Institute Organization

The game was definitely planned. I think that the creators first thought of what they wanted the players to do, and then the job was to find a way to relate these actions to an overall narrative. For example, from the beginning of the Institute, the creators would think, "Wouldn't it be interesting to give players a map with instructions on how to leave a place by evading security. It would give the game a hook by making it have a spy mission sort of feel," and then they would figure out where in the overreaching plot narrative it would make sense to place this step.

The first chapter of the Institute I would consider a type of prologue, where the signs were posted to lead the players to the induction room. I call this a prologue because it happens before people know they are part of an ARG. The real first chapter begins the moment players step foot within the induction room. Watching the video on the Jejune Institute serves as exposition, the beginning of the their journey into the ARG. People are naturally very curious, so this video on the history of a supposed cult would strike the interest of many who made it this far. The props used in this chapter are the most important, because they set expectations for what the rest of the game will be like. The use of the map and encouragement to blindly follow directions lets players know what will be expected of them in order to get the most out of the game. It was also important that the actors in this section of the game, such as the receptionist who gives the key with the map, are 100% in character. The game would fail if the facade was already crumbling before the game even started.

Things I Noticed About The Institute

Three things that I noticed after watching The Institute, these were the things I thought were the most striking and really stuck with me after viewing:

• It took place in a very urban setting, and because of the emphasis on street art and the original ads posted around the city, it needed this setting to function. It would not have worked as a well in a suburban or rural town. 
• The video was very bright and flashy, lots of trippy looking graphics and photos were used through the movie, especially in the beginning. It is very disorienting. 
• It really tries to emphasize the blurring of real and fiction through the story it is telling. It is set up so that the viewer really isn't even sure if this was a game or if it was really happening, especially with the use of real people interviews talking about their experiences. 

Fictional Character Outline

My fictional character's name is Madeline. She is a psychic/medium who owns a business in Morgantown, where she does seances, palm readings, and Tarot card readings. She is very secretive about her personal life outside of her work; even though she has many loyal customers who come to see her at least once a week, many of them don't even know her last name.

I haven't decided on her back story yet. I'm not sure how she ended up in Morgantown, but this is definitely not her hometown. I'm trying to think of an interesting twist for her history, like maybe she is on the run from someone. There's definitely a reason behind her secretiveness and her affinity for the paranormal. I want to tell the story of her past, with some event setting it into motion so her entire life in Morgantown crumbles because the truth has come to light. I'm hoping I can find a way to work her psychic/medium skills into it as well, so that her business isn't just a hobby but a part of her identity.

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2nd Halting State Response

I really enjoyed reading this section of Halting State. It was interesting figuring out how Sue, Elaine, and Jack all fit together in working to solve the crime. I have become a lot more comfortable with the 2nd person perspective now, at this point in the book I barely even notice it.

In some sections of dialogue, I feel like I have no clue what is going on because it goes way overboard on the technology descriptions. I think the book has to walk a fine line between conveying the super high tech futuristic world  the story is set in, while still keeping the reader interested and not totally overwhelmed by unfamiliar jargon. Personally, I would get lost in some descriptions of the technology processes and immediately start skimming the page for the end of the dialogue.

Also in this section, I had to get used to shifting back and forth between the characters in the real world, and also their actions as avatars in game space. It reminded me of the movie Inception, with the action taking place in different levels of reality.

I really like this book so far. It's interesting  because I feel like the plot isn't entirely too far-fetched, and could actually take place in the not so distant future. I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion of the book, and figuring out the mystery of the robbery and Nigel MacDonald.

Halting State - First Response

Only 32 pages into this book, and it is already one of the most interesting (and slightly confusing!) things I have ever read!

This book is very unique in the fact that the chapters switch viewpoints between different characters. You have to pay very close attention to the heading at the beginning of the chapter to know whose viewpoint you are experiencing. Also, the book is unique because it is written in the 2nd person -- meaning the main pronoun used is "you." It was slightly difficult to adapt to this idea, for example, in the first chapter the reader is in Sue's shoes, and is experiencing everything from her point of view, with "you" meaning yourself being Sue. It's a really interesting aspect, and definitely a hook to get people to pick up the book.

So far, Sue's story is the only one that I really have a grasp on. I'm not quite sure yet on how Elaine and Jack fit into the story, because the information given in their chapters doesn't really relate at all to the summary on the back of the book which only talks about the story we are given in Sue's chapter. I'm looking forward to figuring out how all these puzzle pieces fit together!

Hello!

Hi everyone!

I'm Ashley Wentz, and this is my blog for my English 303 Multimedia Writing course. I'll be using this blog to respond to different topics from our class as part of our assignments. I'm looking forward to making a lot of posts here through the semester!