Welcome to the first user guide for the new pc-game 'Cloud Chamber'.
This guide includes useful tips and hints for the gameplay of 'Cloud Chamber', also it descripes all elements and features of the game, which are necessary for a great and for your own gameing experience.

This guide allows you to see the structure and the gameplay of the game.

'Cloud Chamber', a game by 'Investigate North', could be determine with the words 'unique', 'mysterious' and 'something different'.

The game has managed to bring the elements 'film' and 'social media' together on a special way.

Players investigate filming scenes, mail documents, photos and blueprints in a database, called 'Crowdscape', to investigate the story and to find the truth about a mysteroius signal and about the main characters.

Always still in the foreground 'Cloud Chamber' will be experienced by all players with the help of a special discussion board in each story fragment during the ten chapters in the game.

This guide was created on 24th August 2014.

Kathleen Petersen, a young scientist and 'Deputy Director of Research and Physicist' of the 'Petersen Institute', tries autonomously explore a mysterious signal and investigates what has already been discovered by Kathleen's mother decades earlier.

The strange death of her mother and her past research let Kathleen Petersen decides to advance the research.

At the same time Kathleen tries to increase the image of the institute by using a small documentary film about her work, to inspire younger people for the research and science at the 'Petersen Institute'.

However, Kathleen's father shows up seemingly unfazed by her project, at the same time it seems that Kathleen's father, Gustav Petersen, tries to conceal the earlier discoveries and research.

Whether Kathleen's mother really died of a natural death, the signal has a significance and whether Gustav Petersen tries to hide something, the investigation of all players will answer these questions in the 'Crowdscape'.

This chapter wil give you information about the following elements:

• Registration and login for the story-database 'Corwdscape'
  
• Overview about the main menue
  
• Overview about player elements (points, leaderboard, discussion-feed etc.)
  
• Overview about the structure of the story-fragments ('Nodes')
  
• How you can control the game
  
• Archievements / Points during your gameplay

After the installation of 'Cloud Chamber' on your computer, you will see the 'Registration and Login menue' of the game.
Please click on the following picture to get an overview about the elements of the main menue.



On the bottom of this main menue you will see four some buttons, which have the following functions:

1) Credits:

Here you can get information about the developer team from 'Cloud Chamber'

2) Community Guidelines:

The 'Community Guidelines' includes some instructions for the behavior during discussions with other players on every story-fragment. Please accept these important guidelines and keep the instructions in your mind to have a friendly and constructive talk in the discussion boards.

An excerpt can be found in '6. Excerpt: Community Guidelines' in this guide.

3) Login:

When you have created your own account for 'Cloud Chamber' with the button 'Create a new User (4)', you can insert your account information here and can get access to the database.







4) Create a new User:

Before you can play the game it is neccessary to create a account for your story investigation.
You need to find an unique 'Username', which is your personal id-name where other players can find you. Also it is important to insert a correct email-address, because after the registration you will get a confirmation mail to the email-address to complete the registration.
In the field 'Password' please fill up a secure password and click on the button 'Create Profile'.

After you received your confirmation mail and followed the instructions in the mail, you can login into your account.

After your registration is complete and after you login you will get an overview about the chapters/parts of the Crowdscape-Database, which can called as a 'Map'.
Please click on the following to get an overview about the following elements about this menue.



1) Map of the Crowdscape:

On the top of this menue you can see a map about the ten chapters in 'Cloud Chamber'.
Every chapter or part in this game includes a specific number of nodes (story fragments), where you can get more information about the story with the help of the following fragments-types:

• Film recordings
  
• Documentations
  
• Pictures
  
• Blueprints
  
• Emails
  
• Computer-screenshots
  
• Scans

Each fragment-type (node) gives the player specific hints to answer the question 'What happend in the story of Cloud Chamber'. Also each node has his own discussion board to discuss thesis and questions to get hints and clues from other players.

By marking a chapter without a click a new small window introduces you about the following facts:

• Title of the chapter
  
• How many nodes you have visited
  
• Do you have the access to restricted nodes

2) This week's 'Top Contributors':

This window shows you the top contributors in thecurrent week.
By clicking on the arrows on the left and right side in the window you can see more top-contributors.

Maybe your name will be shown here very soon. ;-)

By choosing a chapter/part from your 'Crowdscape map' you get a special loading-screen, which visualizes some useful information about the chapter.
Click on the following picture to see more details.



