Porto Diao is proud to present its latest mega event, in tune with the guerrilla approach we’ve become known for in order to change the face of culture in Panama in different, never-before-seen ways. This new event, which I talked about some months ago here, is the latest and greatest from the Porto Diao creative battery and I would like to share with you the details regarding this, the first “alternate reality game” in Panamanian soil… the MATADOR! Tournament.

So, what is MATADOR!, exactly? MATADOR is, in essence, the Panamanian version of a “Gotcha!” game. A “Gotcha!” game then, is what is commonly referred to as a live action role-playing game or, better yet, an “Alternate Reality Game (ARG).” And what is an ARG, exactly? Wiki says:

An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants’ ideas or actions.

The form is typified by intense player involvement with a story that takes place in real-time and evolves according to participants’ responses, and characters that are actively controlled by the game’s designers, as opposed to being controlled by artificial intelligence as in a computer or console video game. Players interact directly with characters in the game, solve plot-based challenges and puzzles, and often work together with a community to analyze the story and coordinate real-life and online activities. ARGs generally use multiple media (such as telephones, email, and mail) but rely on the Internet as the central binding medium.

ARGs are growing in popularity, with new games appearing regularly and an increasing amount of experimentation with new models and subgenres. They tend to be free to play, with costs absorbed either through supporting products (e.g. collectible puzzle cards fund Perplex City) or through promotional relationships with existing products (e.g. I love bees was a promotion for Halo 2, and the Lost Experience promoted the television show Lost). However, pay-to-play models are not unheard of.

Before you cry a river assuming we’re charging people to participate, I’m sorry to disappoint: this tournament is 100% FREE to enter. All you have to do is fill out the form in the “Matador!” sign-up page. Yes, it’s that simple. Now, it’s highly encouraged that you read the rules thoroughly so you know what you’re getting into… for the sake of exposition (and because I want you to participate), I’m going to break down the specifics for you so that you have a clear idea of what happens after you click on the submit button.

After you fill out the form, you wait. Tell your friends to sign up as well, and start planning strategies (more on this later) because the tournament is essentially a one-on-one elimination affair where participants assume the role of soldiers of fortune hell-bent on finding out who the best mercenary is. In order to determine this, Porto Diao has devised a mechanism that will finally put your detective, marksman, spy and urban warfare skills to the test, as Panama City will be your playing field for the larger part of the tournament. Sign-ups close on June 22^nd at midnight, and the first round begins Monday, June 25^th at midnight. From that point on you will play 3 consecutive week-long rounds Monday thru Saturday, with Sunday as a cease-fire break.

Round 1: June 25^th – June 30^th

Round 2: July 2^nd – July 7^th

Round 3: July 9^th – July 14^th

ONE WEEK BREAK

Final: July 22^nd

On Monday, June 25th, all participants will be sent out profiles of their opponents, chosen at random. From that point on, they will have exactly 6 days to know where this person lives, works and haves fun, locate and “kill” him/her. The game does not stop, as each round lasts exactly 144 hours (24hr x 6 days). You will sleep, eat and breathe this tournament. The only instances where there will be cease-fires during a round are in the so-called “holy grounds”:

• Inside classrooms
• Inside workplaces
• Inside public modes of transportation (taxis, buses, trains)
• Inside churches, synagogues, temples or other sites of worship

Everywhere else is fair game. The moment you step out of the classroom or step out of the church or office building, you’re a target. Stores, bars, clubs, parks, streets, cars, and everything in between is open ground for some good, ol’ fashioned search and destroy. Now, Porto Diao does not promote the use of firearms and we will not give you actual guns to actually kill your opponent. Don’t be silly. Since we’re all adults and know the difference between playing a game and doing the real thing, we’ve set up substitutes for said “weapons” of the game.

