|| -------- -- -----  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 002--PART 5 <-------  ||  OsoaWeek  ||  Get All Obliviana  ||  Issue 002  ||  -------- (Cup OWga002e, Created v3 (10/3/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Sat 8/7/99 * 1:47 AM So, the basis for the Glyphs is the key to unlocking this phase of Obliviana development. Combining 80 and 209 here seems to be the general way to go, but there are some issues. One issue is that once we get "geographical" with Racetrack identification, then certain Storms will be associated with the Storms that the Racetrack segments lie on. Hmm... and also, 8side refers to Major Racetracks, 5side refers to Minor Racetracks, and 2side refers to Railway and Waterway. So if a Glyph is associated with one of these... but then, this code could simply be the first "letter", and then the use of these symbols would have different meanings as the code goes on. Combining 80 and 209 is definitely the way to go. A number of attributes must be encoded using these two systems. 209 is the part that is in question. In 209 there are Flips, Dires, and Storms. And Storms are like Jots, in that they are made up of one FLip and one Dire. So--8side, 2side, 5side, Flip, and Dire. Is this it? 8*2*5*11*19=16720. But there could be multiples of each in a Glyph definition. Now, how am I gonna represent Flips and Dires? That is, 8x2x5 uses up the basic numbers and letters. Could it be as simple as f4, d6, etc? I see something like a grid inside each Glyph, with symbols inside some or all of the sectors. Yes... this is good... maybe the 2x4 grid that I was into a long time ago... 8:41 PM I have 6 boxes ready to go to stargae from my room here. I had been stalling for a few weeks to get moving in here. Okay. So back to the issue at hand. The idea of Glyphs each being defined with a 2x4 grid, with values in each "box" of one of the 5 "sides"--8side, 2side, 5side, "Fside", and "Dside". 5 Sides, eight boxes, 5 and 8. Cool. So, the upper-left box could be the "home" box, which defines where the Glyph is from: [A] Racetrack Arctahojast--Severe Repair [B] Racetrack Voodholo--Superior [C] Racetrack Pilcansas--Halfevil Graphics [D] Racetrack Hucaway--Devastating Nightscape [E] Racetrack Moodbruc--Zope [F] Racetrack Roptoon--Welcome to the Weasel Village Mall [G] Racetrack Inhusto--Super Object [H] Racetrack Fogoncs--Trash the Airport Meadow [x] Railway Stunposso-- [o] Waterway Jincafurhee-- [1] Raceway Owltoco--Stormjaunting [2] Raceway Wroohoots--Friction Enhancer [3] Raceway Twahokum--Fonosta Device [4] Raceway Quonchaw--Jukewand [5] Raceway Barolcoo--Scrip Wow! This list could is a big change! In the past, I had numbered the Racetracks from 1 to 13. I dod not want Owltoco to be 9, so I made it 11. In this new system, there is no 9, which is cool. So, I changed the order of the Minor Racetracks, making Owltoco 5side 1. Major, Minor, Stutter/Flicker... Also, in like with 8x2x5, the 2sides are between the Major and the Minor. As you can see above, I am thinking of calling 2side something to go along with Major and Minor. Maybe "Transporation"? "Infrastructure"? "Trans"? Major, Trans, Minor... Also, I think that the Minors should be called "Racetracks" as opposed to "Raceways" Maybe: Major, Way, Minor... Hence: MAJOR [A] Racetrack Arctahojast--Severe Repair [B] Racetrack Voodholo--Superior [C] Racetrack Pilcansas--Halfevil Graphics [D] Racetrack Hucaway--Devastating Nightscape [E] Racetrack Moodbruc--Zope [F] Racetrack Roptoon--Welcome to the Weasel Village Mall [G] Racetrack Inhusto--Super Object [H] Racetrack Fogoncs--Trash the Airport Meadow WAY [x] Railway Stunposso-- [o] Waterway Jincafurhee-- MINOR [1] Racetrack Owltoco--Stormjaunting [2] Racetrack Wroohoots--Friction Enhancer [3] Racetrack Twahokum--Fonosta Device [4] Racetrack Quonchaw--Jukewand [5] Racetrack Barolcoo--Scrip This furthers the idea the 8side and 5side are of the same basic class, whereas 2side is much different. 9:08 PM Okay. So I think that the idea of the 2x4 grid defining Glyphs is a good idea. Now, I need to develop the meaning of all 8 sectors. I definitely feel that some of the sectors can remain blank. 11:09 PM Okay. I was lifting a box of books earlier, and now I have some bullshit lower back pain. I believe in Dr. Sarno's theory about back pain--that it can be caused by the mind to distract. And I do have a lot of crap I might rather not think about--the state of Obliviana, Y2K, my backup project, OsoaWeek, etc. But no matter what, I must continue on with Obliviana. If I can really get all the game elements of Bo developed, then even though there will still be a very involved development period, I will have a solid foundation. So, the idea of Bo is pretty simple. Basic Obliviana. A set of game elements, from which a virtually limitless number of games can be developed. Even Fo (Full Obliviana) itself is fully based in Bo. So let me go over... THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF BO General Note: Bo is designed initially to be apart from computers. I do intend for the entire game system to be computerized eventually. [1] OCTAGON. This is an octagon divided into 80 sectors. Its representation in the game is the 8x2x5 system. Jots are either drawn on paper or are chips/tiles, each representing one of the 80 sectors. [2] FORGE OF WANDER (FOW). This is a grid, 11 squares wide by 19 squares high. There are 209 Storms, each representing one of the 209 squares. FOW is represented either on paper or as a game board. [3] STORM CODEX (SC). This is a special deck of playing cards made up of card from two decks with identical backs. There are two cards for each Flip and Dire in FOW. [4] LITTLE WORLD OF RACETRACKS. This is an imaginary place built on a FOW, with 8 Major Racetracks, 5 Minor Racetracks, and 2 Ways. These correspond to the 8x2x5 system. It can be on paper or as a gameboard. [5] DEVICE. This is a FOW-shaped rectangle which contains Glyphs. Each Device represent a parcel of land in LWOR. Each Glyph represents an element or object in this place, such as: Rocky Terrain, Skyscraper, Thunderstorm, Giant Statue, Rock Garden, Cat, Arcade, etc. [6] CHARGER. Each Charger is a single 6-sided die. It is not rolled; it is a unit which has five "charges". Its charges are equal to the number shown minus one. Hence, a six mean five charges, and a one means zero charges. [7] JUKEWAND (JW). This is a little "wand" made up of five brass pipe segments. It can hold rolled-up scrip or other things. Its use in the game is still under development. [8] SCRIP. This is a paper-based system of currency and recordkeeping. Each piece of Scrip starts off with two pieces connected. Once a certain goal is met, the Scrip is separated into Keeping and Trading sections. Scrip can be used to record games in Obliviana, including Stormjaunting. Trading Scrip can be traded, or it can be used for gambling. [9] COINS. (Tentative) This is a set of three or four coins of different sizes. By flipping all three, a number from 1 to 8 is generated. Flipping one can generate a value of "x" or "o". Flipping