|
Post by TheWayfarer on Dec 17, 2018 0:16:40 GMT -5
Hi,
This is a survey for those who are familiar with things like The Mysterious Package Company, Hunt A Killer, Cosy Killer, HPLHS, Etc.
On behalf of The Explorers of Esoterica, I can say with confidence that 'we value your thoughts and opinions'.
So, without further ado.
A few questions.
(1) When participating in an experience, do you find the use of digitally printed handwriting to be immersion breaking?
(2) Which do you prefer, Artifacts or Ephemera?
(3) Aside from the usual Lovecraftian Horror or Murder Mystery, what are some genres or ideas you'd like to see in a Mystery Experience?
(4) Which do you prefer, Puzzles or Plot?
(5) Finally, what improvements would you like to see in the Mysterious Package Company?
Thank you for your time,
For more information, look closer.
|
|
|
Post by chrisu on Dec 17, 2018 2:00:52 GMT -5
Hi,
Let's see:
1) No, using printed handwriting is more immersive for me.
2) Artifacts
3) Explorer tales like Indiana Jones or Gumshoe stories like Maltese Falcon.
4) Maybe in the minority here but: plot
5) Start shipping international again.
My 0.02 $
|
|
|
Post by TheWayfarer on Dec 17, 2018 2:23:03 GMT -5
Hi, Let's see: 1) No, using printed handwriting is more immersive for me. 2) Artifacts 3) Explorer tales like Indiana Jones or Gumshoe stories like Maltese Falcon. 4) Maybe in the minority here but: plot 5) Start shipping international again. My 0.02 $ Thank You! 'chrisu' The Explorers Of Esoterica have logged your thoughts and imputed them into consideration. For More Information, Look Closer.
|
|
|
Post by rob on Dec 17, 2018 3:05:05 GMT -5
1) If you mean printed as in the process of duplication like the pages of The Weeping Book then, no, that's not immersive-breaking to me. One of the most impressive examples of printing from MPC is the series of handwritten notes from The Century Beast. On the reverse of each note they printed how the writing had soaked through to the other side and it really looks like each note is written with a felt tip pen. The text on both sides is lined up perfectly so holding the notes in front of a light doesn't betray the illusion. Using a cursive font instead of handwriting the original is immersive-breaking.
2) Artifacts
3) It was speculated on this forum that MPC's cancelled Cold Signal was based on the movie, The Thing. I would love it if someone ran with this idea.
4) I'm with chrisu and prefer a great story over puzzles.
5) Become mysterious again. Require membership acceptance before even allowing customers to view the catalog like it was in years past. Don't straight-out show the entire contents of your experiences in a picture on the order page.
|
|
|
Post by Katalia on Dec 17, 2018 3:32:18 GMT -5
(1) When participating in an experience, do you find the use of printed handwriting to be immersion breaking? I'm not actually confident I'm sure what you're asking here. Hand printed hand writing would be much more immersive for me. If you mean computer printed handwriting, honestly yes it tends to be at least a little bit immersion breaking. But this is a very minor issue for me. It makes perfect sense for being cost effective. And immersion is rarely a concern for me as I am usually purchasing for myself, or people that know what these sorts of things are. So being aware that this is an experience in itself breaks immersion. Noticing that something has been written by hand (duplicated or original) always gets admiration from me but its not what I get wrapped up in. Or if you mean cursive handwriting vs legible handwriting. If a cursive print or font is used and is very difficult to read, it isn't really immersion breaking, but it does lower the enjoyability quite a bit.
(2) Which do you prefer, Artifacts or Ephemera? I expect to be a minority in this one, but ephemera. Artifacts tend to cost more and take up more space and it has to be something I'm really really interested in for me to pay up. Whereas ephemera I tend to be a little more open to, even if I'm not totally into the subject matter. For example, the early items that came with C&C that related to the puzzles hold way more value to me than most MPC artifacts that I have.
(3) Aside from the usual Lovecraftian Horror or Murder Mystery, what are some genres or ideas you'd like to see in a Mystery Experience? I don't really have any good suggestions here. But yes I'm pretty bored of lovecraft and murder mysteries at this point. Mysteries that don't involve crime would be cool.
(4) Which do you prefer, Puzzles or Plot? Puzzles. I rarely pay attention to plot unless I've been given lots of motivation to invest, like membership. I know I'm odd in that respect.
