A little late, but I think the plot has a lot more potential (and certainly is more logical and realistic) now that Who Sees What.... is well defined.
I would agree. I'm sure there will be some tweeking and what not with this format. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
It certainly would have saved me about a million posts, innumerable phlaminings, and a lot of time... But hey this IS an interactive experience isn't it
But I like your millions of posts (even your most critical ones). And all this time, I thought YOU were the interactive element, cG.
I hope you realize that I suck.::The finest satire is that in which ridicule is combined with so little malice and so much conviction that it even rouses laughter in those who are hit.-Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
I don't like it because it asks us to suspend our belief even more. How could Bree miss a video public on her own webpage? Plus, I don't really want to pick sides, I like to flip flop depending on who's winning (and whose videos are cooler.)
I agree that making videos from the order with an encryption that we have to figure out is a good idea, because then everyone who enjoys Tachyon's and Oppy's encryptions will have something to work on (anything to get another hit ,) and everyone whose head spins when they try to figure out these codes will only have to wait five minutes.
I'm absolutely cool with the new format now that I see it. I like it because it isn't that different. No one ever quite caught on to the "a fan created this webpage" thing, so it isn't as shocking to see supposedly private videos here as it would've been in the early days when this series was still very based in You Tube. We've already had to imagine that the characters can only read what's written directly to them in their respective forums, so it's not that much harder for me to imagine that they can't see the Order's videos posted up here.
I like how the creators introduced this new feature with an Order video. We've never seen a video from the Order, so it's easier to understand why we're suddenly seeing one of their private videos. Instead of breaking down the 4th wall, the creators are admittedly building one up, and it's a bit disconcerting, but the format makes it fairly seamless. Characters are still posting their own videos and manipulating information for their intended audiences. The new video is especially exciting because the intended audience aspect is a wild card now. I am not certain who within the Order is transmitting this message to whom. I can no longer assume that the audience is me. I don't even know who I am when I'm watching these things! I LOVE it! The new format retains most of the innovation from the old format, enhances dramatic possibilities, and throws new challenges at what seems to be a pretty smart audience. I don't think this will be turning into a typical TV teen drama anytime soon.
Kokeshi wrote:Can I tell Purple Monkey or Owen about the videos via Myspace?
The Owen and P. Monkey myspace accounts are fan run, not official, so I don't think talking to them there would be forbidden (or influence the storyline).
At first I had my misgivings as to how this all would be run..I didn't want it to be some huge change that people were going to constantly complain about. Now that I see it in action, I do like it. I like how we no longer have to guess at who sees things, if someone knows something or not and all that stuff. We're already digging into every video as far as we can, now that we don't have to worry about who sees what, things may be a bit clearer.
watch the sun
as it crawls across a final time
and it feels like
like it was a friend
if its watching us
and the world we set on fire
do you wonder
if it feels the same?
Slackey4318 wrote:I completely agree with garnet on this. I understand the concept. And I understand that we are being asked to suspend belief (more so), but I agree that I can't suspend belief this much. I agree with garnet....I can't pretend to believe that The Order (who has remained a secret organization with people all over the globe and in high places) can't figure out how to hack (so they can watch) a video encrypted by three kids!
The creators went ahead with their private vids, but they were posted by The Order . . . so the poster wouldn't have to worry about The Order hacking them. Lol. I love it.
Gawd, I posted this late. Takes awhile to read through 10 pages!
It's like typical RPG... if two people are having a conversation about someone, especially in private, not everyone is privy to knowing the content that was discussed in that conversation. Not everyone has "super human hearing" or godlike prowess, or even in this case, "mightier than thou" computer hacking skills.
It's to give us more insight on each character's thoughts and beliefs, and their methodology/reasoning for what they might do next.
But like any rpg game, I think you, The Creators, should find a viable way to distinguish between which videos are "private", as in, meant for only that character, and whomever that vid is intended for, and which is fair game to openly talk about in game.
I agree with Linc in using different point of view perspectives, such as from a security camera cleverly hidden away from sight, or even not so cleverly hidden, like at a hotel, a convenience store, etc. Something to define that difference.
It's like watching a Shakespearean play; for example, listening to Juliet devise a plan to fake her death. Romeo, whom of course, is in the dark about this (as is everyone else in the play) eventually hears she is dead, and buys the poison from the apothecary. We'd love to tell Romeo of Juliet's "plan" as soon as we hear of it from her own lips... but that was a conversation just between Juliet and another character. We were not actually there. Lighting tricks, sets and scenery are used to help with that "illusion" that the pair are speaking alone. No one else overheard her plan, and hence... tragedy ensues.
You wouldn't jump out of your seat in a theater, run up to Juliet, and tell her "Honey, hold that thought, let's go see Romeo!", would you? Or if you were a character in that play, either Capulet or Montague, would you barge in on the apothecary while he's talking to Romeo, trying your best to prevent him from buying the poison, and spilling your guts about what you had just heard? Fact is... how -did- you hear of Juliet's plan? Were you actually -there-? Nope. Remember... it was just the TWO people.
In a rpg sense, it's like how a story teller focuses upon your character, and tells you "Ok, we're in a cavern somewhere, there is no form of life around for many leagues... you have found a precious object, and this is the ability it gives you." I've been to games where, even though it was explained that, even though the players heard the conversation between the storyteller and the gamer, they can't take that information and use it in character, all of a sudden "knowing" that this one character has such a special object and ability. In some cases, it's metagaming, or cheating.
I agree with what CoquiDave said about the breach of passwords and "uncovering" information... but it shouldn't happen so often that it becomes redundant, predictable, and unrealistic.
It's called dramatic irony. When the audience knows more than the character, but we can't shout out "Romeo, she's not really dead!" or, "Bree, OpAphid is evil!" that's dramatic irony.
This medium is lacking in it. I think the private vids were an attempt to address this, but I would rather have seen the creators play up different devices which, I think, compensate for the lack of dramatic irony.
I would like to see the creators focus on devising shifts in the intended audience and presenting multiple perspectives. I would also like to see some creativity in coming up with more and different devices to get at the different perspectives.
Musique wrote:...You wouldn't jump out of your seat in a theater, run up to Juliet, and tell her "Honey, hold that thought, let's go see Romeo!", would you? Or if you were a character in that play, either Capulet or Montague, would you barge in on the apothecary while he's talking to Romeo, trying your best to prevent him from buying the poison, and spilling your guts about what you had just heard? Fact is... how -did- you hear of Juliet's plan? Were you actually -there-? Nope. Remember... it was just the TWO people...
...I hope I'm making sense.
Thanks to your analogy musique, it makes perfect sense to me!
this is a good idea because i have a hard time always understanding what it going on since i'm not playing, really. this is a good way to catch me up and others like me up.
Catching up is far too hard; even when I was there in the beginning.
maybe, we could also make some videos only seen to those here who are "opposed to the HoO" (I mean, you can see it by our posts where we stand) and some videos only seen by those who are "supporters of the HoO";-).
I don`t know if that is possible, though, because everyone still needs to be able to follow the plot and maybe to be able to take one side or the other. But maybe, some videos could be done so (some special videos, I mean - where we, the opposed people, share clues with the characters or weher the supporters share clues with each other)...
Anyway, it would be cool if it was because one of my friends already asked: If the HoO is also present in the forum, don`t they all know what you know who want to help Bree and fight against it?
And I have to say this was a very logical question..
,) and everyone whose head spins when they try to figure out these codes will only have to wait five minutes.
