Reference:2006-03-31 Rand visits the Cavern and talks fan-created content

(03/31 18:24:48) Chat.log started...
(03/31 18:25:03) *Moietay waves
(03/31 18:25:09) Rand waves
(03/31 18:25:14) Kedri waves
(03/31 18:25:16) D'Jerid waves
(03/31 18:25:24) J'anim Paedet waves
(03/31 18:25:24) ShadowDude: oh wow I just completely froze up, lol
(03/31 18:25:49) Kedri: Hehe, good thing you're still here :)
(03/31 18:26:27) J'anim Paedet: The Ages can be linked to directly via a Relto linking book
(03/31 18:26:38) Kedri: That is, a book on Relto
(03/31 18:26:48) J'anim Paedet: ...in any Volcano-enabled shard, that is.
(03/31 18:26:59) Kedri: We have 3 right now.
(03/31 18:27:05) Kedri: 2 are public.
(03/31 18:27:20) Kedri: I think we might have lost SD...
(03/31 18:27:27) J'anim Paedet: At this point, the project is in a sort of pre-release stage
(03/31 18:27:28) ShadowDude: nope, I'm still here
(03/31 18:27:37) Kedri: Ah. Ok
(03/31 18:27:43) J'anim Paedet: Good :)
(03/31 18:28:03) ShadowDude: might be good if I gave you some URL's to look at
(03/31 18:28:30) ShadowDude: http://uru.zrax.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=158
(03/31 18:28:43) Kedri: Try uru.zrax.net/forums, and then in the "Volcano part.
(03/31 18:29:12) Rand: it's cool stuff - i've seen the proposal
(03/31 18:29:31) Kedri: That was made by Robert The Rebuilder.
(03/31 18:29:34) ShadowDude: (I'm horrible at giving speeches off the fly, if you can't tell)
(03/31 18:29:51) Kedri: (Was that proposal the cause of the meeting?)
(03/31 18:30:23) Rand: which meeting?
(03/31 18:30:33) Kedri: Here and now meeting.
(03/31 18:30:36) Rand: we've talked about the proposal a bit
(03/31 18:30:51) Rand: this is just a meeting i stumbled upon
(03/31 18:30:53) D'Jerid: Would users be able to add or delete Ages from their bookshelves if there are too many new ages to completely fit?
(03/31 18:30:55) Rand: impromptu
(03/31 18:30:57) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:31:14) J'anim Paedet: It was proposed a few minutes prior on Age Builder
(03/31 18:31:15) Kedri: Nothing like an Uru official to draw crowds.
(03/31 18:31:15) ShadowDude: actually all the ages are handled in one book
(03/31 18:31:22) D'Jerid: Oh, OK.
(03/31 18:31:34) Legacy: Will these ages ever be available D'mala? Quite a few people (including me) don't have access to the other shards.
(03/31 18:31:53) Kedri: nearly 2,00 of you! Rand?
(03/31 18:31:57) ShadowDude: I guess you'd have to ask Rand about that one ;)
(03/31 18:32:01) Kedri: 2,000
(03/31 18:32:01) Legacy: On D'mala* (hehe gammar is a weak point of mine)
(03/31 18:32:27) Rand: this has to do with the future (c.o.)
(03/31 18:32:37) Rand: we want "writers"
(03/31 18:32:46) J'anim Paedet: Ah, yes. That mysterious future...
(03/31 18:32:50) Rand: and that's what we're talking about really
(03/31 18:32:50) Legacy: Cautious optimism then? ;)
(03/31 18:32:54) ShadowDude: If you'd like we can give you access to our test server, Rand
(03/31 18:33:01) D'Jerid: How exactly would we be able to create Ages?
(03/31 18:33:21) Rand: for now the tools are just what you have
(03/31 18:33:26) Rand: but picture this...
(03/31 18:33:45) From Kedri: D'Jerid, see "alcugs.almlys.dyns.net/wiki and look for "PRPBlender plugin"
(03/31 18:33:57) Rand: if things start up again - tools might be slowly released...
(03/31 18:34:01) To Kedri: Last time I checked it was not available to the public.
(03/31 18:34:12) Rand: so that you guys become writers...
