Reference:2006-06-03 Mark "Chogon" DeForest Town Hall

(06/03 08:10:46) Chat.log started…
(06/03 08:11:07) DRCLeri1: we've already gone over the 'rules', so the floor is all yours when you're ready.
(06/03 08:11:27) Chogon: Hmmm. do I need to know the rules?
(06/03 08:11:59) DRCLeri1: nothing fancy, other than you get to talk first, and then therr'll be open floor,
(06/03 08:12:00) Chogon: do I need to shout?
(06/03 08:12:14) Eedrah: yes[
(06/03 08:12:14) DRCLeri1: yup. /shout is good
(06/03 08:12:17) Mari': yes
(06/03 08:12:18) Artemesia: yes!
(06/03 08:12:31) Chogon: ok.
(06/03 08:13:07) From DRCLeri1: turning it over to you while I go close hood
(06/03 08:13:10) Chogon: First, I'll talk about the difference (technical that is) between UU and ULive
(06/03 08:13:27) Chogon: The major differences are the servers and the physics engine
(06/03 08:14:04) Chogon: The servers are completely differnt. They were re-built from the ground up
(06/03 08:14:50) Chogon: The major reason for that was better scalability and to uses some higher power database engnes, such as Oracle
(06/03 08:15:51) Chogon: The Havok physics engine has be replaced with... well a different one (contracts still have to be signed)
(06/03 08:16:41) Chogon: The major reason there is that the Havok licence had expired and the cost of re-licence was... well a bit more than we wanted to pay
(06/03 08:17:36) Chogon: Most of the physics stuff will be the same... we've had to work hard to get things like triggering to work the same, but it mostly all there
(06/03 08:18:03) Chogon: there are quite a few minor differences...
(06/03 08:18:59) Chogon: We brought over some of the optimizations we learned in Myst5 such as loading, graphics, animation.
(06/03 08:19:47) Chogon: Also, the in-game configuration. Such as being able to change resolutions withou quitting. The client setup program is gone!
(06/03 08:20:32) Eedrah: Is it true they have a MYST5 expasion pack?
(06/03 08:20:53) CAGrayWolf: ?shout Please refrain from asking questions.
(06/03 08:21:03) DRCLeri1: please wait until the open floor for questions
(06/03 08:21:14) Chogon: Also, wide screen graphics. Sound sound engine enhancements and the major/minor difference is that the pyhton and SDL files are no longer exposed.
(06/03 08:21:25) Eedrah: sorry
(06/03 08:22:05) Chogon: I can stop here for some questions...? or continue
(06/03 08:22:27) CAGrayWolf: Please continue Chogon
(06/03 08:22:41) Chogon: ok
(06/03 08:24:12) Chogon: As far as the format of the files, the prp files (where the exported art data) has changed quite a bit. So, any existing fan created tools will have to change.
(06/03 08:25:03) Chogon: We haven't charted out how fan created ages will integrated into Uru Live yet
(06/03 08:25:48) Chogon: But once we have our ages (and software) working then we can start to look at that.
(06/03 08:26:53) Chogon: I think that the fan created stuff will need to be on a server of its own... and the tools will need to (at least) start with ours. But beyond that we don't know yet
(06/03 08:27:39) Chogon: ...ok, let me skip down to tech specs.
(06/03 08:28:23) Chogon: The technical requirements for Uru Live will be the same as Uru. However, time has moved on.
(06/03 08:28:50) Chogon: What I mean by that is that some video card manufactures have dropped support for their older cards.
(06/03 08:29:59) Chogon: Uru Live should still run on those cards, but as an official tech spec we have to say they are not supported (because we can't get support... such as their own video drivers to work with those old cards!)
(06/03 08:31:07) Chogon: Current day laptops should work better with Uru Live (and Uru). There has been lots of hardware improvements (specifically the mobile video cards) that make them a better experience
(06/03 08:32:38) Chogon: Uru Live will stick with DirectX 9.0c. And far as Vista, the only thing that we've seen is that Creative Labs has told us that the EAX libs don't work on Vista, so we've been changing that.
(06/03 08:33:39) Chogon: The last thing I wanted to bring up is beta testing
(06/03 08:34:31) Chogon: This time we have a very small QA (testing) crew. So we will be relying on the beta testers a lot!
