The Lojban Kalevala Project

["Mark E. Shoulson" <cbmvax!uunet!ctr.columbia.edu!shoulson>]

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 <iad%COGSCI.ED.AC.UK@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU>

>>  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