A Mind Forever Voyaging
Encyclopedia
A Mind Forever Voyaging is an interactive fiction game designed and implemented by Steve Meretzky
and published by Infocom
in 1985. The name is taken from book three of The Prelude
by William Wordsworth
:
AMFV was not a conventional Infocom adventure, having only a single puzzle near the end of the game. Unlike most other Infocom titles, particularly those written by Steve Meretzky, the game had a serious tone and a political theme; attributes which the company would revisit with the following year's Trinity
. The game is among Infocom's most respected titles, although it was not a commercial success. It was also the first of the "Interactive Fiction Plus" line, meaning that AMFV had greater memory requirements, unlike earlier Infocom games that used a less advanced version of the company's "Z-machine" interpreter. It is Infocom's seventeenth game.
, in the year 2031. The economy of the United States of North America (USNA) is failing. Great numbers of youths are turning to "Joybooths" (a device which directly stimulates the sensory input of the brain
) and committing suicide
by overstimulation. A new arms race
involving nuclear weapon
s no larger than the size of a common pack of cigarette
s threatens to turn the USNA into a police state
. Unaware that it is a sophisticated computer, PRISM has been living for 11 years (in real-time, 20 years within the simulation) as an ordinary human, "Perry Simm." Dr. Abraham Perelman, PRISM's "father", informs Perry of his true nature and gently brings him from simulation mode into reality. Perelman explains that he has awakened PRISM so a vital mission can be performed: running a simulation of a revitalization plan (dubbed the Plan for Renewed National Purpose), sponsored by Senator Richard Ryder. The plan calls for "renewed national purpose" through de-regulation of government and industry, military conscription, a unilateral approach to diplomatic relations, trade protectionism, and a return to traditional and fundamental values. While in simulation mode, Perry is able to record experiences in a buffer which will be analyzed to evaluate the success of the plan. If Perry "dies" in the simulation, it is not catastrophic; the simulation can simply be reset and reentered.
Note: The following description is based on the player making the correct choices and successfully completing the game.
The simulation initially focuses on the fictional small town of Rockvil, South Dakota
, 10 years after the plan has been implemented. Given a list of public, civil, and private areas to record for evaluation, Perry enters the simulation to find a revitalized Rockvil in 2041. The government is more efficient, the economy has improved, food is plentiful, and his simulated wife (Jill) and son (Mitchell) are hopeful for the future. When the recordings are brought back and evaluated, the plan is deemed viable and preparations to implement it are begun.
Perelman, however, feels uneasy recommending such a sweeping plan based on relatively little data. He is also distrustful of the plan. (When PRISM asks Perelman about himself, Perelman mentions that politically, he has "always been pretty liberal...." Conservative elements are considered to be the plan's strongest supporters based on statistical sampling, although the plan has the support of a majority of both liberals and conservatives.) In a passing comment to PRISM, Perelman notes that further simulation might allow more in-depth evaluation of the long-term effects of the plan. With nothing further to do, PRISM enters sleep mode; he has no physical body that requires rest, but since his mind is based on that of a human, sleep is necessary for his mental well-being.
After waking, PRISM finds that the Simulation Controller has correlated enough data from the initial test period to provide a further projection of 20 years into the future. With Dr. Perelman occupied with other concerns, PRISM begins the new simulation. By 2051, Rockvil has begun to decline, as the optimism granted by the plan wanes. Pollution
has increased as woodlands are stripped and converted into filthy industrial districts. The Border Security Force, created to defend the nation against Soviet nuclear terrorism, conducts warrantless raids on people seemingly at random, including Perry's family. Capital punishment
has been expanded; two defendants are seen facing the death penalty for attempted rape. Due to rising crime, a government-initiated curfew
is now in effect. The quality and supply of food dwindles. A new cult
, The Church of God's Word, arises and finds many supporters within the increasingly discontented public. Perry quietly records all this and presents it to Perelman for evaluation.
Examining PRISM's recordings, Perelman expresses alarm and cautiously suggests further investigation. Once again, the Simulation Controller has gathered enough information to create another new simulation era, this one 30 years after the plan's implementation. Perry enters to find matters even worse. By 2061, and water pollution are nearing catastrophic levels. The BSF and local police treat the public savagely. Public executions of criminals are televised and are extremely popular. Vandalism
and cruelty to people and animals alike are rampant. Public services are in disarray. The Church of God's Word has grown to gain a stranglehold on the nation, establishing a caste
-like system of social classes and seducing Perry's son Mitchell to abandon his family. Once again, PRISM discreetly records the chaos.