four will generate a resuly from 1 to 16, which can be used to generate a number from 1 to 16, and this can be used to generate a number from 1 to 5, with one left over. [10] CIFFIPUR PATHWAYS. (Tentative). This is a system of branchings, where each choice takes you to a different destination, which can have further decisions, or can be an endpoint. [11] VAMERSHEE. (Tentative). This is an origami-based system of action games. [12] HALZAPULAR FUZZ. (Tentative). This is a set of paper-based games which, using several elements in the game system, allows for play of a number of different videogame/pinball/pachinko-type games. These would generally be based on FOW grids, but other elements could also be used. A printed sheet would contain the initial setup, with the game being played with pens marking the sheet using other elements, such as SCs, Chargers, Coins, etc. to add elements of chance. [13] FRICTION ENHANCER (FE)/STORMJAUNTING (SJ). FE's are challenges. SJ is a supernatural system that can be used in the course of doing a FE. 11:42 PM Wow. This list definitely helps to put things in perspective. It contains most (if not all) of the basic elements in Obliviana. Sun 8/8/99 * 12:24 AM "MARKETPLACE 31" (M31) A New Obliviana Card Game In M31, each player has their own SC, all of which must have different backs. Each player shuffles his or her deck, and then places it face down, drawing five cards. The idea of the game is to form melds totalling 31. On a player's turn, he or she may meld from what they have in their hand. If they cannot, or if they wish not to, they must place one card in the common area. Once a player's turn is over, cards are drawn to bring the hand back to 5 cards. Melds are placed as piles in front of the player, face down. In the common area, sets of cards are formed. A player must discard on one of the existing sets if they can. If they cannot, they can form a new set. If a player can bring one of the piles to 31, that meld is taken. In this way, the cards are mixed. They are sorted out when the game is over. In lieu of playing a card, a player can "buy" a set in the common area by trading in of of their melds. These cards are placed face-up in fron of the player. The next player who cannot place a card on a common pile will place the card on top of the meld that was paid for the set. Then, the player who wins that set gets the other meld as well. Bought cards in front of the player can be melded with cards in the player's hand. As well, they can be played on existing sets. The game is over when one player is out of cards in their hand and in front of them. Each player scores one point for each meld they have, and face-up cards in front of them each count as minus one. Additionally, players may deal amongt themselves, trading cards. Each player has three types of things to trade. Melds are traded as melds, and are never turned over or used in any other way except as melds. Cards in front and cards in hand are the other types of cards. Players may trade any number of face-up cards, melds, or in-hand cards for any other combination from the other player. In-hand cards are always to be kept secret, however. In-hands traded cards are kept secret from other players. 12:16 PM Marketplace 31 Update: I played several games of M31 with my wife Denice last night. We started off with 5 cards in hand, but this resulted in very little action on the table. Then we went down to 3 cards in hand, but this, too, was too much. So finally we went down to 2 cards per hand. This seems to be right. We did not use the "dealing between players" rule, since it was not really called for. We did buy a lot of sets, though. Two new rules: a "hyperspace" (two of the same card) can complete any set. Also, playing on the board a card that is the same as a card a player has in front of them allows you to steal one meld. This rule was Denice's idea. We thought about also allowing the attacker to steal cards. Also, if a player's hand of two cards is duplicated in front of another player, this could result in an "enhanced" attack, where one card is played and another is shown, perhaps allowing for 3 or 4 melds taken. One slight problem is that a player can make an illegal move, as in not playing on an existing set when they have a low enough card. This violation of the rules would be obvious of the player has cards in front that could be played on an existing set, and also if the played card could have been played on an existing set. But it would be impossible to know if the hidden card in hand, or both hidden cards in hand, if played from table, could have been used. A challenge could be issued by another player, and if the player if caught playing improperly, a penalty is paid to the accuser, otherwise the accuser must pay the inoocent player. But this may not be a big deal. At the point we are at now, the game seems to be pretty good, but I still want to fine-tune it. I just had an interesting idea. Another rule which I did not mention is discarding all the cards in a meld except one, to keep things orderly. This new idea would be to have a face-up discard pile for these cards, and the face-up card can be drawn by any player, or perhaps used to replenish the hand if so desired. This would add yet another very unique element to M31. It would also lengthen the game considerably. Another rule I am considering is that cards in front cannot be melded freely, but must be "connected" at a rate of 1 per turn. That is, bought cards are all "loose", and on a turn, any card may be added to a single other card or set of cards. Separation would also take a turn. This would slow down the melding of cards in front. It would also "deactivate" cards connected to other cards, in terms of being played or maybe being attacked. Nah--they should still be open for attack. But in-front cards in sets cannot be played on the board. In this new rule, only a single card from the hand may only be melded with in-front sets. The reason for this rule is that I observed that it was all too easy to buy a set with a lot of cards, and then on the next turn meld like 5 or 6 cards together. With the new rule, it would not be as easy as that, and in-front card management would be much more strategic. Also, I am thinking of allowing a player to draw to have three cards and then discard down to two--but I think this is not a good idea. Two cards seem to be the best. Sun 8/8/99 * 10:56 PM Played a game with my wife and mother-in-law. A bunch of new rules: [1] When there are existing piles on the board and you can't play on one, cards in hand are thown onto the table and are now face-up cards. NOW play any of the face-up cards. Note that cards that have already been placed on the table like this cannot be used for an attack. [2] Once one player's cards are fully used up, and their hand is down to zero (though face-up cards may still be there) that player takes the discard pile and throughly shuffles it. Player to the left cuts the cards, and play enters the "countdown" phase. The discard pile is made from all the cards in melds minus the