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Myst Online has been around for over 10 years and is still thriving.

As far as I'm concerned, Riven was the pinnacle of the series. The art was incredibly detailed, the music and sound work top-notch. Scene construction was incredibly dense with story - everything had meaning, everything was a clue. It was obsessively detailed. I remember reading somewhere that the artists didn't do any low-poly models at all; single frames took days to render back in 1996 on then-top-of-line SGI hardware.

I bought the GOG version a few months ago in a fit of nostalgia. It's kind of sad how low-resolution and overcompressed the in-game renders are by current standards. I'd love to see a modern take on Riven - even re-rendered high res stills would be sweet.

You can play with the remnants of the Myst Uru MMO for free here. I think you can even download and run a server if you want.

The multiplayer MystOnline is free. Great environments and puzzles.

http://mystonline.com/en/

Myst was rendered statically by the same artists who did Uru, using StrataVision 3D. It was not hand-drawn. You're probably thinking of another game. Further, a full 3D version of Myst was released as a technology preview of Uru, called RealMYST, using revisions of Myst's original graphic assets.

However, whatever you think of the objective quality of the graphics—which can always be trumped by a newer game, after all—you can't deny that a great deal of effort went into the design, art, and architecture of each room, the puzzle construction and discovery process, or into the aesthetic experience as a whole (in fact, substantially more than Myst.)

Uru is available for free online play now, as it was meant to be (it's kept alive by donations) and you might do a treat to yourself to revisit that particular memory lane. I don't ask that anyone say Uru is the 'best' game in the Myst series (although it's the most expansive when you add the online content back in) but I do think it deserves to be in a showcase of artistically rich games, as an example of video game formalism. I might even lump it into a group with Myst V, which was originally going to be an expansion pack for the online version of Uru, but was moved into a single-player game after Uru Live faltered.

I guess that makes Myst Online Uru Live a real game then!

I know there are at least 5 people currently playing on Linux using WINE, because I have talked to them in-game.

This thread has a discussion about how to get things up and running in linux.

For the time being, Cyan is running the servers on donations from users.

If you like the game, feel free to donate and keep it running.

The donate button is at the bottom fo this page here.

From their About page:

• Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7
• 800MHz PentiumIII or AMD Athlon or better Processor
• 512MB of Memory, 1GB or more recommended
• Video Card: 32 MB RAM, DirectX9.0 -compliant video card and compliant audio card
• DirectX 9.0c
• 3+ GB free Hard Drive Space
• Broadband Internet Connection
• 800 by 600 16 bit displays

One of their forum topics asks about Mac users running this. Several replies indicate that it does work, mostly, under emulators.

If MYST Uru Live ever got the attention and financial backing it deserves it would be the one to break the MMO 'mold'. http://mystonline.com/en/ Until then I'll stick with my EVE Online, thankyouverymuch.

This is a start

On that note, you might want to take a look at the Guilds already in existence. These are all fan-run groups that are working on the future of Uru and have been since before the servers were even shut down.

In particular, the Guild of Writers has made many fan-created ages already using Blender and a custom plugin for Myst. I have no doubt that with the release of the Myst Online source from Cyan their tools will become even more refined, and lead to much greater development from the fans.

If the Uru community has shown anything, it is that they are resourceful, determined, and refuse to let Myst die no matter how much time or effort they need to spend.

Myst Online Uru Live is great. You explore worlds, there's a great storyline (which you can effect), you solve puzzles alone or with friends... really good game.

WAS. It was cancelled last year. Too high expectations, less players, lower quality because of less players, even more less players, and than BOOM! closed down. Second time.

But there's a chance the game will return (little one, with the developers situation right now. But it should get better if iPhone Myst will be bought when it comes out- soon) . If you like great community, puzzles and exploration, you can join the forums at http://www.mystonline.com/forums/index.php [mystonline.com] . Good place to find info and updates.

There's a game called Myst Online Uru Live. You explore worlds, there's a great storyline (which you can effect), you solve puzzles alone or with friends... really good game.

WAS. It was cancelled last year. Too high expectations, less players, lower quality because of less players, even more less players, and than BOOM! closed down. Second time.

But there's a chance the game will return. We just need more support. If you like great community, puzzles and exploration, you can join the forums at http://www.mystonline.com/forums/index.php .

URU, AKA Myst Online http://www.mystonline.com/forums/index.php was a valiant attempt - twice! Featuring unparalleled graphics, an absorbing back-story, and challenging puzzles, URU offered a whole universe of destinations to explore, alone or in cooperation with others. Unfortunately, the first attempt by Ubisoft in 2003 and the second by GameTap in 2007 both met with economic failure. Speculation is rampant as to why, but each incarnation had about a years' run before it was withdrawn. Supposedly Cyan Worlds, the game's author, would consider having another run at it if sufficient financial backing could be found. Otherwise, there is a slim possibility of opening the game up to fan authors while still keeping control of content with Cyan. IMHO, this has been a major tragedy of the century in the gaming world. Walt

It would be great if Cyan open-sourced Myst Online. They are now in the process of resurrecting the game for the second time. Myst Online has a crowd of almost religious followers who would be very happy to be able to keep the servers running after the games final death.

