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Tweetcryption
A QR RPG
Tweetcryption is a game QR code-based role-playing game, played through twitter. Two players work together to create an improvisational story. Followers of either player may observe as a theatrical sketch. Watching the story, the sketch seems like a dance between the two participants. Others may even 'cut in' to splinter off a new dance in a different direction. Each new sketch is a dance unto itself. This is because of the branching nature of conversations on Twitter.
Starting a new sketch is something anyone can do. Any sketch may flow in new directions. All it takes is a quick scan of the QR codes and your dance can begin. This document includes several sketch starters and element codes. These offer you a jumping-in point. You are free to create new QR elements for the game at any time.
Getting Started
To get started, you are going to need several things:
- You will need a phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection. Since you are on this page, it seems safe to say you have this.
- You will need a twitter account, as that is where you will play Tweetcryption. This account does not have to be your primary account.
- You will need a QR Code reading program. If you don't already have one, suggestions have been provided at the end of the page.
- (Opt.) To create your own QR codes, you will need an editing program. New codes create new possibilities. Suggestions are at the end of this page.
Terms
This game involves several terms that you may not be familiar with. Others are familiar terms used in unique ways. If you are eager to jump into playing, feel free to skip this section.
- The actions of a character.
- Things happening in a sketch.
- Other in-game aspects of a single sketch.
Character: Characters use orange QR codes. These codes link to a picture. Each picture serves as the inspiration for the character a dancer chooses to play. There are no statistics associated with this character. Dancers decide all the character's job, experiences and personality based on the image.
Complications: Complications use red QR codes. These are blocks of text that explain major conflict or problem. Complications raise the state of alarm . Use these when they flow naturally as part of the story.
Cutting In: The act of replying to a sketch that you were not participating in at the start. To do this, reply to a posting by the lead from any point in the sketch. Doing so branches the conversation off in a new direction.
Dance: A single length of replies between a lead and a dancer. Each dance is separate from the others unless they include other @names. (see: alternate forms of play section)
Dancers: Anyone who participates in a sketch is a dancer. Due to the limited space offered by twitter, any single sketch has a limited number of people for a reply. When someone wishes to join in on an existing dance, they may do so by cutting in and creating a new reply track.
Dance Ticket: Anyone who has replied to the first posting of a lead. Any number of individuals may choose to reply. Each reply creates a separate 'dance' within the sketch.
Hashtags: Comments and replies are searchable through the use of #
The Last Dance: The final climactic scene of a sketch.
Lead: The person who starts a new sketch is the lead. While other dancers may cut in and create new tracks of the story, a lead remains a part of all dances within a sketch.
QR Code: Quick Response Code. This is a way to relay tracks of information with a single icon. Some QR elements are pictures, some are text and some lead to story web pages.
Reply: A tweet used to respond to another dancer. These may be text or a QR code. This may also include cutting in on another sketch. To make a reply public, place a period in front of the name of the dancer you are replying to. (Expl: .@DXLogan My character does jumping jacks and says, “Don't judge me.”)
Setting: Settings use blue QR Codes. Setting codes link to pictures. These should inspire the nature of a current scene's location. As with characters, there are no statistics. Dancers explore all features of the setting through the visual clues.
Situation: Situations use purple QR codes. These are blocks of text or URL links representing the basic nature of a scene and what is occurring. Some conflict may arise out of these situations without the use of complications. This depends on when a situation occurs within the sketch. If both dancers agree, situations may result in a rise in the state of alarm . A situation known as the primary situation is a larger situation used to set up the beginning of a new sketch. These will generally be distinctive in some way.
Sketch: A series of scenes to explore a concept, character or situation. Within Tweetcryption, a single group of Twitter replies is called a sketch. It creates a unique and interesting interaction of paired dancers to create a story.
State of Alarm: The level of concern or uncertainty in a scene. This represents the increasing tension of a conflict. State of alarm begins play at a 0. This may instead start at 1 if a complication is played in the initial scene. 0 represents the starting scene being peaceful and calm. 1 represents some initial conflict that occurs before the start of the sketch. When the state of alarm reaches 4, the next scene following should be the last dance of the sketch. All resolution should occur then within the last dance.