(03/31 18:34:13) From Kedri: Look again ;)
(03/31 18:34:29) To Kedri: OK, thanks.
(03/31 18:34:37) Rand: and maybe after ages are tested (maintaners?)...
(03/31 18:34:50) Kedri: Ooh! Ooh! Let me! :P
(03/31 18:35:10) Rand: then they can be added to a section of Uru Live (not UU)
(03/31 18:35:17) J'anim Paedet: Exciting times, to be sure!
(03/31 18:35:35) Kedri nods his head
(03/31 18:35:38) Rand: that's a vision that we have - if we get a chance to move forward
(03/31 18:35:55) Legacy: *sigh* I've always been terrible with this whole "patience" thing. The sooner the better. :P
(03/31 18:35:58) J'anim Paedet: Best of luck to you, then!
(03/31 18:35:58) Rand: so for now - the work you do would create a kind of test area...
(03/31 18:36:19) ShadowDude: :)
(03/31 18:36:25) Rand: for the very first writers to experiment in - right?
(03/31 18:36:34) Kedri: Uh huh.
(03/31 18:36:42) ShadowDude: Yes
(03/31 18:36:49) J'anim Paedet: Indeed
(03/31 18:36:57) Rand: but the goal would be to have a part of live that was reserved for fan ages that could be...
(03/31 18:37:24) Rand: verified (maintainers?) and maybe mapped (cartographers?)
(03/31 18:37:29) Kedri: We also have the Uru Age Manager" for offline testing in PotS.
(03/31 18:37:40) Rand: right
(03/31 18:37:52) J'anim Paedet: Like a living, breathing version of what Live could be!
(03/31 18:38:21) Kedri: Mapped...I think they're trying to start the Uru mapping projects up again.
(03/31 18:38:22) Rand: yeah - we're hoping that Uru Live won't JUST be the ages that we add - but the ages...
(03/31 18:38:30) Rand: of new writers as well
(03/31 18:38:36) Kedri: : )
(03/31 18:38:39) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:38:45) Ural: :)
(03/31 18:38:50) Legacy: :)
(03/31 18:38:53) J'anim Paedet: Sounds great -- something to anticipate!
(03/31 18:38:58) ShadowDude: here's hoping :)
(03/31 18:38:58) Rand: c.o.
(03/31 18:39:01) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:39:08) J'anim Paedet: :)
(03/31 18:39:23) Rand: we've still got work to do on our end to release better tools...
(03/31 18:39:35) Rand: but that's where we'd like to head
(03/31 18:39:45) J'anim Paedet: better tools sound good...
(03/31 18:39:51) ShadowDude: Is that to say they're currently in development?
(03/31 18:39:57) Rand: and it would still be hard at the beginning to write new ages
(03/31 18:40:18) Rand: but maybe it would get easier over time
(03/31 18:40:33) Kedri: Would it be possible to import them from the current age building software?
(03/31 18:40:36) J'anim Paedet: So a sort of work in progress, for all of us
(03/31 18:40:54) Rand: the first step is just releasing some of the tools that we use (which are...
(03/31 18:41:06) Rand: based on 3D studio max)
(03/31 18:41:21) Kedri: Hmm....
(03/31 18:41:42) Kedri: What were you saying, SD?
(03/31 18:41:56) ShadowDude: ?
(03/31 18:42:11) Kedri: Your speech.
(03/31 18:42:26) ShadowDude: oh that's kind of over I guess...
(03/31 18:42:41) Rand: does that fit with where you guys want to go?
(03/31 18:42:49) Kedri nods his head
(03/31 18:42:57) ShadowDude: yes, it definetly does
(03/31 18:42:58) Kedri: As long as we get fan ages!
(03/31 18:42:58) J'anim Paedet: oh, certainy
(03/31 18:43:33) Kedri: SD, weren't you going to address some stuff, though?
(03/31 18:43:47) Rand: it's cool because it fits so well with what D'ni is (the ability to write links to new worlds)
(03/31 18:43:56) Rand: a whole new d'ni
(03/31 18:44:05) Kedri: To quote Yeesha.
(03/31 18:44:17) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:44:21) Chrome: me fpr example
(03/31 18:44:27) Legacy: Oh no, not a Yeesha quote!
