November 2002
- Economic Indices for Virtual Worlds Koster, Raph
- Economic Indices for Virtual Worlds Frank Crowell
- Economic Indices for Virtual Worlds Justin Stocks
- Real money and virtual worlds Koster, Raph
- Real money and virtual worlds Dave Trump
- Real money and virtual worlds Amanda Walker
- Real money and virtual worlds Ron Gabbard
- Real money and virtual worlds Matt Mihaly
- Real money and virtual worlds Ron Gabbard
- Real money and virtual worlds Marc Fielding
- Real money and virtual worlds Martin Bassie
- Real money and virtual worlds Matt Mihaly
- descriptive logic Bruce Mitchener
- descriptive logic Robert Zubek
- Picketing in Sims Online Koster, Raph
- Picketing in Sims Online Derek Licciardi
- Picketing in Sims Online John Robert Arras
- Picketing in Sims Online Marc Fielding
- Picketing in Sims Online shren
- Picketing in Sims Online Marc Fielding
- Picketing in Sims Online Dave Rickey
- Picketing in Sims Online Damion Schubert
- Picketing in Sims Online Mike Shaver
- Picketing in Sims Online Marc Fielding
- online voice communication Matt Mihaly
- online voice communication Dave Trump
- online voice communication Sasha Hart
- online voice communication Ted L. Chen
- online voice communication Amanda Walker
- online voice communication Koster, Raph
- online voice communication Ted L. Chen
- online voice communication Amanda Walker
- online voice communication Damion Schubert
- online voice communication Peter Harkins
- online voice communication Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- online voice communication Amanda Walker
- online voice communication Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
- online voice communication Amanda Walker
- online voice communication Dave Trump
- online voice communication Amanda Walker
- online voice communication Miroslav Silovic
- online voice communication Corey Crawford
- online voice communication Marc Fielding
- online voice communication Corey Crawford
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services Christopher Allen
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services Steven Cummings
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services Matt Mihaly
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services David Kennerly
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services Damion Schubert
- Point of Purchase "Cards" for Online Services Ron Gabbard
- Korea and online world responsibility Koster, Raph
- Korea and online world responsibility Sean Kelly
- Korea and online world responsibility apollyon
- Korea and online world responsibility Koster, Raph
- Korea and online world responsibility Rudy Fink
- Korea and online world responsibility shren
- Korea and online world responsibility Clay
- Korea and online world responsibility Sean Kelly
- Korea and online world responsibility Marian Griffith
- Korea and online world responsibility Matt Mihaly
- Korea and online world responsibility Damion Schubert
- Korea and online world responsibility Sean Kelly
- Korea and online world responsibility Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
- Korea and online world responsibility Mike Parker
- [MUD-DEV]: Stories in Multiplayer Online Games holding99@mindspring.com
Completely disjoint and random thoughts to follow:
I was recently reading Jessica Mulligan's most recent "Biting the
Hand" column (http://www.skotos.net/articles/BTH_38.shtml), and the
associated message board thread
http://forum.skotos.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid695
about stories in multiplayer online games. While reading many of the
comments posted about the problems inherent in both static and
dynamic storylines, I was struck by the memory of an online essay
entitled "Folkspeech Among Roleplayers"
http://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/~woodelf/mystuff/essays/RPGlingo.html
More specifically, the following quote referring to the parallels
between the traditional pen-and-paper experience and the movie
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail":
"...However, some [folkspeech derived from popular references] are
more distinctive, and there is one subset, in particular, that
seems to be extremely specialized to roleplayers: "Monty Python
and the Holy Grail" references. In addition to a similarity of
subject matter with a great many RPGs (a disproportionate number
of which are pseudo-Medieval or swords & sorcery), I suspect this
comes from a similarity of tone. "Monty Python and the Holy
Grail", is, among other things, a deconstruction of not only the
Arthurian mythos and the ideals of chivalry, but of the heroic
quest in general. And, in a way, the bastardization of an epic
that most RPG games turn out as is very similar. Therefore, I find
it no coincidence that so many of the quotes and scenes from the
movie are appropriated by roleplayers-both are drawing on the same
heroic fantasy tradition, and have many of the same elements."
One of the things I have noticed about most role playing games of
any stripe (MMORPG, MUD, PnP, etc) is the overriding assumption that
"Epic Quest (tm)" = story, and !"Epic Quest (tm)" crap. Unfortunately, games with more than one player almost always
eventually become "Epic Quest (tm) Gone Horribly, Horribly
Wrong". Many of the stories I have read about MMORPGs (what actually
happened, not what was supposed to happen) fall into this
category. In fact, this disparity is the most damning evidence that
traditional storytelling doesn't work in a multiplayer
environment. To recap the entire argument, the players won't do as
the script says.
So, (after that long and laborious introduction), I wonder: perhaps
storytelling in multiplayer games shouldn't be based upon the "Epic
Quest (tm)" model (ie, players do this, then they do this, and then
they're the hero), but instead upon the "Murphy's Law" model
(players should do this, but they won't, so we'll plan for it). In
other words, since it will inevitably become the "Epic Quest (tm)
Gone Horribly, Horribly Wrong", why not write that in the first
place? Basically, if you know the story will not turn out to be Epic
(for whatever reasons), then why not build in humorous asides,
targeted towards the player (not the character)? Or better yet,
target some of your quests towards the player instead of the
character. I think it would serve to acknowledge the fact that
stories told in multiplayer RPGs aren't as much about the characters
as they are the players. The Real World (tm) will always exist as a
filter overlaying your game; the concept of RPG = "Epic Quest (tm)"
will always be quite familiar to the players. Why not capitalize on
it?
T.H. Cooke - FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Frank Crowell
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Ted L. Chen
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Dave Rickey
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Sasha Hart
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Dave Rickey
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Sasha Hart
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Ted L. Chen
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Freeman, Jeff
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Amanda Walker
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Frank Crowell
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Damion Schubert
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 shren
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Frank Crowell
- FEAR Animat style AI for Quake 2 Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Frank Crowell
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Ted L. Chen
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Ted L. Chen
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Frank Crowell
- Virtual worlds as a Society of Mind Sean Kelly
- BIZ: MMORG Pioneer looking for part/full time gig F. Randall Farmer
- OpenCroquet Bruce Mitchener
- OpenCroquet Frank Crowell
- OpenCroquet Frank Crowell
- [TECH] memory management system released Bruce Mitchener