(06/03 08:35:03) Chogon: We will start with small numbers, so that we can get all the major bugs dealt with before adding more people.
(06/03 08:35:52) Chogon: Then near the end of the beta testing we need to let in a *lot* of people so that we can get some stress testing numbers for future scalability.
(06/03 08:36:19) Chogon: So, the beta testers will be very important for the success of Uru Live.
(06/03 08:37:01) Chogon: Questions? (how does that work... BTW)
(06/03 08:37:50) From darkstar: If its not on list MAc compatability
(06/03 08:37:54) CAGrayWolf: All those that have questions please pm me with QUSTION and I will add you to the queue.
(06/03 08:38:06) From J'mee: question
(06/03 08:38:11) CAGrayWolf: Darryl, you have a question?
(06/03 08:38:11) From wkwalker: question
(06/03 08:38:30) From Ural: Question
(06/03 08:38:44) From Kero: Question please
(06/03 08:39:27) CAGrayWolf: Darryl? You still with us?
(06/03 08:39:58) CAGrayWolf: OK then. J'mme you had a question?
(06/03 08:40:25) KirstenBirch: Darryl use shout. He didn't hear ya.
(06/03 08:40:26) Artemesia: what about Darryl's question?
(06/03 08:40:30) From Thend: Will Age Building be available to the general player/explorer, with an easily accessible interface, such as actual writing of words and phrases?
(06/03 08:40:39) J'mee: - Darryl, use shout
(06/03 08:40:44) Darryl Pogue: What is Cyan's stance on tools for Uru Live? I know that you intend to have Age Creation tools, but what about tools like the current PRPExplorer?
(06/03 08:40:46) CAGrayWolf: Once you have PM'd me ... please have your questions typed out and ready.
(06/03 08:40:47) Chogon: The current PRPExplorer will have to change, because the file formats are different. I think that we will have to support these tool makers better in the future because we will not be able to create all the fan based tools needed...
(06/03 08:40:50) Mari': queston
(06/03 08:41:32) Chogon: but like I said earlier, we need to better define the stradegy for fan created ages.
(06/03 08:41:41) Mari': question, how wil the intergrated engins be supported?
(06/03 08:41:56) CAGrayWolf: Mari ... please wit your turn.
(06/03 08:42:09) From Mari': I am sorry, I tried to pm, it broke
(06/03 08:42:11) Chogon: Not sure what you mean by integrated engines?
(06/03 08:43:05) To Chogon: When done answering question ... please say next, please ... or something like that. :)
(06/03 08:43:21) From Mari': I was talking about intergrated video cards, Mine is Nivia intergrated
(06/03 08:43:47) Chogon: Mari?
(06/03 08:44:26) CAGrayWolf: Mari was referring to integrated video card (onboard) and how they will work.
(06/03 08:44:49) Chogon: Ah. The Intel Extreme.
(06/03 08:45:13) From Mari': I am really sorry, my pm link broke, I didn't mean to intrude
(06/03 08:45:27) DRCLeri1: just to clarify, everyone, PM CAGrayWolf with 'question', and he'll add you to the queue, then wait for your name to be called
(06/03 08:45:40) To Mari': No problem ... mine is acting funny as well.
(06/03 08:46:02) Tweek: please make sure your question is typed ready to be asked for when you are called upon
(06/03 08:46:38) Chogon: Uru Live should work with the Intel Extreme. All the work from the tPots was brought over and from Myst 5. However, Intel has dropped support for its ealier video cards, so we may say its unsupported, but it should still run
(06/03 08:46:52) Chogon: next
(06/03 08:46:55) CAGrayWolf: J'mee ... you have a question?
(06/03 08:47:03) J'mee: Hi Chogon. Do you expect that players that want to use the future Age Creation tools will have to coding skills?
(06/03 08:47:42) Chogon: Good question.
(06/03 08:48:22) Chogon: I will think it will take varying skill sets. Depending on what kind of age you are creating.
(06/03 08:49:08) Chogon: It would be nice to make the tools very easy... but age designs can make this very complicated very quickly
(06/03 08:49:37) Chogon: Hopefully more on that later.
