|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- GET ALL OBLIVIANA--ISSUE 001--PART 6 <-------  ||  OsoaWeek  ||  Get All Obliviana  ||  Issue 001  ||  -------> (Cup OWga001f, Created v1 (4/27/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Sat 1/16/99 * 1:30 AM I'm real late on OsoaWeek, but I kinda don't wanna release another issue without something good to say. So I did make a lot of progress in that last writing session. I want to focus now on the mechanics of Jot transformation. So, back to the very basic idea, that Wanderings are represented by Jots, and these Jots form the Fonosta Device for a player. Because the space in Fonosta Device is limited, it is necessary to distill many Jots into a single High Jot, and High Jots themsemves can be traded up for Higher Jots. The purpose of the High Jots is to convey information, essentially, all of the Jots that went into "making" them. The ultimate goal is for Fonosta Device to convey a great deal of information in a small space. Jot transformation is the bottom line here. Jots represent Wanderings, and thusly, transformation methods which split a Jot into two identical Jots, and other such transformations, are not appropriate. The purpose of transformation is to combine Jots into High Jots. It could be possible, however, for Jots to "break down" into "Sub-Jot" components, as could be the case when only a "part" of a Jot is used in the forming of a High Jot. Etching Jots into specific spots on the board, and through a series of actions, they may be transformed. Mon 1/18/99 * 1:06 AM Okay. The idea now is to create the game, and release it, and then the rest of Obliviana as "add-ons". Well, this is a very brief description. And I've been down this sort of road before. But I think this is the right way to go. So let me just sketch it out a little here. First off, there will be the board, and then the reference sheet, containing instructions and Jots (maybe on two sides). The initial release of the game will have an established set of Jots. The focus will be on it being very simple and graspable. The game as Jot transformation device would be focused on solitaire play. But I do want to have a two-player game. This should work, but what about destruction, as in the basic capture in chess or checkers? Perhaps the simple addition of a "capture area" or the concept of moving "off the board" would be sufficient. One big idea is that a full game is a campaign, made up of many individual games. And certain Jots or High Jots can be carried over from game to game, so that there would be a dual goal of both winning the individual game, and also getting Jots to a place where they can move to another game. High Jots make the most sense since they will have higher powers. Also, multple games could be going on at once, with "jumping over" possible. Where a Jot is, and what other Jots are near and around it--this is very important. What about Pac-Man-like dots on the board, as part of the system? Each individual game should take no more than 20 mintues to complete. Time (in number of turns) should also be a factor, perhaps. Good night. Mon 1/18/99 * 11:00 PM Made a new gameboard idea today. Each sqaure is bisected diagonally, and the circles are still there. The triangles are also there. This design has 40 spaces. This established some kind of relationship to the 80 Zones of Octagon. I have another possible board design, with 64 spaces. It's looking pretty good. Alright, well, let me get going on some more specifics about the game. I want to focus on the solitaire game. The solitaire game will have to have some unexpected, random factors in order for it to succeed. In terms of Wanderings, the choosing and doing of Wanderings is one random factor. Another idea is for an "Obliviana Calendar" which would set forth new sets of challenges every day. But I want to move closer... to the core Jot dynamics. Okay, idea of "time track", a set of small circles around inner edge (where most of the triangles are), and fill them in as turns pass? Lower-right area as "High-Jot-Area"? Where High Jots are put? Idea of each board as an "upper" or a "lower", thus having total correspondence to Octagon! (40-space prototype). One Jot's power will be to "pull" Jots off of other boards? Maybe only boards which are finished (out of time?) Maybe time circles each measure one Jot moving one square? I think that I may have the right board design. The 40 space one. This board has a full correspondence with Octagon. Spaces will each have two numbers--an "upper" and a "lower" number. Also, each Square will correspond with one of the eight Octagon "facets". Circles around Jots, to differentiate in some way? Another idea is to bisect each square again and each triangle too, to have 80 spaces. But this totally takes away from the charm of the board. So forget it! SEQUENCE [1] Jot acquisition. A big question here is whether or not a single game can be begun without knowing all the Jots involved. But I think it will be the case that Jots will be in question, especially in light of the idea of pulling from other boards. This and other dynamics will certainly come into play. [2] The idea of crossing out limits a board's lifespan by itself. Additionally, I want to make the lifespan of a board a measured thing, and "time spots" are a near certainty. Time Spots are a number of circles around the board, which are "checked off" as turns/time passes, and when no time remains, the board is done with, and no more ACTION can occur. This does not mean the Jots are lost, it just means that the Jots will have to be moved to a new board to be used. And moving from board to board will be a game dynamic; it will not be automatic. [3] From a game perspective, there could be a set number of boards, or, each game could be effectively endless, with certain victory conditions that would need to be met regardless of the number of boards. Such a victory condition would be the acquisition of a certain High Jot, for example. [4] How about boards each being in control of one player only, and the game would involve interplay between boards, snatching Jots from each other, etc. I see one Jot that would be like a "guard", which would prevent "snatching". One