|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- OSOAWEEK--ISSUE 167--10/6/97 <-------  ||  OsoaWeek  ||  Issues  ||  Book 13  ||  -------> (Cup OWis167, Created v1 (4/27/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = OsoaWeek Book Thirteen 11 "OsoaWeek167" by Frank Edward Nora, Lord of Obliviana, Tarb 7003 (10/6/97), copyright 1997 OBLIVIANA REGISTRY NEW REVOLVERS None NEW CUPLINES None NEW CUPS None *OW* LORD OF OBLIVIANA Sun 9/28/97 * 11:00 PM Jot. Some Jot rules: [1] Each Jot is a graphical sign the approximate complexity of a letter, maybe a little more. [2] Jots may not touch each other. [3] Each Jot must be made of contiguous strokes. That is, something like a lowercase "i" with a dot is not acceptable. [4] On the issue of orientation, each Jot defeinitely has an orientation, and no two Jots can be the same except for orientation. That is, an "X" and a "+" are really the same glyph, just with different orientations. So these two glyphs, unmodified, cannot both be Jots. * * * Now, I have to work a little bit on the scope of the Jot system. That is, how many Jots will there be? And what will their interrelations be? One aspect of the Jot system is that Jots are transformed according to Deals which are graphically portrayed, so any complex interrealtions can stay behind the scenes. For Jots that must be matured, the maturation will take only a single stroke, and will be shown at the Deal. * * * Another major aspect of this system is that Obliviana is in control of all Jots, and can therefore maintain quality and order. Tue 9/30/97 * 12:25 AM Jot system based on trust and honesty. Good? Note: Hammer dulcimer as part of the musical identity of Obliviana? The immediate predeccesor idea to Jot was Surface O Home, where the paradigm was to build a home. With Jot, I think it would be good for the paradigm to be to build a little world, each page a different sort of place. Goofnight. Tue 9/30/97 * 10:41 PM Man, "goofnight" again up there. Anyway, I've been trying to reconcile the Jot system with the rest of Obliviana, and it got me to thinking about worlds. See, I love the idea that your Fonosta is a little world of your own that you build. But I also have the Little World of Racetracks. And Obliviana is also very much about the real world around you, and how you can experience it ina new light with 209. Then there's the world of Severe Repair, and the world of Zope. And also, the world of Anything But Monday. And Antebellum. And New Jersey. Also, in Little World of Racetracks, there are the Racetracks, which are themed worlds, and in the Racetracks are the Pavilions, and in the Pavilions are Rides. Many different worlds. So I have to bring all these worlds together in some way. If I just leave all these worlds coexisting without any logic to the whole thing, it'll be a very shaky system. So I think that I have to directly address this idea of so many different worlds existing. Obliviana Worlds. The idea that Obliviana is composed of many different worlds, and that while you're drinking in Obliviana, you travel between all these alternate worlds. 11:34 PM Now, this theme of travelling between worlds has a few problems. First of all, people are familiar with travelling between worlds via the populat sci-fi theme of a hero being transported to another world to do heroic things. In Obliviana, the theme is much broader, with the whole issue of "what constitutes a world?" being examined. Another issue is that of themes and variations. For this to work in this context, there has to be a theme of "Obliviana Worlds", with the individual worlds being the variations. Aha! This idea could provide the bridge I've been seeking so long--the bridge between the game/209 aspect and the entertainment aspect. I'll be turning 30 in two days and 20 minutes. I would be very happy to have the RIGHT idea for Obliviana by the time of my birthday. It does kind of seem that 30 marks a kind of end of childhood, a point of adulthood and maturation. I mean, if you're living in your parents' basement at 29, it's pretty bad, but at 30, it's a disaster. It's a psychological thing. And maybe it's also a supernatural thing. I don't know. So what I have here, right now, are all the pieces for what could very well become THE system of Obliviana. "What is a world? What makes something a world?" This is the overall theme. I recall writing about Walt Disney World, and virtual reality, and stuff like that, and trying to draw a distinction between an artifical world and a real world. Thought: new company name: Obliviana Worlds? Just a thought. Anyway, by establishing the overarching theme and variations of "Obliviana Worlds", I am defining the whole of Obliviana. Now, in order for this to work, all the various Obliviana Worlds need to actually be variations on a theme. This means that they have to have a lot in common. Let me list the Obliviana Worlds as I see them now: [1] Fonosta (personal world) [2] Little World of Racetracks, Racetracks, Pavilions, Rides [3] Severe Repair/Superior [4] Zope [5] Antebellum/New Jersey [6] Anything But Monday/Nomads [7] 209/real world [8] Beublin/Weasel Village Mall/Little Frankie Nora/Nomadio [9] Vulpine/Vamershee [10] Deluge of Primacy [11] Obliviana Classic * * * Okay. First of all, I don't want to get too