Dune Roleplaying In SL Stymied By Dogmatic Fremen
I wrote about the Dune roleplaying group in Second Life awhile back, based around the Frank Herbert science fiction classic, the increasingly questionable sequels, and the even more regrettable David Lynch film adaptation. Now a Resident named Paypabak Writer tells the inside story in a two part essay for SLFix-- Part 1 here, Part 2 here. As the image at right suggests, Ms. Writer roleplayed as a Bene Gesserit (all the main groups in the Dune universe were represented), and she recounts the difficulty of managing the combat system, covering the region costs by renting store space and hosting out-of-character parties, and so on. As such, it's a good case study in game community management. Most interesting to me is how some of the frustrations were based on the commitment of the roleplayers themselves: "We had some interesting sandworm animations," she notes, "but never quite got the desert spice mining operations going because of Fremen intransigence on 'canon.'" Somewhere up there, Mr. Herbert is smiling. Or maybe wincing. Image credit: slfix.com.
Her name is actually "Paypabak" not "Payback". LOL!
Posted by: Contumacy Singh | Friday, January 09, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Ya ya yawm! Muzzein Wallah!
It's a Fremen lamentation. Yes, I'm a nerd for "Dune." Liked all of Herbert's sequels, but not the current batch of novels.
Posted by: Mitch Wagner | Friday, January 09, 2009 at 09:58 AM
OMG you're right, Contumacy! Fixing now.
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Friday, January 09, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Thanks, Conny! And thank you, Hamlet! I'd forgotten about your coverage back in 2007! I know I pointed at the Fremen of Dune Apocalypse as fractious, but the faction itself was divided. So it wasn't as simple as your headline implies.
You may yet get a chance to ride a sandworm, although I'm trying to reserve my own so step back in the queue! ;-) This week, I interview the present owner of the original Dune Project sim and more details on how to develop a successful sim. And they have avatar sandworms!
Posted by: paypabak writer | Monday, January 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM
The SL Dune roleplaying games are really cool, and to go along with them, Ive created a virtual cinema in SL that has streams of all of the DUNE films available for free viewing anytime, including a comprehensive edit of the 1984 Lynch film (over 3 hr) streaming "live" in "real time" 24/7, plus an exclusive audio stream of "Dune Radio"!
The place is called DUNE VIRTUALIS and it's located in the region of GRAYSTRIPE next to the virtual prison. Stop in anytime for DUNE study with your comrades around the world!
(Alexander Howl, Fremen Projectionist)
Posted by: Saint Subversive | Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 02:04 PM