snatching idea is that the snatcher has to be in the same space on its board as the snatchee is on its own board. [5] Action takes place using the powers of the Jots to move, snatch, protect (perhaps a circle around a Jot would be a measure of protection?). Action is potentially endless. In a player's Fonosta Device "game universe" set of boards, the action is endless, with new boards always coming in, and no Jots ever lost--just transformed into High Jots. (And High Jots into Higher Jots, and so on). [6] One power I just thought of would be "stun", which would render a single Jot unable to move, until another Jot moved into the space. [7] Transformation would occur when the right set of Jots are in the same space. They are then crossed out, and the "purchased" High Jot is etched in the same space. High Jots also have powers, and should be immune from sam or all "attacks" of regular Jots. [8] Other goals. Maybe something like a Fonosta Device, but game events add to it? Could be. Goodnight. Progress! I love it! Sun 1/24/99 * 3:38 PM The 40-space board is pretty much established. It becomes an 80-space board, fully equivalent to Octagon, by the addition of "upstairs" and "downstairs" Jots. "Upstairs" Jots have a circle around them, while "Downstairs" ones have no circle. Action in the game is centered around the idea of brings a set of Jots together in the same space, to "evolve" them into a High Jot. So, I will work a little on Jot "powers". [1] Slide Move Self. The Jot can move itself X number of spaces, but not up or down. [2] Climb Move Self. The Jot may switch between Upstairs and Downstair. [3] Slide Pull Jot. The Jot can "pull" other Jots X toward it from up to X spaces away. [4] Slide Push Jot. The Jot can "push" other Jots X spaces away from it, from up to X spaces away. [5] Climb Push Jot. Jot can "push" a Jot in the same space as it is to the other level. [6] Climb Pull Jot. Jot can "pull" a Jot to its level from the other level. Paralyze, sacrifice/destroy (off board), multiple Jots, grant/steal power? Mimic power. Prevent transform. Trigger transform. Wed 1/27/99 * 10:55 PM Core game system. I wrote about it in OsoaWeek yesterday. It is very clear to me, that this core game system is a very key element--it is the "delivery system" by which Obliviana can get past short attention spans, preconceptions, ignorance, apathy, and the like. Episodic. I do want it to be that way. Like new issues of a comic, new epsiodes of a TV show, etc. It should involve Wanderings, however small. Playing the casual version of Obliviana should be the same in form as playing total Obliviana. And I have to consider Severe Repair, Supeior, Zope, Little World of Racetracks, etc. The thought struck me today to have the potential of not having to have a set board at all times, with starting off on a blank sheet of paper possible. Drawing boundaries could then be a Jot power, in many different variations. THE GAME What I am talking about is a very simple game that will instantly appeal to a wide demographic. It has to be easy to play and easy for players to pass on to other people. The idea of pen and paper is good in this context, since these components are readily available to anyone. I do have the idea of printed sheets, which does tend to limit this core idea somewhat. So I think that this new idea of no initial gameboard is good, in that it makes the game that much easier to pass on. In fact, I want the most basic version of the game easy enough to be able to be passed from person to person by memory. This "most basic version" would be bare bones, but would be a reflection of full Obliviana. So... maybe two areas on the board... one to do Wanderings and hence gain Jots, and one in which to play with the Jots. ! Hmm. This sounds something like a breakthrough. Can this really be so simple that it can be remembered by playing it a few times? I think it can be, in its most basic form. I need to get more specific about Jots. Specifically, I think that it is necessary to construct Jots from "components". I also want the "most basic game" to have its expandibility be quite obvious. Now, this idea of two areas, one for doing Wanderings, and one for Jots--are they to be completely separate? Or could they go to the other extreme, and combine, the actions of the Jots producing other Jots? Also, the idea of randomness, players secretly writing something down and then revealing it... like a rock, paper, scirrors kind of game mechanic. But this game also has to be playable solitaire. I think that the complexities of Jot mechanics, along with this nascent idea of a Wandering area, will produce a very rich play environment, which would be so complex that though there might not be any randomness involved, it would still be fun to play. I would point to the peg solitaire game as an example--there is nothing random going on there, but it's still very challenging and fun, since it is beyond the scope of most humans to be able to see the full consequences of every action. Now, add to this basic idea the idea of "episodes", where there are different starting conditions, and I think I have something that is going to kick some serious ass! So, what about this Wandering area? I think it should involve a line, and depending on where it goes and what it "does", Jots are attained. This is analagous to Total Obliviana, where the Wanderings are real action in the real world. Idea of "anchor" Jots, which have circles drawn around them, and are connected by straight lines. when an enclosed space is formed, they can jump out of their circles and into the space. So, in any given "episode", there will be a selection of Jots, and a number of potential goals. The "moist basic game" (I realize I misspelled that, but I'll keep it there) will have a standard set of Jots. So--the board is made as the game goes along. This is very cool. The Wandering side is going to be vital to the success of the game. I would like to see a "condition" section here, where there is another sort of marker moving, through a variety of conditions, like day, night, rain, snow, wind, etc. These conditions would be part of the "cost" for "buying" Jots. So, different episodes would be themed, and the