Archive of October 2004

October 29, 2004
Myst IV Giveaway at AdventureGamers
"The fine folks at Ubisoft have a great opportunity for you—you can win not only a copy of their amazing new adventure Myst IV Revelation, but also an official Prima Game Guide to go along with it! All you have to do is correctly answer the following three questions. One winner will be chosen at random. Enter quickly, because this contest will only be open until November 3rd. Good luck!"

October 28, 2004
Myst IV Revelation Patch Announced
From MystWorlds: "The Ubisoft Montreal Myst IV Revelation Development team has announced the upcoming release of a patch for Myst IV Revelation. The patch will address technical issues and some balance issues discovered after launch. The patch should be available in the next week, and will address these issues:
* Radeon 7000-7500 graphics card issues in Spire
* Time sensitive puzzle in Spire reworked
* “Mangree” puzzle crash issue resolved
* Game version number now displayed correctly in the main menu
* Game save issue (when the user has collected an extensive picture gallery) corrected
* Workaround for the ATI driver bug that was causing issues on the Radeon 7500 on Windows XP in the second node of the observatory and at random places. Fixed with ATI driver catalyst 4.9 and 4.10
* Registration problem (identifying as Prince of Persia) fixed
* MAC fire offering display issue in Serenia corrected.
Thanks for all the support that enabled us to identify and correct these issues! Special thanks to "maztec" our volunteer technical guru."

NY Times Reviews MystIV
With generally excellent comments (although for some reason he hated the music). Here are a few comments:
"The game is remarkably alive and kinetic, and many times a new vista or a creature interaction made me stop and say, "Wow."
"Every day I spent absorbed in Revelation, another two or three games landed in my to-do pile, and cheating became a necessity. Still, for more than a week I played one game exclusively, and it was glorious."
The review requires free registration and contains many, many spoilers.

October 27, 2004
Preafter is Gone
From Gadren: "Avonis on the UO forums said: "If you check www.preafter.com you'll find that the domain has expired. It's kind of sad in an 'end of an era' sense." Also at UO, Carterhawk noted that the Internet Wayback Machine still has archives of preafter.com, one of which is here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20040214080343/http://www.preafter.com/index.html
As you might know, preafter.com was the old website that we first learned of Zandi, and the Journey, and the Uru that has connected us all. With preafter.com gone, it's symbolic in a way, that Uru is finally over, you could say... At least there's the archives. And Untìl Uru. And us." Thanks, Gadren.

October 26, 2004
MIV Soundtrack Due Out Mid-November
From Jack Wall's Journal: " Myst IV Revelation - Official Soundtrack
Looks like the official Revelation soundtrack will be released in mid-November! We were aiming for a simultaneous release, just so you know, but these things are complicated. The CD will be available all over Europe and in North America as an import. Also on the Ubi.com website. Itunes will be carrying not only some of the tracks from Revelation but from Exile as well! It will be nice to have all this stuff available as many of you have emailed me personally trying to find the dang thing! Thanks for your patience. Hopefully, by the time the CD is released, my website will allow comments and I can find out what you think of it!"

Two New Reviews of Myst IV: Revelation
By Jolt.co.uk
Here's the opening paragraph of the review: "If you’re one of those gamers that demands instant gratification then you’re probably also one of those that don’t see much attraction in the Myst series. Rightly so; Myst IV as with its predecessors doesn’t just require patience, it requires an enjoyment of a slow and thoughtful approach. While the series creator Cyan is off exploring its own vision of the Myst universe, Ubisoft’s creatively talented Montreal studio has managed to craft a game that is every bit deserving of its place as the next game in the series." Warning: Spoilers abound.
Dwight Odelius of the Houston Chronicle
Not many spoilers in this review. Here's his conclusion: "Even with its flaws, Myst IV: Revelation is a must-play title for any fan of the series and probably a should-play title for any gamer who enjoys problem-solving more than shooting at stuff."

Announcing Revelator 2.0
From Ron Hayter: "Revelator, my application for extracting sounds from Myst IV, is now at version 2. It's a little prettier than version 1, plus I've added the most-requested feature: the ability to extract dialogue and other sounds, not just music." Revelator can be downloaded here.

Lysters First Impressions of Myst IV: Revelation
Aquila has gathered various posts submitted by subscribers of The Lysts.com, detailing their first impressions of Myst IV: Revelation. Check them out here.

