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| 12 JAN 2005 at 9:15pm | |
thomasbcSpace Cadet  Posts : 132 Joined: 20 NOV 2003 Status : Online | (Okay, being the self-professed "Unabashed Myst Junkie", now that the Myst V announcement has stirred up the pot, I guess it is time to chime in on this topic even though I do not consider myself to be one of those hardcore, obsessed "trekkie"-like fans of the Myst series. I don't know if this has ever been done before, but I'd like to take this analogy all the way to its bitter extreme by comparing the Myst series of games with the Star Trek television series and movies. The more I look at this, the spookier it becomes!) A Cult Is Born: Star Trek the Series and The Motion Picture(STI) vs. Myst the original and RealMyst Star Trek the series has a modest, unassuming beginning. Star Trek is a sci-fi series, a genre which typically has not fared too well on television. But with good, thought provoking stories and strong word-of-mouth, the popularity takes off astronomically, quickly developing a cult following. Years later, looking back on the original series, the "tech" of the series looks dated and worn. Taking the same crew, same general story and throwing a gazillion dollars at it, Star Trek - The Motion Picture is unveiled to show what Star Trek was actually supposed to look like. With the exception of a few new characters added to the mix, fans just saw the same old thing with a flashy new exterior and wished for more. Myst the adventure game had a modest, unassuming beginning. Myst is a sci-fi, first-person, graphical adventure game, a genre which typically has not fared too well with video gamers. But with eye-popping graphics, a great story and strong word-of-mouth, the popularity takes off astronomically, quickly developing a cult following. Years later, looking back on the original game, the "tech" of the game looks dated and worn. Taking the same exact game and throwing a monster graphics card at it, RealMyst is unveiled to show what Myst was actually supposed to look like. With the exception of a new age to tantalize players, fans just saw the same old thing with a flashy new exterior and wished for more. No Sophomore Slump Here ("Better Than The Original": Wrath of Khan(STII) vs. Riven After firmly establishing itself as an industry leader when it comes to Science Fiction entertainment, the Star Trek creators set out to prove that all of its hype and fanaticism is well justified. The second installment in the Star Trek series is unleashed on an unsuspecting and finicky audience. With a better story, better character development and greater ties to the core philosophies of the original series (not to mention even better special effects), the second movie, Wrath of Khan, blows the doors off the first and even impresses the non-trekkie fans and movie critics alike. After firmly establishing itself as an industry leader when it comes to Adventure (and Video) Game entertainment, the Myst creators set out to prove that all of its hype and fanaticism is well justified. The second installment in the Myst series is unleashed on an unsuspecting and finicky audience. With a better story, better character development and greater ties to the core philosophies of the original game (not to mention even better graphics, sound and puzzles), the second game, Riven, blows the doors off the first and even impresses the non-Myst fans and game critics alike. Third Time Is Not Quite A Charm: The Search for Spock(STIII) vs. Myst III - Exile How do you top near-perfection? Well, you can't - especially when the now rabid fan base is screaming for more, and now. In its own right, the third Star Trek movie, The Search For Spock, is not such a bad little movie, but following on the coattails of the widely successful (for Star Trek anyway) second movie, the third installment just can't live up to the huge expectations that the fans and critics had in mind. Maybe it was the cheesy villian, Klingon Cmdr. Kruge, played to the utmost campiness by actor Christopher Lloyd. Or maybe it was the obscure story arc from an earlier film going off in an unfulfilling direction. Regardless, the film just doesn't cut the mustard for the die-hard fans. In its own right, the third Myst game, Exile, is not such a bad little game, but following on the coattails of the widely successful (for adventure games anyway) second game, the third installment just can't live up to the huge expectations that the fans and critics had in mind. Maybe it was the cheesy villian, Saavedro, played to the utmost campiness by actor Brad Dourif. Or maybe it was the obscure story arc from an earlier game going off in an unfulfilling direction. Regardless, the game just doesn't cut the mustard for the die-hard fans. Possibly the real reason was that, while this third installment was being formulaically slapped together, rumors of something different was bubbling under the surface (THE "something" the fans were really looking for all along): (continued) |
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| 12 JAN 2005 at 9:17pm | |