one per meld kept. [3] During countdown, stealing takes 2 Melds, and buying piles also takes 2 melds. [4] There will be a limit on the number of times a particular pile can be bought. In the game we played, we set it at five. [5] During Countdown, attacks can take place. In order to attack, one of your cards must be the top card in the Countdown drawpile. Attack with an even number of Melds. Defender has three choices. "Appease" means defender gives attacker half the number of cards attacked with, and the attack is over. "High" or "Low" are the defenders other options. Once the declaration is made, both participants lay a card down, which become a face-up card. If the defender wins, they get the cards used in the attack. If the defender wins, he or she wins TWICE the number. The game I just played was taking way too long, and Melds were very easy. So, I am thinking of using 30-card "half" SCs now. Tue 8/10/99 * 8:30 PM Okay. I thought up some new rules. First of all, full 60-card decks are shuffled. Then, the top (or bottom) 29 cards are removed and put back in the box. The remaining 31 cards are used for play, and may be further shuffled. Another idea--both cards in hand can be played on an existing pile if it will bring it to 31. Note that this cannot be used in combination with any face-up cards. Countdown phase: With less cards now in play, some changes are needed. First of all, the double-cost rule is no longer in effect; cost to buy piles and reward for stealing stay at 1. New rule for Melds on table, used to buy piles: you may opt to play a card on these even if you could play on an existing pile. In this regard, Melds on table are considered Piles with a value of zero. Coupled with the 2-card-to-31 rule, a Zero Pile may be taken if a player has a natural 2-card 31 in hand. Combat/Gamble (I think that "Gamble" is a better term): Again, considering the lesser number of Melds available, Gambling will work as follows: During Countdown, if your card is the top card of the draw pile, you may attack anyone. The more-or-less rules is no longer in effect. The Gambler declares the defender, and then one of three options: "High Wager", "Low Wager", or "Open Wager". In the case of High or Low, each participant lays down one card from hand. Winner gets one Meld from the other player. "Open" gives the defender three options. "Appease" means that defender dows not wish to go further, and gives attacker one Meld. Or, defender can then declare "High" or "Low". If the defender wins, they get one card from attacker. If attacker wins, they get two cards from defender. Endgame: Once the draw deck is exhausted, Endgame is initiated. Gambling is no longer allowed. Play continues until one player has no cards left in their hand. At this moment, the game is over. Each player scores one per meld owned, minus one per face-up card. MARKETPLACE 31: An Obliviana Card Game by Frank Edward Nora New Rules, 8/10/99 (Game invented: Sat 8/8/99) Two or more players can play. BASICS Players use Storm Codex decks, each of which has 60 cards. The cards are as follows: 2 each of Flip (red) 1 thru 19, and 2 each of Dire (pronounced "deer") (black) black 1 thru 11. Standard playing cards are used. Aces equal 1. Heart and spades add zero, diamonds and clubs add 10. Card values are used in determine who goes first and also in "Gambling" in the Countdown phase of the game. Flips (blacks) are always higher then Dires (red). The lowest card is Dire 1 (the ace of hearts), and the highest card is Flip 11 (the ace of clubs). Flip 1 (the ace of spades) is one higher than Dire 19 (the nine of diamonds). The main game mechanic is to produce "Coins". A Coin is a set of cards that add up to 31. There are 6 play phases in Marketplace 31: [1] Preparation. [2] Starting [3] Market [4] Countdown [5] Endgame [6] Scoring PREPARATION Each player shuffles a Storm Codex deck of 60 cards. All the decks used must have different backs, and the cards must be approximately the same size. Once a player's deck is shuffled, the top 29 cards are removed and placed back in the card box. This can be easily done by counting out three piles of 10, 10, and 9. The remaining 31 cards are now shuffled. STARTING The 31-card deck is now placed on the table, and each player lays two cards on the table. High pair goes first. In case of a tie, the tied player draw two more cards. This continues until a winner is established. Once the winner is established, all players draw two more cards to form their hand. Cards in hand are always kept hidden from other players. The face-up cards are left in front of the players, and are "Free" cards. MARKET Market is the first of the three main phases of the game. Unless otherwise noted, the rules of Market apply to Countdown and Endgame unless otherwise noted. As a player's turn begins, they will have two cards in hand (except in late Market and late Countdown), and a set of Free cards in front of them. On a player's turn, there are three main options available: [1] Coin using any combination of Hand and Free cards. This is a set of cards adding up exactly to 31. To Coin, all the cards except one are put into the Discard pile. The card that is kept is the decision of the player. The kept card is a Coin Card, and it is placed face-down in from of the player. Coin Cards must be arranged so that the number is visible to all other players: they are kept in piles of five, with the odd pile being closest to the Free cards. Coining in this way is the choice of the player; Coining is never "forced". Only one Coin may be made per turn. A reference sheet showing how the numbers 1 thru 30 add up to 31 is extremely helpful. [2] If player does not Coin, they must play a single card (except in one case, see below) on the "Marketplace", the main area of the table. If the Marketplace is empty, any card, Hand or Free may be placed in the Market. This then forms a new "Stand". Each Stand has a numerical value. When playing a card in the Marketplace, the player declares the updated value of the Stand. Players may wish to figure this value out before playing the card, so that they can declare the number as soon as the card is played. If there are Stands already in the Marketplace, the player must play on an existing Stand. If the player's card brings the Stand up to 31, the player Coins that Stand, and also gets any Market Coins underneath the Stand (see below). A player may play both Hand cards on a single Stand if those two Hand cards will Coin the Stand. Free cards cannot be in this operation, only Hand cards. If the player cannot play on an existing Stand, then the Hand is "broken" and the Hand cards beome Free cards. At this point, a player chooses one Free card and starts a new Stand. Note that since the card is Free when played, stealing is not possible. [3] The third option is the "Buy". A player may buy any Stand with a value of 1 or more, and the cost is one Coin. To Buy, the player places a Coin in the Marketplace and then puts all the cards from the stand in front of them. These cards are all now Free cards. Coins in the Marketplace with