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Myst MMOG Details Announced

Posted by chrisd on from the all-games-will-be-online dept.

Ubi Soft and Cyan announced the title for their upcoming online game. Uru: Online Ages Beyond Myst , developed by Cyan Worlds, Inc., is slated for release late this year. From the press release, "Uru will take advantage of broadband to deliver a continually updated, immersive environment and storyline, with content that grows, changes and evolves constantly. It will also be the first persistent world to support real-time voice communication." Sounds like a different road than online games like The Sims Online and Star Wars Galaxies are taking, with the entertainment consisting in exploration and storyline rather than in player status and achievement.

131 comments

  1. seriously, do we need this? by Machine9 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    I mean how many MMOGs do we really need to waste our silly little lives away?

    besides, all that'll happen is endless patching b/c people cheat.

    that's always the way it goes.

    and then AFTER you get the pk-ers.
    and to think thet you have to PAY for the priviledge.

    --

    Machine9dotNet

    1. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Machine9 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      flamebait because I express my opinion that MMOGs might not be the most healthy thing in the world?

      so much for freedom, I guess I'll have to start playing EQ to conform to your view of a proper slashdotter ;)

      --

      Machine9dotNet

    2. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Yokaze · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Uru is called a MMOG, not MMORPG.

      Reading the press-release, and considering the Myst series, it will be a game more concentrating on a story line and riddles, than leveling. (Wonder, how they want to achieve story lines in MMOGs)

      I think it is an interesting approach, since leveling always introduces a competetive element, which a) is often less appealing to women (see success of Myst) b) is more appealing to pks.

      > I mean how many MMOG [...]

      So many, that the different type of players have their type of game, e.g. Roleplaying-people don't have to be bothered by Hack-n-slay-people, or strategists have their little empire, while more reactive-oriented people can have their ego-shooter world.

      I think, currently the problem with MMOGs is, that most MMOGs are only variation of the same game with different themes and rules. Not different MMOGs.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    3. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Machine9 · · Score: 1
      you make a good point, but unfortunately, there will always be people who's only interest is in making OTHER people miserable.

      find me a perfect anti-cheat system and we'll talk ;)

      --

      Machine9dotNet

    4. Re:seriously, do we need this? by mbogosian · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I mean how many MMOGs do we really need to waste our silly little lives away? ... flamebait because I express my opinion that MMOGs might not be the most healthy thing in the world?

      This from someone who makes nine posts to SlashDot within an hour (more than half of which are on the same parent post). How did that saying go about glass houses or something...?

      --

      moto411.com
    5. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Shanep · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think it could be funny to hear all the teenage boys, in a cracking voice, half heartedly telling us "I'm gunna kick your ass, you pussy".

      I can see them now, blushing after saying it, kinda scared, since they'd never say that to anyone in real life.

      --
      War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
    6. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Rogerborg · · Score: 2

      But how long could you tolerate their squeaking mating cry of:

      "A/S/L? A/S/L? A/S/L? ..."

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    7. Re:seriously, do we need this? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I mean how many MMOGs do we really need to waste our silly little lives away?

      Infinitely many! Seriously, the MMORPG market is beginning to diversify, with games available or being released soon, catering to different tastes and playstyles. If the trend continues, I see the following things happening:

      1) MMORPG's become more mainstream. The Sims and Star Wars Galaxies may set off this trend and expand the market for MMORPG's.

      2) Each individual MMORPG will have less subscribers than they have now, and it will become increasingly difficult to obtain customers. That means that they may have to cater for smaller niche markets rather than trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. This is good news: people are more likely to find an MMORPG they like, rather than having a choice from 5 or so games, all trying to be everything to everyone.

      3) With each individual MMORPG appealing to smaller groups, revenues will drop sharply. However I suspect that MMORPGs for small groups can be run profitably, especially if a company runs more than one of them and shares resources such as billing, customer care, server facilities and possibly the servers and game code as well. Remember: some of today's MMORPGs are obscenely profitable. For a while, EA has been faltering, and Ultima Online by itself was the only thing keeping the company afloat (EA even admitted as much in one of the quarterly reports). These things will be profitable for less people.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    8. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Daengbo · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but what is A/S/L? Explain.

      --
      Put identity in the browser.
    9. Re:seriously, do we need this? by jgerman · · Score: 2
      No. Flamebait because you're using inflammatory language to belittle those that do want to play these games all the time. I've got news for you, nothing you do is, inherently, any better than someone who takes pleasure in playing games all day. Health has nothing to do with it. Different people enjoy different things. What is a waste to you could be meaningful to others.


      Easy reaon why we need another: Each new game pushes the state of the technology a little further. The long term consequences of this process are of likely benefit to everybody, regardless of their interests.


      so much for freedom


      WTF does freedom have to do with anything, again, you're using emotionally charged words, that have no relevance to try and argue a point.

      --
      I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
    10. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Yokaze · · Score: 2

      There is no perfect anti-cheat system. Theoretically, it is impossible to create one.

      Practically, one can create, where cheating is near useless.

      One possibility is to eliminate competion, but since this is most often the driving force behind an MMOG, it's not possible.

      Another one is a "weapon race", so to speak.
      In MMORPGs people are usually cheating by scripting their avatars, letting them doing the tedious repetetive work. By keeping the tasks more complicated (and more interesting) one could eliminate this scripting by making it too complicated and interesting to do the actual work.
      The problem is, the client can be beefed up, to tackle the task and there are a lot more clients than servers. This is impossible for less social/intellectual games (ego-shooters).

      Last possibility: Social engineering.
      In RL people can cheat and make other people feel miserable, too.
      Why is it still in acceptable bounds? Because people get punished by the community, who don't behave.
      An online-game is a community, too. But why doesn't it work? Because, there is no real punishment possible.
      To a certain degree, a community with punishements comes to existence by itself. For example, in Dark Age of Camelot, one can complain over the offender by the guild of the offender (often with support from ones own guild). The guild reprimands or even expells the offender (Or so I'm told from a friend of mine, lacking first hand experience in this game).
      This helps, but only for people, who are already involved in the gameplay, so that those potential measurements are really a punishement.

      But no one hinders people from creating another character, and fooling around with that one.
      And what about people, who just started?

      One solution could be, by integrating community functions more into the game system. For example a punishement could be extended to the other characters as well.

      But what about people just starting with the game?
      Hopefully, a well functioning community will integrate them (see Slashdot :) ), but one could consider extending the punishement to reach to RL.

      For example, one has to sign a contract for a membership over a year. It is terminable at will, unless the person commits a "crime", which requires the culprit to pay for at least a year.
      I've admit this is less than ideal, since it is very suceptible to abuse.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    11. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Gudlyf · · Score: 2
      Had to look it up myself:

      A/S/L

      --
      Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
    12. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Ironica · · Score: 2

      Social engineering.
      In RL people can cheat and make other people feel miserable, too.
      Why is it still in acceptable bounds? Because people get punished by the community, who don't behave.
      An online-game is a community, too. But why doesn't it work? Because, there is no real punishment possible.

