Notes on Building an Initial Model for IVANHOE

• Follow John Maeda's rubric: SIMPLICITY.
• So, take an off-the-shelf software program like Blogger and imagine what one might do to modify it to make it an initial model.
  Blogger's downsides: it collapses the play/work space and the display space; it doesn't have access (digital) to the sourcetexts/discourse field; it displays the game play poorly (a scrolled sequence of moves from most recent to earliest); no resources for player files; no ability to mark and make links.
• Guideline: build a model with basic forms and functions; make the model such that it can receive more sophisticated further elements and/or functions.

Functions/Features:
1. Three basic forms and functions:
   • a] a home page (where all players appear with their materials and from which players launch themselves into gameplay and/or game display; and a place to return to from gameplay for basic reorientation and for logout).
   • b] a player's play space (where entries into player files are made and where game moves are made; where a display window(s) is launched to see other player's moves and various specifically chosen displays of game play).
   • c] a display window available to any player at any time (displays of the state of the game, or the state of any player's play by itself or in relation to any one or more other player's game play; in whatever types of display seem best).
2. Essential corollary functions: everything to be time-stamped and labeled; add, link, and delete game play functions; link (toggle invisible/visible) between player's moves and their rationale in the player file); ability to display relation between one player's moves and another).
3. Possible essential initial feature: ability to store game plays as distinct "historical events", and to make those available to ongoing/future gameplay.
4. Desirable additional functions: Café (players' chat room, outside the game space).

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