no cards on top of them are considered Stands with a value of zero. Stealing: If a player plays a Hand card in the Marketplace which is the same Free cards that any other player has in front of them, the player can steal a single Coin from each player with that card. If an opposing player has more than one of the same card, the playing player gets the same number of Melds. If a player has no Melds, then no stealing occurs. Using two Hand cards to Coin a Stand can also allow Stealing, and both cards are used in the stealing. Hyper: Two Hand cards which are the same (ie, two fives of spades) are a "Hyper". A Hyper can be used to complete any Stand, even an empty Coin Stand. As well, for determining who goes first, a Hyper beats everything but a higher Hyper. Also, in Wagering (see below), a Hyper can be used, and beats anything but a higher Hyper. This is the only time two cards can be used for Wagering. At the end of a players turn, player will draw from his draw pile to replenish his hand to two cards, if needed. Note that a turn can contain only one action: Coin, Buy, Market play, or Market play resulting in a Coin. COUNTDOWN Market continues until one player's hand is reduced to zero. This occurs when a player's draw pile is exhausted, and their Hand is also exhausted. Note that since Free cards can be played in lieu of Hand cards, a player could play a number of turns with only one card in hand. When a player's hand is exhausted, the player completes that turn, and then play pauses and that player shuffled the entire discard pile. Player to the left then cuts. This is now the Common Draw Pile, and the Countdown phase is initiated. The player who shuffled draws two cards to replenish their hand, and play then continues. The other players will continue to use their own Draw Piles until they are exhausted, and then they will start drawing from the Common Draw Pile. Note that if, at the end of a player's turn, the player is in need of two cards to replenish their hand, and their Draw Pile has only one left, they will take the last of their Draw Pile cards and then take one from the Common Draw Pile. In Countdown, play continues as normal, except that a new option is available to players, the "Wager". To initiate a Wager, the top card has to be a card "belonging" to the player; it has to have their card back design. As well, to initiate a Wager a play needs to have at least one Coin. To declare a Wager, the Wagerer names another player, and then states one of three Wagers: "Wager High", "Wager Low", or "Wager Open". The chosen player must have at least one Coin for Low or High, and at least two Coins for Open. Note that Wagers are possible even if wither or both players have only one Hand card. In the case of Wager High or Wager Low, both players choose a Hand card and place it on the table, making it Free. In High, high card wins. In Low, low card wins. The loser pays the winner one Coin. Alternatively, the Defender may wish to Appease (see below) and pay one Coin without playing the cards. In the case of Open, the defender declared High/Low. Each player then chooses a Hand card and places it face up, making it Free, just as in the High or Low Wagers. In this case, if the Wagerer wins, they get two cards from the defender. If the Wagerer loses, they give the defender one coin. The Defender has another option in an Open Wager. They can "Appease" the Wagerer and pay one Coin, and the Hand cards are not played. In any case, if the cards played are the same card, the Wager is a tie, and no cards are exchanged. When the Wager is done, the winner draws card(s) to replenish hand, and then the loser. Wagering counts as a turn, and no other actions may be performed that turn. ENDGAME Countdown continues until the Common Draw Pile is exhausted. At this point, the Endgame phase is initiated. In Endgame, Wagering is no longer allowed. Play continues in Market fashion until one player's hand is exhausted. Note that Endgame can last for a good number of turns because players may have a lot of Free cards. Once a player's hand is reduced to zero and exhausted, the player finished their turn, and then the game is over. SCORING Each player now determines their score. Each Coin is worth 2 points. Each Hand and Free card is worth -1 point. So, the final score is twice the number of Coins minus the number of Free and Hand cards. If only a single game is played, the player with the highest score wins. Note that there can be negative scores. If a series of games is played, then the first player to reach a predetermied score is the winner. Note that negative scores are subtracted from the existing score. THE FIRST GAME USING THESE RULES... ...took place between me and my wife, Denice, from 11:00 PM to 11:45 PM on Tuesday, August 19, 1999. She won, 24 to 21. She had no minus cards, I had 5. Wed 8/11/99 * 2:03 AM I have to say that Vasen is a fucking awesome band. "Whirled", the US release of their latest album, kicks ass. Anyway, I think that the Marketplace 31 rules are nearly complete. The game is quite aweome, and it is unique in a number of ways. M-31 fits right into the new scheme of Obliviana. Obliviana as a set of related games, using common equipment. M-31 requires only a Storm Codex for each player, in terms of equipment. But a reference card is definitely needed. In fact, let me update the rules to reflect this. 2:09 AM Equipment is a big issue in Obliviana. In order for Obliviana to spread, I would like all the equipment to be as relatively easy to obtain as Storm Codexes. Of course, it would be to my advantage to be able to sell game equipment, and in this my ideals conflict with my business sense. Looking at the component list of a few days ago, I see that the components that are the most logistically difficult are the FOW gameboard and the Jot Chips. Jot Chips can be made from mini poker chips written on with a Sharpie. But I would prefer using circle and square chips, and these would not be easy for people to obtain. The gameboard is the biggest challenge. I think that I could use Acrobat to create PDFs that could use four sheets of lettersize paper, cut and taped together, to form the board. PDF could be very helpful for the paper-based games, the M-31 reference sheet, etc. I think that a deluxe version of the game could be manufactured for people to buy, but I am very much committed to keeping all the basic components free and relatively easy to make. Wed 8/11/ 99 * 10:117 PM A tornado ripped through Salt Lake City today. And there was a big solar eclipse over in Europe/Asia. And I've been feeling tired and messed up since this past weekend. There is definitely some weird shit going on in the supernatural. When I was younger, I wanted supernatural powers more than anything. Now I want the Obliviana Game System, screw supernatural powers. Okay. So I am very close. Oh, I am thinking of revamping Racetrack Inhusto a slight bit. It would be in Storm 206, and instead of what it is now, it would be a crossover. I think it would make Inhusto look a lot better. Several years ago, a guy at work saw a