[MUD-Dev] Maps and children's lit. (fwd)

[Malcolm Valentine]

On Thu, Jun 29, 2000, J C Lawrence wrote:
<snipped>
> Asides from the strict utilitarian functions of "Where am I in the
> world?", "What is the basic geography of this world?", and "Where am
> I in coarse relation to that geography?", what is the
> player-realised function of maps in MUDs?  I have the feeling that
> they serve more interesting uses in the creation a sense of
> story/adventure for the players, and in helping to set inital goals
> ("I want to get to/see XYZ!").  Yet in my own play I always ignore
> the maps, and in fact usually toss them aside and never even glance
> at them.

  I've read a lot of books with maps in them but only a few stick in
mind (a hard task, for sure). I loved the Narnia series, although I
read them 15 years ago, but I don't recall them having maps. At the
same time, I read the Hobbit, and that map sticks because it wasn't
just a geography lesson (Strange place names and their physical
locations with reference to each other). It had strange runes which
could be translated from references within the book itself, (although
the whole translation is given eventually in the text, which kind of
takes the shine of the whole effort).

  In general, I think a map by itself is boring, far more interesting to
ask a person where such-and-such is. However, a map as a clue holds
broad appeal for a storyline. What is that X on the map for, etc. I
haven't encountered this whilst mudding, but I'm sure it is out there.
(Hmm, have to have a chat to a few builders).

Cheers,
  Malcolm V.



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