Lost - Season Two

[brianl]

It is great to see the revival of this community!



For a while now, we've been under production with the exciting second season of Lost, scheduled for release in May. However, we've already gotten well underway with information, so rather than repeat myself, I'll post the first two public adverts here, to catch everyone up!

Hello everyone!

Let me take a moment to introduce myself. I'm Brian, webmaster from the reality shack, a news and reality re-cap devouted site, as well as an active member of Online Survivor.

In the past we've teamed up with online survivor, and more recently alternative reality to bring exciting cross-site games open to the communities. It started with Ghosts of the Past where 24 contestants from OS and the Shack were pitted against one another in a survivor type feat. More recently evolving to the Lost theme game, with a survivor esque feeling. Over 34 players participated as we carried out our own Tail twist before it aired on TV during the second season.

I'm proud to announce Lost will be returning for a second hit season as it follows the Lost-a-ways as the hatch is opened and the fun begins again. Keep an eye out for the game as it develops and applications open in May. Competition for spots may be more intense as there are going to be many, many fewer spots available, only using the main cast members.

For now, I leave you with a small teaser video, and an open invitation to either drop me a PM, or send me an e-mail to sign up for the Lost Insider which will send constant developments your way and keep you up to date as things happen!

www.zippyvideos.com/9777981092787136/teaser2006/

Hopefully, we will see some of you Lost with us.

And the more recent...

Hey Season One Players!

We are constantly getting more excited as May quickly approaches. Only three months and a bit before we will be starting to get underway once again. Production is heavily underway, as we unfurl the mysteries of the second season on tv.

This season I'm esstatic to have Morris joining me as host (lovingly known as Shannon from season one). He has a lot of gaming experience and will surely make things a helluvah lot more fun as he brings his skillset to the table.

This outting we are gearing up to have one of the most amazing experiences you could imagine. Learning from mistakes, having a lot more time to plan, and a lot more time to run things between the two of us will promise a most exciting experience. Expect things to be like they have never been before, in a game that can barely be called survivor, but faithfully meets the wonderful qualities of Lost.

The reason I'm writing you, is to give you the opportunity to sign up for the Lost insider, which will gain you an early sneak peek at the season to come. The first edition is due out shortly, so sign up in time to catch it! Lost Insider subscribers may even find an extra advantage in store for them when applications roll around.

Pop me a pm with your e-mail address, or send an e-mail to [e-mail]

For now, I'll leave you all with something new to whet your appetite.

www.zippyvideos.com/9462277383313096/teaser2/

Also check out our very own Chill One Stalker, no, even we didn't find out about this site until like a day ago!

guidetolost.blogspot.com/

Thanks for participating in the first season of Lost, and we hope to see you again next season.

Brian and Morris.

Remember, it is not to late to hop on board if you are interested to receive the exclusive Lost insider. It is as easy as sending an e-mail to [e-mail], and then you are set for constant updates.

I'll be sure to check back here to add updates as they occur.

Thank you for considering getting Lost with us!

[brianl]

What is the Lost series?

The Lost series is a unique online survivor game concept, which was originally used as a theme for a Survivor game. However, the series very quickly evolved to have a life of its own and really became the Lost game, more than a survivor spin-off.

Does this mean Lost is not structured like Survivor?

Yes and no, the first game was more so based on the survivor structure of immunity and tribal council as created in survivor. However the second season has made a bit of a departure. This isn't to say that you won't see some of the elements that make survivor online games great, like voting people out, or competing in tribes for immunity. However, this resembles only half of the way the game is played, as we have added many new structures and systems unique to the Lost series. Meaning it is not merely Survivor with a Lost theme, but Lost, with elements of Survivor.

How long has this series been running, and who is involved?

Since winter/spring 2005, the first season was underway in production. The game took place after the first season finished airing on TV, and featured 34 players. We took the liberty to create our own Tail twist before we had seen it air on TV, and it featured players from the Survivor Australian cast. Dj and Carrie were co-hosts of the first season, but now Morris joins Brian in a joint effort to create our second adventure.

34 players, should we expect that from season two?

No, it has already been hinted that the second season will include much less cast members, and more adventure and story. Since we will only be using real characters from the show, there is no way to assemble such a large cast. Likewise it was hinted that there would be less characters than I have had in a long while... meaning less that GOTP (24).

So this is not your second game?

No, this is my 5th game I've hosted, and Morris' 3rd.

Is Lost Season Two open to past players?

Yes, it is a new game, a new season, anyone and everyone can audtion and expect an equal chance to make it into the season.

Speaking of auditions, the first insider is released, right? I didn't sign up for it yet, what did I miss... can I still sign up?

Yes, you can still PM me, or send an e-mail to [e-mail] to sign up. However, you did miss the first insider, so that means you may have to wait a while, or find other means to get your hands on the information. It will eventually become public.

What's all this talk about characters?