(03/31 18:44:34) ShadowDude: lol
(03/31 18:44:40) Kedri: Are they too long? ;)
(03/31 18:44:48) J'anim Paedet: They can pop up anywhere :)
(03/31 18:45:22) Legacy: that, and it makes me thing too hard
(03/31 18:45:29) Legacy: *think
(03/31 18:45:38) ShadowDude: Rand, if you or anyone at Cyan would like to test our project first hand, just ask :)
(03/31 18:45:40) Rand: the hard part now is that you guys are building stuff without knowing exactly how it will fit with stuff later
(03/31 18:45:45) Legacy: (ack! I mispelled somthing in the presence of Rand!)
(03/31 18:45:58) *Moietay starts to laugh
(03/31 18:46:03) Rand: i'm sure we'll be checking it out
(03/31 18:46:22) ShadowDude: :)
(03/31 18:46:28) Rand: don't mispell wehn i'm here
(03/31 18:46:56) Kedri: As long as the models can be imported into your tools, there would be little trouble in re-creating their interaction with the avatar.
(03/31 18:46:57) D'Jerid laughs
(03/31 18:47:12) Rand: how do you build the models now?
(03/31 18:47:19) J'anim Paedet: Using Blender
(03/31 18:47:20) Kedri: In Blender.
(03/31 18:47:30) ShadowDude: almlys has a Blender plugin that can export models to Uru
(03/31 18:47:31) Kedri: See blender.org
(03/31 18:47:50) J'anim Paedet: The models are exported using the prp plugin directly in Blender
(03/31 18:47:51) Kedri: Or alcugs.almlys.dyns.net
(03/31 18:48:39) Rand: can blender models get into 3d max
(03/31 18:48:47) Rand: ?
(03/31 18:48:47) Legacy: I've used blender before...maybe I could make a floating-spere-with-pretty-colors age. (that's about all I can do with it :P )
(03/31 18:49:04) ShadowDude: That I don't know...
(03/31 18:49:05) Legacy: *sphere (not again!)
(03/31 18:49:11) ShadowDude: lol@Legacy
(03/31 18:49:13) J'anim Paedet: Yes, and 3DSMax can be imported into Blender
(03/31 18:49:25) *Moietay: Well that beats what I can do, Legacy : )
(03/31 18:49:30) Rand: great
(03/31 18:49:50) Legacy laughs
(03/31 18:50:01) J'anim Paedet: what I'm worried about is the programming aspect of the conversions
(03/31 18:50:18) Rand: i'm sure the first ages are gonna be pretty simple
(03/31 18:50:25) Kedri: That's MUCH easier than a good 3d model ;)
(03/31 18:50:25) Rand: but very cool
(03/31 18:50:38) J'anim Paedet: True, just look at the first on UAM! :)
(03/31 18:50:47) Kedri: Have you seen any of the fan ages, Rand?
(03/31 18:50:56) Rand: what programming? python stuff?
(03/31 18:51:11) Kedri: Anything that isn't the 3d model :P
(03/31 18:51:27) Kedri: Footstep regions, linking books, ect.
(03/31 18:51:29) J'anim Paedet: I meant more along the lines of Blender-inputted prp programming
(03/31 18:51:36) J'anim Paedet: Yes, that :)
(03/31 18:51:42) Myridean: I tend to think of them of probably learning ages
(03/31 18:51:43) Rand: the tools that we need to provide would be related to that stuff
(03/31 18:51:59) ShadowDude: ah, well that's good
(03/31 18:52:12) Rand: but i'm a bit out of my element here
(03/31 18:52:22) J'anim Paedet: (and J'anim breathes a quiet sigh of releaf)
(03/31 18:52:42) Rand: i just like giving you guys the vision so you have a feel for where things are going
(03/31 18:52:43) J'anim Paedet: (and miss-spells the word)
(03/31 18:52:50) ShadowDude laughs
(03/31 18:52:58) Kedri: Well, if worse comes to worse, the fan age tools could be for hypercard :P
(03/31 18:53:13) J'anim Paedet: I did that once! Lots of fun :)
(03/31 18:53:16) Rand: yeah!!!
(03/31 18:53:18) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:53:21) Rand: lol
(03/31 18:53:22) Kedri: So did I.