picture of Inhusto and said something like "it looks like a guy bending over, about to take it in the ass". This observation is a little bit justifiable; it does look a tiny bit like that. The change will alleviate this problem. And now is the time for such a change, with the addition of Waterway Jincafurhee and Railway Stunposso. Now, I want to develop a goal for an initial release of the Obliviana game. Or rather, Obliviana AS game. The Obliviana Game is not a part of Obliviana, it IS Obliviana. And Obliviana will be known as a "Game System" or "Game and Entertainment System". Now, Aerie will still be the "wellspring". It will contain all the official rules and stuff. But I still need to go further with Glyph. Okay. So I will work on it now. GLYPH Glyphs are symbols that are remotely related to Kanji characters in Asian writing systems. That is, they are single graphical signs which each contain a great deal of meaning. Glyph is a system that is intended to be able to convey large amounts of information is a small amount of space. So, core to the system is the kind of information that is being conveyed. Obliviana is a game, comprised of an ever-expanding set of sub-games. The newly-created Marketplace 31 is an example of a sub-game. The sub-games all use a common set of equipment, and each game uses a subset of the equipment. So, it is apparent that Glyph is a system that requires the foundation of the kind of information it is to convey. In this case, the information being conveyed is information related to the game of Obliviana. Central to Obliviana is the imaginary place known as Little World of Racetracks. Now, I have to really develop the focus of Obliviana. That is, it is a lot of interrelated things, but how do they interrelate? Okay. The numerical systems of 209 (11x19) and 80 (8x2x5) do, I believe, have great meaning. Specifically, I believe that they are related to an aspect of humanity long forgotten. So, I believe that creating a system of games based upon these principles will help to stimulate these forgotten aspects of the human entity. For example, I have not done any Stormjaunting in the past few weeks, but I played M-31 last night and this morning at the subway platform at the Port Authorty Bus Terminal I met a guy I know from work. It was a little coincidence--and coincidences are situational happenings that seem to occur more frequently when Obliviana energies are involved. So, I would say that playing the game did generate some Obliviana energy. It is important for me to note here that I developed all of the aspects of Obliviana through vision and inspiration. Coming up with a sequential, logical set of ideas to exaplain Obliviana is something I am doing to try and organize everything I have created. Okay. So, with the idea of these basic systems, 209 and 80, it would make sense to develop a way to get people into these systems, through a game and entertainment system. I think that this is leading to an idea I have had several times over the past decade--for the focus to be on the idea of each player of Obliviana having an imaginary avatar, an alter ego, in LWOR. Now, whenever I got to this idea, the question comes up as to the implementation of LWOR. Specifically, the idea of LWOR as an online shared digital world. Well, I have to say that such an implementation would indeed NOT be the core of the system. Rather, I see LWOR as a truly imaginary world, with specific implementations, be they sketches of Pavilions or a fully realized digital world, being apart from the imaginary core of LWOR. LWOR as imaginary as opposed to virtual is a very important idea. It allows LWOR to be much more than it could be as a virtual digital world. In essence, every player will have their own personal view of LWOR. But with a sense of commonality. So, I will now come back to the idea of Fonosta as the avatar, as the imaginary alter ego. Vision: Your Fonosta is "born" when you start playing Obliviana. As you play Obliviana, your Fonosta is in LWOR, living there, travelling, doing things, etc. As a character, your Fonosta has a history. So, no matter where your Fonosta is now, it will always have a history of where it has been. So, if your Fonosta resides in, say, Hucaway for three months, that is always a part of your Fonosta's history. From the player's perspective, their Fonosta is both an alter ego and a record of the player's activities in Obliviana. And this is where Device comes in. A detailed history of all games played (including Stormjaunting), would be a very large written document. The idea is that a player's Fonosta Device is a very compact version of this history. And while a Fonosta Device will not be able to convey all the specific data, it will give an accurate overview. Fri 8/13/99 * 12:00 AM Here's a very intersting thing: the 30 Pilferids, 1 thru 11 and 1 thru 19, add up to 256! Wow. I made LWOR with 256 road segments (not counting the Shdows). When I did this, I was just reflecting my affection for powers of 2, with their computer association and all. But now I see that there may have been a deeper reason. Now, as far as the proposed changed in Inhusto, it will not really be possible, because when I numbered the Racetrack segments, the 209th Racetrack segment was in Storm 209--this is in Inhusto, and making the change I proposed would absolutely change that. Anyway, I want to talk a little about Fonosta Device. First of all, Device is one thing in Obliviana and Fonosta is another. Fonosta Device is the Device of a Fonosta. A player's Fonosta is their alter ego in LWOR. The activities that the player does in Obliviana will be reflected in their Fonosta. But Fonosta management will be a game unto itself, with elements and aspects unique to it. Games and activities and entertainment. M-31, Fonosta Management, Stormjaunting, Severe Repair. All are a part of the Obliviana Game and Entertainment System. 8:48 PM LWOR as place. Fonostas as characters. LWOR as a compelling imaginary world. Fonostas as a new kind of character. Videogame "guy", and othe influences. A rock solid basis. Theme and variation. Classes of objects, Fonostas, Sidekicks, Vehicles, etc. Idea: Each Trick Sojourn has its own unique theme. Like, "The Axed Clock", a clock destroyed by an axe. Symbolic little constructs. Variations are official, and hyped before release. That is, new variations of LWOR stuff are things that are anticipated. The entry of a new variation is at a certain Tarb, so use of variations before their time is not possible as regards recordkeeping. Fonosta Management. Player's managament of their alter ego Fonosta. Also, using the Fonosta system as a kind of role-playing game. And, of course, RACING! Sat 8/14/99 * 12:37 PM Fonostas as characters. The look of the characters is going to be very important. I see Fonostas as being a big part of the promotional aspect of Obliviana, as well as a big part of the fun of playing Obliviana. Fonostas in LWOR, their home. Fonostas will have to be very simple in the way they look, and they have to have the potential for limitless variation, and they