The Palace
The Palace |
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The Palace is a virtual environment which allows communication with people on the Internet and Local Area Networks (LAN) around the world. You become an avatar which means you are represented onscreen by a round happy face. The possibilities are endless. You can don props, costumes, and pseudonyms, communicate by sounds, or text, and move around the palace rooms to explore, create, and relate.
The Palace is a large network of Palace Sites running on individual computers, local area networks, and on the worldwide Internet. It is completely cross-platform which allows Macintosh and Windows users to communicate effortlessly. The Palace software combines some of the features of a MUD, a chat service, and a virtual reality system to create a virtual environment.
A free trial membership (with almost complete functionality) is available for a three hour period at certain Palace sites. After the trial membership expires, the Palace may be accessed only as a "Guest". A membership fee of $25 gives you a full rights and privileges as a Palace member.
The Palace Download site (see Resources)
The Interface of The Palace consists of a large rectangular area called the View Screen. The design of the interface is intuitive and allows users to communicate by text, graphics, sounds, and colors. The scene on the View Screen changes as you move from room to room. You assume the role of an Avatar which is a graphic representation that appears on the View Screen. As a Guest you appear as a smiley faced rounded. Members may create costumes, props, and various appearance, or they can choose from props already available in the prop bag.
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The Status Bar shown in the graphic below displays the following information:
The area just below the Status Bar is the Input Box. This is where you type the text to "talk" with others. Simply type in what you would like to say and press the Return/Enter key. Your text appears in a cartoon balloon next to your head. Your text is also spoken audibly as it appears. |
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The four icons to the right of the Input Box allow you to access many of the Palace's special features:
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Once you have downloaded Palace Client software, follow these steps to enter the Palace:
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1. Double click on the Palace icon on your desktop.
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2. Select Connect in the box that opens up.
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3. Once you are connected, The Palace Web Page will appear briefly, and then you will find yourself at the Jump Station. Click on the crown to access the Palace. (Or you may choose one of the orange buttons on the left side of the screen which lists categories of games and sites.)
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4. Now your rounded will appear on the Welcome Palace. Here you can begin to communicate with others by typing in the Input Box and hitting the Return/Enter key.
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5. When you are ready to move into the Palace or to another site, move your cursor until it turns into a hand, and click on the that area. Another way to enter is to select Options from the menu bar and move down to Go to Room. |
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A window will appear which will list all the rooms and the number of visitors there. 6. Double click on the room of your choice.
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7. This is the Info Page site where you may ask questions, communicate, or move to new areas. |
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8. In order to continue Palace-hopping, you may disconnect from the current Palace without closing the client completely in the following ways:
To disconnect and close the program, simply pull down the File Menu and select Quit. |
The Palace can be an exciting and motivating tool for enhancing the curriculum. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this site is not censored and many graphics and conversations may be inappropriate for children. A ChildLock feature is available which allows you to input a password before The Palace may be accessed. The Palace Manual explains how to use this feature.
Here are a few suggestions on how the Palace may be used in the classroom:
On-Line Manuals for The Palace
