Re: PHIL: How to Get Around

Mary Morris (Mary.Morris@Eng.Sun.COM)
Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:53:33 -0700

One of the things that I have noticed mostly in games is that
different objects have different uses/actions that can be
performed on them. Making something "look"
a specific way is one thing, but virtual reality implies to me
more than just appearence. I expect to interact with it. I may want
to "use" the wormhole or door or whatever. But then again, I may
just want to "talk" to it or "look" at it (ie get status or info).

Whatever you may use as the specific instance is fine. Most gamers
have proven that people adapt well to differing images of the same
concept. I think that archtypes should be defined. Some examples might be.

The wormhole or door or whatever can all be of a type called portal.
This would be with the definition that there is only one
place to go on the other end. IE one to one link
A transporter or elevator could be a choices portal archtype.
This would be defined as a link to a place where you
can then chose the next destination. IE one to many links

Anyway to sum this up, VR should have more "actions" than just
moving and it doesn't matter what the specific implementation
is as long as it fits into an archtype or metatype definition
that most people can grok.

Mary Morris

> From www-vrml-owner@wired.com Mon Jun 13 14:50 PDT 1994
> From: BRANDON@cc.usu.edu
> Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:33:34 -0600 (MDT)
> Subject: Re: PHIL: How to Get Around
> To: www-vrml@wired.com
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> I believe that we should split apart what is displayed into two main functions.
> The first would be common "links" if you will. These formats should be
> defineable from the user's end. If I want my generic links to look like spots
> I can do it, if I want mideival doord I can do it, if I want screaming animated
> worm holes from deep space nine, well, I can try to do it. If the creator of
> the link wishes some other "thematic" look than the standard user configurable
> then they dont use the generic link names (or however/whatever its called,
> havn't had time to read anything on this VRML yet).