      In EverQuest, it's "illegal" to do many things that feel like "cheating," including kill-stealing and trade scamming. It's against the Play Nice Policy, and is subject to enforcement by the GMs. What typically happens is, if a player willfully does this stuff and admits it on chat, a player can send that chat with a /report command so that the GMs can verify it, and then they can put a "soulmark" on the account. If you get caught multiple times, you can lose your account, along with any time you've already paid for (no refunds).

      It doesn't stop things from happening; mostly because people don't properly report or GMs don't respond quickly enough to catch the perpetrator. But they do have a system, and it does work sometimes.

      Is that kind of what you're talking about?

      --
      Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
    13. Re:seriously, do we need this? by Godwin+O'Hitler · · Score: 1

      Much as I agree with you, I'd just like to point out that in a logical argument, people who live in glass houses are allowed to propel hard objects through the air. Denying them this is a form of argumentum ad hominem.

      --
      No, your children are not the special ones. Nor are your pets.
    14. Re:seriously, do we need this? by mbogosian · · Score: 2

      Much as I agree with you, I'd just like to point out that in a logical argument, people who live in glass houses are allowed to propel hard objects through the air. Denying them this is a form of argumentum ad hominem.

      Excellent reference! (That page is really cool.)

      Of course the original saying is something to the effect of one who lives in a glass house shouldn't (not mustn't) walk around naked (or whatever). Besides, even if I did have the desire to deny SlashDotters (or anyone) the ability to demonstrate hypocrisy, it is (fortunately) beyond my abilities.

      --

      moto411.com
  2. Oh well... by NightWhistler · · Score: 2, Funny

    There goes my social life again... ;-)

    --
    PageTurner Reader: open-source e-reader for Android with cloudsync. http://pageturner-reader.org
    1. Re:Oh well... by gabec · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I too am a serious Myst fan, though I was very disappointed with Myst III: Exile. I remember scouring every bit of Myst and Riven in order to get to the end.. but III, which I believe was done by a different company than Myst and Riven, was insanely easy to get through. Their logic puzzles were more "use every movable object" than "pay attention to every detail and use what you learn in order to complete complex tasks" So... yeah... hopefully their puzzles will be back up to par in this version :)

    2. Re:Oh well... by Mr.Happy3050 · · Score: 1

      Hmmm... I wonder if they'll make the parody version of Myst (Pyst) into a MMOG. Now THAT would be entertaining.

      --
      "All great truths begin as blasphemies." -George Bernard Shaw
  3. Powerpoint and Netmeeting... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Funny


    Isn't that internet enable Myst ? Or is this REALLY fancy with each person seeing their own powerpoint which can be updated ?

    Myst has to be from a tech perspective one of the simplest games to net-enable, what it will be is bandwidth intensive, what it isn't however is time restricted.

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:Powerpoint and Netmeeting... by Machine9 · · Score: 1
      weouldn't it be fun to discover that in fact...that is PRECISELY what it IS!

      now that's scary: Microsoft MMOG...

      --

      Machine9dotNet

    2. Re:Powerpoint and Netmeeting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This isn't just a remake of MYST -- but a whole new game. This uses a real-time 3D engine to generate the graphics.

  4. Now I can look stupid... Online! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sweet. I loved not being able to do anything in the first game but flip toggles and walk around.. now I can go online and have people laugh at my moron-grade IQ!

    How much a month?

    s/nerd/boss/

  5. Multi-platform? by MrMickS · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Will this be multi platform from release (Myst was a Mac game, the last version was a joint PC/Mac CD) or will it be like NWN?

    --
    You may think me a tired, old, cynic. I'd have to disagree about the tired bit.
    1. Re:Multi-platform? by Gudlyf · · Score: 2
      Well, Myst III:Exile was released for both Playstation 2 and XBox, so maybe that's a sign that this'll be a console game as well.

      Although, since the PS2 doesn't come with a hard drive (unless you buy the Linux kit), I'm not sure how you'll experience the persistent, changing and evolving worlds they're touting.

      --
      Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
    2. Re:Multi-platform? by TrevorDoom · · Score: 2, Informative

      Individuals within Cyan have confirmed that at launch there will be at least a PC and Mac client.

  6. The downside of real-time voice communication by mmoncur · · Score: 5, Funny

    Aside from further shrinking the broadband-equipped potential audience, wouldn't real-time voice communication kind of spoil the suspension of disbelief?

    Xyphor: Welcome to the Weapons Shoppe! How may I serve thee on this fine morn?
    Benny38: Hey, er, what's up dude?
    Xyphor: Dost thou wish to sample my wares?
    Benny38: Can you hear this? Are we like talking now?
    Xyphor: Thou art testing my patience with these fine weapons close at hand.
    Benny38: Umm, hello? Can someone send me an email and tell me if they can hear me? It's benny38 at AOL dot com.
    (insert blood-wrenching sound effect here)

    --

    It's Slashdot's evil twin... SlashNOT
    1. Re:The downside of real-time voice communication by Yokaze · · Score: 5, Funny

      After fixing his problem with the audio:

      Benny38: What a lithe and lissom priestress you are.
      Shalandra (impersonated by Mr BigMac): Oh, you are flattering me.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
    2. Re:The downside of real-time voice communication by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The beauty of this game, though, is that no one will be playing roles that require them to stilt their speech. Everyone will be playing the role of themselves, transplanted into the D'ni universe, so speech could be as natural as it is in real life.

    3. Re:The downside of real-time voice communication by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, like seeing a group of adventures named "Waffle House", "Gnomestomper Getinmahbelly", "Cutipi", and "Smasha Weedsmoka" doesn't spoil it

  7. MMOG? by Dracos · · Score: 5, Interesting
    ...with the entertainment consisting in exploration and storyline rather than in player status and achievement.

    Sounds like the closest thing yet to an actual online RPG, and it's not even being called a MMORPG, which things like EverQrack certainly are not. The gameplay differences between so called "MMORPGs" and games like Doom, Quake, and Unreal are negligible at best. FPS + chargen doth not an RPG make.

    Don't get me started on how Final Fanstasy devolved from a game into a non-interactive movie.

    1. Re:MMOG? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 2

      "The gameplay differences between so called "MMORPGs" and games like Doom, Quake, and Unreal are negligible at best. FPS + chargen doth not an RPG make."

      Depends on the game, and the people you play with. I heard of a few roleplaying groups in Dark Age of Camelot, and I know from experience that roleplaying is alive and well in Ultima Online. I can't speak for Everquest but I suspect there are roleplayers in there as well. These game do not at all compare to FPS games.

      It is true that the current MMORPG's focus, as stated, on player status rather than storylines that would support roleplaying. In the current MMORPG's, roleplayers have to make up their own story, which is fun but of course limited by the game engine, since players do not have the same powers as the Game Masters.