(03/31 18:53:35) Kedri: Good tool, hypercard...
(03/31 18:53:41) J'anim Paedet: Got a very good impression of the Manhole going for a while...
(03/31 18:53:54) Kedri: Myst was based on Hypercard.
(03/31 18:54:05) J'anim Paedet: Yes, as was Riven, I believe
(03/31 18:54:07) Rand: yep - the good ol days
(03/31 18:54:08) Rand: ;)
(03/31 18:54:17) Eedrah: in my Relto even though ive finished Uru the clefts there!
(03/31 18:54:26) Kedri: When Macs RULED the Earth...
(03/31 18:54:38) J'anim Paedet: :) :) :)
(03/31 18:55:01) ShadowDude: Macs, heh
(03/31 18:55:06) Kedri: Speaking of which, is a mac port of Uru at all promising right now?
(03/31 18:55:07) Legacy: Classic Myst, good times :)
(03/31 18:56:01) Rand: would love to have a mac port - still hoping (but right now we're hoping just to bring Uru Live back)
(03/31 18:56:06) Rand: hope overload
(03/31 18:56:08) Rand: :)
(03/31 18:56:18) *Moietay cheers
(03/31 18:56:26) J'anim Paedet: One thing at a time, of course... But that would be great!
(03/31 18:56:34) Legacy: It seems as if Cyan has a pretty big "to do" list right now...
(03/31 18:56:40) Rand: oh yeah
(03/31 18:56:56) Rand: hope you get to see some of it ;)
(03/31 18:56:56) Myridean: And then trying to work the community's projects in for coordination
(03/31 18:57:20) Kedri: Back to fan ages...
(03/31 18:57:30) J'anim Paedet: right.
(03/31 18:57:38) Kedri: Will the tools have to ability to re-create the Cyan ages?
(03/31 18:58:02) Rand: i think the tools at first will be related to the same tools we use
(03/31 18:58:20) Rand: which means we could provide examples of our own ages
(03/31 18:58:27) Legacy: *cough* Todelmer *cough* :)
(03/31 18:58:32) Rand: (is that what you mean?)
(03/31 18:58:37) Kedri: Yup.
(03/31 18:59:17) Myridean: Rand, what is your vision for the growing collection will it be housed in the city or will there be a new library?
(03/31 18:59:19) Demose: just passing by
(03/31 18:59:33) Kedri: Another question I've been waiting to ask - Will the first Myst islands ever bee imported into Uru?
(03/31 18:59:56) Rand: we're still discussing it - want it to be easily accessable but separate
(03/31 19:00:21) Rand: myst content in Uru - only if we find those books ;)
(03/31 19:00:39) J'anim Paedet: Well, keep looking! :)
(03/31 19:00:48) Kedri: I have the Myst linking book on my second Relto...
(03/31 19:00:57) Myridean: so, two collections: Cyan's ages and fan ages then?
(03/31 19:01:13) Rand: yeah - something like that
(03/31 19:01:35) J'anim Paedet: Probably a good idea to keep them somewhat seperate
(03/31 19:01:36) Lady Chaos: Shorah.
(03/31 19:01:42) Rand: right
(03/31 19:01:47) *Moietay: Shorah LC
(03/31 19:01:49) ShadowDude: oh, forgot to mention that the project also allows us to visit Pots ages online as well (and have them be much more stable than alcugs).
(03/31 19:01:49) J'anim Paedet: shorah!
(03/31 19:01:50) Myridean: Could one system of library classification and cataloguing standards be applied?
(03/31 19:01:58) Chrome: shorah
(03/31 19:02:03) Rand: hmmm - maybe
(03/31 19:02:17) Rand: if there was some way to indicate the age of a book
(03/31 19:02:28) J'anim Paedet: yes, a little organization would be nice
(03/31 19:02:33) Rand: we would know if it was done by a "new" writer
(03/31 19:02:58) Kedri: What about the fabled "Second linking bookcase" on Relto?
(03/31 19:03:27) Rand: might even need more than two!! :)
(03/31 19:03:37) J'anim Paedet cheers
(03/31 19:03:39) Kedri: I hope so!
