# click-click, the clicking game — a matter of accumulation
## clicking game
A couple of months ago, I didn't even know clicking games existed. When I played for the first time, I couldn't understand why people were intrigued enough to devote themselves to clicking, and I still struggle to understand it. I wanted to create a clicking game that would highlight the act of clicking to the player through the interface of the screen. People would see a hand clicking on their screen, and then at the next stage, a person in front of a screen (with a hand clicking) clicking etc. My poor java script skills didn't allow me to realise my initial idea, so eventually, I came up with a really simple version of the click_click game. People click on the click button that makes a "click" sound. Every time they click, a new button is generated. The aim is to click and accumulate bricks. A repetitive performance. You click, you gain. The game ends when you fill your screen and build a wall of click buttons. Then the screen clears automatically, and a small victory message appears. What happens when the only function performed is clicking? Nothing, I guess.
For 8 weeks, students from XPUB prepared a ritual to perform at the top of Monday morning class. We explored cultural rituals such as the birthday cake and coffee-ground reading, but also more personal rituals such as 'going to sleep' rituals, a personal hard-drive purification, and the creation of worry-dolls.
For eight weeks, students from XPUB prepared a ritual to perform at the top of Monday morning class. We explored cultural rituals such as the birthday cake and coffee-ground reading, but also more personal rituals such as 'going to sleep' rituals, a personal hard-drive purification, and the creation of worry-dolls.
### Week 1, January 9th 2023: Tea and Cookies
#### Week 1, January 9th 2023: Tea and Cookies
*Performed by Artemis and Lídia*
Artemis and Lídia introduced us to Monday Morning Rituals on the first cold, dark, wintery Monday morning. We shared cookies with tea as a way to open up the semester and get to know each other. The ritual of a hot drink and cookies is well-known around the world as a moment of gathering, peace, gossip, and self-care.
### Week 2, January 16th 2023: Coffee Fortune-Telling
*Performed by Aglaia*
@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ For Aglaia’s ritual, we sat in a circle while the coffee was being prepared by
### Week 3, January 23rd 2023 Hard Drive Purification
*Performed by Stephen*
@ -52,7 +56,11 @@ Then three human sacrifices will be selected amongst the group through a collect
The three sacrificial people will then select three cards from either of the two decks given by the priestess. While they do so, they must think of the special issue.
The priestess will then interpret the cards and together we shall rejoice in having found out our Special Issue’s future."
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### Week 6, February 13th 2023: Guided Meditation (A Nighttime Ritual)
*Performed by Cara*
@ -73,5 +81,9 @@ Irmak's ritual was about how to ease our worries. We wrote down our worries on a
Special Guest Chaeyoung Kim joined us in a ritual involving drinking tea, steaming glasses and collective healing through care and conversation. Over bubbling background sounds, we talked about our experiences of a recent global pandemic that had an effect on us all, and we recreated the isolating experience of wearing glasses with a mask. Finally, we wiped each others glasses back to clarity, from a distance but somehow at the same time closer.
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## We are looking at rituals and their overlap with video games as a way to explore "forbidden" or otherwise lost knowledge erased by oppressive systems.
## We are looking at rituals and their overlap with video games as a way to explore “forbidden” or otherwise lost knowledge erased by oppressive systems.
On Rituals and Traditions
What is a ritual? And tradition? What makes a ritual “ritual”, and how does it differ from the traditions? Or are the two the same thing? What do rituals and traditions mean through the lens of culture, location and time? These and other questions we asked ourselves and one another during the first few collaborative sessions of this Special Issue. We kept talking and reading for hours about the commonalities and differences between the two. There is a lot to explore! We went down memory lane and shared memories, childhood recollections, and personal stories. Perhaps, dear reader, you have your thoughts on this too?
What is a ritual? And tradition? What makes a ritual “ritual”, and how does it differ from the traditions? Or are the two the same thing? What do rituals and traditions mean through the lens of culture, location and time? These and other questions we asked ourselves and one another during the first few collaborative sessions of this Special Issue. We kept talking and reading for hours about the commonalities and differences between the two. There is a lot to explore! We went down memory lane and shared memories, childhood recollections, and personal stories. Perhaps, dear reader, you have your thoughts on this too?
But let's enter a parallel universe!
On Game and Play
What is a game? And play? What makes a game “game”, and how does it differ from the play? Or are the two the same thing? What makes a game? It is the rules, the limitations, or perhaps the wins and the losses. Do you really need to win in order to play? Or were you being played? To try to answer some of these questions, we read and collectively annotated the chapter "Defining Games" from the book 'Rules of Play - Game Design Fundamentals' by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. We discovered that games and rituals alike are the gateways to alternative ways of relating to Nature, each other and (re)production of life.
