FAQ
From ILB
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So what is this all about?
We are playing a type of game called an Alternate Reality Game ARG(which is explained below.) This ARG is a mystery. The ilovebees.com website (http://www.ilovebees.com/) is seriously screwed up. Players are trying to figure out what caused the changes, why, and what it all means (which turns out to be a complex, twisty story). Much has been learned so far, and much more has been speculated.
Are all of you people insane? Don't you all realize this is (a hoax | a marketing ploy | Microsoft's attempt at world domination | your mom | etc.)? OMGWTFBBQ?
If you see people who are responding to all of this ilovebees stuff as though it were real, chances are they just playing along. In general, people are stupid, but not that stupid. If, however, you are one of those who believe this isn't a game and that ai from the future have crash landed on ILB, then I'd be happy to give you the extra-double-secret tinfoil hat for a mere US$500. Contact me for my PayPal info.
Um, ok, so what's an ARG?
Short explanation:
An ARG is a non-linear narrative told by the characters simultaneously, like the famous sextet in Verdi's Rigoletto. Virtual, fictional characters exist in a virtual, fictional world but interact with the "real" (i.e., physical, tangible) world in various ways, primarily through contact with the players.
The players unearth the story and help propel the narrative by watching for updates of the websites that contain the virtual world, solving puzzles, and interacting with the characters. The degree and manner of interaction varies according to the story, but may include for example: chats, IMs, playing games such as chess or euchre, phone calls, packages in the mail, meeting to get information or going to "drop" locations, etc.
Long-ish explanation:
An ARG is an evolution of role-playing games. You know, Dungeons & Dragons (http://www.wizards.com/) and all that stuff. Originally these games were made so that people had a framework within which they could pretend to be characters in a story and tell the story together. When an event in the story occurred that required luck or chance (or if two people disagreed about what should happen next in the story), dice were rolled and rules were applied to resolve the issue. Some folks really, REALLY liked the idea of pretending to be these characters and participating in these stories, and sorta took it to the next level with LARP (live-action role playing). Instead of sitting around a table with a bunch of books, paper, and dice, they decided to act out their roles in the stories they create, often in public. Think of it as making a movie with no cameras. If you see a big group of Goths in a park in a major city in the middle of the night, chances are they are actually LARPing Vampire the Masquerade (http://www.white-wolf.com/Games/Pages/VampireHome.html)or, possibly, they are lost and looking for a dance club that still plays Bauhaus. Hard to go wrong with either guess. Now there are ARGs, which are sort of the next turn of the crank on these formalized versions of "let's pretend". In ARGs, the players often (but not always) are just themselves, not characters, although people running the game frequently pretend to be something they're not. It's the game coordinators' job to let people think they've stumbled into a "real life" mystery and get them to try to figure out what's going on. This is often in the context of telling a larger story, just like earlier evolutions of role-playing games discussed above, but since the players are just being their own curious selves, it adds to the immersion and makes it seem more "real". If you like movies and are intrigued by the ARG concept, see The Game (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/) with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, which is a serious movie about an ARG (or is it?), or, if you prefer comedies, The Man Who Knew Too Little (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120483/), in which Bill Murray thinks he's playing an ARG, but he isn't.
Other ARG resources:
- What is an ARG? (http://en.wikipedia.org/staticwiki/Alternate_Reality_Game)
- How to play an ARG (http://www.unfiction.com/dev/tutorial/)
ARG communities:
- ARGN (http://www.argn.com/) and Unfiction (http://www.unfiction.com/)
- Immersion Unlimited (http://www.immersionunlimited.com/)
- Cloudmakers (http://www.cloudmakers.org/)
Wow - why would someone go to all the expense and trouble of running an ARG for a bunch of strangers?
Sometimes it is to promote something. Sometimes creative people who like to make games make them for people to play, simply for fun and not to promote anything. This game is related to Halo 2 - however, that doesn't mean it's simply a marketing ploy and not a fun game. Check the Cloudmakers link above; they had a lot of fun with their ARG (called "The Beast" by some), and that was essentially a way to generate interest in the movie AI (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720/). Read the unfiction forums about this game, players are talking to ai from the future, solving puzzles, specing about what is happening, thinking philosophically, arguing, joking and basically having a great time. If you are still in doubt,check the some of the other ARGs currently being played on the unfiction forums, they are all a lot of fun.
What about this site - is it part of the game?
Nope, we're just a group of avid players that want to help out the community, and this site is our tool for doing so. You can read more about us and our wiki here.
So... why are you helping me by answering all of these questions?
This wiki is meant to serve as a community resource for new and existing players alike. The more players there are out there, the more interesting the speculation and discussion is - not to mention that as the player population gets larger, the community's ability to solve Puzzles and Mysteries gets much better. We want you to be a well-informed player too!
So I can play, too?
Of course! Check out the Quick Start section of this wiki to get involved.
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