
Myst Online: Uru Live Again - evolve2k
http://mystonline.com
======
Intermernet
Hmm, looks like account sign-up doesn't use SSL, and includes the ability to
include your password in the confirmation email.

Probably worth being careful with password choice if you're going to sign-up
to this. Don't use one of your existing ones!

Other than that, _I 'm so glad to see Myst back!_

~~~
mhurron
>Don't use one of your existing ones!

Well you never should.

~~~
criley2
>Well you never should.

All of my accounts hooked to finance, or email, etc, are all unique strong
passwords.

However, I have a throwaway password for throwaway sites, or sites I'm unsure
of the security for.

Can anyone explain why using the same junk password for forums, crappy
webgames, temporary reddit accounts, etc is a problem?

Why should I take up the brain-space to memorize a unique password for a site
like this?

~~~
bargl
Don't use any brain space for any passwords (except one ofcourse).

[https://lastpass.com/](https://lastpass.com/)

Steve Gibson uses it, I won't pretend to be as capable of speaking to it's
benefits so I encourage you to listen to Security Now.

Edit: Last pass can be loaded once in the browser, and if you link it to a
yubikey it is much more secure. [http://blog.lastpass.com/2010/07/lastpass-
gets-green-light-f...](http://blog.lastpass.com/2010/07/lastpass-gets-green-
light-from-security.html).

~~~
criley2
I use lastpass sometimes, but it seems very insecure to keep passwords on my
machine.

I don't like keeping lastpass with a master password because typing a strong,
long master password every single time I want any password is not a use case I
enjoy, and I certainly don't want to lock up my passwords with something that
is easily defeatable.

And without a strong master password locking every attempt to use lastpass, it
becomes far, far less secure than memorizing passwords.

~~~
bargl
I honestly can't do it justice. See what Steve has to say.
[http://blog.lastpass.com/2010/07/lastpass-gets-green-
light-f...](http://blog.lastpass.com/2010/07/lastpass-gets-green-light-f...).

Also consider linking to a yubikey. [https://helpdesk.lastpass.com/security-
options/multifactor-a...](https://helpdesk.lastpass.com/security-
options/multifactor-authentication-options/yubikey-authentication/)

EDIT: DO NOT FOR ANY REASON DO THIS >for this reason I recommend writing your
passwords down on a piece of paper you keep in your wallet or purse.

I cannot respond directly to Munin but anyone who suggest that is going to
lead you to this
[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10276460/David-...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10276460/David-
Miranda-was-carrying-password-for-secret-files-on-piece-of-paper.html)

Someone could get a hold of your wallet and take a pic of your passwords then
put them back and you'd never know you'd been compromised. And Lastpass uses
the trust no one mentality so you don't have to trust them. They never see
your password it's encrypted using your password and yubikey if you have one.

~~~
mseebach
Bruce Schneier thinks it's OK to keep your password on a piece of paper in
your wallet.

[https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/06/write_down_yo...](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/06/write_down_your.html)

But, of course, don't write the password to an encrypted drive on a piece of
paper that you keep with the drive.

~~~
bargl
That's also from 2005... Which isn't to say that it isn't still relevant. Most
people don't understand that you really do need random passwords, which means
that you must figure out how to create them properly.

Sure write them down if they don't matter, but don't write your bank account
password down, or your google account. Especially if you have your ID in your
wallet it'd be pretty easy to find you and get all your passwords if you lost
your wallet. If you DO write them down, leave some portion of your password
off.

I.E. your password is "password*&^&" only write down "password" and append the
rest from memory.

------
sp332
Since 3D content is relatively difficult to make, Andrew Plotkin is making a
platform called Seltani that lets people write their multiplayer Myst-universe
puzzles in text format. [http://dev.seltani.net/](http://dev.seltani.net/)
Edit: perhaps more informative wiki page
[http://seltani.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page](http://seltani.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page)

~~~
jared314
> write their multiplayer Myst-universe puzzles in text format

It looks more like a text based MUD based on the Myst universe.

~~~
sp332
I guess? But you can write your own "ages" (worlds) for other players to play.

~~~
GrantS
I also thought you were saying that this project was an actual implementation
of Myst's fictional art of writing ages (as practiced by Atrus), as in you
describe something with text and an interactive 3D world is generated that
corresponds to what you wrote.

Given a limited vocabulary to describe terrain and buildings and furniture and
their physical relationships, along with a database of tagged 3d object models
or procedural methods of generating such, this could be done but I'm not aware
of anyone having attempted to create such a thing.

Edit: Actually, I guess Scribblenauts is the closest approximation to this
that exists yet.

~~~
serf
Scribblenauts would be interesting in a big 3d environment like Myst

~~~
jared314
I've always found Scribblenauts to be a guessing game, like the text adventure
games of old. You have to find the correct word to use that the machine
understands. At least in an IRL role playing game you can discuss what you are
talking about to get your point across.

------
arianvanp
The Myst series are probably one of the games that bring back so many
memories. When my brother and I heard they were turning URU into an MMO we
were pretty excited, but also scared that there wouldn't be a big enough user
base. We were right, and the project 'died' . Then I told him they'd probably
open-source it, and there we are!

I'm gonna play the MYST series again. Any programmer/hacker will love these
series. they're a real classic brain cracker, and worth the play. You will get
pulled into the myst worlds as if it are your own. it's so immerssive!

~~~
martindale
Another game that I feel doesn't get nearly enough credit is Douglas Adams'
"Starship Titanic", which was built on the backstory of the book and came on a
five-CD collection.

~~~
mikeash
Nitpick: the book was based on the game, rather than the other way around.

~~~
Pxtl
And the book was written by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) and, to be
honest, didn't measure up to Douglas Adams' writing. But who does?

