'Windows' Of Opportunity

I've had a bad past coupple of days.

Saturday: I was playing Free Realms, training to be a Ninja, but, the timed challenge I was doing was way too short. 30 some seconds to run around an island in a swamp, find some bags, then return to the start? Nuh uh. So I quit the game. Skype then crashes. I bring it back up and poof goes the task bar. So, a forced system shut down.

SUNDAY: Not so bad. Dad signed me and him up for Mysterium '09. But something came up, then, not a few minutes later, the laptop wakes from hibernation and restarts itself, installing updates.

Now: Well, I'm not so sure I'm wanting to go to Mysterium. I have to, but I'm not sure I'll enjoy it after some thinking. So, I think things through today as I log on to put up today's comic {28 for those at home) On Uru Obsession, I then realize that I'm almost out of comics to put up. So, I race to put a few more together. Guess what? The computer wants to install more STUPID Updates. After it just installed some LAST GORRAM NIGHT. Windows, tell me, is it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO DO THIS?! IS IT?!

Let's just say that It's not put me in a good mood right now.

_DTC

URU VS. Free Realms

So, yesterday I signed up for a new game. FREE REALMS!!!

So, I started off by making my own character, Blue hair (kinda regreting it), green eyes, Average explorer clothes. I named my character "Uruexplorer Dtc", minus the quotes, of course, and downloaded the game. I signed in, and jumped onto a server! {I think I logged onto 7, but, it could have been 1...Curse you similary-shaped numbers!!!)

First up was training. I chased off some robgoblins, brought a pig back to it's owner, made some stew, chased off some more RobGoblins, and then went into the main game itself! The controls are a simple "WSAD" or "^V<>" arrow key pad walking system. Space bar is, of course, Jump. And you know what I find funny?

/me jumps in Free Realms

/me jumps in Myst, URU

Yup. Almost. Exactly. The Same. Jump.

Running? Yep, almost the same. Turning? Same. Swimming? Close but no Brawler's hammer. :D

The chat system is familiar, yet different, unlike URU, where you just start typing, you have to hit [Enter] first, then type, then [Enter] again to talk. It appears in the chat window, and in a kawaii little bubble above your avvie!

You start off in a forrest, and, if you're like me, you're immediately off following green dots on the ground onto your next path. Like the Marker games in URU, you can turn off this feature and just walk around.

You have a friends system, simply open the buddy window, type in a player's name, like URU, and wait for them to either accept or reject this invite. This is Unlike Uru. In Uru, you can only add a friend to your buddie list, which can result in the other player becoming spammed with your buddy chat if you can't track them down and add them as a buddie. In Free Realms, you both become friends, and are added on eachother's friends list. Also, instead of going /buddies or /neighbors, you go /tell "so and so" "message here!" It comes out as this little message:

[Cal] whispers: Yo!

Nice, huh?

There are these things called warpstones. You click on one, and up comes a map of the entire exploreable world. You can only teleport to places you've been, however. Like Uru. Also, the infamous "quadruple avvies inside eachother at the /spawn point" glitch is unavoidable here. But, since it's all one world, you gain controll much faster than you do in URU. Which is nice.

With the friend system, you can instantly teleport to your friends! Making hunting them down a lot easier. Especially if you just want to hang out with a friend.

The monsters...ah, the trademark difference between Uru and F.R., you go to them. Not the way the battles are scripted in most MMPORPGs. They are seperate little hub ages and they are loads of fun. For example, the RobGoblin "recovver stolen property" mission age, and the "Ruffian celler" challenge age. {NOTE: names are not right. /shrug}

Another trademark difference is that you can do whatever you want. I, for instance, am trying to be a Brawler and an Adventurer. While my friend Kate, is specializing in being a chef. Pretty cool, huh?

Worried you'll rack up this cool character and not being able to use it on another of the 10 servers? No problem. The Avvie data is stored elsewhere, meaning you can server hop to your little 'hood hoppin' heart's content and stay with the same avvie. I, for instance, went from 1/7 to 10 to 7 again, all the same data was saved, including location.

Today, I was busy leveling up my Brawler job-I battled ghost miners, some Robgoblins, lots of snakes, some monsterous plants, some trolls, and spiders-and my adventurer job (my favorite, as an Uru Explorer)-I ran missions all over the place, from Sanctuary, to Blackspore, to Merry Meadows, to Briarwood, and back to Sanctuary again! This is an annoying thing when walking, but not when you can...Teleport!-, I am now a level 6 Brawler, and a L4 Advenrurer now. :D Yay me! /clap /cheer

I spent my last few hours tonight running amok in Bugachug...or is it Wugachug?...chasing after ONE silly Kitten. I found four-or was it five?-total. Kitten madness. Meow.

So, tomorrow, I will go on server five (5) to meet up with other Uru fans!

See ya 'round the Cavern/Sanctuary!

_DTC

Now for something completely different!

[ooc]

Chogon
Cyan Employee
Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 253

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:41 pm — Post subject:

Hi all,

Sorry for the long time in between updates. The silence was not by design or by any dark undertones. Sadly, there is not much to report. I am *still* waiting for a particular ex-Cyan person to send me code changes that only he can make. I know that sounds odd but unfortunately it is the truth and until I have those changes the open source can't proceed. I know that he has been heavily involved in a major release of the product he is working on, so I understand (a little bit).
After that is done, I may ask for some help from a few chosen individuals to help with readying the sources further.

On a different note: Cyan has been working with another company on something (slightly but completely) different. Of course, I can't reveal anything yet but hopefully something will be available late summer, this year. I know that is coming up quickly and it is taking all of our energies.

I could write a small book about the many transformations that Cyan has gone through over the years. Even though I was not at Cyan from the beginning, there was only one ex-Cyan employee at the time I was hired. For the most of that history, we have been a quiet, shy company that let our products do the talking. With the rise of UruLive that had to change because the game was about community and Cyan sharing itself with that community, albeit in our own shy way. So, after UruLive was canceled, Cyan has reverted back to it roots of being that quiet, shy company again, albeit not quite as shy as before.

Thanks for everyone's support.
Chogon

So, a post now that's not a test. :D

Cyan Worlds, And Uru in future, is waiting for one man's work inorder for it to be released. Kinda like Knight Rider. "One Man Can Make A Difference" and all.

So, I'll be back in Uru Soon, We'll all be... I hope... [/ooc]

I'm ready to get back to exploring! My Relto Book's gatherin' dust!

_DTC