(03/31 19:03:49) Myridean: Well, that's why the Vivarium was originally in the creation of a new library
(03/31 19:04:08) Myridean: The amount of new ages once the tools were released would grow quickly
(03/31 19:04:25) Kedri: And what about the prefix problem?
(03/31 19:04:32) Rand: yeah - and the quality would grow as well
(03/31 19:04:34) Myridean: And having a system in place beforehand on how to manage that
(03/31 19:04:51) Myridean: Oh definitely!
(03/31 19:04:58) Myridean: lol
(03/31 19:05:13) Rand: what's the prefix problem?
(03/31 19:05:19) Kedri: Aren't there only 10,000 prefixes or something?
(03/31 19:05:29) Kedri: (Only, yup!)
(03/31 19:05:40) J'anim Paedet: If two ages of the same prefix are released, the system will crash
(03/31 19:05:40) Rand: lol
(03/31 19:05:50) Rand: i hope we have a prefix problem!!!
(03/31 19:05:55) Rand: :)
(03/31 19:05:57) J'anim Paedet: lol
(03/31 19:05:59) ShadowDude: lol
(03/31 19:06:13) Kedri: Because we already have something like 500 prefixes reserved.
(03/31 19:06:19) J'anim Paedet: It would be a good idea to check the Alcugs list, I think
(03/31 19:06:33) J'anim Paedet: its fairly extensive
(03/31 19:06:52) Rand: i've gotta get going - this has been fun
(03/31 19:06:59) Rand: thanks for letting me chat
(03/31 19:07:09) ShadowDude: been great talking to you Rand, take care!
(03/31 19:07:13) Kedri: Thanks for answering our millions of questions!
(03/31 19:07:13) *Moietay: Thanks Rand! Shorah!
(03/31 19:07:15) Rand: hope i didn't disrupt the meeting too much
(03/31 19:07:19) J'anim Paedet: Thanks for coming! Great speaking with you!
(03/31 19:07:24) *Moietay waves
(03/31 19:07:27) D'Jerid: Thanks a bunch!
(03/31 19:07:30) Myridean: no, thank you, you've helped us probably quite a bit
(03/31 19:07:34) ShadowDude: actually you made it better than I had hoped :)
(03/31 19:07:40) Chrome: yeah thx
(03/31 19:07:40) Rand: thanks for all your support - couldn't do this without you
(03/31 19:07:47) J'anim Paedet: :)
(03/31 19:07:55) D'Jerid: And we couldn't do it without you and the rest of Cyan.
(03/31 19:07:57) J'anim Paedet waves
(03/31 19:08:05) Kedri: By the way, how many invites are there now?
(03/31 19:08:09) TheFourthDoctor: Shorah folks!
(03/31 19:08:20) Rand: hope to see you soon - trying to get down here more often (if only work didn't get in the way!)
(03/31 19:08:22) Rand: :)
(03/31 19:08:23) Kedri: Shorah, Tom Baker!
(03/31 19:08:35) ShadowDude: :)
(03/31 19:08:36) ShadowDude waves
(03/31 19:08:38) Kedri waves
(03/31 19:08:41) J'anim Paedet: Well, its good work :)
(03/31 19:08:48) TheFourthDoctor: Hello Rand. Nice to finally meet you.
(03/31 19:09:01) TheFourthDoctor waves
(03/31 19:09:10) Kedri: Unfortunately, He's just leaving :(
(03/31 19:09:11) D'Jerid: Bye, Rand! I'll keep working on those puzzles...
(03/31 19:09:12) Rand: not sure on invites - haven't check recently
(03/31 19:09:16) *Moietay waves
(03/31 19:09:16) Rand: bye for now
(03/31 19:09:18) TheFourthDoctor: my luck again.
(03/31 19:09:18) Rand waves
(03/31 19:09:21) D'Jerid waves
(03/31 19:09:21) Kedri: Bye
(03/31 19:09:23) Ural: Bye
(03/31 19:09:24) J'anim Paedet: Bye, and thanks again!
(03/31 19:09:24) Legacy waves
(03/31 19:09:26) Kedri waves
(03/31 19:09:28) J'anim Paedet waves
(03/31 19:09:31) Chrome: bye
(03/31 19:09:33) Ural waves
(03/31 19:09:35) Legacy: bye
(03/31 19:09:48) ...Chat.log stopped.