1) Here you can see the part number and the title from the chapter, which you have choosen.
Under the title you can see a graphic about the map-structure or the map-environment.
In the example above the mountains signalizes, which nodes are the most important one.
The node, which is the highest one, is the most important story-fragment in compare to the other nodes on the map.

2) In this section facts about the 'visualization method' and the 'environment' are given.

3) Every map has restricted nodes, which can be unlocked under special conditions.
This field descripes, which condition must be achieved, to unlock restricted nodes.
In this example the player have to get one 'Like' from another player in a discussion on a node.

After the loading screen you will go automatically to the first node, called 'What is the Signal'.
On the top on your screen you can a dark blue header, which includes many functions to control the game. Also your results/points can be shown here.





1) Your profile/account:

This field shows your account name and your profile picture, if you have choosen your own avatar.
By clicking on your account name, a new window displays the following element:

• Your account name (1)
  
• Your avatar (2)
  
• Your status, title, personal information, which can be edited on your own (3)
  
• Your stats (last activity, how many new posts you have written, in which chapter is the character) (4)
  
• A 'Logout Button' to leave the game (5)
  
• A 'Settings Button' to individualize your account with an avatar or to configure your email-address, your password settings and your mail-notification options. (6)

2) Your contribution points / Achievments:

During your investigation and your talk/conversation with other players in the discussion boards you will get points for your posts, which have got likes from other players.

• Best post badge
  
  By creating a new topic/thread in a discussion board on a node you will have the chance to get this badge. If the players give your topic/your new post some likes within a short time, you get one point on this badge and your post will appear in the 'Best Posts' section in the discussion board of the node.
  
  
• Best comment badge
  
  Conversation and a constructive talk with other players in the discussion boards are the most important game element, which are in the 'foreground' in 'Cloud Chamber'. You will have the chance to get this badge by participating on discussion topics if your comment has enough or a high amount of likes from other players.
  
  
• Best investigator award
  
  If you collect the highest number of badges (best post, best comment) in a seven day period you will get this special and popular badge.

Hint: By clicking on the area around the badges the 'Leaderboard from Cloud Chamber' appears. The 'Leaderboard' includes stats of every player and give you the possibility to check your rank or to click on a user profile to get in contact with the user.










3) Direct/Private communication:

This symbol shows your amount of unread private messages from other players.
Here you contact other players or you can answer mails about your experience and your investigation results with an other player.


4) The 'Activity Feed':

This very important symbol shows you the amount of (unread) activities, that happened during your last login or during your game.
The 'Activity Feed' includes the following elements:

• On the top of every section in this feed you will see the title of the node, where the activity took place. Also the chapter is shown here. (1)
  
• Under the node title you get the information about the activity, for example 'You/Player abc liked this post', 'You/Player abc commented on this post' and so on. (2)
  
• In each section you have the possibility to write a comment to contribute on a conservation an an easy and comfortable way.(3)

On the left side on each chapter map you find the control elements for the map.

• With the 'loudspeaker-symbol' the gaming sound can be set on/off. (1)
  
• With the second symbol you will go into a 'ego perspective'. (2)
  
• By clicking the third button you can zooming out and you will get an overview about all nodes on the map. Also with this button you can go easily to each node, which you can not see in the 'ego perspective'. (3)
  
  
  
  
• The last symbol brings you to the 'Crowdscape Map' to choose an other chapter/part of the story. (4)

Every node (story fragment) has the same structure.
By clicking on a node you get this structure.

Click on the screenshot to see more details.



On the top of the structure of a node the title of the node is given (1).

On the left side the node shows the player his information, like a video, blueprint, scan, email etc..
In this example a video recording is playing. (2) Videos can be controlled with the 'blue slide control panel' to make a certain stop on special sequences or prictures, which you would like to investigate more. Also you can activate 'video subtitles' by clicking on the 'CC-Button', control the audio volume or you can activate the 'fullscreen video mode'.

On the right side of the node the main game element, the 'Discussion board' is implemented (3).
On this interface you can start discussion with other players, you can sort the comments/posts with the 'Best' and 'Latest-Tab', and you can get more information about some investigation results and thesis from other players.

If you see a special detail in a story fragment or you would like to talk about your own idea or thesis about the story, feel free to create a new post or to comment.