Perelman is deeply disturbed by the recordings, but is acutely aware of the powerful people behind the plan. Exhaustive evidence will be needed to discredit the plan, so he asks PRISM to enter a simulation set 40 years in the future. By 2071, the future is grim indeed. The Church has installed itself as a new totalitarian government. A Church newsletter reveals that higher-echelon Church members are allowed to own slaves. Mitchell, now fully under the Church's power, leads a raid on his parents' home and has Jill arrested for heresy
. ("She spake against the Church," Mitchell charges, "[and] tried to poison the mind of a child too young to know the Truth.") Strict rationing is in effect for the miserable food available; if Perry attempts to use his ration card twice within one day, he is arrested, beaten, and quickly tried and executed. Attempting to enter one of the few food establishments leads to a violent dismissal, since patronage is reserved for Church members. The public executions of the past have given way to bloody gladiatorial matches
between condemned criminals. Sudden and random death is frequent: Perry is shot by a drunken officer after curfew, and he is stoned to death in a schoolyard by Church youths, who view the sickly, malnourished Perry as little more than an animal.
These records still aren't quite enough to satisfy Perelman. The doctor feels that there might yet be some small hope for revival (perhaps a result of his own personal idealism), and sends PRISM to the final projection of 2081, 50 years after the implementation of the plan promised to save the nation.
There is no salvation. The environment has been devastated. The small area of Rockvil that can be survived is a wasteland, and society has collapsed into complete chaos. Telephone poles have been chopped down for firewood. Buildings collapse into rubble. Defenseless people are ripped to shreds both by packs of wild dogs and barbaric humans. Barely any recognizable or edible food remains. Perry makes recordings of several brief moments of life cut violently short, and then leaves the hellish projection for good.
At last Perelman feels that enough evidence exists to declare the plan a complete disaster. As he prepares to leave and present PRISM's findings to the government, he thanks the computer for its efforts; without them, the nation, and perhaps even the entire world, would have been doomed. Left once again with nothing else to do, PRISM enters Sleep Mode.
The computer "wakes" again hours later to find that the facility where it is housed is under lockdown by the Dakota
-Manitoba
National Guard
. Senator Ryder sees the discrediting of "his" plan as a personal insult. Incensed, he ignores the evidence of its disastrous consequences and decides to make Perelman pay. Ryder bursts into Perelman's office and proceeds to berate him until his implied threats escalate to explicit ones. PRISM surreptitiously begins recording the senator's abuse via an audio/video link. Delivering a final spate of insults and promises of violence, Ryder leaves. PRISM waits for an interface to a global newsfeed to become active so the recorded incident can be transmitted.
Shortly after Ryder storms off, a small craft lands on the building's roof and two men dressed as maintenance workers make their way towards PRISM's maintenance core. They seem suspiciously out of place, especially when they start tinkering with the cooling systems. Realizing that the men are goons of Ryder's, PRISM closes the ventilation to the area; fumes accumulate quickly and render the assailants unconscious. They are soon discovered by the National Guard and arrested, and Ryder's attempts at intimidation are broadcast around the world.
The plan is thoroughly discredited and Senator Ryder is publicly disgraced. Perelman lauds PRISM for the initiative it has shown in recording the incident and in protecting itself from harm. As a reward for the outstanding service it has performed for the nation, PRISM — or rather, Perry — is allowed to "retire" into a final simulation -- a USNA in which a "new" plan based on pacifism
and social welfare-statism
has been implemented. Perry is reunited with his family in the year 2091; he, his wife and son are happy and prosperous, and Perry looks towards his golden years with joy and anticipation.
and whose laws and customs are strongly modeled on the United States. Washington, DC, remains the capital city. The climax of the adventure takes place after PRISM determines that the Plan for Renewed National Purpose is deeply flawed, and will send the nation into chaos.
The plan is a critique of both right-wing and populist
political prescriptions that were popular in the mid 1980s. The plan consisted of the following points:
Legislative action:
Constitutional amendments:
If the player reaches the optimum ending, he is placed in simulation mode and sent to live out the rest of his life in the year 2091. It is revealed that a new political "plan" was enacted after the defeat of the Plan for Renewed National Purpose. Although not spelled out in great detail, this plan was apparently was one of pacifism
and social welfare-statism
.
