Continuing expansion that can be played mainly offline?

jgoggan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:30 pm

When the Uru Live beta was going on years ago, I was most excited about the idea of additional expansions for the game being released on an ongoing basis (monthly? quarterly?). I was willing to subscribe just for that. To be honest, I have very little interest in actually interacting with other online players. I simply want more and more Myst.

I also have the problem of having one-way (i.e. dial/modem-return) satellite for my internet connection. This makes for horrible game playing because of the huge lag time. I use it just for downloading content basically.

So, that all leaves me in a situation where I basically just want to be able to play Uru at home and my subscription to GameTap would provide additional CONTENT for me to also play at home on a regular basis. Is that still the plan? In other words, if the whole point of the new Uru Live is just to be able to interact with others online with limited new content coming on a regular basis (or content that only really matters to the online interaction stuff), then I would have little interest in this. With my limited high-bandwidth (which I can use to download content, but not really interact well with others), there would be little point in me subscribing for the online interaction aspects.

Can anyone fill me in on this? If I'm basically a "standalone/offline" Myst fan that just wants access to more and more content to keep playing on a regular basis -- will a GameTap and Uru Live subscription provide that for me?

Thanks!

- John...

Rusty_Russell · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:40 pm

Sorry, no. This is broadband multiplayer, as per Cyan's original vision for URU.

jgoggan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:44 pm

Rusty_Russell wrote:

Sorry, no. This is broadband multiplayer, as per Cyan's original vision for URU.

Again, even with the "original vision", it was stated several times that people that did not really want to interact with people online would still be able to get the expansions as they were released and just play the additional content on their own.

They basically said that you might see people wandering around now and then, but that you did not have to interact with them. They also said that some expansions might one day have puzzles that require interaction, but that those would be noted so that those wishing to just play on their own could do so.

So, I'd really like some confirmation that that is no longer the case. Are you saying that Uru Live will REQUIRE interaction with other players then and all expansions (i.e. new areas with puzzles) will require interaction with other players?

Again, I have no problem being online and downloading content, of course -- I just don't want to deal with other people really. My wife and I play Myst games to solve the puzzles/areas together. It appeared before that the "original vision" of Uru Live 3 years ago supported that idea still.

- John...

Rusty_Russell · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:49 pm

What I'm saying is that there will be no offline game, no expansion packs, nothing at all single-player. There won't even be a startup CD. The whole of URU Live will be online and need a broadband connection.

Beyond that, you and your wife can join up and have your own private hood and choose not to interact with anyone - but you'll still be part of a global space.

chucker · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:51 pm

jgoggan wrote:

Are you saying that Uru Live will REQUIRE interaction with other players then and all expansions (i.e. new areas with puzzles) will require interaction with other players?

No, for the most part, you will be able to explore on your own.

jgoggan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:53 pm

Rusty_Russell wrote:

What I'm saying is that there will be no offline game, no expansion packs, nothing at all single-player. There won't even be a startup CD. The whole of URU Live will be online and need a broadband connection.

Beyond that, you and your wife can join up and have your own private hood and choose not to interact with anyone - but you'll still be part of a global space.

Ok -- I guess that is what I am looking for. I don't mind being connected -- but I don't really feel the need to interact with others. What I want is an ongoing source of new areas/puzzles to explore on my own.

I mean -- what else will it be? I don't really need a social place to hang up with other Myst fans -- I have that here. And I assume that isn't the point of Uru Live, right? I assume most people want to play for the GAME itself -- the puzzles that have made Myst famous, correct? Therefore, I would think that my situation isn't that unique. The fact that other people might be walking around an Age doesn't really make a difference to me -- as long as I can personally explore that Age and try to solve the puzzles on my own.

Is that the intent of Uru Live? If not, then what is the real goal -- something besides just an interactive environment for fans of Myst, right?

- John...

Rusty_Russell · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:58 pm

Quote:

The fact that other people might be walking around an Age doesn't really make a difference to me -- as long as I can personally explore that Age and try to solve the puzzles on my own.

You are welcome to do that, should you so choose. You won't be barred from the ongoing new features (sometimes daily) by being solitary.

In fact, because the clientel is primarily US, if you're on a shard during a European day, you may well find it deserted anyway.

jgoggan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:02 pm

Sounds excellent. Looks like I'll be subscribing to GameTap this week... Thanks much!

- John...

Lynka · **Posted:** Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:49 am

To be honest the whole point of why im interested in this game is because its a puzzle solving MMO. I have never played any myst games but simply want to play this one because i will be able to make friends while having a good think about how to solve a puzzle rather than which armour should i upgrade to. If this game works out as a solve on your own kinda game it wont work as an mmo and i think the developers know this. So get out the rusty social skills and polish them up cause interacting with other people is fun

Deledrius · **Posted:** Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:47 pm

Every MMO I've played has made promises about having an equal experience for solo players, but they've never lived up to them. There's an impossible balance between making something too hard for a soloer and too easy for a dedicated group. Since it's an MMO, they always choose to bend towards the group's needs.

I want to play Uru. The fact that it's multiplayer is, at this late point, rather incidental. It remains to be seen if Cyan can effectively create a new genre that uses the power of the online medium without succumbing to its traps.

Sophia · **Joined:** Wed May 17, 2006 11:30 pm **Posts:** 1116

I always liked the solo aspect very much too. I remember the days of Uru Prologue. How disappointing to make it to the city finally, only to find somebody cry out loud "Guess what I found? Another marker! And I found it exactly there-and-there!" Gone was the fun of finding it myself...

This made me dread the multiplayer aspect. I could just hear it in the "real" game: "In Age Such-and-so there is a new puzzle. Well, if you push the red, blue and green button and then pull the yellow lever, you will have access to this-and-that. Check it out!"

So I can fully appreciate why you might not want to interact with others... too much.

On the other hand, I have made many very good (real life) friends in Uru and even met my husband in the game. It is fun to hang out with friends and create even more ways to enjoy the game together.

However, this is entirely a matter of choice. I can only agree with some of the other posters in this thread that you don't NEED interaction to appreciate the game. Of course I don't know for sure what the future will hold, but every single one of the four existing UU ages can be solved entirely on your own... that tells me at least something!

Hope this helps and I look forward to meet you in the city one day!

JWPlatt · **Posted:** Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:06 pm

You will have a link book collection in your own private space to explore and solve ages in a completely single user experience if you wish. They are your own private versions of those ages and will be untouched by others. The only way you will see other people there is if you invite them. The same ages are available to publicly share by visiting public spaces and using link books to the same ages from there. All at your option.

Dan'nee · **Joined:** Mon Oct 16, 2006 2:18 pm **Posts:** 722

I think this is exactly why Cyan designed the game this way. They want to make it intriguing to all players, even those who don't normally like MMOGs. People can still use it as pretty much a single player game, if they'd like, with new content every so often.

Though of course we'd welcome you if you join us in public!

Well, Uru public.

darkstar · **Posted:** Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:24 pm

One of the points of Myst type puzzles is not just figuring out you need to
if you push the red, blue and green button and then pull the yellow lever, you will have access to this-and-that" but also why you get access to it and for what reason.

Sophia · **Joined:** Wed May 17, 2006 11:30 pm **Posts:** 1116

Exactly darkstar, and being told what the answer is when you haven't even been able to give that any thought is definitely the WORST way to find that out

Continuing expansion that can be played mainly offline?

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