(06/03 08:49:40) Chogon: next
(06/03 08:49:43) CAGrayWolf: Edrehn ... you have a question?
(06/03 08:50:18) DRCLeri1: looks like we lost him
(06/03 08:50:28) CAGrayWolf: Is Edrehn still with us?
(06/03 08:50:39) Artemesia: Maybe he forgot to shout!
(06/03 08:51:28) CAGrayWolf: OK then. Darkstar, you have a question?
(06/03 08:52:51) CAGrayWolf: I don't see Dark on my list, are they still here?
(06/03 08:53:21) CAGrayWolf: OK, then.wkwalker, you have a question?
(06/03 08:53:21) From Ivy: he's gone too :(
(06/03 08:53:23) wkwalker: How much thought have you given to beta feedback? The setup for the original URU was pretty awkward. EMail + forum?
(06/03 08:55:09) Chogon: We are getting a ticketing tracking system that should help that a lot. Initially, there will be a web site for submitting tickets. Then later you can use the in-game help system. But it should be a lot better this time
(06/03 08:55:47) Chogon: The tickets will then feed into our internal bug database that goes to the developers.
(06/03 08:55:56) Chogon: next
(06/03 08:55:57) From wkwalker: question
(06/03 08:56:02) From Ivy: question (it' is darkstar's one)
(06/03 08:56:09) CAGrayWolf: Ural, you have a question?
(06/03 08:56:27) From darkstar in Nexus: sorry CTD'd can someone else ask about MAC compatibility
(06/03 08:56:44) Ural: how will you coose the first testers?\
(06/03 08:57:14) To darkstar in Nexus: I'll ask for you.
(06/03 08:57:23) From darkstar in Nexus: Thanks
(06/03 08:57:38) Chogon: The very first set of testers are already choosen. The next set... don't know. That would be a question for GreyDragon
(06/03 08:57:43) Chogon: next
(06/03 08:57:52) Ural: sorry typo..
(06/03 08:57:57) CAGrayWolf: Kero, you have a question.
(06/03 08:58:02) Kero: If fan created ages are allowed - how will they be QA'd to prevent ordinary explorers from being trapped with no way out?
(06/03 08:58:28) Chogon: Maintainers suits.
(06/03 08:58:48) Chogon: Ok, there will be somethng more than that
(06/03 08:59:52) Chogon: That is something that we need to develop as part of the scheme for fan created ages. That is why they need to start on a separate server... explorers beware.
(06/03 09:00:34) Chogon: Then once they pass some kind of bar, then brought into the more public areas... or something like that.
(06/03 09:00:40) Chogon: next
(06/03 09:00:43) CAGrayWolf: Artemesia, you have a question?
(06/03 09:01:19) Artemesia: it was already asked but one suggestion
(06/03 09:01:34) Artemesia: actually not my idea but from Shaeri of LAdies Garden Club Fame
(06/03 09:01:59) Artemesia: she suggested a texturers guild for people who don't want to do modeling of ages but just help out with textures
(06/03 09:02:27) Artemesia: Did htat come through?
(06/03 09:03:12) From Artemesia: Did htat question come through?
(06/03 09:03:18) Chogon: That would be cool. Textures is a tough thing with copyrights, though. So, it will have to be textures that fans totally created... not just images grabbed from the internet
(06/03 09:03:33) Chogon: next
(06/03 09:03:36) CAGrayWolf: Thend, you have a question?
(06/03 09:03:43) Thend: When Age-Creation is eventually available to the average explorer, with an easily-accessible interface, such as the actual writing out of words and phrases, be utilized in an 'IC' manner, and will player-cooperation and Guilds be involved and, if so, then how?
(06/03 09:05:00) Thend: *Will it be utilized....
(06/03 09:05:06) Chogon: I would love to have an age creation that is similar to the D'ni book writing art. But that would be a long ways off.
(06/03 09:05:55) Chogon: The Guilds will be used for things like age testing and other kinds of thing to help support the fans that are creating ages.
(06/03 09:06:15) Chogon: next
(06/03 09:06:17) CAGrayWolf: We have three questions left, then we will bring this meeting to a close.
