Return-Path: Message-Id: <9208191424.AA11332@relay1.UU.NET> Date: Wed Aug 19 14:14:22 1992 Reply-To: "Mark E. Shoulson" Sender: Lojban list From: "Mark E. Shoulson" Subject: The Lojban Kalevala Project X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Wed Aug 19 14:14:22 1992 X-From-Space-Address: cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.bitnet!LOJBAN To: iad%COGSCI.ED.AC.UK@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU In-reply-to: Ivan A Derzhanski's message of Wed, 19 Aug 1992 09:36:48 BST Subject: The Lojban Kalevala Project >Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 09:36:48 BST >From: Ivan A Derzhanski >> Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 18:20:18 +1000 >> From: nsn@AU.OZ.MU.EE.MULLIAN >> >> the unsympathetic outsider would find our scampering for any hint >> of cultural imagery self-conscious and flimsy, >True. Whoever wants to write a story with Chinese, (Hindu) Indians, >or Arabs among the characters had better be _very_ familiar with the >corresponding cultures. I wouldn't venture anything of the sort, and >therefore make the following > _Counterproposal_. Don't specify any national identity or cultural >background for the characters. Make them representatives of an >abstract, undetermined, or fictitious nation. In this case they might >be Lojbanis by birth, for example. >Otherwise you risk to end up with a story that no Arab (say) would >find plausible. Yeah. Remember, guys, these are the *background* characters. It'd be fine to give them some flavor and all, but don't think they're the only ones around, nor the key ones (except perhaps in some rare "Cook's Tale" or something). >> Do we go for equal ratios of men and women? >I say yes. (Don't make them husbands and wives, though.) Yes, but it doesn't make a whole lot of difference, really. Bear in mind that this is *lojban* we're dealing with; you needn't know anyone's sex unless it becomes important. I could see the waiter's sex never mentioned until five stories down the line when somehow it makes a difference. It'd be nice to keep it equal, so bear that in mind if it becomes necessary to specifiy someone's gender. >> Do we have any minorities >> or "deviations" in the personas, or keep them mainstream? >Assume, for the purpose of the game, that everyone's skin is the same >colour. Huh? Why? Your own characters, that's something else. Remember, these characters are *not* the ones doing most of the story-telling. The ones doing that are the patrons whom you bring in. They may have their own idiosyncrasies, culture, bias, whatever. In fact, I imagine the chief method of finding out people's sex/color/accent/whatever might be seeing things from the point of view of a patron who happens to be particularly concerned about such things >Ivan ~mark