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The Black Watchmen: Beta Begins, Initial Stats Revealed
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The Black Watchmen team has sent word that the beta has officially started and interested players are invited to sign up as a tester on the official site. In addition, the team sent along an interesting infographic to show off some of the stats from the beta so far.
Find out more about The Black Watchman and sign up for the beta on the official site.
Comments
Is it a MMORPG? Is it a mobile game? Is it just a co-op RPG?
I don't know these things anymore because MMORPG.com is everywhere ;/
We need a clear labeling system on the game's news icon, e.g., SB-MMO, TP-MMO, RPG, RTS, etc.
It's our first Indie project: a blend between MMORPG and ARG that we call PARG or MMOARG.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game#Persistent_ARG)
- So it's massive (one shard for all players)
- Multiplayers (solo, group mission and raid)
- Online (unity / steam) and Offline (phone, physical package by mail, geocaching, treasure hunt)
- And it's an Alternate Reality Game (Extra Credit great video on the topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiU4AYPdIOw )
I would like to invite anyone who has questions onto the forums ( forums.blackwatchmen.com ) and our IRC channel, which can be found by clicking the Live Chat button on the forum page. :]
The ARG is really a genre that defies categorization as it can be flexible across many styles. The only thing that makes an ARG an ARG is that the 'real world' and the game world are blended in some way. The most common kind of ARG right now, I think, is in the forum of puzzle/adventure game, with a strong community focus. If that appeals to you, come say hi!
nikel
A.K.A. nikel
It's safe to say I've been heavily invested in The Black Watchmen since I first heard of it, and before then a fan of the ARG tie-ins that were produced by the same people, for Funcoms The Secret World.
The community is, without a hint of a doubt, the best one I've ever had the pleasure of being part of. Welcoming, helpful, and friendly. Part of the great thing about ARGs in general, is that, regardless of your individual familiarity with ARGs, everyone is in the same proverbial boat. Often the most silly or far-fetched notions are what can lead the community down the right path.
Likewise, the people behind TBW are also among - if not the - most friendly and welcoming bunch I've met. They often drop by IRC and chit-chat, ask about our opinion, or give us an update on what they're working on client-wise. They are, of course, quite secretive about the lore and missions themselves, and thus keenly aware that it's paramount that the verisimilitude doesn't suffer as a result of their openness.
Last but not least, the mission themselves are always a pleasure to "play" - even if you get stuck. I often find them so clever, that just getting to see what the next step is, makes me hungry to dig in, even if I wasn't able to solve the previous step on my own.
This, coupled with the community, means that, should you get irrevocably stuck, there is always someone ready to help, but likewise there is always a way for any Agent to contribute. It is worth noting that, the process of solving a mission is very rarely one Agent managing to breeze through everything with everyone else tagging along, but rather the result of the various input from everyone participating, leading the entire community in the right direction - even the most "silly" propositions contribute, and on more than one occasion, have been the correct path.
The concern I've encountered most often from people checking the game, is, for some odd reason, whether or not they're "too stupid to play" (to paraphrase what some have said), but as hinted above, everyone, regardless of familiarity with ARGs, puzzles, or whatnot, are a welcomed addition to The Black Watchmen - because, as mentioned, we're all in this together, and the only ones to truly "fail", are the ones who jump ship.
So get on board.
~Yiir~