Uru Myst does not have an inventory nor does realMyst, realMyst was a demo piece for the 3d rendering engine Cyan Worlds bought for their next project "DIRT" which evolved into the mutliplayer project "mudpie" which later became known as Uru: Ages beyond Myst. Uru: Ages Beyond Myst was to have a online component known as Uru Live, this was cancelled in its beta stages (known as Prologue) by Ubisoft. Last year Gametap and Cyan Worlds relaunched Uru Live and renamed it Myst Online: Uru Live, this is still going and worth checking out : http://www.mystonline.com/

To go through the myst series:

Myst has no inventory, you are able to pick up a page from each age and return it to its book you can hold only one page at a time.
In Riven you were given two books, one you could read and one you could give away you could not add to this inventory nor could you effect it, it was there as a plot device.
realMyst was released next which is Myst but in 3d, it had an extra age and was only avaliable for a short time, you could only pick up a blue or red page from each age.
Myst 3 had no inventory you were given a journal to read from and could only directly effect things in game.
Uru was released at this point you are able to create a avatar, collect links of places you've been to and collect "relto pages" to alter your personal space. This is as probably close to inventory based as a Myst universe game has gotten. Even then the items you can collect exist allow you to personalise your charracter rather than help you solve a puzzle.
Myst IV gave you an "imager" which allowed you to take pictures and notes as well as a locket these were the only items you could hold and use neither directly acted on the enviroment.
Myst V was released in 2005 this had a journal and you were able to pick up and use tablets, the tables were not placed in an inventory and you could only use a specific one in each age.

Inventory based games are different good examples would be the Discworld games and Starship Titanic, you were able to go around a 2d universe and start conversations with people/objects, these conversations if navigated correctly would mean you would be given an object you could combine items in your inventory to get past certain targets, using Discworld 2 as an example after completing a series of errands for a ships captain he would give you some rope, in the next chapter you would help out a woman in doing so you would come accross a hook, the hook and rope can be combined, in the third chapter you had to get past a guard, to do this you would combine the rope and hook and then select the new object and the wall, the charracter would then climb the building.

There are many types of adventure game two main styles existed, the Myst Puzzle style which involves logic and reasoning to solve by manipulating objects on the screen for example exploring and finding out four frequencies to make a crystal resonate. The other Starship Titanic Inventory style which involves figuring out puzzles and how your inventory can relate the enviroment around you.

I'm a adventure lover and hope the genre opens up more I'm tired of only having Myst Online as the place I can go for advernture fix.

Planescape: Torment.
Any of the Myst games (including Myst Online: Uru Live).
Any of the Quest for Glory games.
Any of the Space Quest games.

Doesn't work, take a online game http://www.mystonline.com/ when the forums first went up a fan purchased http://www.mystlive.com/ you would be surprised at the number of people who thought this was an offical page by Cyan/Gametap. People will give importance to domain names and companies do need to protect the associated with themselves (the more global they are the more they need.)

What we need is for ICANN to creates rules which state a domain name can't point to a place with more than 50% of the page devoted to adverts. If a page was so ad intensive then the domain name would be revoked, (with a ability to report a page to ICANN.) This would hopefully allow us to reclaim domain names back and start to make cybersquatting unprofitable, if we can do that then we've won.

RPG's don't have to be about level grinding have a looksee at http://www.mystonline.com/ theres a MMOG thats cares as I understand it works well on MAC and a few people have used cedeger to get it working on Linux. Very different from your normal MMOG's

Or Myst Online.

Might I suggest trying some no-twitch-games first then? Most adventures don't require trained reflexed for example (I personally would recommend the Myst Series (It is marketed as "A games for adults, where 'mature' doesn't mean blood and gore, it means 'sophisticated'"), which has also got its own MMO, "Myst Online: Uru Live" http://www.mystonline.com/ starting)

Sounds a lot like what happened when Uru Live was originally canceled. Many of the fans worked adding chat functionality in as similar a manner as possible to the original chat functions and even going so far as to work on their own fan-created server. Others were (and still are) working on new content to add to the game with the absence of a company to produce the new content. Fortunately in large part due to these efforts, Uru Live is now getting another official chance. So there's always the possibility Earth & Beyond will also get another chance at being a commercial game. Regardless, it is good to see fan efforts in these directions.

I loved Firefly. I liked Serenity. But I have serious doubts I'm going to be able to be interested in an MMORPG like this. I don't hate MMORPGs, in fact I love them (although I do define them as an online, multiplayer game where there is an evolving storyline). I originally played Armageddon and loved it. I have since tried the Matrix Online which supposedly had an evolving story and it was completely boring. Absolutely no enjoyment factor whatsoever (thankfully I tried it with a free account).