Tool: Tools use green QR codes. Tools are either pictures or text representing items of interest. These items are brought in at the start of a scene. They leave play before the start of the next scene. Tools should create greater depth and interest to the scene.
Track: A set of replies between two dancers. New tracks form by cutting in . A track typically involves replies only between the lead and the person who has replied.
Tweet: A 140 character or less reply on Twitter. These describe any of the following:
Instructions
First time playing or needing to verify a rule?
The speed and quality of play is greatly improved if you can use both a phone and computer at the same time. To do so, you do all of the tweeting on the computer, but use the phone to quickly translate QR codes. Some people have reported that their phones have difficulty decoding pictures on Twitter or the site directly. This difficulty seems to go away when using the camera mode. For the greatest success in posting QR images from this page, select 'view image' and save the file. When tweeting, use the saved picture rather than the image directly from the website.How to Start a Sketch:
When someone decides to be the lead of a sketch, it is simple to begin. Follow this link and Quote Tweet (retweet with text) the post. Include text stating a basic genre and tone/mood for your game (Expl: Sci-fi, Humorous). Also include the #qrpg hashtag. Anyone who replies to your retweet is now on your dance ticket. Each reply is a separate dance, though they may all start with the same primary situation.How to Join a New Sketch:
When you decide that you're interested in joining a sketch, search for the #qrpg hashtag. When you find one with a genre and tone you like, reply to the first post sketch. Sometime thereafter, the lead will begin as noted below in the stages of play section.Stages of Play:
Setting the Stage
Once the lead has a full dance ticket, they will reply to each separate dancer. They will tweet the QR image of the primary situation they've chosen for the sketch. The lead will then wait for each person to select a character.Selecting a Character
Once the lead has noted the prime situation, the other dancer will reply with a Character QR. This is a QR to an image link giving a sense of who the protagonist character is, what they do and how they may behave. A lead does not select a character. The lead may include a character QR when needed. If so, it is to display a person within the sketch environment.Starting the Dance
Now with a character established, the lead replies with an initial Setting QR. This will be the location of the first scene. Hereafter, starting with the other dancer, each person will take turns replying. It is important to take turns. Multiple replies to a single tweet will result in diverging paths for the sketch. If you need more space to write, dancers may create a black QR code encrypting extra text. Replies extending further than the length of both a tweet and a black QR code are discouraged. This is due to the potential break in continuity within the sketch.Cutting In
Anyone who happens to be observing a sketch may, at any time, decide to cut in. By replying to any post within the entire sketch by posting your own Character QR. This reply should only be to a post by the lead and include only the name of the lead. Doing so creates a divergent dance. This new dance within the sketch does not alter the original. Instead, it is a separate set of scenes involving this new character. It exists within the same setting from the point where the two dances diverged from one another. Each new dance is separate from the others, so there is no need to coordinate what is happening between them.Progressing the Story
At any time, aspects of the sketch may change. Much like how the changing of a song can change a dance, so too may these progressions alter play. Either dancer can contribute. Most, but not all, of changes in setting and situation, should come from the lead. Most contributions from the other dancer come from how they interact with what's presented. When a scene ends, the lead posts a new setting QR. The dance partner then replies some form of statement acknowledging the change. The lead then replies with a new situation QR and play resumes as normal. The second dancer may choose to play a tool QR that fits both the setting and situation. This is a prop that their character may interact with for the duration of that scene. At any time, either dancer may choose to play a complication QR. Only one complication should get used in a given setting/location. These cards affect the state of alarm. Each card indicates how much the state of alarm rises. It also details what caused the complication. These QR represent conflict and tension, driving the story towards a conclusion. It is best to avoid playing them too often. Aim to have complications appear at a measured pace. This way, the character can react to them.The Last Dance
When the State of Alarm reaches 4, the scene that follows the current one should be the climax of the story. This final scene is the 'Last Dance'. The loose ends get tied together and something major should come to a head. The nature of this will depend on the final complication QR and the primary situation from the beginning. When the last dance concludes, both dancers are free to part or either may begin a new sketch as occurred above.Alternate Forms of Play
For those who refuse to use Twitter, it is possible to play Tweetcryption as a Play By Email style game. Treat it as with Twitter, but with a larger number of characters available in replies. Starting a new dance ticket is the difficult aspect of trying PBE. You will have to seek out participants rather than relying on a hashtag to bring them to you.
