a generic
Have you ever played a MOO?
Imagine a networked text adventure, built by (and buildable by) its denizens. If the people building it are really talented, and the people in it are really interesting, it can be addictive. (Actually, MOOs are addictive even if they are not necessarily entertaining, because they are by nature escapist.)
The problem with a MOO, or rather, a MOO’s undiscovered strength, is it’s basis in text. A multimedia MOO is sorely needed, and if one exists for anything other than Windows, I’d like to see it. Fortunately, if there is an open standard for audio-visual in a MOO, it is very likely to be the defacto web combination of HTML, CSS, and Javascript. The web is the prime mover of browsing technology, and a browser is going to be necessary for viewing the graphic details of the MOO.
Of course, the problem with a multimedia MOO is that it can’t be realtime without a significant investment in resources (not strictly true, of course, but the technology behind Flash broadcast is a little, well, fresh. And you’d need a really fat pipe to handle it. But it could be done, hey.)
So what I propose is a MOO wherein objects contain visual metadata in the form of HTML and binary data (on the order of a gif/jpeg for every state of an object at first) (remembering that gif/jpegs can be rendered on-the-fly) along with positioning information in a flat room grid. (again, expandable to 3d if crazy).
The http-engine will render the room, render and place all the objects in the room via layers, and deliver the resulting html to the browser, which will fetch the stateful binary data of the objects themselves. You click refresh or take an action if you want an updated view. Meanwhile, realtime action occurs as text in an adjacent frame.
I call it MOOb, as in MOO plus berylium.
Yes it could be used for catalogs. Complete with salesperson avatars that slip merchandise into your cart when they think you aren’t looking. (Ah, but what satisfaction you’ll have punching one in the nose!) Whups, maybe not.
Oh, this is going to be so way cool.
This is growing out of my desire to do something really pioneering for Hip Hop Clown Month. I'd like to create a mechanism for building scenes using characters and props, but with a modded berylium interface (so that you could use all of your favorite objects in other places! So that you don't need special software! So that so that so that... so that it'll be cool!)
I'm not saying every Booth will be built this way. But I want it to be an option. And I want to use it here, too-- real collaborative colorforms, that's what I'm after. RCCs.
You build scene 1, 2 and 3, and then you string them together in a sequence, and before you know it you have a little web slide show and morality play. Hooray!
By Psydeshow on November 20, 2002 at 9:28pm