OpenUru.org

Outdated: See this new thread for an update on the project and how to join.
(Note, most of this is still in the planning stage. Changes in plot structure, characters, and Age design may occur without notice. Also, there is a lot more developed that would simply ruin the surprise and so is not put here. )

Basic Plot In David's Journey (working title), explorers will have to join together to discover the secrets in the Ages monitored by the engineer David Ingram. This will include:
- five mysterious Ages, such as the burial Age for an eccentric poet's wife and the post-Fall fortress of a band of D'ni refugees
- a band of expressive and realistic characters both friendly and suspicious
- several minigames to build important Age exploring skills
- fantastic and dynamic environments with interactive creatures and puzzles
- an intricate plot involving lots of explorer participation
- and, of course, some rewards

Development Few people are good at everything. In the David's Journey project, people can focus on what they enjoy most and what they are best at. Those who are skilled at making textures can focus on making textures, while those who record sounds can focus on recording sounds (there is nothing against someone who wants to focus on both making textures and recording sounds, though, if that is what they specialize in). Generally, we are looking for:
- Age Builders: those who can model and/or texture Ages in Blender
- Programmers - Plot/character developers
- Actors (to play the characters)
- Writers (D'ni and English [and translations])
- Concept Artists and artistic design
- Coordinators: people with the organizational skills to coordinate efforts between all the team

Interesting I havn't heard this on any other forum.

don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?

Grogyan wrote:Interesting I havn't heard this on any other forum.

don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?

I had posted this on Mystcommunity, the Guild of Writers, and the MOUL forums awhile back.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps saying that I'm jumping the gun or getting ahead of myself. Let me clarify. The project has a self-contained storyline that should fit under any FCAL rules (although there are a few things that we could broaden with looser rules). Currently we are working on the general concepts: refining the plot, puzzles, etc. and waiting for information before deciding how to implement the main work of the project.

While I herald the advent of your project there is one thing that concerns me... the use of Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA's). I must say this is a bad, BAD decision to make so early in the game. NDA's harm the very spirit of an open source project, instead making it into something that smells and looks like a Corporate Oligarchy. This can only harm your project by keeping away talent when you need it the most. I ask that you rethink this decision, for the good of the project and the good of the community - Open Source and URU's. I thank you for your time.

I can understand why an NDA might be needed, for example to keep the storyline a secret from the wider community while the project is developed. Then, when the project is finally released, the majority of explorers will be able to enjoy it without having been previously spoiled.

Yes, spoilage of story, puzzles, etc is a major concern. How would you resolve the risk of spoilage, and concurrent disappointment of fan anticipation, otherwise?

Gehn, lord of ages wrote:

Grogyan wrote:Interesting I havn't heard this on any other forum.

don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?

I had posted this on Mystcommunity, the Guild of Writers, and the MOUL forums awhile back.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps saying that I'm jumping the gun or getting ahead of myself. Let me clarify. The project has a self-contained storyline that should fit under any FCAL rules (although there are a few things that we could broaden with looser rules). Currently we are working on the general concepts: refining the plot, puzzles, etc. and waiting for information before deciding how to implement the main work of the project.

I am sorry, I have not seen those topics on any forums other than here, why not just flow on at the GoW forum?

The other thing I I want to mention is that I would like to see multiplayer puzzles, eg 2 guys one at either end to raise up the dam so that you or one of you can go the area that was wet, and I have a feeling you might want to do that too, if so, its probably best to wait till the source code is out

FTLNewsFeed wrote:While I herald the advent of your project there is one thing that concerns me... the use of Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA's). I must say this is a bad, BAD decision to make so early in the game. NDA's harm the very spirit of an open source project, instead making it into something that smells and looks like a Corporate Oligarchy. This can only harm your project by keeping away talent when you need it the most. I ask that you rethink this decision, for the good of the project and the good of the community - Open Source and URU's. I thank you for your time.

The NDA's are to prevent spoilers so that the puzzles will be fresh and new for the explorers. For example, technical matters (which could be used by other projects) can be mentioned freely. The NDA's are only to keep the story and ages fresh and enjoyable.

I am sorry, I have not seen those topics on any forums other than here, why not just flow on at the GoW forum?

The other thing I I want to mention is that I would like to see multiplayer puzzles, eg 2 guys one at either end to raise up the dam so that you or one of you can go the area that was wet, and I have a feeling you might want to do that too, if so, its probably best to wait till the source code is out

I requested a project forum from the GoW, but I have still not gotten a reply. They have lots of other things they are working on.

Multiplayer puzzles may be included. However, we are still at the planning stage. Right now we are working mainly on general things; how the plot will work, what puzzles would be good, the shape of the Ages, the characters, etc.

The only problem, and I should of posted this with my original post, is that any NDA you make people sign is practically unenforceable. Companies make people sign NDA's because they have on retainer lawyers who can and will file the suits necessary to bring to trial those who break their NDA. You have no such luxury, if someone joins your project (something I won't be doing) and breaks the NDA by letting something slip - or FSM forbid, let the whole whizbang slip - you are really going to sue them, you're really going to waste the money to litigate on damages that in the end won't matter much after lawyer and court fees, that's even if you can recover damages?

I can understand trying to protect what's at the heart of the project, the story and the puzzles. Just realize that any NDA you make team members sign will be next to worthless unless you're willing to go through with the lawsuits necessary to receive damages and that any damages you do receive from a lawsuit will be a trifle next to the damage done from any spoilers that broke the NDA. So in the end all that you're left with to stop any spoilers from being released is not some NDA but the trust which you can engender in the people who commit themselves to your project. You do know you can simply ask people not to spoil what's going on in the project, tell them why, and they can be trusted not to do it. Trust can be an amazing thing.

Thank you for your time.

FTLNewsFeed wrote:The only problem, and I should of posted this with my original post, is that any NDA you make people sign is practically unenforceable. Companies make people sign NDA's because they have on retainer lawyers who can and will file the suits necessary to bring to trial those who break their NDA. You have no such luxury, if someone joins your project (something I won't be doing) and breaks the NDA by letting something slip - or FSM forbid, let the whole whizbang slip - you are really going to sue them, you're really going to waste the money to litigate on damages that in the end won't matter much after lawyer and court fees, that's even if you can recover damages?

I can understand trying to protect what's at the heart of the project, the story and the puzzles. Just realize that any NDA you make team members sign will be next to worthless unless you're willing to go through with the lawsuits necessary to receive damages and that any damages you do receive from a lawsuit will be a trifle next to the damage done from any spoilers that broke the NDA. So in the end all that you're left with to stop any spoilers from being released is not some NDA but the trust which you can engender in the people who commit themselves to your project. You do know you can simply ask people not to spoil what's going on in the project, tell them why, and they can be trusted not to do it. Trust can be an amazing thing.

Thank you for your time.

Trust is amazing, and so is honor. The NDA's make sure that everyone understands the secrecy requirements and promises to keep them. There will be no sueing, especially since the NDA's are signed with forum names.