Re: Content

[Bob <mantic@mbo.net>]

>         The more I reflect on Gordon Walton's comments at Phront3, the
> more I am inclined to agree with his thinking on the importance of The
> Sims, and (more importantly) Sims-inspired fan fiction.  In order to
> have a viable collaboration between author and user, the end user needs
> not simply the freedom, but the tools to shape and extend the narrative
> in a meaningful way.
>         To some degree, this is a challenge to engineers to build these
> mechanisms.  At the same time, it is also a challenge to producers to
> relax their grip on the reins, even if it means the end users scribbling
> all over the software's wonderful polished content.



	I do not believe that it is necessary for end users to scribble all
over the sim software's content in order to customize it and shape new
content. Because talents vary this could even be prohibitive to the
player who cannot scribble well. I am of the opinion that engineered
customization tools should provide all users with building blocks in the
fashion of Role Playing Games, Mr Potato Head and Legos. Such elements
have an exponential effect on variety, but are more manageable.

	The statistical tables of a RPG character in most systems is a drawing
slate that players can and do use creatively; often such tables offer
many thousands of possible combinations. Mr Potato Head, using a couple
dozen elements allows for hundreds of facial combinations. And Legos
allow more and more to be built, with a lot of possible creativity, from
a collection of similar pieces. Barbie's wardrobe has similar appeal.
But none of these mechanisms rely upon the player to create new elements
(although the companies do make money selling more of them).

	Wedding these kinds of content customizations to simulated environments
offers other possibilities. Perhaps a player might create and play a
character awhile, and then decide to leave that character in the world.
By using a rules based neural net learning system in addition to other
tables and systems such user-created denizens would be very dynamic,
shaping the experience of other players. And this wholly on the basis of
simulation.

	Simulation would not necessarily conflict with staged drama, either. It
may dilute the effect, but I think that such living worlds would serve
very well to entertain players while they meander about following
otherwise linear or cyclic plots. And with personality systems similar
to the Erazmatron there would even be a certain level of emergent drama
in the mix.


							--Bob