have to all share a distinctive look, and that look has to distinguish them as a part of Obliviana. So, Fonostas cannot look like existing character designs; they must be fully original. Tue 8/17/99 * 7:57 PM Supernatural crap today, and for the past week or so. Anyway, I've been working on the idea of Fonostas as characters. I drew some character designs, and I think they are very similar to ones I did awhile back. They look pretty good, with a circle with a X thru it as the base of the face. This is actually, now that I think of it, a combination of "x" and "o". Another idea I had was for the face to be octagons, with designs based on the 80 sectors, and where the 8wise, 2wise, and 5wise fall. But the x/o basis for the face is cool. But then... it additional elements are to define where the Fonosta is from, what will happen in Stunposso and Juncafurhee? Also, with Stunposso and Jincafurhee, I was thinking of using names that start with the letters K (11) and S (19). This then implies that 2wise and Pilferid are the same thing, which is pretty interesting. Thu 8/19/99 * 12:21 AM Okay. I've been talking about Fonosta Device for a long time. Device in general is a set of glyphs in a FOW rectangle that communicate Obliviana info. Fonosta Device is a thing that every player of Obliviana has, and the data it contains in the data of that player's experience in Obliviana. Now, it has become clear to me that Device is a system that is based in LWOR. And specifically, each Device is a little "scene" in LWOR. Think "scenes" like in Pirates of the Carribean or The Haunted Mansion. Having Devices as scenes, and Glyphs as elements in those scenes, this provides a great level of flexibility in terms of representing the Device graphically. Glyphs here are, at their deepest level, concepts apart from specific graphics, as chess pieces are concepts, with great great leeway in their ultimate presentation in a given context. So, a Device is a scene in LWOR. There will be a standard set of LWOR Objects/Glyphs. This set will always be expanding. I see many possible kinds of Glyphs: radio tower in distance, night, dog, waterfall, painting, rain, etc. I see a parallel here between something like the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck and this idea. That deck depicts symbolic scenes to impart ideas. It's not a direct correlation, but it is an interesting parallel. Now, how do Fonostas fit into all this? Scenes can have Fonostas in them. A Fonosta Device should depict a Fonosta's "Homestead", the place where that Fonosta lives in LWOR. There will have to be a standard set of Glyphs. As I stated, this set will always be changing. But it has to have a degree of limitation for it to be compelling. That is, if there are 5,000 stnadard Glyphs, it'll be hard to grasp, whereas if there are less, it... well... it is clear that Glyphs will be based on a hierarchical model, ie, vehicles, animals, weather, etc. Still, the system must be "graspable". Of course, certain Glyphs will symbolize "more" than others. By this I mean greater quantities, harder to get, etc. This is the right idea for Obliviana. Now I have to get into some specifics. Goodnight. Tue 9/14/99 * 9:21 AM Well, I'm back from my trip. I did a lot of thinking about Obliviana on the trip, and I did make some progress. On a weird Rt. 209 on 9/9/99 in Nova Scotia I anticipated and got a vision, a little vision. And I wrote some Obliviana notes on my Palm V. What I have been focusing on is the concept of the "Keystone Idea", which would be a single, simple idea that would set Obliviana in motion. I already have a huge realm of content and concepts in Obliviana--but it needs a jolt to get it all moving. 9:40 PM So let me reiterate what I just said: Obliviana is a fully-formed thing. It has content and concepts. I have spent thousands (tens of thousands?) of hours working on it. It has tons of concrete, fully-developed stuff. But, all this said, it is right now pretty much inert. Like a massive machine that has yet to be turned on. One thing I want to do is read this file in its entirety. Maybe I'll do that now. Notes: [1] This files starts about 5 months ago. [2] Aerie Obliviana as the "top level" of Obliviana. Aerie-centric. Stormjaunting is not under pressure in the spotlight. [3] Wander system in Aerie. "Wander is the Revolver that is the counterbalance to the hierarchical system of Aerie. In Wander, there is no hierarchy--each Cup exists by itself, with no branching from or to. This is a very important core philosophy for Wander." [4] Wander being hosted, by Zope or Duffy, say. Hosts in locations, like they're "broadcasting" from a location, and you can explore that location too... [5] "The world of Wander is a world that is very much concerned with Aerie. Ads, promotions, hype, discussions, and analysis of Aerie about. So, in a very whimsical way, Wander is a little world that exists inside the book." [6] "I could use the "multiple voices" idea in AG, with different characters giving their perspectives on different aspects of AO. Maybe Zope could have a "show" which goes over stupid and embarrassing stuff." [7] "***BLAMEDAY SUNGLASSES*** You may remember, from last week's Nihilistica, a video game called "Have Tina". Well, it's still the same game (bowling, trading cards, and religion), but I've changed the name to "Blameday Sunglasses." Look for it in the future!" [8] Reading about permufiction Halzapular Fuzz. Talking about hyping HF "cartridges". And it struck me that there is a similarity between this idea and the Glyph/Jot idea. My new idea of a daily set of Jots... I know I'm being vague... but the point is that there is a connection here... cartridges, Jots, objects that are hyped and then released, and the permufiction aspect can help "anchor" the objects. By this I mean that objects like the ones I'm referring to need an associatiated "ritual" to anchor them in the mind. Like videogames, where the ritual is playing them, or songs, where the anchor is to listen to them. These anchors make these objects into more than just the ritual. [9] Okay. The "2600 Experience" HF idea, with a fictional videogame system, and simulating living through the system's initial release and the subsequent releases of game, up to the system running its course and being superceded by a newer system. This idea does have parallels with the whole Glyph/Jot/Device idea. The intersection here is the idea of Glyphs being more than just symbols, but each of them having actual content. This then conflicts with the idea of Glyphs being objects on a plot of land in LWOR. But maybe such objects can be both containers of content AND objects like buildings and cars? In fact, this resonates with the Metuchen Dusk Octagon Vision. 