      It'll be interesting to see how this develop... but I foresee a problem, well a potential one at least: in a world where the storyline and RP are what is supposed to keep the players in, those players may well want frequent content updates and active Dungeon Masters. And those may be expensive to provide... compare that to Ultima or Everquest where the games practically run themselves. I'll definitely give it a go though, I always found the Myst worlds interesting, but they lacked one thing: people!

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:MMOG? by Daengbo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Myself, I'm thinking of getting back into paper and pen stuff, and found a free as in freedom game recently named Mirima Tyalie
      Anyone in Thailand got ten extra hours a week?

      --
      Put identity in the browser.
    3. Re:MMOG? by waytoomuchcoffee · · Score: 2

      ...with the entertainment consisting in exploration and storyline rather than in player status and achievement.

      Sounds like the closest thing yet to an actual online RPG, and it's not even being called a MMORPG

      Bartle wrote long ago how there are four types of online gamers -- killers, achievers, socializers, and explorers. While this may be somewhat simplistic, it turns out to be pretty accurate. This game simply focuses on Exploration and Socialization. The Sims Online focuses on Socialization and Achievement (get into those top-10 lists!). AC2 focuses almost entirely on Killing.

      There are lots of "actual online RPGs" out there, they just never made it very big. If you want true roleplaying, try out Underlight for example.

      Besides, I don't see anything how this game is going to "enforce roleplaying" at all.

  8. Tears For Fears' by HealYourChurchWebSit · · Score: 2



    Oh great, like I need anything else to get me
    Hooked on the Net ... now a bandwidth busting game that's sure to suck away all my blogging time!-)

    What's the attraction, well its like the song title ... especially those of us coming from the Age of Empire school of MMOG ... "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"!

    Yeah, I know, now you're going to have to spend the rest of the day getting that stupid tune out of your head.

    --
    --- have you healed your church website?
  9. Scary. by Xner · · Score: 1
    now that's scary: Microsoft MMOG...

    Scary? Well, not really a lot more than the other offerings.

    --
    Pathman, Free (as in GPL) 3D Pac Man
  10. YAY!! Its Shadowbane... by Chembryl · · Score: 1

    ..without the fun bits.

    --
    - This and all my posts are public domain. I am a Physicist. I am not your Physicist. This is not Physically advice
  11. SlashDot by mbogosian · · Score: 2

    SlashDot is the only MMO(RP)G I'll ever need!

    --

    moto411.com
  12. It will be very intressting.. by BuR4N · · Score: 1


    It will be very interesting to see what types of online games (the persistent world types) that actually takes of and generates profit in the coming years.

    Is it only typical "geek" games as EQ, SWO and DAOC that have a chance to build and keep a large fan base ?

    --
    http://www.intellipool.se/ - Intellipool Network Monitor
  13. Persistent world voice chat is old hat. by Revar · · Score: 2, Informative
    It will also be the first persistent world to support real-time voice communication.

    Err, that's false. WorldsChat did voice on a persistent 3D world about five or more years ago.

    More recently, the just announced There, also supports voice chat, for broadband users.

    1. Re:Persistent world voice chat is old hat. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also the OnLive Traveller system, and I
      have a vague memory that the Pueblo
      software from Chaco (a graphical client
      for MUSH systems) also enabled voice.
      I'm amazed at some of the claims made by
      these new 3D systems coming out.

    2. Re:Persistent world voice chat is old hat. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know of several MMORPG developers that have implimented voice chat online to remove it before the game shipped. Part of the fun of an RPG is imagining what the other person sounds like.

      If a level 1000 troll came up to you and sounded like a 16 year old girl that would sort of ruin the imersion factor. Though, I suppose with a game like Myst where you are playing yourself, and not a "role" it may be less of an issue.

      Either way, it isn't a technological feature, it is a design choice.

    3. Re:Persistent world voice chat is old hat. by r0gue_ · · Score: 1

      I'd like to see some cool Text-to-speech implementations first "Osteh the Troll booms..."

  14. Oh yay by Eric(b0mb)Dennis · · Score: 2, Funny

    Myst online... just what I've been waiting for! I mean, if it's anything like the original, I'd be fizzzz...zz.zzzzzzzzzzzz

    *conk*

    --
    Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
  15. Anti-cheat system. by Kickasso · · Score: 0

    Why, Palladium of course.

    1. Re:Anti-cheat system. by Yokaze · · Score: 2

      In a way, you are right.

      Palladium can make out of the PC a trusted hardware (especially trusted by the company distributing the game), the trusted hardware can verifies the software, which signs its data.

      So, the user can't inject false data into the stream.

      Problem: Extracting the secret from hardware can be hard or easy, but not impossible. DVD-players should be trusted hardware. Having Xing distributing a software player with weak protections made it relatively easy.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
  16. I'll believe it when I see it by OblongPlatypus · · Score: 2

    "...deliver a continually updated, immersive environment and storyline, with content that grows, changes and evolves constantly."

    This is more or less exactly what Funcom said they would do with Anarchy Online. Now I only played the game for a few months, but the rumors I've heard indicate that any real storyline progression has been sporadic at best, and nonexistant most of the time. Can anyone who actually plays AO comment on how the storyline stuff is working out?

    --
    -- If no truths are spoken then no lies can hide --
    1. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Daengbo · · Score: 1

      I don't play AO, but my first thought after reading the article (gasp, no!) was, "Yeah, that's what they claim, but it'll devolve just like everything else by the time it really hits the market."

      --
      Put identity in the browser.
    2. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by The+Evil+Couch · · Score: 4, Informative

      the storyline is kind of unintrusive. if you don't want to pay attention to it, it doesn't make much of a difference, however it's still there. it manifests itself as news stories updated at least once a week, usually more often. they used to have a good cartoon series that they produced as downloadable movies, but the production on that has dropped off. still, funcom does a decent job of keeping the universe in AO pretty lively. but like any other game, it's all what you make of it.

      with the introduction of "The Notum Wars", AO has become a more player-driven story line as PVP battles erupt all throughout the planet. certain lands are pretty much uncontested, and other lands have turned into constant war zones. the plot isn't really advancing; rubi-ka has always been a land that was being fought for, but now people are becoming much more involved in the fight.

      Theevilcouch Level 126 Martial Artist, Rubi-ka 1

      --
      The World's Worst Webcomic!
    3. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by jafuser · · Score: 2
      This actually sounds a lot like Earth & Beyond. They are expected to continue to advance the storyline, add new sectors, and expand on PvP, but for some aspects of gameplay, sometimes it seems like it's still in beta =)

      I've been playing E&B for about a month now, and while it's quite addicitve and fun so far, I've heard from higher level players that there's not much to do yet when you get to the top...

