What I would really like to do is to read Clark's paper before discussing his comments, but that is probably not going to happen this week.
[quoting Quinn, 5 Dec 98] I don't think Malone would approve of adding extrinsic factors to add engagement, but would instead add "bells and whistles" that are coherent to the overall fantasy, retaining their motivation as intrinsic. This addresses one of Manas' questions, and indicates how to resolve the issue of whether addition is endogenous or juxtaposition.
I wouldn't approve of it either. I think we may have an issue of semantics here. I would agree with you, except I would exchange the terms. I would say that you would not want to add on bells and whistles (mostly because the term is use perjoratively too often, and suggests mere add ons), but that you would want to build features into the program that can help promote engagement. I don't think that it is possible to create engagement necessarily. I do think that it can be fostered.
I also query Marshall's interpretation of Flow on the topic of "sense of duration of time" alteration.
I would agree with that . The duration of time that you can control is not going to help engender flow, necessarily. My reason for including it was really to try and offer some explanation as to how you might explain it in the environment. In my classes I often talk about how Kurt Vonnegut uses short chapters in many of his books. One result of using short chapters is that it can keep people reading longer than they intend. It helps with pacing and chunking the book. People say "I'll just read one more chapter," but the chapter is only a page, so they read another chapter, which is only two pages, and the next thing you know you have read 50 pages. Compare that to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, where there are books that don't even have paragraphs, let alone chapters short or long. This makes it much harder to manage the information. The method of presentation can make a fairly substantial difference in how the environment is perceived.
As a very pedantic note, I feel it's inappropriate to suggest the Myst defined the pattern of interaction it incorporates.
True, and that particular pattern of interaction likely comes out of Dungeons and Dragons type games as well. But it did make that pattern of interaction more accessible to a lot of people. But you are absolutely correct that the pattern of interaction existed prior to Myst.
To conclude on a positive note, Marshall has raised another issue which I have grappled with.
Thanks Clark. I appreciate the comments and the issues you have raised. My own ideas are evolutionary. They are sure to evolve even further as a result of your salient points.