11:45 AM [10] Permufiction place, like a college campus, with a time element, which would mean different versions of the world for different times. [11] "Halzapular Fuzz is a hypertext game system, where the player is a person in a place, a place which is based on "reality", and can be explored. My initial idea is for it to be a college campus, with the player as a student who lives in a dorm room. The videogame system "Halzapular Fuzz" will be a focus of the system. Exploring the campus will be another aspect. Time and weather and day and night--and time passing, with things changing, new games becoming available, etc. Reading videogame magazines... previews of HZ games... posters on your walls... other fictional media... movies... books... music..." [12] "I think that my initial idea for a "Wild" section of Aerie, which would counterbalance the strict hierarchy of the rest of Aerie, is still a good idea. The gist here is that the "Wild" section must be one work, which I will continually expand on. And also, it has to be apart from my other works, SR in particular. I want to make this new feature of Aerie the major expansion for Aerie v3. It could be released on 7/28/99, Obliviana Day, or 10/3/99, my birthday. I think that for now, I will indeed refer to this new feature as Halzapular Fuzz (HZ)." 4:35 PM [13] "Just being entertained briefly is not a good goal for me as relates to my readers. There has to be more involvement. And it should involve ego and identity, as in Fonosta. But so many avatars and online identities that I have encountered are so lame... I don't want to be bothered with code names and passwords and everything else... Maybe choosing a set of things, and then writing an E-mail describing and justiifying the choices." [14] "Maybe... Fonosta is developed over time, with a set timeline, like "in week 8 you do this..." and it's something you are constantly working on, even though Aerie is static, you are moving through it as time goes on..." [15] "Text Wandertainment... entertain thyself by wandering through readings of text, okay. Aerie Obliviana... Old Reliable... it'll always be here for ya... get into it man..." [16] "But the whole Fonosta/Stormjaunting/LWOR/Jukewand thing is very much about getting people involved. I have not, however, implemented these ideas properly, yet. I do believe, however, that I will be able to find a a way to make these ideas work." [17] "Nomadi - We're your little oasis in the exciting endless night of reality" [18] Deepen Your Presence. Clothing For Your Presence. [19] "I like the idea of "displaying" a certain Obliviana thing--either in a "shrine" or as worn buttons or whatever--and the length of the display--days, weeks, months... would have some meaning." [20] "I need an angle--and I do have one, in Stormjaunting. But I want to create something a bit larger that just Stormjaunting--I want to bring all of Obliviana together into one cool thing." [21] "Stormjaunting itself is a massively potent thing. I could, I think, promote Stormjaunting by itself and make it work. But I have all this other great stuff. So--I think that a system with Stormjaunting alone woruld be lacking, and the other stuff I have in Obliviana is what it would be lacking." [22] "Stormjaunting is, I have observed, mystical, perhaps a little druglike, wonderful, confusing, tiring, exhilarating. It is undeniably cool." [23] "The "hook" in Obliviana is the system of, for lack of a better term, "personal development". This is a system that a person will "administer" themselves." [24] "In Obliviana, you will learn about a magic power that you already have. It is called Stormjaunting, and it will open up a whole new world for you." Wed 9/15/99 * 12:04 AM I wandered Garden State Plaza, and on the way home I got a little idea, of the Jots/Glyphs/Objects being/having their own web page(s) and having content. The idea of collecting stuff... like I remember with comic books, liking the IDEAS more than the actual CONTENT... Continue with reading this file: [25] "[2] Fonosta is all about creating a new identity for yourself. It is clear to me now that I should focus this identity on the idea of becoming a Stormjaunter. BECOME A STORMJAUNTER IN OBLIVIANA!" [26] "[9] It is clear that I need to create a system of challenges and rewards, and I have done a great deal of work on this type of thing. The whole Jot system dealt with this issue." Sun 9/19/99 * 9:57 PM [27] "Also, here is something from 2/12/99: ----------- [1] Stormjaunting [2] Fonosta Device/Identity [3] Wanderings/Friction Enhancers [4] Severe Repair/Superior/WTTWVM/etc.--entertainment content [5] Little World of Racetracks/community ------------------- These are the major aspects of Obliviana." 10:01 PM Okay, I'll continue that later. Right now I want to talk about Glothjyp. Yes: "Glothjyp". This is a term I coined on the bus home during tropical storm Floyd (last Thursday). Basically, "Glothjyp" is an anagram of "Glyph/Jot". I figured that I had been so indecisive with the two terms, that putting them together would make sense. "Glothjyp" is a somewhat awkward word, but it has definitely been growing on me. For now, it is definitely the working name for the new type of object I have been working on. So, I need to re-establish where I am. Okay. One recent breakthrough was that Device is something that is based on the idea of a piece of land in LWOR and the stuff that is on that piece of land. The objects in this system are Glothjyps. So, Glothjyps are the things in the LWOR place. But I recalled recently the Methuchen Octagon vision, and I think that perhaps the LWOR thhing aspect of GJ (Glothjyp) could be one of eight aspects. Another big idea with Glothjyp is the idea of collectibles and entertainment releases. I have observed that when it comes to various entertainment releases, the idea of the release is often more powerful than the content of the release. Some of the things that I am referring to are: movies, music CDs, action figures, Beanie Babies, collectible card games, video and computer games, etc. The idea of the release is represented by a title, artwork, images, descriptions, etc. I do very specifically want GJs to be like traditional entertainment releases, with an emphasis on the idea rather than the content, though there will be content. I am initially conceiving of GJ content being contained in an HTML form. Each GJ will very clearly be defined by a title and graphics. All GJs will follow a basic form template. Tue 9/21/99 * 11:59 PM One minute to 100 days till Y2K day. Okay. The newest thing: "The Eighth Sense". Your Fonosta is the part of you that perceives Obliviana, and it is The Eighth Sense. The Sixth Sense would be like ESP, and the Seventh is Wonder.. Though this may seem pretty vague, I've actually been having some pretty intense experiences with this new angle. Wed 9/22/99 * 12:11 AM 100 days till Y2K. I had a vision earlier, and in it I saw January 2000 being quite disastrous, but things recovering already in February, and by June things are pretty good, in some ways better than they are now. Just a vision, with some help from The Eighth Sense! Fonosta Management. Glothjyp Aspects. The Eight Aspects of Glothjyp define Obliviana. Fonosta both senses and acts. Fonosta is a part of you that you don't know about. Idea: the aspect of collectibles and entertainment releases that stimulate. I would say that there is in this regard