October 25, 2004
DRS Returns!
Gadren wrote to me: "The DRS has returned to the Cavern, or so it seems. There's a recent and mysterious post on the DRS forums.
There's also apparently been an appearance of Daniel Andersen, a DRS linguist who once worked for the DRC, in the UO Hood. Hopefully someone who was there will post a chat log. Also, someone named Cassandra Summers has been seen in the City, looking for any sign of her mother, Naraya Summers, whose disappearance a while back led to the dissolution of the DRS." Thanks, Gadren!

PC Gameworld Reviews Myst IV
Here's a glimpse of the review: "Ultimately, Myst IV is not a game everyone will love simply because it recalls a time when the PC gaming landscape was vastly different. Playing Revelation is a refreshing experience, and one worth trying if you’ve got the itch to poke around and take in some inspiring imagery, and wrap your brain around some mind-bending puzzles."

October 22, 2004
Radio Interview With Rand Miller and Chris Brandkamp Today
This was posted by Gadren: "NOTE: this poast is taken directly from the GoG website, since i'm too lazy to rewrite it!"
D'anak: "Big News!!!
If you want to hear an exclusive interview with Rand Miller and Chris Brandkamp, ... Please hook up with www.kpbx.org or www.ksfc.org on Friday, October 22nd @ 5pm Pacific time.
The subjects will be varied and informative... I have just finished listening to the "rough cut" of the interview and found it fascinating!!!... There are included, a great deal of Rand's personal feelings about URU!!! :yes: The Myst community is mentioned as being the main force that makes Rand continue doing what he does ... I'll save the rest for you to hear for yourself.
Just a teaser... but towards the end (in the rough cut)... Something Else ™ is discussed!
I'm hoping that I can get "my inside source" to come forward :whip: and host a link to the full interview ... especially for those of you who I know will not be able to hear it on such short notice."

October 21, 2004
The Inventory Reviews MystIV
And he loved it! Here's a quote or two: "Graphics: If I had to summarize this portion of Myst IV with a single word, that word would have to be: "phenomenal."
"There's still one question that remains unanswered. Is this the best Myst game to date? That's hard to say because I haven't played the others in quite some time. Based on memory alone, I would say the only game in the series that can possibly compare would be Riven. Myst IV is really that good."
"It's obvious that it was created by a group of people who really adore the genre. The result of their efforts is an experience that not only doesn't disappoint, it actually impresses."
The review is in PDF format and can be downloaded at JustAdventure. Thanks to asa160 at DPWR.net for finding this.

October 19, 2004
D'Olympics Results Posted
Sh'aeri, D'LA Reporter, posted: "A big congratulations all of the medalists!! The people on this list are eligible to receive their REAL medals, courtesy of Lord Owl. Make sure you thank him for it!!
"Thank you to all volunteers, judges and all of the DOC, especially Nerf, Terf and Maz. You all made this event happen from top to bottom, it was a fantastic effort!!
"Thank you to the ENTIRE Myst Community for trying to show up for the Opening Ceremonies, sorry one neighborhood couldn't handle all of you...I guess you could say it was "Lagging Room Only". Hopefully you all got a chance to get a little piece of the D'Olympic Spirit."
Plus, Frontmullet has a Gira High Dive Report.

October 18, 2004
Update from the RestorersGuild
The following was posted in the DRC Forums yesterday by Keira: "Forgive me for being quick here but events have unfolded that need my attention. The Guild has been very busy lately. So we've not been able to make many reports to our associates sites. Work has started on the city proper -> Exploring the City Proper Thread. Unfortunately it seems Keith has gone missing and James Rofen appears to be able to leave Prelto. Our Maintainers Group are investigating things as I type this. If you see James at all please let us know. We do not know if it is actually james yet but it sure looks like it. -> Missing RG Member Thread. Thanks, Afraid I must dash and see Sophie before the meeting starts."

AVault Gives MIV It's Lowest Score So Far: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Good review, otherwise. Here's a sample: "After the disappointment of the Uru series, I had wondered if the Myst franchise would ever approach its former glory, and now it clearly has taken a major step in the right direction. With fantastic visual and audio elements (setting a new standard), an engrossing story, an intuitive interface, and amazing overall polish, Myst IV Revelation has all the makings of a real winner. However, the tortuous difficulty posed by many of the puzzles, even for those with considerable logical abilities, detracts from the mainstream appeal of this offering. Far more cerebral than the average computer game, this will clearly not suit everyone; but for those who enjoy the ultimate cranial challenge this may be heaven. Despite the deficiencies, I am very sad the enticing virtual journey represented in this offering is finally over." As always, beware of spoilers.

