Another Choice in Addition to Relto

[Whilyam]

Alright, here's a concept for a replacement for Relto so the game has "choice" without sacrificing players to be splattered on the rocks.

Players who did not wish to follow Yeesha would take the trip down the volcano. Along the way they would get the KI as well as an introduction to it, etc. At the end of the trip to D'ni (before the player could link anywhere else) would be a machine similar to that in the Nexus. Player clicks on the machine and a thin book comes out. When it is clicked, the player puts it on his/her belt as Relto would. The machine immediately offers a link to the Nexus.

If along their journey players fall off a cliff, etc. they panic link to this "Rescue Age" (an introduction paper would explain how the D'ni mass-produced a simple Age to be used as a form of escape). It would be nothing more than a small room similar to the Nexus with the same machine seen in the D'ni path from the surface. Player must click the machine, rescue book comes out, Nexus appears.

Some potential issues:

"What if explorers ignore the Nexus book and just link to the Rescue Age, thinking it's like Relto?"

Well, they could, but I imagine they'd get bored of going in endless loops and would eventually choose to take the Nexus. There could also be an automatic thing where players simply link to the Nexus after picking up the rescue Age (similar to how they link to Relto when they get it).

"What happens to the rescue book when used?"

In most cases, the book would be shown falling for a short distance and then fade out. In the case of the descent path, there could be a slot in the ground where the book supposedly goes. Or it could simply fall off, land on the ground, and fade away after some period of time. Or it could simply fall off and vanish.

[JWPlatt]

Players who did not wish to follow Yeesha would take the trip down the volcano.

My question is: How are new players introduced to the story and environment well enough to make an informed choice?

[Nalates]

Even more important... without a Relto where do they change clothes (mod AV)?

[Gehn, lord of ages]

Even more important... without a Relto where do they change clothes (mod AV)?

Some changing room in Ae'gura?

"What happens to the rescue book when used?"

In most cases, the book would be shown falling for a short distance and then fade out. In the case of the descent path, there could be a slot in the ground where the book supposedly goes. Or it could simply fall off, land on the ground, and fade away after some period of time. Or it could simply fall off and vanish.

Why does it fade out? The D'ni did not write books to fade away - so the only explanation would be an illogical amount of technology (vaporizers? Attached to books just because the D'ni or DRC thinks the rare valuable things are so common to be thrown away?) or even more Yeesha/Bahro magic than Relto.

The game can have "choice", and better choice because it would be informed and not forced immediately and because it would be to whatever degree or combination that players would logically and freely choose, with Relto. It is simply so useful and irreplaceable (IC and OOC) that the DRC or whoever can logically use it and still choose to ignore Yeesha.

No replacement idea I have yet seen is able to combine OOC convenience and IC logic like Relto.

[Marten]

Whilyam's idea is very similar to one that I've mentioned twice before (here and again here).

I had the exact same thought - that the book should be shown falling, land if appropriate and sit for a short time, and then be de-rezed. The "Why" for this does NOT need to be explained IC.

It is necessary to remove the book after a little while for gameplay purposes - the same reason that bodies of defeated enemies vanish after a while in other MMOs. The world will become untidy, and lag would become unbearable, if these items were permitted to lay about indefinitely.

This is a situation where it would be reasonable to employ a small suspension of disbelief. People who play other MMOs - even on roleplaying servers - do not attempt to rationalize why dropped items vanish after a short time, or why items tossed from someone's inventory vanish completely and do not clutter the ground. Similarly, it should not be necessary to invent a story for why books would need to fade away when dropped.

Personally, I feel there are far worse reminders within Uru that I am playing a game and not in a real world. I'd happily adopt fading books in trade for eliminating more annoying inconsistencies, like Yeesha instancing being recognized by the Nexus.

[Gehn, lord of ages]

Whilyam's idea is very similar to one that I've mentioned twice before (here and again here).

I had the exact same thought - that the book should be shown falling, land if appropriate and sit for a short time, and then be de-rezed. The "Why" for this does NOT need to be explained IC.

I totally disagree. That would make a completely illogical IC event. Uru is based on logic and reality, and so this is not an acceptable solution.

"But wait" you'll say "What about the KI? How people don't show up in linking panels? How the Nexus recognizes instancing?"

Yes, there can and always will be compromises for pure programming problems, and for gameplay issues (though we can definitely try to fix and make it more realistic). However, vaporized books is not either of these. This is an IC solution to replace something you see as IC illogical (the DRC having Reltos). However, disappearing books are more illogical.

There is no way to get around the disappearing books IC. The books just magically get reproduced, you have to get a new one, they disappear, etc. It's going beyond gameplay or game restrictions, because it is saying that "this happened in real life" because there is no other logical answer to what happened. It's a huge change - you can't just pretend the book didn't fall and vaporize. If you pretend it didn't, you have to pretend something else impossible - that the book traveled with them - or something illogical - like trained invisible monkeys are always running through to pick up and redistribute the books.