stimulation in the Seventh Sense, the Sense of Wonder. Note: when I conceived of The Eighth Sense the other day on the bus, I was thinking along the lines of a new sense, and of course the number 8 is big in Obliviana. I realized that I would have to come up with the 7th Sense, and it occurred to me that the Sense of Wonder could be the 7th Sense. I all makes sense! But yes, the stimulation of Wonder. The idea of collectibles and entertainment releases, and the "impressions" we get of them based on sketchy information. These impressions are wondrous things. In fact, I think that we get clear glimpses of Wonder in these impressions. To get more specific, let me give you an example. Say I hear about a new videogame. I'll get some very basic information, like a title, some graphics, the history behind the game, what other games it's related to, it's programmers and publisher, etc. Then, I create a mental "impression" of it. I imagine, I fantasize about the game. This fantasy is very pleasurable, and in the fantasy the video game in unbelievably awesome. A similar dynamic happens in memory, in nostalgia. As memories fade, again the information immediately avaialable about a subject is less, and many times sketchy, and the same process happens, of imagining and fantasizing. I have wrote often about the idealization of the past. This process was demonstrated to me in the past few years via video game emulation. For example, the MAME arcade emulator has allowed me to again play games that were before them distant memories. And in playing the games, my idealized, nostalgic memories of the game came into conflict with the reality that was right in front of me. Anyway, this whole subject is germaine here because it points to a possible connection between entertainment content and "higher" senses. I have drawn a clear connection between entertainment and the 7th Sense, Wonder. Can a link to the 8th Sense of Obliviana be far? Goodnight. Wed 9/22/99 * 10:16 PM Major Eighth Sense stuff today. Last day of the Summer of 1999 today. Hypnopomp this morning: "Shatti Area" Visions for Obliviana. Glothjyps as places in LWOR. Vision of flawed shiny black sircles and other shapes. Related, they are from the same neighborhood. Places in LWOR have distinct themes, and nearby Glothjyps from these places share some thematic elements. LWOR is core to Obliviana. It is the place where all the ideas in Obliviana are laid out in imaginary geography. Glothjyps are, then, imagined as places in LWOR. Now, I had imagined Devices also as places in LWOR. This could be viewed as in conflict or in harmony. I say, it's a harmony. LWOR as it relates to Fonosta. Fonosta is to Obliviana as ears/voice are to sound. LWOR is a playground for the development of the Fonosta. LWOR is built upon both 11x19 and 8x2x5. Glothjyps are like coins, like collectibles, like entertainment releases, like money, like badges, like medals, like T-shirts. Glothjyps represent places in LWOR, which in turn represent ideas. So, is the Glothyp the place or the symbol. Answer: It is both. A Glothjyp has 8 Facets. Place and Symbol are just two. Glothjyp as Glyph, entered into a Fonosta Journal. And eventually as part of a Fonosta Device. And in Devices other than Fonosta Devices. Hierarchy. LWOR, Racetrack, Town, Place...? Or... I think that 5 levels of hierarchy is called for here... [1] LWOR [2] Racetrack [3] Region [4] Town [5] Place/Glothjyp Much LWOR developmant work is called for. First, the establishment of the Railway and Waterway. Then, Regions and Towns, and then... Places/Glothjyps... LWOR as a whole represent the totality of ideas in Obliviana. LWOR as playground is key. Where are you at at a given time? What are you into in Obliviana? Spent a day in a particular Place/Glothjyp? Then a "Day Glyph" for that GJ goes into Your Fonosta Journal. Different Glyphs in a Glothjyp? That makes sense. Different aspects of GJ, different Glyphs.Two players might be into a particular GJ, but in different ways, and hence different GJs. GJ Glyphs should have different "denominations", based on time. Tarbs, Days, Weeks, Months, Trick Sojourns, Years... What Glothjyps are you into now? What aspects of them are you into? Fonosta Journal is based on Glyphs symbolizing such aspects. Fonosta Device is based on Fonosta Journal. Fonosta Journal is a calendar-like database, with time periods and the Glyphs symbolizing activity. In a computerized environment, the Journal could be automatic. That is, if Obliviana is "played" on the computer. But of course Obliviana is also "played" in reality. One of my ideals is for Obliviana to be able to exist without computers. Thus, the system has to be such that it could be done with very basic forms of recordkeeping, such as paper and pen. Due to the multifarious nature of Obliviana, some degree of "quantizing" is called for. That is, even though a player might have dealt with a great number of ideas in Obliviana is a given time period, one will have to be decided upon to be the "most". 10:58 PM Now I will deal with identity in Obliviana. LWOR and the Places in it are the basis for Glothjyp. But what of the basis of Fonosta Device? Should Devices also represent Places, with the Glothjyps representing the things in that Place? Fonosta... your presence in LWOR... viewed as a cartoon/videogame character, each Glothjyp would have a unique design. So "living in" a particular Glothjyp would define the look and aspects of that character representing you in LWOR. Collecting GJ Glyphs, in Your Fonosta Journal and Your Fonosta Device. The nature of your "plot of land" should be based on your GJ Glyphs. And, the Fonosta Device and "plot of land" are the same thing, except that the Device is an abstract design, whereas the "plot of land" is visualized/graphically rendered as a place with things in that place. As far as centralized data goes, and as far as commonality goes, there is an issue of something like abstract vs. specific. That is, I absolutely want someone to be able to do their own thing, and create their own Fonosta Device on their own. This conflicts somewhat with the idea of a single, 3-D, computerized world of LWOR. So I do not think that there will be one official map showing where all the "plots of land" are. Rather, things are a bit looser. Common data registation, a single big database, is probable, but it is not all-inclusive; players can play on their own and still be a part of the whole thing. Well, with 50 minutes left in summer (I realize that the equinox is at a specific time tomorrow, but tomorrow is the day that summer ends), I have established a new foundation for Obliviana. Get all Obliviana! ----- 8/5/99 ibject ----- 6/30/99 difitags ----- 6/14/99 Staggerling. Sagert. Staggeringly she wailed. ----- 5/27/99 Coincjen ----- 5/22/99 Ypu ----- 5/6/99 Sly Smiledwar ----- 5/4/99 Dream, guy who plays Q ----- 4/26/99 Multiple introductions... ----- 4/18/99 Wehose ----- CHORDED STORMS [1] 6/3/99 * 53-8 [2] 6/11/99 * 119-53 [3] 6/13/99 * 105-1 [4] 6/18/99 * 2-8 -------- ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----