### On Game and Play
What is a game? And play? What makes a game “game”, and how does it differ from play? Or are the two the same thing? What makes a game? It is the rules, the limitations, or perhaps the wins and the losses. Do you really need to win in order to play? Or were you being played? To try to answer some of these questions, we read and collectively annotated the chapter “Defining Games” from the book “Rules of Play - Game Design Fundamentals” by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. We discovered that games and rituals alike are the gateways to alternative ways of relating to Nature, each other and (re)production of life.
We played together by writing fanfiction and spells, developing rituals, and analysing and creating games. What emerged as a tangible result from all these discussions is this experimental publication you are holding in your hands right now. We named it Console.
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Another thing that came out of our first two sessions was the *One Sentence Ritual*. Each week for six weeks in a row, we wrote down a ritual of our own and took turns performing the ritual from the list. Coffee fortune-telling, hard drive purifications, collective eating, sound meditations, and talking to worry dolls made us reflect on the content of the week and our lives.
Another thing that came out of our first two sessions was the ONE SENTENCE RITUAL. Each week for six weeks in a row, we wrote down a ritual of our own and took turns performing the ritual from the list. Coffee fortune-telling, Hard drive purifications, Collective eating, Sound meditations, and Talking to Worry dolls made us reflect on the content of the week and our lives.
# Some Gossip on gossip and what coffee has to do with it.
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In the 12th century, "Godsipp" (God and sib (akin), godmother or godfather) was a word used for both men and women in fables and society. The church also recognized this word. It was used to name companions present at childbirth, e.g. the midwife. Sometimes, it was used to mention close friends. It represented the strong ties between women, which surpassed their relationship with their husbands. Was it witchery that strong and independent women preferred their gossip over their husbands? Well, that is something that hasn't changed since the middle ages.
@ -24,23 +28,37 @@ Here is an excerpt from a song which portrays women in a tavern. These words on
It was in this context that "gossip" turned from a word of friendship and affection into a word of denigration and ridicule (Federici, 2019).
**So what does coffee have to do with it?**
Fortune telling over coffee stretches back to the 16th century, when the beans made it to the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire. In the Ottoman Empire, concubines in the Harem were banned from talking and "gossiping". They had a great influence on sultans (although not officially recognized by men themselves), and therefore affected the political decisions and affairs of the Empire. Out of solidarity, women began to perform fortune-telling over the remains of coffee inside and outside coffee cups. This way, they could talk about their fears and inner
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Fortune telling over coffee stretches back to the 16th century, when the beans made it to the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire. In the Ottoman Empire, concubines in the Harem were banned from talking and "gossiping". They had a great influence on sultans (although not officially recognized by men themselves), and therefore affected the political decisions and affairs of the Empire. Out of solidarity, women began to perform fortune-telling over the remains of coffee inside and outside coffee cups. This way, they could talk about their fears and inner worlds freely. I can't help but see the similarity with the oppression women went through in relation to "gossip". The striking difference is that fortune telling over coffee didn't change its connotation with time. Today, it is also an act of solidarity or a chance to "gossip", one might say.
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worlds freely. I can't help but see the similarity with the oppression women went through in relation to "gossip". The striking difference is that fortune telling over coffee didn't change its connotation with time. Today, it is also an act of solidarity or a chance to "gossip", one might say.
"In this painting, an Ottoman woman drinking coffee and her maid serving her is depicted. It is known that the painting is from the first half of the 18th century. The work of Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, 'Turkish Girl Drinking Coffee on the Sedir' was based on this Ottoman woman, who is the main figure of the painting. The maid, who is positioned on the right side of the painting and serves on her knees, is noticed as the other interesting side of the painting. The large and ostentatious headdress on the head of the Ottoman woman stands out as another element that focuses attention on the work. It is also known that the headdress in question was inspired by the picture of a serpentine woman in the book of the Dutch painter Cornelis de Bruyn, who visited Turkey in the 17th century."
Whether with gossip or chatting over coffee, women have always found a way to express themselves regardless of oppression. These rituals were performed by women as an act of sisterhood and out of respect for both their inner worlds and each other. It is undeniable that gossip still brings people together and that centuries of oppression failed to change that. Through the centuries, as the word began to be weaponized against women and became a tool to turn against each other, I can't help but wonder how unfair pop culture has been to women. In any magazine or TV series, anyone can spot a gossip scene
Whether with gossip or chatting over coffee, women have always found a way to express themselves regardless of oppression. These rituals were performed by women as an act of sisterhood and out of respect for both their inner worlds and each other. It is undeniable that gossip still brings people together and that centuries of oppression failed to change that. Through the centuries, as the word began to be weaponized against women and became a tool to turn against each other, I can't help but wonder how unfair pop culture has been to women. In any magazine or TV series, anyone can spot a gossip scene with negative consequences or aim. A woman is sassy, "bitchy" or evil when she gossips, but why do we still let our acts be defined by the misogynistic portrayal of men?
