We need a Street Team

[Dark Reality]

I've had this idea kicking around in the ol' attic, and I've been thinking, TNM needs a street team.

If you're not familiar with the term, up-and-coming local bands tend to have them, basically it's organized grassroots promotion of something. And what they do is, they basically get the word out about the band, and organize to protect the name of the band when it gets popular. (This can end badly, and has for some bands - a certain rock band's street team tried to start some weird hoaxes about the band to generate interest, and it was messy.)

The TNM street team would, among other things, be responsible for sparking interest (but not spamming) in game-related, especially DX-related forum, for TNM. Not being pushy, just informative. YouTube videos are another good one. Anywhere people gather to discuss DX, and possibly other games from the same time that worked similar (e.g. Half-Life, SS2). Twitter. MySpace. I dunno.

I started a Group on Google. I'm a member of a Group on Google and I don't use it much, but there is a lot of potential, and being a forums nerd, I'm curious about what all you can do with them. I do want to keep it closed, and only invite so many people. Just a half-dozen or so people who love TNM and DX. I don't think they should be members of the TNM team however, it should all be independent of OTP. Much love to the TNM team, but this isn't something they should have to do, it's something that we, the fans, should do for them.

I'm sure there are things some of you are probably doing on your own already, and that's fine, that's great, I'm far from suggesting you stop or anything, but we can organize that effort, get everyone on the same page, and work as a team.

This may not really seem important now, but when we do the Wikipedia page for TNM, we need to organize the defense of the article, since some on Wikipedia don't think TNM deserves an article. This organization should not be done on a public forum (and this topic should get deleted once the street team is up and running) since our would-be opponents on Wikipedia will just link to anything we post in public. I'm not saying break Wikipedia's rules, hell no, but if we work within the system; Wikipedia is not a democracy, per se, but it is governed by people, and if we go to them unified with a purpose, our chances are much better than if we don't.

Then you have OTP's next project. Organized support for that couldn't hurt. Maybe they show it off at some gaming conference somewhere, and we all burn a bunch of copies of TNM, with the latest patch, and some URLs on-disc to get DX on the cheap, and pass these out, or something.

And if you're thinking, "cool idea, but DXNathan, that guy's kind of a punk" or this, that, or the other, maybe you think you can run it better, that's fine. I have no problem just being a part of it, doing what I can to contribute. If no one else wants to lead it, I'll do it the best I can, it's just whatever's best for the street team. My Google account isn't up for grabs, but I can probably transfer ownership to another member of the Group, downgrade my own account to Member or something. That's perfectly fine.

OK, it appears if you're not a member, you can apply to join:

http://groups.google.com/group/tnmstreetteam

Just applied with my tertiary Google account (I got 3 and yep, I need 'em) and I had to choose a Groups nickname, a Street Team (the group itself) nickname, choose how I want to get messages from it, and then a message for the administrator. So when you get there, let me know who you are here and, I don't know what criteria we should have for it. I guess just as long as you're interested, at this point.

Of course anyone with any questions or suggestions can ask/make them here, you shouldn't have to join to do that.

[Kee715]

Sounds cool.

+1 join.

[Dark Reality]

Awesome, thank you. Approved. I know you by name and I'm glad to see you up there. There are a good handful of people who would just about make my day if they joined and got involved. But even if I don't know you, or if you're someone I've had words with in the past, I don't care, as long as you love TNM, let's kick some ass here. Themed it (after PDX in the game, best I could), gave it the TNM desktop icon, made one post in it.

Again new members are moderated, and I'm sorry if I don't approve you right away. Can't think of any reason to deny anybody; I'll get to it when I can.

[Trestkon]

Aww, you guys are the best fans ever

[Jaedar]

I applied.

[Dark Reality]

Aww, you guys are the best fans ever

Really? Let's have a look at the score. Deus Ex came out in 2000, and I'm pretty sure most of us agree it's the best game of all-time, or at least in your top 5 or 10. Then they butchered it with a port, but everyone knew the PS2's weaknesses wouldn't allow full DX, so we forgave them that transgression, though it's still a mystery why they ****ed up the logo. That's just insult to injury.

Then Invisible War came out in 2003 or 2004, depending on where you lived. Decent story but the software application that ran it stunk to high heaven. The game was worth playing once and only once to experience the story; after that the game was not worth playing, at all.

2009. TNM comes out. While not a sequel, more of a parody, on a technical level it is the sequel that the DX fans deserve. You guys took everything good about DX but the story and improved everything, across the board. And you guys really tried with the story. It's silly, but it's meant to be, and in the end, it works. And there are a couple bugs, but they're fixed shortly enough.

It's like Mario. Super Mario Bros. 2 (JP) is to Super Mario Bros. what TNM is to DX, and Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA)/Doki Doki Panic! (JP) is to Super Mario Bros. what Invisible War is to DX. (SMB2 JAPAN was later re-released in the rest of the world with Super Mario All-Stars as "The Lost Levels". Yes, that hard-as-**** game that was just like SMB but ten times harder, plus it had the purple mushrooms which killed you.)

So yeah, you guys have climbed the pillar (nobody put y'all up there but yourselves) and you're now on a level with Warren Spector and the original DX team. TNM is that good.

