[MUD-Dev] Re: [MUD-Dev] RE: [MUD-Dev] Fantasy cliché s (was: Acting casual about casualgamers)

[Dave Rickey]

-----Original Message-----
From: Raph Koster <rkoster at austin.rr.com>
To: mud-dev at kanga.nu <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Date: Saturday, July 08, 2000 8:32 PM
Subject: [MUD-Dev] RE: [MUD-Dev] Fantasy clich=E9s (was: Acting casual ab=
out
casualgamers)


>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu [mailto:mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu]On Behalf =
Of
>> Brian Green
>> Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2000 12:19 PM
>> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
>> Subject: [MUD-Dev] Fantasy clich=E9s (was: Acting casual about
>> casualgamers)
>>
>>
>> Michael Tresca wrote:
>>
>> > Fear the D&Dization of the fantasy genre!
>>
>> Rather, fear the death of any creativity.
>
>Just as a counterpoint--I've seen the argument advanced that one reason =
why
>Asheron's Call isn't doing as well as the other MMORPGs is that its
>fantastical elements are too unfamiliar. To people other than the hardco=
re
>players, AD&D fantasy is as fantastical as they are really able to stoma=
ch.
>(It took a stage production of THE HOBBIT for my dad to be able to stmoa=
ch
>any sort of fantasy whatsoever. When I asked him why, I was told, "becau=
se
>the names and creatures are just too weird.")


    On the other hand, perhaps AD&D ties into the subconscious archetypes=
 on
a symbolic level, and departures from that simply don't fit as well?  Wha=
t
I'm saying is that if AD&D had been significantly different, something el=
se
would have hit on the same archetypal mapping and we'd be protesting the
arbitrariness of *that*, instead?

    Maybe the current taxonomy of fantasy critters was inevitable?  You c=
an
differ in detail, but if you substitute an entirely new structure, it fee=
ls
arbitrary, unfamiliar, and somehow forced?  The AD&D fantasy mileau isn't
arbitrary at all, but rather simply a reflection of unconscious
expectations?

--Dave Rickey




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