Myst Online: URU Live Forums

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Ni'Cahlas the Young — Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:10 am

Author: Ni'Cahlas the Young

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:10 am

CrisGer wrote:

There is a great deal to study and learn from what we can see and explore now.

Very much true. There's still plenty of 'data' for us to make sense of. However, not all of us are historians of archeologists in real life. Which is to say that it can be very difficult to get anything meaningful out of content that is released without giving the player some sense of direction.

That, I believe, is the main problem. A lack of direction. In any ordinary game, you would follow a certain course of events and end up having 'beaten' the game. Where to go, what to do, that's all fixed and fairly easy to figure out. No such thing in Uru.
Apart from the huge amount of freedom and realism this adds to the experience, I think we shouldn't forget that this is also extremely demanding. Especially to those among us who do not possess the active imagination to create their own understanding of the game and storyline behind it. Let's not call these people lazy. Let's not say that they don't have the 'right attitude' to play Uru. That's the world upside-down completely. It's like the author of a heavy, although brilliant, literary novel which just gathers dust on the shelves of a book store, complaining that people just don't get how amazing the book really is. (although, by elitist literary standards, it just might be)
Instead, a writer who wants to sell many books, should write something that many people want to -and are able to- read. His writings should offer something for everyone.
Same with games. Uru has a brilliant concept. It's fresh, it's beautiful, but it's also very difficult for your average gamer to oversee. (like the literary novel) Which is why people either get bored or frustrated.
They need some sort of guideline. Something that keeps them engaged, and is easy to pick up at any time. Something that gives them orientation rather than leaving them lost in a giant universe.
The storyline in the off-line versions of Uru was such a guideline. It offered players a motivation for deepening their understanding of the D'ni/DRC background story, because this understanding would provide them with clues as to how to proceed in the game. The reward for which, was discovering new areas, new pages and, eventually, 'beating' the game.
Now, there is still a storyline, but it doesn't feel like the lifeline it was in the offline game. Instead, it sometimes feels insignificant, because understanding it doesn't produce any tangible results. It doesn't make the average player feel that his presence in the myst universe serves any purpose other than being an audience.
I think this will change. Cyan has produced many successful games over the years, and, I think, the people there have a good understanding of what makes a player play a game. But let's not ignore or criticize people for wanting more areas or complaining about a lack of storyline.
Most of the time, they're just feeling lost.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Renfield — Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:56 am

Author: Renfield

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:56 am

Amen, CrisGer and Dudemom!!!!

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Dudemom_2000 — Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:18 am

Author: Dudemom_2000

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:18 am

Ditto what CrisGer said!

My hubby IS an archaeologist (his specialty is Ohio Indian Mound Builders) and I have been on digs with him (yes, Serpent Mound!) and you DO NOT HURRY. He documents everything he does and does some of the most incredible notetaking and detailed photography I have ever seen. I equate Uru to a dig. Uru is something to look at in detail and examine carefully.... these things take time. We have gotten into such a "gotta have it now" mentalilty that we have lost patience with slow discovery. I think Cyan has taken us on a journey - it might seem slow in this nanosecond world we live in now days, but a journey it is and we should be patient and let this develop.

CrisGer says it for me:

Quote:

There is a great deal to study and learn from what we can see and explore now. Work alone or with others, and prepare. I am.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

CrisGer — Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:01 am

Author: CrisGer

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:01 am

As an intrigued in game archaeolgist, come as have we all to this call, I am very pleased to be able to visit this remarkable site, and the related Ages that we have access to from the D'ni civilization. It is the chance of a lifetime.

I have been to few sites, digs and ongoing excavations in Classical sites (i.e. Greece, Cefalonia, Britain, France), Classical Mayan (Palenque, Copal, and others) and mesoamerican (New Mexico, Colorado) where there were not some if not many interns, aides, student dig assistants and crew members who did not wish to OPEN EVERYTHING UP NOW! I think we all may have that desire! And never have I seen a Site Supervisor, presiding Director of Excavations, or funding institution authorize such hasty and hurried access. Never. (This is in real surface life as well, as an artist and a researcher and degree holder in History with focus on Classical Phase Archaeology and cultural Ecology and preservation of intangible resources from indigenous cultures).

There is a great deal to study and learn from what we can see and explore now. Work alone or with others, and prepare. I am.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Dan'nee — Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:26 pm

Author: Dan'nee

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:26 pm

Yes, thanks for that update macnbc. That was encouraging to read.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

C'ristan — Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:24 pm

Author: C'ristan

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:24 pm

Me too, Mowog!

I'm gonna lay off you now mac, after reading your post in the other thread

Thanks for posting that

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Mowog — Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:11 pm

Author: Mowog

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:11 pm

Ahlamnat is, once again, right on the mark. The point was made that the Myst fan base is a really voracious crowd that will devour new content as fast as Cyan can produce it. Witness the recent furore over the Negilahn pod, D'ni time vs. surface time, conversion programs, etc... and this is before the Pod Age puzzles are truly complete, if I understand correctly. MO:UL really will be a new experience for Cyan and the fans alike. Those of us who thrive on thorny puzzles that are presented to us complete, and upon which we latch on and don't turn loose until we've solved them, may have to change our thinking in a realtime adventure where the plot comes at us gradually -- and only when Cyan deems the time is right. I'm okay with that, but I must admit that it's something I need to become accustomed to. It certainly is different.

