Re: [-empyre-] Syntax of desire

[John Klima <klima@echonyc.com>]

hi all,

first post, alot of you folks know me both here and in meat-land, i'll
save the intros for later.

Patrick Lichty wrote:

> ...If one is really
> engaged with a world, representational or not, there is immersion of some
> sort on the cognitive level.

indeed regardless of the scale.  i'd like to point out that no hi-tech
immersive vr experience, for me, has ever come close to the "immersive"
experiences i had playing Ultima Online, a 2d isometric sprite based
MUD.  i think "feeling is believing" rather than seeing, as lichty
mentions in reference to novels.  in Ultima i felt intense anxiety when
my character was in tough situations, incredible adrenaline rushes in
combat, and great depression when my character died. i mean, i *really"
felt it. this is immersion to me, regardless what is presented to my
eyes.

but that is, of course, not to say an immersive experience isn't greatly
enhanced by the scale.  if a narative sequence, canned or realtime, can
elicit powerful emotions using ye olde 2d sprite rendering, blow it up
cave-like and you might cause heart attacks.  art that kills. 

best regards and howdy,
j