There is one last complication in this series. If you are a fan and you want to share in controlling the future direction of the game, what do you need to do to take some control? If all the fans try to take control, will that be a good thing or a bad thing or just complete chaos?

Ae'gura - Uru The City in Second Life

There is no intuitive answer. Philosophers and statesmen as well as kings have considered these issues. We have 5,000 years of written history to show us what worked and Niccolò Machiavelli explained how to assure ones place of power. People generally realize that Machiavelli’s path is about controlling the masses. He does make sense and to a point his tactics work, especially on the poorly educated. While many are trying alternatives, only personal freedom to pursue your dreams ensured by a neutral third party that answers to the people in mass and cannot control them has ever worked well. It is a matter of how do we protect our self from the individual, have enforcers and we our self remain free?

Fans in the game worlds freedom. They can move to another world with the click of a mouse. They cannot be forced to do anything. The only real power over them is banishment, not a small thing.

Gaining control in the game world is more about influence. By living your life and enjoying what one does they attract others that join in, either to help or learn or just enjoy. When the project is larger than what one person can handle, they form teams with those of similar interest and compatible personality. Those chosen to lead teams are usually the ones that step up and do the most. They demonstrate ability to accomplish. They demonstrate an ability to understand what will work and then make it work. They also make a lot of mistakes and have a lot of failures, think Ben Franklin. They are in general very persistent. They keep trying until they get it right.

In the Myst-Uru world one takes power and gains influence by creating and/or doing. Those waiting on the creators talk about what should be and hope someone will listen. The creators may listen. Or they may just pursue their idea of what should be and start building it. Many creators are experimenting and learning, some are teaching. In these cases there is little for the majority see. Uruites are moving ahead.

Others are placing their in progress ages out for fans to see. There are lists of new fan created game content on Uru Guild of Writers and GoMa – Myst Uru Beta Testing. In Second Life Eder D’Uru is in process and open to visitors. In a similar recreation Myst/Uru – Eder Gira in SL is open and proceeding. Myst/Uru/SL – Vulcan Myst is an established replication of parts of Myst Uru. There are different styles of building and differing ideas.

In Eder D’Uru residents build in the walls of the cavern.There are differing build styles depending on the individuals. In Eder Gira homes for rent are built in the carven by the cavern owners. In Vulcan Myst modern homes are built by land owners around a volcano with Uru replications built into it. Myst Style – Mayan Myst is a Myst inspired build.

These are where people have taken control and created their projects and built what they wanted. One can learn from what they are doing. Some owners are in complete control. Others are landlords and others are cooperatives where members have a say in what is to be.

The thing  is… none of those creating started out to take control or to have influence. They all seem to have wanted to create something their way…

Have fun the influence will follow and who controls what just won’t matter because it will be you that controls…

So one last time, can the guilds control the open source Myst/Uru that is coming?