1. GUNS are WATER PISTOLS: Any shape or size is acceptable, and you can put as many add-ons as you see fit if you believe it will give you an upper edge in the game (eyesights, laser beams, crosshairs… you go, cowboy). Just remember that if your mark is inside a club, for example, you can’t exactly waltz in with your Super Soaker 4562307 XYZ and 5-gallon backpack attachment without calling attention to yourself. Choose your weapon wisely.
2. GRENADES are WATER BALLOONS: Probably the best (as in most humiliating) way to eliminate your opponent, grenades can be any balloon bought as party favors, filled in with water AND ONLY water. If you play smartass and put honey or something stupid in there aside from H2O then your ass is eliminated, do not pass GO and do not collect $200. You can decorate the balloons any way you want, add little messages of humiliation or whatever you want to make the experience much sweeter for yourself.
3. KNIVES are ICE CUBES AND MARKERS: Don’t be an animal when using these; a slight pinch on the neck or back will do. Markers must be washable, as I don’t want anyone’s shirts to be ruined because of the tournament. That’s why I recommend the use of ice cubes as they’re the most readily available and will make your mark jump and scream like a pussy. Effectively “killing” opponents this way is very tricky, as it’s the only close range weapon in the game. You CANNOT throw an ice cube and say you threw the knife, smartass.
4. POISONS are WRITTEN MESSAGES: the most tactical, difficult and gratifying way to eliminate your opponent, the way this works is simple. You can “poison” drinks or foods as long as the whole drink/plate has not been ingested, up to the point of it being half full. With one sip/bite the opponent will be eliminated. The way you poison is that, while your opponent is not looking, you take a marker or pen and a napkin and write the word “POISON” in nice, big letters. Once you do that, you must slip the message under the glass/plate and wait until your mark drinks/eats. You can tell your mark then that he/she has been poisoned, or you could be a bastard and wait until they finish the whole thing to drop the bomb. The victim has to see the message in order for the kill to be effective. If he/she sees that there’s an attempt on his/her life, he/she must not grab a bite from the plate or drink from the glass. It sucks, I know, but that’s why it’s so gratifying no matter what happens.
5. BOMBS are RECORDINGS: This is potentially the most expensive and time-consuming way to “kill” a mark, as you would have to make a recording, burn it and THEN plant it. The way you go about this is that you must record a message for your mark, saying basically whatever you want as long as the mark knows it’s a bomb. Make a big deal out of eat, make a counter sound and the sound of an explosion, of put an Atreyu track when you know your mark loves Enya, stuff like that. All you have to say at some point in the recording in whatever way you want is “BOMB.” Anyway, make the recording and burn it in a CD. This is your bomb. You may plant it in car radios or home entertainment systems just the same, though you can very well put it in a CD and send it in a package for your mark to hear it. As soon as the mark opens it, boom goes the dynamite! Another way of doing it is to slip the track into your mark’s iPod or MP3 player of choice, but I leave the logistics of such an endeavor to you, dear reader.

After you “kill” the mark, the way you successfully win the round and advance to the next one is by taking a picture of the “corpse.” You can put the “corpse” any which way you two decide for dramatic (or comedic) effect, as long as there’s a visible picture of the mark, dead. Jot down the time, date and place of death and you can either e-mail the pic and info to Porto Diao or (much recommended) get on the Porto Diao message board and post it there. The MB will prove to be a very powerful tool in this tournament because another play element to be considered is that of Alliances.

Think about the possibilities of this. The forums are open for participants (and spectators) to swap intel, do stand-offs, and downright conspire to bring someone down. This is also the place where people can address Porto Diao with their concerns or suggestions, as well as clear out any discrepancies that happen during the course of a round. Remember this and you might get the upper edge in the tournament. In order to check the tourney’s progress there will be a link to the player bracket at the Porto Diao site, updated weekly.

The final is being kept a secret (but this is the internet, so information about it has already been leaked it seems) but I will tell you this: the participants who survive the 3^rd round shall be taken to a special field and weapons shall be upgraded to paintball gear, to duke it out in a crazy family day even on July 22^nd. Expected the unexpected in terms of playing mechanisms and other specifics.

That’s all I can say for now. Keep your ears and eyes open because, unlike the 2006 Zombie Walk, we are going to be announcing our arrival from miles away. Gonna start doing that because there’s no point to keep these things a secret anymore. Anyway, the tournament is open to any person of 16 years of age and older (though I do encourage you to have an ID because it should be easier to get into bars and clubs if your mark is there. Having said that, I’ve been going to clubs since I was 16 anyway, so whatever. English and Spanish speakers are welcome, as are Panamanians and foreigners, men and women. You can “kill” your mark in public, but it must be a solid hit. Also, if you get “shot” and “killed,” please don’t be a naggy bitch and let your “assassin” take your picture for the proof of death. It’ll make my job easier. Inscriptions are open now: sign up by filling the form here. For rules and info, go here. If there’s anything that’s not covered either here or at the “Matador!” page then please send me an email and I’ll clarify any questions you have. Remember, ladies and gents… play alive or die trying!

Links:

Rules, Video Tutorial and FAQ

Sign-Up

Hi-Res flyers (by Keny): Spanish version / English version

Facebook Event page

Tutorial on Youtube

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