Jots would represent things. A "forest" epsiode woulld have animals, archers, trees, etc. An exciting play mechanic would be the "jumping over" of Jots from one epsiode to another. This is quite an awesome idea! I see the line moving through a simple grid of dots, or short little lines. These little lines could be crossed, encircled, joined (the Wandering line passing through the line and "absorbing" it). Crossed short lines could then be encircled or passed through... A 5x6 grid of 30 lines... crossing, encircing, encompassing... I just tried it out... it works, man! Some events here would make Jots, and some would move the "environment marker(s)". Brilliant. I have to say, BRILLIANT! And I can see that this could all fit on a single sheet of paper. The environment would be "shared" in multi-player games, I think. Sat 1/30/99 * 5:52 PM Super Bowl 33 tomorrow. Monica Lewinsky videotaped deposition (which may or may not be made public at a later date) on Monday. So, that breakthrough from my last writing session from pretty cool, but it still didn't crack the "ultimate breakthrough" that I am looking for. The game play affects how data is entered into Fonosta, Fonosta Device is a way to represent Fonosta data--but I need to focus on the Fonosta itself. Once again, Fonosta is the key. FONOSTA A Fonosta is a record of an Obliviana player's accomplishments in Obliviana. A Fonosta for a player is "opened" when the player starts playing Obliviana, and it keeps on going as long as the player plays Obliviana. Even if a player stops playing and then starts again at a later date, the same Fonosta is used. Fonosta records Wanderings. A Wandering is "something to do", and is defined by Obliviana. There are a plethora of Wanderings that will be available. There are a limited number of "slots" per day in a Fonosta. That is, a player will only be able to eneter a maximum of, say, five Wanderings per day. For players who have particularly productive days of Wandering, there is the idea of the "meta-Wandering", in which many Wanderings add up to a single "slotted" Wandering. Wanderings will come in a vaiety of kinds, but one kind is going to the "infostimulation" kind, with entertainment and other kinds of content. I want to address the attitude I would like to create in players toward this content. This issue goes to the idea of what is "cool", and what "sucks". Very often, a person's attitude toward a work of entertainment has more to do with its "coolness" than with its actual content. A lot of times, big-budget movies with a lot of hype that are really bad are viewed with great disdain, while a movie that is perhaps just as bad, but very cheaply produced and not as assuming is embraced as "cool". I think that the "ultierior motive" in Obliviana of getting Wanderings to put in your Fonosta takes some pressure off of Obliviana content. Another idea is that of traditions. Something silly or stupid is often embraced by people as some kind of tradition. This is a ficticious example as far as I know, but it illustrates the point. A chair-throwing contest, which is part of some yearly festival in some town. It's silly and stupid, but people treat it with a mock respect that rises to real respect. Tongue-in-cheek respect is very potent. Folks like things all the more because they are so unassuming. The thing is not screaming out LIKE ME!, but rather, is saying, I"M SILLY AND STUPID, WHATEVER. I think I've illustrated my point here. Anyway, I think that Fonosta is the core of everything, because it is going to take the pressure off of the Wanderings. So, you are not doing Wanderings because of their supposed value, but rather, because you want to enter them into your Fonosta. So--a Fonosta with a bunch of slots, to be filled by Wanderings. Could this really be the core of Fonosta? Not ebtirely. I see the game aspect as part of the core. The game mechanics, with the addition of, say, five new Jots every day. Here's an idea--players can compete by having sets of Jots, perhaps always in flux, but these sets are then "copied" to a gameboard and used to "fight" another player. So, there would be the foundation, which would be a simple record, day by day, of the Wanderings entered. Each of these entries "generates" a Jot, which can then be entered on a number of different "fields", and these can be moved, traded up for higher Jots, etc. So at any given time, a player has a set oj fields, each having Jots on it. Now, here's an idea--to go back to an older vision of Fonosta Device, where the glyphs are very special indeed, and represent many, many Jots. The idea would be that Jots would be continually traded up to higher Jots, until a Glyph is received. Then, all those Jots that went into that Glyph are essentially "off the boards" and in the Fonosta Device. The Glyphs could, however, have some effect on gameplay. Maybe each "field" reresents a Glyph? Sun 1/31/99 * 2:05 AM The specific methods of recording data in Fonosta--this is a vital issue. I envision a time when such recording will be done totally on computer. But a traditional, low-tech method is vital. This will involve paper and pen. But beyond any specific means of recording is the perceived structure of the record in the player's mind. THIS is the crux of the issue. I just had a vision of the "data slots" all being distinct and different. This is very cool. Or--maybe different slots for every day of the weeks! Yeah! Cool. Players become Obliviana Stormjaunters. "You are a Stormjaunter. Fire up that Fonosta! Get goin' eh!" Mon 2/1/99 * 10:53 PM Yeah. Minor annoyances today. Lots of little things annoying me mildly. Magic. It's a part of this situation with me. The Big Breakthrough, I was thinking about it before. I want it to be some new kind of idea about the self. The idea that there is a new part to the person, a part that everyone has. The phrase "Clothing for your presence." is totally germaine here. I see this new part of the person as the situational body, or the "presence". The clothing would then be events that the person has partaken in. Clothed in events... But it's still too vague. I also see Obliviana as a kind of common denominator, something for people to talk about besides the