thomasbcSpace CadetPosts : 132 Joined: 20 NOV 2003 Status : Online | Something Different Yet Still The Same: Star Trek The Next Generation(STTNG) vs. URU - Ages Beyond Myst What would happen if you took the same ideals of the original Star Trek series, based it in the same Star Trek universe but in the distant future, retooled the whole "look and feel" of the Star Trek "tech", and then doled out the stories in smaller increments but in greater quantity than the movies can deliver (i.e. back to an hour-long weekly television format)? That "something different" becomes a reality in the new television series, Star Trek The Next Generation. You have a whole new crew, whole new worlds to explore, but everything still ties back to that "prime directive" of the original series. The fans are a bit leery at first but eventually eat it up. STTNG goes on to become, arguably, even more popular than the original, while spawning two spin-off series: Deep Space Nine and Voyager. What would happen if you took the same ideals of the original Myst series, based it in the same Myst universe but in the distant future, retooled the whole "look and feel" of the Myst "tech" (real-time 3D, third-person perspective), and then doled out the ages in smaller increments but in greater quantity than the boxed games can deliver (i.e. an online, multiplayer scenario)? That "something different" becomes a reality in the new game, URU - Ages Beyond Myst. You have a whole new avatar to customize, whole new ages to explore, but everything still ties back to the main story of the D'ni race from the original games. The fans are more than a bit leery at first and might warm up to it eventually, but the bottom falls out of the URU Live project and URU falls back to being just another boxed adventure game with two expansion packs: To D'ni and Path of the Shell. (This is where this particular comparison arc obviously begins to diverge [for now], so let's get back to the main arc that still runs quite in parallel to each other.) Back To What Works: The Voyage Home(STIV) vs. Myst IV - Revelation Hoping to rekindle some of the excitement that was garnered by the second movie, Wrath Of Khan, and was diminished subsequently by the third film, the producers decide to fall back to what they know works very well for the Star Trek series. The result is Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home. They use a story line that they know will always please (time-travel) and liberally mix in elements that have always been successful in Star Trek stories: humor, contemporary social themes, and strong interaction between the principal characters. Looking back, this could be the transcendent episode of the entire Star Trek story, certainly the most lucrative. Hoping to rekindle some of the excitement that was garnered by the second game, Riven, and was diminished subsequently by the third game, the developers decide to fall back to what they know works very well for the Myst series. The result is Myst IV - Revelation. They use a story line that they know will always please (Sirrus and Achenar) and liberally mix in elements that have always been successful in Myst games: diverse ages to explore, rock solid and fair puzzles, and sensory-overload in the game tech. Looking back years from now, could this be the transcendent episode of the entire Myst saga, and even the most lucrative? Let's Try To Wrap This All Up: The Final Frontier(STV) vs. Myst V - End of Ages (Now we reach the more speculative part of the comparison that was obviously spurred on by the recent announcement of the next game in the Myst series. This is where it gets kind of fun...) Not wanting to overstay its welcome (that and the fact that the entire crew is reaching the geriatric stage in life), Star Trek tries to wrap up the entire "original series" with one last doozy of a movie with the provocative title, The Final Frontier. Instead of following their tried-and-true formula for success, they bite off much more than they can chew and even take on the ultimate question of "oes God exist and, if so, can we meet him in our mortal form?". And, what idiot came up with the idea to introduce a new character this late in the evolution: Sybok, half-brother of Spock? Everything about the movie is forced, stale and anti-climactic. The fans go nuts when faced with this being the final chapter of their beloved series. Not wanting to overstay its welcome (that and the fact that Rand Miller is getting long in the tooth and complains every time he has to play Atrus), Myst tries to wrap up the entire "Myst Universe" with one last doozy of a game with the provocative title, End Of Ages. Instead of following their tried-and-true formula for success, they bite off much more than they can chew and even take on the ultimate question of "id Yeesha actually pen the age of Earth and is in fact our real (female) God?". And, what idiot came up with the idea to introduce a new character this late in the evolution: B'trus, half-sister of Atrus? Everything about the game is forced, anti-climactic and unsolvable without a walkthrough. The fans go nuts when faced with this being the final chapter of their beloved series. (continued) |
