Reference:2006-07-18 Rand Miller Town Hall - From Myst to Uru Live

(07/18 10:25:09) Rand: somebody should fix this lag :)
(07/18 10:25:25) Eleri: LOL
(07/18 10:25:26) lightkeeper laughs
(07/18 10:25:41) Rand: i think i'll just stay here - close enough
(07/18 10:25:45) Rand: :)
(07/18 10:26:18) Rand: thanks for the standing ovation - you shouldn't have
(07/18 10:26:26) Eleri: Ladies and Gentlemen, our Patron and Fearless LEader, Rand Miller
(07/18 10:26:29) lightkeeper claps
(07/18 10:26:35) Lego Addict claps
(07/18 10:26:39) A'yrr Et cheers
(07/18 10:26:47) Rand: please hold your applause - i'll understand
(07/18 10:26:50) Serena claps
(07/18 10:26:52) Rand: :)
(07/18 10:27:48) Eleri: So, Rand, what tidbits and treasures do you have for us today?
(07/18 10:28:21) Rand: hmmmmm - well i've got tons of information to step around and lots of questions to dodge...
(07/18 10:28:32) Rand: ...RAWA will help me
(07/18 10:28:48) Rand: (just kidding)
(07/18 10:29:20) Rand: Thanks everyone for showing up - sorry I was a bit late - traffic is terrible :)
(07/18 10:30:01) Rand: exciting times right now - close to some more formal announcements...
(07/18 10:30:33) Rand: and Mysterium in less than two weeks
(07/18 10:31:13) Rand: we've been working hard on cleaning things up - getting all the tech issues out...
(07/18 10:31:36) Rand: of the way so we can get back to concentrating on content again.
(07/18 10:32:38) Rand: El - questions? or more of my silly patter?
(07/18 10:33:32) Eleri: We can do questions. PM me to get in the queue, remember to use /shout and Rand will say 'next' and I'll call on you
(07/18 10:33:47) Eleri: Johnathan?
(07/18 10:34:55) Eleri: JOhnathan asks: That is your mix of hands on work these days, verses buisness development
(07/18 10:35:07) Eleri: err, "what"
(07/18 10:36:24) Rand: go it - i do a little of both. Yesterday for example I was in a voice recording session (not my voice)...
(07/18 10:37:27) Rand: for a new intro, and I had more discussions with Tony about Turner and other companies we...
(07/18 10:38:03) Rand: deal with. Quite a mix for me - but I like it that way. BTW - the team here handles...
(07/18 10:38:43) TomahnaGuy: on the uru live website what do the words "destruction is coming...find a way...make a home mean?
(07/18 10:38:48) Rand: almost all of the detail stuff. We have such a great team of people.
(07/18 10:39:02) Rand: next
(07/18 10:39:17) Gadren: TomahnaGuy, please wait until yiou are called on
(07/18 10:39:18) Eleri: Gadren, you have Toria's question?
(07/18 10:39:52) Gadren: Yes...Toria asks what Rand thinks about how big Mysterium has gotten, and wonders if Mystralia will ever be comparable due to its lower population
(07/18 10:40:42) Rand: I still think that Mysterium feels small and friendly and non-commercial and I hope...
(07/18 10:41:07) Rand: that it (and Mystralia) stay that way. :)
(07/18 10:41:29) Rand: (I should be a politician) :) next
(07/18 10:41:33) Eleri: Ian, your turn
(07/18 10:41:36) IanWatson: World of Warcraft (as an example) has a thriving addon community, encouraged by the creators. Is there any chance of any such addon support for Uru, even just for customizing the KI interface?
(07/18 10:42:18) Rand: Our focus for user created (or added-on) content will focus on actual...
(07/18 10:42:50) Rand: ages because that what D'ni was about - writing ages. It makes it harder...
(07/18 10:43:18) Rand: but we think it will be important down the road.
(07/18 10:44:47) Rand: next
(07/18 10:44:50) Eleri: Ghola?
