* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial exovivaria prototypes could be based on the more successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. And real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers designed them with a full understanding of gravity (low, variable, or even negligible) as a design parameter. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like for users will require interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

*'''Human resource 'filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even without malicious intent. In particular, with launch costs being high, exovivaria might represent several thousands of dollars per pound of sunk costs just for transportation to [[LEO]]. They might contain equipment for managing [[orbital debris]] damage that saboteurs could also use to disable an entire exovivarium. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add further risks to such a high investment. The most accessible virtual exovivaria could serve as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_(computing) | honeypots]] - places where abusers might be attracted, identified, isolated and blocked.

* '''Procedural rehearsals''': Exovivaria will not be all fun and games. There will be repair and rescue operations too. [[Orbital debris]] strikes might be the biggest issue. Repairs and rescues will need to be choreographed. It would be wise to rehearse such operations in simulations, before trying them out in terrestrial prototypes (where mistakes might cost hundreds or thousands of dollars) or in launched exovivaria (where a totally disabling error could cost millions). The simulations might use more advanced computational resources, going to a level of physical detail not used in game play, in order to bring the more subtle risks to the surface. In general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. The high costs and risks for prototyping exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting real ones) would make ever-more-detailed simulation worth the cost.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users can create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - indeed, this might end up being the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. It's better if the risks are taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won real-world assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, not least in [[governance]] - which of course can also be dangerous.

*'''Variable realism''' - the paying users might want nearly photorealistic rendering -- they will want to know "what it's really going to be like." However, the paid worker-avatars might prefer a more schematic view. This would save on (simulated) satellite downlink costs, but it should also boost productivity. Some [[telepresence]] studies have shown that workers are less distracted and feel greater "flow" (immersion) when shown only what's required for the job being done in the remote scene.

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - real exovivaria will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]). Such orbits are good when there are ground stations in contact with an exovivarium, because the speed-of-light delays will be imperceptibly short. However, it also means there will be times when there is no direct link with the ground - the Earth itself is in the way. For some given notional orbit, the simulated communication with the simulated environment might be degraded by a (likewise, simulated) round-trip delay through a geosynchronous satellite. The link might even be available only sporadically, as is the case with some LEO satellites, if it can't relay its messages to another satellite that's more Internet-accessible.

To be sure, the augmentations couldn't directly cause anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment. A user, through an avatar, might direct a simulated telebot to pluck a leaf, but the avatar itself couldn't do the plucking.

Apart from this limit of "ghostliness" in the augmentations, however, allowing users to draw on any [[MMORPG]] concept could be very useful in market-testing. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud the simulated exovivarium. They might even reach the point where they reduce user interest in maintaining the ecosystem being simulated. That bad trend would be an excellent game-design diagnostic: it would say that the reality you're trying to simulate is not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more of ''something'', or else it will be abandoned.[^The virtual world users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die, might make any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two design spaces should be expected.^]

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even become more popular than ever.

To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property in orbit ... this might be the social pinnacle of [[Project Persephone]] society. But pinnacles invite climbers. Virtual exovivaria could form the foothills and lower slopes.

People need to start somewhere in any society, and in Project Persephone, many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others have paid for - whether virtual, terrestrially prototyped, or orbiting. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more. After climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent, they might eventually earn the right to do real work and own real things within real exovivaria. After all, real exovivaria are likele to remain ''relatively'' scarce for quite a while. Scarcity can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into the steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | E�tv�s effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation.[^All three of these effects could be doubly significant if telebots are capable of hopping, as has been proposed for robots on the Moon and on Mars: Fraser Cain,  [[http://www.universetoday.com/11177/hopping-microrobots/ | "Hopping Microrobots"]], [[http://www.universetoday.com/ | Universe Today]], Dec 9, 2005^] Some of the games that users invent will be kinetic, and until there are exovivaria in orbit, the only way for the better players to keep their skills honed would be in accurate simulation.

%rfloat% http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Tucker%27s_Genus_Two_Group.jpg/120px-Tucker%27s_Genus_Two_Group.jpg

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation.[^All three of these effects could be doubly significant if telebots are capable of hopping, as has been proposed for robots on the Moon and on Mars: Fraser Cain,  [[http://www.universetoday.com/11177/hopping-microrobots/ | "Hopping Microrobots"]], [[http://www.universetoday.com/ | Universe Today]], Dec 9, 2005^] Some of the games that users invent will be kinetic, and until there are exovivaria in orbit, the only way for the better players to keep their skills honed would be in accurate simulation.

To be useful, however, parts of these virtual worlds must be lfimited: they must match what's physically possible in [[telebots | telebotically]] maintaining an ecosystem in Earth orbit. In all other respects, however, users and developers would be free to do anything that's possible in CGI software. If true exovivaria ever come into being, virtual exovivaria will probably continue to have uses for the Project.

To be useful, however, parts of these virtual worlds must be limited: they must match what's physically possible in [[telebots | telebotically]] maintaining an ecosystem in Earth orbit. In all other respects, however, users and developers would be free to do anything that's possible in CGI software. If true exovivaria ever come into being, virtual exovivaria will probably continue to have uses for the Project.

