Re: [-empyre-] hi

[Jeff Sonstein <jeffs@it.rit.edu>]

> > > > I think the problem is we
> > > > are still inmerse in the linear narrative of the former century
[...]
> When I say "we" I mean we who are viewers and users of games, books,
> songs, films.

thanks
I was misunderstandling

> I am a creator (11 books, short fiction, essays, a novel,
> translations, poetry) but I am also a user, I see movies, play games,
> read books. It takes a lot of effort to be "free" and critical all the
> time, I am conscient of the dualism.

it is a tough one...

I was talking about this with a grad student I am working with here
[Dave Huffman]
who is working on a set of browser plugins for the xVRML Project
[ see http://xvrml.net/ for details ]

I find myself wondering if having some sorts of goals
might be enough to engage people in something
without a pre-structured narrative...
not end-goals
but rather along-the-way goals

sure
goals provide *some* narrative structure
whether that is the intention or not
but as a content creator
I am struggling to figure out how to engage people
while minimizing the pre-set narrative...

> Are you familiar with Julian Dibell, who wrote about the cyber rape in 
> a
> Californian MUD?

yes
from the "Flame Wars" book...
an interesting piece of writing
and an interesting situation

> I think the structure of the MUD:s were able to provide
> narrative frameworks, but at the long run it was difficult to choose
> between hundrets of erratics and nomadic users, who visited the MUD
> sporadically and the "hard core" who wanted to provide a kind of
> "alternative cosmogony".

I agree

> Some developer team is working now with "A tale of the desert" and it 
> is
> a very innovative and challenging game platform, using the Old Egypt as
> source of knowledge.

so the structure of the "universe" is preset
and the narrative is user-constructed within those perimeters?

anyway
I just wanted to pose these questions to the list
of how to avoid or find a balance with pre-structured narrative
while still engaging a wide range of people

much food for thought

jeffs

--
Jeff Sonstein, Assistant Professor
Department of Information Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
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