weather. Great. Now all I need is the actual design of the thing that almost everyone will "get". "Wearing" events... this is a very cool idea... bagdes and medals are similar. T-shirts from vacation spots are also somewhat similar. Put object X into container Y. This is a mechanic at the heart of my idea. It's frustrating that it's February of 1999 and I'm still struggling. Harmless, silly, mock-serious, tongue-in-cheek. Stupid, yet cool. You have X. What are you going to put into the sectors of X? An official Obliviana X is affected by constantly changing X variables as published online by Obliviana. Or, an X can exist in the confines of a single game. 11:24 PM Events are "marked" to be included in X. Hence, not all events of Xfull, and events before the players starts are also not Xfull. An event must be undertaken with X in mind in order for the event to be part of X. Very simple, "clothing" events in Xness. An event is clothed, then the event is special to you. You clothe special events, noit all events. It may be many per day, but still, it is a subset of all events. All X events are contained within X forever. Main sectors and then sub sectors, and sub-sub sectors. Older events are shunted into lower/smaller sectors. Patterns of events produce new symbols. Sharing is an important part of th system. Each event can be shared with one other player. A separate board, for events you get from others. Clothing events, you have a limited amount of these "wrappers" in a given time period. You must choose before the event what you are going to clothe it in. Once the event is complete, there is one "copy" for you and one which is for another player. In other words, The one you give away can only be used by another player. Trading is big here, and trades add to your X. Choices must be made as time goes on. Before new events can be added, completed events must be put in one of many possible places. The decisions can sometimes be agonizing. The structure of an individual player's board is is determined a great deal by choice. There are standard components, but how these components are put together is the player's choice. Shapes of symbols, that are gotten by trading clothed events, related to the shape of where the events are placed in X? The bottom line in that you did these events. They are in you, and marked as Xfull. The basic Glyph in Fonosta Device then become a tool and toy, each one potent with its component events. And powerful, and fulfilling, and fun. The Fonosta Device makes you think, makes you remember, helps you look at your life in a fuller way. As day to day, month to month, as time goes on, the structures change. Here it is. As time passes, you must transform you X in certain required ways. The cmbinations and pattern are very complex and hard to predict. At the end of the day, the whole thing might look very different from the day before. Going for specific patterns, to get specific Glyphs, is then very challenging. Eight squares on a FOW? Yes... something like that. Mon 2/8/99 * 12:52 AM Just sent out OsoaWeek234. Had a weird experience, car broke down before and after George Washington Bridge, subway trip to Hoboken, etc. So, back to the breakthrough-seeking, eh? I'm looking for a breakthrough. Went on a trip on Saturday with my wife Denice and her sister Carrie. It was a trip that was totally open, and could have used Obliviana, but I didn't have anything ready. It made me realize that Obliviana cannot be too taxing. It cannot require that people move too far from Corridor, at least at its basic level. So let me get back to Core Obliviana. It has to be easy. It has to be cool, but not a big deal. There has to be an exceedingly simple and easy mechanic. The basic thing is, you do a Wandering, and you get a Jot. How about carrying around slips of paper with a Wandering name and Jot on each one? I had the idea in a vision to crumple the paper up when the Wandering is done. Crumple it up and then unfold it. That is the sign that the Wandering was done. This is cool. This idea harkens (sp?) back to "Wreck Documents", which were going to be similarly crumpled and reflattened. Well, it's a start. Goodnight. 10:56 PM Just to add to that last train of through, each piece of paper, or "scrip" could be in two part, torn apart once done, one for you, one for someone else. Anyway, I've been thinking, and I want to focus on the idea of identity. Specifically, identity of a very primal urge. Sex sells, and so does identity. Answers to "who am I?" But I don't want to do it unless it's honest. So, I am appealing to the basic human need for identity. Another thing Obliviana does is focus on how time is spent, and making time spent worth something. I had this idea in bed last night of different "phases", and like being in one all the time. It is related to setting Storms, but it could be less associated with Stormjaunting. Spending your time just "in" a Storm, and recording this time... interesting... Obliviana has to be founded on a simple concept, which is also very unique and very unexpected. Idea of Fonosta as your situational body? I just thought of that. And as soon as I wrote it, I got a very weird, but very cool feeling. Your Fonosta is not just a set of data, but it is a PART of you. It is that part of you that works with the stuff of situation. "You have a Fonosta. Isn't it time you started doing something with it?" This feels like a very goof idea, like it might lead to the breakthrough, but I've been down this road too many times to get my hopes up. Anyway, I'll work on this idea... Your Fonosta is a part of you. You could think of it as a part of your brain, or a part of your nervous system, or a part of your soul, or something akin to an astral body. But it is there. Think of it as an invisible, magical jacket? With 209 written on the back. Or on the front. This idea is getting pretty good. As far as the jacket visualization goes, I like it. I do feel my Fonosta more like across my upper chest, but the jacket image is easy to grasp, and a cool idea. Now, all of Obliviana involves what you can do with your Fonosta. Most people, if not all (up till now), go through life without their Fonosta on. But now, you can put your Fonosta