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| 12 JAN 2005 at 9:19pm | |
thomasbcSpace CadetPosts : 132 Joined: 20 NOV 2003 Status : Online | Seriously, This Is The End: The Undiscovered Country(STVI) vs. Myst VI - Alas, Poor Yor'ick Caving in after so much caustic vitriol following the disasterous Final Frontier movie, the producers manage to convince the cast to go galavanting across the universe one last time (seriously). They promise that this movie will have everything in it that was missing from the awful "number 5" (namely plot, humor, contemporary relevance, etc., etc.). Just to be safe, they even avoid giving it a definitive title, opting instead for an obscure Shakespearean phrase, "The Undiscovered Country". While still a little forced and contrived in spots, it is still a damned-sight better than the last one, so all of the cast sign their names in the credits to signify that they are officially done (except of course for coming back via outlandish plot tie-ins with the Next Generation and beyond). Caving in after so much caustic vitriol following the disasterous The End Of Ages game, the developers manage to convince Rand to don the Atrus Cowl one last time (seriously). They promise that this game will have everything in it that was missing from the awful "number 5" (namely plot, humor, solvable puzzles, etc., etc.). Just to be safe, they even avoid giving it a definitive title, opting instead for an obscure Shakespearean phrase, "Alas Poor Yor'ick". While still a little forced and contrived in spots, it is still a damned-sight better than the last one, so all of the developers "sign" their names in various easter eggs to signify that they are officially done with Myst (except of course for Rand who has to come back as Atrus via an outlandish plot tie-in for the "Something Else" project). Something Else Because We're Not Done Yet: Andromeda vs. "Something Else" Thinking that all of their original fans are either dead or too near-sighted to watch television anymore, the producers of Star Trek come to the conclusion that their tried-and-true formula just doesn't seem to work with the younger generation. They decide to create an edgier, hipper, more "out there" Sci-fi show that will appeal to the younger set (after all, they have all of the disposable money out there that advertisers like). They get a hunky leading character played by Kevin Sorbo (of Hercules fame) and mix in plenty of loud music, bright flashing lights and plenty of hot space babes. What they come up with is the show, Andromeda. Their fan base (which really isn't even much beyond middle age yet and has plenty of money to spend now that the kids are out of the house) abandons them in droves in the hopes of finding, elsewhere, a show that comes close to what they once knew and loved. Thinking that all of their original fans are either dead or too near-sighted to play computer games anymore, the developers of Myst come to the conclusion that their tried-and-true formula just doesn't seem to work with the younger generation. They decide to create an edgier, hipper, more "out there" adventure-ish game that will appeal to the younger set (after all, they have all of the disposable money out there that distributors like). They resurrect a hunky leading character Duke Nukem (of Duke Nukem fame) and mix in plenty of loud music, bright flashing lights and plenty of hot space babes. What they come up with is the game, Rayne, where you use your 23rd century iPod to link from island to island to lay waste to a countless number of mutant races created by an ancient race called the F'ni (oh, and you have to solve some pretty lame puzzles like opening a door by pushing the key out of the keyhole onto a newspaper). Their fan base (which really isn't even much beyond middle age yet and has plenty of money to spend now that the kids are out of the house) abandons them in droves in the hopes of finding, elsewhere, an adventure game that comes close to what they once knew and loved. (Let's hope it doesn't come to this...) [smiley=angel_smiley.gif] (p.s. A special thanks to SJH for planting the seed for this article.) |
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| 12 JAN 2005 at 9:40pm | |
| Deleted User | You. Are. A. Genius. Add that appendum. |
| 12 JAN 2005 at 9:56pm | |
Lucien21Guild Master  Posts : 4876 Joined: 9 JUL 2003 Location: 0 Status : Offline | [smiley=rofl.gif] Dear Diary, My teenage angst bullsh*t now has a bodycount. |
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| 13 JAN 2005 at 2:16am | |
DJ SouzaJourneyman  Posts : 1452 Joined: 19 OCT 2002 Status : Online | [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [smiley=clap.gif] [center]DIEGO J. SOUZA&&Consulting Detective for Hire[img]http://www.justadventure.com/public_html/YaBBImages/smilies//detective.gif[/img]&&&&[img]http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Fairygdmther/Avatars/A-G-E-S_SIG.jpg[/img][/center] |
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| 13 JAN 2005 at 2:27am | |
Lady KestrelGuild Master Posts : 4035 Joined: 27 SEP 2004 Location: US, NJ Status : Offline | [smiley=laughing.gif] That is beautiful, Thomas! [smiley=clap.gif] "Where is the fountain that throws up these flowers in a ceaseless outbreak of ecstasy?" -Rabindranath Tagore |
