My "Contingency Plan" design sketch

[Lontahv]

Aloys> Take a look at Ogre3d

I dunno, it has this kind of--bad look to it. Maybe it's just the content.

~Lontahv

[Paradox]

Ogre3D is more up-to-date than Plasma.

The issue here is that we shouldn't be making detailed plans until we know what Cyan intends. I'd rather not have people thinking that our plans are going to become reality and then be "let-down" if Cyan announces something different.

All this talk of taking things into our own hands worries me quite a bit.

[Lontahv]

I just kind of get carried away. All of the stuff I have been writing should be stamped with a big "IF NEED BE:" stamp.

And if Cyan can salvage Uru I'll be much more happy than making my own game.

I keep on hoping and believing that Uru will rise again.
Really I do.

~Lontahv

[Zander]

I don't think there's any harm in making plans, at any level of detail we wish (in the understanding that the more detailed they are, the more likely to be derailed by events) and I think that's what a lot of us have been doing. What I've been screaming (quietly) about is the posters who are not sufficiently careful about making it clear that they are not talking about pirating Cyan's IP. (At least, I've assumed they're not talking about that.)

The more plans, and the greater diversity of plans to meet all possible circumstances, the better, I think. Thank you, Andrew.

[Tweek]

Hope you don't mind a non-programmer dropping by and adding her 2-cent's worth ...

As I was reading the plan and ensuing conversation, I kept thinking, "Why can't the fan-created game be a franchise of Cyan's?" I've been reading a lot of these threads, here and on other forums, and unless I've missed it, no one's suggested it yet. I don't mean like Wendy's or McDonald's, but more like StarGate/StarGate Atlantis or Star Trek/Star Trek Voyager or the CSI series. And the CSI as well as the Law & Order series are good examples of how they can be marketed (targeted) to different audiences - they're each on different networks, for instance.

Another thought had occurred to me as I was reading and that was that the fan-created game wouldn't necessarily have to happen on Earth. Surely when the Ronay left Garternay there must have been some dissident faction that wrote a new home somewhere else? (Seems highly likely to me.) Could Ae'gura possibly have handled all those who fled? (Seems unlikely to me.) However, I get that part of the fascination for the explorers is that it's also part of their history ... somehow. But, the advantage to being off-planet is that cultures evolve differently. Therefore references to the D'ni civilization we know and love can be morphed into something less likely to violate copyright and trademarks.

However, if kept on earth ... oh, my ... all the places left, yet, to explore. All those cliff-dwelling & cave-dwelling civilizations that are archaeological mysteries could be explored.

Anyway ... just some food for thought. Especially with the news that GT is launching the single-player version of URU on April 10th. I'm guessing, but I'm betting that GT is going to hold onto their copyrights and we won't see shards any time soon.

Lade'e

The Ronay split off into more than one Age, they also went to Terahnee (see book of D'ni) it's my opinion that there we other Ages they went to too.

[Aloys]

The perspective of starting with a whole new world is very appealing.. You start with a clean slate, and everything is possible.
It's is also kind of frightening because that means you have to create everything, a whole new culture.. Except for a couple key elements , like Books, technology, language etc, but that's still a daunting task.


[quote=Lontahv]Aloys> Take a look at Ogre3d

I dunno, it has this kind of--bad look to it. Maybe it's just the content. [/quote]
Yeah, engines don't really makes stuff look bad by themselves. Artists do. I guess though there are really crappy engines, but Ogre3D has a good reputation.

[BladeLakem]

Actually, that's exactly the sort of thing I enjoy. I wrote something up like that a few weeks ago. (Behind the spoiler if yer interested at all - sorta long)

Show Spoiler

This is a translation found in a text found in the caverns of New Mexico in 1987. It was one of the first artifacts fully translated in the efforts to investigate the ruins found there, which were later identified as Sko Prad.

Herein is the story of the exodus from Garternay, being a history of our beginning, as told by Dhenahlem, the first Loremaster.

It came to pass that the sun of Garternay became old and heavy, and the scholars of the Ronay came to understand that it would be no more. And with it, Garternay would be no more.

And the King said unto the Writers, "Yea, bring forth your pens and write us a new home. Make us a palace of an Age so that we may rule and be served." And thus was Terahnee written, which means "new palace" in the ancient words of the Ronay.