on, and start to experience the subtle depth that it can add to your life. Wearing your Fonosta is not going to drastically change your life, nor will it solve all your problems. But it will add depth to your life. Here's a visualization... Fonostas are usually unzipped in the front, and hanging open. By zipping the Fonosta up, it becomes active. Maybe the 209 is written across the upper chest portion of the jacket, split when the Fonosta is unzipped, but made whole when it is zipped up. Well, I'm not so sure about the zipping idea, but the idea of Fonosta as a magical, invisible jacket is very cool. You have an invisible, magical jacket called a Fonosta. It has the number 209 written on it. Put it on to enter the awesome and unexpected realm of Obliviana! Well, this could very well be the breakthrough. The way to tell is if I'm still happy with this idea tomorrow. And the day after. I feel really weird visualizing my Fonosta. Maybe players should visualize specifics about it? Like color, material, texture, etc.? One thing is for sure--the Fonosta Device is visualized on the Fonosta itself. Wanderings done while wearing the Fonosta are represented on the Fonosta Device. If you believe in magic, then it's magical. If you're strictly science, or if your religion forbids magic, then it's just a mental tool. Whatever you think of it as, it works. Begin your adventure today! The best part is, you already have your Fonosta! Obliviana is the game you play while wearing your Fonosta. The goal is have fun, and add depth to your life. Remember, your Fonosta is a part of YOU. It is not a connection to something else--it is YOUR tool for use by YOU. A world of adventure awaits you, and the best part is, the adventure can happen in your normal routine, in your regular life. If your life sucks, your Fonosta will make it suck a little less. WELCOME ABOARD! I think that I can come up with a piece of text that introduces people to Fonosta and Obliviana... a new new new new Declaration of Obliviana. But, I have to see if the idea is right. I have to see if it will stick. I am now visualizing my Fonosta, and it feels pretty weird. I think I may indeed finally be on the right track. But time will tell... Goodnight. Wed 2/10/99 * 11:24 PM Well, the jacket idea hasn't fared very well, but it's not entirely dead yet, either. It's just that the jacket doesn't FEEL right as a visualization. I thought of a jacket on fire with a mystical flame, but it doesn't seem right. How about an energy field around it? Hmm... this may be better... Tales from the Vienna Woods... listening to it now... Smoking a Sosa cigar... Drinking Vintage Wild Cherry Seltzer Water... Okay, so by just adding the term "with a energy field around it", does this make the visualization work? It might. It might. And, if this is the right idea... how do I present it to people? There is a part of you that you don't know about--your Fonosta. Imagine is as an invisible, magical jacket, with the number 209 on it, and a powerful energy field surrounding it. Visualize your Fonosta, FEEL your Fonosta. It is a part of you. With it, you can add a subtle new depth to your life. Also on your Fonosta is a Device--a graphical symbol, representing all of the Wanderings you have been on using your Fonosta. A Wandering is an event or series of event you do with your Fonosta activated. The visualized jacket has a zipper. The "off" state of your Fonosta is represented by the zipper being disconnected, and the jacket hanging open. The energy field is still there, but not as strong and focused as it is when your Fonosta is "on". To turn your Fonosta on, visualize connecting the zipper at the bottom and pulling the zipper up. The energy field will now be much more powerful and more focused. You may wish to do the hand motions associated with the imagined zipping and unzipping, but this is not required. Sleep will unzip your Fonosta, in case you forget to unzip it. Your Fonosta has always been with you, it's just that you have never "noticed" it like this before. If you plan on using your Fonosta, and doing Wanderings, you have to be aware of some of the aspects of your Fonosta. This information is based on my experiences. I theorize that drugs have an effect on your Fonosta, at different strengths and types. I have observed that alcohol has a very powerful effect on the Fonosta. If we consider the Fonosta "at rest", various forces can change it temporarily. Alcohol affects it very drastically in one direction, and "activating" it by using the zipping visualization affects it also in a very strong way, but in a totally different direction. I have observed that combining activation with alcohol is very bad. Hence, do not activate your Fonosta if you have any alcohol in your system. The rule of thumb that I use is to allow 24 hours from the last alcoholic drink you consumed before activating your Fonosta. The amount of alcohol is germaine here--the more alcohol, the more devastating the effect--but I have seen effects in even a tiny dose of alcohol. Conversely, another drug, tobacco, I have observed as having a positive effect. Specifically, I am talking about cigars and pipes, but I assume that cigarettes would also have a generally positive effect. Caffeine may have a neutral effect, and I don't take illegal drugs, and I don't plan to, so I don't have any information regarding such substances. Okay. So I have a new proposed idea. Let me see how this one does! Thu 2/11/99 * 10:52 PM Well, the jacket idea is still going pretty strong. I tried it out today and it seems to work. So, if this is the right core idea, what then? Well, the core idea is still incomplete. THE CORE IDEA There is a part of you that you don't know about--your Fonosta. Obliviana is a game in which you find your Fonosta and do cool stuff with it. To discover and use your Fonosta, you will be visualizing various things. These visualizations are meant to stimulate your Fonosta and your awareness of it. Obliviana foundation: what exactly is going on here? Well, Obliviana can either be a valid phenomenon, or it can all be attributed to wishful thinking. If valid, it could be supernatural, or it could be purely psychological. I myself lean toward