Extracting Music From Revelation
Ron Hayter passed this along: "I've written a Java program called Revelator which can extract the 214 Ogg Vorbis music files from Myst IV. There are versions of the program for Mac OS X and Windows. Revelator can be downloaded from http://homepage.mac.com/rshayter/Revelator.html." Thanks, Ron!

October 16, 2004
Game Revolution Gives MIV a B
Here's a sample of the review: "Like most of the free world, I was crazy for the first Myst and didn’t stop until I had solved it, although these days, papa’s got a brand new bag. For better or worse, my sensibilities have changed with the times, and likely, so have yours. But if you’re the type to obsess over increasingly difficult crossword puzzles, Myst IV: Revelation is more than a nod to history - it’s your future."

Adventure Gamers Interviews Genevieve Lord
Here's the interview, conducted by Evan Dickens.

Guild of Greeters Releases Coelho Buda Walkthrough of MIV
Coelho Buda always supplies a great walkthrough and here's one for MystIV. "Hello. Coelho Buda here (or for those familiar with the Guild of Greeters, Rabbit). Myst IV: Revelation marks the return to the node system, which means you haven't the freedom of movement that is available in a true 3D environment, but each node can behave like it was 3D. If you have played Exile, this system is just like the one used there.

"As always and as in my previous walkthroughs, any contributions will be gladly accepted, ^_^ and can be sent to my e-mail.

"Warning: This walkthrough contains major spoilers. It could seriously affect your enjoyment of the game. I do not give out hints or nudges. I simply state how a given puzzle should be solved. That said, read on at your own risk."

October 15, 2004
Reminder: D'Olympics This Weekend
Here's the schedule:
For Saturday 10/16
12 GMT (8am EDT) Gira High Dive Rounds 1 & 2
14 GMT (10am EDT) Marathon Qualifying Heats+ Island Hop Qualifiers
16 GMT (12pm EDT) Kemo Qualifying Heats and Cones Complete Event
18 GMT (2pm EDT) Heek Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds
20 GMT (4pm EDT) Wall
22 GMT (6pm EDT) 5K

For Sunday 10/17
12 GMT (8am EDT) Gira Finals
14 GMT (10am EDT) Heek Finals + Island Hop Finals
16 GMT (12pm EDT) Kemo Finals + Tent Climb
18 GMT (2pm EDT) Marathon Finals

Game Boomers Gives MIV an A-
Here's a glimpse of the review: "In a nutshell: magnificent! This is my favourite Myst game yet. There are the awesome Ages, with perilous heights, stunning scenery, fantastical creatures. We get plenty of lifts, cable car rides, amazing machines, intriguing and challenging puzzles."

October 14, 2004
MystIV Gets a Perfect 10!
From GameConnect Magazine: "Like the original Myst, Myst IV: Revelation represents a crossroads of the gaming world. Like its predecessor, it utilizes a medium that had yet to be properly made use of, coming as it does on two DVDs, both full to the brim of incredible graphics and sound. And, like its predecessor, it represents a gaming experience that no one should be without, by virtue of the masterfully crafted balance of dynamism, storyline and atmosphere it delivers." As always, beware of spoilers!

Three More Reviews of MystIV
Two are great, one is so-so, but they all contain many, many spoilers, so beware. Here's the first great one:
GameZone: 9 out of 10 "Myst IV doesn’t break any new ground for the series, but still remains an extremely compelling adventure game with a fantastic presentation and ranks as the best of the series and one of the best of the genre." And the second:
WorthPlaying.com: 9.1 out of 10 "In a way, this game is everything Myst has been leading up to and promising for years."
And the so-so:
GameSpy: 4 out of 5 " As it stands, Myst IV: Revelation is a game any Myst fan needs to play -- even if you missed Riven and Exile -- if for no reason other than to see how the story of the family turns out. It is, in my opinion, the best Myst game since the original. If you're the least bit interested, find yourself a good walkthrough and enjoy the ride."