      --
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  17. Others to watch for... by 1029 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Not to start a flame war or anysuch mayhem, but honestly I don't see this game or the always mentioned Star Wars Galaxies game getting too far.
    Both these games will get great intial turnout, I would expect, simply due to the already successful marketing of their names. But beyond that they have relatively little to offer.

    For my money, a game like ShadowBane (also from UbiSoft) will truly rock the market and gain players that will stick. As will Planetside , the first first-person shooter MMOG, at least that I know of.

    At least these companies have their bases covered. When Myst dies a silent death UbiSoft will be sitting pretty atop the cash cow that ShadowBane will become, and Sony will keep things running with Planetside and of course the neverending run of EQ.

    --
    - I love animals. I try to eat at least one a day.
    1. Re:Others to watch for... by will_die · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well first shadowbane has to be released.
      Besides if I was looking for something like shadowbane I would go with dragon empires, it has better graphics, some neater features, and with it coming out in fall 2003 will probably beat SB to a release date.

    2. Re:Others to watch for... by Eric(b0mb)Dennis · · Score: 1

      Sony is also running the show with Star Wars Galaxies.. which has a HUGE backing... Looks as if sony can get enough MMORPGs going... you could have this huge infinite cash supply at your fingertips... seems pretty smart.. Jut wait until the third-generation mmorps... As the need for greater and greater appeal to keep those mass audiences.. Fifty years from now, can you imagine what an MMORPG would look like? Heh, kind of neat to think about.

      --
      Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
    3. Re:Others to watch for... by Shads · · Score: 1

      heh... SWG is going to do fine, they've added in all the addictive features of everquest, tossed in a genre several generations have grown up loving, and made it class based and time eating. People will flock to this game, infact-- if this game doesn't have more subscribers inside the first year than everquest does presently, I'll eat a dozen raw habanaro peppers (very slowly with alot of milk of course.)

      Shadowbane however, I don't feel will do as well as eq2, eq, or swg. It focuses to much on pvp-- dont get me wrong, the game will do well I belive, just not as well as the previously mentioned games. I think shadowbane will have probally 30k-75k players that stick... I look for swg to hit about 250-500k that stick. EQ2 will eat better than half of the eq players I think... not to mention pick up hmm 75k of it's own. The market is getting more diluted, I dont think you are going to see any games do as well as swg for a long long time... swg has alot of massmarket appeal the others don't have.

      (Side Note: I've played ac, ac2, uo, daoc, ao, eq, lineage, and many many many muds over the years and gotten fairly high in most of them... (57 in ac, 30 in ac2 (thus far), 3xGM in uo, 35 in daoc, 55 in eq, max levels in many of the muds, and got sick of being pk'd in lineage before i got far.) Honestly, I don't like eq, but it is the most popular for very obvious reasons, and sony/verant knows those reasons as well as the players... swg will have those same features guarenteed... and it is much better branded than eq could ever HOPE to be.)

      Anyways, my 2 gold pieces.

      --
      Shadus
    4. Re:Others to watch for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is myst, its greatest appeal is the exploration and problem solving, with an un ending list of ages to explore, how can it goe wrong!!

    5. Re:Others to watch for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shadowbane now has a release date, March 25.

  18. Considering my basic dislike of MMOGs... by ruhk · · Score: 1

    ... I would be leary of getting into a "Myst Online" sort of game. On the one hand, I disliked Myst (the game, not the mechanics, which were simple and rather elegant for the time). On the other hand, it was fun to play with friends. Depending on how well its done (and if it shys away from the graphical MUD thing), I may check it out.

    --



    404 Error: .sig not found.
  19. good for those with lives? by rsheridan6 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If it's going to be story-driven, does that mean you can play it reasonably well and still have a life, instead of running around for dozens of hours a week killing pixelated monsters to get to the next level? I played DAOC and I felt like a hamster on a treadwheel. I think a game that doesn't focus on levelling, and that you could play a few hours a week without being left behind, could be fun.

    --
    Don't drop the soap, Tommy!
    1. Re:good for those with lives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rand Miller said in an interview that one of their goals for Uru is to make it entertaining, but non-addicting, so one would assume you'll be able to play only a few hours a week and still keep up with the story.

  20. Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by Erik+K.+Veland · · Score: 0

    Online Ages of Myst?

    What's next? Cyberpunk myst? World Wide Myst?

    --
    "I tend to think of OS X as Linux with QA and Taste", James Gosling, creator of Java
    1. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by JPawloski · · Score: 0

      Actually, I had a really good idea for a game for all those people who didn't like Myst. I'd call it Pyst (get it? as in "pissed") and it would be pretty much the same thing except nothing would work. Ahaha, if I ever did do that, I'd be a millionaire by now

    2. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by minghe · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ahem...

      --
      ...um...like...a sig...
    3. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's explained in the press release that Uru is an ancient word for "City." It's part of the storyline that this was originally a D'ni word. As well, it's indicative of the kind of atmosphere they're trying to create. I suspect it's also a pun on "you are you," which is the way people's characters will be played; they're themselves, not a level 1000 black mage or whatever. Some of the foundations for the storyline have already been laid at www.drcsite.org and www.preafter.com over the last few months, go check it out.

    4. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by AnamanFan · · Score: 2

      Actually, there are a number of titles before Uru came about:

      Parable
      Mudpie (The most commonly used among the fan-base)
      Myst Online (The worse by far!)

      And a bunch of others I can't think of at the moment. I had written a paper about the issue of titles for Mudpie, but that's on another computer at the moment. But Ubi/Cyan seemed to followed the outlines I stated. ;)

      --
      AnamanFan - Trying to find the Truth, one post at a time.
    5. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For anyone who is interested, Uru means "city" in the D'ni language. The title is used to symbolize a great gathering of people in the D'ni underground city that will hopefully happen in Uru.

    6. Re:Worst title since Attack of the Clones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the hell does the sarcastic post get modded down, and the post that doesn't get the parent's sarcasm get modded +2 funny?

  21. not what you think by Nova1313 · · Score: 4, Informative

    no really it's not what it seems.. Not a slideshow of sorts. If any of you played realMYST that was a test of the graphics engine. It looked gorgeous slow as hell on a p3 with vodoo 3 though. But it was gorgeous it looked like the old myst did but in real time. The new one if you look at the graphics is simply just as gorgeous all in real time all online. How can one not love it? I'm a big myst fan so i've been following this game since it was titled mudpie.

    --
    There exists some positive integer N that you are the Nth person to read this signature.
    1. Re:not what you think by tcm614ce · · Score: 1

      While I agree that realMYST was pretty great, you could still tell very easily the difference between the real-time image and pre-rendered image. Furthermore, I think the core magic of all the MYSTs, including MYST III is that they aren't real-time so they *can* be photo-realistic.

      So I wonder if anything in real-time can truly be as good as MYST III. Tell me more...

      --
      Error: Success
    2. Re:not what you think by actor_au · · Score: 1
      I'm a big myst fan so i've been following this game since it was titled mudpie.