Given that the Plan for Renewed National Purpose resulted in the collapse of civilization in the USNA, it appears that the author's intent was to warn against the possible consequences of some policy choices made during the Reagan
administration: specifically, a more aggressive foreign/military policy, the cutting of social welfare benefits to permit tax cuts, and an emphasis on religious values.
Also, in the fictional year 2031, Greece
and Guatemala
are considered anti-American
nations (along with North Korea
and Albania
) and the black-dominated South African government faces attacks from a radical white terrorist group called WIZO. Libya
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
was killed during a Libyan nuclear test in the early 2010s. Significantly, the Soviet Union
continues to exist, and presents security threats to the United States. Indeed, the Eastern bloc
appears to have had something of a renaissance
by the year 2031 in this fictional world.
Steve Meretzky
Steven Eric Meretzky is an American computer game developer, with dozens of titles to his credit. He has been involved in almost every aspect of game development, from design to production to quality assurance and box design...
and published by Infocom
Infocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
in 1985. The name is taken from book three of The Prelude
The Prelude
The Prelude; or, Growth of a Poet's Mind is an autobiographical, "philosophical" poem in blank verse by the English poet William Wordsworth. Wordsworth wrote the first version of the poem when he was 28, and worked over the rest of it for his long life without publishing it...
by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
:
The antechapel where the statue stood
Of Newton with his prism and silent face,
The marble index of a mind for ever
Voyaging through strange seas of Thought, alone.
AMFV was not a conventional Infocom adventure, having only a single puzzle near the end of the game. Unlike most other Infocom titles, particularly those written by Steve Meretzky, the game had a serious tone and a political theme; attributes which the company would revisit with the following year's Trinity
Trinity (computer game)
Trinity is an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published in 1986 by Infocom. It is widely regarded as one of the company's best works....
. The game is among Infocom's most respected titles, although it was not a commercial success. It was also the first of the "Interactive Fiction Plus" line, meaning that AMFV had greater memory requirements, unlike earlier Infocom games that used a less advanced version of the company's "Z-machine" interpreter. It is Infocom's seventeenth game.
Plot
The player controls PRISM, the world's first sentient computerArtificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, in the year 2031. The economy of the United States of North America (USNA) is failing. Great numbers of youths are turning to "Joybooths" (a device which directly stimulates the sensory input of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
) and committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by overstimulation. A new arms race
Arms race
The term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...
involving nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s no larger than the size of a common pack of cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s threatens to turn the USNA into a police state
Police state
A police state is one in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population...
. Unaware that it is a sophisticated computer, PRISM has been living for 11 years (in real-time, 20 years within the simulation) as an ordinary human, "Perry Simm." Dr. Abraham Perelman, PRISM's "father", informs Perry of his true nature and gently brings him from simulation mode into reality. Perelman explains that he has awakened PRISM so a vital mission can be performed: running a simulation of a revitalization plan (dubbed the Plan for Renewed National Purpose), sponsored by Senator Richard Ryder. The plan calls for "renewed national purpose" through de-regulation of government and industry, military conscription, a unilateral approach to diplomatic relations, trade protectionism, and a return to traditional and fundamental values. While in simulation mode, Perry is able to record experiences in a buffer which will be analyzed to evaluate the success of the plan. If Perry "dies" in the simulation, it is not catastrophic; the simulation can simply be reset and reentered.
Note: The following description is based on the player making the correct choices and successfully completing the game.
The simulation initially focuses on the fictional small town of Rockvil, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 10 years after the plan has been implemented. Given a list of public, civil, and private areas to record for evaluation, Perry enters the simulation to find a revitalized Rockvil in 2041. The government is more efficient, the economy has improved, food is plentiful, and his simulated wife (Jill) and son (Mitchell) are hopeful for the future. When the recordings are brought back and evaluated, the plan is deemed viable and preparations to implement it are begun.
Perelman, however, feels uneasy recommending such a sweeping plan based on relatively little data. He is also distrustful of the plan. (When PRISM asks Perelman about himself, Perelman mentions that politically, he has "always been pretty liberal...." Conservative elements are considered to be the plan's strongest supporters based on statistical sampling, although the plan has the support of a majority of both liberals and conservatives.) In a passing comment to PRISM, Perelman notes that further simulation might allow more in-depth evaluation of the long-term effects of the plan. With nothing further to do, PRISM enters sleep mode; he has no physical body that requires rest, but since his mind is based on that of a human, sleep is necessary for his mental well-being.
