Late Night Mystery Event

Started by DarkfallDC, December 31, 2010, 08:30:28 AM

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DarkfallDC

Late at night during Fanimecon, I find myself always pondering what there is to do. Anime is a staple of course, along with games of Ninja, the game room and the dance. However, for 2011, I was thinking about perhaps setting up something bigger for the night owls to do. Discussing it with a few friends, I decided on proposing a Mystery game to everybody who wanted to join.

While the idea is still in the planning stages, I was thinking of opening this topic to help gather ideas to hopefully make this game a success. Here however is a rough outline of what I've thought up so far.

The game will begin in a room or location specified sometime at night, with Stage Zero being the ideal location, just due to spacing and proximity to everything in the convention. At that time, a prerecorded video will play, introducing the name of the game, the rules, instructions, and characters involved. Taped upon the bottom of the chairs will be identification cards sorting the players into three teams (I was thinking of main sleuth characters for Team Leaders. I'm going as Professor Layton, so I felt that would be a decent Team #1. However, I'm looking for others, including a Phoenix Wright and an L as Team leaders.) From there, the mystery will be introduced (via live action or video again), and the game will begin.

Hidden around the convention center will be various clues, all coded by various means, whether they be puzzles, logic problems, etc. This is to help the game 'feel' like the various media they are based around (again, Professor Layton here ^_^). Upon receiving puzzle clues, each team will return to their leader for a new lead, eventually leading to the climax of the game, and some pre-determined prize, which would hopefully be decided by the fanime staff.

Again, just a rough outline of what I'm thinking, but what do you all think? Let's get a new game in the works!

Mod Edit: its called a dance:)

abcbadcat

I'm a big night owl and am always looking for fun stuff to do at night. This sounds really fun and I've always wanted to try something like this. I'd be down

DarkfallDC

Hurray, one positive response! Any other support for this idea? I want to get it highly supported so we might be able to use Stage Zero.

LadyGlitterbow

This does sound awesome! I think alot of people would be down for this. Every year I see plenty of people in the stage zero area just playing board games, they might as well play a mystery game! I am down!

DarkfallDC

#4
Update on the idea:

After talking it over with some of my friends, I feel that introducing both a 'clue' and a 'npc' system would help advance the concept.

For instance:

Clues: Depending upon what team you're part of, there will be various clues hidden everywhere around the convention, marked with specific symbols. For instance, Team Layton players might find a clue hidden along with a puzzle. In order to access the clue, the puzzle must be solved and presented to team leader for verification. Each 'clue' solved will award the team 1 point.

The point system directly relates to the NPC system: Since this is a first-time event, I'm going to assemble a crew of cosplayers who will be my assistants in this endeavor, those who won't be playing the game themselves, instead assisting the teams with their deductive work. My idea is that the NPC's will all be identified again by a symbol somewhere on their clothing. The symbols will be the same, to help identify them, yet the NPCs will be busy doing their own thing on the convention floor. NPC's watching anime, playing in the game room, dancing at the dance...it's up to the team members to find the NPC's and question them about the mystery! Upon discovering and questioning an NPC, they will either give the player a clue to help solve the mystery, or at the very least a hint as to the location of their next puzzle.

At the top of the NPC hierarchy are the team leaders themselves: Professor Layton (myself), Phoenix Wright, and L (or another suggestion, if someone wishes to step up). We will be wandering the convention floor ourselves, conducting our own 'investigations', and will be largely unavailable for hints during the majority of the game. What we will do however, is tally the amount of points our teams have collected. Upon reaching a certain amount of clues, we will bring to light a new revelation about the investigation, and prompt the team to move to a new location, where mores clues are to be found. Essentially, we serve as the progress markers...whoever accumulates the most points the quickest will advance, and will ultimately end up solving the mystery!


Let's get more opinions in here people! I'm actually feeling rather excited about this!

Mod Edit: its called a dance:)

kookiekween99

Which night would this be? Or would there be a different mystery each night?
ASAHiCon Registration Head - '10-'12
ASAHiCon Web Head - '11-'13
FanimeCon Attendee - '10-Forever
FanimeCon Info Desk Minion - '14

DarkfallDC

I'm not sure what night would be best for the event, though I'd reckon a Saturday or so, just so we get the max amount of players possible. However, if response is good enough, and I get enough assistance, I would be all too willing to make it a multi-night event, with different mysteries every night.

kookiekween99

Maybe just try one night this year and maybe expand to other nights in coming years if things go well.
ASAHiCon Registration Head - '10-'12
ASAHiCon Web Head - '11-'13
FanimeCon Attendee - '10-Forever
FanimeCon Info Desk Minion - '14

DarkfallDC

That's what I was planning on originally. Still, I need to get some more support rallied!

XxNubletxX

It sounds fun haha ive been to plenty fanimecons ahah but this sounds fun :] xD really fun.


i also have an idea but it might be complicated. ill only give u a simple idea.

How about a team example: like team rocket, who steals clues and etc.

Make a system in which a team can take away points from another team they may encounter.

sounds very rough i know but to me i think it would add more spice and keep people alert xD.

DarkfallDC

Actually I could see the Team Rocket idea working potentially. Instead of stealing clues and/or points, perhaps they could be harmful NPC's who lead the players astray?

Kiara

I think this is a wonderful idea, I'd love to be an NPC! My only suggestion is stay away from saturday night. That's the night of the masquerade, so most cosplayers as well as a lot of other con-goers will be watching the performances. I would suggest friday night, since that's usually the night without a big night event. Sat is masq, and sun is the Ball.

Cosplayer/Photographer in the East Bay.

DarkfallDC

Yeah I was actually talking about that with my friends. We decided Friday would be the night to do it on.

EJAY420

#13
this is so for me. I always end up roaming the hallways, streets,etc for something to do during the night. I smoke n drink so anything up late night im all for it. been going to fanime for 10 years plus, i do enjoy the gaming and the dance.....but those can only go so far.

Mod Edit: its called a dance:)
Most Impressive.




DarkfallDC

New Team Leader idea: If anybody knows someone going as Detective Conan, that Team Leader would go much more in line with the others.

DarkfallDC

Update: I'm going to wait for about 30 or so people who would actually sign up for this event were it on the roster at Fanime, Friday at say 8:00PM.

Upon reaching numbers, I'll actually begin writing and constructing a story / puzzles for the event.

Rhornez

You forgot the Trolls who can sabotage the "mystery" element of The Game how will you fix that

Been going to Fanime Since 2008

DarkfallDC

By your highlighting of "The Game" I'm willing to call you a troll myself, but explain. How are they going to sabotage it if they don't have any idea of the solution beforehand?

Rhornez

its a wild guess but what if they read this thread and dont say nothing then look for people playing it and they will confuse them?

Been going to Fanime Since 2008

DarkfallDC

All part of the game I would say. Of course there will be idiots everywhere who try to ruin others good time, but it's an investigation after all. Sometimes people will lead you astray. As long as they don't remove clues or anything too drastic, it won't affect the players too harshly.