      I'm a bigger fan, I've been following it since it was called 'Get some dirt and water.'

      --
      Read Errant Story.
  22. Eq Bashing ? by rasjani · · Score: 2

    Game is what you make it you know..

    I've been playing Evercrack, on and off, since the day 1 ruins of kunark was released to stores in Finland.

    I stopped for allmost a year in same point but have been playing again something around 5 months now.

    The thing is, as i said earlier allready, game is what you make it yourself.

    I've never had highend character, mainly because of my inpatiance so i dont know how things evolve after +30 levels but before that, all the time its been just mob hunting and exp gaining (far from rpg'ing)... Till now..

    After i started playing again, i headed to Firiona Vie which everyone called "Roleplay" server. Well, ofcourse there are d00ds as much as anywhere else and IC is not mandatorying but. Its still there if you go forth with it yourself..

    I've now joined one of the respected RPG guilds in FV and since then, (joining took me 3 months because something broke my computer and was offline most of that time) i havent been OOC ingame at all. IC goes on even in the guild boards (tavern) and play is good. Im still *young* compared to rest of the guild but i must admit, as a semiserious roleplayer, things havent been this good *ever* in evercrack..

    So, if our EQ experience is lacking, dont make it the truth what you say.. RPG'ing is there and is going on really well.

    Dullfiina, pround member of Saga.
    Cleric of Bristlebane and Hugable Halfling.

    --
    yush
  23. Soon Competition between MM rhelms by eyeball · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As new massively multiplayer worlds are emerging, we're going to see the worlds begin to resemble the cellphone industry, in that similar but incompabile technology will prevent (intentionally or not) users from crossing from one rhelm to another. The way individual manufacturers feel (be it games or cellphones), anything that cooperates with a compeditor would make it easier for that person to switch.

    It would be nice if early on, the multiplayer industry members got together and agreed tho make their worlds and technology compatible, allowing one single account to which individual game charges are applied. This would a) reduce the cost of companies running their own billing sections, and b) allow a person to switch to another game without having to establish yet another account.

    But most importantly, this would open the way to having an Ether -- a plcae outside all of the game rhelms where characters of all sorts could interact (imagine a Sim talking to a Stromtrooper while an Ultima Online player rode by on a horse!). THIS social in-between area would be the start of the Metaverse.

    --

    _______
    2B1ASK1
    1. Re:Soon Competition between MM rhelms by No+Such+Agency · · Score: 2

      imagine a Sim talking to a Stromtrooper while an Ultima Online player rode by on a horse!

      This would seriously "break the fourth wall", I think. Besides, why would you have to have the same avatar in the "break room"/Metaverse as in the game? If you're out-of-character anyway... (and if you're not OOC then I imagine Stormtroopers aren't very interesting conversationalists!)

      --
      Freedom: "I won't!"
    2. Re:Soon Competition between MM rhelms by mentalist23 · · Score: 1
      Sim talking to a Stormtrooper..."

      "Ib bib doo waaaaaaa, bop boo...." [picture of airplane appears]

      POW!

      "Aaaaargh"

      "That's one less Rebel scum."

      --
      Unix does not prevent you from doing stupid things; that would also prevent you from doing clever things.
    3. Re:Soon Competition between MM rhelms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "THIS social in-between area would be the start of the Metaverse."

      Or just be a way to spam people from outside the game. Take your pick.

  24. I've got your game: NWN by katsushiro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Seriously, what you're asking for is basically what Neverwinter Nights provides in its multiplayer. Once upon a long time ago, I was seriously hooked on MUSHesand I figured that I'd get seriously into online games such as Everquest. Didn't happen. I was used to being able to *roleplay* in MUSHes, and of being able to set my own time schedules for things, of not having to go around and killing millions of giant rats just to go up a level. In EQ and others, even if you find a party of people to RP with, If you're not there all the time leveling, you quickly get left behind.

    Then out comes Neverwinter Nights. Pick up a module, or make your own, get a group of friends together (or make some friends in one of the persistent NWN worlds out there), and boom, you're good to go. You and your group control when the gaming takes place (I play every Thursday with a group of close friends who we all used to play tabletop D&D but in the past few years we've all found ourselves scattered to different parts of the U.S. - this helps us stay together and closer as friends even though we're geographically very far apart), and when you're not playing, the world stays still, ready to be picked up again when you guys get together; you don't get left behind. You've got the good things of online gaming without most of the bad: friendship, camraderie, fun, adventure, without the pk'ing, looting, endless hamster-wheel advancement (sure, you still have to kill monsters to level up normally in NWN, but the person running the module can choose to grant XP for other things at any moment, so you can go up in level faster by RP'ing instead of slaying monsters if that's the type of play you want).

    Basically, it's a great online experience that you and your friends control, not some megacompany. And you don't have to pay a monthly fee for it either! :)

    Allright, thus ends my rant about how much better NWN is than normal MMORPG's. This is just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

    --
    "Two things are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the first one." - Albert Einstein
    1. Re:I've got your game: NWN by 2Flower · · Score: 2

      I'll second that. Once you take 'Massively' out of MMORPG, you lose a lot of problems the genre presents you with and gain a whole lot of power. You choose when you want to play, who you want to play with (so you don't have to deal with griefers at ALL) and what exactly you're going to play.

      Couple that with an excellent matching service like www.NeverwinterConnections.com and you have the idea envrion for online RPG gaming. It's as close to pencil 'n paper as you can get, with the power of not needing everybody in the same room at the same time. Who needs massively multiplayer? As long as you're having fun, that's what counts.

    2. Re:I've got your game: NWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure.

      But there's one problem.

      What about those of us who don't KNOW anyone personally who plays these games? I enjoyed NWN as a single player game, but multiplayer groups were hard to pick up as a complete outsider.

      I think that the ease of meeting others and eventually joining a guild is what makes MASSSIVELY Multiplayer games appealing.

    3. Re:I've got your game: NWN by katsushiro · · Score: 1

      I actually agree with you there. If you don't know anybody, the ease of meeting new people in a massively multiplayer game is a big plus. What I'm saying, though, is that once you have a set group of people you enjoy playing with, at least in my experience, a NWN-type game is a far more enjoyable experience and environ for this type of game than, say, Everquest.

      However, I'll grant you that this type of gameplay might not appeal to everyone, for some people, the ability to show off their virtual achievements to a large group, as in having a really high level or truly rare items in an MMORPG, is a big plus, and for that, there's really no substitute. I've personally played more than a few MMORPG's, and the envious stares and /whispers from people admiring Rare Item X or the fact that I'd gotten my char to X level were highly gratifying. But, for all the emphasis on 'multiplayer' in most MMORPG's, I've found that the gameplay is actually a lot more individual, along the lines of 'i'm killing monsters by myself, there just happen to be other people around that are killing monsters too', whereas in NWN you're actually working as a true part of a group for the most part.

