What is URU's Future?

[Justintime9]

Hey folks, these are just some thoughts I had, and I'd be interested to hear your opinion. Cyan/MYST/URU has been around for awhile now, and especially with URU, it sort of feels like everything's been done. Like we're just doing the same things over and over again to somehow re-experience the initial exhilaration of exploring new places, and uncovering an intriguing storyline. Even back in MOUL, things always seemed to get boring. Some new age would come out, but after awhile, it got old and everything was back to normal.

Now that MOULa is a thing, and there are a few shards, such as the Gehn shard, I've really been wondering where it's all been going. And is there a future for it? For a few years it seemed like Cyan was dead, that there was no hope for more exciting things from them. But now that they've re-branded themselves, and successfully acquired funding for Obduction, their future seems bright.

So what's URU's significance now? Is it just an old game that's fun for newcomers, but that will eventually get boring? Or is it something more? Is it something that defies obsolescence? URU and age creation was a big part of my childhood. I was obsessed with it all through middle school and high school. And though it affected my social life, I don't regret a single moment. But after awhile, I had to address reality. And URU started to seem outdated and irrelevant. But now I'm starting to wonder, is there something more there?

I think the Guild of Writers is one of the most hopeful areas in that regard. It is, in a sense, the fulfillment of the "URU dream." The deep desire to explore, to discover fantastic worlds that transcend our own reality. That is something unique to MYST. So I guess my question is, do you think URU is on the rise, or the decline? Certainly the community isn't what it used to be. But could it perhaps become something new, something better? Something that will change with the times, yet retain it's essential dignity?

Though it's been at sort of a standstill, I'm still working on an updated version of Tsoidahl Prad for Gehn. But after that, is there any value to sticking around? Or is the dream slowly dying, whilst pretending to live in through guild meetings and shard parties? For those of you who regularly visit the cavern, and write ages, what is it that keeps you coming back? Is it just nostalgia, and trying to relive the glory days, or is there something more?

[Calena]

Hi Justin ,

So many questions! I'll try to put my point of view into words; something that I'm afraid isn't always my strong suit, but I'll give it a shot. Why am I still here?

First of all, I was never around during the "glory" days, so I don't miss them . I'm beginning to see that as an advantage. I also haven't played the entire Myst series and only played MOUL once. I'm here because I discovered age building and the opportunity to bring to life worlds and adventures that I never could before. During the course of learning to build, I've taken the time to investigate other game engines. None of them offer the wealth of ready-made tools and environments that I've found here. Although some are easier to build in, those didn't offer the ability to create rich, almost true-to-life graphics. Others offer more gizmos and fancier fx, but they have a huge disadvantage IMHO because they're designed for a different type of game play.

I also have what I consider another advantage in that I'm probably several decades older than you are. I've seen so many cycles of the latest, greatest, newest gadget/gizmo/game come and go that I rarely get excited about these things anymore. I prefer to wait till something has proven it's worth before deciding if it's something I want. I backed the new game Cyan is making because I am a huge fan of the type of game they build. Cyan's games aren't designed for a world looking for the instant gratification and excitement of big explosions and fast cars. What I've always enjoyed about the Myst franchise is the opportunity to take my time and enjoy each little part of it. I like how they put something new and intriguing around every corner. I've enjoyed this particular type of game play since the original Myst came out, so I don't think I'm going to change .

I don't have the slightest clue what the future will bring as far as OS goes. There are still many hurdles to be overcome before fan created content can easily be propagated in the CWE platforms. It could begin to grow at a faster rate once some of the roadblocks are removed. If Obduction is a success, that could even attract new people to MOUL and Cyan's other properties. Or maybe not? I only know I'll probably still be here building as long as there are people to learn from and share it with. For myself, the value in sticking around isn't dependent on how many people are on Cyan's server. I stick around because this particular person found something she enjoys doing.

[tachzusamm]

Hard to see, the future is.