Note from Paul, October 7, 1999

Dear BCN Group colleagues,

Regarding the genetic-immunology game being developed:

Linda has, over a number of years, developed a prototype of a role playing game environment. Her early work produced a game using role playing (n-sided dice) game directed at teaching her students certain aspects of gene linkage, balance and expression… as related to a view of the emerging science of system immunology.

An original text that described the game play was modified into a high level overview (hyperlink to edited paper, posting soon to this MUD site).

The next steps are to

1) finish out the high level overview

2) relate the game environment requirements to specific programming techniques,

3) create software specifications that can be coded, and

4) code the first complete version of a web based MUD environment.

Noah has suggested two modes of imagery that could be used. The first is a mode that uses a magical imagery similar to Magic the card game. The second is an Orwellian imagery mode, where, for example, a United Nations type Kingdom (or world rulership) creates and enforces population control through regulatory mechanisms effecting birth rates and survival rates. (The Gaia Hypothesis could play here as individuals look at how a system like the planet Earth enforces a birth rate through various means.) Both modes can be used, but in different ways.

A number of qualities to the finished game can be specified:

1) The genetic-immunology game is a really large concept; and requires a number of different aspects. It is thus likely that a group of players will find a niche and play in the niche but not play elsewhere in the environment. The complexity of the whole system will preclude easy transitions from one place of play to another. Even those very interested in cell biology will want to have a bit of fantasy going to make the system interesting as a form of entertainment.

2) The flexibility of the environment tools will allow small groups to form and express common interests much like we seen in the Palace experience.

3) The game needs to have knowledge sources that informs the player in a just in time fashion about aspects of play and the relationship between play rules and nature and the underlying science.

4) It is likely that the game will be a web based game where many separate games are going on. Distance learning, and Knowledge Management, tools will be needed to facilitate collaborative work between individuals who will never meet in person.

5) There needs to be specific Knowledge Production (KP).. (We define this KP as the generation of artifacts that capture information in such a way that this information can be used as a commodity later on.)

6) The notion of shared work must be there, as well as the ability to form local rules of play and objectives.. thus allowing groups to bond together through personalized communicative acts and collective memory of past actions.

7) The game must allow artistic expression in the form of avatar building, scripting commands, and gesture/state based stored textual responses.

Comments:

Send comments to review committee.

-Paul