[MUD-Dev] RE: eXistenZ

[Erik Jarvi]

On Thu, Jul 20, 2000 at 09:13:49PM -0700, Zak Jarvis wrote:

I watched it a few weeks ago. I liked it, then again I like DC. (I just
watched Crash last night. Whoa! :)

> Above all else, it is a Cronenberg movie. For those who like his films, and
> are interested in the role-playing side of gaming and community building,
> chances are good it'll be heavily diggable. I saw it with three other
> gamers, all of whom were very impressed by the degree to which it *got* the
> experience of being sucked into a multi-player game. Two things help with
> comprehension though (and this is where I suspect it lost a lot of people)
> a prior knowledge of Cronenberg's work helps you understand why some of the
> red herrings are in fact red herrings. A second viewing REALLY brings out
> tasty detail.

After talking to my gf about cyberspace ala Gibson/Stephenson,  I thought
that this movie _might_ (sans the DC squishy stuff TM) be a good example 
of jacking in and where games are heading. 

Which dovetails into a previous thread from Dr. Cat (I think). Yep.
 From http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2000Q3/msg00155.php
>>The dominance of combat-oriented muds is a temporary phenomenon, caused
>>largely by the fact that the small minority of the human population that
>>hardcore gaming geeks represent (a group I'm a member of, by the way) are
>>much more willing to do hard work early on to make something like a mud
>>possible.  When the masses are using online environments, character
>>advancement and killing monsters will be a fringe genre, with most people
>>using muds for socializing.  Most of them *gasp* not even roleplaying,
>>just pretending to be "myself talking to my friends through the computer".
>>Or at most "myself in a funny space-alien costume, ha ha."

Is the problem with commercial MUDs that previous hardcore gamers are now building
games with a subconscious bias?  Heh. Looks like I restated this.

When I first started dating my gf, she disliked (ALOT) my MUD playing. 
She'd never really been on the internet.  Heh. Five plus years later she's
now using chat rooms. (Which was her main complaint all those years ago,
Why do you need to talk to those people.) I would have a hard time trying 
to attract her to a MUD. 

> If you don't like Cronenberg, this movie isn't likely to change your mind.

Nod.  Though it was tame compared to some of his other films.
 
> There are a lot of really interesting observations and nuances in the film
> that I'd like to discuss, but dammit, no one has stepped up to plate that's
> seen it!

Now up to bat...
 
> Some of the things that are in there that I can talk about without spoiling
> anything, that really impressed me:

Hmm. I don't think so, but then again I usually can tell what is going to
happen to the main char. in a movie half way into it.

> The concept that your character could want to do something that you,
> yourself do not want to do.

<justification> Roleplaying! </justification> ;0

> .Paraphrased.
> Pikul, "I feel like the real world is less real than the gameworld."
> Geller, "That's when it starts to get really good."

This made me think of the ethics thread and the article about the guy
who played EQ obsessively.

> The use of broad accents as an easy means of delineating character.
> 
> A fun game you can play while watching it is to spot the character type.
> I've seen each and every one of the people in the movie in games, and some
> of the people in games I thought were really quite specific and unique,
> were actually in the movie. (Not the ACTUAL people, but their personality
> types.)

Geller ASE?

Erik
--
All music aspires to the condition of muzak.



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