*'''Variable realism''' - the paying users might want nearly photorealistic rendering -- they will want to know "what it's really going to be like." However, the paid worker-avatars might prefer a more schematic view. This would save on satellite downlink costs, but it would also would also have other benefits. [[Telepresence]] studies have shown that workers are less distracted and feel greater "flow" (immersion) when shown only what's required for the job being done in the remote scene.

Apart from this limit of "ghostliness" in the augmentations, however, allowing users to draw on any [[MMORPG]] concept could be very useful in market-testing. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud the simulated exovivarium. They might even reach the point of drowning user interest in maintaining the ecosystem being simulated. That bad trend would be an excellent game-design diagnostic: it would say that the reality you're trying to simulate is not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more of ''something'', or else it will be abandoned.[^The virtual world users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die, might make any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two design spaces should be expected.^]

To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property in orbit - that might be the social pinnacle of [[Project Persephone]] society. But pinnacles invite climbers. Virtual exovivaria could form the foothills and lower slopes.

People have to start somewhere in any society, and in Project Persephone, many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others have paid for - whether virtual, prototyped or orbiting. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more. After climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent, they might eventually earn the right to do real work and own real things within real exovivaria. After all, real exovivaria will remain ''relatively'' scarce for quite a while. Scarcity of something can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into the steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

To be useful, however, parts of these virtual worlds must be limited: they must match what's physically possible in [[telebots | telebotically]] maintaining an ecosystem in Earth orbit. In all other respects, however, users and developers would be free to do anything that's possible in CGI software. Should true exovivaria come into being, virtual exovivaria will probably continue to have uses.

* '''Procedural rehearsals''': Exovivaria will not be all fun and games. There will be repair and rescue operations too - [[orbital debris]] strikes might be a big issue. Repairs and rescues will need to be choreographed, perhaps with unknown risks. It would be wise to rehearse them in simulation, before trying them out in terrestrial prototypes (where mistakes might cost hundreds or thousands of dollars) and launched exovivaria (where a totally disabling error could cost millions). The simulations in these cases might used more advance computational resources to go to a level of physical detail not used in game play, in order to the more subtle risks to the surface. In general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks for prototyping exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting real ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users can create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - indeed, this might end up being the most important thing about exovivaria. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, not least in [[governance]] - which of course can also be dangerous.

*'''Human resource 'filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even without malicious intent. In particular, with launch costs being high, exovivaria might represent several thousands of dollars per pound of sunk costs just for transportation. To manage [[orbital debris]] damage, they might contain equipment that saboteurs could also use to disable an entire exovivarium. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add further risks to such a high investment. The most accessible virtual exovivaria could serve as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_(computing) | honeypots]] - places where abusers might be attracted, identified, isolated and blocked.

* '''Procedural rehearsals''': Exovivaria will not be all fun and games. There will be repair and rescue operations too - [[orbital debris]] strikes might be a big issue. Repairs and rescues will need to be choreographed, perhaps with unknown risks. It would be wise to rehearse them in simulation, before trying them out in terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, where error really matters. The simulations in these cases might go to a level of physical detail not used in game play, just to be sure. In general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks for prototyping exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting real ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users can create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - indeed, this might end up being the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, not least in [[governance]] - which of course can also be dangerous.

To be useful, however, parts of these virtual worlds must be limited: they must match what's physically possible in [[telebots | telebotically]] maintaining an ecosystem in Earth orbit. In other respects, however, users and developers would be free to do anything that's possible in software. If and when there are true exovivaria, virtual exovivaria are likely to continue being useful.

Virtual exovivaria can be classrooms, laboratories, playgrounds and places to begin the test of citizenship for true exovivaria. In these roles, they will complement another approximation of true exovivaria: [[terrestrial prototypes]]. However, they will also be able to simulate some things that can't be prototyped on Earth.

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - real exovivaria will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]). That's good if there are ground stations in contact with it, because the speed-of-light delays will be imperceptibly short. However, it also means there will be times when there is no direct link with the ground. For some given notional orbit, the simulated communication with the simulated environment might be degraded by a (likewise, simulated) round-trip delay through a geosynchronous satellite. The link might even be available only sporadically, as is the case with some LEO satellites, if it can't relay its messages to another satellite that's more Internet-accessible.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation. Some of the games that users invent will be kinetic, and until there are exovivaria in orbit, the only way for the better players to keep their skills honed would be in accurate simulation.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial exovivaria prototypes could be based on the more successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. And real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers designed them with a full understanding of gravity (low, variable, or even negligible) as a design parameter. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like for users will probably mean interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation. The games users invent might be kinetic, and until there are exovivaria in orbit, the only way for the better players to keep their skills honed would be in accurate simulation.

*'''Limited materials''' - Virtual worlds don't have any ''necessary'' limits on raw materials. And devices in those worlds can do magical things, if desired in the game. In an exovivarium, however, raw materials and components will be limited to what was initially supplied on virtual "launch". Resupply - if it's available at all - will be infrequent, expensive and possibly error-prone. Any devices will have to behave as they do in the real world.

*'''Limited territory''' - Making new territory in virtual worlds mainly means buying the needed computing power to allow a population within it to be animated, although the costs of rendering what's designed in the new space are also a factor. In exovivaria, making new territory will be either impossible (because the physical geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put more things in space to make more surface area.)

