This just struck me, and I was wondering if anyone had the answer...
Back in 2010 when MO:ULa opened, who was the lucky chap who got to be the first non-cyan explorer?
So this can either be, who created their account first, or who was actually able to play the game (though briefly, as I've been told) first.

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Silence will fall...

naofun.blogspot.ca

well...

You can always ask one of these gentlemen:

HenryMikel
Watashi
Ken

They aren't member of Cyan but were testing the whole shard back in early January 2010

The first account would be hard to determine as many recover theirs from the old Gametap Era

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Yeah. Problem is thazt MOUL wasn't the first incarnation, and there was a beta test before it opened that many people were part of... really a large portion of people who were on D'mala joined the beta. And then, D'mala itself was people who played UU, which was many people who were in the original Live, and then before that the more closed beta, and...

So yeah, it goes back a long ways. As for who's the first to play Uru online that wasn't part of Cyan? I can't recall but I suspect there's some people who know the answer....

Wait, does it count as non-cyan if they weere in a closed beta recruited directly by Cyan while working, yet not paid employees?

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You know, I wish we would learn Atrus loved the 1812 overture, and in turn we had a copy for our relto.
That's right, a canon canen cannon!

MOULa KI: #00027582
Welcome back all!

The question is about the first non-Cyan explorer in MOULa. I checked my records and I think I know who it is, but unfortunately, I can't tell you because I can't recall if he agreed to be revealed as a beta tester. Sorry.

It appears that Ken was the second one to join with a KI number of 1384.

As for the first explorer after the beta, I can tell you that James Kaufman was the first to arrive in the city with a KI number of 22891. So, unless anyone has one lower than that, he was the first non-beta explorer.

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OpenUru.org Minkata Test Shard is
OU-Minkata Shard Testers Guide (in laymen's terms)

A few early explorers thought of making some roaring, on a few well known Myst sites, when the early exploration test weeks were finished. Revealing by doing that who that were was voluntary, but would not considered as a NDA violation by Cyan, as is was in fact only the checking and validating the already existing unchanged URU instance that was done.
Cyan had agreed us doing that, but the succes was a bit overwhelming.

Unfortunately the welcomcommitty was waiting for the first exporers to arrive in vain in the city, dancing and guessing who might be the first one to arrive, when server crashed under the load and we were all kicked out.
The screenshot of that party is still very dear to me, but has to remain private for the moment still.

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JanB MO:ULagain KI 00003068 JanB2 KI 00593052

Last edited by JanB on Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:47 am; edited 2 times in total

Great Question...Consider this a quest....Not necessarily having seven cloths.

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Moul(A) Charura KI#00055400 Char Gearz KI#00706359 Cannon Belle KI#13686512 Teri Dactyl KI#12658065
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How Many Times Does A Myst Player Play Myst Before A Myst Player Decides To Play Myst Again

JanB wrote:

Unfortunately the welcommingcommtty was waiting for the firest exporers to arrive in vain in the city, dancing and guessing who might be the first explorer to arrive, when server crashed under the load and we were all kicked out.
The screenshot of that party is still very dear to me, but has to remain private..

*chuckle*

I still get people going "WOAH!" at my KI number. I keep wanting to make more time to go visiting, mebby once the Kidlet is settled this summer, I'll have a bit more free time. (Commence hysterical laughter in 3...2...1...)

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Officially bonked R.E.B.E.L.
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Storyteller & Creatrix
MOULAgain Houligan KI#00001498

You young people with your low KI numbers, let me tell you, in my day, we didn't have any low KI numbers because we didn't HAVE any KIs, that's right, we linked with our bare hands, and half the time we ended up link dead, running around trying to talk to people but being like a ghost, pushing buttons and nothing happening, until the skull and crossbones appeared, but the other half of the time, you got through but couldn't take three steps without falling into the Bad Place, and you fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell - HEY! It was called the Bad Place for a REASON, you know! - but then there were all those barricades, don't get me started, you couldn't take four steps (or at least one after not falling into the Bad Place) without running into a barricade, and we didn't have any fancy shmancy run-jump-slide-kneel-punt combos, no, these were SERIOUS barricades, and then the vault wipes, oh my goodness, every other week, I can't tell you how many times I've had to drag those durn-blang fireflies through that gurn-dang tunnel, and Eddie, I'm so sorry, Eddie, I kicked you into the Bad Place, and they said they found you, and brought you back after the server reboot, but you wouldn't talk to me, I think it was really just a beach ball, and so you're out there somewhere, still falling and falling and falling and falling and falling.....

