Discover
In the beginning you will discover everything around you. In the end you will discover everything inside you.
The game takes place on a 3-dimensional sphere called Erets. It is a planet like Earth with distinct land areas separated by water areas. The climate for this game was made to be like here so there would be a natural ability to have some “game common sense”.
Getting around and finding out where you can or can’t go is not the only way to discover. This game’s discovery is driven by how characters interact. That’s one of the reasons it takes place on a sphere. Within a short period of starting the game all the areas became known. Discovery then gets expressed by how someone works with what they have. It’s true you might find some special hidden bonus room or secret map but for the most part this is a game based on realistic physics and the cause and affect players bring to the game from their scenarios. From a physical standpoint there are hot zones and cold zones, high places and flat lands, and you have the freedom to work your way through any of these to find the place that suits you best. From a game play standpoint what someone does in their zone can greatly affect your zone. You can’t act with reckless abandon because the other groups and their zones will gang up and stop you. They might do great damage to your entire group. You should try to see what the different groups have cultivated and even understand their positions. You don’t have to agree but unless you understand what is happening in their zone and why there is no way for you to understand how it will affect your zone.
Internationally speaking the game board is flooded and has almost a free-for-all feel to it. Each group has their perspective and their members believe they are pursuing the game at full speed. Therefore it is an ongoing effort and responsibility for you to ensure the documentation you have is not buggy. It doesn’t take much to bring generations of a group’s effort to a grinding halt. As the game unfolds the groups will start to fade fast and once that starts happening in succession you will be stuck with what you have. Now is the time to do something if you discover within your own group things that go against you’re common sense meter. If nothing can be done then you have absolute freedom to break free and discover a group you concur with. In the end this is a social networking game so there is going to be conflicts in ideas, beliefs and actions.
There are four types of characters: people, animal, birds and fish. All four have a game on Erets that is currently going on at the same time as yours. The game play for these four types overlap and they impact each other’s zones but they also have high levels of independence. If you’re reading this then your character is a person. The game has filters in place that would stop you from getting this if you would have been one of the other types. Each type is limited to their documentation and communication lines because they have different rules (even though they occupy the same game board). The quick advice to a person coming up to speed with RPG is to focus on people, study animals, birds and fish. Some of the animals, birds, and fish will give your character an increased stamina while others will cause damage to your character and can take you out of the game prematurely. Some are tremendous aids in your journey and others would rather eat you for lunch. The identity behind a bear thinks like a bear in this game so don’t think you can just approach any character and find out why they chose to be a bear? You’ll be lunch.
One of the real neat things about RPG is how each unique character (people, animal, bird or fish) gets a personal experience from their character’s perspective in an intertwined platform. It’s as if they could cross witness or even testify what they saw of each other’s tests. Maybe that’s why so many people in real life have pets?
As you discover RPG on your own you are in relative control of your world-view and actions but in order to leverage that freedom it has to be balanced with team efforts. This game is just so big that it’s very rare for a solo player to impact game play on a large scale. That’s not to say it can’t happen. There are several examples of players that were flat out amazing. Single players that played to a point where they have active followings to this day of masses trying to recapture that moment or purpose, or whatever you want to call the magnet that channeled their game strategy. It’s still early enough in the game where every group has documentation that is arguably as good as the next so it appears to be a matter of preference. The conflict with that concept is in the fact that so many different variations exist and they have content that disputes the others. Some are past the point where they live to kill members of an opposing group. Someone in that relationship has documentation contrary to a point that something has to be wrong. Not everyone can be right? That’s why this game is built on trust. You have to trust the group that sponsored you knew what they were doing because after generations of players have been sponsored into their perspective group it becomes a tangible reality to them. Time will tell as it unfolds. Until then RPG is automatically logging all the individual choices as they are played. Not one button press is missed. As such there will be no escaping one’s position when the game reaches its destination. It has to be this way otherwise with the volume of free-thinkers that are playing there would be no way to accurately and efficiently clarify the position each took. Having a historical thread that shows a path is the core of each players score.
Just reading this far dumped a ton of points within your reach. The game know the direction you are heading and stores thing in a cache so you can experience real time results. It still has to be triggered or the cache will empty. That means what you do with what you read here will determine if these points become gold in your account or rock in a millstone.
As you work your way through Erets you will discover a number of built in game elements to interact with. If you like sports game we got it. Even fans! If you like shooting games there’s always one in progress. If you like music, drama, or just experiencing the outdoors by a lake we have your zone represented unlike anything you could imagine. It’s untouchable by anything we have seen or heard of. Our best movies might as well be film strips you click when the tape beeps compared to this. Without question your RPG experience is truly unlimited and totally up to you. Granted where your sponsor brings you into the game greatly affects your starting point. But it is an open environment and you are never stuck unless another character or group has confined you. There is a terrain so be careful because you can get yourself into trouble. There is also a nature and how you respect or interact with it can work for you or against you. Best of all there is an element of reality that is quite consuming whether you keep to your circle or discover the depth Erets has to offer. That is for you and your character to decide.