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even be more popular than ever.

To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property in orbit - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers. Virtual exovivaria could form the foothills and lower slopes.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation. The games users invent might be kinetic, and entirely new kinds of play might be possible because of the differences in how gravity works in exovivarial designs.

*'''Variable realism''' - the paying users might want nearly photorealistic rendering -- they will want to know "what it's really like." The paid worker-avatars might prefer a more schematic view. This would save on satellite downlink costs, but also would also have other benefits. [[Telepresence]] studies have shown that workers are less distracted and feel greater "flow" (immersion) when shown only what's required for the job.

Virtual exovivaria will be different from most virtual worlds in important ways. (But see the caveats about avatars and augmentations, below.) The differences all relate to the goal of eventually hosting vital societies and ecosystems in orbit.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds incur no costs except computational ones. They carry no risks except perhaps for social ones. With these advantages, they can serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users can create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - indeed, this might end up being the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial exovivaria prototypes could be based on the more successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. And real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers fully understood gravity (low, variable, or even almost non-existent) as a design parameter. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like for users will probably mean interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the more successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood how gravity (low, variable, or even almost non-existent) is a design variable. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and [[terrestrial prototypes]].

*'''Human resource 'filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with launch costs being high, exovivaria might represent several thousands of dollars per pound of sunk costs just for transportation. To manage [[orbital debris]] damage, they might contain equipment that saboteurs could also use to disable an entire exovivarium. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add further risks to such a high investment. The most accessible virtual exovivaria could serve as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_(computing) | honeypots]] - places where abusers might be attracted, identified, isolated and blocked.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood how gravity (low, variable, or even almost non-existent) is a design variable. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and [[terrestrial prototypes]].

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds incur no costs except computational ones. They carry no risks except perhaps for social ones. With these advantages, they can serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational. To be useful, however, parts of these virtual worlds must be limited: they must match what's physically possible in [[telebots | telebotically]] maintaining an ecosystem in Earth orbit. In other respects, however, users and developers would be free to do anything that's possible in software. If and when there are true exovivaria, virtual exovivaria are likely to continue being useful.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds incur no costs except computational ones. They carry no risks except perhaps for social ones. With these advantages, they can serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational. To be useful, however, these virtual worlds must be limited so as to match what's physically possible. If and when there are true exovivaria, virtual exovivaria are likely to continue being useful.

Virtual exovivaria can be classrooms, laboratories, playgrounds and places to begin the test of citizenship for true exovivaria. In these roles, they will complement a more another approximation of true exovivaria: [[terrestrial prototypes]]. However, they will also be able to simulate some things that can't be prototyped on Earth.

Apart from this limit of "ghostliness", however, drawing on any [[MMORPG]] concept for "reality augmentation" could be very useful in market-testing. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud the simulated exovivarium. It might even reach the point of drowning user interest in maintaining the ecosystem being simulated. That bad trend would be an excellent game-design diagnostic: it would say that the reality you're trying to simulate is not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be abandoned.[^The virtual world users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die, might make any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two should be expected.^]

To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers. Virtual exovivaria could form the foothills and lower slopes.

People have to start somewhere in any society, and in Project Persephone, many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others have paid for - whether virtual, prototyped or orbiting. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent, and eventually earning the right to do real work and own real things within real exovivaria. After all, real exovivaria will remain ''relatively'' scarce for quite a while. Scarcity of something can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even be more popular than ever. To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers, and virtual exovivaria could still form the foothills and lower slopes. People have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others have paid for. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent, eventually earning the right to do real work and own real things within real exovivaria. After all, real exovivaria will remain ''relatively'' scarce for quite a while. Scarcity of something can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users can create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

!!!A future after orbit

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even be more popular than ever. To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers, and virtual exovivaria could still form the foothills and lower slopes. People have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others have paid for. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent, eventually earning the right to work and own within real exovivaria. After all, real exovivaria will remain ''relatively'' scarce for quite a while. Scarcity of something can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds incur no costs except computational ones. They carry no risks except perhaps for social ones. With these advantages, they can serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational. To be useful, however, these virtual worlds must be limited so as to match what's physically possible. If and when there are true exovivaria, virtual exovivaria are likely to still be useful.

Exovivaria can be classrooms, laboratories, playgrounds and places to begin the test of citizenship in true exovivaria. In these roles, they will complement a more advanced approximation of true exovivaria: [[terrestrial prototypes]]. However, they will also be able to simulate things that can't be prototyped on Earth.

Virtual exovivaria will be different from most virtual worlds in important ways. (But see the caveats about avatars and augmentations, below.)

*'''Limited zoology/botany''' - Creatures and plants will be based solely on real species that actually die and decompose (or get eaten). Reproduction won't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit. Even species extinction will be possible.[^And necessary, in the case of otherwise-unmanageable pests or pathogens that snuck in somehow - scenarios that it would be irresponsible ''not'' to simulate.^] Virtual animals should only be able to move as they could in the real world - albeit a real world with low gravity or micro-gravity.

