. Then record you opening the drop, and removing all items. Photograph all items, and all important marks and writings. Then post it on YouTube and the forums ASAP. OpAphid WILL ask you for it herself if you procrastinate (again, from experience).

7) SLEEP! - again, duh! The chat people can wait until morning/afternoon to start peppering you with questions.

AND ABOVE ALL ELSE IS SAFETY! - the PMs are not going to put the drop anywhere that is hard to get to. You are not going to have to climb up a wall, run across a freeway, fight rabid dogs, or break into anywhere. So don't. If you feel unsafe when going for a drop, don't go. Let us know and someone else can come get it. Put your safety above all else.

YouTube accounts
Core: (these characters are active)
OpAphid:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=OpAphid

Tachyon:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Tachyon

Brother (10033):
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=10033

Ipod Opera members: (these characters aren't yet active and may not activate)
OperationAphid
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=OperationAphid

Saint696
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=saint696

RustyBug
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=rustybug

Warpylol
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=warpylol

Jimmyjm
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Jimmyjm

jamesdoof
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=jamesdoof

avasta
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=avasta

ihearthevoices
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ihearthevoices

lolm3n
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=lolm3n

kapjatokbe
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kapjatokbe

Supplemental Fan Vids: (drop recordings and recaps)

arche28
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Arche28

ladron121
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ladron121

noava22
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Noava22

LordCel
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LordCel

watchingopaphid
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=WatchingOpAphid

tigerlilylynn
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tigerlilylynn

pcxl
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=pcxl

iconologia
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Iconologia

Ask your game questions here. We're here to help.
Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart.

silvermoon · Post by **silvermoon** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 2:04 pm

OK, I've watched the videos, I've read the teminology, and I'm starting to back track through the forum.

My question is: Is there anywhere else that I need to peruse? Should I go browse the repsonses to the videos, is there any old forum, etc. that I should look at? Or is everything of real importance in the forum posts?

romanceismusic · Post by **romanceismusic** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:40 pm

everything of real importance is on the forums

silvermoon · Post by **silvermoon** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:43 pm

Thanks!

tigerlilylynn · Post by **tigerlilylynn** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:49 pm

silvermoon wrote:OK, I've watched the videos, I've read the teminology, and I'm starting to back track through the forum.

My question is: Is there anywhere else that I need to peruse? Should I go browse the repsonses to the videos, is there any old forum, etc. that I should look at? Or is everything of real importance in the forum posts?

That's great for now. Romy is setting up a massive FAQ and if anything's been missed it will be there. ^_^

TheFatLady · Post by **TheFatLady** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:56 pm

Thank you! Thank you!

JenniPowell · Post by **JenniPowell** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:35 pm

You know, this is so great for everyone involved...because who knows what tasty morsels will come out of that FAQ that might have been skimmed over the first time around. I've never been so excited about a FAQ in my life!

kelmeister · Post by **kelmeister** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:22 pm

Hi...long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've been following a lot of what's been going on here on the boards, but since I came late to the party I've not tried any of the puzzles or chats or anything. I have a question, though. As I've been following things, the YouTube aspect has become more and more labyrinthine. There are so many responses to videos, and then responses to the responses. PCXL? NikkiBowerReport? Iconologia? I guess my question is: who are the important players? Who should I be paying attention to? I've got 15 subscriptions going at present.

Thanks, kelmeister

tigerlilylynn · Post by **tigerlilylynn** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:27 pm

kelmeister wrote:Hi...long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've been following a lot of what's been going on here on the boards, but since I came late to the party I've not tried any of the puzzles or chats or anything. I have a question, though. As I've been following things, the YouTube aspect has become more and more labyrinthine. There are so many responses to videos, and then responses to the responses. PCXL? NikkiBowerReport? Iconologia? I guess my question is: who are the important players? Who should I be paying attention to? I've got 15 subscriptions going at present. Thanks, kelmeister

kelmeister · Post by **kelmeister** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:32 pm

Wow, that was fast! Thanks so much, I've got a few more things to watch.

deagol · Post by **deagol** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:33 pm

kelmeister wrote:Hi...long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've been following a lot of what's been going on here on the boards, but since I came late to the party I've not tried any of the puzzles or chats or anything. I have a question, though. As I've been following things, the YouTube aspect has become more and more labyrinthine. There are so many responses to videos, and then responses to the responses. PCXL? NikkiBowerReport? Iconologia? I guess my question is: who are the important players? Who should I be paying attention to? I've got 15 subscriptions going at present. Thanks, kelmeister

Well so far the only canon caracters are OpAphid, Tachyon, and 10033.
About fan/documenting videos, I think tiger's are just right:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?u ... erlilylynn

Dannie717 · Post by **Dannie717** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:05 pm

Ok, I've read "The Story So Far" and a lot of other stuff in this OpAphid forum and the lgpedia but I still don't really understand some things...