~~~
ninjin
From what I remember, it is rumoured that Terry Jones asked Douglas Adams for
permission to be naked when writing the book.

------
joshdance
I was just thinking about Myst after having read this article yesterday -
[http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-
gam...](http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-game-
myst-20th-anniversary)

------
sigre
Looks like the code for the site is also open source:
[http://www.openuru.org/pages/Development.php](http://www.openuru.org/pages/Development.php)

------
darkxanthos
I loved Uru and I'm curious to try this. What is different this time? This
plus the article yesterday tells me something big is being prepped.

EDIT: typo

~~~
maxsilver
It's very similar to the old Uru, but it may have new content, depending on
when you last played.

(this version contains most-to-all of the original release, and also contains
extra content from the GameTap revival)

~~~
HCIdivision17
Ah, spectacular! A few friends and I had a lot of fun in the GameTap updates,
especially solving some of the nonexistent puzzles (I just call missing
puzzles Hard Puzzles, like Jalak). This should be a lot of fun!

------
nols
Did you get to this through the Grantland article on Digg? Here's the link if
anyone else is interested, it's a nice look back at Myst.

[http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-
gam...](http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-game-
myst-20th-anniversary)

------
m_mueller
I was a big Riven fan but I never tried URU so far - this seems like a great
chance doing that. Could someone sum up what the multiplayer experience is
like? I could never really imagine how this works. Are there puzzles that you
solve together, something like in Portal 2?

~~~
maxsilver
Yes, there are puzzles.

Most are 'exploratory' (they can be solved by just one person who does a lot
of backtracking / note taking, but are easier with two)

A few actually require two people. (I can't remember if they are still in
MOULa today, or if their one-player counterparts are live).

A few are "cheat" puzzles -- they rely on the (very bad) physics engine or
stupid-long wait times. (some are upwards of 20-30 minutes, some are over 24
hours). They were always bad ideas, but luckily these are few and far between.

While I'm a big fan of what they were trying to accomplish, the experience is
significantly less polished when compared to Portal 2.

If you found Riven enjoyable, the puzzles are slightly easier and simpler.
You'll probably have fun, either on your own or with a few friends.

------
viame
I remember playing this 13 years ago, what a game. I might have to find an old
Windows machine to play this again :>

~~~
rocky1138
You're probably thinking realMYST, which launched 13 years ago. This game came
out 10 years ago in a pre-release, invite-only fashion.

------
Industrial
Why is this even being posted? URU has been in this state for far more than a
year now. Hardly news.

~~~
laCour
Yup. The blog post was posted on 2010-02-04 19:15:47 UTC
([http://feeds2.feedburner.com/uru](http://feeds2.feedburner.com/uru)).

------
chenster
I didn't see anything about Mac support.
[http://mystonline.com/en/play/](http://mystonline.com/en/play/) Am I missing
anything??

~~~
wtallis
The only Mac version that ever shipped used a commercial Wine wrapper. None of
the open-source client forks have completely removed all the windows-specific
dependencies, so there are not any native ports yet. The biggest sticking
points are Direct3D and an older version of PhysX.

------
davexunit
So, from what I read, the client uses an open source license, but the server
is proprietary? I hope they will eventually go the extra mile and liberate the
server too.

~~~
bromagosa
Not only that, but the client is only available for a proprietary OS... so
much for open :(

~~~
wtallis
Cyan open-sourced it because they no longer had the resources to further
develop it. They weren't able to produce new content for the Windows version,
let alone fund a port. Open-sourcing it as-is was all they _could_ do.

------
mhax
anyone try running this with WINE?

------
sandGorgon
Please take my money and somebody give me an Android game please. There are no
complex haptic interactions - this is perfect for the mobile !!!

------
jeroneemou
hmm, im on gmail, and i dont get the activation email, sad :/

------
jlebrech
this + photosynth

~~~
caycep
I only really went through the original and Riven - what's Uru, and were there
more installments in the whole Myst universe?

~~~
maxsilver
There are five installments in the original Myst series :

    
    
      Myst - (Cyan Worlds) and realMyst (same game, re-created in 3D)
      Riven - (Cyan Worlds)
      Myst III : Exile - (Presto Studios, of Journeyman Project fame)
      Myst IV : Revelation (Ubisoft Montreal)
      Myst V : End of Ages (Cyan Worlds)
    
      realMyst - (Cyan Worlds) the realtime 3d remake of the original Myst game
    

There's also a 'partial spin-off' series "Uru", created by Cyan Worlds, which
exists in the Myst universe, but happens in a different portion of that
universe, and in present day (although this is somewhat of a misnomer, as the
Myst V game also takes place in the present day, after events in Uru, and
references them)

    
    
      Uru - Ages Beyond Myst
      Uru - To D'Ni
      Uru - Path of the Shell 
    

Myst Online : Uru Live (MO:UL) is the latest incarnation of the original "Uru
Live", and represents the state of the project after it's second (GameTap)
cancellation, with some additional changes / bugfixes / ect.

Myst V is sort of an odd-ball in the series, as it was originally meant to be
content for Uru Live, but Uru was cancelled and Cyan could only get funding
for another single player Myst-type game (something considered 'lower risk'
than an online game).

So a lot of content was re-purposed from the Uru Live pipeline for Myst 5, and
it attempts to closely bridge the two different parts of the universe and wrap
them up together.

~~~
breadbox
Uru is a bit uneven in spots, but I would recommend it just for Path of the
Shell. It uses the new mechanic to create one of the sneakiest puzzles of the
entire series. Unfortunately there are also several puzzles that require
waiting around in order to solve, but it's worth it to beat your head against
the time-travelling puzzle.