Group Dances
Twitter is removing @names from the word count in a reply, at some point. At the time of this game's creation, that is not yet the case. This means that those who want in larger groups limit in how they much may say in replies. To include multiple dance partners in a single dance, a black QR code for text extends your total word count. This allows a reply with @names of participants and text as QR.
If you decide to dance as a group, each person in the sketch should reply in the same order each time. That order should be set by the order that they selected character QRs at the beginning stage of the sketch. The lead dancer may alter the state of alarm needed to reach the last dance beyond 4. This increase reflects the greater likelihood of increased conflict of a larger group. If so, the lead must state the new number in the primary situation post.
QR Code Library
| Primary Situations | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Code | Title | Code | ||||||||||||
| Bathed In Sunlight -Action- |  |
Struggle Against The Sunset -Political- |  |
| Characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Code | Role | Code | Role | Code | ||||||||||||||||||
| Solar Robot |  |
Doctor |  |
Engineer |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Scientist/Astronaut |  |
Military |  |
| Settings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | Code | Setting | Code | Setting | Code | ||||||||||||||||||
| War Room - Any - |  |
Government Building - Any - |  |
Coastal City - Any - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Suburbs - Any - |  |
Launch Pad - BiS - |  |
Planetary Orbit - BiS - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Space Station - BiS - |  |
Landfill Mining - SAtS - |  |
Monocrop Farm - SAtS - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Local Garden - SAtS - |  |
| Situations | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Situation | Code | Situation | Code | Situation | Code | ||||||||||||||||||
| Strategy Session - Any - |  |
Press Conference - Any - |  |
Building A Ship - BiS - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Government Meetings - BiS - |  |
Blast Off - BiS - |  |
Aurora Borealis - BiS - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Forest Production - SAtS - |  |
Major Market - SAtS - |  |
Modern College - SAtS - |  |
||||||||||||||||||
| Field Tests - SAtS - |  |
| Complications | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complication | Code | Complication | Code | Complication | Code | ||||||||||||||||||
| Near Miss - BiS - |  |
Food Shortages - BiS - |  |
Riots - BiS - |  |
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| Martial Law - BiS - |  |
Cultists - BiS - |  |
Moonstruck - BiS - |  |
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| Sabotage - SAtS - |  |
Cold Snap - SAtS - |  |
Lobyists - SAtS - |  |
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| Good Ol' Days - SAtS - |  |
Album Aid - SAtS - |  |
New Technology - SAtS - |  |
| Tools | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tool | Code | Tool | Code | Tool | Code | ||||||||||||||||||
| Satellite - BiS - |  |
Space Shuttle - BiS - |  |
Magnetosphere Enhancement Device - BiS - |  |
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| Slaughter Truck - SAtS - |  |
Backhoe - SAtS - |  |
Solar Oven - SAtS - |  |
How to Make QR Codes
This game is playable on phones of any OS, on PCs, Macs or tablets. Many phones lack a QR reader these days, however. To resolve this, you may need to download a reader app. I recommend QuickMark. I know for a fact that it can scan with the camera, from saved pictures, and from websites. That said, feel free to use whatever you like. The following website offers options for the common OS, including both phones and computers. HERE.
If you do not have InDesign, there are many options for creating codes. The QuickMark program recommended above is capable of creating new QR codes on the spot. This includes the option of coloring them to fit the color-coding of Tweetcryption. To do more than colorize, editing programs like Photoshop and Paint.net are helpful. They allow you to make visual changes to QR codes generated on sites like QRStuff.com.
Most QR allow up to 30 percent of their surface covered without loss of data. The links below offer insights into how you can alter QR codes in interesting ways. Be aware that the more you alter a QR, the more likely there are to be errors in some QR Readers. As you can see from the code library above, the majority of codes are best kept simple. Interesting visuals make a nicer presentation, but in no way alter the playing of the game.
Useful information on working with QR codes.
Basics of adding a picture to QR.Coloring QR Codes
Adding logos to QR
Impactful QR design