(06/03 09:06:24) CAGrayWolf: wkwalker?
(06/03 09:06:29) wkwalker: What is "triggering"?
(06/03 09:06:42) To Ivy: You're next.
(06/03 09:08:00) Chogon: Triggering is what we use to get the actions of the player into the game. Such as when you walk into a certain area, there is a region sensor that will "trigger" and send an event to the game play module (pyhton). Most of the triggering at the low level is done with the physics engine.
(06/03 09:08:25) Chogon: next
(06/03 09:08:26) CAGrayWolf: Ivy, you have a question?
(06/03 09:08:29) Ivy: Darkstar wanted to ask about MAC compatibility. What is the projected status on this?
(06/03 09:09:41) Chogon: With the changing of the physics engine, that would make the MAC more possible. However, my tech team is very small and at this point it would be difficult (manpower-wise) to do the MAC port.
(06/03 09:09:57) Chogon: next
(06/03 09:10:53) CAGrayWolf: Eleri, you have the last question.
(06/03 09:10:56) DRCLeri1: What are you guys working on to fix lag and long load times?
(06/03 09:11:10) DRCLeri1: (and evil marker games killing avvies!)
(06/03 09:12:14) Chogon: For the load times, we are bring back some of the enchancements we did for Myst 5 into Uru Live. It is still not as fast as Myst5 but a lot faster than UU
(06/03 09:13:50) Chogon: The lag stuff. This is something that we need to fix. However, since we are re-writing the servers and replacing the physics engine, we need to wait until those are thorougly debugged before we tackle the lag issues.
(06/03 09:14:55) Chogon: As far as the marker games, we can just limit the number of markers as we did before. But I think that we should be able to find a better way to store them so that they are not such big hogs.
(06/03 09:15:11) Chogon: so that was the last question?
(06/03 09:15:24) CAGrayWolf: Let us all give a huge round of applause for our guest, Chogon. We thank you for taking this time to answer questions and share with us.
(06/03 09:15:30) DRCLeri1 claps her hands
(06/03 09:15:35) CAGrayWolf claps his hands
(06/03 09:15:45) Ural claps his hands
(06/03 09:15:48) Chogon: Thanks very much. It was my pleasure!
(06/03 09:15:48) DRCLeri1: Thanks bunches, Chogon
(06/03 09:16:04) mookow: thanks Chogon :)
(06/03 09:16:06) Tweek: thanks Mark
(06/03 09:16:22) Chogon: So are we doing this again in 11 hours?
(06/03 09:16:35) DRCLeri1: Yup!
(06/03 09:16:50) CAGrayWolf: We will be having a second meeting this evening at 8:00pm MDT.
(06/03 09:17:24) Chogon: If you guys what to send me questions before that, send to markdef[at]usa[dot]net
(06/03 09:17:48) Chogon: 8 MST or is it 8 PST?
(06/03 09:18:04) CAGrayWolf: OOOPS, 9:00 MDT ... 8:00pm PDT
(06/03 09:18:04) DRCLeri1: 8 pst
(06/03 09:18:22) DRCLeri1: UCT-6
(06/03 09:18:22) Chogon: cool. See y'all then
(06/03 09:18:35) Tweek: toodle pip
(06/03 09:18:40) Chogon waves
(06/03 09:18:43) DRCLeri1 waves
(06/03 09:18:58) DRCLeri1: thanks everyone for coming!
(06/03 09:19:08) CAGrayWolf: Bye Mark and thank you agehn.
(06/03 09:19:08) Chogon (I'm on the surface, be back in a minute):
(06/03 09:19:23) mookow: yes, thanks reps
(06/03 09:19:41) Thend: Yes, what Jane said
(06/03 09:19:45) From DRCLeri1: I missed a bit of the beginning in the log
(06/03 09:19:46) CAGrayWolf: Our pleasure, gald we could be of service to the community.
(06/03 09:19:47) Annick (I'm on the surface, be back in a minute):
(06/03 09:20:00) DRCLeri1: nifty stuff to learn
(06/03 09:20:52) Thend: Seeya Jane@!
(06/03 09:21:27) CAGrayWolf: Bye all.
(06/03 09:21:30) CAGrayWolf waves