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - real exovivaria will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]). That's good if there are ground stations in contact with it, because the speed-of-light delays will be imperceptibly short. However, it also means there will be times when there is no direct link with the ground. At those times, the simulated communication with the simulated environment might be degraded by a (likewise, simulated) round-trip delay through a geosynchronous satellite. The link might even be available only sporadically, as is the case with some LEO satellites, if it can't relay its messages to another satellite that's more Internet-accessible.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art. They might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

!!!Virtual exovivaria as classrooms, labs and playgrounds

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds incur no costs except computational ones. They carry no risks except perhaps for social ones. With these advantages, they can serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational:

To be sure, the augmentations couldn't directly cause anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment. A user, through an avatar, might direct a simulated telebot to pluck a leaf, but the avatar itself couldn't do that.

Apart from this limit, however, drawing on any [[MMORPG]] concept for "reality augmentation" could be very useful in market-testing. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud the simulated exovivarium. It might even reach the point of drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance. That bad trend would be an excellent game design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be abandoned.[^The virtual world users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die, might make any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two should be expected.^]

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even be more popular than ever. To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers. People have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others paid for. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent. After all, real exovivaria will remain scarce for quite a while. Scarcity of something can sometimes do more than enhance the perception of value. It can also induce a sense of value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful. They might even be more popular than ever. To own some real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property - that might be the social pinnacle. But pinnacles invite climbers. People have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money in exovivaria that others paid for. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics. Then they might move onward to terrestrial analogues, learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent. After all, real exovivaria will remain scarce for quite a while. Scarcity sometimes does more than creates the perception of value. It can also induces value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - real exovivaria will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]). That's good if there are ground stations in contact with it, because the speed-of-light delays will be imperceptibly short. However, it also means there will be times when there is no direct link with the ground. At those times, the simulated communication with the simulated environment might be degraded by a (likewise, simulated) geosynchronous satellite round-trip signal delay. The link might even be available only sporadically, as is the case with some LEO satellites, if it can't relay its messages to another satellite that's more Internet-accessible.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

* '''Procedural rehearsals''': Exovivaria will not be all fun and games. There will be repair and rescue operations too - [[orbital debris]] strikes might be a big issue. Repairs and rescues will need to be choreographed, perhaps with unknown risks. It would be wise to rehearse them in simulation, before trying them out in terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, where error really matters. The simulations in these cases might go to a level of physical detail not used in game play, just to be sure. In general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks to prototype exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood how gravity (low, variable, or even almost non-existent) is a design variable. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a wide range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood what changes when gravity is low, variable, or even almost non-existent. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] simulations - virtual worlds.  Such worlds have no costs or needs except computational ones. They can thus serve [[Project Persephone]] in several ways - some functional, others recreational - that would probably be very costly otherwise:

*'''Limited territory''' - Making new territory in virtual worlds mainly means buying the needed computing power to allow a population within it to be animated, although the costs of rendering what's designed in the new space are also a factor. Creating new territory will be either impossible (because the physical geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put more things in space to create more space.)

%rfloat% http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Peony_Ant_5067.jpg/120px-Peony_Ant_5067.jpg

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarium. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will also vary depending on closeness to the axis of rotation.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivariumt. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant. There is also the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]. Gravity will vary depending on distance to the axis of rotation.

Apart from this limit, however, drawing on any [[MMORPG]] concept for "reality augmentation" could be very useful in market-testing. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud the simulated exovivarium. It might even reach the point of drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance. That bad trend would be an excellent game design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be abandoned.[^The virtual world users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die might make any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two should be expected.^]

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be taken with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': There should be virtual exovivaria where users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project assets. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance - which of course can also be dangerous.

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful, and possibly even more popular than ever. To own significant real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property, both in augmented reality and in physical reality terms - that might be the social pinnacle.  But people have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics, then moving onward to terrestrial analogues and learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent. After all, real exovivaria will remain scarce for quite a while. Scarcity not only creates the perception of value, but that perception induces value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

To be sure, the augmentations couldn't directly affect anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment. An avatar might direct a simulated telebot to pick something up, but the avatar couldn't pick up anything that wasn't in the "augmentation" space. Apart from this limit, permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts as "reality augmentations" could be very useful in evaluating exovivarium designs. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud and overwhelm the simulated physical reality, drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance. That ominous trend would be an excellent a design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is simply not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be virtually abandoned.[^It might be argued here that the users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die but only seem to die, makes any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two should be expected.^]

Within these simulated limits, however, almost any degree of "augmented reality" overlaid on the physical simulation should be permitted. Let's say someone wanted to pose their avatar seated on a simulated [[insects | grasshopper]] perched on a simulated twig, and wave a custom-designed flag, perhaps to "stake a claim" on some contested land. What's to stop them, if the API permits it? Needless to say, users should have access to similar privileges in real terrestrial prototypes of exovivaria as well, and in any actual (i.e., orbiting) exovivaria, though only at higher prices, prices that some Project-internal market determines.

Permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts as "reality augmentations" - with the understanding that the augmentations can't affect anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment - could be very useful in evaluating physical designs. Let's say that the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud and overwhelm the simulated physical reality, drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance. That ominous trend would be an excellent a design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is simply not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be virtually abandoned.[^It might be argued here that the users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things can't really die but only seem to die, makes any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]]. Some interplay between the two should be expected.^]

*'''Human resource 'filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with launch costs being high, exovivaria might represent several thousands of dollars per pound of sunk costs just for transportation. To manage [[orbital debris]] damage, they might contain equipment that saboteurs could also use to disable an entire exovivarium. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add further risks to such a high investment. The most accessible virtual exovivaria could serve as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_(computing) | honeypots]] - places where abusers might be isolated.

*'''Limited materials''' - Virtual worlds don't have any ''necessary'' limits on raw materials. And machines can do magical things if desired in the game. In an exovivarium, raw materials and components will be limited to what was initially supplied on virtual "launch". Resupply - if it's available at all - will be infrequent and expensive. And physical devices will have to behave as they do in the real world.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood what changes when gravity is low, variable, or even almost non-existent. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

*'''Human resource 'Filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with high launch costs, exovivaria might initially cost thousands of dollars per pound. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks to such an investment. The most accessible virtual exovivaria could serve as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_(computing) | honeypots]] - places where abusers might be isolated.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': To let users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project gains. Virtual exovivaria might also be playgrounds and laboratories for social diversity, especially diversity in governance.

*'''Human resource 'Filtering'''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with high launch costs, exovivaria might initially cost thousands of dollars per pound. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks to such an investment.

Within these simulated limits, however, almost any degree of "augmented reality" overlaid on the physical simulation should be permitted. If someone wants to pose their avatar seated on an exovivarial [[insects | grasshopper]] perched on a twig, and wave a custom-designed flag to announce recently bought territory, what's to stop them, if the API permits it? Needless to say, customers should have access to such privileges in terrestrial prototype ''physical'' exovivaria as well, and in any actual (i.e., orbiting) exovivaria, though only at higher prices, prices that some Project-internal market determines.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood what changes when you change gravity. Until actual exovivaria are launched, populated, and in full swing, the best guesses about what they should be like will probably come from interpolating between virtual exovivaria and terrestrial prototypes.

* '''Training''': There will always be new users who aren't yet skilled enough (or trusted enough) to be allowed to [[telebots | telebotically]] operate in a real-world prototype, much less in a real exovivarium. In a virtual exovivarium, these "newbies" could build needed skills, at low cost to themselves and the Project. [[Serious game | Serious games]] are already used in job training, to help reduce costs and build teams. A virtual exovivarium could be a lot of fun, but also be a serious training ground.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': To let users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be with an audience's ability to appreciate art rather than with hard-won Project gains.

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - the exigencies of communication with a satellite that will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]) might mean that the simulated communication with the simulated environment is near real-time at some points, but degraded by a (likewise, simulated) geosynchronous satellite round-trip delay at others, or even only sporadically available, as is the case with some LEO satellites.

*'''Limited materials''' - Raw materials and components will be limited to what was initially supplied on virtual "launch". Resupply - if it's available at all - will be infrequent and expensive.

*'''Limited territory''' - Creating new territory will be either impossible (because the physical geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put more things in space to create more space.)

* '''Training''': There will always be new users who aren't yet skilled enough (or trusted enough) to be allowed to [[telebots | telebotically]] operate in a real-world prototype, much less in a real exovivarium. In a virtual exovivarium, these "newbies" could build needed skills, at low cost to themselves and the Project. [[Serious game | Serious games]] are already used in job training, to help reduce costs and build teams. A virtual exovivarium could a lot of fun, but also a serious training ground.

*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with high launch costs, exovivaria might initially cost thousands of dollars per pound. It's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks to such an investment.

* '''Procedural tests''': Exovivaria will not be all fun and games. There will be repair and rescue operations too - [[orbital debris]] strikes might be a big issue. Repairs and rescues will need to be choreographed, perhaps with unknown risks. It would be wise to rehearse them in simulation, before trying them out in terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, where error really matters. The simulations in these cases might go to a level of physical detail not used in game play, just to be sure. In general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks to prototype exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.

*'''Variable realism''' - the paying users might want nearly photorealistic rendering -- they will want to know "what it's really like." The paid worker-avatars might prefer more schematized renderings, partly to conserve satellite downlink bandwidth, but also because telepresence productivity studies have shown less worker distraction and greater "flow" (a rough proxy for productivity or joy in work) when the remote environment is presented sketchily.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarial environment. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant, as well as the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s_effect | Eötvös effect]] if there are fast-moving animals or [[telebots]]; and gravity will vary depending on proximity to the axis of rotation.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': To let users create without fear, without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs. Exovivaria will have have art, they might even ''be'' art - this might indeed be the most important thing about them. Good art requires taking risks. Better that the risks be with an audience rather than with hard-won Project gains.

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria could cover a range of designs. They might have different gravities, ecosystems, sizes, layouts and maintenance problems. The ones  that attract the most game-players per launched (virtual) pound might be the best sources of ideas. Terrestrial prototypes could be based on the successful virtual ones, at least insofar as their success doesn't depend on low gravity or [[microgravity]]. Real exovivaria would offer better user experiences if game- and ecosystem-designers understood what changes when you change gravity.

