Hi everyone! I would like to take the time to give an update on the current projects at Alice and Smith.
It’s been a year since we launched The Black Watchmen and if you read the Almanac, you know that a lot has happened in the last 12 months. For me, it was by far the most exciting year as a puppet master and a game developer. We have launched a second (and soon a third) game, nearly doubled the size of our community and successfully kidnapped one of our players. It has been a thrill ride.
As we look forward to the Fall months, there is a lot on the horizon. We are set to release the full version of Ahnayro at the end of September, expand NITE Team 4 and further broaden the universe of The Black Watchmen.
-- THE BLACK WATCHMEN
Many of you are eager for the announcement of Season 3, and we don’t blame you! We are excited about the story we want to tell, however before we officially announce the launch date of a new season, we believe we need to improve the core quality of the game and define how we must evolve the ARG experience to the next level. Mother Russia was an opportunity to test all that we had learned over the past year:
-The live event was a great experience for both us and the community. While there were many amazing moments (code book, recon, etc…), the one that stands out for me as a puppet master is the final live stream on Twitch. I see a lot of untapped potential in this, and I want us to explore it more.
-Mother Russia allowed us to increase the level of role playing content within a mission set with the Msika Archive, an in-depth lore document. We want to test similar deeper lore artifacts and see how we can better balanced it with the puzzle and the ARG components.
-Mother Russia had a lot of lore and content to explore, but was a little short on the number of puzzles. I think we could increase the amount of puzzles and their challenge without having any impact on the quality or the cost of the DLC.
Therefore, we see three next steps for The Black Watchmen: A dedicated live event hub, a new DLC that you will vote on and a new hint mechanic.
1. DEDICATED LIVE EVENT HUB
We have been attempting to centralize the live event experience in a core hub for a long time, and the response to the stream at the end of Operation SILVERSPEAR was so positive that we decided to create the Coordination & Operations Management (COM) Division. The COM Division website hub will be open during a live event and will be personalized (using your in-game agent login) for an optimal browser and mobile experience (aka field work).
The hub will feature:
-Twitch stream and live chat
-Collective progression of the event so far
-Rewards and achievement you have completed
-Time and date in UTC (no more shit i missed it)
-Agent participation, which could be organized by class, groups, territory or blood type
-Deeper interaction with Dispatch through radar monitoring, interactive maps, strategic deployment, resources management, etc...
-Links to Archive documents about the current event
-Mobile support to submit field intel
We are excited to test this hub in a new live event. We will send a survey to see where your interests lie for this next Special Operation DLC. You will also vote on the theme of the DLC and the mechanics you would like to see us explore. As with Mother Russia, this DLC will include:
-5 new missions (with Video Cutscenes)
-Around 25 puzzles (+40% over Mother Russia)
-A new live event
-Cost of 5$
-Target Launch Date - End of October, early November
3. HINT MECHANIC
Finally, we want to provide a large quality of life improvement for the agents playing Season 1 and Season 2. For this, we will introduce the Surveillance and Information Management (SIM) Division. Accessible within the game, it will feature multiple hints broken down by puzzle. The SIM Division is actually relying on curated Intel from agents; integrating hints from the forums thread into the client. Agents who contributed to the hints will be credited. We encourage agents to continue contributing hint in the forums, SIM Division will review this intel and use it to expand our global help system.
Ahnayro continues to evolve and grow. It has already helped us bring 976 new players to the community in Early Access alone but more impressive; 63% of Ahnayro players bought a copy of The Black Watchmen. By the end of the year, we hope to bring an additional 2000 players to the community.
Table 2 is about to be launched and we plan for an official release at the end of September. A special quest line will also be unlockable only by Black Watchmen “Scientist” Class.
We will need your help to determine the future of NITE Team 4. At the moment, we have the funds to deliver a project at the scale of Ahnayro, reaching out to a different audience (hacker experience) and helping us expand The Black Watchmen universe. But we have a larger vision for NITE Team 4. We believe it can span into a much bigger project, something along the lines of The Black Watchmen Season 1. Including advanced mechanics, narrative, voice actors, content and its own original soundtrack.
