The Virtual St Paul’s Cathedral Project has ambitious goals if it wants to “enable us to experience worship and preaching at St Paul’s Cathedral and in Paul’s Churchyard as events that unfold over time and on particular occasions in London in the early seventeenth century.” On the website, these goals only come to us in constituent parts, through playable audio recordings, image captures, text-heavy descriptions, and a painstakingly slow flyover video. As such, it is not immersive or a “fun” game-play experience online. However, the version physically installed at NC State sounds more immersive. The promised experience of being surrounded by St. Paul’s sights and sounds does seem more achievable in a physical room than a flyover video. Hopefully the effects of the room will give them an atmosphere to strive for online as they continue to develop the project.
It is also worth noting that the visual and audio models meticulously represent aspects of St. Paul based on thorough historical research. Furthermore, the project’s creators are well aware that it is a work in process, so it seems unfair to evaluate it as a final product.
Sources:
“Overview.” Virtual St. Paul’s Cathedral Project: A Digital Re-creation of Worship and Preaching at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Early Modern London. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://vpcp.chass.ncsu.edu/.
