Achieving a Goal (Defiance)

Abstract

To provide contrast for the previous chapter that sought a nonviolent world, this chapter explores one of the most violent, and it expands further the scope of virtual environments presented by exploring Defiance, which depicts spontaneously triggered battles with extraterrestrial invaders in the San Francisco area, after the fall of civilization. It also illustrates a very different way in which a gameworld can connect to the wider culture, because it is the twin to a TV series of the same name produced by the SyFy cable channel, interweaving with some of its episodes as they are broadcast. The avatar is based on an exceedingly aggressive corporate executive, one of the founders of a pioneering information technology company, and who served as its CEO for many years. He also was an adventurer in the midst of the First World War, who had a distinctive ethical code somewhat divorced from religion, although he respected Christianity. The avatar sets a goal suitable for the particular sattva, and then discovers that he cannot achieve it by ordinary means. He then turns to serious gaming: tactical choice of actions within a virtual environment, intended to achieve the user’s goals but potentially violating the game’s design principles.