The Lost series features something we call "character masks" which I believe the extent of which I introduced in Ghosts of the Past (2 games ago). The purpose of character masks allow you to adopt an account representing on of the Lost characters... for example, you could be Jack. Your username will naturally be Jack, and you'll have a spiffy Jack avatar.

However, since the game is hosted at a private forum, no one will have any idea who Jack really is, and it will stay that way for the duration of the game. The purpose of this, is once again to a) introduce a fun level of emmersion and b) offer everyone an equal footing. As per the rules, everyone plays within the boundaries of the game, and can't discuss it outside. Therefore there will be no pre-conceived alliances, and no advantages to seasoned players. A lot of people generally find they prefer this type of gameplay, as it makes every game like it was their first. Where no one knew one another, and everyone built friendships from the ground up. You'll also find this is one of the best ways to make new friendships, or even re-kindle old ones. Naturally, if this doesn't appeal to you, and you like to play with people you know and trust, then this isn't the game for you. This is a heavily enforced and monitored rule. If anyone is found overstepping these boundaries, severe punishments will be in effect, as it completely ruins the game for everyone.

But onto lighter things...

So I'm Jack right... does that mean I should study up on some common drugs and surgical proceedures I will be likely to encounter?

Ha ha, no, not to that extreme. While you are Jack the character, you are still yourself. If you decide that Jack needs to have an orgy with Locke and Claire. that's completely up to you. You don't need to play act, or act in character at all. Although I'm sure some people will enjoy it a bit at first. You are free to create your own character and make them more like yourself. That's not to say you can make Jack's career be a professional stripper. He is still the doctor of the island, and certainly some things uphold that will become important to the storyline.

*Refer to a further questions below*

You mentioned a private board, where exactly is this thing taking place?

At my home site, thanks to Carrie, our webmaster, she has stepped up once again to provide private webspace, including a sexy PHP BB board where the game will take place. You by no means need to be a member of the Reality Shack, as this is a completely seperate departure, and everyone is welcome to play!

So how do we communicate, through IM's?

Instant Messaging will once again not be allowed. I thouroughly enjoy this element. I find if players stick to the endless amounts of space they have on our private board, as well as endless amounts of room they have for private messaging, you will not even feel like you need MSN or AIM. Furthermore it is much to much of a hassle for everyone to make private accounts separate for the game, as well as co-ordinate everyone onto one IM... personally I'm from Canada, and I'll come right out and say it, I hate AIM. Which many others use AIM exclusively. I find sticking to PM's solely lets everyone have an equal footing and a more immersive time.

So what kind of pace should we expect to see?

This is not an experience for a casual player. Gameplay is fast paced, and is a lot more representative to the actual survivor game which only lasts 39 days. Expect something very similar. The Lost season one whittled down all 34 players in 48 days. That said, we won't be travelling impossibly fast, or so that it hampers anyone. Whathever timezone you live in, challenges are untimed, meaning you can help just as much by showing up 2 hours before the challenge ends, as you could being there right when it started. No challenges are timed, I repeat, no challenges are timed events or races, so if that is a concern, worry not!

However, do expect this game to give you just as much as you put into it. You can contribute little and still get by, but there is constantly optional materials, and things to keep you busy. You should be able to sign on every day, and have plenty to do to keep you satisfied. There is a lot of optional stuff, and things to find, see and do. You will never be sitting in your tribe wondering what to do while another tribe is at tribal council. You'll always have some type of reward to work towards, ways to improve your overall standing, plenty of social things to do to get closer to one another, and of course the "ffp" which is a codename for an exciting new and heavily implemented element of the second season. Want to know more? Sign up for the Lost Insider!

I have never watched Lost... is it worth my time applying?

This is a more tricky question than last season. Like I said, it was Survivor with a heavy Lost theme. Now we are Lost with Survivor roots. That said, if you haven't seen the show, it does not stop you from playing to the full capacity, and perhaps even winning the entire thing. On the other hand, the theme will be intense, as well as the driving story line. If you haven't watched Lost, then you will simply not enjoy this element of the game. Without the theme, it is still a fantastic game and experience none that you will experience, but with the theme and story, and it just that much more!

What's this you say about the storyline?

Naturally the Lost series is a little more plot driven than Survivor is. Mark Burnett pulls out a theme, goes hard on it for the premiere, and then it is safely tucked away until the finale. Expect a lot more storyline, and relevant tasks similar to what was going on at the time in Lost. Similiar to Lost feature our first huge twist, where players realised there was actually two seperate plane crashes mid-way through the game, and actually two seperate games. This was based off of the rumors that the lost-a-ways would find the tail in season two. Likewise some people were swept away on an insain adventure by everyones favourite physcopath Ethan.

This is a awesome game, but Lost in general makes it amazing!

So should we expect an even bigger twist?

I can mildly admit that probably the previous undertaking of organizing two separate games, keeping them secret from one another. Leading one group to believe they were actually playing the real game, when they were not, and later crashing the two words into one another was... quite simply said... about as big as you get. So no, I'm afraid I won't be topping myself...

