Warlocks and Warpdrive

Download or read book Warlocks and Warpdrive written by Kurt Lancaster and published by McFarland. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers ten chapters examining contemporary fantasy entertainment forms that use virtual environments to amuse the participant. Called virtual fantasies by the author (as opposed to virtual realities), these entertainment forms are categorized into three main groupings. All include performance and imaginary environments as essential elements--participants are often simultaneously performers and audience. Many involve computer technology such as multimedia, digitized video, and online chatting. Part I covers imaginative fantasy entertainments, where the participants are required to use their imaginations to see the virtual environment. These include paper and pencil role-playing games (Dungeons and Dragons), live-action roleplaying games (International Fantasy Gaming Society rules), and collectible card games (Magic: The Gathering). Part II covers physical fantasy entertainments, where the participants need little imagination to see the virtual environment. These include computer games (Star Trek: Klingon), theme park rides (Disneyland's Star Tours), and immersive museums (National Museum of the American Indian). Part III covers social fantasy entertainments, where participants have built communities based upon the virtual environment (Star Trek fandom, Star Wars influencing Ronald Reagan's Pax Americana).