Myst Comes to the Net in 2003

erichj writes "Reuters is reporting that Cyan Worlds announced that they will be releasing an online version of the popular adventure game Myst for internet play in 2003. Users will pay a fee for the privilege of unraveling the mystery online." The article mentions some multiplayer functionality, but I can't really tell if the online version will be new puzzles or not.

Comments

Alternatively, it could be cool

[sam_handelman]

Well, the puzzles could require some kind of cooperation. That wouldn't be too hard. You could even introduce some kind of variable elements, to keep it interesting. If the puzzle doesn't change from game to game, either randomly or depending on what other people do, this would get really annoying, of course, since some jerk who already knew the whole puzzle would just race through it.

Most likely, you'll just have to coordinate lever pulling with someone in another room, which would be just like Myst only with the added frustration, I mean fun, of online social interaction.

If they did this right they would've looked to good, simple/innovative, mutiplayer boardgames for inspiration.

Clue - where there was some information (needed to solve the mystery) that only certain players could get, and you have to pool the info, that could be cool.

Settlers of Katan - there could be items (not just information) that you need from other players, but you have to trade other stuff you actually need (or may need) to get it. An economy of items (where you need X of each item over the course of the game, maybe) could be interesting.

Slasher - one of the other players IS the villain; the identity of the evil one is actually determined during the course of play.

Features introduced by other players could be worked into the puzzles, somehow. This would be incredibly difficult to do in an interesting way; it would also require a level of interaction with the environment well beyond what was present in the The Manhole (anyone else remember The Manhole?)

Myst has beautiful artwork, but I've always had this problem where you don't inject anything into the game; you might as well be watching a movie, to my mind (not intended as a Troll.) This would be a good opportunity for them to remedy that with a vengeance - not only would you alter the storyline in a real way, but so would a bunch of other people.

Re:interestingly enough....

[screwballicus]

Also, the Myst team had come under minor attacks from various Civil Rights unions stating that if they were to come up with a multiplayer game, the players would have needed to be available in different races and cultures, so as not to promote "racial supremacy" among any certain player.

Really, if anyone's worried about racial issues coming into gaming and Myst is what occurs them, they certainly haven't taken a look at Dark Age of Camelot. I like Dark Age of Camelot a great deal. But let's face it. Dark Age of Camelot's 'realm vs. realm' theme is all about genocide, race-hatred and racial supremacy. Hoorah. And the emotions attached to that slip into people's real-life feelings relating to the game. There are players who will honestly say they 'hate mids' (hate members of the 'Midgard' realm) and there are players who will honestly say they 'hate albs' (hate members of the 'Albion' realm). Occasionally, on the Roleplay servers, someone will bother to yell something like 'death to all normemen!' in the heat of battle. That helps add to the charm of the game.

I don't know if that should be worrisome, but I know I get a kick out of DAoC and I'll continue to get a kick out of killing every member of a nation that is not mine, in the context of that game. Hmm...

To D'ni

[Hollinger]

I would have posted earlier, but I didn't feel like /. the creators of my favorite game series. Anyway, check out http://www.drcsite.org/ for information on the new game.

"It's an official site, but it's not marketing-oriented. In fact you'll have a hard time finding the word "Cyan" anywhere unless you look at the copyright in the source code. That's because the site cleverly discusses Mudpie as if it's talking about real events rather than an upcoming online game," according to the Unofficial Riven Homepage.

Ubisoft? A plea

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I just say, on the chance that anyone involved with the project is reading, that I really, really hope the quality control will be better than Ubisoft's effort on Myst III?

I think I can fairly say that game was a fiasco.* It was released half-baked, and patching efforts, while appreciated, were slow and, well, patchy in their effectiveness.

If nothing else, please, please don't lowball the system requirements as was the case with Myst III. I bought the game a year ago, and despite having more than the minimum specs, contacting tech support and applying the game patch, I've still not been able to play it.

* I can't really speak to the game's content, of course, for reasons noted. I look forward to changing that when I scrape together the money for a faster computer.