far into the the themes and variations thing. by "too far", I mean dealing with a unified system of characters, objects, locations, etc. These are all worlds, and at a minimum they need to be identified as each being an "Obliviana World". That establishes themes and vatiations right there. This list of 11 can easily be reduced to a list of eight. Eight Core Obliviana Worlds. But I need to define the meaning of "world" in this context. In fact, I need to get deep into the nature of what a world actually IS. So, what is a world? A world is a thing that you experience, which has numerous elements and aspects which all go together to form a cohesive whole. It's also a hierarchical thing. The whole world, the world of America, the world of New Jersey, the world of Clifton, the world of my apartment, the world of my desk, the world of my computer. "Little Rascals" is a world. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is a world. "Nine Princes in Amber" is a world. A CD collection is a world. It seems that I'm getting a bit loose in my defition of "world". I guess defining what a world is is not going to be very easy. Maybe I have to go as far as saying that a world is a pattern that exists in the mind, a pattern that is expanded and revised every time the world in question is revisited, be it through the senses or just as thoughts. But then, worlds are generally thought of as having places, objects, and characters. And weather, and music, and attitudes. In fact, all my writing about themes is really writing about worlds. Take "Pirates of the Carribean". It involves clothing, music, attitude, architecture, lighting, ships, cannons, fighting, burning, chasing, brass, weathered/old objects, smells, symbols, and ideas. It is indeed a world. I need an idea about worlds, a new idea, to fuel my endeavor. People create worlds. We are like God in one sense in that we create worlds. Creating worlds ourselves, and visiting the worlds that other people create is a big part of life. But what is behind all this? Creating worlds is a way, perhaps the main way, that we perceive wonder, that we peer into the True World. But is it really so chaotic and pointless? Creating worlds, experiencing worlds, remembering, forgetting, grasping, losing... does it have to be like this? You know there's something more to this world, and you know there's something more to YOU. It seems like you knew what life was all about at one time, but you've long since forgotten it. What would you give to get that back, that understanding of what life is all about? Obliviana is your first step to remembering the secrets of what life should be all about. Get into Obliviana, and reawaken the wonderful fire inside of you. Obliviana is not a religion, but a game. If you think about it, the truth really couldn't be presented the way a religion is presented--it would be more of a game. Return to the true you, in the Worlds of Obliviana. Thu 10/2/97 * 12:58 AM I really want to bring all these ideas together. I have like 23 hours before I turn 30, and I'd be very happy to have some kind of stable foundation by then. I know that I'm very close. These are the things I have to "stitch" together: [1] Jot system [2] Little World of Racetracks [3] Stormjaunting [4] Entertainment Okay. I can stitch Jot with Stormjaunting and entertainment pretty easily--as challenges to mature Jots. So the last barrier here is stitching Jot with LWOR. Okay. First of all, Surface Obliviana is "in" LWOR. The online world of Obliviana IS LWOR. Now, the big question is... the idea of Xappens and Buddies and Tools and Vehicles and Pavilions and Rides and Scenes--how do these relate to Jot? In Jot, you are creating your own little world. So where does an avatar like a Xappen come into the picture? How do personal little worlds stitch with Little World of Racetracks? Well... first of all... personal little worlds... should be in LWOR... Ride... personal little worlds as rides... each "page" a Scene... what you are creating is your own ride... Thu 10/2/97 * 10:06 PM I have less than two hours of my twenties left. Earlier, I went to Times Square to think, and I popped the Medieval Madness pinball machine at Laser Park three times in one game. I left after that game, leaving the three credits. If leaving one credit is good luck, well, three must be VERY good luck. Anyway, I had gotten one pop, and then I got an idea and the thing popped two more times. It was the seed of an idea I developed in the hour-and-a-half sincle then. The idea, basically, is that Jots can stand for different things in different Fonosta systems. In one system, you could be creating an EPCOT-like ride. In another, you're creating a world, another, a house, another, a road, another, a golf course. The thing is, all these systems will share the same Jot system, and therefore they will all be tied together. I now envision a Surface O system based on LWOR. This is the online world of Obliviana, and the main source of Jots and Jotdeals. Now, all the different Fonosta types in the Jot system will be in Obliviana. I see these various systems as the themed environments I have been looking for. Do these themes relate to the Racetracks? Well, the Racetracks will all certainly have themes, but since LWOR is a common meeting place, the whole thing should be accesible and friendly to all. The idea that LWOR is the place where Jots and Jotdeals ARE makes it into an overarching kind of place. That is, since Jots are universal, and since LWOR is the place for Jots, it will have to be a somewhat universal place. Now, are deals to be also universal? Yes... but here's something interesting... Racetracks, and areas in Racetracks, may be tailored for certain Fonosta systems... and the Jotdeals will be designed for a specific Fonosta system... but you might find some very interesting Deals for other systems there, by chance... 