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

[J C Lawrence]

Given the prevalence of maps in MUDs, this seems curiously relevant:

------- Forwarded Message
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 07:36:47 +0300
From: kseigneurie <kseigneurie at lau.edu.lb>
Subject: Maps and children's lit.
To: NARRATIVE at ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu

Maybe it's a coincidence but within the past couple of months I've read 
with my children _Treasure Island_, _The Phantom Toll-Booth_, and _Harry 
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_,  all of which prominently feature 
maps as plot elements. My panel of experts also informs me that maps are 
included at the beginning of many more children's books such as: _The 
Narnia Chronicles_, _Tucker's Countryside_, _The Wind in the Willows_ -- 
not to mention the sheer number of maps/mazes in children's activity 
magazines.

Ken Seigneurie
kseigneurie at lau.edu.lb

------- End of Forwarded Message

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.

--
J C Lawrence                                 Home: claw at kanga.nu
----------(*)                              Other: coder at kanga.nu
--=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=--


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