October 12, 2004
ActionTrip Gives MIV a Score of 87 Out of 100
Here's the tag line from the review: "Revelation is an excellent, but very difficult game, unfortunately the gamer that would fully appreciate it is, I am afraid, almost extinct. But, if you've passed a course or two in anger management and are not afraid to travel the ages of Tomahna, Spire, Haven, and Serenia with nothing more than a mouse and your functioning gray matter, you are sure to enjoy Revelation and the search for the prodigal sons of Atrus." Warning: Lots of spoilers, including quite a few images.

Great MIV Review by Inside Gamer Online
Strong review by Kevin VanOrd. Here's his closing statement: "Patient gamers need wait no more: Myst IV: Revelation is worth its price, not only because of its refreshing return to old-school puzzle-solving, but for its surprisingly cohesive story. While there is no true replay value, it will keep even the most intellectual of players scratching their heads for a few dozen hours. Those new to the series will be pleased to see that Myst III: Exile also ships with it, and still is a beautiful title, four years after release. Adventurers will find little truly new to the series, but most should find Myst IV to be a pleasant return to the genre's roots, and the experience and its splendid conclusion are, indeed, revelatory."

And From eToychest
Jason Dobson writes: "Myst is an icon, an originator, and truly a marvel. Adventure game fans with a sense of exploration and a keen mind for puzzles should waste little time in diving in the series' fourth incarnation." Read the rest here.

Revelation in Top 10 at ELSPA
From MystWorlds: "Although it has not been long since release, Myst IV Revelation is already in the Top 10 in the UK, according to the ELSPA website. Check it out!"

Mysterium Location Vote
Scraper wrote to The Lyst: "It's time again to decide where to hold this year's Mysterium. To help us, an informal poll recently asked potential Mysterium attendees where they'd like to see Mysterium 2005 held. Using that information, we have compiled a list of the top six locations. If you think that you may attend Mysterium,
please take a moment to fill out the survey at
http://home.wi.rr.com/scraper/Mysterium/2005Survey.html by November 15, 2004."

Another Strong Review for MIV
Susan M wrote to The Lyst: "Andrew Plotkin's review mentions his experience with the Mac version. Sounds like he mostly enjoyed himself." After a thorough review (with spoilers), here's his conclusion: "Your sense of self-determination may falter at the end, but Myst 4 is still the best-laid and most challenging adventure game of the year."

Myst IV Revelation Website Wins 7 Awards
From GamesIndustry.biz: "The Myst IV Revelation website (www.mystrevelation.com) has been awarded the 7 most prestigious internet awards since its launch in early August. Awards such has the FWA Site of the Day, the Internet TINY Award Site of the Month and Bombshock's Site of the Week, are given by the most important web-designers of the top web agencies worldwide. Francisco De La Guardia, Ubisoft's EMEA Community manager thinks that "with mystrevelation.com, Soleil Noir, the creative agency for the website, created a site that went beyond the expectations of Myst® fans: immersive and entertaining, it completely reflects the Myst® universe without revealing too much of the game".

"It is the first website to have won so many awards in the video-gaming industry. It is also one of the rare sites to average 20 pages read by visitors, highly due to the richness of the website. The site has had already over 300,000 visits since its launch in early August, proving that Soleil Noir, the design agency, has done a superb job in creating a very interactive, dynamic and entertaining website.

"Myst IV Revelation is already available for PC and Mac. Storyline: In the next chapter of the greatest adventure saga of all time, piece together a family's shattered past involving two of Myst's most sinister villains. Solve elusive mind-challenging puzzles with a multilevel help system that assists your progression in the game.

"List of Awards won: FWA AWARD Site of the Day, ITA Site of the Month, DOPE AWARD, NETDIVER AWARD, NEWWEBPICK AWARD, BOMBSHOCK AWARD Site of the Week and MACROMEDIA AWARD."

October 11, 2004
Landmark Theatre Trailer Available for Download
Find it on MystWorlds Downloads/Movies page. The resolution is 640x480 and it's almost 5 megs. Warning: Spoilers aplenty; it begins with a flyaround of Spire! It really is well done.

October 10, 2004
Atrus Family Tree by Kittypetticoat
And it looks great! Thanks, Kittypetticoat! Courtesy of the Guild of Greeters.

What is TAG (Tapestry Activity Group) Up To?
First, there's a new game, What Do You See? And an upcoming party, Myst 4 "Spoiler" Party, on Friday, October 22nd. Check out the UruObsession Forums for details.

Latest From the Guild of Greeters
They've announced the Greeter of the Month (congrats Cleft!) and are looking for more Greeters. If interested, check out their site.

