Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
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From: pieterh@sci.kun.nl (Peter Herweijer)
Subject: Re: Adventure interface, Physics
Message-ID: <C3DAoL.A1n@sci.kun.nl>
Keywords: physics,vr,virtual reality,interface
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Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
References: <C33349.B0M@acsu.buffalo.edu> <C34EsG.JvK@chinet.chi.il.us> <C3C279.Cwo@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 13:55:33 GMT
Lines: 30

>>your ideas are fine, but ... where's the game?  where's the *fiction*?))
>
>You evidently don't appreciate that, without an in-depth physics,
>you will NEVER have interactive fiction, because you will be tied to
>following a pre-set storyline.  Deviations from a scripted plot are
>caused not just by talking to people, but by _doing_ things that the
>author has not anticipated.  If you can't figure out the proper results
>of those actions, you have no IF.

You're both right :-).  First of all, it's of course impossible to have
anywhere near an accurate simulation of reality on today's CPUs.  Nor is
this a problem: it is sufficient to have a workable _model_ of reality.
After all, this is also the way that 99% of the physicists work -- and
achieve amazing results with.  The question is 'merely' what model to
take, the detail required, and what aspects to keep out of the model for
reasons of complexity.  Furthermore, you will want a plot: a starting
point so that certain things come to happen through the model, some
kludges that make sure that certain things happen despite (the limitations
of) the model, and aspects of the simulation that exhibit more or less
predetermined behaviour (persons and animals being the most obvious
examples).

In a way, current RPG's are primitive examples of 'real' simulations.
They're for the most part utterly plotless.  The programmer never has to
worry what happens when the SuperDuperTurboLaserSorcererWand is used on
the UtterlyDestructiveAndFearsomeApparitionFromTheSeventhPit; the program
is able to determine the result from the predetermined 'physics' and some
quantum fluctuations ;->.

Peter
