Hi All,
If URU, IMHO, is not the most disappointing release ever, I'd hate to see number 1.
It seems like the all too familiar story, release the game unfinished to get the Christmas shoppers, delay the on-line component, patches, bugs, argh!
I returned from vacation last night to see that I'd been "invited" in, only to find that it was a "clerical" error [which apparently is different from incompetence], that invited everyone, something they were not prepared to do.
I actually got in this morning, only to get locked in the tutorial room [with another poor soul who also had to log off, and haven't been able to log back in since then.
I went back to single player to find the camera angle going crazy, unusable in 3rd person.
Too hear the sound, I have to crank up the volume extremely high. I forgot to turn it down, and Solitaire came on with a 21 gun salute!
To me, the controls constantly intrude on my immersion into the game, and yes, I've tried to re-map them.
Finally [not really, but URU has wasted enough of my time], if I wanted jumping puzzles I'd buy Tombraider.
I'm sorely tempted to try and get my money back, but I know that will be about as easy as getting this game to run right!
In summary, Ubisoft can kiss my ***, now and in all future games they release!
Thanks for listening to me rant :-}
Rich

American McGee's Alice and Prince of Persia are also good if you want jumping puzzles. You have much better control over where you jump in these games than you do in Uru.

I really don't know why they decided to "mess with the formula" for Uru. It's one thing to create a game where you have to play online to be able to explore everything and it's another to change the game by adding jumping puzzles or other "action" components. Myst and Riven were not popular due to their "action." Rather from the lack of it.

I certainly won't be wasting $50.00 on this one! Thanks for the insight Rich!
Rusty

Uru also seems lacking in focus, even compared to Myst & Riven. Perhaps we've been spoiled by Exile

Gremlin

It is true that Uru live is dissapointing at the momet, there are too many people in there and nothing much to see.

On the other hand I found Uru the game interesting enough jumps or no jumps and I found no bugs and glitches. It seems to me that most of the complaints I hear about the game engine are due to the systems that it is played on rather than the game itself.

You need a powerful PC to play the game without problems.

I bought that pre-order package just to get the DVD versions of the other games.

Actually, after installing URU and looking around a bit, I found it uninteresting and not worth the trouble of figuring out all keyboard movements. I'll probably go back to it when I've nothing else to play, but not for awhile.
Cynch

I'm not sure why I even bought it I didn't really like Riven and hated Exile It's not one that I plan on jumping into any time soon - not after all that I've read about it. I did at least install it and it does play - all I've done in run around the desert but guess I have to start over again since I had no clue how to save or even it I could at that point.

What an interesting discussion. I loved URU. I like the jumping and running puzzles. If you read the books, there are plenty of places where physical movement is involved. It's received Editor's choce from PCgamer, Gamezone, IGN, and Game of the Year from Smashgames. You can check out all the reviews at www.gamerankings.com Now I have to admit that BS3 has bored me. Too much dialogue. Oh well, I'm glad I like it. Different strokes I guess!

I was waiting to here more things said on this game. It has to have a very good rating with Boomers for me to plop down 50 bucks.Gamezone and PCgamer rate to many action games to tell me what i buy.
I read the good things said about Black mirror and bought it and was not disappointed.
I know i know nothing about what it takes to make a game,But $30 is plenty for a game you take a chance you won't like it,and if you do, you will only play it 3 or 4 times in you life.

Let's face it. This game is too evolved for many.

You can play this game with the mouse and the space key on the keyboard.

I love being in the environments of Uru. Played some very interesting (and sometimes frustrating)puzzles.
I have met many terrific people. Some wickedly smart and funny. I think most if not all the ages are beautiful, especially Kadish. I hope people don't write Uru off too quickly though. The Live portion of the game will be expanding sometime soon when they work the many kinks out. I think there are going to be some good puzzles to come, and some that you will do with other players.