the supernatural explanation, but I am not asserting this. The important thing is that Obliviana WORKS. You can turn your Fonosta on and just enjoy the feeling and the perceptions. But if you play Obliviana, you will get much more out of your Fonosta. No. I need to get more "authoritarian". I need to put on a show. I need to have some pretense. The wishy-washy Gen-X kind of down-home approach will not work. I need to make Obliviana exciting and weird. The thought strikes me to have Zope host Obliviana and tell people all about Fonosta and stuff. I do want Zope in the forefront. It also takes some of the "charismatic leader" shine off of me. That is, me being the spokesman for Obliviana puts me in the possible position of being seen as a charismatic leader--one step toward being seen as, or indeed being, a cult. Being hosted by a comic strip character lets people know right off the bat that Obliviana is not something to take overly seriously. The idea of presenting Obliviana as a show, with episodes, starring Zope. Other Zope characters can also do things in the show. Okay. Let me get into a subject that I haven't dealt with too much lately--Little World of Racetracks, and the Revolvers. I just checked this document, and I haven't dealt with the subject in this document! Wow, it's been over six months! Here is a reference: *********** THEME WORK 2 7/11/98 [1] Arctahojast--Severe Repair HIGHWAY--parallel strainght lines, stripes SMOKE--wavy "parallel" lines [2] Voodholo--Superior SCRIBBLE--random, messy INK--messy ink splotches [3] Pilcansas--Halfevil Graphics BOX--squares or "square wave" Dice [4] Hucaway--Devastating Nightscape COFFEE--cups and glasses of all sorts [5] Moodbruc--Zope SAW--jagged, lightning-bolt-like TRIANGLE Thunderstorm [6] Roptoon--Welcome to the Weasel Village Mall CRESCENT--crescent and water-wave Fish [7] Inhusto--Forge of Wander FENCE--cross-hatch patterns, other fence designs BRAID--intervoven lines, interlocking patterns RAILROAD--RR tracks, but too similar to Fence WEB--spider-web design [8] Fogoncs--Wild Pioneer of New Jersey ARROW--arrows BLADE--series of blades, similar to arrow [9] Wroohoots--Super Object MOUNTAIN--like a graph, resembles side-view of a mountain Bird Wings [10] Twahokum--Vulpine FLORA--plants Wood [11] Owltoco--Obliviana Central SPHERE--circles or simple waves Clock [12] Quonchaw DAZE--psychedelic patterns Fairie STAR--stars of various shapes Spiral [13] Barolcoo CASTLE--rock or brick wall-like Candle Ghost ******************* That was seven months ago. Wow. At that time, I thought I had arrived. I thought that the upcoming Obliviana launch would be THE launch. Oh well. So the true launch has not yet happened. It will. Anyway, the Revolvers here delineate the overview for Obliviana that I still have. The idea of incorporating Zope as the host of Obliviana brings the Revovers together in a more natural way, and I want to continue in this direction. Fri 2/12/99 * 12:31 AM Unification... do one thing and do it well... like the Mandelbrot pattern, great complexity springing from a simple formula... I do want Obliviana to be one thing. The idea of "The Obliviana Show, starring Zope" is a good one, but where does everything else fit in? Well, what are the major categories? [1] Stormjaunting [2] Fonosta Device/Identity [3] Wanderings/Friction Enhancers [4] Severe Repair/Superior/WTTWVM/etc.--entertainment content [5] Little World of Racetracks/community The first three are very much at the core of the Obliviana idea. LWOR is, very simply, the online world and community of Obliviana. This leaves the entertainment content the only major aspect in question. Obliviana is cultural. I have made it clear that Fonosta is a thing that I believe is already a part of everyone. Obliviana is a specific "game" which has at its center the use of the Fonosta. So, with Obliviana,. I am building a little culture. And the entertainment works are part of the foundation of the culture. With the idea that one of Obliviana's strength's is its appeal to identity, which is a primal motivating urge, much as sex is, being a part of Obliviana culture certainly is in synch with the idea of identity. Stormjaunting is a big part of the engine of Obliviana. Fonosta Device is another big part. These will drive Obliviana, and the culture will be built up around it. Thus far, my various implementations of Obliviana have not really been very cultural. So, I think that I have to work on the idea of what exactly I have to do to make Obliviana into a little culture. A culture has as one of it's main foundations commonality, with aspects that are variations on themes and distinct from those of other cultures. The subject of theming, one of my favorite subjects, is germaine here. I want there to be an Obliviana "theme". I was working on this idea before with the idea of each Racetrack having its own theme. Now, I want to establish an overall Obliviana theme, with perhaps sub-themes in each Racetrack, but all a part of the major Obliviana theme. Music, language, clothing, ideals. These are major cultural ideas. I already have many, many cultural elements in Obliviana. And I think that a culture will become apparent from all these elements. But I have to view the subject of Obliviana Culture as a whole, and guide its development. OBLIVIANA CULTURAL ELEMENTS [1] Stormjaunting and its related ideals. Looking at the world around you in a new light, and doing things in a new way. [2] Jukewand, Mobius Crochet, Super Objects, etc. [3] Pelters [4] Forge of Wander [5] LWOR [6] Octominoes. [7] Zope, Severe Repair, Superior [8] Etc. Okay. So I have a lot of cultural element, many more than those I have listed. How do I begin to get people into this culture? One big way is for people to see other people being into it. This is the main way someone gets into something. As a very bare example, I know that my interest in a music CD is raised immensely after reading a positive review. I see that another person is enjoying it, and I want to enjoy it, too. So, having people into Obliviana as examples is very important. But I also have to have a way of getting cultural elements into a person's life. People need to make these elements their own. The