Other People
Each character has the ability to interact with any other character they contact.
Once your character is sponsored into the game you have complete free will but you can’t leave their guardianship until you have built the gaming skills you need to keep your character going. Sure there are instances where one’s will is imposed upon another or you might find yourself in a role subordinate to another’s, etc. Each person you meet has the ability to interact with you in any way they see fit. Most people try to get along. It makes the game much more fun. Your sponsor will have a circle of characters that they feel are trustworthy and you will certainly run into more characters on this game board than you could possibly stop and meet. Besides most characters are too busy with their pursuit to stop and chat. That’s old school gaming. Most people keep to their network and because there is no physical distinction between a good character and a bad character it’s risky to trust strangers. They might have presented themselves as they want you to see them but the only way to know for sure is to get to know them. That can be dangerous in a game so big. Besides this is a game. How do you know if that girl is really a girl and not some old man in prison somewhere?
Those that take the game lightly lose before they ever get the chance to find out what it truly offers.
Unfortunately there are characters that feel they have valid reasons to strike out at others. Sometimes it comes from the animal kingdom. On one hand many of the animals were made to do exactly what they do and on the other hand the game board is getting crowded enough where all four character types are encroaching each other’s areas. They have their rules and we have ours so there’s a little drama… but not a “fear” unless you’re in a real bad spot. The fear is from others that are supposed to be playing by our rules and in protest they may make their points by hurting others like your character or those you may have strong relationships with. On top of that they take your accumulations. They may find a way to tap into your credits and bleed a little here and there. They may force you to do things you don’t feel is right. Their viruses can be incurable. Then again they may simply watch you and do nothing. That scares some people into inaction and enemies of the game claim that as a victory as well. They are chasing their documentation just as your group is chasing yours so in their minds they are just as authorized to pursue those actions as your group pursues yours. Negotiation is not an option. Unwarranted fear is their negotiator and extermination of all other groups is their documented objective. This is a reality of Stage Two and it is highly woven into the various individual scenarios that let RPG be. Stage Two lets any character do anything it decides. For example Nintendo had a game called Duck Hunt. Birds flew up and you shot at them. Then a dog would run and get the ones you hit. You could shoot the birds but you couldn’t shoot the dog. It was a kid’s game (or a great introductory game for adults) so the creators simply didn’t enable the controls that would allow someone to shoot at the dog. Still some players demand that level of control whether they exercise it or not. True free will has to allow all possible outcomes to be chosen by the player on the screen. It is how RPG measures the character. You will have to take a position at some point in RPG and your thread will show how you handled things.
One hint is to find a group that teaches you how to make decisions and never get into a group that makes your decisions for you or tells you what to think. It’s your game and it’s your score. They may appear prestigious and like they have a vault full of game points but nobody has had their score totaled yet. Their game board accumulations are reflective of their playing thread and what you see is how they want you to see it. That could be completely different from reality. Many of these super-groups will end up with a negative balance when the final scores are tallied. All scores all tallied together later. That way people playing today have to have the same level of trust, discovery, and socializing as everyone that played and already finished their part. Otherwise it would be unfair. We do have the game thread experiences of others to learn from but nobody knows anybody else’s score yet. Don’t ever forget that or you will lose your independence.
Game knowledge is passed on from others so you can’t ignore everyone. Just as it is up to you to ensure the things you profess are accurate you are also responsible for verifying the documentation you accept. Be very careful here. When you were sponsored into the game you naturally became a part of the group who brought you in. That means you will be groomed according to the same documentation and purpose that group follows. If you’re lucky you landed in a sweet spot on the game board. The reality though is that with the volume of players and diversity in starting places, scenarios, challenges, and the like the odds are you will find yourself in a group that is close enough to convince you… even if they are wrong. The odds are against you because the numbers show volumes of differences and thousands of unique groups with conflicting perspectives… In this game everyone can’t be right. Your common sense should conclude that opposing concepts are not equally correct. As you develop your character you will either become a part of your group’s cause, learn to play within it, or stand against it… That is the simplicity of game. The surreal development of your character is the depth that will suck you into RPG.
As long as you are on the game board your character in an individual with the ability to examine and determine your scenario. Then it is within your character to determine if you want to endorse any group’s direction.
Purpose
The purpose of this game is unique for each player.
Your character is given a game scenario specific to your real world individual needs combined with your sponsor’s scenario. It is one of a kind and yet it is built into the flow and scenarios of other characters around you. Throughout the game all eras of time have representation. You get what you get and even if it isn’t your preference it is what is appropriate for this stage of the game. Remember your sponsors knew you before bringing you into the game so they had a great deal in setting up your scenario. In some scenarios it might mean survival of the strongest character, in others the smartest. The only guarantee is if you play your game scenario will be appropriate for you. There are many people that realized late in the game and had a limited performance. Any one of them would try to get you to read this complete document because they know from experience that you only get to play once. There is no chance to go back and play earlier levels again. If that were allowed to happen the board would be flooded with those that wanted to go back and equally flooded with those that can’t stop playing. Your first purpose is to get your head around your scenario and get a plan in place.