Crispeto, I'm interested in your definition of the word "evolved" in the following sentence:
"Let's face it. This game is too evolved for many."
Would you mind expanding on your opinion that Uru is too "evolved" for many? My definition of the word "evolved" is that something gains a higher plane, or is superior to that which came before it. Perhaps you have another definition for the word "evolved?" My initial reaction to your post is that your opinion is that Uru (which you like very much, according to your posts) is a superior, advanced game and that somehow those who don't appreciate it are not quite so advanced. Personally, I haven't bought the game and I don't intend to buy it, but I consider that decision to be only because of my own personal preferences in the things I like in a game, instead of because the game is too "evolved" for me. I'd love to hear your reasoning for your comment.
Thanks,
Beth

Good question Beth...I am interested in the definiton also! Glynn

ROFL Beth! ...and Glynn. I don't think 'evolved' would be quite the correct term to describe it, if I can jump in here a moment. It certainly isn't beyond the intelligence of 'any' Boomer, but OTOH, it IS verrrry different from anything else we're used to up to now!

I hate to say it but I, too, had much the same opinion up until recently.... DULL, BORING, UNINTERESTING, ETC. ...when my friend, Kate... or KateVa, kind of dragged me kicking and screaming into it! ROARRRRR!

It was she who took me by the hand and got me involved in it! I think that it's worth the effort to try and get online JUST to give it a fair chance. I've created a GameBoomers Neighborhood using the Katran Shard and have ladyyves neighborhood on the Atrus Shard. THIS is when it's just starting to get fun. I think it was Laura or Syd who called it a big 'chat' room and in reality, it IS, but it's taken to a higher level than the regular chat room. This is much more than a chat room.

Everyone that I've met in it is pretty much in the same boat, except for the betas who are used to it. Even some of the greeters don't seem equipped to handle all the questions and problems yet because it's so new that some of them haven't encountered them yet.

I'm not 'urging' anyone to play it, much less buy it and I certainly get no commission on new members or whatever. I'm merely suggesting that you give it a fair chance before you dis it.

Like any regular adventure game, it is ALWAYS more fun, I think, to play it in a group! So it is with this! You can 'share' your books with someone more experienced and let them help you solve the puzzles in each age or show you how to do things. Everyone seems very helpful and I've met people from all over the world! It could ultimately be used to learn about other people and their cultures in lieu of actually traveling.

I think that this idea is in its infancy at the moment, though and it's suffering 'growing pains' from being overwhelmed. Too many people trying to get online at the same time makes it very frustrating right now.

Take some time until they adjust and correct the situation, then give it a try. Kate and I would be more than happy to show you what we've learned so far, but it's a bit unfair to discourage those who might enjoy it before they ever 'try' it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but check it out first hand before you decide!

Ok, I'm off the soap box. This again is just my opinion.

Yvonne

Here is one link that is very informative.

KI guide

And another one for the glossary:

Glossary

This thread tells you all the emotions that you show by using a / command

Avatar emotions

There's even a fun game within the game.... it's called 'Heek' for short! It's very similar to scissors, paper, rock. You can find the rules on how to play here:

Heek Rules

I agree, there's a lot about Uru that is novel, though there's plenty about it that's familiar too. The whole Uru enterprise is fraught with risk, especially the online Live component, and I confess that I'm extremely curious to see how it all turns out.

I too find myself returning to Uru just to wander around in it even though I've completed it. My favorites are the rotating views of the countryside while atop the Gahreeson building, the shrine in D'ni, and everything in the Eder Ages and Kadish. Although the Cleft (the first part of the game) does give you a good introduction to the game, it is definitely limited. If you've only finished the Cleft, you still ain't seen nothin' yet.

As lasanidine said, you need a powerful computer to run this game. Uru ran beautifully on my two-year-old Dell, but I suspect that's because two years ago when I bought the system I plunked money down for a really good video card.