We decided to turn to Kickstarter to see if there is interest in a “Hacker Experience” game like NT4. If successful, this will also bring visibility and new players to the Black Watchmen universe. Like in Ahnayro, we also plan to have a NITE Team 4 special quest line unlockable only by Black Watchmen “Cybertech” Class. To be clear: the Kickstarter funding will simply define how far we can push NITE Team 4 in terms of mechanics and content.
The Kickstarter for NITE Team 4 will go live in the next two weeks. With your support, we can make this game better!
-- CONCLUSION
Now that Mother Russia madness is over, we are back and ready to work! Looking forward to
your feedback on NITE Team 4, Ahnayro and The Black Watchmen
An urgent operation is being planned and requires your support. The Special Operation Mother Russia is now available on Steam! In this DLC, you’ll need to complete an all new in-client mission set [15 puzzles] that brings you through the cold case files of Agent Msika and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Completion of Season 1 or Season 2 isn’t required and your expertise in dealing with hostile enemy groups is needed immediately. Get ready to explore the Archive files of Agent Msika, work with Agent Grisha and investigate the dark truths behind secret Soviet weapons programs.
Work with NITE Team 4 to create a comprehensive monitoring network of postal offices around the world to counteract ongoing biological attacks.
Background
So far today, Division 66 has been alerted of 54 biological attacks across the globe. All attacks have been carried out in a similar fashion - letters, delivered in the mail, containing an unknown fast-acting pathogen [Codenamed PERUN] which kills its host shortly after exposure. It is in a weaponized powder form and extremely lethal. An average of 5.3 people were infected by each letter, PERUN’s mortality rate is nearly 80%. It is not highly contagious - it appears to be focused on area of effect neutralization rather than uncontrolled propagation.
Teams dispatched to the incident sites reported trace levels of rupture radiation from the letter and victims. Analysis of this phenomenon is ongoing, but it may be contributing to the lethality of the pathogen.
Updates
All letter used in the attacks share a similar profile:
- Delivered by mail to businesses during regular hours
- Contained Russian postage
- Marked Urgent
- Contained blank paper and a pathogen in weaponized powder form
All letters contained an untraceable mail ID tracking tag, suggesting the letters were injected into the mail system throughout the Russian territories. The size and scope of the organization behind the attacks is unknown at this time. We must assume we are dealing with a sophisticated group.
The pattern of the campaign suggests this is not a terrorist attack, but may instead be series of targeted assassinations or a large scale biological weapons test. At its current rate, a sustained campaign could reach a death toll of more than 1200 by the end of the week unless an early detection network is established.
Instructions
All agents must work to gather recon photos of post office branches along with screencaptures showing wifi networks to create a comprehensive monitoring system of the world’s postal systems. Field Intelligence gathered on ANY city, anywhere in the world will be added to the surveillance network. Important details of the field work, including safety directives, can be found here: Archive 6F4FA7
A broader Global Alert Network will allow more infected letters to be detected early and minimize casualties.
NITE Team 4 will use the information submitted by field agents to start an intrusion operation in the postal offices. They will then be automating scans to create an early detection and surveillance network.
Monitor the IRC and the Forums for further details.
Mother Russia DLC
- Black Watchmen on sale - 50% off
- 84 page behind the scenes Almanac Released - Black Watchmen Comic Book announced for Aug. 10th
- New Mother Russia DLC announced for Aug. 20th
Здравствуйте Agents
An urgent operation is being planned for August and requires your support. In the Mother Russia DLC, you’ll need to complete an all new in-client mission set that brings you through the cold case files of Agent Msika and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Key features of Mother Russia will include:
Live Event Operations: As part of the DLC launch, a special Live Event will be open and free to all owners of The Black Watchmen.
Msika Archive Investigation: Explore the Archive files of Agent Msika and use your analytical skills to interpret long lost notes and leads.
Cold Case: Tackle a new set of missions dealing with the mystery of Agent Msika and the investigation of her disappearance.
Support from Russia: Work with Agent Grisha, Msika’s old partner and handler. He’s eager to team up with you and put your research skills to the test!