* '''Procedural tests''': To try out new, possibly riskier procedures for repair or rescue in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, before trying them where it really matters. Physical simulations on such procedures might go to a level of detail not used in game play, and in general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks to prototype exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.

* '''Training''': Users who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium, could build needed skills, at relatively low cost to themselves and the Project. [[Serious game | Serious games]] are already used extensively in training, for their cost-reduction and team-building value.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] that exist only in simulations.  Virtual worlds have no physical costs besides those incurred to run them on computers. They can thus serve a few purposes for [[Project Persephone]] - some very functional, others entirely recreational - that would otherwise be much more expensive:

* '''Market testing''': Virtual exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, internal layouts and maintenance problems could be tried out on real users. The most successful of these could be moved to the terrestrial prototype stage, at least insofar as they don't depend on low- or zero-gravity. If real exovivaria start being launched, virtual exovivaria will still be useful as laboratories for innovation.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarial environment. In making artificial gravity in a rotating structure of modest size, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect | Coriolis effects]] could be significant, and gravity will vary depending on proximity to the axis of rotation.

Permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts as "reality augmentations" - with the understanding that the augmentations can't affect anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment - could serve some very useful purposes. If, for example, the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud and overwhelm the simulated physical reality, drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance, that ominous trend would have value as a design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is simply not compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), or else it will be virtually abandoned.[^It might be argued here that the users' knowledge that it's a simulation, where things aren't really dying but only seem to, makes any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]].^]

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful, and possibly even more popular than ever. To own significant real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to one's property, both in augmented reality and in physical reality terms - that would be the pinnacle.  But people have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. Some will even start with the idea of making money. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or profit), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics, then moving onward to terrestrial analogues and learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent. After all, real exovivaria will remain scarce for quite a while, and scarcity not only creates the perception of value, that perception induces value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

* '''Market testing''': Exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, internal layouts and maintenance problems could be tried out on real customers. The most successful of these could be moved to the terrestrial prototype stage, at least insofar as they don't depend on low- or zero-gravity. If real exovivaria start being launched, virtual exovivaria will still be useful as laboratories for innovation.

*'''Game physics''' - will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarial environment.

*'''Variable realism''' - paying users might want nearly photorealistic rendering -- they will want to know "what it's really like". Paid worker-avatars might prefer more schematized renderings, partly to conserve satellite downlink bandwidth, but also because telepresence productivity studies have shown less worker distraction and greater "flow" (a rough proxy for productivity or joy in work) when the remote environment is presented sketchily.

*'''Limited zoology/botany''' - Creatures and plants will be based solely on real species that actually die and decompose, and reproduction of species won't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit. Even species extinction will be possible.[^And necessary, in the case of otherwise-unmanageable pests or pathogens that snuck in somehow - scenarios that it would be irresponsible ''not'' to simulate.^] Simulated animals will only be able to move as they could in the real world.

*'''Limited territory''' - Creating new territory will be either impossible (because the physical geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put more things in space.)

*'''Variable interaction bandwidth''' - the exigencies of communication with a satellite that will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]) might mean that the simulated communication with the simulated environment is near real-time at some points, but degraded by a (likewise, simulated) geosynchronous satellite round-trip delay at others, or even sporadically available, as is the case with most LEO satellites.

*'''Limited materials''' - Raw materials will be limited to what was initially supplied on "launch".

*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with high launch costs, exovivaria might initially cost thousands of dollars per pound. it's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks to such an investment.

*'''Limited zoology/botany''' - Creatures and plants will be based solely on real species that actually die and decompose, and reproduction of species won't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit. Even species extinction will be possible. (And necessary, in the case of otherwise-unmanageable pests or pathogens that snuck in somehow - scenarios that it would be irresponsible ''not'' to simulate.) Simulated animals will only be able to move as they could in the real world. 

* '''Procedural tests''': To try out new, possibly riskier procedures for repair or rescue in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, before trying them where it really matters. Physical simulations on such procedures might go to a level of detail not used in game play, and in general, more detailed simulation is more expensive simulation. But again, because of the high costs and risks to prototype exovivaria (not to speak of orbiting ones), more detailed simulation should be worth the cost.
* '''Arts and cultural projects''': To let users create without fear, and without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs.

*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is likely to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even just by accident. In particular, with high launch costs, exovivaria might initially cost thousands of dollars per pound. it's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks to such an investment. 

* '''Training''': Users who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium, could build needed skills, at relatively low cost to themselves and the Project.
*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is like to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Since prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even by accident, it's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to the risks. 
* '''Procedural tests''': To try out new, possibly riskier procedures for repair or rescue in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, before trying them where it really matters

* '''Market testing''': Exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, internal layouts and maintenance problems could be tried out on real customers. The most successful of these could be moved to the terrestrial prototype stage, at least insofar as they don't depend on low- or zero-gravity. If real exovivaria start being launched, virtual exovivaria will still be useful as laboratories for innovation.