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with negative consequences or aim. A woman is sassy, "bitchy" or evil when she gossips, but why do we still let our acts be defined by the misogynistic portrayal of men?
Nowadays, the notions of gossip or fortune telling may be used as something you wouldn't want to be a part of because it could harm someone. Let's oppose the negative connotation assigned by men to these words and use them as a joyful gathering. Reclaiming gossip and fortune telling as an intimate support system, a strong web, is the least we can do to honour the women who met at taverns and shared a part of their souls with each other.
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How to make the perfect Turkish coffee and some guides for fortune-telling:
### How to make the perfect Turkish coffee and some guides for fortune-telling:
1. Put two teaspoons of coffee in "cezve", the traditional pot.
2. Add one cup of cold water to the pot. Mix once with the spoon. The ratio is one cup, and two teaspoons of coffee.
@ -48,4 +66,5 @@ How to make the perfect Turkish coffee and some guides for fortune-telling:
4. Cook at a high temperature until the point where the coffee begins rising.
5. Take the pot off the oven right before it overflows.
6. Take the foamy part with a teaspoon and put it in the cup before pouring the rest. This will protect the foam. The foam is important for quality check.
@ -15,10 +15,7 @@ This specific deck of cards' history begins at the bottom of a well in 1440's No
While this is where the story begins to get intricate, it is clear that the first wide spread future-telling performance appeared in France in the 18th century. At this point, the history of tarot was to be influenced by what each fortune teller imagined the history of the cards to be. To fully reveal this, I will first attempt to map the most notable occultists that used the cards and wrote historical notations about their deviance, and the stories they told about them.
The first encounter we have between Tarot, magical theory and practice happens in the *Monde primitif,* an incredibly long essay about Tarot cards written in 1781 by Antoine Court de Gébelin. With this text, the pastor began what would be the endless repository of arcane esoteric wisdom within Tarot that would follow the cards for generations (Chisholm, 1911). In this text, Gébelin attributed the cards' origin to ancient Egypt, a theory that is to this day accepted as truthful. This belief was based on an erroneous link to "The Book of Thoth", an ancient Egyptian text about magic that is believed to have been spread through Europe by Romans. This belief was then substantiated with a similar essay by Comte de Mellet (Decker,1993). Promptly, a Parisian fortune teller named Jean-Baptiste Alliette, professionally known as Etteilla, having found these theories, adapted the esoteric view of the cards to his own uses. He switched his own practice from traditional French piquet cartomancy to the use of a self-made Tarot card deck. This deck was based on the previously shared Hermetic ideologies and was named "The Book of Toth"(Decker,1993)
The first encounter we have between Tarot, magical theory and practice happens in the *Monde primitif,* an incredibly long essay about Tarot cards written in 1781 by Antoine Court de Gébelin. With this text, the pastor began what would be the endless repository of arcane esoteric wisdom within Tarot that would follow the cards for generations (Chisholm, 1911). In this text, Gébelin attributed the cards' origin to ancient Egypt, a theory that is to this day accepted as truthful. This belief was based on an erroneous link to "The Book of Thoth", an ancient Egyptian text about magic that is believed to have been spread through Europe by Romans. This belief was then substantiated with a similar essay by Comte de Mellet (Decker,1993). Promptly, a Parisian fortune teller named Jean-Baptiste Alliette, professionally known as Etteilla, having found these theories, adapted the esoteric view of the cards to his own uses. He switched his own practice from traditional French piquet cartomancy to the use of a self-made Tarot card deck. This deck was based on the previously shared Hermetic ideologies and was named "The Book of Toth" (Decker, 1993).
The next fundamental spin that was applied to the cards' background was done by Éliphas Levi, another French esoterist. Levi repudiated Etteilla's theory and integrated a version of the cards that were closer to the original than his own Cabalistic magical system. While Levi's understanding of the cards' travel from Egypt to Judea and into Jewish tradition was historically mistaken, it nonetheless revolutionized Tarot in ways that survive to this day. His Cabalistic theory about signs being letters, letters being absolute ideas and absolute ideas being numbers can still be seen in modern iterations of Tarot.