But all did not believe the King's words. Ri'neref was the greatest of the Writers and had refused to Write Terahnee. For such, he was cast out. In secret, he wrote a new Age for those who would choose humility instead of glory. He called this Age D'ni, which means "begin anew". And he lead his people unto this new age and dwelt in the ground. Thus was the first exodus.

The King ordered that many wonders of machine be made for Terahnee, so that the Ronay may live in ease. And the scholars and mechanists wrought amazing machines at his word. But the King said unto the Ronay, "O my people, look at the wonders the King prepares for you!" And the scholars were angry that their work had been usurped. The greatest of the scholars, Rahwah, lead the great thinkers away from the Ronay, that they might exalt the fruits of reason and vision. They fled to an Age and built great floating cities. This place was called Tsoihtahch, which means "glowing sky." Thus was the second exodus.

Then the King was cross, for he thought his people were not thankful to him. Unto them he said, "In Terahnee, we shall live in ease until the end of our days." But Aleeahnah stood and replied that such life would make the Ronay weak, and such weakness was not pleasing unto Yahvo. She gathered the strong of spirit to her and left to a place of jungles and smoldering volcanos, so that her people would grow willful from hardship. This place was called Nahrnay, which means "strong root". Thus was the third exodus.

And the King said unto the musicians and sculptors "Make me great works of beauty for our home, so that the faithful will know my goodness." But their works were not pleasing to the King. In contempt, Lakheem lead them to an age of rolling oceans, so that they could pursue their arts freely. Their new home was Bigtahno, which means "blessed water." Thus was the fourth exodus.

Thus was the King's anger most terrible, for he had such a rebellious people. And he came to say "My people have been poisoned. I must destroy those who have caused my people to abuse me." And he turned in fury on those who the Ronay called Merk, the poisoned. These people were those who the Ronay saw and called afflicted of spirit and heart - those whose hearts lived in secret places, those whose vision lead to strange researches and those who had taken unknown paths to Yahvo's grace. The Merk bore the burden of the King's displeasure and blame.

In this, a student of Ri'neref who had not followed his master came to the Merk and said, "I have made a great Age like my master before me. We shall flee to this place so that we may begin anew. We will plant our own tree and there, our poisons shall be as sweet water." And to him also came the geometers with the secrets of the Mother Number, the artisans of ink and of flesh, the unobtrusive yet ever-present stewards of the King's heralds, and vanguard of the Writers, who explored new Ages. Together with these, the Merk left for this new Age. Thus was our exodus, the fifth.

The gathered began to explore the caverns of their new home. And it was at this time the student of Ri'neref opened his heart. He admitted that he had not written this new Age. Rather he'd copied the book of Ri'neref's hand before Ri'neref left, and claimed to our ancestors that it was his own. Thus was our new life begun in shame.

The gathered were angry, and cast this thief back to Garternay. His name was removed from all of our records and never to be spoken again. And thus has the claim over that which is not your own always been the most reviled of crimes for our people.

Our people were in confusion and were in grief. But Lahmahth, peace on his words, spoke before the multitudes. He said that while we were born in shame, but we may choose not to stay in shame. He said that we could be a jewel of many shapes. He said that we can bring our many skills together to build that which is right, and avoid that which is wrong. And he named this new Age Ahtimuru, which means "Fruit from the gathered", and the gathered the Ahtisholt, "those who prepare the fruit". And we, the Ahtisholt, were glad, for we had purpose.

Our ancestors planned and learned. They divided our endeavors into the thirteen Guilds that stand to this day. They explored this new Age and founded the great cities of Sko Prad, Sko Ahch, Sko Ahn, Sko Ril and Sko Tahm. They developed the Great Art in ways unknown to the Ronay, and they spread into many Ages with the words of Lahmahth in their hearts.

[BAD]

People, people ,people...

Some of us think that formal planning should be put on the back burner till we here what Cyan's plans are, or find out they have none. This does not mean we cannot entertain ideas like Bedford's, or anyone elses ideas for that matter.

[Chacal]

Especially with the news that GT is launching the single-player version of URU on April 10th.

Wait, what?

[Lontahv]

Don't worry, they're just bringing ABM back to GT.

~Lontahv