If and when exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful, and possibly even more popular than ever. To own significant real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot and avatar crews to add value to your property, both in augmented reality and in physical reality terms - that would be the pinnacle of the (private sector) social order in these virtual/physical orbiting worlds. But people have to start somewhere in any society, and many of them won't start with much money at all. For the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit (whether for fun or as an income), many people might move first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics, then moving onward to terrestrial analogues and learning yet more, climbing a naturally-forming ladder of ascent. After all, real exovivaria will remain scarce for quite a while, and scarcity not only creates the perception of value, that perception induces value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.

Virtual exovivaria are [[exovivaria]] that exist only in simulations. They will have several purposes for [[Project Persephone]], some very functional, others entirely recreational:
* '''Market testing''': Virtual worlds have no physical costs besides those incurred to run them on computers. Exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, internal layouts and maintenance problems could be tried out on real customers, at low cost. The most successful of these could be moved to the terrestrial prototype stage, at least insofar as they don't depend on low- or zero-gravity. If real exovivaria start being launched, virtual exovivaria will still be useful as laboratories for innovation.

* '''Arts and cultural projects''': To let people create without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs.

* '''Market testing''': To prototype exovivaria designs. Virtual worlds have no physical costs besides those incurred to run them on computers. Exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, and internal layouts could be tried out on real customers. The most successful of these could be moved to the terrestrial prototype stage, at least insofar as they don't depend on low- or zero-gravity.
* '''Training''': To simulate how to work and play in prototype exovivaria. Users who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium, could build needed skills.
*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is like to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer | Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Since prototype exovivaria and real ones in orbit can be damaged (including the killing of living things) even by accident, it's important to catch this sort of user before they can add to these risks. 

* '''Market testing''': To prototype exovivaria designs. Virtual worlds have no physical costs besides those incurred to run them on computers. Exovivaria with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, and internal layouts could be tried out on real customers.
* '''Training''': To simulate how to work and play in earthbound prototype exovivaria. Users who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium.
*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is like to be visited by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griefer Griefers]] - those who are intent only on making trouble. Since real prototype exovivaria and real exovivaria can experience real property damage (including the killing of living things), catching this sort of user before they can contribute to such risks could be one of its most important functions. 
* '''Procedural tests''': To try out new, possibly risky procedures for repair or rescue in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, before trying them where it really matters

*'''Variable realism''' - nearly photorealistic (though not necessarily real-time) rendering might be required by paid users, who will want to know "what it's really like". That raytraced/raycast environment should feature a fixed set of plant and animal species, with the simulated animals capable of realistic motion. Much more schematized renderings might be supplied to the paid worker-avatars, partly to conserve satellite downlink bandwidth, but also because telepresence productivity studies have shown less worker distraction and greater "flow" (a rough proxy for productivity or joy in work) when the remote environment is presented sketchily.
*'''Limited zoology/botany''' - Creatures and plants will be based solely on real species that actually die and decompose, and reproduction of species won't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit. Even species extinction will be possible. (And necessary, in the case of otherwise-unmanageable pests or pathogens that snuck in somehow - scenarios that it would be irresponsible ''not'' to simulate.)

Within these physically simulated limits, however, almost any degree of "augmented reality" overlaid on the physical simulation should be permitted. If someone wants to pose their avatar seated on an exovivarial [[insects | grasshopper]] perched on a twig, and wave a custom-designed flag to announce recently bought territory, what's to stop them, if the API permits it? Needless to say, customers should have access to such privileges in terrestrial prototype ''physical'' exovivaria as well, and in any actual (i.e., orbiting) exovivaria, though only at higher prices, prices that some Project-internal market determines.

*'''Filtering''': Any virtual world is like to be visited by [[Griefers]] - those who delight only in making trouble. Since real prototype exovivaria and real exovivaria can experience real property damage (including killing of living things), catching this sort of user early could be an important function. 

*'''Filtering''':

* '''Market tests''': To prototype exovivaria designs (with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, and internal layouts) and try them out on real customers prior to building physical terrestrial approximations and eventual orbital systems.
* '''Training''': To simulate how to work and play in earthbound prototype exovivaria, for users who want to try it out but who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium.

* Market tests: To prototype exovivaria designs (with a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes, and internal layouts) and try them out on real customers prior to building physical terrestrial approximations and eventual orbital systems.
* Training: To simulate how to work and play in earthbound prototype exovivaria, for users who want to try it out but who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a real-world prototype, much less a real exovivarium.
* Procedural tests: To try out new, possibly risky procedures for repair or rescue in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria, before trying them where it really matters
* Arts and cultural projects: To let people create without risk to physical assets, and without undue costs.

*Game physics will need to match the artificial (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarial environment.
*Nearly photorealistic (though not necessarily real-time) rendering might be required by paid users, who will want to know "what it's really like". That raytraced/raycast environment should feature a fixed set of plant and animal species, with the simulated animals capable of realistic motion.
*Much more schematized renderings might be supplied to the paid worker-avatars, partly to conserve satellite downlink bandwidth, but also because telepresence productivity studies have shown less worker distraction and greater "flow" (a rough proxy for productivity or joy in work) when the environment is presented sketchily.
*Creatures and plants will be based solely on real species that actually die and decompose, and reproduction of species won't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit. Even species extinction will be possible. (And necessary, in the case of otherwise-unmanageable pests or pathogens that snuck in somehow - scenarios that it would be irresponsible ''not'' to simulate.)
*Finally, the exigencies of communication with a satellite that will probably be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]) might mean that the simulated communication with the simulated environment is near real-time at some points, but degraded by a (likewise, simulated) geosynchronous satellite round-trip delay at others, or even sporadically available, as is the case with most LEO satellites.
*Raw materials will be limited to what was initially supplied on "launch".
*Creating new territory will be either impossible (because the physical geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put more things in space.)