Uru is based on being in a logical world. The disappearing books for a huge gap in the logic, and not one that can be merely pretended over to excuse tech. limitations or a little gameplay ease. It's directly stating that something that breaks the in-game universal laws is happening.

[Baron]

There is no way to get around the disappearing books IC.

Sure there is. There always is.

Perhaps they are in airtight envelopes, and treated with a substance that causes them to burst into flame shortly after exposure to air.

Perhaps the creators of the book (the DRC, or the entity we have to replace the DRC with, if they are off-limits now, or whomever) have reverse-engineered enough of the Art to add text that causes the books to dematerialize, or burn up, or dissolve after a single use.


Regarding the underlying notion of a "Rescue Age," I still agree that non-Yeesha Explorers should have a panic link capability, but why not just send them to Nexus?

[Marten]

However, disappearing books are more illogical.

I happen to disagree, but neither of us can be proven right or wrong on our feeling of which is more illogical.

I wish that people would stop voicing complaints about ideas simply because they don't like the ideas. No single person among us is going to decide the fate of Uru by his or her opinions. I'm interested in developing and helping to develop proposals for how we might improve the Uru experience. Obviously not everyone is going to agree on what "improving" is - but that shouldn't stop us from discussing the potential merits of the proposals and working to build on each others ideas (rather than tearing them down).

A lot of the discussion on this forum is hypothetical. The Open Sourcing of Myst Online is going to happen something like this:
* Lots of people will have ideas
* A smaller number of people, those programming ability, will implement some of the ideas
* Some shards may decide they like some of the implemented ideas, other ideas may never be adopted
* Cyan is still the ultimate arbiter of what is Canon, and ideas they don't like won't become a part of what Uru really is.

Don't worry, be happy.

[The stranger]

I think we should use relto for autherizeds, but:

The DRC should put a note on the book where they are saying that it's a modified relto that lowers it's "magic oddness".

Autherizeds still begin in the 'hood and everything, the 'hood is their home.

Auth can't collect relto pages.

They don't have any linking books but the 'hood book.

Their relto closet is blocked.

They don't have any regular books in the shelfs.

I think that auth should relto only to be fair with the gathred explorers. I mean, the 'hood is the autherizeds home and gathereds can come there, why should auth can't come to relto? but yes, it should be a pure sub-age, and not a home.

[Whilyam]

Players who did not wish to follow Yeesha would take the trip down the volcano.

My question is: How are new players introduced to the story and environment well enough to make an informed choice?

Well, without getting too into an explanation, I think a simple audio message from one of the DRC explaining the books and their purpose as well as briefly fleshing out the DRC's differences with Yeesha would work quite well. Something like:

"Welcome, Explorers. As you know, it has been over a year since the DRC pulled out of the cavern. The DRC know that there are many explorers who wish to return to the cavern and many new explorers who wish to explore it for the first time. However, safety is the DRC's number one concern and, while Yeesha's Relto provides an essential life-line should you find yourself trapped, the DRC is hesitant in trusting her books. They defy many of the laws the D'ni put in place and we worry about the unforeseen consequences of doing so. Fortunately, near the end of the restoration, the DRC found a large cache of books linking to a D'ni rescue Age. <insert short description of the Age and its history. Perhaps it's like Nexus with many terminals sealed off from one another, etc.> If you follow these tunnels down, you can make your way to D'ni. This was the path taken by many members of Atrus' family over the years. Once you have entered the tunnels, be sure to pick up your KI so you can communicate with other explorers. Stay safe down there."

Even more important... without a Relto where do they change clothes (mod AV)?

Some changing room in Ae'gura?

Not far off. One possibility would be to have a wardrobe in the Neighborhood. It could be integrated as one of the doors to the surrounding apartments. You open the door and step inside, close the door and vanish from the hood only to arrive in a "hood closet". Since you closed the door, other avvies which need to change can still use the closet (which could lead to some humorous moments with lots of avatars pouring out of the closet )

Why does it fade out? The D'ni did not write books to fade away - so the only explanation would be an illogical amount of technology (vaporizers? Attached to books just because the D'ni or DRC thinks the rare valuable things are so common to be thrown away?) or even more Yeesha/Bahro magic than Relto.

Why do I not break all the bones in my body in the Gahreesen jumps? Etc. You've already addressed this and, while I disagree, there is another way. You simply prevent the player from using his rescue age book at any other point other than a panic link. The book falls into the pit/un-ending fall/etc.

No replacement idea I have yet seen is able to combine OOC convenience and IC logic like Relto.

Except Relto has no IC logic either. It is simply "Yeesha can do it because she's talented".