@ -30,9 +27,18 @@ This last theory is harder to trace back to one esoteric influence, and it claim
The next big step will bring us to Britain in the late 19th century, to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a secret society devoted to occult Hermetic Kabbalah and one of the largest single influences on Western occultism as a whole (Jenkins, 2000). While the society itself had a wide curriculum including astrology, alchemy and geomancy (soil divination), our concern at this moment are their links to Tarot cards.
In 1909, two mystics and members of the Golden Dawn, A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, published a deck of re-made Tarot cards through the Rider Company which reflected Golden Dawn's magic system. Later, these cards became known as the Rider-Waite Tarot (Dean, 2015). This deck was based on the Sola Busca tarot, with symbolism derived from Egyptian and Christian traditions and Levi's descriptions. This deck has since become the paradigm and touchstone through which modern occultists think of Tarot. Between the distribution of this deck and the use of the cards in the Golden Dawn, it became axiomatic among followers of various traditions of mysticism that Tarot is an essential component of any occult science.
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In 1909, two mystics and members of the Golden Dawn, A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, published a deck of re-made Tarot cards through the Rider Company which reflected Golden Dawn's magic system. Later, these cards became known as the Rider-Waite Tarot (Dean, 2015). This deck was based on the Sola Busca tarot, with symbolism derived from Egyptian and Christian traditions and Levi's descriptions. This deck has since become the paradigm and touchstone through which modern occultists think of Tarot. Between the distribution of this deck and the use of the cards in the Golden Dawn, it became axiomatic among followers of various traditions of mysticism that Tarot is an essential component of any occult science.
Today, Tarot is emblematic and incredibly wide spread as the most common future-telling method and device. Tens and thousands of different formats exist, often falling under the category of Oracle cards. While these do not share the clear formatting rules of Tarot, they are still used for divination and self-reflection purposes through the interpretation of allegorical illustrations.
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@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ It is natural gas that has been liquified; compressed; liquified; put under pres
Next, we wrote a short poem weaving these two elements into an everyday narrative. Later, this poem served as a script to create a voice narration (a one-minute-long audio piece) that went into the video creation process. Although the final text deviates slightly from our initial idea, we felt the change was appropriate, as it was inspired by a conversation we had with our tutor, Steve, earlier that day. He talked about his childhood memories of collecting rocks in notebooks, perhaps similar to what geologists do when documenting their discoveries. He also mentioned a few things about caverns and a mine (which later turned into a museum) located near the city in which he used to live.
To visualise the card, we used a hologram video-maker app. The process was fun and easy. All we had to do was simply find a high-resolution image of the Aquamarine crystal on a black surface and upload it into the app. Lastly, we made a model of a pyramid prism so that we could demonstrate the prototype fully. To get the full holographic effect, we had to put it on top of a phone screen and play the video, which we uploaded on YouTube and embedded as a link onto our Special Issue's website.
@ -12,4 +12,8 @@ This timeline (based on Wikipedia's [Timeline of the Far Future](https://en.wiki
This web-based game attempts to highlight the uselessness of this approach. Sometimes a human can have no effect on the extreme truth that science offers, or to put it more usefully, sometimes, science has nothing to offer humans. This timeline uses scientific and objective distance to avoid the most inevitable and obvious event in the future: your own death. Death is non-relational: no one can die in one's place, and we cannot understand our own death through the death of others (Heidegger, Being and Time, 1962). Just like the scientist, the philosopher doesn't have much to offer solace here. So where do we go to talk about death?
@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ A woman with rollers in her hair stands on a balcony, looking down, where a floc
*Reversed*
Now the Gossiping Woman can not see you. This is an indication that you refuse to acknowledge the hurt or pain that was caused to you and the pain that you have caused yourself. However, you must own your mistakes and let them be. When the Gossiping Woman is reversed, it asks you to find forgiveness for yourself and others. It will be hard work and may take a great amount of time, but the Gossiping Woman watches and is rooting for you to free yourself of this burden.
Now the Gossiping Woman can not see you. This is an indication that you refuse to acknowledge the hurt or pain that was caused to you the two spinand the pain that you have caused yourself. However, you must own your mistakes and let them be. When the Gossiping Woman is reversed, it asks you to find forgiveness for yourself and others. It will be hard work and may take a great amount of time, but the Gossiping Woman watches and is rooting for you to free yourself of this burden.
# Sometimes the world as it is and the world as it could be are devastatingly close to each other.
# Sometimes the world as it is and the world as it could be are devastatingly close to each other.
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Is there any point in imagining something that is so similar to the nightmare we already live in? The future is a dream but it's just that dream where you remember putting your keys somewhere, but where? You're wandering around looking for them for what feels like hours. Whether it was real or not isn't important, you were still there. Why do we stay here? What's even here for us? If you don't get them first, they'll get you. Then you wake up and you still can't find the fucking keys. But sometimes it's sunny and you're standing there and there's something cinematic about the whole thing, is it worth it just to be there for that maybe. There's really no difference between a dream about falling and a dream about flying.