Unfortunately in many cases there are those who have been sponsored in by a group that has no awareness of the game’s structure. In fact they might find the positions in this document very offensive. Peer pressure is a huge manipulator and you need to keep an eye out for such folly. Until it clicks where you are in this whole thing if your group swims at the beach then swim at the beach, but you better make sure there are no sharks in the water before you start splashing around. There’s no safety in numbers. Your second purpose is to ensure you are not falling for a standard game scenario setup.
As mentioned above just because you enter the game without knowledge doesn’t mean knowledge isn’t known about you. It is a fact that your game scenario has two points within its foundation. They are your sponsors (or heritage) and what is known about you prior to entering the game. Because of this when you entered the game wasn’t random. The fact others knew you and brought you in means there was a wealth of knowledge about you before you started playing. It is how this game has the ability put you in a scenario that challenges your greatest personal weaknesses. What is an over-comer if you have nothing to overcome? The real question is if you learn something that jeopardizes your current foundation will you have the confidence to question those you respect most, or the ability to defend a concept that others might not grasp? Are you a free thinker or just a game player? This generation of players will be challenged on the depths of all previous players combined. At that point the majority of deceived groups fall immediately and it’s a family squabble between a few related groups from that point on. If you are familiar with RPG then you will be able to recognize who is telling you straight and who is fishing for your character. Your third purpose is to be there for your group when they start asking questions that only you can reconcile. If you’re just coming on board do you homework fast because it’s about to get real busy on the game board!
Use your gift to get into position quickly. Every character is given at least one gift. Often your purpose is related to how well your character leverages your gift to overcome challenges. Sometimes it is obvious but it often doesn’t come into focus until you are well into your homework. Those previous three purposes will keep you alive but only your personal purpose will bring you the peace of mind that comes with your highest score. That purpose is not made available to anyone except you. If you have the right documentation then your position is described. You just have to find it.
Challenges
There are too many individual scenarios that never cross each other’s path to list your specific challenge.
The daily challenges one encounters are usually tied to their specific group issues. They are often social but there are numerous challenges to simply survive the conditions of Erets. That was one of the first things that people started building groups around… survival. Now that Erets is pretty well populated the focus has meandered to the evaluation of trans-damage from group to group. Unless you’re in a wilderness you challenges will involve the issues between groups as well. The commitment these groups have means they have no problem justifying their actions and the detail of the environment is so shockingly real that inflicted pain feels real. You need to be prepared for that. This is the final generation of gaming with challenges that go beyond pressing button or collecting coins. RPG would never have survived this long or gotten this big if a newer version was coming out each year. That isn’t happening. Settle into your character. Get used to it.
In most modern games players get to build their own character making themselves look however they like. When I play Rockband with my son I’m the drummer. We play a lot and I didn’t want to stare at a dude all the time so I made my character a female. My son has a facemask, red jacket, and he’s huge! In that game the character view has nothing to do with the ability to play the game. It’s purely a visual thing so a person can get a better feel of playing the game and to recognize their friends when they play together. The thing is I know who my son really is and he knows I’m not some hot chick playing the drums. When you enter RPG you are given a character that will be appropriate for your scenario but in many cases that means it will not be according to your expectations. The point is you only have the game character’s frame of reference. You might not feel comfortable in your character and you don’t know if your sponsor or the character leading your group is the same outside the game as you see or respect inside the game. I’m not talking about the depths of good versus evil or anything like that. Your sponsorship keeps the heritage pretty consistent. I’m talking about things like some characters might be not what you expected. You might be the wrong height, weight, sex, rich, poor, in the city, in the country, and any other game challenge that best suits your personal challenge. Don’t be sidetracked by the appearance of your scenario. It may or may not have anything to do with your ability to reach your purpose. For every free thinker there is a portion of self that becomes the greatest challenge. Leverage it. Don’t stumble over it.
RPG comes at a great cost and you are already in it deeper than you can imagine so you would be really upset if you didn’t get what was paid for. You would be even more upset if everything that was invested on your behalf failed because of your lack of attention. On top of that is incredibly disrespectful to those who played the game to the fullest. We need to do the same. Somebody thought of you enough to bring you in. Somebody knew you enough to setup your challenges. Somebody believed in you enough that you are here now facing those challenges in a one shot deal.
The way to score the most points is by overcoming your game challenges. Enjoy the game as you pursue whatever your character is groomed for. Enjoy the game as you see other characters because every genre and game play structure is represented. Your natural path will lead you to yours. Trust the game… it’s bigger than you.
2) Discover (You are here.)