Road Rally conceptualizationizing
Aug. 26th, 2007 04:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
essentialsaltesI spent the better part of yesterday and today scouting locations for "Save Our City". I was demoralized to learn that a couple locations that I scouted not that long ago... just aren't there anymore. Including one that I already had a puzzle built around. Unbelievable. I want to plan the game well in advance, but by the time December rolls around, probably half of my clues will be demolished and replaced by Starbucks. Ah well, that will just add difficulty to the game.
Now since a fair fraction of my players are probably reading this, I'm not going to go into any detail about locations and such, but I'm going to throw open some conversation here about what a road-rally/scavenger hunt/get-to-know-your-city/fun event/experience should be. Some of you have taken part in some of the other events run by outside strangers (fear them!) and have some experience - help me benefit from your triumphs and frustrations. What worked? What didn't?
I've seen a few webpages recounting pretty hardcore events where it appears to be taken for granted that you will know semaphore and be able to decode a two-dimensional array composed of two separate messages, one rotated 90 degrees from the other and laid on top each other. Despite my reputation for deviosity, I don't plan anything remotely that ridiculous.
Something I want some particular feedback on is resources available to the players. I'm of two minds. One hemisphere says "Players should have nothing but a car, a Thomas Guide and their own wits." But the other hemisphere worries that people will 'cheat', making use of WiFi, navigational systems, books, and NSA cryptography servers.
That hemisphere wants to allow people to use whatever resources they may have. But then the first hemisphere says that the playing field won't be level. In ChronoAgents, my team stopped at the library to Google up some information, but what if people are Googling on their mobile gizmos as they cruise the streets? Will victory go to the team with the most toys?
Currently, my two hemispheres have a delicate entente, under which all tools will be allowed to the players, but both of my hemispheres will be taxed to come up with puzzles that can't be cheaply solved with Google.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
notjenschiz will probably scoff at the idea of Google being rendered impotent, but I am sanguine that my deviosity extends at least that far.
Anyway, let loose your opinions! About that matter, or anything else relating to "Save Our City".
Ok, quick mini game. Click the link to see a picture - look at for five seconds and click back, and then answer: where (and when) was it taken?
Photo
Oh, sure, none of you will be taken in by my feeble ruse. But I still think it's amusing. +712,351,462 points to anyone who can actually locate the position from which that picture was taken.
ETA: Best. (Cat-)Toy. Ever.
Now since a fair fraction of my players are probably reading this, I'm not going to go into any detail about locations and such, but I'm going to throw open some conversation here about what a road-rally/scavenger hunt/get-to-know-your-city/fun event/experience should be. Some of you have taken part in some of the other events run by outside strangers (fear them!) and have some experience - help me benefit from your triumphs and frustrations. What worked? What didn't?
I've seen a few webpages recounting pretty hardcore events where it appears to be taken for granted that you will know semaphore and be able to decode a two-dimensional array composed of two separate messages, one rotated 90 degrees from the other and laid on top each other. Despite my reputation for deviosity, I don't plan anything remotely that ridiculous.
Something I want some particular feedback on is resources available to the players. I'm of two minds. One hemisphere says "Players should have nothing but a car, a Thomas Guide and their own wits." But the other hemisphere worries that people will 'cheat', making use of WiFi, navigational systems, books, and NSA cryptography servers.
That hemisphere wants to allow people to use whatever resources they may have. But then the first hemisphere says that the playing field won't be level. In ChronoAgents, my team stopped at the library to Google up some information, but what if people are Googling on their mobile gizmos as they cruise the streets? Will victory go to the team with the most toys?
Currently, my two hemispheres have a delicate entente, under which all tools will be allowed to the players, but both of my hemispheres will be taxed to come up with puzzles that can't be cheaply solved with Google.
notjenschiz will probably scoff at the idea of Google being rendered impotent, but I am sanguine that my deviosity extends at least that far.Anyway, let loose your opinions! About that matter, or anything else relating to "Save Our City".
Ok, quick mini game. Click the link to see a picture - look at for five seconds and click back, and then answer: where (and when) was it taken?
Photo
Oh, sure, none of you will be taken in by my feeble ruse. But I still think it's amusing. +712,351,462 points to anyone who can actually locate the position from which that picture was taken.
ETA: Best. (Cat-)Toy. Ever.
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-28 12:34 am (UTC)Aaron's because it had plenty of creative opportunities.
Yarden's for it's tricky "go here and then while there look for a _____", or even better, things like "go here and on your way write down how many _____ you see".
Aaron also had plenty of tricky stuff... like the stupid Space Ivaders alien in the street median!!!!! Basically, I would love a rally that was deviously tricky, but consistently gave you forgiving shortcuts to get you back on track (though you lose the points you would have gained).
A half-way point for the game is a MUST! With a mini party. And it's gotta be someplace OTHER than the starting or ending place.
Taking photos is cool, but it makes the endgame judging process SO tedious and time consuming.
Finally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE driving. And I love going places that invlove tricky drop offs and parking ( or rather avoidance of parking). In Aaron's game, I loved driving downtown cause it's crazy and you can never park without a fee, so you get inventive. And you do a lot of Chinese fire drills. Love those....
no subject
Date: 2007-08-29 02:59 am (UTC)Would you care to elaborate? Why is it necessary? What purpose does it serve? What sort of place should it be... (in December)?
no subject
Date: 2007-08-31 12:21 am (UTC)Where? A place that is big enough, and public enough. Big so that everyone fits. Public cause unless you book a banquet room, you want to be able to allow players to arrive unhindered. A large cafetieria-style restaurant like Philippe's french dip downtown. Or a open air order at the window place like Pinks on La Brea or Eat-A-Pita on Fairfax.