But that doesn't mean graphical MMORPGs must suck. One that is great will be Myst Online: Uru Live. I say that with such certainty because we already got a taste of the evolving storyline with the original beta in 2002 - 2004, a detailed account of which can be found here in an in-character manner. You can also find a film documentary in several parts here.

The big difference between Uru Live and the Matrix Online was that Uru realized you don't need to go around killing people. They also realised that when you first enter an area it can be very confusing and daunting, and so Cyan Worlds limits it by limiting what you can access at first both because areas aren't open to players, but also because areas need a puzzle to be solved before you can go to the next area. This was a problem I had with the Matrix Online as I was allowed to roam free as I liked in a very large area. Although the maps did help alleviate this, I found they actually did too much and took away the challenge in finding out what to do next and so the only challenge was killing people or stopping someone from getting killed. It became very repetitive, which is something Uru Live realises and avoids. Instead each puzzle is unique and there is no leveling so there is no repetitive gameplay (although there are things you can do more then once such as Ahyoheek).

However the big differences between Uru Live and Matrix Online was that the Matrix Online felt like it was completely empty of other players. I logged on and I saw no other players around. Perhaps I was simply in the wrong area. However Uru Live does away with that problem by having an introduction that explains where you can go if you want to play alone or where you can go if you want to find other players. It also has only a couple of places you can go to at the start one of which has players. The Uru Live beta has nowhere near the amount of players that Matrix Online does (it is after all a beta that has limitations on who can play) and yet it felt like it was the more heavily populated. I remember when I first logged onto Uru in 2003 I very quickly not only found another person, but I found a character being played by someone.

Unfortunately this MMORPG Firefly sounds more like Matrix Online then Myst Online: Uru Live.

New wars should break out, cities should rise and fall, and all hell should break loose at least once a month--and the players should be the ones to make it happen. After all, in a world that never changes, you can never make your mark.

Well, not in such a violent fashion, but this sort of thing is the plan for Uru Live.

Every day, there's a small change. Every week, a slightly larger change. Every month, a major change - a new area of the city opens, or you get access to a new Age.

A new story element is introduced roughly once each quarter... what the players do with it in the interim is entirely up to them. The players truly develop the story. There are no NPCs (in the computer-controlled sense), however Cyan does have actors who play the role of certain important people, ready to answer questions and react to whatever it is the players are doing.

This is a lot more impressive to me than Warcraft, although I do enjoy a good quest now and again.

I find Myst appealing because it gives you relaxation from all the stress caused by a hectic lifestyle. It also instills an appreciation for these slower things - for example, nature. In realMyst, I love to just stand on the dock and watch the sunset, or chase the butterflies. In Riven I enjoy just walking around taking it all in. The puzzles in the games teach you to use logic and put everything you have learned together (an essential life-skill I might add ;). Yes, they can be frustrating at times, but the "Aha!" experience when it is solved always makes it worth it. It is a sense of accomplishment you can't get from blowing people up. I hope you all get to experience it sometime :)

As for the game, there seems to be a misconception going around that Myst Online is going to be almost exactly like the original Myst game. This is not true at all. Myst Online (or as I like to refer to it, MUDPIE (its original working title)) will be in real-time 3D format, and from the screenshots that have been released at mystonline.com, and the other ones you can view at cyanworlds.com, the graphics will be absolutely AMAZING. This game has nothing to do with Atrus or his family, instead, it is about the intricate and engrossing backstory hinted at in the games and detailed in the 3 Myst novels. It is the story of a great civilization - the D'ni - linked to a cave deep in the Earth thousands of years ago from their former world, which was collapsing. In that cave they rebuilt their culture and a great city. What made this civilization most unique was their knowledge of The Art - the ability to link to other worlds by Writing about them in special books. They existed on Earth for 10,000 years until a biological attack by some rebels wiped out many of them. The survivors fled through the Books, but the rebels made sure many of these escape routes were infected as well. Thus, the city was abandoned for years. Now in the game Myst Online, we will have the chance to inhabit D'ni. We will travel down the tunnels leading to the great city, and learn much more about their history and culture. We will discover Ages and travel to them. There will be puzzles along the way, but a main focus will be exploration and discovery :) (The game is geered not at the testosterone-driven, heavy-gamer, but athe the general public, who tend to enjoy this type of thing more than blowing up people. It is also a lot better for families, a good marketing strategy in my opinion ;) Information indicates you will probably be able to choose who you will travel with, traveling with a group of friends, not seeing the thousands of others playing as well. The world will be growing constantly, according to an article "Every day new content will be added to the game. Every week a "substantial" addition will be made. Every month an entirely new Age will be added." Someday we might even be able to write our own worlds. Doesn't this sound wonderful?

For more information on Myst Online, check out MUDPIE Obsession :)

The Official URL, plus many more screenshots can be found at mystonline.com.

*browses site to heart's content before submitting... just in case the slashdot effect kicks in*