Massively

Myst Online goes open source (again)

Jef Reahard — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Myst Online: URU Live, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

If a dictionary entry for the phrase "long, strange road" existed, it likely would feature an image from Myst Online. The fantasy MMORPG began its checkered life as the multiplayer component of 2003's Uru: Ages Beyond Mist before being scrapped and subsequently revived by GameTap in 2007.

Cyan Worlds then acquired the title and released it as a free-to-play MMO, a strange move considering that the company also open-sourced Myst Online assets in 2008 but continued to support a commercial-grade centralized shard.

This morning, Rock, Paper Shotgun tipped us to the fact that Cyan is once again fanning the flames of open source by announcing that the game's MOULA client engine and associated development tools (as well as a MOULA server replacement called MOSS) will be made available and hosted on OpenUru.org. "The goal of the open source CyanWorlds.com Engine and the MOSS server is to provide a playground where new writers can learn their craft, and new maintainers can inspect it, and new cartographers can map it. The Cyan Worlds MOULA servers will continue to provide a (relatively) safe environment for the D'ni faithful to mingle and share," explains Cyan's Rand Miller.

Myst Online goes open source (again) originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Anti-Aliased: What is Love?

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Puzzle, Guides, New titles, Tips and tricks, Opinion, Hands-on, Love, Anti-Aliased

So what is love? That's certainly the metaphysical question of the ages, isn't it? Is it simply an attraction to another gender, or is it a deep bond between two people that goes beyond mere friendship, and more into the realm of headbanging, suit and sunglasses wearing pride? Do I have the authority to take on questions such as this in my editorial column?

Heck no! That's why we're going to spend this week talking about Eskil Steenberg's indie-MMO, Love! We've been covering Love extensively this week, announcing that the alpha was available and showing off some really beautiful in-game footage. But, even with all of that, we never got into the meat of the game. What is Love about? What do you do in it? Why is it so special to us on the Massively staff?

Those questions and more will be answered in this week's edition. So come on in, the Love is great!

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: What is Love?

Anti-Aliased: What is Love? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Would you help run your favorite MMOG?

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Myst Online: URU Live, Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

What would you do if your favorite MMOG were suddenly sunsetted? That's a dilemma that's faced several different communities recently, with the closure of Mythos, Hellgate: London (only just saved from the fire, apparently) and Myst Online: URU Live. However, in the case of the last one, the project is being opened up so that users are able to create content moving forward, and that is what is expected to propel the project for the next while.

So this morning we ask you -- if your favorite game were suddenly shut down, but re-opened so that you could create content on an unpaid basis to help it survive (and maybe even flourish) would you do it? Or would you just move on to the next game?

The Daily Grind: Would you help run your favorite MMOG? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Could a survival horror MMO work?

Kyle Horner — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Survival horror games like Silent Hill or Fatal Frame are fairly niche single player genres and that certainly has something to do with how they operate: scaring the bonkers out of people. While the big scares are certainly a high point within these games, it's the ever present sense of dread that makes the best of them truly horrifying. Some games like to give players terrible controls to heighten the scare factor, while others use forced camera angles. Yet this isn't the problem with transitioning them into MMO-form. The innate problem with making a horror MMO stems from the logical school of thinking that people probably don't want to be terrified for hours on end. Which is pretty reasonable when you think about it. Still, this isn't to say that a horror genre of some sort couldn't persist as a wonderful niche game like this within the greater MMO market.

The question we pose today dear readers is: Do you think a horror MMO of some sort could work? Also, roughly how would it work? Any tolerable MMO obviously can't be hours of radio noise followed up by wiggling, throbbing, convulsing aberrations popping out at you. Well it could be that, although somehow we doubt such a game would find much success. One possible idea is to borrow from Myst Online with a persistent world that favors puzzle-solving over combat situations. We kind of like that concept.

The Daily Grind: Could a survival horror MMO work? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Puzzle, Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, Opinion, Hands-on

Shorah, readers! Kehnehn rahm b'yihm shehm!

Myst Online: Uru Live seems to be one game that not only continually gets the proverbial shaft, but also knows how to come back from the dead better than the Scourge of the Eastern Plaguelands. Ubisoft canned it, Cyan Worlds brought it back via a shard system in "Until Uru", GameTap brought it back officially, GameTap canned it after one season, and now Cyan Worlds is once again attempting to put life back into their only online Myst game thanks to the extremely active and vocal community.

Mike Fahey over at Kotaku might think Uru should die already, but this blogger is currently squealing in glee in his computer chair. In an attempt to pass the glee on to you, loyal readers of Massively.com, I've compiled not only what Myst Online: Uru Live is all about, but why you should turn your attention to this massive online adventure game.

