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From: kjfair@midway.uchicago.edu (Kenneth Fair)
Subject: Re: Interactive Theatre? (was: Seven: The Text Adventure)
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Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 03:07:00 GMT
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In article <4n8aog$do4@news.lth.se>, mol@marvin.df.lth.se (Magnus Olsson) wrote:


>
>3) The player plays a well-defined role, like in a play, but has the
>freedom to interpret that role as he sees fit, as long as he stays in
>character. Perhaps we could call this "interactive theatre", and I
>imagine this is what Julian and Stephen are discussing. 
>
>Unlike case 1, the player isn't constrained by rules, or the game
>saying "you can't do that or the police will arrest you (or whatever),
>but by a compulsion to stay in character. The player isn't told what
>the protagonist feels or thinks, but is led to do so through his own
>actions and by melting into the character.
>
>We haven't seen very much IF of this sort. In fact, I think it will be
>very hard to write.

You might also include a fourth (well, third-and-a-halfth): The player
can slip in and out of character.  I'm thinking specifically of 
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead".

I would be interested in seeing some attempts at IF where the player
is not the main character.  One might argue that the Infocom mysteries
such as Witness made a first step down this path.

--
KEN FAIR - U. Chicago Law  | <http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kjfair>
Of Counsel, U. of Ediacara | Power Mac! | CABAL(tm) | I'm w/in McQ - R U?
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