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| 14 JAN 2005 at 12:20am | |
| Deleted User | Thanks Thomas! My extraordinarily large ego is massaged. And no, I'm not being ironic. |
| 14 JAN 2005 at 1:07am | |
Jenny100Guild Master Posts : 3510 Joined: 12 OCT 2002 Status : Offline | Originally Posted By thomasbc (12 JAN 2005 9:17pm) Wasn't that the "save the whales" episode? I thought that one stunk. So much for the "will always please" part. One of the things that bothered me the most about it was that so much of it took place on present day Earth. Not so different from the problem with putting D'Ni under New Mexico. Of course in Uru, you don't spend all that much time at the fissure and can put it out of your mind for most of the game. Another similarity is the preachiness in Star Trek: The Voyage Home and the later Myst-related games - "save the whales" in the Star Trek movie vs. Yeesha's moralizing in the Myst series - both extraordinarily tiresome. |
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| 14 JAN 2005 at 3:40pm | |
bdeckedSchattenjger Posts : 1620 Joined: 14 OCT 2011 Status : Online | Hahaha... that was REALLY fun! THANKS! |
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| 18 JAN 2005 at 2:26pm | |
thomasbcSpace CadetPosts : 132 Joined: 20 NOV 2003 Status : Online | Jeez, I can't believe I slighted the latest and "greatest" Star Trek spin-off! :-[ ...Their fan base (which really isn't even much beyond middle age yet and has plenty of money to spend now that the kids are out of the house) abandons them in droves in the hopes of finding, elsewhere, a show/adventure game that comes close to what they once knew and loved. Sorry - Please Come Back!: Enterprise vs. The Young Atrus Chronicles Realizing that they just shot themselves in the foot, the Star Trek folks scramble to get back in the good graces with their life-long fans. Since everything in the future was pretty well tapped out, story-wise, they decide to go the pre-quel route and create a series, Enterprise, that fills in the gaps leading up to the original Star Trek series. The problem is, how do you create a show that supposedly predates the first series, with all of its crap-tacular 60's sets and costumes, without sacrificing all of the advances that have been made in special effects since? Simple, you just instruct all of your artistic people in the art of "retro". Just make it look like it pre-dates the tech of the first series by adding lots of 50's chrome, aerodynamic "wings" and exposed duct-work to every set piece. Then, get a veteran sci-fi actor, Scott Bakula, to helm the show and hope that all your stories about how some "new" Star Trek gizmo came into being is enough to rope back in all the stray fans. Realizing that they just shot themselves in the foot, the Myst folks scramble to get back in the good graces with their life-long fans. Since everything in the future was pretty well tapped out, story-wise, they decide to go the pre-quel route and create a new game, The Young Atrus Chronicles, that fills in the gaps leading up to the original Myst game. The problem is, how do you create a game that supposedly predates the first game, with all of its crap-tacular 90's graphics and its point-n-click interface, without sacrificing all of the advances that have been made in game technology since? Simple, you just instruct all of your artistic people in the art of "retro". Just make it look like it pre-dates the tech of the first series by returning to a 256 color palette (with B&W cutscenes) and a pseudo-slideshow panning method. Then, get a veteran sci-fi actor, Jonathan Frakes, to play the role of Ghen and Haley Joel Osment to play young Atrus (good news for Rand!) and hope that all your stories about how some "new" Myst age came into being is enough to rope back in all the stray fans. [smiley=devil_smiley_grintail.gif] |
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| 19 JAN 2005 at 12:26am | |
| Deleted User | Miaow. Now hows about that Myst/Trek crossover? |
| 19 JAN 2005 at 12:48am | |
Lucien21Guild MasterPosts : 4876 Joined: 9 JUL 2003 Location: 0 Status : Offline | Originally Posted By SquarejawHero (19 JAN 2005 12:25am) I'd rather have a a Myst/Aliens crossover. They come across the planet that has the Myst island on it and set down only to realise the island is infested with puzzles. All right, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed? Another glorious day on the island! Oh my god we're trapped on this island surrounded by strange levers and books what will we do. Well that's great, that's just f**kin' great man. Now what the f**k are we supposed to do? I pulled the lever nothing happened. We're in some real pretty graphics now man... That's it man, game over man, game over! Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? We have to get out of here. I say we lift off. Nuke the island from orbit only way to make sure F**kin' A.... Dear Diary, My teenage angst bullsh*t now has a bodycount. |
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