Continue reading The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live

The reasons why you need to play Myst Online: Uru Live originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cyan acquires Myst Online, opens game development to fans

Kyle Horner — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, News items

We all felt for the Myst community a few months back when Myst Online: URU Live was shutdown. Yet there looks to be some light at the end of the dark tunnel for fans of the unique MMO experience, as Cyan Worlds has acquired the game back from GameTap and plans to re-open its worlds for fans to not only play in, but help develop as well. With a staff that equals less than ten people total, we can understand why the developers are opting for letting the fans help develop new content. Plus, it's a really interesting prospect to have people like the Restoration Engineers creating new content in their own beloved title.

We've seen a few games take on user-created content, with Pirates of the Burning Sea coming to mind. However, the type of content one would expect for Myst Online is entirely unique to any other MMO. This is literally a chance for players to see their own stories and puzzles featured in one of their most beloved franchises. Cyan has said that they're considering a $25 per six month fee purely to maintain in-house servers for the players to run on, which is a very small price to pay for the resurrection of an MMO like this.

[via Kotaku]

Cyan acquires Myst Online, opens game development to fans originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The father of Myst weighs in on the closure of URU

Michael Zenke — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, News items

Rand Miller is probably one of the most influential game designers you've probably never heard of. He, along with his brother, co-founded the company Cyan Worlds. Cyan is the developer of the title Myst and subsequent titles in that series. With 12 million copies sold to date, the simple (but beautiful) point-and-click adventure game has impacted the public perception of videogames to an unprecedented degree. As you might imagine, Mr. Miller had a few things to say about the closure of the online version of Myst, URU Live.

The game ended its run earlier this week, with a touching farewell given by the Restoration Engineers. Julian Murdoch, of the Gamers with Jobs website, had a chance to chat with Mr. Miller to get his reaction on URU's closure. What resulted is a twenty minute conversation that touched on GameTap's decision to close the service, Miller's hopes for the MMO genre, and what the talented designer plans to do next with his life. If you're still looking for some closure about the closure, this is some of the best you're likely to get.

The father of Myst weighs in on the closure of URU originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Restoration Engineers say goodbye to Uru Live

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, Events, real-world, Forums, Endgame, News items, Opinion, Virtual worlds

It's official: Myst Online: Uru Live is dead. It was a complex, beautiful world and those who had the opportunity to experience it have come away all the richer. This blogger didn't, but has always been a fan of the Cyan Worlds aesthetic, and regrets not jumping into it when the opportunity arose.

As a final farewell to its explorers, the Restoration Engineers (Uru Live's version of Greeters) have recorded their thoughts on what it was like to work for the community every day, and how much fun the whole thing was. When it came time to say goodbye, one of them was obviously too moved to say more than 'thank you', and that was enough. Here's hoping that the creative minds behind it all find something new to put their hands to -- in a world filled with knockoffs and retreads, the universe of Myst was a true original.

The Restoration Engineers say goodbye to Uru Live originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Damion Schubert seeks a different kind of grind

Samuel Axon — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Meridian 59, Game mechanics, Ultima Online, Shadowbane

MMO developers and publishers try to provide game-play that keeps you coming back again and again so you won't stop their money flow by canceling your subscription. The easiest way for them to do this is to make their games an addictive grind. You feel compelled to level up. You can't help yourself.

Just because something's addictive, though, doesn't mean it's fun. But is there another way? Damion Schubert (of Meridian 59 and Ultima Online fame, and one of a certain blogger's personal heroes) posed that question on his Zen of Design blog.

MMOs must be centered around highly repeatable activities, Schubert said. Combat, for example, works well because developers can put in a lot of changeable variables to make the experience different every time. On the other hand, he uses puzzle/mystery games like Myst as examples of games not based on a repeatable activity. Once a puzzle is solved, it's solved, and that's the end of it. So, if not that, then what? What other games have mechanics that can be used as a model for MMO game-play that sticks?

That discussion is going on right now at Zen of Design.

Damion Schubert seeks a different kind of grind originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Escapist wants you to consider Myst Online

Samuel Axon — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Real life, Myst Online: URU Live, Culture, MUDs

Storytelling in massively multiplayer games usually occurs only in footnotes. You might read a lore item's description here, get a hint in the quest text there, but it's almost always an ancillary part of the experience. In the olden days of text MUDs, that wasn't necessarily the case. In some MUDs, players and wizards engaged in communal storytelling, as in the best pen-and-paper roleplaying sessions.

If you look at today's mainstream online games, it seems as if that art has been lost. There are some smaller communities out there that still herald that kind of experience, though. The Escapist focused on one of those in an article titled "The Ending Has Not Yet Been Written." It's an excellent piece about how players and developers alike have fostered a unique, niche-storytelling experience in Cyan Worlds' Myst Online: Uru Live.

Myst has always been an eccentric in the gaming world. It was a groundbreaking success for computer games, and it spawned countless clones, but no one ever recaptured its magic. Now the series is treading a unique path in the online world, despite past setbacks.

The Escapist wants you to consider Myst Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments