Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!brucec%phoebus.phoebus.labs.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET From: brucec%phoebus.phoebus.labs.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Bruce Cohen) Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: Re: Navigating in Zork mode Message-ID: Date: 29 Aug 90 20:04:56 GMT References: <1990Aug24.164049.5512@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu Organization: Tektronix Inc. Lines: 56 Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu In article <1990Aug24.164049.5512@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) writes: > ... > > Perhaps the unmet need in this paradigm in the > discussion so far is that the virtual reality > should include a convenient way for the user > to create his/her own map; my first impulse > would be simply an easily accessed freehand > drawing area with tools for ovals, titles, > arcs, and so on, panable and zoomable as needed. > > Thus, rather than solve the problem of making > a navigation system suitable for all users, we > make all users cartographers and let them > teach themselves navigation, with only some > primitive initial toolkit. This is a useful idea, but it's not a complete solution for two reasons: 1) Most users really don't want to have to spend all their time mapping a system before they can use it. If they are given most of the maps they need, and can just pencil in some annotations and short-cuts they'll be happy. Users may not want to play zork, but get some work done, instead. As an analogy, you don't have to be a cartographer to be a navigator, and you don't have to be a great navigator to travel the freeway. 2) The complexity and high connectivity of a large data space will mean that freehand drawing tools won't be sufficient for the task. I'll bet that the tools will have to be customized for the characteristics of the space involved (you thought there was going to be only one cyberspace, eh? How many Unoids are there?). On the other hand, your suggestion may be a good way to develop the tools to give to the users. Just like out on the frontier: send out a scout to make a map. Send enough scouts, and get back enough maps, and you can print an atlas for all the less sophisiticated travelers who come later. > ... > I've always liked systems that stayed in > a prototype stage "forever"; it is what most > attracts me to Unix. Would this work for a > virtual reality project as well? There's a lovely paper which compares Unix to Zork in both cognitive and user motivational terms. Maybe you like Unix because it's an adventure game? Still, I just don't think Unix will succeed as a theme park (some small fraction of :-) -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: USE THIS ADDRESS TO REPLY, REPLY-TO IN HEADER MAY BE BROKEN! Bruce Cohen, Computer Research Lab email: brucec@tekcrl.labs.tek.com Tektronix Laboratories, Tektronix, Inc. phone: (503)627-5241 M/S 50-662, P.O. Box 500, Beaverton, OR 97077