Throughout time people have always been interested in make believe, fantasy and dream places. Books are the prime example. Two different readers can build up different worlds for which they are reading about. Everyone interperates things differently. Ok so writers try and paint a best a picture of the scene as possible but there is always a different interperataion to be taken, albeit possibly only minor.
Most people have their own little worlds locked away in their heads. Somewhere they would like to be, or like to go. Where everything is utopia-like. Everything just how life should be.
With the introduction of computers the ability to explore these places has grown somewhat. Initially with games such as Wolfenstein 3D, Dungon Master, Doom. Where killing baddies was the main ambition of the players.
With further developments and the intorduction of the www these ideas are growing further still with the introduction of MUD's (Multi User Dimensions). Basically an advance on the old Dungeon Master, played over a larger network (the world).
One such MUD which I frequent (when work is slow) is know as TerraFirmA. Built in a large dome with it's own weather system, the landscape can be explored for many hours, as too can the other players. It's a great way to meet people from all around the world with varying interests, though the most common being computing. With the added bonus to go round killing baddies and taxing your brain (to it's limit?) with various quests to be completed. Unfortunately it's based around the old text based games of years ago where the room/situation is described, and you opt to examin objects, take/move, etc... Using N, S, E, W, U and D to move around the landscape. Though this it great for the imagination it can become tiresome reading the description of a room just to find out where you are.
But as with all technology development never stops. So in jumps the next wave, VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language). Now not only can you navigate a strang new place, but you can visually see it, and the characters contained within it. One such place is provided right here by GeoCities it'self. They have developed a "chat room" with the help of Black Sun, where you can wander round the place interacting with other characters, or at least their chosen "Aviator". The main problem with a world such as this though is the ammount of time it take to do anything, unless of course you have a P200 with personal ISDN line. For the most using such a place is a bit tedious, but fun none the less.
Will this be then end? Or is their still further possibilities to explore? Of course there are. Technology never settles and always strives to improve upon it'self. So what will we see next?
