First, I'd suggest checking out the
UnFiction Tutorial--it gives a quick once-over of most common ARG-y encryption / hiding strategies.
As for how I do things, generally I watch the technical aspects of other games to see what's going on--although Deus City is the first ARG I've played, it is most definitely not the first I've watched. It might be worth your while to read the wiki from a few finished games. Play through a puzzle trail in the "Timewasters" section, and come up with your own system for attacking these problems. Generally, if you see a URL that ends in /picture3.jpeg, see if you can find pictures 1, 2 and 4. If you're at a new website, see if the /images directory is available. Explore.
Mostly, though, ARGs depend on a lot of different eyes attacking problems from a lot of different angles--learn the basics you'll find in the Tutorial, but feel free and encouraged to follow your own hunches, always keeping in mind what kind of answer you'd expect to the given puzzle. Is it a puzzle leading to another website, or an information drop?
Puzzle Trail walkthroughs:
JMX
A Birthday Walkthrough

Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:14 am