10:33 PM It makes sense if these Fonosta Systems are part of Obliviana that they would exist in LWOR. I have already established a hierarchy of Racetrack, Pavilion, and Ride. It seems that this would be a good way of organizing and structuring these Fonosta Systems. That is, eight basic categories, and then each Fonosta System having its own Pavilion. The next question is that of Xappen. Your avatar in LWOR. Of course, the system will initially involve people surfing LWOR anonymously, but it would be good to be able to see who else is there. I mean, I do advocate the idea of having a solitary experience, but one may have many solitary experiences with people around--you just have to not be with people; you need to be by yourself. So, if you're going to see other people and be seen, it will have to be through an avatar, and I have already developed the idea for the Xappen. And there's no reason why there can't be a Fonosta System that covers the Xappen and its vehicles, tools, buddies, etc. This then suggests that players will have more than one Fonosta System going. That is, at least their main system and the Xappen system. There could be a puely abstract Fonosta System, but I don't know if this would be good. The thing is, the universal Jots need to have names and shapes, and this suggests some kind of central Fonosta System, to at least establish the Jots. This process can go in two directions. First, it could be a very generic system which is not really based on anything. Second, it could be based on a Fonosta System, such as "Surface O Home", and then the other system would be expansions of that initial system. Also, Jots will certainly have to be based on Fow/209. That is, each Jot will have a Flip and Dire coordinate/Pilferid. I do see there being more than 209 Jots, and I want the system to be looser than a rigid 11/19 systm, which might call for Jotsets of 11 or 19. I want the Jotsets of related Jots to be very free. It does make sense to base Jot on the simplest possible system. This basic system would be the one that I originally conceived of as Surface O. Okay. I will go in this direction--having an initial simple system on which all subsequent Fonosta Systems will be based. The question is then as to the theme of this simple set. I think that the "Dream House" idea is certainly a good candidate. 10:57 PM Finished the second "extreme crochet" Jukewand Holster.I did it with 105 stitches around and about 22 wide (11 each "side"). It think that one 52-53 stitches around would be the right size. That'll be the next one I do. Wow! The Jukewand Holster I just made can hold CDs! I just put one of my Pelter CD-ROMs inside! Anyway, I have just a little over an hour left of being in my twenties, and I want to establish the central Jot system. If I base this simple system on "Dream House", the Jots will be named after household items. Maybe there's another system I'd like to base it on? Well... what about Contemporary Terrain? Building a world... but unlike a fantasy-type world, base it on reality? So the system would involve building a little world, with parks and train stations and supermarkets and stuff like that. I could always name the Jots differently from the things they are representing in this basic system. Use anagrams, or alphabetical transposal systems? That is, TREE=REET, or, TREE=VSII (+1) or (SQAA) (-1). CAR=ARC/DES/BUP. BOOK=OKOB/CUUQ/ZIIJ. Seems like this might potentially work. Is this the last major hurdle? I think it is. The simple system should embody the philosophy of Obliviana. Obliviana is about, ultimately, exploring the world around you. So a system where you BUILD a little world seems to be the way to go. But it seems like a whole WORLD is too vague and open an idea. By the same token, a "Dream House" may be too limited. Maybe a town? 11:10 PM Watching the Preview Channel to get the exact time. 11:11 PM now. So, 49 minutes left in my twenties. 30 is a very important number in Obliviana, it being 11+19. So I have to get this basic system before midnight! 