Concerning this whole controversy over Cyan not making a "real story". Not counting the SP, since that was apparently just done to help market Uru. It's not surprising (the existence of the controversy). The renovation of D'ni, in the context of the DRC and Zandi and what we know/did from the SP, is the storyline's content. So, we should care about the storyline if we care about any of those.
Since no easily understood values, such as those related to love or honor or morality, are markedly identified in how these relate to one another (in fact, we're supposed to decide for ourselves what's the situation), we're left with what we can learn by experiencing the world. In that sense, it's a spiritual successor the Myst games, in which you used your wits to move forward but only what you learned about your world could allow you make the proper choice.
However, to actively feel a sense of attachment to the events in the world of Uru, you need to either have puzzles with which you use your wits, or you need choices which what you've learned about the worlds through which you've traveled would influence/determine. Puzzles are introduced regularly. At this point, they're just like single-player puzzles, but with a sense of community since everyone's doing them. Choices... well, can we consider what we have currently, a real "choice"? Choices are supposed to occur in the context of RP, apparently. Even though outside of the jackets which Sharper gave, they haven't seemed to mean anything ("yet"). Unless you could say they "mean something" in that you're perceived differently by others and yourself in the context of RP. However, if RP is both the means the end... well, I suppose I should just say that Uru is a very unique MMO, then. Akin to a graphical MUSH.
Okay, this argument is about whether or not the storyline is quality. Well, it's fine. I'd say it's kind of undefined in many ways, but that's deliberate. Clearly there are people who have been able to get into it. So to them it's adequate, and so, it can be adequate. It has that capacity. In that case, this argument would be about what the proper capacity is. Is a storyline that appeals to more people better. I'd say it would be. I'd say that it'd be possible to introduce story elements which involve people more, without compromising the basic framework of the storyline, except as far as it's unclear and uncertain, but I hope that the subjective quality of the storyline isn't /completely/ necessary--that is, I hope it would be OK to introduce some elements which are clear.
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