On every post/comment the interface shows you the amount of 'Likes, Dislikes'. Also you have the possibility to like or dislike the post, too.

Latest Posts with many likes will appear on top on the discussion board, posts with dislikes will disappear or will move down.

With the 'flag-symbol' you can mark a comment, if the comment does not comply with the rules. Moderators will check your mark as soon as possible and can delete the post.

Hint: If you have no idea for a post, you can get some ideas on the map around the node, where you can find some white 'Question-examples' around the path between the nodes.


If you would like to leave the node, you can click on the 'X'-icon on the right side on the top. (4)

In 'Cloud Chamber' you can get easily information and in contact with the developer team of 'Investigate North'.

In 'Steam' you have to open the 'Cloud Chamber Community Hub' by clicking on the following URL:
http://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/app/290710

This 'Community Hub' gives you all the latest information, screenshots, videos and news about the game.

With the tab 'Discussions' you have access to see the board.
http://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/app/290710/discussions/

Here the discussion board let you to get in contact with the community or with the developers to help you, if you have (technical) problems with the game.

Also you have the chance to publish a suggestion or a idea to increase the game experience.


Useful URLs:

• Technical Support Forum
  
• Improving the experience and publish your ideas for 'Cloud Chamber'
  
• FAQs

Cloud Chamber has a Twitter-Account, where you can get in contact with the developer team, too:
Twitter: Cloud Chamber

How can I create and add my own avatar into the game?

The following instructions could help you:

1) Visit the website 'gravatar.com':
https://en.gravatar.com/

2) Click on the right blue button 'Create your Own Gravatar', if you don't have an account on this website.



3) Insert the information correctly (email address, username, password), read/accept the 'Terms of Use' and click on 'Sign up'. The email-address must be the same as your email-address in 'Cloud Chamber'.

4) Now you will get an confirmation email. Please follow the instructions in the confirmation email.

5) Now on the 'Gravatar Website' click on the button 'Sign up' and login into your account.

6) After your login click 'add a new image'



7) Choose your avatar from a source, which is given here (for example: Hard drive or an image on the internet)



8) After your upload save your settings and log out from your account.

9) Now you can choose your own avatar in the profile settings in 'Cloud Chamber'.

The following text is an excerpt from the official 'Cloud Chamber Community Guidelines'.

Originally posted by Official Community Guidelines (08/24/2014):

Cloud Chamber is a crowdsourced investigation. You are an investigator - and you are responsible.

UPVOTE comments you like.
DOWNVOTE comments you don't agree with.
FLAG comments you find abusive.


In the end, good comments and posts will rise and the bad stuff will sink.

We are still tweaking the community design, but it may not be perfect yet. Bear with us - we will consider moderating threads that disturb the experience.

Have fun :D

Rule #1: Be nice.

Treat people with the respect that you yourself want to be treated with.

No yelling in all capital letters. It irritates people and won't get your point across. No hostile debating or flaming. Keep it civilized so everybody can enjoy it.

No personal attacks. It stops proper debate and hurts people.
No swearing, cursing or other profanity. Other people are going to read what you write; don't make them feel bad. Don't make yourself look bad.

No sexism. Don't treat people bad because of their gender or sexuality. This includes negative comments on homosexuality & degrading comments to/about women.

No Name-calling. Don't call other players names other than the ones they have chosen for themselves.

Rule #2: Also....

No piracy. Don't put pirated stuff in the game. Don't promote pirated stuff in the game. Don't put links for pirated stuff in the game.

No offensive material. Don't put offensive material in the forum. This includes nudity and gore. Don't promote use of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, gambling or pornography.

No selling. Don't put commercials for products (including webpages) in the game.

No spoilers. Cloud Chamber is a mystery that you explore. Other players may not have come as far as you have, so don't talk about what is happening later. You'll be ruining their experience.

Don't give personal information to other players. Don't give out your real name, address, phone number, bank-account, email or other personal information to other players. Don't ask for these information from other players. Don't send personal pictures to other players either and don't ask for them.

Finally:

All of the above also goes for your username, - no sexism, profanity, racism etc.
If you break these rules knowingly & persistently we will ban you.

If you see anybody breaking them, please use the flag icon to flag the relevant post as offensive.

Enjoy! (And be nice)