11:23 PM Okay. The names of the Jots should be based on their appearance. They should be generic names, not confined to a single Fonosta system. They should also be short words, good for text encoding. I feel that the "Dream House" Fonosta System should be the simple system. But I need a simple system mainly to get the whole system going. So, a toaster in Dream House may be a rectangle with two vertical lines in it. It could be called "Toaster", or "Box", or "Equals", or "Tuincuad" (two lines in a quadrilateral). Or, I could decide to base the names of Jots on some existing system of words. In any case, in the remaining 32 minuites till I'm thirty, I just need to focus on the overall structure of what I'm doing, so I don't need any specific names, just the way in which I will be developing these names. The names could also be very abstract, like A8, JD42, VEAX, etc. So... a system of symbols... the Jot System... Or is there some other way I could develop the system, some other paradigm? Maybe a system of related shapes? It would be a very basic system, where you are trying to collect sets of Jots, and putting them on separate "Jot Shape Pages", which would then become Rooms in the "Dream House" Fonosta System. Hmm... yes... I think that this might be a better idea. Yes. A simple system where the Jots are not representing anything is the right way to begin this system. And the very basic shapes should be the "page" identifiers. For example, a square would be the identifier for the page where you'd want to get all the square variations. This idea feels right. So am I there? 23 minutes left. I think I'm there. Let me then write a brief overview of the Jot System... JOT SYSTEM OVERVIEW [1] A Jot is a little glyph, easy to draw, around the size and complexity of a letter, maybe a little complex at times. [2] The Jot System is established via a set of basic glyphs, which represent the "starting points" other other Jots. For example, all Jots which incorporate a circle in their design will be based on the basic glyph of a simple circle. [3] Jots that inorporate two or more basic glyphs will be considered basic glyphs unto themselves, with their own "descendent" glyphs. [4] All Jots are to be contiguous, meaning that from any point on a Jot, any other point on a Jot may be moved to without encountering any "white space". A lowercase "i" with a dot would therefore not be an acceptable Jot. Additionally, Jots must not touch each other, else they form new Jot glyphs which may or may not be defined Jots. [5] At any given time, there is a set of defined Jots. Any glyphs which is not a defined Jot is not a Jot. [6] Jots have an orientation, but no variation in orientation is to be a different Jot. [7] Jot glyphs are defined by the interaction of basic shapes, so they need not be drawn perfectly to be considered a defined Jot. That is, the Jot that is a simple circle need not be a precise circle in order to be considered "good". [8] The set of defined Jots is broken down into: [a] Basic glyphs, [b] Combination basic glyphs, [c] Basic glyph descendents, [d] Combination glyph descendents. [9] The lineage of any Jot should be derivable from the Jot itself. Therefore, descendent Jot glyphs which could be descended from multiple Basics or Combined Basics are not valid Jot glyphs. Therefore, very simple glyphs, such as a line, will not be established as Basics. [10] The set of all defined Jots is open-ended. That is, there is no defined limit as to how many Jots there can be, though at any given time there is a defined number of Jots. [11] Two or more of the same basic glyph combined forms a Combined Basic, not a descendent. 11:56 PM Well, only four minutes left before I turn thirty. I now have all the elements I need to begin constructing Obliviana in earnest. I am headed now toward the launch of Obliviana directly. So, I need to establish the core Jot system, and then begin to develop a set of core Fonosta Systems. The Jot System will provide Obliviana with the cohesiveness it has up till now lacked. Well, I'm just about there. I'll the 30 in just over a minute. Wow. When I turned 20, I was just beginning Nomadi Entertainment, with its 7 (and later 8) divisions. Ten years later, I have arrived at a new level, a new place. These last ten years have been well spent. I am thirty now. Sat 10/4/97 * 3:44 PM Going to Mike Massotto's bachelor party in a little while. 4:00 PM The other day when I was nearing thirty I was struggling to get the right idea before I was thirty. I think I succeeded, but since the moment I turned thirty, I've been relaxing from Obliviana development. A well-deserved rest after all that developmental activity. I have to leave in a few minutes, but I want to get a little bit of perspective on where I'm at with Obliviana. It's clear that the Jot System is at the heart of Obliviana. This system did not even exist a month ago, I don't believe. It came in the last few weeks leading up to my thirtieth birthday. I know all this mystical stuff about me turning thirty might sound a little silly, but whether it has merit or iis just a psychological thing, it's very important for me to give my quest for Obliviana some structure. So, me turning thirty as a deadline for the basic ideas is something that pushes me toward coming up with such ideas. Anyway, the Jot System is indeed a great idea. The idea of Jots having different meanings under different Fonosta systems is the key idea. A few things I ought to clarify are: [1] In each set of Jots which is based on a basic glyph, there will NOT be equivalence among Jots of different subsets. The problem with this is that there will have to be relative value in each set--that is, if one Jot is very "cheap" in one Fonosta system and very "expensive" in another, folks will obtain it where it's cheap, and it's value will be destroyed. But by equivalence I meant something like a horizontal line through a circle being equivalent to a horizonal