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From: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin)
Subject: Re: Preaching to the pews
Message-ID: <erkyrathE249BF.32p@netcom.com>
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Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 22:33:15 GMT
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Avrom Faderman (avrom@Turing.Stanford.EDU) wrote:
> In article <erkyrathE22w0w.EzD@netcom.com>,
> Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@netcom.com> wrote:
> [accidental snip snipped]
> >However, I'll just mention the interesting point, which was "What about 
> >_Infidel_?"

> I assume you're referring to the very last action that must be taken
> to "win" the game, and its result.

Actually, I was referring to the *opening*, where your character's 
messed-up values (ie, the fact that he's a shithead) are established. 
This is shown, in the diary and the opening game text, by having him be 
disrespectful to the locals' religion -- and therefore the locals leave 
him stranded to die in the desert.

This is not terribly controversial a statement -- except within the very
limited hack-slash-and-plunder confines of the IF genre of the time. But 
it is an ethical position from Infocom, about religion even, and it's not 
a joke like Cardinal T's namesake.

> The interesting thing about this is that it's very oblique about
> morality, and certainly isn't an ethical _puzzle_--one assumes the
> author wasn't really endorsing the action that must be taken (at least
> I hope not).  To the extent that the puzzle has ethical dimensions, it
> is that the character has to do something that (IMO, at least) is,
> while not exactly immoral, at least evidence of a pretty messed up
> value system.

And the opening, of course, isn't a puzzle at all -- it takes place
before move 1.

--Z

-- 

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
