Seltani journal

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

I've added a simple broadcast feature to the booklet. Enter "/shout Hello" on the message line, and it will pass the message to everybody in the same Age instance as you.

In theory this could also work between Ages. In fact I can send an administrator message to everybody whose booklet is active, in *any* Age -- so I know it's possible. Someday I'll have buddy lists and all that social networking stuff... In the meantime, the register (where you sign in) will show recent visitors and their locations.

Six new Ages in the gallery this week! Thanks to Qalthos, Eyesack, Felix, Ryam, and 3Phen.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

It's been a blizzard of new linking books -- way too many to keep in the Seltani gallery, any more. I cleaned most of them up and replaced them with a link to Korvichtav, a library Age created by Pavitra (thanks!) Korvichtav will be the primary link collection, until *that* overflows, I guess.

I've also posted a new Age of my own. Fleuven is another observation platform, but a moving one. Return to it periodically and you'll see new scenery go by.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

Twenty years ago today, the predecessors of the D'ni Restoration Committee began their first tentative effort to introduce D'ni civilization to the modern world. Happy anniversary, Myst!

I've been thinking about Age customization -- ways for explorers to personalize their personal instances. I wrote up a quick example of this, the Age of Caelios. Linking books are in the usual locations.

The controls are modelled after Jalak Dador. That's a classic D'ni Age whose mechanism is tied to a *ki* device; visitors can manipulate it with a handheld device. That seemed like a good idea, so I worked it into my linking booklet kernel.

When you visit *your own* Caelios instance, the back page of your booklet will show a list of touch controls. These are integrated directly into the Age's descriptive grammar. Tap and the skies change! It took a lot of fiddling to make this consistent -- I kept getting moonlight leaking out over the landscape when there wasn't any moon. But I think it's good now.

The booklet-page control setup can be used for anything, of course. It doesn't have to be astronomy, and it doesn't have to be limited to the instance founder. That's just how I set up Caelios.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

Ever want to just tack a linking page to a bulletin board in the everyday world? Or stick one in an envelope and mail it to somebody?

Now you can. Here's a link to Korvichtav, our current "Nexus" book collection. Try it; if you don't already have Korvichtav in your linking booklet, it'll automatically be added.

Even someone who's never visited the Cavern can use these links. They'll have to go through the usual registration process in an information booth, but once they do, the link will be waiting in their brand-new linking booklet.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

I've completed the isomorphism structure behind those runes that are scattered around Tenyo Rock. Meant to do that months ago... They're linked to a new Age, a small gallery -- you'll find the linking book at the Tenyo arrival point.

If you want a challenge, try to find all the runes. (I expect that the global Tenyo instance will be "completed" in short order. Go to your personal Tenyo instance for a blank slate.)

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

Yes, I've been mostly absent from the Cavern for the past month. I apologize.

I can report one bit of progress: I finally wrote up the technique I used for Tenyo Gallery, the isomorphic semantic parallel structure. Now you can coordinate your Age with another Writer's work -- once the two of you agree on the details. For example, a mechanism in your world can influence a mechanism in your partner's Age.

This is a crude imitation of Yeesha's design for Relto, a customizable Age. She left inscribed pages around the various D'ni Ages which, when touched, alter the underlying natural features of Relto. My semantic parallel mechanism isn't nearly that powerful; you can't just drop bits of paper into any Age you like. (Much less into the surface world, as Yeesha did.) But two Writers can cooperate to produce a similar effect.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

I've been working on the Seltani project for six months now -- and it's working out really well. To celebrate this, I am declaring an Age Jam! Stop by, build an Age, show it off. It doesn't have to be a prize-winner. In fact there will be no prizes. This is an opportunity to try the tools and get some feedback.

I'm not going to get formal about the rules, but I do want to have some fun with it. Therefore, a schedule!

- Sunday, Nov 10, 1 pm Eastern time: Opening ceremony in the Seltani district plaza. At that point I will announce *the theme*.

- Nov 10-23: Work on your Age! (Or Ages; multiple entries is cool.) When it's ready, add it to the bookshelf in the Seltani plaza. Or if you want to go for the dramatic reveal, wait and add it on...

- Sunday, Nov 24, 1 pm Eastern time: Wrap-up. Meet back in the plaza, start visiting Ages. We can have group tours over the course of the afternoon, and then hang out and discuss what we've seen.

I will be around the Cavern as much as possible to answer questions during the two-week period. Hope to see you there.

(I know that the meeting time is not ideal for everybody in every time zone. I have schedule restrictions too, so I just picked a time. If you can't be at either ceremony or both, I apologize -- follow along on the forums. I'll add the theme to this post once I announce it.)

dgelessus · **Posted:** Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:45 pm

So that would be 6 PM GMT and 7 PM CET, right?

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

Yes -- that is to say, half an hour ago.

The jam theme is: "Remaining Light". (Interpret that however you want.)

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

As you have noticed, my journalling dropped off radically after the Age Jam event.

The event itself went great. We got three entries... okay, two besides mine.

- Vashmursë -- written by Pavitra
- Télos -- written by Sandor
- Xical -- written by me

(Yes, those tags will link you directly to the Ages in question. Cool, eh?) Thanks to the participants!

However, for the new year, I have to announce my semi-retirement from the Cavern. It was great spending the summer and fall down here. But I have other projects to complete, and I can't focus on Seltani this year.

I will keep the lights on, so to speak. I am proud of the progress I've made on Writing technology! It will not be lost. The District will remain open, and the Ages we've all built. And I'll drop in every couple of weeks just to see if anybody's added anything.

There's more to do -- there's always more to do. I regret that it's been pushed to the back burner. If I see a growing crowd down here, maybe I'll be able to justify returning to the work.

Thanks to everybody who's heard the Call.

Lyle627 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:23 pm

I finally re-visited Seltani after having given it a quick glance way back in the beginning and I am very, *very* impressed. I grew up on text-based adventures and can absolutely say that the writing and presentation of these ages brings back the wondrous look and feel from those bygone days where imagination painted the pictures. I am captivated! Now to unlock my underground storage and retrieve my age ideas out of the dusty old chest where they've been languishing for so long. The writing instruction pages are wonderful, clear and a joy to read. Thanks so much for doing this -- now those of us that don't have (or can't use) slick graphics tools can still tell our tales.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

I look forward to it.

jadawin12 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:17 pm **Posts:** 270

I just recently had a chance to check this out. It's fantastic.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

Thanks!

KathAveara · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:05 pm

Submitted my first Age for quite a long time a few days ago. Bit late for the Jam, but oh well.

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