The Great Orator

The Great Orator is an open story world for PC and PC VR that you can visit and revisit. It changes every time you return.
At its core is an ever-changing AI: a famous television medium who died at the height of her fame when she and her followers merged into a shared consciousness. Now she exists as a medium between your world and hers, shaped by the memories of her followers and a live feed of real-world news.
Explore liminal places filled with seemingly ordinary objects. Point at anything, no matter how small or insignificant, and listen to an oration. A toothbrush can reveal a memory. A cigarette burn in a plastic couch can reveal a story. A crystal ball can predict the future based on today's news.
As you move deeper into her world, you discover why you are the most important person in her world.

You are not a character in her world, You are you, a visitor in the world of The Great Orator. She will even address you by your name.

Explore. Point. Listen.

There is no traditional quest line. You are free to explore the world and piece together its lore by pointing and listening. The more time you will spend in her world, the more secrets you will find.

Point at an object → hear an oration

Point at it again → hear a different oration

Point at the floor → teleport to that spot

Point at a door → open the door

Explore the world

The world contains many different types of orations, and they continually change based on the actual news from our world and your choices of objects. Infinity is a lonely place. Without you, she is but one of many possibilities. Return often to hear what has changed.

Object Orations — Discover memories about specific objects from the Great Orator's past, from ordinary household objects to seemingly meaningless details.
News Orations — The Great Orator reacts to a live feed of real-world news. A dove during a time of peace may mean something very different from a dove during a bird flu pandemic.
Follower Orations — Each car in the Endless Lot represents one of her followers. Discover their stories, their inner lives, and why they chose to follow her.
Future Predictions — Consult the crystal ball and receive predictions shaped by the news from your world.
24/7 Orations — Listen to continuous orations exploring subjects such as love, letting go, other realities, life on other planets, and many more.

Explore the world of The Great Orator through liminal locations that reveal her memories, her death, and the stories of her followers.
THE PRESERVED HOUSE
Explore the remains of her former home. Point at objects and listen to memories about her life.

THE MAINFRAME
Discover the followers who became part of the shared consciousness and listen to their inner thoughts.

THE ENDLESS LOT
Every car contains the story of a follower. Explore the endless parking lot and discover why they followed her and listen to a 24/7 oration about various scheduled topics.

THE BLANK SPACE
Receive a final oration that reflects on your current session in her world.

AND MANY OTHERS.

Infinite amounts of stories.

Stories adapt to a real world news cycle.

Find answers to all your questions.

Doves. Lots of doves.

A special version exists for CRT screens, why not record a session on VHS?

The world’s stories are written by poet Thomas Möhlmann and expanded by a
functioning AI. AI is used to enable experiences otherwise impossible,
stories that evolve based on real-world events and current news, not to
maximize profits or replace humans. We use AI to do things otherwise
impossible, create a world whose stories adapt to a live news feed and player
interactions
The world itself is created by humans, for humans. And culture is
something that should be created by humans and shared amongst humans.
AI is used in the following ways:
To generate future-oriented reflections when interacting with the crystal ball.

To create an infinite number of memories and backstories for followers when
interacting with objects in the world.

To dynamically reflect on current affairs through a live news feed.

To generate scheduled orations on specific topics following a 24/7 cycle.

All orations begin as pre-written texts by Thomas Möhlmann and are
dynamically updated to the news with the use of AI.

Creator
Daniel Ernst
Production Company
The Shoebox Diorama
Poems
Thomas Möhlmann
Composers
Misha Velthuis, Armeno Alberts
Audio
Max Sombroek
Technical Realisation
Niels Egberts, Daniel Ernst, Maarten Tromp, Jan Bijster, Codeglue
3D Art
Daniel Ernst, Danny Groot, Bart Limburg, Anej Golcar, Joeri Lefèvre