The Guilds of Myst-Uru Part III

Seems like there is always someone talking/writing about the guilds controlling the game and fans. Whether or not one believes game fans and Myst Uru fans in particular can be controlled there comes the question of how might they be controlled and who would do the controlling?

Concert Hall in Aegura - Eder Gira Build SL

Concert Hall in Ae'gura - Eder Gira Build SL

The ‘who’ seems pretty simple and obvious to many Myst fans, the guilds. Normally it would be Cyan worlds, Inc. the game owner, but they are giving the game to fans and stepping back. Part I and II of this series list the different groups of guilds. So which one will rule them all? Oh, and who runs the guilds?

The movers and shakers of the Myst Uru community are another possibility to consider for being in charge. These Movers & Shakers are the fans that are doing something. The ‘something’ is writing new fan created content, those building Myst style creations and Uru representations in other games (i.e., THERE and SL), making the tools (Blender add on, age file converters, etc), planning for open source servers, planning game upgrades and more. It is these people that will actually make a playable MMO and provide the computers to house the virtual world. Are they not the most in control?

Who is likely to run a server for the game? Let’s start with the Guild of Maintainers. They have taken on the role of game testers, think alpha and beta testers for game modules (ages). They want a server for testing. Their thing is to avoid crashing the actual game server and having place to work where they can see what is happening in the game testing server in controlled conditions.

Next there is the Guild of Writers. These are the ones actually thinking up and building the ages, creating the content and making the 3D models and providing the computer programming to make them work. They are thinking of running a server and providing extended canon content. Some of the Maintainers are writing ages and belong to the Writer’s guild, there is some mixing here.

OpenUru.org is looking at how to best provide the game, probable costs of operation and identifying things that need to change for IC game consistency, additions for improved MMO play and other aspects of the game. If their vision departs much from the GoW’s vision each group may want to run their own server.

There are ‘private’ server operators that may decide to run a version of the game from their home computers. These may allow purple people with orange hair and see through blouses or string bikinis. Whether or not the game will scale to one machine is not clear but many hope.

If this is starting to seem out of control, you are starting to see what I see. I suggest upping your meds.

I have little doubt some small group or individual will control a server. But the overall fan base is free to vote with their mouse and play on whichever server they choose.

It is generally expected the more popular servers will survive. One gets to be popular by providing what fans want. Whether a guild or an individual is in charge of the top server, they have to cater to the fans. So, who is likely to control? I think it will be the fans that are in control and it will appear that whoever serves them best will appear in control. But as long as another group or individual can start up a new server no one can become a game dictator.

Now if this was just the end and it was all so simple… there is more see Part IV.

What do you think about who can control the open source Myst-Uru?

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