driving forces are Stormjaunting and Fonosta Device. Everything revolves around these. Progress!!!!!!!! Mon 2/15/99 * 1:42 PM Supernatural stuff going on, seems to be a sign of transformation in the world. Anyway, what about Obliviana? I see entertainment as just a natural part of Obliviana, but it has to be in synch with the core idea of Obliviana. Obliviana is not Fonosta. Fonosta is a basic thing. Obliviana is a way of using that thing. So Obliviana can be quirky and "rustic" and stuff like that. That is, the "unified field" that I have so wanted does not need to extend to all parts of Obliviana. I have had Stormjaunting and Fonosta Device for a long time at the core of Obliviana. Now, the idea of the Obliviana culture combines with this idea to make it stronger. Okay. I need to get specific. Too often, my utopian generalities fracture and collapse under the weight of specificity. Obliviana will consist of formal and casual aspects of identity. The Fonosta Device could accomodate both of these! So, whereas going on an official Stormjaunt will generate an official Jot, something like reading all of a Severe Repair cupline will result is a casual Jot, whose purpose is mainly to let others know what you have read, so that you can convey your identity to others. Or, in a more mundane sense, so that you can know what subjects you might be able to have a conversation about. Now, this brings up the idea of cultural isolation. That is, will people have other sorts of interests in their Fonosta Devices, or will it more be limited to Obliviana stuff? I am leaning toward isolation, with the justification that Obliviana is indeed a Little World, and in this limited world, with clear boundaries, it is easier to establish an identity. So, with this new perspective, I can see that Fonosta Device is indeed at the core. OVERVIEW Obliviana is a game where the goal is to continually add to and update your Fonosta Device, which is a graphical symbol that represents various accomplishments and decisions within the game. The game never ends, though there are established time periods in which milestones occur. For example, 13 weeks is considered a "Trick Sojourn", and the state of every player's Fonosta Device is recorded at the end of a Trick Sojourn, and certain Fonosta Device are chosen to be highlighted--something like awards, for most creative, most progress, etc. Tue 2/16/99 * 12:29 AM So, what I would like to do is focus on the Fonosta Device, and start it off simply, adding potential Glyphs to it each Trick Sojourn. Or, indeed, every week. I need to create a foundational structure for Fonosta Device, upon which I can buil Obliviana. So, the nature of Glyphs is a very big deal here. Goodnight. Mon 2/22/99 * 9:46 PM I have a lot of work to do getting Obliviana ready for Y2K. Specifically, I need to get all the Obliviana materials organized. The materials are here in the apartment and in the storage in Iselin. I want to get both a definitive computer backup, as well as a set of must-have boxes in the event of a really bad Y2K scenario. Now, in order to do this, I will need to devote a huge amount of time to the project. This is complicated, however, by where I currently am in Obliviana. I am in a limbo state, and right now I am pretty much paralyzed when it comes to making any big moves in Obliviana, such as organizing everything. I am really starting to suffer the strain of being so close to the breakthrough, but never quite getting there. I've been getting a little bit light-headed and confused, and I've been feeling a little crazy. I have certainly been thinking of just cutting my losses, abandoning the quest for the breakthrough, and just doing my best--to start doing stuff, rather than straining to reach this thing that is just out of reach. But I have to keep on going. But also, there has to be a limit to this ridiculous situation. I haven't written Severe Repair for such a long time, and it's really starting to upset me. I have to get this breakthrough. Okay. Maybe if I try and work it out, the breakthrough will be apparent. This is the breakthrough--the specific nature of the game of Obliviana. This game is a very simple game, which will have a very broad appeal. It will be expandable, and this is where is becomes the true Obliviana. A simple game, which just about anyone can get into. Fonosta Device is the key here. Building a Fonosta Device at many levels--minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, lifetime. The game has to very much involve this... building Fonosta Devices... So then, the nature of Fonosta Device. 11 units wide, 19 units high. Containing Jots/Glyphs. Always expandable and transformable. So, I think it is clear that there will be a very basic set of rules, which will be applied at many different levels. One big restriction here is that a person of average capabilities must be able to learn from an existing player, with only paper and pens as equipment. This then requires an EXTREMELY simple basic game. The most basic game can be very, very simple. But it must encompass all of the major gameplay elements of the entire system. Glyphs and Jots. I go back and forth, making them the same thing, and then different things. But I think that they have to be the same thing. Perhaps Jot will refer to the hand-drawn variety, and Glyph the computer-rendered? No. I think that I should just keep all of them with one name... Jot... with Glyph being a type of Jot. I have talked before about Jots being a representation of a symbol, but that the symbol itself is a meaning that is beyond any single representation. So, a Jot would then be able to be represented in perhaps limitless ways, in many different media. But the requirement is that a Jot must be identifiable by a player familiar with the Jot system, either immediately, or with a simple reference key. This then brings me to the question of the specific nature of Jots. And I will mention here that the most basic game will be played with Jots on a Fonosta Device; the basic mechanics will remain the same at all levels of the system. 