heart havok
17-04-01, 08:56 AM
i personally found the site "thought experiments lain" definitely full of the most well researched theories of Serial Experiments Lain so i decided to create threads discussing Lawrence Eng's wonderfull descriptions on different topics. i would add my opinions, but there's not much for me to add seeing as he himself has pin-pointed my own personal theories on the series to almost perfection. where i disagree i will make note, and i will add additional opinions as time goes on.
Originally written by Lawrence Eng (http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lain.htm)
PK
The boy playing PhanotomA yells out: "Are you also a "PK"? Help me!"--(quoted from Shindo's translated script, layer:04 "RUMORS").
"(Lain (wired)) Why are you interested in killing other players so much?
(Taro) Nobody knows what is fun and why it is fun for me."--(quoted from Shindo's translated script, layer:08 "RELIGION")
PK is short for "Player Killer", a person who kills other players in online games, though the term is most often reserved for such players in games which are at least partially social in nature. People who play first person perspective shooters, for example, are not usually called PKs. The terminology may have originated from the early days of text-based online MUDs ("multi-user dungeons"). The term is still used today in the more modern (fully graphical) online gaming environments in which players can socialize, kill monsters, or (in the case of PKs) kill other characters. For online gaming worlds which allow characters to grow over time, PKs are controversial in that they add an element of risk to the game, where players who have developed attachments to long-term characters must constantly be on the lookout for dangerous PKs. As such, many people want to ban PKs, or at least weaken their effect on the games. PKs, on the other hand, consider the risk of combat a thrilling and vital part of the online experience.
Interpretation:
Lain does not understand the appeal of "killing" on the Wired, even if it's only other players in a game, whereas Taro considers PKing completely natural. This difference in attitude reflects two different approaches to interpersonal relationships on the Internet/Wired. The Knights are concerned with status and power over others on the Wired, whereas Lain is more interested in relating to others. It's the difference between cutthroat competitiveness on one hand versus sympathy and compassion on the other. Perhaps serial experiments lain is commenting on the current predominance of the former over the latter.
Originally written by Lawrence Eng (http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lain.htm)
PK
The boy playing PhanotomA yells out: "Are you also a "PK"? Help me!"--(quoted from Shindo's translated script, layer:04 "RUMORS").
"(Lain (wired)) Why are you interested in killing other players so much?
(Taro) Nobody knows what is fun and why it is fun for me."--(quoted from Shindo's translated script, layer:08 "RELIGION")
PK is short for "Player Killer", a person who kills other players in online games, though the term is most often reserved for such players in games which are at least partially social in nature. People who play first person perspective shooters, for example, are not usually called PKs. The terminology may have originated from the early days of text-based online MUDs ("multi-user dungeons"). The term is still used today in the more modern (fully graphical) online gaming environments in which players can socialize, kill monsters, or (in the case of PKs) kill other characters. For online gaming worlds which allow characters to grow over time, PKs are controversial in that they add an element of risk to the game, where players who have developed attachments to long-term characters must constantly be on the lookout for dangerous PKs. As such, many people want to ban PKs, or at least weaken their effect on the games. PKs, on the other hand, consider the risk of combat a thrilling and vital part of the online experience.
Interpretation:
Lain does not understand the appeal of "killing" on the Wired, even if it's only other players in a game, whereas Taro considers PKing completely natural. This difference in attitude reflects two different approaches to interpersonal relationships on the Internet/Wired. The Knights are concerned with status and power over others on the Wired, whereas Lain is more interested in relating to others. It's the difference between cutthroat competitiveness on one hand versus sympathy and compassion on the other. Perhaps serial experiments lain is commenting on the current predominance of the former over the latter.