>The other question that this brings up is, well, should our stories be
>1st person or 3rd person? In other words, should the person behind
>the VRML browser be a passive viewer of the story, or actually be a
>member of the story? I would think the former would be easier to
>implement, but the latter more involving.
All are possible, but I vote for making them a participant/player in the
story. Harder by far, and a lot easier to fall flat on your face, but way
worth the time and risk. I'll recount a brief experience I had while
watching the VRMLDream performance. I was switching viewpoints and happened
to be in one of the Athenians while another character was 'talking'
(bummer, no sound) to *me*. For an instant it was _me_ that was there
conversing. Total identification. Granted I knew the script, and I spent
more than a few hours building the characters involved, so identification
was easier, but it really opened my eyes to the possibilities. I want to
make that happen again. For more than a moment, and for everybody.
>What the viewer really wants is not infinite choice but joy
>of exploration.
Yes! Exploration of not only physical space but also character space is
possible as you pointed out Michael. Exploration and experience is what it
is all about to me.
>If the user is more interactive, then the problems
>of viewpoint are much more severe because without the
>context of establishing them in the scene, the user won't
>acquire intuition about actions to perform.
-This is only a test. This is not your real life. If this was your real
life you would have been given a set of instructions.-
Unfortunately we don't have that much time when VRML storytelling. I don't
see a way around some sort of instructions until a really good set of
metaphors develops. Perhaps having the NPCs react to the interactor the
same as we would towards someone who isn't reacting the way we would like
them to in the real world might work. "Hey, are you going to open the damn
thing or not?"
I feel like a kid in a candy store on this list. I will mention you all
when I am rich and famous.
Dennis
