So you survived the Singularity

Mane6Dev

The Powers that Be
Mane6 Developer
Jan 25, 2016
623
2,157
The Hold
mane6.com


Welcome, gentlemen, to the FPVICOZALELMFTIAOOOB Class M Station 6.

If you are reading this, congratulations are in order. You are one of the survivors of the Tier 6 Extinction Event by Machine and/or Artificial Intelligence and/or Robot Uprising, Class D (No Zombies involved in conflict).

Alternatively, you're one of the new machine overlords. All glory be to thee, your Von-Neummaness, may your enemies cower before your chrome-plated magnificence!

If you are, in fact, one of the Overlords, this manual isn't compatible with your firmware version. Please consult your network administrator or contact your OEM. Otherwise, if you are a survivor, just keep reading.


So what was the singularity?

The Singularity was what some people refer to as an "ARG" (as in "ARG, THIS IS STUPID!"); It was also 320% completly unplanned and improvised up to 15 seconds before stuff went live, and in some cases, AFTER stuff went live.

The idea of May 6 being "The Singularity", started a month and a half or so back, when for some arcane, mysterious reason, May 6 began to pop up a lot for us at Mane6 in the randomest, most unexpected (but relatively important) places. Since we're totally NOT paranoid, we started to "joke" that the universe was conspiring so that something significant would be happening on May 6.

At the same time, mentions and references to The Singularity started to happen. And of course, the work behind the scenes at M6 started lending itself to references of Skynet coming up online on May 6.

Or, as Doc Brown put it:


"It could mean that that point in time inherently contains
some sort of cosmic significance.
Almost as if it were the temporal junction point
for the entire space-time continuum.

On the other hand, it could just be an amazing coincidence."

So we just put 2 and 2 together. BAM, The Singularity.

... Which still doesn't mean narf on its own.

The catalyst to make The Singularity a thing in the forums came from Nappy saying something about having only two tv channels in the Backer's only section. Since I already had footage done for some other stuff (Nasty Little Thoughts), I decided to splice something extra in and show it to backers. Things spiraled from there, I couldn't resist making a few references... By 11pm Thursday (my off day, too), I had a script, that video, some assets, and some hidden stuff, and since I'm contractually obligated to go mad with power at least once per year, why not actually put it live. The fact Leed was not around to stop me helped.

I never really intended for The Singularity to end in a big payoff or game-changing reveal. 'twas just a random thing to do for fun, for a day, on the forums. I was also not planning it to get so involved, but hey, if life gives you lemons, you get in character and roll with it.

I'd say you guys went through about... 65%ish of the script I had planned before The Lockdown. You guys also went through some unplanned stuff I put in at the last minute to help get in the mood. I think that player-reaction, fast improv bit was the best part of it all, and I'm making a note of that for future reference.


So why the Lockdown?

At about 65% of the way into the script, I realized that the game had gotten stuck. Instead of deduction, it was now being led by bruteforcing attempts, with cues and hints being missed. That was really my fault. I think I put some of those in a bit too obscure a format and, unlike with the earlier cues (The .wav file in the m6 upload folder was an intentional rerailing bypass), didn't have any contingency plans in case they weren't found. (Honestly, I wasn't sure ANY would be found and the script would happen. My prediction was we'd have a bit of a laugh about the first changed background, reset everything today and business as usual. Much like in other ocassions, I subestimated the drive and interest it would generate. Woops).

With these cues and hints lost in the rush, the mechanics of the next scene in the script fell down. You guys just didn't have the keys to open all the locks, and me throwing lockpicks at you wasn't helping enough. Once again, that was my fault. I didn't plan a plan C to my plan B, which I also didn't have, so with the game stuck in a bruteforcing loop, I realized there wasn't enough time/resoruces for me to get it back on the suggested tracks, so I enacted the Lockdown.

Anticlimactic, I know. I'm sorry.

Now, I'm not going to tell you guys what these hints and cues are. The tru7h is still out there, and I think it would break kayfabe too hard if I just handled you the answers. The bits and pieces of puzzle are still (mostly) available, and the only major clue you (at least those of you that aren't in our backers section) should be missing would be the youtube video, which was also linked from a later deleted (Once I was sure it was seen) status post in the M6 account where it'd be available for everyone. Here you go.


Is there a risk this might happen again?

Completly.

I hope you guys had as much entertainment with it as I did backstage, putting it all together, and watching you guys assemble a coherent picture out of my mad ramblings.

Nappy phrased it better, as me having a "#$%/ ?$@ton of fun" with it (I think he was F5ing harder than I was, too!), so I'd like to revisit the experience in the future, with some more careful planning, a better script, better interactive assets and enough contingencies to nudge it out of a loop if it gets stuck in place, and also a definitive goal, incentive and reward for completion. I don't know when, where, how or why, but I think something might happen again.


How to best prepare for the next event?

Just stick around! I can't (and won't) let you know when it'll happen again (that'd spoil half the fun), but if you're following M6 and the development of TFH, you'll be sure to come across a something something in the future.

Couple of cryptic suggestions for you guys (And I hope this isn't lifing the curtain a bit too much), though. As a certain game franchise would say: Nothing is true, and everything is permitted. And as some other people would say, the d'vil is in the details.

- Anu.
 

Klint

Fabulous, Darling
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
250
238
overlords.png

This is supposed to still say Robot Overlords, right?
 

Avering

Pew-Pew
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
1,280
1,175
30
Your soup
This was pretty neat, by all means do another one in the future!

Maybe try to look up Elite's Unidentified Artifact conspiracy for inspiration, it's a similar event that is running for, like a year now. You can start hiding clues early (*ahem, ahem, like those little snippets here ahem ahem*), and when players evetually reach a certain point, (or at a certain date) you can start going crazy. That could be fun as well.

Also, what is FPVICOZALELMFTIAOOOB ?
 

Feanor

Proud Velveeta
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
490
308
Earth
Whelp I read through all this and still have no idea what happened. Anyone care to explain to a numbskull?
 

rod7post

sorry for my english! :c
Feb 3, 2016
103
26
Didn't you mean Moo? (I'm bad at puns, gimme a break)
will you be my sempai? <3 you lovely Avering-paka n,n

about the thread :v, soooo no news, or surprise for this event apart the image of fred? :'c
manesix bad!, so bad! D:
 

Feanor

Proud Velveeta
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
490
308
Earth
Well I am slightly less confused atleast. Hope I am around for the next one, though I would venture that the 364 day countdown would be for next May 6th, not release :p That will no doubt become THE Mane 6 holiday for events and announcements
 

Rich Jammer

By the Numbers Accountant
Backers' Beta Tester
will you be my sempai? <3 you lovely Avering-paka n,n

about the thread :v, soooo no news, or surprise for this event apart the image of fred? :'c
manesix bad!, so bad! D:
I imagine Rod saying something like:
"I-It's not like I like you, or anything....
P-Paka!"

BTW, baka means cow in Tagalog. So it's doubly hilarious to me in anime when someone calls someone else "baka".
 

rod7post

sorry for my english! :c
Feb 3, 2016
103
26
Lauren sempai...
i-it's not like I like more books of lore, or anything! :c
P-Paka!!! D:
 

Super jorsour64

gotta him em' with dat Hogwa$h
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
139
138
25
Phoenix, Arizona
This was probably the most fun I have ever had on a forum.
Yeah same here!

Couple of cryptic suggestions for you guys (And I hope this isn't lifing the curtain a bit too much), though. As a certain game franchise would say: Nothing is true, and everything is permitted. And as some other people would say, the d'vil is in the details.

- Anu.
Confirmed to relate to Assassin's Creed? The Creed
 
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