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1MicropolisNet: a Cooperative Multi User City Simulation
2
3MicropolisNet is an animated interactive system simulation game, providing
4a set of rules and tools for planning and building a complex
5dynamic simulated city. Several people on different workstations can
6participate in the same game, cooperating and coordinating their
7actions over the net.
8
9Working together, you can zone land use, hook up the power grid, build
10roads, bridges, parks and stadiums, raise taxes, and even summon
11disasters, causing the city to grow and thrive, or crumble and die.
12MicropolisNet features multiple city views and maps with overlays,
13simultaneous editing and user interface interaction, "voting panels"
14for group decision making, and multimedia communication and
15annotation features ("bridges between players").
16
17The multi user interface supports communication via three media in
18parallel: text, sound, and graphics. It includes a scrolling text log
19for telegram messages, a networked audio server for sound effects and
20voice intercom, and shared cursors and graphical overlays for
21pointing, gesturing, annotating and editing the map.
22
23I propose to build a model of the Amsterdam neighborhood near
24the conference ("bridges between dijks"), and let people walk up
25and interact as they please. Experienced MicropolisNet players can
26participate, using the shared environment and communication features
27to demonstrate the system, advise other players, and coordinate the
28game.
29
30The purpose of the experience is to create a constructive cooperative
31virtual environment, where people can collaborate towards a common goal,
32take part in group decisions, and share resources, responsibility,
33and the consequences of each others actions.
34
35MicropolisNet is robust and easy to use, with engaging interactive sound
36effects and lively graphical animation, so it's fun to watch as well
37as play.
38
39MicropolisNet can be played across several different makes of computer at
40once ("bridges between brands"). It presently runs on color SPARC and
41Indigo workstations (and is easily portable to other Unix platforms),
42and plays over the net (but without sound) on other 8 bit color X
43terminals and workstations. I can ship my own SPARC if necessary, and
44I'm trying to obtain support and a loan of equipment (hopefully Indigos)
45in Holland.
46
47It would be useful to have a high resolution video projector, visible
48from the other workstations. The projector could display overall city
49maps, graphs, messages, statistics and other global data, so players
50don't need to spend their own screen space.
51
52I need enough floor and table space to place workstations where people
53can walk up to them and use the keyboard, mouse, and microphone. Most
54could be together in a group within view of the video projector, but
55others could be in remote locations.
56
57The workstations, network, video projector, and posters must be set
58up and torn down, but none of that's very difficult. Thin wire ethernet
59would be preferable, and would require thick to thin transceiver for the
60workstations equipped with thick wire ethernet plugs.
61
62Once MicropolisNet is set up and running, it doesn't require special
63supervision. I will attend and demonstrate the system as much as I
64can, but during other times, unless someone volunteers, it can run
65on its own, as long as there's enough security that none of the
66equipment walks off.
67
68I'm presently implementing MicropolisNet on X11 for DUX Software (who
69licensed Micropolis from Maxis). It's mostly functional now, and will
70be ready to demonstrate, but not yet released as a product, by the time
71of the conference. Soon I'll have an "Alpha" demo version for the SGI
72and SPARC, for limited distribution to INTERCHI reviewers and other
73interested people. I'll make a video tape as soon as I have the
74time and equipment.
75
76I've given many talks and interactive presentations at conferences,
77and run demos at trade show booths. At CHI'90, I participated in the
78"Empowered" performance (giving a whirlwind tour of pie menu based user
79interfaces I'd implemented). Last year, I ported Micropolis (single user)
80to OpenWindows on the SPARC (which won "Product of the Year 1992" from
81Unix World). I worked as a developer of The NeWS Toolkit (at Sun in
82Mountain View) and the HyperLook UIMS (at the Turing Institute in
83Glasgow), both of which I used to port Micropolis to the SPARC. To
84implement MicropolisNet on X11, I'm using the Tk toolkit, which I chose
85to use because it's free, simple, and extensible.
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