Debrief from Game Week 1

Loose collection of amusing anecdotes, hitches to fix, etc.

Act 1 Registration

We definitely need photos of each team, for the Apple II payoff at the very end. It worked great for week 1, we weren't missing any photos, and the teams that got to see it loved it. Traffic flow in getting the photos was a problem, especially when it had to be repeated for Act 3. If we collect them later, like after they solve Core Dump1, we'll need to think up a justification that feels as natural as registration. Maybe, "before sending you out, we'll need a photograph so we can prep our field agents for your arrival." -Sean

Fabric of Time

Did we give them all out? did we have enough, or run out too soon? did the strips stay glued well enough, or do we need better glue for next week? -Sean

Fetch The Letter Part 1

How did it go? was anyone confused or frustrated about what they were supposed to do? did they enjoy the grabber challenge? -Sean

Mix Tape

No troubles here. Both tape decks got loaned out, glad we had them and that they worked fine. Also had 2 CDs on hand, just in case, but didn't need them. Might burn a couple more for extra safety next weekend. -Sean

Art History

Heard from Crissy that the owner was kinda grumpy, but didn't show up until the very end, so players only saw his very pleasant staff. Crissy buttered him up by telling him most of these people live locally, and how they had commented on what a great find it was, never knew it was here, etc. Seemed to mollify him. -Sean

Locker Combo

Hitch during setup, players beat me to the site. Someone else should be assigned to set up the gym banner and clock, so I can go straight to principal's office. -Sean

Locate the missing Kobe Bryant poster. Might be at the bottom of the bin, I was expecting a poster roll and didn't dig under stuff that looked like playtest remnants. -Sean

Handled wide variety of expectations with creative role-play. Bottlenecked a couple times, kicked out teams after 5 minutes if someone was waiting. No more than 2 teams ever waiting at a time. Had to nerf it for final 5 teams, wrote the missing combo right on the sheet -- they didn't seem to mind. Too tired to think straight anyway, and still enjoyed hunting around the room, with incremental prodding from me as needed. Next week, need a more solid plan of what time to begin nerfing. -Sean

Transition to 1986 had hitches. No time for me to tear it down before Act 2 conclusion, and Deanna needed my help setting it up for Act 3 at the last minute. Let's get this more clearly assigned and spelled out in the instructions; post-its on the materials weren't sufficient alone. -Sean

DavidG: I got several calls at GC asking for specific hints, but the wiki has no info about the solution. I also tried to uphold that the lab isn't supposed to know about this mission, though some players wanted confirmation that it was in fact the mission. This led to some difficult calls. For example:

• Team: "Hi, we're trying to figure out the locker combination from the school, and we've tried a lot of things, but we were wondering if you could point us in the right direction."
• Me: [Goes to the wiki, no info! Can't have any "insights".] "Hmm, I don't know anything about locker combinations, but what do you have so far?"
• "Well, we have a list of old master locker combinations that only go back to 1987, and we think we're supposed to find some kind of pattern that will tell us what the one from 1986 is, but we're not sure. Does that sound right?"
• "From what you've said, that sounds reasonable. Where are you now?" [trying to figure out if I can send them to Sean]
• "In the parking lot."
• "Of the school? What school is it?"
• "Um, what was it... Something Memorial... Paine Memorial High School"
• "And where did you get the locker combinations?"
• "The principal's office."
• "Well, maybe if you went back there, you might run into a janitor who would know something."
• "We actually got the list from the janitor, and he said he didn't know anything."
• "I think you should head back to the principal's office and see if he does."

Another team called and immediately said, "Time out. We have a list of locker combinations, and we think it's the puzzle -- is it the puzzle?"

I think I fielded at least 5 calls about Locker Combo, so there should be hints, a solution on the wiki, and/or a protocol for when a team calls.

Role Puzzle(s)

DavidG: I took a call from a team that solved a role puzzle, and it was a challenge to handle. Someone else in my place might not have figured out what to say. This was at 6am Sunday morning and I was the only phone-answerer on duty.

• Team: "Doctor When needs to check his Fermi decouplers!"
• Me: [completely perplexed] "Um, why do you say that?"
• "We found this story called..." [I forget the title, and it is NOT on the wiki! But since I play-tested Pulp Fiction, I guessed this was it. I frantically pulled up the event page.]
• [reading from the script] "Gosh, you're right! I just checked them, and they were blown out. I'm so glad you called..." [etc etc]

Role puzzles are comparatively obscure, so ideally there would be a cheat-sheet of them or something.

Also, with the tracking spreadsheet, I don't think a team working on role puzzle X was ever listed as working on puzzle X.

Chronomentometer 2

The lab assistants had the highest score at the end. I thought they were supposed to make an early showing, then get trounced by the teams, for victory morale. Sod the total count, let the machine start working at 50% capacity or something -- let the teams feel triumph! -Sean

Act 2 Finale

Big complaints (via Facebook) about double-stall. Best proposed solution I've heard so far is to inform early teams there will be a break between acts, and ask if they'd prefer to wait and see it together or watch it independently on DVD and take a longer uninterrupted break. -Sean

Act 3 Setup

One player (from Futility Investment) commented how much he enjoyed seeing Tiresias demoted back to the "corded cordless vacuum" (as Thomas dubbed it) after such close interaction during act II. -Sean

Mission Training

Should we allow cameras in 1986? It would alleviate congestion at the dumpster, and also Presidents and lunch. -Sean

There were three teams that were told to go directly to the school from mission training, instead of going through the time machine. Nobody should skip the time machine! -Ellen

Time Machine/Tunnel Experience

Are we going to do the tunnel in the classroom the same way this weekend? I thought it worked pretty well, though it would be nice to have the door into the classroom closed, if possible. - Ellen

When one team, I think it was the Judean GNUs, went into the time machine, we closed the door and started the effects sequence, and they all started screaming like they were on a rollercoaster. Pretty funny :) -Ellen

Science Fair

Wash them sheets! They're filthy with diet coke. -Sean

Need an additional staffer to replace Sean as Ken's assistant, setting up coke/mentos rig. -Sean

Put the Apple II on the left wall, more easily visible from front door. Stay attentive to players entering, make sure they get plot closure. See if I can repair my other Apple II in time, and set them both up so the fortune teller can get twice the traffic. -Sean

Denoument

Don't send them out of the room after Buffy's last line, just start the party. Best suggestion I heard yet is to have Wesley and Catherine step outside and Buffy step into the machine, briefly turn off the lights to signal end of show, then have cast and crew line up for a quick bow / curtain call at the front. Then it's party and cake time. -Sean

Sean's suggestion sounds good to me! Maybe they can say "Get some cake and ice cream then join us out on the patio." -Ellen