Hi Cara:

I have a lot of respect for Audio Quake, and the work you and others
have done on it, but I feel as though you are comparing apples to
oranges and calling them equal. Yes, I am aware that there is a level
design language in Audio Quake that allows a V.I. gamer to design his
or her own levels, but that is a totally different concept than the
one Minecraft uses which is really the issue here.

In Minecraft, as I understand it, it doesn't have a level editor,
level design language, or anything like that. Instead you are
presented with 3d cubes, world objects, which you drag around and
build mountains, trees, rivers, etc. the issue here is that I am not
sure that we, as blind users, can have a tool equal to that where we
drag and drop level building blocks around the screen with the mouse,
resize them, fit them together, etc the way a sighted user does. Yeah,
we might be able to replace that functionality with a parser, a design
language, but already you are adding complexity to something that is
fairly simple for a sighted gamer to do with his/her mouse or joystick
just by pointing and clicking. Does that make sense?

I guess the issue here has less to do with accessibility than practicality.
There is now doubt you or I could create a game with a level parser, a
map editor, where someone codes the levels by hand, but can we make a
tool that works exactly as well as the graphical tools where people
drag and drop world objects with the mouse and can resize them etc by
clicking on them?

Cheers!


On 12/31/13, Cara Quinn <[email protected]> wrote:
> HI Thomas and all;
>
> Let me just present once again and ad infinitum actually, ;) the example of
> Audio Quake.
>
> There is a level design language associated with AQ which allows blind and
> visually impaired players to design / create their own maps which can then
> be used in the game. Since the game can be played by sighted players as they
> are used to playing it as well as blind players in an accessible format, the
> idea that there is accessible and inaccessible and never the twain shall
> meet is one which has its days numbered in my admittedly hopeful view. :)
>
> Thanks and super happy new year to you all!
>
> Smiles,
>
> Cara :).

---
Gamers mailing list __ [email protected]
If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected].
You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at
http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org.
All messages are archived and can be searched and read at
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected].
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list,
please send E-mail to [email protected].

Reply via email to