Quandary Gives MIV 4.5 of 5 Stars
Excellent review by Steve Ramsey. Here's his closing paragraph: "So if you like meandering and cogitating, if soaking up the world around you is a pleasure in itself, if immediate understanding is not essential, if kicking back and looking at the sea is an ok thing to do when you haven't got a clue what else to do, if you can forgive the odd puzzle, and if patience is your virtue, then you should definitely make haste to Revelation." Note: Major gameplay spoilers and screenshots.

October 8, 2004
Mac World Gives Myst IV Revelation 5 stars!
As reported at MystWorlds: "A stellar review of Myst IV Revelation in MacWorld magazine: Myst IV Revelation "...matches the original for fascinating game play, but also uses new techniques to make this the most detailed and complex Myst ever." Five out of five stars- a very warm reception from Mac World!
(Ed. note: I'll post the entire article as soon as I can get out and buy the magazine! ;)

Quasi-Official Survey from CyanWorlds
Posted on the UruObsession Forums: "Hi - I'm a programmer at Cyan. Some of you may have seen me in the cavern with the name ResEng 0240. I hope that some of you will take the time to answer a few questions for me. I am conducting this informal survey to get your impressions of MYST and the Cyan brand. It will be used for an assigment I have to write for a marketing class (I'm finishing up a masters in business right now). This survey has been cleared by Rand, and it's results will be read by him as well. The distillation of your impressions into general conclusions will be done by my research partner who has no affiliation with Cyan and therefore no insider bias (unlike me). He'll be collecting your responses through this weekend and ending the survey sometime on October 11.
If anyone has any questions, I'll add another thread and try to respond as fast as I can. Please limit this thread to responding to these survey questions. Thanks for your help - I couldn't do this without our great fan base. CyanChris."

Penny Arcade Spoofs MystIV
Great cartoon. Plus, Tycho has some nice things to say in his column.

RAWA: "How to Pronounce D'ni"
With the release of MystIV, players are asking for clarification on how to pronounce D'ni. Toh'mas found an old answer (From November 2002) and sent it to The Lyst: "As far as a native D'ni speaker is concerned you're right. "Duh-nee" is not how they'd pronounce it.
Actually, the "'" after a consonant means you basically just pronounce the consonant. Think of it as when I'm trying to help my son sound out a word when he's reading. "dog" - "duh-ah-guh". It's not a long "uh" sound - it's just a tiny, little thing - but the sound is there.
It's not slurred "dnee", and it's not accented "DUH-nee", it's just "d-nee". If anything, the accent would be on the second syllable "d-NEE"
"Dunny", however, is a perfectly acceptable anglicized pronunciation, just as we generally pronounce "Mexico" as "MEKS-ih-co" rather than "Meh-HEE-co", or "Israel" as "IZ-ray-el" rather than "YIS-rah-ayl", "Bruh-zil" for "Bra-sil"), etc., etc.
At least it's closer than "deny", which is how I usually hear it pronounced if someone sees "D'ni" without having seen it spelled "Dunny". :) RAWA"

