This is a quote that I read and then forgot where in the attic I’d left the book. Whenever I found the book I’d then discover Delphi was’t in the index and, as virtual worlds are not a priority for me, I’d put down again with the intention to return to it later. Finally it’s all come together.
The contrast between uphill and downhill views has a rather wonderful side-effect, which is quite relevant to the design and experience of virtual worlds. Delphi is a one-sided site in which you are never disorientated. Downhill is southward, facing the valley and the Gulf of Corinth and the warm Greek sun. Uphill is northward, facing the towering gray cliffs of Mount Parnassus. There is no confusion in Delphi today, just as there was none two thousand years agom for a tourist trying to find the stadium high up on the north end of town, If you climb uphill with the sun at your back you will inevitably arrive at the stadium. You will be at an elevation 400 feet higher than the athletes’ gymnasium in the lower town. Think about how you might incorporate a slope into the topography of your virtual site so that your visitors have a constant reminder of the logic of the layout, that there is an uphill side.
O’Neill, R. & Muir, E. 1998. >Web Developer.com Guide to Creating 3D Worlds. New York: Wiley & Sons.(pp. 22-23)
Looking uphill to the Temple of Apollo, Delphi