After waking, PRISM finds that the Simulation Controller has correlated enough data from the initial test period to provide a further projection of 20 years into the future. With Dr. Perelman occupied with other concerns, PRISM begins the new simulation. By 2051, Rockvil has begun to decline, as the optimism granted by the plan wanes. Pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
has increased as woodlands are stripped and converted into filthy industrial districts. The Border Security Force, created to defend the nation against Soviet nuclear terrorism, conducts warrantless raids on people seemingly at random, including Perry's family. Capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
has been expanded; two defendants are seen facing the death penalty for attempted rape. Due to rising crime, a government-initiated curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
is now in effect. The quality and supply of food dwindles. A new cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
, The Church of God's Word, arises and finds many supporters within the increasingly discontented public. Perry quietly records all this and presents it to Perelman for evaluation.
Examining PRISM's recordings, Perelman expresses alarm and cautiously suggests further investigation. Once again, the Simulation Controller has gathered enough information to create another new simulation era, this one 30 years after the plan's implementation. Perry enters to find matters even worse. By 2061, and water pollution are nearing catastrophic levels. The BSF and local police treat the public savagely. Public executions of criminals are televised and are extremely popular. Vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and cruelty to people and animals alike are rampant. Public services are in disarray. The Church of God's Word has grown to gain a stranglehold on the nation, establishing a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
-like system of social classes and seducing Perry's son Mitchell to abandon his family. Once again, PRISM discreetly records the chaos.
Perelman is deeply disturbed by the recordings, but is acutely aware of the powerful people behind the plan. Exhaustive evidence will be needed to discredit the plan, so he asks PRISM to enter a simulation set 40 years in the future. By 2071, the future is grim indeed. The Church has installed itself as a new totalitarian government. A Church newsletter reveals that higher-echelon Church members are allowed to own slaves. Mitchell, now fully under the Church's power, leads a raid on his parents' home and has Jill arrested for heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. ("She spake against the Church," Mitchell charges, "[and] tried to poison the mind of a child too young to know the Truth.") Strict rationing is in effect for the miserable food available; if Perry attempts to use his ration card twice within one day, he is arrested, beaten, and quickly tried and executed. Attempting to enter one of the few food establishments leads to a violent dismissal, since patronage is reserved for Church members. The public executions of the past have given way to bloody gladiatorial matches
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
between condemned criminals. Sudden and random death is frequent: Perry is shot by a drunken officer after curfew, and he is stoned to death in a schoolyard by Church youths, who view the sickly, malnourished Perry as little more than an animal.
These records still aren't quite enough to satisfy Perelman. The doctor feels that there might yet be some small hope for revival (perhaps a result of his own personal idealism), and sends PRISM to the final projection of 2081, 50 years after the implementation of the plan promised to save the nation.
There is no salvation. The environment has been devastated. The small area of Rockvil that can be survived is a wasteland, and society has collapsed into complete chaos. Telephone poles have been chopped down for firewood. Buildings collapse into rubble. Defenseless people are ripped to shreds both by packs of wild dogs and barbaric humans. Barely any recognizable or edible food remains. Perry makes recordings of several brief moments of life cut violently short, and then leaves the hellish projection for good.
At last Perelman feels that enough evidence exists to declare the plan a complete disaster. As he prepares to leave and present PRISM's findings to the government, he thanks the computer for its efforts; without them, the nation, and perhaps even the entire world, would have been doomed. Left once again with nothing else to do, PRISM enters Sleep Mode.
The computer "wakes" again hours later to find that the facility where it is housed is under lockdown by the Dakota
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term that refers to the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. The term has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is continued to be used to describe the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, the economy, and...
-Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
. Senator Ryder sees the discrediting of "his" plan as a personal insult. Incensed, he ignores the evidence of its disastrous consequences and decides to make Perelman pay. Ryder bursts into Perelman's office and proceeds to berate him until his implied threats escalate to explicit ones. PRISM surreptitiously begins recording the senator's abuse via an audio/video link. Delivering a final spate of insults and promises of violence, Ryder leaves. PRISM waits for an interface to a global newsfeed to become active so the recorded incident can be transmitted.