      In my opinion, it's when you find a group of likeminded players and enter a guild or party of some sort and work together that these games shine. It just so happens that I prefer to have my group/guild/clan/party in a NWN-type setting where we don't have to deal with the bad sides of the whole MMORPG experience and can focus on the cool group stuff.

      --
      "Two things are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the first one." - Albert Einstein
    4. Re:I've got your game: NWN by 2Flower · · Score: 2

      This thread has shuffled off into slashdot obscurity, but in the interest of answering your question:

      www.neverwinterconnections.com

      That's how you meet people. The site is a matching service which is designed specifically to get groups of players together. I didn't know anybody personally who I could play with either, but I've met lots of terrific people through here and have joined guild-like groups that spawned out of NWC that really helped me in my mod development and provided me plenty of games to play in.

      Granted, it's not as easy as walking up to a stranger in an MMORPG and saying "Wanna party up?" but that's an advantage -- since the investment is more key than some passing grouping with people you may never see again, you really get to know folks.

      For every problem, fan communities can come up with a solution.

  25. Great! by dubbayu_d_40 · · Score: 1

    Myst has been a family activity in my house. Quality time solving puzzles together. Now we won't have to wait for the next game!
    I think I'll have to buy a wireless keyboard/mouse and connect my tv to my graphics card. This could replace must see tv...

  26. real-time 3D engine by dpilot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A few years back they brought RealMyst to market to try out the 3D engine. I almost enough (K6III-400 + G400) machine to run it, and wallowed through, since I'd never played Myst before. For Christmas we got new machine parts that I'm still setting up, (time-challenged) and I'm looking forward to seeing RealMyst perform.

    Cyan was candid about RealMyst being a technology vehicle for a future game, and included a "Bonus Age" at the end to check out more features. While most of RealMyst was merely slow-ish, the Rime Age was downright glacial. I'll be sure to check this out on the new machine, too.

    But I have neither the time nor money to pick up on a time-chewer online game.

    --
    The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
    1. Re:real-time 3D engine by Triv · · Score: 2

      I've got it sitting right here on the desktop of a 700mhz G4. I've played it once. Why? it's so slow it's nearly unplayable. So why haven't I sold it or something? Because, despite how slow it runs, it's gorgeous. Go figure.

      Triv

    2. Re:real-time 3D engine by dpilot · · Score: 1

      As I said, it was slow on a K6-3-428 (4.5*95, slight overclock) with a Matrox G400. I'm hoping it will be just a little faster on an Athlon XP 2100+ with a Radeon 8500LE.

      --
      The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
    3. Re:real-time 3D engine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Played just fine in a P4 2.0GHz and Geforce4 Ti ;)

    4. Re:real-time 3D engine by dpilot · · Score: 1

      Plays fine on Athlon XP 2100+ and Radeon 8500LE, now that I've got it installed. Cranked up the resolution, colors, and detail, and it still plays fine. Didn't save my old games, so I'll have to play through to get to the Rime Age. That's the real test.

      --
      The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
  27. ubi by syle · · Score: 1

    ubisoft is also the company producing shadowbane. Looks like they're really jumping into the MMO* market.

    --

    /syle

    1. Re:ubi by Tailhook · · Score: 2

      What Shadowbane? Try Vaporbane. Ubi has basically squandered their chance in this market. By the time Vaporbane appears, AC2 will have a huge player base, DAOC will have another expansion, SWG will be huge, EQ2 will appear, etc., etc.

      Forget vaporbane.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
  28. That tiny font on the press release! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a site that needs to read up on how not to make sites.

    The stinking font they use for their press release makes it too damn hard to make it worth reading.

  29. Well, I'm sure it'll look like myst... by DoktorMel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But it wont' feel like it. The whole point of Myst was the abandoned feeling you got from the areas. Crowding a Myst world with "asl??" isn't going to make it better in any concievable way. This just isn't going to make money.

    --
    -- The Sage does nothing, and nothing is left undone. --Lao Tzu
    1. Re:Well, I'm sure it'll look like myst... by DoggyFace · · Score: 1

      You can play alone. "Players will be able to customize their level of interaction with other players, choosing to play alone, with small groups of friends or in areas where they can meet new people." cheers

    2. Re:Well, I'm sure it'll look like myst... by iabervon · · Score: 2

      If the only people you meet are outsiders like yourself, it will still have the same abandoned feeling; but I think it would work best if small groups of people would enter each world together, and then they wouldn't meet anyone else who didn't go in with them. Considering how much time people spent playing Myst with other people looking over their shoulders and suggesting things, having a group of players going through the game together actually makes a lot of sense.

      Hmm... if it had support for gestures, you could actually respond to "asl??" in ASL...

    3. Re:Well, I'm sure it'll look like myst... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One of the cool things about this new game is that you will be able to choose how you explore. By yourself, with a small group of friends, or in places where you can meet new people :)

    4. Re:Well, I'm sure it'll look like myst... by waytoomuchcoffee · · Score: 2

      But it wont' feel like it. The whole point of Myst was the abandoned feeling you got from the areas. Crowding a Myst world with "asl??" isn't going to make it better in any concievable way. This just isn't going to make money.

      They can easily make it "abandoned" by simply making instanced versions of zones/areas. Basically, each individual person has there own instance of a place. Not a problem to implement, if that is what they are going for. Ever play Anarchy Online?

      However, I disagree that they will lose money because they don't have that "abandoned feeling". You don't play online to play alone -- you play online to play with others. One of the chief complaints of the Asheron's Call 2 world is that it LOOKS abandoned and dead. They have, what, only 35k subscribers right now?

  30. Building new ages by mentalist23 · · Score: 1
    "Meticulously crafted environments", it sez here.

    But what -I- want is a game where one can do that themselves, and then leave linking books lying around for other players.

    --
    Unix does not prevent you from doing stupid things; that would also prevent you from doing clever things.
  31. A great onling game/community.... by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 2

    by Linden Labs called Second Life is currently in closed beta, but are accepting applications. Your avatar's appearence is fully configurable, you can buy land and build on it, and you can create (3d model) just about any object you can think of and script its behavior using their java-inspired scripting language. Upload texture and sound files to use in objects. It is a great MMOG for techies.

    --

    Technoli
  32. Myst online is the change to rebuild the D'ni that by ChaoticChaos · · Score: 0

    ...Veovis destroyed. If you read the *awesome* Myst trilogy, you would know the Veovis (hope I got the name correct) destroyed the ancient D'ni civilization in vengence over a "surface woman" being allowed in their culture. FASCINATING trilogy of books and I'm really looking forward to helping the ancient "linking book" civilization restore through proud heritage.

  33. NOOOO!!! by blueworm · · Score: 1

    Whatever happened to making fun games? Or good puzzlers to tease your mind like all the other Myst games? This one will be a complete piece of crap because online games like this are all about making a buck and frustrating the hell out of people they manage to get to obsessively play it. For this they can be likened to a cigarette company! I am very upset with Ubi Soft and Cyan.