October 7, 2004
PCGamer Reviews Uru: The Path of the Shell
Typed from Chuck Osborn's review, in the November 2004 issue: "By the time Ubisoft axed Uru Live late last year, developer Cyan already had a surplus of fresh content ready and waiting. The proposed massively multiplayer extension to its single-player adventure Uru: Ages Beyond Myst would be a place where folks from around the country could gather in neighborhoods and collaborate on solving new Ages that Cyan would gradually introduce. But it wasn’t meant to be.
"Cyan made the most of a bad situation by releasing a free downloadable expansion pack, To D’ni, this past February. It let Uru fans explore the rediscovered cavern of the lost D’ni civilization. Now Ubisoft wraps up its experimental Myst offshoot by putting out a final retail expansion pack containing Cyan’s unused Ages and puzzles. The Path of the Shell is available as a solo retail product, or bundled with Uru and To D’ni in a boxed set titled. Uru: Complete Chronicles.
"The Path of the Shell purports to shed light on what happened to the D’ni civilization. At least that’s what the press material says, because I’ve finished following The Path of the Shell and I feel like I know scant more about what happened to the D’ni than I did before.
"Part of the problem is that this add-on is nowhere near as accessible as Uru’s first chapter, which was set into motion via introductions by D’ni researcher Jeff Zandi and a hologram of Myst patriarch Atrus’ spooky daughter, Yeesha. Here, you start out in your home Age of Relto, where, without explanation, new books have been placed in a formerly empty bookshelf and a new linking book has been added to your collection (assuming that you’ve finished Uru). Yeesha is behind the new reading material, but their contents are confusing and vague, leaving you to start linking around to new Ages because, well, they’re new.
"Though unguided, your path is augmented by a couple of novel tools. One is a journal found on your bookshelf that, when clicked on, becomes part of your avatar’s interface, allowing you to record your thoughts and clues in-game. The second is your KI, a device that was designed to serve many functions in Uru Live, but here is used to take screenshots of important visual clues.
"The puzzles and Ages, while magnificently designed and implemented, seem tailor-made for a community of players asking each other “Didja try this?” rather than for a single-player experience – and they were. Because there’s little narrative direction, including any clear indication that you’ve “finished” an Age – one of your goals was in Uru: ABM was to unlock each Age’s door – you may find yourself wandering aimlessly, especially considering the exasperating toughness of some of the game’s puzzle.
"Solving The Path of the Shell without a walkthrough will require endless patience and the ability to brainstorm in four dimensions. (No spoiler, but the solution to one of the puzzles doesn’t even require your presence at the keyboard.) In theory, this expansion is the adventure with everything – time-travel, outer- space, monorails (!)…everything, that is, except clarity.
"Final verdict: Highs – Ingenious level and puzzle design; out-of-this-world visuals; beautiful soundtrack. Lows – Lacks direction and clearly defined goals; impossibly difficult at times. Bottom line – This path will appeal only to those with PhD’s in Myst-icism. Above average - 60%."

Myst Embassy Seeks Architect
Eleri wrote to The Lyst: "We're having a contest to design the outside of the Myst Embassy building for our website! Build us a 3D rendered building that is both unique, and reflects the architecture of the Myst games.
3rd prize: Buttons: Myst Embassy, Journey & Shell cloth designs.
2nd Prize: Window Clings: Journey & Shell cloth designs. Myst Embassy button.
1st Prize: Handcrafted Journey Cloth, window clings & buttons.
To enter: Send us a sample JPG image of the front of your building design, your name and contact information to: contests@mystembassy.officiallyunofficial.comContest Deadline is Oct 22nd."

October 6, 2004
Guild of Greeters Upgrades Their Forums
Posted by Tijara: "Thank you all for your patience whilst we were offline.
I am pleased to announce the software upgrade was a success and you will notice that this version has many new and improved features. Whilst we were offline, as you have probably noticed we had a major re-structuring of the forums. We believe our new layout is much more user friendly and easier to navigate. We hope you like the changes and the slightly new look.
"Thank you to tech and Wolfie for all your help with the migration and to the mods for their help and feedback with the planning of this massive project. Welcome back."

1up.com Reviews Revelation
Interesting review, although they seem to think that Cyan created MIV: "With Revelation, Cyan Worlds and Ubisoft have created a game as impressive for its time as the first game was eleven years ago."

Ages of Ilathid Mentioned on IMG News
From IMG News: "An IMG forumgoer recently posted some information regarding an upcoming work by Myst fans. Titled Ages of Ilathid, the title is a Myst-related fan work with full permission from developer Cyan to be created. Ilathid uses its own engine and code, and ties into the Myst storyline:
Atrus gave us hope and imbued us with the mission of finding linking books in the old City. However, my passion blinded me. My companions warned me not to enter this dangerous place, but out of desperation and our failure to find any linking books thus far, I boldly explored this ominous chamber.
A volunteer effort, the folks behind Ilathid intend to release the game as a free download once it's ready. They currently have open positions available for those interested in helping out. More information on the project can be found at its official site."

A New DRS Storyline Evolves
Gadren wrote to me: "just FYI, the DRS storyline is not going away forever...starfyre72 and others are working to reshape it over a long period of time: DRS Storyline Redesign." Thanks, Gadren!

Find a Myst Meetup Near You
Lessa wrote to The Lyst: "FYI, For those of you wanting to get together with others in your area about MRED and the like, here's a site you might be interested in: http://myst.meetup.com/
I noticed a few of our people are already on there. Khatie is on the Toronto group page, Greydragon is listed for the Spokane area, I made a site for my area but I'm the only member. *sniffles*
Go ahead and check that site out and see how you like it. You can make appts to meet and get together thru it and it's all free. You can get a premium membership but I haven't done that yet."