line through a square. I need to examine this issue further. [2] Jot values will have to be universal, and therefore, should be encoded into the core system. Sun 10/5/97 * 5:28 PM Just woke up. Got home from bachelor party at 7:30 AM. Had dream with enormous warehouse, abandoned, and I yelled "hello" and it echoed several times. It was so huge a space that part of it was obscured in shadow. I was thinking how I could use it for Obliviana. Then it was in school, and everything was computerized and digitized, and there were these forms or screens or whatever showing student artwork and stuff, and grades, etc. I think I was a girl who was surprised at the level of digitization. Liquids on my desk next to each other: container of Zippo lighter fluid and a styrofoam cup of apple cinnamon herb tea. 6:15 PM Wow. I just woke up 45 minutes ago. Whole day shot. I wanna get back to Jot. The idea of Jot values is very important. In the Jot system, to relative values of Jots is not something the player needs to know. Since all Jot transformations are done with Deals, a player does not need to know the exact relative values. But in order to build the system, I do need to know the values. It is very important to note here that I want the Jot system to appear to be very much "magical" and "mysterious" to the player. That is, I do not want it to be apparent that there is a "square derivative, level seven", and also a "circle deriviative, level seven". Rather, I want the whole system to be more organic, with the logic behind it not at all obvious. 6:42 PM Getting dark out. Just about missed the entire day sleeping. In Atlantic City, I blew $100 gambling, $20 in slows and $80 in blackjack. 6:53 PM I'm not sure how much more of the development of the Jot system I should include here in the public pages of OsoaWeek. As I mentioned above, I see Jot as having some secret aspect, so I can't very well spell out all the secrets here and expect them to remain secret. 8:37 PM Went to arcade and Dunkin Donuts and Barnes & Noble and I realized something about Jot. The basic Jot system should not have any relative values. Relative values are determined by the Deals. And it makes sense that Deals in different Fonosta systems will have to assign similar values to particular Jots in order to make the overall Jot system effective. 10:08 PM Jot. To develop Jot, I have to split the process up into several stages. First of all, I need to create the glyphs. The only structure to the basic glyphs is a two-level hierarchy: Basics and Derivatives. Very simply, Basic are glyphical "starting points", and derivatives are glyphs that consist of a Basic with added graphical elements. One thing that's clear after a little work on Basics is that some combinations of basics are aesthetically pleasing, and some are not. Aesthetics are very much a part of this system. I think that I am going to redefine things somewhat here. Jots will have similarities that will be wholly apparent, from their graphical nature. The way that these Jots are organized will be based somewhat on the similarities of the glyphs, but this might be a little different from FS (Fonosta System) to FS. The main thing here is that since Jot is a game, the relationships and relative values of Jots will have to be similar across FSs. That is, if a Jot has a high value in one system and a low value in another, it will lower the value in the FS where the value is higher, since the Jot will be obtainable for less in the lower-value FS. The value of Jots can change over time. That is, as soon as Deals change, a Jot that had been very valuable may become very cheap. As long as these changes are carefully done across all FSs, it should lead to a very vital and satisfying system. I makes sense to develop Jots with Basics and Derivatives in mind, since this is the most obvious way that Jots will be associated. In terms of playing the Jot system, these are the basics: [1] There are two basic kinds of Deals--Get and Trade. In Get, one or more Jots are obtained, and in Trade, one or more Jots are traded for one or more Jots. [2] The Fonosta is the container for Jots. It consists of a set of Pages. Each page must be headed by an identifying Jot. I have the option here of defining certain Jots as Page Jots, or to have a system whereby any Jot can become a Page Jot. It would be possible to draw a Jot inside a rectangle, where the Jot is not touching the rectangle. This would then identify the Jot as a Page Jot. This would require a new type of Deal which would turn a specific Jot into a Page Jot. I think this is the right way to go, rather than having certain Jots be Page Jots. [3] Different FSs could have different potential Page Jots. In the possible "Dream House" FS, the Page Jots would identify Rooms, such as: Living Room, Basement, Garden, Rec Room, Kitchen, etc. In order to create a new Room, you would need to do a Page Jot Deal, which would require that you already have the Page Jot in question already entered on an existing Page. [4] In order to start a Fonosta, a player would have to choose an FS, and this would involve a "Get Page Jot" deal, which would give a Page Jot, as opposed to trading for a Page Jot. [5] Thus far, there are still only two kinds of Deals: Get and Trade. Other sorts of Deals are