I applied.

And you're accepted.

Now I'm curious who the second person who joined was, before you and after Kee715. A member of the TNM team under an alias? Or on the bad side, a Wikipedia snob. I hope not. But at this point I can't say "hold up now, I don't know you". This ain't the Illuminati. More like the NSF.

[Jonas]

So yeah, you guys have climbed the pillar (nobody put y'all up there but yourselves) and you're now on a level with Warren Spector and the original DX team. TNM is that good.

Okay thanks but no thanks. We appreciate the praise but if you compared us with Warren Spector we just get all embarrassed

The important part to me is that more people learn about TNM, and you're helping with that, so thanks a lot.

[Storm]

I joined too

EDIT: So the "other'" would be me.

[Dark Reality]

So yeah, you guys have climbed the pillar (nobody put y'all up there but yourselves) and you're now on a level with Warren Spector and the original DX team. TNM is that good.

Okay thanks but no thanks. We appreciate the praise but if you compared us with Warren Spector we just get all embarrassed

The important part to me is that more people learn about TNM, and you're helping with that, so thanks a lot.

Give yourself more credit, dude. What has Warren Spector done since Deus Ex? TNM completely and thoroughly owns Invisible War and the more I hear about DX3 (while I'm going to buy it ASAP on the X360) the more I think TNM is the best we're going to get out of the DX universe since the original game. And as I said, it's not me or any TNM fans putting you guys on a pedestal, you got up there on your own though all your hard work, as great as you've made TNM. Warren Spector got up there on his own; so have you. It's well deserved. And I'm sure if he's playing it at all, Spector himself should be impressed by it. I mean to try to do something that he designed in DX and come to find out the feature, whatever it may be, vastly improved upon, at the least it's flattering. (Oh, and thanks for changing my name. I forget where I asked, but thanks, whoever did that. I feel much more at home using my original handle. 17 years I've been Dark Reality, it feels weird to use anything else.)

Of the many ways TNM improves over DX (as software, not necessarily as a story), let me see if I can just name a few that make it really special. The vending machines is a big one. The choice between WC and PDX is probably the biggest. DX didn't give you a choice, just a delay. As silly-bordering-on-stupid as they may be, the cults add an awesome element as well, being as you can choose either or neither. TNM is not without its shortcomings, but it is by far my favorite plot-oriented game of the last... I don't know, since Half-Life 2 and Portal came out. No plot-oriented game has impressed me as much since. (Plot-oriented being the key phrase, Rock Band impresses the hell out of me every time I play it - TNM improves DX but for a music lover - and ain't we all? - Rock Band revolutionizes the music experience.)

I joined too

EDIT: So the "other'" would be me.

Awesome, glad that's cleared up.

[Jonas]

Give yourself more credit, dude. What has Warren Spector done since Deus Ex?

Look I don't want to discuss this with you, but don't diss Warren. It's not about what he's done for us lately, it's what he's done for us period. Wing Commander, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex, to name the highlights - that's a list of legends the rest of us can only aspire to. It's like a top 5 of some of the most brilliant experimental game design in the industry.

We're just the cover band for now

[Skilgannon]

Give yourself more credit, dude. What has Warren Spector done since Deus Ex?

Look I don't want to discuss this with you, but don't diss Warren. It's not about what he's done for us lately, it's what he's done for us period. Wing Commander, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex, to name the highlights - that's a list of legends the rest of us can only aspire to. It's like a top 5 of some of the most brilliant experimental game design in the industry.

We're just the cover band for now

No no, you guys are what Machine Head (sorry, Machine FUCKING Head), are to Metallica, the act beforehand. That is, if you insist on placing yourselves below the almighty WS. Otherwise, the only ones topping you on my list are Valve.

[Kee715]

VALVe is pretty good, but they are not perfect. And their games are great, but their games are different and not very fairly comparable.

Oh I see you have Garry's Mod, enjoying it? I have a ton of fun with it

[Dark Reality]

Give yourself more credit, dude. What has Warren Spector done since Deus Ex?

Look I don't want to discuss this with you, but don't diss Warren. It's not about what he's done for us lately, it's what he's done for us period. Wing Commander, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex, to name the highlights - that's a list of legends the rest of us can only aspire to. It's like a top 5 of some of the most brilliant experimental game design in the industry.

We're just the cover band for now

Well, I certainly don't mean any disrespect towards Warren Spector if that's what you're thinking. Of the five games you named, I've never even played the first two. I can't play SS (or was it SS2?) because it gave me terrible motion sickness. And with Thief, I can pass the first mission, but not the second. Awesome scope, but way too hard.

If it bothers you, I'll drop the point. It wasn't meant to be offensive.

[Skilgannon]

VALVe is pretty good, but they are not perfect. And their games are great, but their games are different and not very fairly comparable.

Oh I see you have Garry's Mod, enjoying it? I have a ton of fun with it

Yeah, it's alright. Don't play it much though.

[teknikal]

How did I miss this?!

*rabid fan art girl and moderator of the Deus Ex Fan Club on Deviant Art is on her way to join the ranks*