(07/18 10:46:15) Gadren: reminder: please try to have your question typed out and ready to go when we call on you :)
(07/18 10:46:42) Eleri: Gohla asks "Will we be able to use a real journal in Live, or are we stuck with the KI notes. Also, will it be possible for us to 'publish notebooks in Reltos/Hoods
(07/18 10:46:42) Ghola: Will we be able to use 'real' journals in Uru Live, or are we stuck with the KI notes? Also, will it be at all possible for us to 'publish' notebooks in Reltos/Hoods? (For the third time sorry...)
(07/18 10:47:11) Eleri: (Sorry everyone, getting to people's PM's and to the age players list is really hard)
(07/18 10:47:36) Eleri: I'll try! the scroll is really bad!
(07/18 10:48:14) Rand: For now the KI is what we have for journaling. Uru live will have better...
(07/18 10:48:38) Rand: working features, but very few new features to start with. We want to tune up the engine...
(07/18 10:49:19) Rand: before we add the whale-tail and the spinning hub caps. :)
(07/18 10:49:51) Rand: Getting over this initial hump is big - then we have a platform to build on.
(07/18 10:49:54) Rand: next
(07/18 10:49:57) Eleri: Dadguy, you're up
(07/18 10:50:00) Dadguy: Hi Rand. Thanks for coming to see us today! How about a summary of how we are doing schedule-wise for LIVE. Good news? Surprises?
(07/18 10:50:54) Rand: thank you all for the great support! Schedule is slightly behind - but not too far. We've had...
(07/18 10:51:36) Gadren: please everyone, remain in your spot and stay off the stage...let's try to keep lag down
(07/18 10:51:37) Rand: some pretty good internal tests of new stuff that have gone okay. We have to kill a dozen more ...
(07/18 10:52:13) Rand: bad bugs to be at a good point with the new rewritten server and client stuff.
(07/18 10:52:35) Rand: so beta is next - and I don't know exactly when - but not too far off.
(07/18 10:52:40) Rand: shout nxt
(07/18 10:52:53) Eleri: AllMyst
(07/18 10:52:58) AllMyst: How many other projects besides Uru Live is Cyan currently working on? Can you tell us anything about these projects?
(07/18 10:53:02) Error: (Can't find 'TomahnaGuy' in any of the player lists.)
(07/18 10:54:20) Rand: we have five other projects that are various stages - including the dormant stage...
(07/18 10:54:44) Rand: but they are (of course) very confidential and top secret. :)
(07/18 10:55:10) Rand: (we'll be happy if even one of the projects sees the light of day - btw)
(07/18 10:55:14) Rand: next
(07/18 10:55:17) Eleri: Ron, are you still with us? You're up!
(07/18 10:55:21) Ron: How do you feel about the huge out pouring of support after the inital attempt for URU Live and the grassroots effort made by so many to keep it alive??
(07/18 10:56:07) Rand: humbled and excited. We have the best fans in the world! Having so many people stick...
(07/18 10:57:01) Rand: with Uru through all the lag and delays is so great - it's helped us keep going!
(07/18 10:57:20) Rand: next
(07/18 10:57:23) Eleri: Lego
(07/18 10:57:26) Lego Addict: How is the Age creation tool to be implemented? Will it be a plugin to a popular 3D program like StudioMax, or will it be a stand alone application?
(07/18 10:58:09) Rand: Plans are to start with providing plugins that would allow people to make ages...
(07/18 10:58:33) Rand: the same way we do. It would require tech expertise, but will get some people started...
(07/18 10:59:41) Rand: right away. Then we will move on to tools that allow easier (and probably less complex) age creation...
(07/18 10:59:53) Rand: but that's down the road.