Yes, the first explorer we saw online after the Feb 8, 2010 game started (and servers were able to recover) was James Kaufman (aka, Myst Linker in the forums here, and at the GoG).

The game was officially open to setting up accounts and downloading the game in mid-afternoon on the 8th, and about 10 of us beta testers were waiting with Rand and his wife Robin in the city terrace for the first explorers. A lot of us gave up or were booted (and Rand and Robin had to leave), but several of us either stayed or logged back in successfully, and around 1:00 AM on Feb 9th, James Kaufman appeared in the city. It was exciting to see the first non beta/Cyan name appear on the Age List.

James actually later created a new username of "Guild of Greeters" and created the GoG Hood from that avvie that is still used today.

Here is the only post I can find from James Kaufman (Myst Linker) about his arrival in the MOULAgain game on early Feb 9th, 2010.

http://mystonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=314945#314945

ALSO, JWPlatt asked us if he had permission to list our names as beta testers (No NDA), and he posted the following before the first new explorer had gotten in:

http://mystonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=314266#314266

Good times.

Dadguy

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Member of the Guild of Greeters

Ah, yes, good times, indeed. I can't recall a more exciting time than witnessing the returning of explorers to the cavern. Seeing those familiar names arriving at the Ferry Terminal was better than any DRC encounter I ever had in MOUL.

By the by, I have sent a PM to the Anonymous First Explorer to inform them of this thread in case they wish to come forward and reveal themselves.

Zardoz, I chuckled at your recounting of the old days, but also counted my blessings and felt grateful for those that paved the way for the rest of us to come in later years. Thank you!

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OpenUru.org Minkata Test Shard is
OU-Minkata Shard Testers Guide (in laymen's terms)

I was a beta tester for MO:ULa (see my KI # for proof), but I wasn't there at the historic moment when the servers went live, due to the overwhelming load. To properly answer the OP's question, I think the beta testers should be excluded from the First Explorers title. Otherwise, we should go waaaaaay back to Uru's first beta test sessions, with the likes of Zardoz, Tweek, and so forth.

[Thanks for the PM, Tai'lahr - otherwise, I would have missed this thread.]

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Can we rebuild it? Yes, we can - here's how.

Myst Movie coming soon!

KI #: 1299

dadguy wrote:

...and about 10 of us beta testers were waiting with Rand and his wife Robin in the city terrace for the first explorers.

That's cool! Wish I could have been there then, but I signed up just a few days after the game went live (And I'd been waiting for the game since GameTap MOULa went down too! I signed up on the 17th and the game went live on the 14th, I believe?). That would have been an awesome event to get a snapshot of though.

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TOC#60089 DI#132103 MOULa is

I love historical stories like these. I have lived some of the history others posting here have, and haven't lived any that others talk about. I like hearing about the way things were, or things that happened when I wasn't there.

It reminds me of looking at scene in a mirror that is mirrored in a mirror -- We are part of something that is part of something that is part of something that is part of something that is part of something....

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A story: CavernScents Journey

Ghaelen: KI# 23059

Robert The Rebuilder wrote:

To properly answer the OP's question, I think the beta testers should be excluded from the First Explorers title.

Yeah, cause we're not first explorers, we're hooligans!

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Officially bonked R.E.B.E.L.
Falling Man Group Secretary
Storyteller & Creatrix
MOULAgain Houligan KI#00001498

I was happy to get into MOULa fairly soon after it was released to the rest of us, and was delighted to have a fairly low 5 digit number, being #37069, having shed a cool 1,546 from my MOUL #38615. This time I'll keep it off!

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"Laugh it up, Chuckles" -- Space Ghost to Rand Miller; MOUL KI #38615, Mulligan KI #37069