*Game physics will need to match the artifical (or zero-) gravity of a proposed (or existing) exovivarial environment.

Virtual exovivaria will be different from most virtual worlds in important ways.

*Nearly photorealistic (though not necessarily real-time) rendering might be required by paid users, who will want to know "what it's really like". That raytraced/raycast environment should feature a fixed set of plant and animal species, with the simulated animals capable of realistic-looking motion.
*Much more schematized rendering might be supplied to paid worker-avatars, partly to conserve satellite downlink bandwidth, but also because some telepresence productivity studies have shown less distraction and greater "flow" (a rough proxy for productivity or joy in work) when the environment is presented sketchily.
*Creatures and plants will actually, truly, die and decompose, and reproduction of species can't magically happen any sooner than normal mating/seeding patterns and gestation permit.

*Nearly photorealistic (though not necessarily real-time) rendering might be required by paid users, who will want to know "what it's really like", and that raytraced/raycast environment should feature a fixed set of plant and animal species, with the simulated animals capable of realistic-looking motion.

*Finally, the exigencies of communication with a satellite that might be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]) might mean that the communication with the simulated environment is near real-time at some points, but degraded by a (simulated) geosynchronous satellite round-trip delay at others, or even sporadically available, as is the case with most LEO satellites.

*Creating new territory will be either impossible (because the geometry of the simulated exovivarium is fixed) or very expensive (because it's expensive to put things in space.)

Within these physically simulated limits, however, almost any degree of "augmented reality" overlaid on the physical simulation should be permitted. If someone wants to pose their avatar seated on an exovivarial grasshopper perched on a twig, and wave a custom-designed flag to announce recently bought territory, what's to stop them, if the API permits it? Needless to say, customers should have access to such privileges in terrestrial prototype ''physical'' exovivaria as well, and in any actual (i.e., orbiting) exovivaria, though only at higher prices that some Project-internal market determines.

Permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts into exovivarial simulations as "reality augmentations" - with the understanding that the augmentations can't affect anything in the simulated ''physical'' environment - could serve some very useful purposes. If, for example, the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud and overwhelm the simulated physical reality, drowning user interest in ecosystem maintenance, that ominous trend has value as a design diagnostic: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is just not interesting and compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), to be a compelling recreational experience.[^It might be argued here that the users' knowledge that it's a simulation, that things aren't really dying when they seem to die, makes any such diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's an important purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things ''can'' die): to calibrate the virtual worlds against real [[biophilia]].^]

* Market tests: To prototype exovivaria designs (including a range of artificial gravities, species mixes, habitat sizes) and try them out on real customers prior to attempting physical terrestrial approximations and eventual orbital systems.
* Training: To simulate how to work and play in earthbound prototype exovivaria, for users who want to try it out, but who aren't yet skilled (or trusted) enough to be allowed to telebotically operate in a concrete prototype.
* Procedural tests: To try out new, possibly risky procedures in both terrestrial prototypes and launched exovivaria before trying them where it really matters

*Finally, the exigencies of communication with a satellite that might be in low-earth-orbit ([[LEO]]) might mean that the communication is near real-time at some points, but degraded by a geosynchronous satellite round-trip delay at others, or even just sporadically available.

Permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts into exovivarial simulations as "reality augmentations" - so long as it's understood that the augmentations can't physically interact with the physical things being simulated - could serve some very useful purposes. If, for example, the augmentations grow to the point where they begin to cloud and overwhelm the reality, drowning interest in ecosystem maintenance, that ominous trend will have design diagnostic value: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is just not interesting and compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), to be a compelling recreational experience.[^It might be argued here that the knowledge that it's a simulation, and that things aren't really dying when they seem to die, makes the diagnosis a lot less meaningful. But that's the purpose of the more expensive terrestrial prototypes (where real living things can die): to factor out "false" [[biophilia]].)

Permitting an almost arbitrary degree of infusion of [[MMORPG]] concepts into exovivarial simulations as "reality augmentations" could serve some very useful purposes. If, for example, the augmentations begin to cloud and overwhelm the reality, drowning interest in ecosystem maintenance that has diagnostic value: it says the reality you're trying to simulate is just not interesting and compelling enough, and that an exovivarium must have more (of ''something''), to be a compelling recreational experience.

Even if exovivaria become real, virtual exovivaria will probably still be useful, and possibly even profitable. To own real estate in a real exovivarium, perhaps bossing a few telebot crews to add value to your property, would likely be the pinnacle of the (private sector) social order. But people have to start somewhere, and for the chance of getting to the point of making things happen in orbit, moving first through the virtual exovivarial worlds, learning the ropes and the ethics, then moving onward to terrestrial analogues and learning yet more, will be a naturally-forming ladder of ascent for most customers. Scarcity not only creates value, it induces value into steps and stages required to qualify for, or afford, the thing that's scarce.