Maren and I are giving a presentation on computer games for librarians next week “Bibliotekdagene i Bergen”.
We’re both super honored to be asked – as we both consider librarians to be the coolest professionals around. We worked on our outline last weekend and I’m very excited. I think we’ve come up with a presentation recipe that’s going to be a big success. I’m worried that we’re cramming too much in, but I have faith that our structure will allow for it. So we’ll be talking a little about the history of computer games from hacker culture to consumer culture. We both felt it was important for us to focus a bit on computer game genre and all that it entails. And the icing will be a bit of fan culture. I’ll translate and share here later.
But for now I’m in need of some help. I want to at least briefly touch on the subject of MUDs to MMORPGs – text based worlds to graphical worlds. And I want some good text avatars. I thought I had several but after tearing my bookshelf apart (yes – I have no order) I can only find one, which is that of Mr. Bungle in LambdaMOO: ” a fat, oleaginous, Bisquick-faced clown dressed in cum – stained harlequin garb and girdled with a mistletoe-and-hemlock belt whose buckle bore the quaint inscription “KISS ME UNDER THIS, BITCH”. And I’m thinking …. nawww … there must be something a little nicer. I want colorful definitely, but not this grim and dirty. So I’m asking – do you know of any text avatars I can use? Do you have a favorite? I would also love some good room descriptions and any fond memories you have!
And while we’re on the subject. Do you know of any MUDs/MOOs still alive? I ask because I have a sneaky feeling that text based games are on their way back. Just looking at Causal Gameplay Design Competition.
Remember What The Dormouse Said 
Her er forresten det tekstbaserte multiple choice-spillet jeg nevnte: Choice of the Dragon.
Good luck with the presentation!! It sounds pretty exciting!
it’s been well over a decade — if only i knew how to get at all the old treasure rooms in realmsmud — containing not only my mud booty but also the mighty descriptions of statues — all made to look like ladies i was fond of.
oh to be in my teens again.
around about that time, i was also doing a lot of random im chat – via ICQ, IRC, AIM, MSN, back when a random chat was almost expected — these days it’s an entirely unwelcome proposition.
a friend and I actually named ourselves god and the devil — and created our own chat rooms for odd banter. we had quite the following for awhile.