I've been reading the reviews of the game on Amazon, and a lot of gamers who purchased from Amazon are having trouble running the game because their computers don't have the right video cards. Uru is a game you run on a gamer's computer, and that means buying the right system to begin with or else paying later to upgrade. There seems to be a tempest building because the Myst series has always appealed to casual gamers, so they expect to be able to play Uru on computers that weren't purchased primarily for playing games.

I find this especially interesting, because when the original Myst first came out, a lot of people went out and bought a CD ROM drive just to play the game. In other words, the first Myst game also required an upgrade for a lot of people. I don't remember anger from the fans about that. But there now does seem to be anger that you can't play the game properly without a powerful video card.

Will Uru (and the other 3D games that have just come out -- particularly Broken Sword Sleeping Dragon and Mysterious Journey 2) cause a revolution in hardware buying and upgrading among adventure gamers and casual gamers? Will we accept the inevitable and finally close the hardware gap with other gamers who've been playing 3D games with um, more "evolved" computers for years? Or are the brand new 3D adventure games going to sit around for a year or two waiting for the hardware-buying habits of adventure gamers to finally catch up?

As for the jumping and pushing challenges in the game -- they weren't my favorite part of Uru, but they were only a small part of the overall experience and the overall experience wowed me. There are lots of gorgeous environments in the game to explore, and that happens to be the thing I like most about gaming. I'll figure out how to be a virtual athlete for a few minutes if it gives me hours of exploration.

Here's what I mean by evolved. The Myst and Riven games have always been my favorite. The one problem I have always had with them is that they are static slideshows. I had hoped that Riven would be 3d or at least panning but it wasn't. I still loved it. Many people love these two games. Even Syberia as much as I liked it and as beautiful and great as it is, is still mostly pictures with a character that runs from spot to spot. URU has come along with some of the most beautiful 3d graphics I've ever seen and finally we get to move in realtime 3d. We even get a choice of 1st or 3rd person. If you read the books, there is lots of physical movement, running, jumping and so on. I love that my character in URU can run and jump but I actually hear complaints that people don't like it. What really cracks me up is that people compare it to an action game. Have you ever played a true action game? Not action-adventure like Tomb Raider but real action? And I can even go live and invite a friend of mine to my ages and we can go through the game together and figure out puzzles even though we don't live near each other. And we finally get to visit D'ni. We get to hear the history and stories behind it. We get to explore it and help it's symbolism. I think many wanted something close to Riven but with a different story and different pictures. This game has definitely evolved in the series and I don't think some wanted it this way. But for me? It's what I always wanted in a Myst game. I'm glad it's evolved the way it has

Weighing in with my vote-decidedly pro Uru. I think the online game is a wonderful spot to play. I went with LadyYve to her Gahreseen age to show her how to jump across to a bridge. I promptly fell into the chasm (way to go Kate!), while Yve deftly moved across to the bridge. Can't tell you how much fun it is to explore a game environment with some else. I look forward to the expansion of the Live universe and joining other Boomers in online play.
Yes, there are problems now but Cyan seems to be moving quickly to straighten out the online environment. There weren't any challenges in jumping or movement that compared to BS3, and the puzzles are interesting. Meanwhile I hope more
Boomers join us all online.

Kate (aka Katva in Atrus, Avtak in Katran)
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Now if I could only remember my avatar's name...

Rich,

If I had been wavering even a little about my decision not to buy this game, your post would have cemented it. There will be no U R U for this I M I gamer!

Jema

I got this game for Christmas. I wish I could comment on it, but I can't run it at all, and I have a powerful P4, but unfortunately don't have the correct video card. I've heard rumours that Cyan rushed the game out before Christmas, so that the income from sales could be used to upgrade their equipment for the online service, in order to get further revenue. Wish I'd known all this before.

I've only played the stand-alone CD game, and I admit that URU didn't thrill me at first. I thought the first two ages were rather gloomy looking and the jumping! - well that's another story!. But as I got into the final two ages, they were so beautiful that I forgot all my earlier complaints. When I finally conquered the lava pit jumps, I felt the effort was well worth while, and was sorry to see the game come to an end.