(07/18 11:00:00) Rand: next
(07/18 11:00:38) Eleri: TomahnaGuy asks if you can give any hints as to what the catchprase on the Uru Live site means
(07/18 11:02:32) Eleri: ("Destruction is coming..." etc)
(07/18 11:02:52) Rand: All I can say is that it is imbued with deep meaning. But of course - you really don't want to know the details. :)
(07/18 11:02:59) Rand: next
(07/18 11:03:19) Eleri: Dr. Device?
(07/18 11:03:22) Doctor Device: How is the progress with getting GameTap for everyone to use? Uru wouldn't be the same without everyone from around the world...
(07/18 11:05:25) Rand: Announcements coming soon on GameTap relelated stuff. International people won't be left behind...
(07/18 11:05:45) Rand: - because Uru wouldn't be the same without them. :)
(07/18 11:06:29) Rand: next - sorry
(07/18 11:06:35) Eleri: Kl'a?
(07/18 11:07:34) Eleri: did we lose him?
(07/18 11:07:43) Rand: Kl'a A'kn?
(07/18 11:08:16) Rand: :)
(07/18 11:08:39) Eleri: looks like we lost him and 'tay
(07/18 11:09:08) Eleri: Gadren?
(07/18 11:10:09) Gadren: One of the issues that contributed to the issues with the first Uru Live was a lack of sufficient advertising... what is Cyan and Turned doing to make sure that lots of people hear about Live?
(07/18 11:10:54) Rand: We think that Uru has a better chance of growing slowly if it has a chance to get off the ground...
(07/18 11:11:39) Rand: I think that's our preference to begin with. But with that said - Turner is not stingy with...
(07/18 11:12:12) Rand: advertising when the time is right.
(07/18 11:13:03) Rand: Uru feels so grassroots - lets get it started and spread the word - Turner will get behind it.
(07/18 11:13:06) Rand: next
(07/18 11:13:12) Eleri: Ghaelen?
(07/18 11:13:18) ghaelen: If you aren't already working with fan-created stories that might add to or enhance the canon, do you think that's a possibility for the future?
(07/18 11:14:12) Rand: The primary problem with fan created story is not the quality - it's the logistics. Once we...
(07/18 11:14:56) Rand: open that door things get very hard to control. The D'ni story is a big ship and has to be...
(07/18 11:15:30) Rand: guided with a lot of forethought - or we'll either run aground or go in circles.
(07/18 11:16:19) From Eleri: I'm losing names. I can't see if people are still here
(07/18 11:16:25) Rand: But we think that age creation (by players) may provide the way to add story content...
(07/18 11:17:10) Rand: without risking the continuity issues.
(07/18 11:17:15) Rand: next
(07/18 11:17:18) Eleri: RaPhil, are you still here? Your turn
(07/18 11:17:35) Ra'Phil: Even if you do not know when beta will start, do you know when the beta testers will be told they have been successful?
(07/18 11:18:48) Rand: Actually no. I'm not sure. I believe it's first-come first-served - and I believe it's going to starte fairly soon...
(07/18 11:19:02) Rand: but I don't know the details.
(07/18 11:19:05) Rand: next
(07/18 11:19:14) Eleri: Mucol?
(07/18 11:19:19) Mucol: RAWA told us, that you had a "good reason" why you couldn't come yesterday. Do you have any big news for us?
(07/18 11:20:24) Rand: I think we're trying to put together another town hall meeting that will answer questions...
(07/18 11:21:05) Rand: and we couldn't quite pull it off yesterday. Looks good for next week though - I think.
(07/18 11:21:29) Rand: next (I say "I think" a lot I think)
(07/18 11:21:35) Eleri: Julie asks if there's growing hope for Uru for Mac
(07/18 11:22:33) Rand: I think it's not growing right now - we still have hopes. I use a Mac and even Blake uses...
(07/18 11:23:02) Rand: a Mac. But we've got other things to get done first. (And Blake has had success...
(07/18 11:23:21) Rand: with Boot Camp - but I don't have and Intel Mac.)
(07/18 11:23:29) Rand: next
(07/18 11:23:41) Eleri: Jez1?
