Re: Several points

[Bob <mantic@brightok.net>]

> "Let us, first of all, do away with the concept of pre-ordained inflexible dramatic structure as a critical component of story."


        This is the notion behind MMORPG worlds, isn't it? Drop people
into an environment and call what happens a story.

        I don't propose to solve the argument of character vs plot (a
silly argument, anyway). Characters without plot is simulation. Pretty
dry. And plot just doesn't exist without characters; events can be
recounted without a point of view but this is not storytelling in the
sense of fiction. If you recount a war with any attempt to convey valid
plot structure you will inevitably have characters, although you may
abstract to the level of nations or armies.

        Even the sports recounting, in the form of the bragging player,
attempts to find some level of pliot structure. The involved conflict
may not be particularly deep. Something like: "I'm good; my opponent
doubted me; I challenged him and we went head to head; I made a believer
out of him." That's plot. Situation, complication, crisis, and climax.

        Surely it's not so hard for a simulated character to recognize
these steps and organize data accordingly. It amounts to a world of
subplots, but that's not too uncool.


                                                Cheers,
                                                --Bob