-What's the point of the drops? What are they, anyway?
-What's the point of this arg, what is everyone trying to do?
-and who is "brother" and how does everyone know all this stuff and I don't??

haha I probably sound so stupid, but I really have NO idea what everyone is talking about over here.

Thanks

tigerlilylynn · Post by **tigerlilylynn** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:13 pm

Dannie717 wrote:Ok, I've read "The Story So Far" and a lot of other stuff in this OpAphid forum but I still don't really understand some things...

-What's the point of the drops? What are they, anyway?
-What's the point of this arg, what is everyone trying to do?
-and who is "brother" and how does everyone know all this stuff and I don't??

haha I probably sound so stupid, but I really have NO idea what everyone is talking about over here.

Thanks

1) The drops contain clues that have moved the plot forward. Drop one gave us the name of the agent and her youtube account. Drop 2 told us her thoughts on Aphid and Thelema. Drop 3 was a little warning to Op and some help for the new spies (read: Players). Other clues from the drops will be put together later as some aren't solved yet.

2) ARGs are, to a degree, make it up as you go along and almost always are figure it out as it comes at you. Where we stand now the game is The Order's militant branch, OpAphid, is out to keep secrets secret and preserve the ceremony amongst other things. Tachyon and Brother are set against OpAphid but we know little else.

3) Brother is an agent working for the same group as Tachyon and has been playing dumb in monitored communication. We know little else

The games been going on for over a month so we've gotten this info slower and in a more digestible form. If this all had happened in under a week we'd all have passed out with nosebleeds, I'm sure of it. ^_^

kalika · Post by **kalika** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:57 pm

Let me jump on the confusion bandwagon and have a seasoned vet confirm my suspicions?

So Tachyon is the person that broke into Op's "information gathering facilities" on the 28th. I noticed that Tachyon's "I gotta get out of here" video and OpAphid's, "go check the park and make sure we didnt' miss anything" video were both released on October 28th, which makes sense. (see, i did my homework! I'm trying!)

Are the drops supposed to be things she's taken from OpAphid's and is leaving for Brother, but forum members are getting to it first? Are the forum member's that retrieve the drops all on OpAphid's side?

Here's the confusion, I know it's not a game and all, but if the OpAphid people are keeping these things from getting to brother, do we assume that brother can't look on line and see all the discussion about it?

Are threre forum members that are on Tachyon's side that are trying to get to the drops too before OpAphid's people?

Tigerlilylynn, you're so patient with the newcomers, thank you for that! I'm so impresed with all you peeps for figuring so much of this out!

~kalika

tigerlilylynn · Post by **tigerlilylynn** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:16 pm

kalika wrote:Let me jump on the confusion bandwagon and have a seasoned vet confirm my suspicions?

So Tachyon is the person that broke into Op's "information gathering facilities" on the 28th. I noticed that Tachyon's "I gotta get out of here" video and OpAphid's, "go check the park and make sure we didnt' miss anything" video were both released on October 28th, which makes sense. (see, i did my homework! I'm trying!)

Are the drops supposed to be things she's taken from OpAphid's and is leaving for Brother, but forum members are getting to it first? Are the forum member's that retrieve the drops all on OpAphid's side?

Here's the confusion, I know it's not a game and all, but if the OpAphid people are keeping these things from getting to brother, do we assume that brother can't look on line and see all the discussion about it?

Are threre forum members that are on Tachyon's side that are trying to get to the drops too before OpAphid's people?

Tigerlilylynn, you're so patient with the newcomers, thank you for that! I'm so impresed with all you peeps for figuring so much of this out!

~kalika

In Tachyon's vid she mentions also a courier. That day there was confusion as to if she meant brother, us or a third party. We still aren't clear. The story says these things were accidentally left behind. In fact, the clues left verified her id which she would have prefered Op never get.

The second drop was for Brother but we got there first. The third was for us and contained a warning for Op and their side.

Now we come to the great debate of ARG's: In Game vs Out of Game
On unfiction's site it's forbiden for puppet masters to use info from the board for the characters. As in the baddie can't read the board and disown their double agents. We think this board is OOG and only the in character boards are ingame. Any messages left on the youtube accounts are IG but responce videos like mine are seen as OOG.

So far both sides are working together which is how most games are run. But this isnt' most games since it looks like we may be split anyway (I'm not pleased with this since secretiveness isn't my bag, baby). Noa, Arch, Lad and Luv have picked up drops so far. I think 1 is on tachyon's side and 2 are ops with the last unknown so it's fair game thus far and we always share. (sharing is caring and moving the story along)

Thanks ^_^

Lonelygirl15

OpAphid FAQ/Q&A Thread

OpAphid FAQ/Q&A Thread

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