10:42 PM Okay. Idea of the game, players secretly choosing Jots, then putting them into play. Or doing thing to get the Jots, mirroring the idea of doing Wanderings to get Jots. My ideas of a month or two ago with the board of 8 squares, and Jots with various abilities... this is good... but the board must be FOW... must be Fonosta Device... Or... hmm... the basic game could involve several different boards? No... it has to remain simple. "A rectangle" could describe the basic outline of the board. The basic game has to be REALLY simple. And, of course, really really good! Maybe just write a little number 209 outside of the rectangle, to help identify it as an Obliviana board? Or some other identifying marks... I have been thinking of a distinctive version of a FOW, with a smaller number of spaces thhan 209--maybe a user-defined splitting-up of the board, as another of my earlier ideas--a field of circles, with Jots becomeing anchors to make sectors. Another idea--tiles at work with cracks--like aerial views of farms or something... filling in all of them... Themed variations of the basic game... with different Jots meaning different things. So... I need to come up with the nature of Jot. At the most basic level, there can't be many Jots, since they have to be remembered. And all Jots have to exist in the context of an overall system. I think that for the basic game, there should be 8 different Jots. Hmm... I just had an idea... the idea of an "8 side" and a "5 side". Hmm... this is interesting... LWOR, 8 major, and 5 minor... Or, to be more precise, 8 major, 3 minor, and 2 shadow... but the idea of 8 and 5... very cool... I like the combination, the clash, the harmony... 13... So, the basic Jots are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13? 8 and 5... Combinations, 8*5=40... hmm... 40*2=80... 8*5*2=80. The number of sectors in Octagon... This is getting interesting. So, with 15 basic shapes, there can be 80 Jots to work with... Octagon is definitely the basis of Jot. 80 is a good number of basic Jots. And these 80 are constructed from 15 basic components. And 15 is the midpoint between 11 and 19, of course. So... Jots will then relate to each other in three different ways... 8, 5, and 2. 8wise: 10 each. 5wise: 16 each. 2wise: 40 each. This produces a system of relations not unlike playing cards, which also have three types of relations: rank, suit, and color. Rankwise: 4 each. Suitwise: 13 each. Colorwise: 26 each. Wow. Wow. These two systems are, then, similar to some extent. In the overall context of commonly-played games, perhaps there is a gap when it comes to pen(cil) and paper games. Card games and boardgames have firmly established major classics, like bridge and chess... but what does the pen and paper side have? Tic-Tac-Toe. Hangman. Connect-the dots. Nothing at the level of the best card games or boardgames. I think that the 8*5*2 system is simple enough for the basic game. It may require a reference sheet for beginners, but I done think this system will be too complex to be memorized. 11:26 PM So, I now have a system wherein Jots can have complex relationships with one-another which are readily apparent--relationships similar to those that playing cards have. This opens up a much greater vista of gameplay than any previous Jot system I have developed. I'm smoking a cigar, and I have the window open with a fan going, and it's getting pretty darn cold in here, but I'm going to press on nonetheless! Okay. The game is played on paper with pens. The gameboard is a rectangle. The proper dimensions of this board are 11-by-19, but this may not be important at the most basic level--a simple rectangle will most likely do. I want the most basic game ("mostbasicgame"?) to be played between two people, and last approximately 20 minutes. I want the game to mirror the idea of doing Wanderings and getting Jots. So the major elements of the game will be acquisition, placement, movement, and interaction. Regarding the board, I have to decide if it should be static in terms of the layout, or created by the players. Both players will have Jots on the board. As gameplay progresses, there will have to be an endpoint where one or the other player wins. I like the idea of "raw component" Jots being played--that is, the 15 basic components, which can then be combined to form "full" Jots (of the set of 80). I want to bring up the idea of random generation here. Three coins of different denominations, flipped, can generate a number from 1 to 8. And a single flipped coin can do 1 or 2. How can I generate 1 to 5 easily? Generating 8: three, coins, of three different denominations. Highest to lowest: TTT=1 TTH=2 THT=3 THH=4 HTT=5 HTH=6 HTT=7 HHH=8 But how to generate 5... 5 fingers... Each players sticks out one finger? 25 combination, divide by 5 equals 5... but this is not completely random... Or maybe this will add to the nature of the gameplay, with the 5 being determined some other way... 11:57 PM But I want to focus on the basic game as a "pure strategy" game, without coin flipping. The idea, for example, of each player choosing Jots beforehand is very powerful--and a kind of random element. In this aspect, there is a similarity to collectible card games, where each player starts the game with different "pieces". Aha! How about taking my earlier idea of drawing a line, and doing different things with it, to get Jots... how about both players doing this on the board, while secretly building a set of Jots... and the final result of this first stage is the board itself! Wow, now this is a cool idea! And, it will give each player some idea of what the other player is up to, but only an impression. So how would this work? It would have to involve 15 different kind of actions in drawing the lines on the board, symbolizing the 15 basic components. It could create not only spaces, but also spaces of different sorts, which would have different effects on the Jots. Well, I have made a great deal of progress here tonight. Another breakthrough. But is it THE breakthrough? Ah, whatever. I'm through with getting my hopes up. I'll just keep on going with this idea. If it does result in the breakthrough, then that'll be awesome. But this is stuff which could LEAD to the breakthrough... I'll know when the breakthrough comes... -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----