Immediate Action Required: The Mother Russia DLC is accessible to anyone that owns Season 1 of The Black Watchmen. Completion of Season 1 or 2 is not required.
Achieve Glory: A new set of Steam Achievements to obtain awaits you in the Motherland!
We look forward to seeing you participate in this operation and help in deciphering the Msika Archive this August on Steam.
With so many new players diving into Season 1 of the game after the Steam Summer Sale, we wanted to make it easier for everyone to get even more content quickly, so we have created Steam Bundles.
All bundles are in the “Complete the Set” category, meaning that the cost of anything you already own (ie Season 1) will be deducted from your total.
We hope these bundles will allow more players to explore the ever-expanding universe of the Black Watchmen, whether that means testing your skills against the mounting threats of Season 2, exploring the mysterious dream realities of Ahnayro or listening to TBW OST as you wander through a graveyard at night.
Adventure Gamers Review (4.5 / 5)
"I can safely say this is ARGing at its finest" - K R Parkinson, Adventure Gamers
Season 2 is 30% Off until July 4th http://store.steampowered.com/app/396810/
Ahnayro Launch and Sandbox Missions
We are pleased to announce that Ahnayro is now on Steam Early Access! We’ll need your feedback and support to make the game a truly excellent extension of The Black Watchmen’s Alternate Reality Game universe.
Ahnayro Steam Early Access: http://store.steampowered.com/app/449730
As part of the launch event, the last two missions of the Ahnayro Sandbox campaign have been created. They are now available in The Black Watchmen game client in the Sandbox section. Complete the Sandbox and you’ll receive a special Steam achievement!
Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the dream world of Ahnayro.
THE BLACK WATCHMEN EXPAND IT'S UNIVERSE WITH NITE TEAM 4
We are excited to announce the launch of NITE Team 4 on Greenlight! We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to launch the game in the Steam Community and get feedback on our alpha. We are also working on a special section of content in NITE Team 4 that will only be accessible to Cybertech agents in The Black Watchmen.
SIGIL Research Facility Strike Op
Agents,
We have a lead on a SIGIL research facility, your job is to carry out this mission and extract intel on SIGIL to further our goal of dealing serious damage to their organization. Today, we conduct the first strike against SIGIL for their crimes against our agency. Go to the Mission Hub and Campaign in your Black Watchmen client to review your mission.
Operation DARKAVALON - Debriefing
AGENTS,
Operation DARKAVALON resulted in the death of Agent MidDipper. During a raid on the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver, the strike team was not able to recover the agent in their holding room. The only piece of evidence the strike team was able to extract was an audio recording of their final moments. We strongly suspect SIGIL was behind this operation against our agents and commend the Green Level agent on their efforts to return Agent MidDipper. We will strike back hard against SIGIL for what they have done, this will not be forgiven.
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Shortly after the exploit on the consulate employees computer, Agent Greenstarfanatic was intercepted and held captive by members of Klaymore Security. After being transported to an enemy safe house, our agent was interrogated but remained calm. The operation to recover intel on the whereabouts of the Green Level agent took longer than expected and resulted in time lost for the MidDipper recovery mission. A field team member was able to eventually find the Green Level agent captive and freed them. They were not physically harmed and were able to return to operational status.
Upon obtaining admin access to the consulate security network, all cameras were shut down. This allowed our strike team to covertly enter the perimeter and breach the holding room believed to contain Agent MidDipper. What was discovered was an audio recording implying that the agent was dead. Later, a body was found nearby the strike location after a sweep of the area. Crime scene analysis is underway and we are still working on obtaining actionable intel that can be used against SIGIL.
Following recent events that led to the death of an agent, HQ has decided that our cyberwarfare capabilities must be dramatically increased. We are beginning a large scale recruitment campaign for NITE Team 4. If you believe you have the skills required to hack high value targets, we encourage you to join and send recruitment information to anyone who may be interested in this position. A testing version of our dedicated hacking client is available at the following address:
www.niteteam4.com
A series of training missions is available for your evaluation. Good luck agent.
Congratulations on the successful completion of the Operation.
Go to the situation room in the next 24 hours and enter code
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