(07/18 11:23:44) Rand: "an"
(07/18 11:24:48) Eleri: How does the new Uru Live storyline diverge from the old one? Are the Myst 5 details being integrated?
(07/18 11:25:42) Rand: Not really a divergant storyline - just time has passed. And Myst 5 is part of the time that has passed.
(07/18 11:26:02) Rand: got time for a couple more questions
(07/18 11:26:17) Eleri: AllMyst?
(07/18 11:26:19) AllMyst: How is the work force currently divided between the various projects at Cyan?
(07/18 11:27:01) Rand: Good portion of the tech crew is on Uru Live. Art is split between Uru Live and various other things.
(07/18 11:28:35) Eleri: Gadren, you have the last question
(07/18 11:29:51) Eleri: No question from Gad?
(07/18 11:29:52) Gadren: Right now, my favorite part of the Mystseries, the D'ni language, is not a major part of the game, but more of something that has to be learned outside the game in various forums. Will Uru Live be able to promote the D'ni language more and make it a bigger part of gameplay? Like puzzles, or more D'ni documents?
(07/18 11:30:06) Eleri: (Long question from Gad!)
(07/18 11:30:16) Gadren: :P
(07/18 11:30:43) Rand: I think the D'ni language will always be part of Uru Live, but not a primary part. It'll be there in various...
(07/18 11:31:13) Rand: ways for people like you who want to dig deeper. And they'll be special little rewards...
(07/18 11:31:21) Rand: for people who do.
(07/18 11:31:47) Rand: one more - then I've gotta go
(07/18 11:32:12) Eleri: Dadguy?
(07/18 11:32:17) Dadguy: Have you thought about challenging RAWA's near record time in the A-Z Race thru URU (D'mala) this Saturday? :-)
(07/18 11:32:56) Rand: I know I could never touch his time. But I have to say that when we had our Uru race...
(07/18 11:34:17) Rand: before we launched Uru I did manage to finish in a respectible position (not last.)
(07/18 11:34:33) Dadguy: :-)
(07/18 11:34:33) Eleri: Rand, thank you so much for joining us this morning! We hope we'll see more of you in cavern in the future :)
(07/18 11:34:51) Eleri: and thanks bunches to everyone for coming and braving the crowd!
(07/18 11:34:54) IanWatson applauds
(07/18 11:34:59) lightkeeper claps his hands
(07/18 11:35:07) Rand: Okay - gotta go to yet another meeting. Thanks again you guys! Thanks liasons for handling things.
(07/18 11:35:15) Gadren: ^_^
(07/18 11:35:40) DanielPharos: Goodbye Rand, and see you around!
(07/18 11:35:40) Eleri: There's a TH tonight, to question the Liaison team, I hop eveyone will join us.
(07/18 11:35:40) Rand: Nice of so many of you to put up with lag to spend some time here.
(07/18 11:35:46) Ra'Phil: Shorah Rand :-)
(07/18 11:35:53) Guiun smiles
(07/18 11:36:06) Eleri: ahhh, what's a little lag when we have you to interrogate, Rand ;)
(07/18 11:36:07) Rand: Hope to see you soon with things working better! :)
(07/18 11:36:08) IanWatson: Thanks so much, Rand. We really appreciate the time (and extra time) you put in to answer questions for us.
(07/18 11:36:31) IanWatson cheers
(07/18 11:36:35) To Eleri: I got the chatlog...want me to edit it on our forum?
(07/18 11:36:44) Rand: It's been my pleasure to answer you questions. More answers next week - hopefully!
(07/18 11:37:05) From Eleri: yes please :)
(07/18 11:37:10) Rand: bye everyone - shorah!
(07/18 11:37:13) ghaelen: harder one's too, Rand
(07/18 11:37:13) IanWatson: Chev shem!
(07/18 11:37:27) Ghola: shorah
(07/18 11:37:31) Rand waves
(07/18 11:37:36) Julia: message chevshem, Rand!
(07/18 11:37:52) Rand waves