(5) Finally, what improvements wouldyou like to see in the Mysterious Package Company? Bringing back the old things like membership. Feeling belonging in a quirky society was a lot of fun. Also continuity.
|
|
|
Post by phill on Dec 17, 2018 7:03:40 GMT -5
1 - digitally printed handwriting is fine with me, printing it on paper stock which isnt in keeping with the story is far more immersion breaking 2 - Ephemera 3 - There's far more to the horror genre than Lovecraft. Unless there's a VERY original spin on Lovecraft, I'd say its been done to death. 4 - Puzzles & plot shouldnt be mutually exclusive but should feed into each other. If I just want to solve a bunch of puzzles, I'll buy a book of crosswords. 5 - Be true to your customers and deliver what you promise. If you can't, then be honest about it. Filigree in Shadow is a great example of all the above. It was supposed to include 'genuine' blueprints. What was delivered bore no relation to genuine blueprints either in paper stock or design and was highly immersion breaking. Paper stock used for other ephemera was of far lower quality than other MPC experiences. The item in the final crate that went on to the blueprint made no sense within the structure of the story and broke the immersion hugely. Why would an architect develop the floorplans of a building as a jigsaw puzzle? Stretch goals from kickstarter never materialised, and the final artifact was clearly not what was originally intended or hinted at. One of the stretch goals would "double the number of items that interact with the artifact". Nothing interacts with the final artifact that was delivered. It was clearly originally planned to be a stereoscopic viewer, and I would imagine the stretch goal was to double the number of stereoscopic cards used with it. The disappointment of filigree and lack of suitable response to enquiries led to me voting with my wallet and ending my custom with MPC.
|
|
|
Post by wortelboer on Dec 17, 2018 7:06:29 GMT -5
Interesting....I have indeed looked closer....at least on Twitter. It will require me to delve a little deeper. I am intrigued. But to answer your questions: 1. printed handwriting does not ruin an experience for me. Preference is always handwritten materials but I understand the need to balance expense with experience. 2. for typical experiences I prefer ephemera. For me to prefer an artifact it needs to be a good size and it must look like an actual ancient artifact, which cost significant funds....I can afford to splurge for such an experience once in a while, but would rather be able to participate in experiences more often. 3. not murder..or solving the murder cannot be the main focus...my favorite time frame is the 1920s or 30s. 4. plot. I love puzzles, but solving puzzles just for the sake of solving puzzles and spending hours decoding simple ciphers is not fun. If there are puzzles they need to be integral to the plot. I loved that C&C the puzzles were a way to communicate with us directly...not some character we were supposed to be...and I like that the puzzles were different and unique and more importantly - interrelated. 5. I echo everyone else so far. the feeling of exclusive membership. Of being part of something hidden, secret and exclusive was the best part. The fact that there was a public face...like the newspaper...but only those who could solve the puzzles and gain access to secret hidden sites were part of the membership. I truly enjoyed that feeling of being able to get to place or get a message that only those who solved could get to (sometime with the help of others). When MPC started giving hints and making sure that EVERYONE could get there quickly and easily...it took a lot of the fun out of it for me.
|
|
|
Post by craigrj on Dec 17, 2018 11:22:51 GMT -5
(1) Depends on font, readability, quality and aging of paper used, theme of experience
(2) Artifacts
(3) The Aliens Are Living Amongst Us. Easter Island. Stonehenge.
(4) Plot. Tell me a great story.
(5) A return to the glory days. Don't try to compete with monthly subscription boxes, these are now getting boring. Don't tie experiences with phone lines, app, online websites or stuff that might not last beyond a year or two.
|
|
|
Post by TheWayfarer on Dec 17, 2018 14:08:36 GMT -5
I must say, the general response so far has been very well!
The Explorers Of Esoterica have logged your thoughts and imputed them into consideration.
In response to a few things;
Yes, we will have membership. The Explorers Of Esoterica have only just been interested in recruiting new associates through this internet thing. Each of you, an eye has been set upon. A test will be given, the choice is yours to continue. We value secrecy, community, and gifted associates, all of you seem to fit the bill.
Second, some of the story ideas given were already in consideration, I myself have been researching a special case down in Antarctica. There seems to have been some kind of attack here, no signs of life. Human, or otherwise.
Anyways, I don't mean to take up any more of your time. We will be contacting you in due time and do what all good associates do, keep an eye out.
For More Information, Look Closer.
|
|
|
Post by dmikester on Dec 17, 2018 14:54:35 GMT -5
I'll jump in here. (1) I don't for a simple reason; I'm well aware that I'm purchasing a product that is being mass produced. There was a product that a number of us here tried out called Forgotten Folios that actually featured the creator handwriting letters, and I legitimately could not read his handwriting most of the time, which just broke the experience for me completely. I would prefer professionalism and quality substance to something that was "real" but that has the risk of being illegible. There are ways to make props different in each shipping beyond going to the length of actual handwriting. (2) I don't have a clear preference. I tend to love well-done ephemera, but of course the Artifacts are great set pieces and conversation starters, and take up less storage. (3) It's somewhat amazing to me that there hasn't been a sci-fi box yet, something along the lines of an X-Files experience. (4) I have a love/hate relationship with puzzles in these boxes. I find that almost always, unless the box itself is billed as a puzzle-centric experience (like Sleuth Kings, my current favorite of any of these things and the only one I still subscribe to), puzzles in these boxes tend to be lengthy but not really in service of the core plot, which makes me unmotivated to solve them. For example, John Augur had a neat and complex puzzle, but it ultimately led to something that got revealed at the end regardless of whether you did the puzzle or not. I understand the need to cater to a large audience and make the puzzles optional to the core experience, but at least for my taste, if the puzzles only lead to optional information or messages, then I'm much less inclined to spend a lot of time on them (Hunt for the Forgotten Tomb was particularly bad in this regard). For my (literal) money, the best integration of puzzles and plot that I've experienced from any company or product have been the Hunt A Killer premium cases, and those hit the sweet spot for me of having a lot of plot to uncover, but also having complex puzzles that are needed in order to solve the mystery. (5) Let me refer you to my agent, as I'm writing a novel about this. No, in all seriousness, I think the MPC has lost what it used to have, namely the feeling of a secret society and of, well, mystery about its products. Also, while I don't mind them trying out new things like the Taako box, the other parts of their business have gone way downhill. Customer service is impersonal, shipping has become atrocious, and I've seen photos of artifacts not being produced at near the quality level they used to be. I'm taking a risk and getting the Crate of Cthulhu, but I have a strong feeling it will be my last purchase. Oh, and Post Mortem is an embarrassing retread of the very boxes you're asking about here.
