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P
oobah's been difficult to reach recently. While offering no
explanation for his low profile, he seems his usual
enthusiastic self. We spoke over coconut milk cornbread
about his current projects and other topics. He was very patient with my
wide-ranging questions.
Occam:
What are you working on right now?
Poobah:
I'm helping to bring the Ranger Role online. The code's ready, so now we
need the various Role Masters and Instructors to Apprentice you into the Role,
and teach you the Skills.
Occam:
How much work is that?
Poobah:
Can be a lot. In this case -- 'cause of the rural nature of the Ranger
Role -- some pretty large scale woodsy areas have to be written. We
already had Barmalindar, but there need to be Evil and Neutral analogs.
Occam:
The Evil one is Maboj Bot Ob?
Poobah:
Yes, which has been online for a day or two. The Neutral version is
Arden Park, taken from Shakespeare, located in the Southern Third just
outside the Olde Globe Theater. Construction will wrap up there very
shortly, then on to new projects.
Occam:
You've usually got many irons in the fire. What new projects are you
most enthusiastic about right now?
Poobah:
My personal favs are some new areas based on language games. One will
be written in Pig Latin; another in anagrams; a third backward; a fourth
homophonically. Visitors will be required to solve appropriate puzzles
to properly interact with the area: including, perhaps, to get out again.
After these, I can't wait to get to the Mount of Martyrs, the Zoo,
the University, the different museums, the Library. It's a long list!
Occam:
I think I'm noticing an emphasis on games recently. Perhaps this follows
the opening of Virtual Vegas. Am I right that you've focused your attention on
games-within-the-city lately?
Poobah:
Yes, and this will grow up to be a major theme of the Southern Third.
Two full implementations of well-known children's board games are on
the short list; that is, planned for development soon. I probably can't
state their names without getting sued, but their initials are "Chutes
and Ladders" and "Candyland". These will be lovingly recreated
as TC areas for your infantile enjoyment. LOL!
Occam:
Virtual Vegas is intriguing; but is it complete?
Poobah:
No, not by a mile. So far there's just one type of slot machine online. There
are many other games to come: roulette, blackjack, poker, blah blah.
That's a major high-rise building, so there will eventually be many many
floors of games there, and many others of hotel rooms and the things that
go with them.
Occam:
Why are the Star Trek characters there?
Poobah:
A fairly heavy-handed type of satire, I have to admit. They're making the
point that the spectacle they're witnessing -- a primitive and stupefying
multimedia display with themes of violent "progress" -- is
basically barbaric. Their presence there actually says a lot about the
entire neighborhood, IMO. Also their phasers are highly desirable, LOL.
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Occam:
Can I ask you some questions about the street names in that neighborhood?
Poobah:
Sure.
Occam:
"Raphael Perez"? Who's that?
Poobah:
Actually, now that I understand your question I think the best answer
to it, or indeed any question about street names anywhere in the City, is probably
to suggest that you look it up on Google. I don't mean to be evasive: there
are just so many of them.
Occam:
I'm curious about the Pancreatic League? What's it's name mean?
Poobah:
A goofy pun, LOL. It's the umbrella organization uniting all interested artists,
in whatever medium: architecture, music, visual art, performance. So it
really should be "pan-creative". We all thought the other version
was funnier.
Occam:
Are there other Pancreatics beside yourself?
Poobah:
Oh sure. I'll mention TelGar and Phaedrus. But, I'm the most
active, typically. That's probably why they made me President. I
remember there was also a lot of alcohol involved.
Occam:
Do you mind if I ask you that question you hate: are you a god?
Poobah:
Nah, I don't mind. No, I'm not a god, LOL. I'm not even an Immortal. I'm just
an architect. I design the City's public spaces. I think what fools people
into imagining I have godly powers is that instant-travel Skill that allows
me to "poof" into a room without having to walk there. That's actually
an Immortal Skill used for discipline and all that. The Pancreatics get to
borrow it 'cause we need to easily see our work from multiple angles. If we had
to walk all the time, our productivity would go way down. So that's the whole
poop, LOL.
Occam:
Another thing I'm curious about is, who do you work for? What I mean is, who
decides if your work is acceptable or not?
Poobah:
I have a great deal of informal autonomy that comes from being trusted. IMO
it's reasonable to say that I've developed pretty strong sensitivity to
what the leaderships of the the three Thirds want. But the ultimate answer is
that my work must be approved by the authorities: the Third Assembly in
NorthWest; the Senate in NorthEast, and the Central Computer in South.
Occam:
You actually have contact with the Central Computer?
Poobah:
Me and the Central Computer go way back. We're like that, LOL. [Poobah here
made a gesture crossing two fingers together.]
Occam:
Of all the things you've designed and built so far, what's your favorite?
Poobah:
Hard to be objective. But I like the Tree of Life very much.
Occam:
Thanks for your time!
Poobah:
You bet!
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