October 5, 2004
Jack Wall Chats With XGR
Xtreme Gaming Radio has conducted an interview with composer Jack Wall (http://www.jackwall.net/), on Sept. 28 2004. In the interview, Wall talks about is work on the "Myst IV: Revelation" soundtrack, Peter Gabriel's involvement with the project and the upcoming score to Bioware's "Jade Empire".
Wall’s past gaming projects include the scores to: “Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow”, “Unreal II”, “Myst III: Exile” and “Wrath Unleashed”.
The show's in MP3 format and clocks in at approximately 18 minutes. The download is hosted by FileShack. File Info: • 20.4MB • MP3 format • Length: 17minutes & 51seconds.

October 4, 2004
IGN Insider Gives MIV a Score of 9.0!
Excellent review, by Juan Castro. Here's his closing paragraph: "True, spending hours solving puzzles and reading page after page of journal entries isn't everyone's bag. But for those who love Myst and everything it represents, the latest iteration in the series is what they live for. It addresses many of the issues which plagued earlier installments, mainly the mind-detonating difficulty of Riven, and strikes a balance between the logical and the obscure. It delves deeper into mythos of the Myst universe through a captivating story while still providing enough cushion for beginners. It's also one of the most visually stunning and aurally pleasing adventure games, since, well, ever." As always, beware of spoilers.

MystIV Technical Issues Being Researched
There's a thread (that contains spoilers) at MystWorlds for those posting patch requests. Kha'tie posted: "I want to post to let you all know that Ubisoft Support and Myst IV Tech Teams ARE reading these threads and addressing many issues and requests. Please keep checking back for fixes, recommendations and known issues. Thanks everyone!"

Latest From UntilUru
DRS Storyline, Officially Ended
starfyre72 posted: " As of today we lost one member of the DRS due to OOC cirumstances. So as of this moment the DRS is nolonger an active storyline. So don't expect to see us in the Cavern cause well we won't be there."
Threat of Violence in Tapestry Shard
And it may be driving some to quit the shard. Read about it here.
Update on Tapestry Olympics
Check it out here.

October 3, 2004
MystIV Dev Team Shirt Sells for $134 on eBay
And it's added to the already enormous collection of cagraywolf! Congrats, Wolfie! Check out the auction here.

October 2, 2004
The Gamesome Mac talks with Ubisoft Montreal's Genevieve Lord
On this Monday's (October 4th's) broadcast of The Gamesome Mac, the Mac gaming radio program, hosts Sean
Smith and David Finley talk with Genevieve Lord, producer of "Myst IV: Revelation" http://www.mystrevelation.com/ at developer Ubisoft Montreal.
Myst IV: Revelation, which shipped this past week from publisher Ubisoft, is the eagerly anticipated fourth title in the series of adventure games that began with the seminal, Mac-first blockbuster "Myst" eleven years ago.
Sean and David will also offer Mac gaming news, reviews, and commentary, and together with their guest will take questions live from listeners in The Gamesome Mac's chat room and give away two copies of Myst IV: Revelation.
The Gamesome Mac can be heard live on MacRadio from 6 to 8 pm Pacific Time, 9 to 11 pm Eastern (Tuesday, October 5th, from 0100 to 0300 UTC), and on demand thereafter. Listeners can tune in at The Gamesome Mac's web page http://www.macradio.com/monday/, where they'll also find archives of past broadcasts. QuickTime 6 and a 56K or faster Internet connection are required.

October 1 , 2004
Myst IV Revelation is Number 1 at Gamespot
From their "Most Popular Games" page, which says "Rankings based on GameSpot traffic" Myst IV is on the top of the list! Congratulations to all of the MIV Dev Team!

Poll for Aussie Mysterium closing soon! Vote now!
Simon wrote to The Lust: "Just a reminder that the poll for the Aussie Mysterium will be closing in just a bit over 5 hours from now. If you have not yet voted, then please do so at the following:
Poll for Aussie Mini Mysterium's new name, Come and vote for the best event name!
Thanks to everyone for taking part! Warmest regards, Simon."