|
|
|
Post by karangela on Dec 17, 2018 17:55:01 GMT -5
Rather than sending you a separate note detailing my thoughts, I will say that my preferences mirror those of Wortelboer. Thanks for asking us!
|
|
|
Post by thegingerbarrister on Dec 17, 2018 23:54:36 GMT -5
Hi,
This is a survey for those who are familiar with things like The Mysterious Package Company, Hunt A Killer, Cosy Killer, HPLHS, Etc.
On behalf of The Explorers of Esoterica, I can say with confidence that 'we value your thoughts and opinions'.
So, without further ado.
A few questions.
(1) When participating in an experience, do you find the use of digitally printed handwriting to be immersion breaking?
(2) Which do you prefer, Artifacts or Ephemera?
(3) Aside from the usual Lovecraftian Horror or Murder Mystery, what are some genres or ideas you'd like to see in a Mystery Experience?
(4) Which do you prefer, Puzzles or Plot?
(5) Finally, what improvements would you like to see in the Mysterious Package Company?
Thank you for your time,
For more information, look closer.
1) I do not. As long as it doesn’t look like a high gloss and an “artful” style, digitally print away. 2) This is a tough one because the artifact is visually striking in KiY. However, all the little props that were used in CaC made an amazing experience for me. Additionally, FiS made great use of multiple pieces of ephemera in the earlier packages. 3) Aliens. Archaeological expeditions of a dubious nature. WW2. 4) I love a good puzzle. A puzzle that’s not too difficult that helps advance the plot would be amazing for an experience-based product. 5) Their customer service. Don’t show me the end result of an experience right when I buy it. Don’t send everything in one crate. Don’t jerk around your customers. Make it actually secretive, and make us seem like important members. Get somebody to actually copy and proofread the Curator’s messages. I bought only three experiences from the MPC. I was lured in by the kickstarter for FiS, and it fell flat. KiY was because it was due to be shelved and was cheap. Weeping Book was my first because it was cheap, and very well-done. I enjoyed CaC much more due to the sense of community and shared brain power.
|
|
|
Post by minamurray on Dec 18, 2018 9:12:53 GMT -5
(1) When participating in an experience, do you find the use of digitally printed handwriting to be immersion breaking?
Nope!
(2) Which do you prefer, Artifacts or Ephemera?
I think a mix of both. Ephemera usually advances the story and artifacts provide the conclusion, if that makes sense.
(3) Aside from the usual Lovecraftian Horror or Murder Mystery, what are some genres or ideas you'd like to see in a Mystery Experience?
Neither of those really do it for me. I like other forms of horror, archaeology, Victoriana, and early 20th century themes.
(4) Which do you prefer, Puzzles or Plot?
I like it when the puzzles advance the plot!
(5) Finally, what improvements would you like to see in the Mysterious Package Company?
I loved the feeling of being part of a secret society. Also the multiple mailings. And I certainly don't want to know what's in an Experience in advance! While I enjoyed the Experiences I received (although I felt FiS *could* have been great and I'm so sorry it fell short), I *loved* C&C, both the puzzles and the commoradery here.
|
|
|
Post by wortelboer on Dec 18, 2018 10:17:53 GMT -5
To pick up on what minamurray said and to emphasize a point I made earlier. I loved the C&C puzzles and working with everyone here to solve them and work my way deeper into the story. The fact that there were no hints, no clues as to how to solve the puzzles was key. I had to either puzzle it through on my own or work with others here (which led to some really nice friendships)...or failed in my quest. There was no easy out...no hints....it made the experience more believable. Having hints and knowing they existed broke the story and the immersive experience for me because if I got stuck...all I had to do was pop over to a website and be handed information to solve it. Providing an easy way out, kills it for me. I believe there are a bunch of other here who feel this as strongly as I do.
|
|
|
Post by karangela on Dec 18, 2018 19:07:19 GMT -5
Again, Wortelboer mirrors my feelings about the puzzles and interaction within the community.
|
|