The Intangibles - Fan Content Pipeline and Ages

ChloeRhodes · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:29 am **Posts:** 520

At this year's Mysterium, Cyan announced they are working with a small group of fans to get new content developed for MO:ULa. We are that group, and we'd like to clarify some things about how we've evolved over recent months, and to give a rough roadmap to the community of how we hope to move forward.

The first trailer for fan content shown at Mysterium highlighted a few of the projects we're working on, including wholly fan created Ages as well as some EoA content remade for MO:ULa format. But the list of Ages that are in development is much bigger than what was shown, and actually comprises most of the DRC Age Restoration list prior to Prologue and Myst Online shutting down. These include Ages like Rebek, Kahlo, Pento, and Pirahnay and many others.

Cyan won't be involved in the further development of these Ages, though they may choose to advise our group and may choose to host our work on their shard. Cyan's input - regarding their Ages' design and how they planned on implementing their puzzles - will be invaluable. But they are under no obligation to share that information with us, and we in turn are under no obligation to follow those plans.

We are not finishing Cyan Ages for Cyan, rather we're picking up the reigns of their concepts and moving forward with them in whatever way we choose. It's our group's goal to stick as close as possible to Cyan's intentions for these Ages, so that some day they can be recognized by you the community - and even by Cyan themselves - as the "real" ages.

Members of this team naturally choose to develop the Ages on Cyan's list they find most appealing. As we progress, we exchange ideas, concepts, and suggestions on the Age's look and content. We'll be posting these ideas, and maybe even some concept pieces, and WIP pictures to our individual blogs and twitter accounts. We'll also probably post some pictures here on the forums from time to time on threads if the age comes up in conversation.

Along with developing the DRC's list of Ages, we're also working on creating a pipeline that will allow the community to access fan created ages on MOULa. Our hope is to create a content system that will allow for everyone to be able to have their age showcased on MOULa in some fashion. Currently the list of fan ages that should be ready at the launch of the fan content pipeline include an updated version of Fehnir's House by Tweek, Damar by Whilyam, the new Guild of Messenger's Pub by Doobes and a updated version of Sonavio by Bob Lishman.

Along with the original trailer that was shown at Mysterium, the group has put together a second trailer that can be found here - MOULa Fan Content Trailer 2

kaeebonrai · **Joined:** Thu May 08, 2014 12:11 am **Posts:** 53

Woo, so glad to see this public <3

Not much more to add, except I'm proud to be a member =P

Acorn1 · **Joined:** Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:46 pm **Posts:** 975

Thanks for this introduction, Chloe - and now we know the name of the group so it's easier to refer to the group/the project. :mrgreen:

So excited about this!

ChloeRhodes wrote:

As we progress, we exchange ideas, concepts, and suggestions on the Age's look and content. We'll be posting these ideas, and maybe even some concept pieces, and WIP pictures to our individual blogs and twitter accounts. We'll also probably post some pictures here on the forums from time to time on threads if the age comes up in conversation.

This will be tricky for fans to keep up with. Please can someone post a list of everyone's blogs, twitter accounts, devart accounts and whatever, so we can follow progress? I think I've got some of them..... Even better, could there be an an overview blog or website, a one-stop-shop where we can find it all in one place, so long as it doesn't distract you all too much from the process of creation. Any chance?

ChloeRhodes wrote:

Along with the original trailer that was shown at Mysterium, the group has put together a second trailer that can be found here - MOULa Fan Content Trailer 2

Thanks for this - cool!

janaba1 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:30 pm

A great, determined and promising introduction, Chloe, indeed, and the second trailer showcases this perfectly ...

Kudos, congratulations and lots of creative inspirations, support and above all fun to the appointed and dedicated team ...

TOOO · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:49 pm

Looks great - and begs the question no-one has thought to ask:

If that's the room at the top of the Gahreesen Wall we're seeing in the video (sorry, I don't know the proper name), does this mean the Wall might (finally!) be fixed for MOULa?

dgelessus · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 1:12 pm

That's the Maintainer's Nexus. Although it is technically located in the Gahreesen age file, in the lore it is a separate age, because you link there, and linking in the same age is impossible unless you're Yeesha. As far as I know the wall is fixed and operational on The Open Cave shard, though I don't know to what extent. It would be nice though to have the full functionality from control panels to maintainer suits, wall climbing and the maintainer's nexus.

If that area gets released, are we going to get any explanation how linking with buttons and removing the maintainer suit in the process works?