Ages of Myst/Something Else Forums Closing
Posted by Tweek last night: "The forums are going to be closing. They will be here but as archives. Unfortunatly the site has not been well since the fall of DJC. This community is no longer what it once was, its become something I dislike. For long time now I have been trying to get away only to have something drag me back kicking and screaming. I'm hoping I can kick hard enough and get away from it all this time. The site is staying...changing to become a reference site for me to use to access D'ni knowledge when I'm out and about. I'm keeping the domain here in the hope that in the future the community will change and I will wish to return. any comments please send to webmaster[at]dnijazzclub[dot]com. Tweek."

Just Adventure Interviews Genevieve Lord
The interview was conducted at the 2004 E3, but saved for after the game's release.

UntilUru Celebration This Sunday
Deius writes: "Calling All Explorers! Help us celebrate the Multiculturalism of the Myst Community!
The Tapestry Activities Group would like to invite explorers of all nations to join us in Until Uru this Sunday, October 3rd in celebration of German National Unity Day! No matter what shard you're on, wear the German red, yellow and black, and wish your fellow explorers a happy "Tag der Deutschen Einheit!"
The TAG neighbourhood (on the Tapestry shard) will be having an open house between the hours of 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm EST (9:00 am to 1:00pm PST, 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm WET) or any who wish to meet in celebration of our wonderfully multicultural Myst community. Drop in for a chance to meet new people, or even just a quick hello. It's more of a casual drop-in day than a full blown party, but just be sure to wear red, yellow and black! Hope to see you there!
TAG will be planning other similar events for many different nations in the future! No matter our nationality, we have all felt the call, and in that we are all one people. :)" Thanks, Deius!

Top Stories From Late September
"Gamers prepare to sacrifice hundreds of hours to the magic of Myst"
Great review by Marc Saltzman, National Post. Here's a glimpse: "The latest incarnation in the multi-million-unit-selling Myst franchise is not only the most life-like adventure in the series to date, but it's arguably the closest thing we've seen to virtual reality in a computer game."

New MystIV Help Forum at MystObsession
Because MystIV is out, MystObsession has created a forum for assistance: Myst IV: Revelation Journey Help. Check it out.

New Positions Available at DPWR.NET
Alahmnat posted: "Help Wanted! Yup, DPWR is looking to expand its staff again. With the new reconstruction completed, there are openings for more people as traffic and participation increase. I made a small request a couple of days ago for some temporary help with the Archive, but I think I'd like to extend that request to a more permanant position." More details in the post.

MystIV Soundtrack Will be Released at a Later Date
In a post by Kha'tie: "The Soundtrack is not yet ready for release. Rather than not include the soundtrack in the Collector's Edition at all, it was decided to gather a few tracks which represent the music and place it in the CE. Considering you get some other things, and that it's not that much more in cost, I think this is reasonable. The Soundtrack will be available at a future date.

MystIV Creature Named for Dan'ni!
From MystWorlds: "Genevieve Lord, Myst IV Revelation Producer had an interesting revelation of another sort recently. "We decided our frog in Haven needed a name," she explained. "There was really only one choice." The frog in Haven will officially be known as "Dan'ni", honoring the age-old tradition of naming frog-like creatures for annoying fans.
"Dan'ni" or AVID Myst Fan Daniel Sadowski, was on hand recently in Germany to help Genevieve present the game to reporters. Due to his unnatural fear and loathing for the frogs, Genevieve thought it was only fitting that they carry his own name. "It is a perfect fit," she continued. "Really, no other name would do. Danni is the name of our Haven Frog!"
Congratulations, Dan'ni."

GameSpot Reviews Myst IV
And there's spoilers aplenty! Dozens of new screenshots. Here's the first paragraph: "The latest in the beloved Myst series of graphical adventure games capably continues the traditions that started more than 10 years ago. Like its predecessors, Myst IV Revelation is a deliberately paced first-person-perspective adventure game whose controls are almost instantly intuitive--and yet its incredibly complex and challenging puzzles are about as far from instantly intuitive as possible. However, as with most great adventure games, there's a cohesive underlying logic to the Myst IV's lengthy series of complicated trials. Furthermore, this latest chapter in the Myst series features some dazzlingly beautiful sights and amazing sounds. Much of the game is truly a wonder to behold, and while unraveling the story will probably be an interesting incentive for longtime fans of Myst, it's the thrill of being able to fully and freely explore the game's imaginative and remarkably lifelike worlds that often proves to be the biggest incentive for pushing past Myst IV's near-impenetrable puzzle barriers. Then again, solving the game's puzzles can be very rewarding; just be sure to bring plenty of patience and a keen eye for detail." Read the rest here.