required however. "Move" would allow for Jots to be moved from Page to Page. This game mechanic could be dealt with in a non-Deal way, however, such as allowing a certain number of Moves per day, which might be increased or decreased by having certain Jots in your Fonosta. Another potential kind of Deal would be to "de-Page" a Page Jot, returning it to a normal Jot. This too could be handled without a Deal. [6] It occurs to me that Get Deals could be Trade Deals. I have been concerned with the prospect of unlimited Getting, which would very much unbalance the system, so it makes sense that there should be a limit to the number of Gets you can do in a given period of time. This would then allow for there to be only one kind of Deal, an idea which I like very much. [7] How then should I handle Gets as Trades? The system could allow for the automatic obtaining of certain Jots pr day or per week. That is, you don't do a deal, but rather, you simply get these "currency" Jots automatically. These Currency Jots could be spent to Move Jots as well, which would not require a Deal. I like the way this is heading. 11:23 PM Man, it's hot out again. Just saw the weather forecast, and it's gonna be 84 tomorrow! Geez, I thought this damn hot weather was over with! Anyway, the idea of there being only one kind of Deal is definitely good. This idea is facilitated by the idea of Currency Jots which are gotten automatically, based on several potential factors. Mon 10/6/97 * 12:04 AM One rule is that a Fonosta can have no more than one of each kind of Page Jot. This facilitates starting a Fonosta very well: There can be a Deal which trades one Currency Jot for one Page Jot. Since you start off without any Page Jots, you will be able to get your first Page Jot for the lowest cost possible. Another major aspect of this system involves time. As I mentioned earlier, players will automatically get a cetain number of Currency Jots (CJs) per day or per week. I still have to decide whether or not these CJs will carry over to the next time period, or be lost at the end of the time period. I favor the idea of CJs "running out", since allowing for a buildup would discourage use of the system. That is, if CJs accumulate, you can stay away from the system for weeks at a time, knowing that you'll be able to do a lot of stuff when you sign back on. However, I feel that there should be some cumulation of CJs. Perhaps it could be one "persistent" CJ per 10 unused CJ per time period, with any number under ten not counting. For example, 30 temporary CJs would make for 3 persisent CJs. But 29 would only make for 2. The recording of CJs will have to be done in the Fonosta Notebook. This will require two pages--one for temporary CJs, and one for persistent CJs. These special pages would be created at the start of a Fonosta, automatically, and for no cost. The Page Jots for those pages would not be able to turn back into regular Jots, since those Pages must remain. The two sorts of CJs could coexist on a single Page, but I think this would cause unnecessary confusion. Now, as to the time period for obtaining CJs, it would be either per day or per week. My decision here as to be based on how I envision people playing Obliviana. A daily system would encourage people to go to Obliviana every day, while a weekly system would take the pressure off going on every day, but would encourage going on several times a week. The problem with the weekly system is that on the one hand, if a player runs out of CJs early in the week, they will have little incentive to log on further. On the other hand, it could encourage procrastination which could lead to disinterest in Obliviana. A daily system does the opposite--it encourages players to log on every day, but if someone is unable to sign on every day, it may alienate them. As well, a daily system may overstimulate people, resulting in a loss of interest in Obliviana. This is a big challenge, and it applies to many things in the world--everyone has an attention span, and both understimulation and overstimulation lead to loss of interest. So, a system which enourages people to log on every day, but does not overly penalize people for not doing that would be the best system here. One possibility would be for persistent CJs to be of a slightly different nature than persistent CJs. That is, Deals will allow for both kinds of CJs. Another factor here is that I don't want to impose too great a recordkeeping burden on players. This would then point to the weekly system as the preferable system. 1:58 AM I think that a Jot which is like a "7" would be good for CJs. I'm going to go with a weekly system, but one which will have incentives to sign on every day, but which will not overly "punish" people for not signing on every day. One possible way to accomplish this would be to have Deals that can only be done on a certain day. 10:23 PM Another idea for Jot is for players to get extra Jots at certain times, such as their birthday, their 209th day of playing Obliviana, etc. I am now commited to getting the Jot System online within a few weeks. I'm moving this month and getting married next month, and I don't want to push Obliviana aside till next year. Get all Obliviana. *OW* -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----