Whilyam · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 1:04 am **Posts:** 4134

Hello! I am part of this as well. One minor note is that my D'ni area "Tosholek" or "Sholek's Temple" will be one of the areas along with Damar that should be ready by release.

Also, Acorn mentioned getting a list of blogs, etc. I'll at least post mine:

OOC Blog
IC Blog
OOC Twitter
IC Twitter

My updates will probably mostly be on my own areas and early concept work on Intangible Ages. Given the nature of the content released to us, a Blender guy like me can't work on some of the more developed Ages. So I see my role as working on the Ages early in the conceptual or modeling stage.

cpt-jericho · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:11 pm

dgelessus wrote:

As far as I know the wall is fixed and operational on The Open Cave shard, though I don't know to what extent. It would be nice though to have the full functionality from control panels to maintainer suits, wall climbing and the maintainer's nexus.

As far as I can tell from own experience, the Wall is fully operational in TOC. From setting up a maze to get to the antechamber with a small lift (which leads to the wall and giving you the Maintainer Suit (safety first)) and even the gizmos in the audience room.

Tweek · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 12:11 am **Posts:** 2632

The Maintainer Nexus shown in the trailer is not the same Nexus connected to the wall.

dgelessus · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:57 pm

Tweek wrote:

The Maintainer Nexus shown in the trailer is not the same Nexus connected to the wall.

So... is this one going to have more than two linking books in it?

ChloeRhodes · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:29 am **Posts:** 520

dgelessus wrote:

Tweek wrote:

The Maintainer Nexus shown in the trailer is not the same Nexus connected to the wall.

So... is this one going to have more than two linking books in it?

The Maintainer Nexus has a machine in it similar to the one found in the traditional Nexus.

Carl U Palmner · **Joined:** Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:55 am **Posts:** 85

Great news! Do we have any kind of release date on this stuff--even a tentative or vague one? Also, is part of the process going to be the establishment of a shard to play the Intangible stuff? That way we could enjoy the new content and functionality even before Cyan integrates it into the main shard.

Can't wait to see what you guys have done with Kahlo, and many of the other Cyan concepts! And I look forward to playing the fan Ages and Myst 5 Ages as well.

Karkadann · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:20 pm

dgelessus wrote:

Tweek wrote:

The Maintainer Nexus shown in the trailer is not the same Nexus connected to the wall.

So... is this one going to have more than two linking books in it?

im assuming Yes since we seem to have more then two new ages

Acorn1 · **Joined:** Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:46 pm **Posts:** 975

Whilyam wrote:

Hello! I am part of this as well. One minor note is that my D'ni area "Tosholek" or "Sholek's Temple" will be one of the areas along with Damar that should be ready by release.

Also, Acorn mentioned getting a list of blogs, etc. I'll at least post mine:

OOC Blog
IC Blog
OOC Twitter
IC Twitter

My updates will probably mostly be on my own areas and early concept work on Intangible Ages. Given the nature of the content released to us, a Blender guy like me can't work on some of the more developed Ages. So I see my role as working on the Ages early in the conceptual or modeling stage.

Thanks very much for the info and links, Whilyam

JWPlatt · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:15 pm

Carl U Palmner wrote:

Great news! Do we have any kind of release date on this stuff--even a tentative or vague one? Also, is part of the process going to be the establishment of a shard to play the Intangible stuff? That way we could enjoy the new content and functionality even before Cyan integrates it into the main shard.

Optimistically, "by the end of the year" has been suggested. But that is a goal - not a promise. Everyone is a volunteer with real life priorities. I hope the community can understand that and be as patient as the rock cutter.

OpenUru.org's Minkata test shard will be available, as it has been for open source, for new content. However, there's no confirmed arrangement for Minkata to be Cyan's designated test shard for content. Everyone will be working through the process as we move along. In some cases where confidentiality is important to development, private shards could also be available on our Foundry platform for builds and testing. Rarified would like folks to know that using Foundry tools does not mandate the content be hosted on Minkata, and that he is open to requests for more tools where horsepower may be helpful. That said, anyone can use the open source servers, clients and tools to build and test content on their own shards before it moves on to MOULa. That's the beauty of it.

OpenUru.org is represented in the group so that we can communicate freely with the builders. We are not in the group as content developers, but to do what we can in support of the builders doing all the heavy lifting.

The Intangibles - Fan Content Pipeline and Ages

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