    1. Re:NOOOO!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cyan CEO Rand Miller has said many times he doesn't want to create a game people will become obsessed with. He doesn't want time limits, or the goal simply to be to gather objects and kill monsters to increase you status. He wants something people can do at their leisure and still enjoy and not feel left out. The game will include puzzles of course, and storyline as well. The multiplayer end of it also allows them to do something that COULDN'T be done in previous games, create puzzles that will take more than one person to solve. At drcsite.org the storyline for Uru has been slowly evolving even before the release to the public. It looks like it will be a very fun game and I will buy it the day it comes out :)

  34. Auntie Cheat by virg_mattes · · Score: 2

    In the same way, he's wrong, and so are you. Strong protections protect against falsification of data input, but vanishingly few cheats in MMORPGs are data hacks. Most are processes completely legitimate to the code that take advantage of a flaw in the game design (a bug or a game fault, such as the Pindleskins problem in Diablo II) to allow a character to advance much more quickly, or procure much more power than is normal. Others are social engineering that allow people to sucker other people out of their power ("Let me look at that item in a trade window" or "F1-F2-F3-F4-F5 will give you ten thousand gold pieces!" or other such trickery). So, strong protections on the data stream are needed, but they don't protect against the large majority of cheats.

    Virg

    1. Re:Auntie Cheat by Yokaze · · Score: 2

      Well, those things you described I'd rather call exploits rather than cheats, since they exploit bugs in these programs (except that trade window thing, which is almost a bug in usability, but more social engineering, don't know about the function-key thing).

      But I was talking more about the theoretical aspects of security. Unless you have trusted hardware on the client side, you cannot trust the data produced by the client. Even when you have a bug free client, the client still can be modified, or mimiced by a bot. So, no matter how bug-free and well-designed the server is, the client can still cheat.

      This is most fatal in ego-shooters, but AFAIK scripting also exists Ultima Online and is inherently possible for all online-games.

      Of course, when you write buggy programs, no additional security measurements makes your software more secure. But it is possible to write programs, which are secure.

      Lastly, there is no cure for stupidity, but evolution :). (Well, people can learn)

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
  35. Rime and Reason by virg_mattes · · Score: 2

    > While most of RealMyst was merely slow-ish, the Rime Age was downright glacial.

    I hope you did this on purpose. It was damn funny.

    Virg

  36. Uru vs. There by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hopefully Uru will let players just walk around and chat, much like the recently annoucned "There". My girlfriend and I held comparisons of the two worlds and be both agreed:

    Would you rather spend time There...

    or here?

    Weird people you meet online notwithstanding, Uru looks like a place I'm actually interested in visiting, exploring, etc. What I am not interested in is buying virutal Levi's jeans for my avatar with real cash. :P

  37. Myst universe is great by ftobin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To be honest, I'd be very much interested in seeing how they involve the Myst universe. The games Myst and Riven were quite good, and the books even better. There is a lot of potential for the Myst universe, given the idea that if you are trained, you can become a writer (creator/linker of worlds).

  38. This sounds really cool by Trolling4Dollars · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I personally hate the competitive aspect of the typical MMORPGs. That's why I've never gotten into them. I tend to like cooperative situations more, but Myst was one of THE best games to ever come out IMNSHO. I also really enjoyed the sequels Riven and Exile. The games left me wanting more though, and it looks like they are getting ready to deliver! :)

    One more note... the game "Lighthouse" (From Sierra) was awsome as well. While many people probably percieved it as somewhat of a Myst ripoff, I thought it was very innovative for it's time. They had much nicer graphics and better sound/music. However, it felt more SciFi than Fantasy when compared to Myst. Anyone else here ever tried Lighthouse?

    --
    Un-news
    1. Re:This sounds really cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lighthouse -- just replayed it with my kids a few weeks ago. Definitly one of the better adventure games.

    2. Re:This sounds really cool by Trolling4Dollars · · Score: 1

      Agreed. I also miss Sierra. They had some great games.

      --
      Un-news
  39. Welcome to the Ether by Dan+Crash · · Score: 2

    I totally agree -- what's missing in virtual worlds right now is the ability for players to travel between them. Obviously, Stormtroopers shouldn't be invading the Sims Online, but there should be a virtual "border crossing" where you can step into the guise of a new character, appropriate to the realm you're traveling to, even exchanging coin of one realm for coin of another if both realms can agree on an exchange rate.

    For megaMMORPGs like EverQuest, this is something they want to avoid, since lock-in is an important part of their business strategy. But I think this leaves a large niche open for new competitors. Ideally, individual users should be able to design their own virtual worlds and host them in the Metaverse, with the revenue generated in a given virtual world being split between the creator of the world and the corporation doing the hosting and designing the software.

    Design an exciting, intriguing world and make a living off it. That's what I'd like to see.

    --
    He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
    1. Re:Welcome to the Ether by waytoomuchcoffee · · Score: 2

      I totally agree -- what's missing in virtual worlds right now is the ability for players to travel between them. Obviously, Stormtroopers shouldn't be invading the Sims Online, but there should be a virtual "border crossing" where you can step into the guise of a new character, appropriate to the realm you're traveling to, even exchanging coin of one realm for coin of another if both realms can agree on an exchange rate. For megaMMORPGs like EverQuest, this is something they want to avoid, since lock-in is an important part of their business strategy.

      Avoid? They are very happy to charge you $50 to change to another server. In fact, it's a revenue stream that's made them a million dollars.

      Ideally, individual users should be able to design their own virtual worlds and host them in the Metaverse

      This is what Neverwinter Nights is doing. You can gate between worlds. However, no revenue is involved.

    2. Re:Welcome to the Ether by Dan+Crash · · Score: 2

      Avoid? They are very happy to charge you $50 to change to another server.

      I meant "lock-in" in the sense of being locked into EverQuest. They'll gladly take your money to switch you to another EQ server, but there's no incentive for them to enable you to switch between competing virtual worlds as easily as you can currently switch between competing websites.

      Neverwinter Nights looks like a great step towards the ideal of the Metaverse. We just need to broaden the scope beyond D&D.

      --
      He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
  40. Ender's Game by Driv · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I'm picturing the virtual world that Ender Wiggins would explore in the Orson Scott Card book "Ender's Game". Would be pretty interesting...

  41. Re:Myst online is the change to rebuild the D'ni t by AnamanFan · · Score: 2

    This increases my fan boy status to new heights, but that's not the most accurate discription. No hard feelings though! :)

    In Myst: Book of Ti'ana, A'Gaeris was the key player in the dystruction of D'ni and only inlisted (and to a point even tricked) Veovis who did help in the biological attack that caused the distruction.