However, that's not to say that you will face a slew of amazing and intriguing twists, as well as a huge change in game play that will make season two even more memorable then the first!

Can I get some more info?

Sure, here is a new short teaser trailer that some of the players of last season received.
www.zippyvideos.com/9462277383313096/teaser2/

As well, bookmark and keep an eye on this site, as information and news is leaked, you will be able to find out some very interesting things from our own Lost-based Chill One

guidetolost.blogspot.com/

So... when can I start!

That my friends, will have to wait until May, and we hope that you will get Lost with us!

[brianl]

Miss the first insider... well shame on you! Fortunately however, here is a copy of the first insider from January. You still have time to sign up to receive the second edition over e-mail. Just send your e-mail address along via PM, or to [e-mail]

The days are ticking down to the start of the second exciting season. Which will be more dark, more adventurous, and more extreme than the first. And well... also a little more cheery as well. You'll find out more about the "FFP" in the second insider, as well as the return of a familiar face!

Don't miss it, coming out in a weeks time!



From the desk of J.J. Abrams
January 27th 2006

Thank you for signing up for the first edition of the Lost Insider. We are rather excited to have things building as soon as they are! This season we already have plenty of new and old faces alike, so things are shaping up to be quite an adventure.

But let's get straight to the dirt of things. Several months ago, the decision to revive the Lost series for second season was passed. After a bit of time, Morris had jumped in on the project, and we had a brand new home set up for the second installment. It really wasn't that long ago, until we arrived right here, at the first edition!

As things stand now, the second season of Lost itself has hit the midway point. Providing us with many exciting twists, turns and possibilities. And well, not quite so many twists and possibilities, but nevertheless I'm sure there are many more great things to come.

Within a couple of hours, I plan on sticking up a game FAQ on some of the sites we are advertising on, as well as that previous preview most of you have received. This FAQ will be really handy if you did not see the first season of Lost, and should answer some of your questions about the game. What exactly it is, the pace, the challenges, the player masks, and how everything fits together.

But it is far to say that if you did participate in the first season, that you will at all be familiar with many things going on. We've revamped a lot, learned a lot, and things will be even better than before (if that's possible!) In this issue we will be talking about the first of those major changes, the ones we are particularly excited about. In the next issue look forward to the exciting new element... or more like a driving force, behind the game. Something we like to call ffp! And after that, expect to hear more about the game, such as the list of characters that will be available to play.

Today however, I wanted to talk about applications. A boring topic to devoute an entire newsletter to? Well, I'd generally agree with this assesment, but not today. We've done a lot of brainstorming and put thought into a new system, which would be more appropriately titled 'auditions'.

One of the biggest flaws of online games of the day, is that it is far to easy to wade through a bunch of boring applications, and pick out a couple familiar or big names to represent your cast. And usually you end up with the dreaded no shows... we had two alone in the first season's main cast, which was obviously composed of the best of the best on paper... but certainly not in practice.

Instead, release your current notions of applications, and begin to think of how they could instead be a game in itself. What would the advantages be?

For starters we would actually get to see everyone in full out action before we made our selections... or the island made the selections for us. People wouldn't be as lost when the actual game got underway, the possibilities are endless, the emersion is perfect.

Instead, in the second season of Lost, expect to be able to audition for a couple of characters of your choice. No longer will you wind up with the random characters that you hate (I can hear a few of you rejoicing). And instead of a private affair, begin to picture a game in itself, with other people competeting against you. Completeting tasks, working together, working apart, and perhaps even a strategical vote or two along the way to secure yourself as a player, and essentially win your spot into the game. Whether it be 25 or 100 applicants, the game begins when the casting call goes out. No two week wait, no hassle, you'll be whisked off immediately to a Hawaii for the filming of the popular second season of Lost. And most importantly, no advantage. Whatever your past, or present, everyone will have the equal opportunity to prove themselves as the strongest players, and everyone will have a chance at their most illustrious player goals. A true game before the game even begins!

Now you are beggining to see all the amazing and crazy possibilities, and why we are really excited to introduce this new system into online gaming. You've never felt as much fun and self-accomplishment as you will when the audtion process kicks off!

What can you expect from the second season of Lost? Expect a level of emersion and fun we only scratched the surface of in the first season. Expect more paths, more avenues, more opportunity to make a difference that completely breaks away from the traditional path of Survivor. As Mark Burnett has hopefully re-written the mundane in his 12th season of Survivor, so we plan to change up the way you play and get involved in online games. Expect less of the generic structure of challenge, tribal, challenge, tribal, and expect more mystery and intrigue around every corner. Solve a mystery on your own, and your actions can have a huge impact in the game. Outpreform others to make them worship and respect you as the all powerful leader, or fall behind, and show weakness so that the island consumes you.

You'll find out this and more, in the next insider.

Cheers,

J.J. Abrams