Shortly after Ryder storms off, a small craft lands on the building's roof and two men dressed as maintenance workers make their way towards PRISM's maintenance core. They seem suspiciously out of place, especially when they start tinkering with the cooling systems. Realizing that the men are goons of Ryder's, PRISM closes the ventilation to the area; fumes accumulate quickly and render the assailants unconscious. They are soon discovered by the National Guard and arrested, and Ryder's attempts at intimidation are broadcast around the world.
The plan is thoroughly discredited and Senator Ryder is publicly disgraced. Perelman lauds PRISM for the initiative it has shown in recording the incident and in protecting itself from harm. As a reward for the outstanding service it has performed for the nation, PRISM — or rather, Perry — is allowed to "retire" into a final simulation -- a USNA in which a "new" plan based on pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and social welfare-statism
Statism
Statism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
has been implemented. Perry is reunited with his family in the year 2091; he, his wife and son are happy and prosperous, and Perry looks towards his golden years with joy and anticipation.
Political elements
AMFV was unique among Infocom titles (with the possible exception of Trinity) in that it addressed political issues, with the author's own views directly available to the player. The adventure takes place in the United States of North America, a country that embraces all of the present-day United States of America and CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and whose laws and customs are strongly modeled on the United States. Washington, DC, remains the capital city. The climax of the adventure takes place after PRISM determines that the Plan for Renewed National Purpose is deeply flawed, and will send the nation into chaos.
The plan is a critique of both right-wing and populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
political prescriptions that were popular in the mid 1980s. The plan consisted of the following points:
Legislative action:
- cut tax rates by fifty percent
- vigorous prosecution of tax evasionTax evasionTax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
- decentralizationDecentralization__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
of federalFederal government of the United StatesThe federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
responsibilities - deregulationDeregulationDeregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of all major industries - reinstatement of the military draft
- emphasis on fundamentals and traditional valuesFamily valuesFamily values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
in education - mandatory conscriptionConscriptionConscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
for troublemakers and criminals - a strict "USNA First" trade policy
- termination of aid to nations not pro-USNA
- cutbacks on all types of bureaucracyBureaucracyA bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
, e.g. registering cars, guns - termination of government subsidies to outmoded industries
Constitutional amendments:
- increase the powers of the executive branchExecutive (government)Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
- increase the presidential term of office to eight years
If the player reaches the optimum ending, he is placed in simulation mode and sent to live out the rest of his life in the year 2091. It is revealed that a new political "plan" was enacted after the defeat of the Plan for Renewed National Purpose. Although not spelled out in great detail, this plan was apparently was one of pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and social welfare-statism
Statism
Statism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
.
Given that the Plan for Renewed National Purpose resulted in the collapse of civilization in the USNA, it appears that the author's intent was to warn against the possible consequences of some policy choices made during the Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
administration: specifically, a more aggressive foreign/military policy, the cutting of social welfare benefits to permit tax cuts, and an emphasis on religious values.
Also, in the fictional year 2031, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
are considered anti-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nations (along with North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
) and the black-dominated South African government faces attacks from a radical white terrorist group called WIZO. Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
was killed during a Libyan nuclear test in the early 2010s. Significantly, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
continues to exist, and presents security threats to the United States. Indeed, the Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
appears to have had something of a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
by the year 2031 in this fictional world.
Feelies
Although AMFV was an atypical Infocom game, it nonetheless contained the extra package content known as feelies. The game package included:- A printed copy of Dakota Online Magazine from April, 2031, featuring an article about "Perry Simm"/PRISM
- An advertisement presented by the "Joybooth Manufacturers of North America" arguing that "Joybooths are not the problem"
- A "PRISM Project Facility Class One Security Mode Access Decoder", a paper wheel device that provided access codes needed in-game
- A map of Rockvil, "Jewel of the Quad-State Area" (the quad-state area consisting of South Dakota, North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
) - A ballpoint penBallpoint penA ballpoint pen is a writing instrument with an internal ink reservoir and a sphere for a point. The internal chamber is filled with a viscous ink that is dispensed at its tip during use by the rolling action of a small sphere...
from QUAD Mutual Insurance. ("From seafarms to spacelabs, you're covered by QUAD.")
External links
- Overview of A Mind Forever Voyaging
- Source text of The Prelude Book 3, Chapter Residence at Cambridge
- The Infocom Gallery entry for A Mind Forever Voyaging with photos of all feelies, manual and decoder table
- The Infocom Bugs List entry for A Mind Forever Voyaging