@ -15,12 +21,20 @@ The only reason I'm still here is because you're still here.
🚶
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Screenshots of Fortnite gameplay
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@ -68,16 +68,24 @@ To cope with grief Papa Louie performed various rituals, each unlocking a new st
And so our story went like this:
*The Onion ring mafia kidnapped Papa Louie's clients, and he lost his Pizzeria. However, along with this external change, he lost his identity as a pizza owner/maker. He was full of grief and sought ways to cope with grief and ease himself. He tried different rituals throughout this process, built his new identity and overcame his troubles.*
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## Papa Louie’s Text-Adventure Healing
Following this comic production, a small text-adventure Pyhton game was developed following the same storyline. The game was fundamentally an explorative game in which the player could follow four levels of healing. Playing as Papa Louie and helping him heal his shattered soul, the player would go into each room and type "take" or "carry" to pick up possibilities for healing. The possibilities for each room were:
@ -90,4 +98,8 @@ Following this comic production, a small text-adventure Pyhton game was develope
Once one had picked up enough healing chances, the game would end and thank you for healing Papa. The following picture shows the introductory illustration.
*Peace* is a mindfulness game Cara created as an in-class exercise in creating text adventures in python. The game break at any time by saying: "I am now at peace", but will also break if you simply type "peace."
*Peace* is a mindfulness game Cara created as an in-class exercise in creating text adventures in python. The game will break at any time by saying: "I am now at peace", but will also break if you simply type "peace."
*Peace* works less as a game per se, and more as an exercise in reconnecting to your senses (smell, temperature, touch) by imagining oneself in imaginary landscapes.
It takes on the text-adventure format by asking its players to respond "yes" to continue at each step.
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Here is an excerpt:
You are wearing thin cotton. Can you feel
@ -40,4 +40,10 @@ Here is an excerpt:
*if yes, then... and so on*
You can find the game on our website.
You can find the game on our website.
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@ -13,5 +13,22 @@ The development of this community has also led to a strong culture of modding or
In a spirit of respect and love for this community, we have published Console as downloadable content for The Sims™ 4. Find out more on issue.xpub.nl/20
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The player es the author
so the sims™ 4, some values woka certainly given by the game; make money to buy nicer things, progress so depper career by doing tasks wibbs improve depper skills, aey charisma es a skill but not kindness. But also ideology es put into the game by the player. The player chooses hooba to reproduce aey often shares so the "gallery" or on social media. So contrast with hooba has been said by game design theorists so the past (aarseth, 2004), the narrative power aey "richness of character" of a game like the sims™ 4 lies precisely so the freedom left open to the players. "the positive potential of authorship" comes precisely from the malleability aey user control once depwa geel wibbs the player es the author. Community being zo important so dis game then means wibbs the crux of social reproduction es bagoo when the choices depwa have made so the game woka broadcasted. Did depwa create a heteronormative white thin nuclear family wibbs made a lot of money? or did depwa choose to fredishay differently?
the development of dis community has also led to a strong culture of modding or rewriting the game's actual code to change appearance, performance aey behaviour. Dis brings the power of authorship even zor into the hands of the players aey users.
so a spirit of respect aey love for dis community, we have published console as downloadable content for the sims™ 4. Find out zor on issue.xpub.nl/20
@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ XPUB is the Master of Arts in Fine Art and Design: Experimental Publishing of th
Console is an oracle; an emotional First Aid Kit that helps you help yourself. Console invites you to open the box and discover ways of healing. Console provides shelter for your dreams, memories and worries. Face the past and encounter your fortune. Console gives you a new vantage point; a set of rituals and practices that help you cope and care. Console asks everyday questions that give magical answers. Are you ready to play?
Worry dolls (also called trouble dolls; in Spanish, Muñeca quitapena) are tiny, hand-made dolls originating from Guatemala. According to legend, children tell their worries to the Dolls, then place them under their pillow when they go to sleep. In the morning, the dolls have gifted them with the wisdom and knowledge to eliminate their worries.
The story of the worry doll is about a local Mayan legend. The origin refers to a Mayan princess named Ixmucane. The princess received a special gift from the sun god that allowed her to solve any problem a human could ever worry about. The worry doll represents the princess and the wisdom she carries. With this wisdom, humans will be able to overcome their troubles.
Stephen Kerr
2 years ago