And having said all that, it seems that most of the "where's the new content?" comments are coming from long-time fans who have long since taken Yeesha's journeys, and are anxious to move on. I keep reminding myself that the Journeys represent a whole lot of content and story in themselves, and that new players will have a lot to do in the beginning just to prepare for any new content. It's easy to forget! This is one of the reasons I replayed all the Age Journeys with a new avvie last weekend, just to remind myself of all that has led up to this point. It was actually good to hear all of Yeesha's speeches again, to read the Journals, and so forth.

So I'm trying to be patient!

Mowog

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Dan'nee — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:39 pm

Author: Dan'nee

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:39 pm

And anyone that's happy with Uru Live as it is now, that's great! Don't take my comments as offensive or anything. Just pointing out where some others of us stand.

slightperil, that may be true, about Sharper, but I've seen so many "story points" there for the sole purpose of explaining an OOC problem IC that I might not know where to look at times like this.

And I'm not going to be able to attend this, and it was never even my idea or anything, but I think instead of people expecting Cyan to reveal their story or where their story is going, this would be a great opportunity for Cyan to get some input from concerned citizens as to what kind of story they expect or perhaps what other options of delivery some might be expecting (more than just in-game actors i.e. journals, etc.).

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Rusty_Russell — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:38 pm

Author: Rusty_Russell

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:38 pm

That's not universally true, buni. In fact it's only true for US and Canada.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

buni1161 — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:36 pm

Author: buni1161

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:36 pm

I think that people are missing a very important point- your not just paying for uru- your paying for gametap too- so you have access to over 900 games to download- if youre bored- go download something else in the meantime-

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

slightperil — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:30 pm

Author: slightperil

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:30 pm

What you’re saying is true to a point Dan’nee, but there is something id like to say about Negilahn.

Cyan have finished it, it isn’t just ‘don’t have all the creatures modelled yet’ or they want to wait to release things. There’s a very good reason for the lack of the animals, it’s an important storyline point (at least as far as I can tell). I can’t possibly believe that a predator is stalking Negilahn at precisely the same time that Sharper returns. Sharper is hunter extraordinaire and it would seem to be a good place for him to start.

It’s more like selling someone a paper umbrella and telling them that if they keep there eyes open and wait they will be able to get a plastic one.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Rusty_Russell — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:27 pm

Author: Rusty_Russell

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:27 pm

I'm happy to be paying $12.95 for just URU Live. I treat it as episodic content at the moment. I hope that Sharper starts to rattle the story along, but I don't expect to see it. I think I'll be in bed.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

C'ristan — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:22 pm

Author: C'ristan

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:22 pm

Dan'nee wrote:

C'ristan wrote:
Agreed. Furthermore, I surmise that this $60 is for a *Gametap* subscription ... not Uru Live in isolation.

International players are paying 12.95$ for Uru Live alone, so this is not necessarily a fair statement.

Let me return you to my initial statement then. I'm going to be paying $12.95 for Uru Live alone, because I too am an international player.

This option has only just become available. I paid 99 cents for the first month from February 15th, and I will be charged $12.95 on 15th March. Especially given the weakness of the USD right now, I think the amount I'm paying reflects what I am getting ... and not bad value at that, and my original comment still applies.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Erik — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:17 pm

Author: Erik

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:17 pm

I don't understand the goal...

Do you want Cyan to reveal their storyline, to prove that they have one? They can't tell you anything about the storyline IMHO, because then it's a story, not a storyline.

Re: Round Table on Storyline! CYAN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE!?

Dan'nee — Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:09 pm

Author: Dan'nee

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:09 pm

C'ristan wrote:

Agreed. Furthermore, I surmise that this $60 is for a *Gametap* subscription ... not Uru Live in isolation.

International players are paying 12.95$ for Uru Live alone, so this is not necessarily a fair statement.

And I think some people might be taking macnbc's statements a little too far. I guess I don't know exactly what he's expecting, but a huge Age with super storyline to go with it might not be it. I, for one, don't mind the small Ages if they we had some kind of story now. Right now we've heard only of business meetings as usual, updates from the DRC on what area they are releasing next, and a "predator" in Negilahn, which is an IC way of saying they don't have all the creatures modeled yet and/or that they want to release them slower.

I, too, paid $60 in October, and normal players will be paying twice as much as that and international players even more. This isn't about being understanding with Cyan about the number of developers they have and the amount of time they've had to work on it. To use a familiar analogy:

Umbrella Man: Here's your umbrella. That will be $12.95, like what the other umbrella stores would charge you.
Woman: Thank you for the umbrella. Hey, why doesn't it open up?
Umbrella Man: Oh, I haven't had enough time to finish it yet. You won't be able to get a full blown umbrella for another couple of months. Keep coming back every month, give me another $12.95, and we'll give you whatever updates we have.

This is about buying a product as a consumer. If you aren't happy with what you paid for, you return it (and/or stop buying it). And Average Joe Player who is not obsessed with Cyan won't want to stick around for half a year to a year, I don't believe, to eventually find a story with their puzzles. I've already stated elsewhere that I would have returned my product by now if I could, but I'm in the same boat of having to wait until October to see if it picks up at all.