    --
    AnamanFan - Trying to find the Truth, one post at a time.
  42. Ubisoft = Vaporsoft. Don't hold your breath... by Salgak1 · · Score: 1
    Perhaps. If you call a product that has been under development for 5+ years, has been promising, and failing to deliver, on Open Beta for the better part of two years, and had the gall to sell "preview CD's" last fall, and THEN pushing back the release date yet again a few days after the Preview CD's hit the market.

    Shadowbane was even listed (#8) in Wired's Vaporware for 2002. . .

  43. Myst MMOG a step towards game in Enders Game by jasonu · · Score: 2, Insightful
    It sounds like this MMOG, being continually updated, could be a step towards the game Ender played on his desk in Battle School. So, how long until they start using peoples actions in the game to do psychoanalysis?

    For those who don't know, _Ender's Game_ is a great sci-fi book by Orson Scott Card. I've heard they'll be making a movie about it, but I don't know when.

    --
    ...I don't have enough faith to believe in the "big bang"...
  44. Since when have games ever been about Needs? by Mulletproof · · Score: 2

    I mean really. They're entertainment. Take a valium.

    --
    You need a FREE iPod Nano
  45. *drool* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Take a look at some of those screenshots...*drools on keyboard*...

    Here: http://uru.ubi.com/screenshots.shtml

    and Here: http://www.cyanworlds.com/stills.ssi# (some of the ones here are shots from earlier in development)

  46. Um...... NO! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, this wouldn't be great. If one could traverse different games with the same piece of software, then their wouldn't be any innovation. These MMO games are vastly different right now, some are RPGs, some are exploration-type, and some are simulations. For them to all be interoperable would not only require a lot more programming, but also the separate games would have to be dumbed-down to a level that all of the programs could be compatible with. Besides that, having a Storm-Trooper bypass some Myst puzzle by blasting it, or having cars in medieval settings is stupid. The mixture of environments would lose their exotic sense. It would just ruin the appeal of these non-real settings.

    1. Re:Um...... NO! by eyeball · · Score: 2

      I probably didn't word it carefully enough. What I mean is you, or more accurately, your avatar, leaving the realm you're playing in, into an outside common area. Fundamental designs in the server and protocols would disallow an avatar to wander into any world that it doesn't belong. But what it would do is allow all avatars from all different types of worlds to mingle.

      What I'm thinking is some lowest-common denominator protocol and character representation that all online multiplayer realms could build upon, but of course each realm (or, the programmers of the game software) would be free to augment or extend those protocols and avatar definition data within their own worlds. Think of it in terms of object-oriented programming: all massively multiplayer systems could adhere to a common base class of character, defining look and feel, then subclass that character for the unique features and functions of the realm which that character belongs.

      Strange interactions would take place as well, as avatars (or more to the point, people) from both the social (like The Sims) and the rpg worlds mix.

      --

      _______
      2B1ASK1
  47. MMORPGs from normal games... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In that case when is Rockstar going to produce GrandTheftAuto Online?

    Sign me up for a bit! Biker gang guild ready.

  48. This is 'Project Mudpie', if I remember correctly. by Bora+Horza+Gobuchol · · Score: 1

    From the screenshots, this appears to be what Cyan was calling "Project Mudpie" a few years back. They had a very nice feature on it in "Wired", as I recall.

    There are two really interesting aspects of the game to me:

    1. It was designed for broadband from the ground up - no deliberate crippling to support analog modem users...
    2. The Miller brothers, the designers of the original Myst are (or at least were, a few years ago) fairly reverent Xians... and as part of their belief (and game philosophy) did not wish violence to appear in their games - Myst and Mudpie included. The challenge of keeping the user's interest will therefore be a very interesting one... in the Wired article they were talking about co-operative solving of puzzles... objectives that could only be achieved if you worked together with other players, rather than competing against them. If nothing else, it's a unique approach.
  49. Myst...we meet again... by VistaBoy · · Score: 2

    I don't know...with my luck in that game, I'll end up touching the wrong book and ending up being stuck in some weird prison for the rest of my character's life screaming "Bring me blue paaaages..."

  50. Possible idea by SirCrashALot · · Score: 1

    I think it would be great if the game were like Myst and Riven, where you solve (for me) nearly impossible puzzeles to get around. But this would be a team thing, with a huge world to travel around, and people have to work together to solve the puzzle. If they do update well enough, there could be Ages or something, where new puzzles and plot twists are added. Newbies could travel in a party, and the more adventurous sort could go alone.
    IMHO, that would make a great game, one that I could be addicted to for hours each day (But that could be a bad thing!/i?

    1. Re:Possible idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um....isn't that what URU is? lol (except I don't know yet how hard the puzzles are going to be)

  51. Free Stuff? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey guys check out www.mygamer.com seems they are giving away a free xbox, gamecube and ps2.. they also redid their entire site.. Looks alot better now..

  52. Exploit by virg_mattes · · Score: 2

    > Well, those things you described I'd rather call exploits rather than cheats, since they exploit bugs in these programs (except that trade window thing, which is almost a bug in usability, but more social engineering, don't know about the function-key thing).

    I can concede this.

    Virg

    P.S. the function key thing is an old social engineering thing in Diablo II. In this game, when your system drops the connection to the server (like a system crash), your avatar hangs around for thirty seconds or so before disappearing. Also, when you "go hostile" to another player, you must be in town, they are warned, and you can't attack them in town. So, the trick is that someone will walk up to you when you're outside the border of the town (a good hunting zone for newbies) and tell you, "if you hold down your Alt key and hit F1-F2-F3-F4-F5 you'll get 10,000 gold" or something else valuable. If you're dumb enough to do that, you'll find that Alt-F1, 2, 3 and 5 are meaningless, but Alt-F4 (the Windows "close program" hotkey) causes Diablo II to exit immediately. This leaves your immobile and defenseless avatar standing in the game for thirty seconds, which is long enough for the trickster to enter town, go hostile to you (you don't see the warning because you crashed your program), return and kill you to take all your stuff.

  53. URU Demo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At the Mysterium 2002 Convention in Philadelphia this past summer (gathering of Myst fans from around the country/world), I was honored to view a demo of URU (then called MUDPIE/Parable/Myst Online). From a computer running the game in a conference room in Philadelphia, we were able to meet Rand Miller (Cyan CEO) and Richard Watson (Cyan "D'ni Historian") via their avatars, who gave us a guided tour of a neighborhood and Eder Kemo ("The Garden Age"), plus a Q&A session. I just wanted to chime in and say that the game is GORGEOUS. When Cyan said Riven was their graphics standard for this game they weren't kidding. Riven graphics are pretty much impossible currently with RT3d, but boy are they CLOSE! The avatars were incredibly realistic (in appearance and motion), the worlds were beautiful and intriguing, and there was no lag whatsoever. Cyan is completely dedicated to this product and are serious about frequent content updates. By the time this game comes out, it will be over a year since then, and so it could only be even better! I would have been willing to buy it then from what I saw :)