Interviews

1. What influenced your decision of bringing real-time 3D into the
Myst series?

Perhaps the trademark
of the Myst series is its immersive quality, achieved through the
exploration of fantastic (but believable) worlds.
Until now, navigation through
these worlds was constrained to still images (sometimes projected onto “virtual
bubbles”) with dynamic elements overlayed to give the illusion of movement
and life. By using real-time 3D, Myst V raises the bar dramatically by bringing
the first truly dynamic 3D environments to the Myst series and provides the most
immersive experience yet.

2. Gameplay-wise, what does real time 3D bring to the series?

Real-time 3D enhances
the game-play experience by allowing us to integrate dynamic elements
into the gameplay itself via animated/dynamic object interaction,
creatures and environmental effects. Additionally, navigation is untethered
and fluid which provides unique (and sometimes unpredictable) player perspectives
and views that open up gameplay opportunities as well.

3. How alive will the Ages be compared to previous Myst episodes?
Can you give examples?

Utilizing real-time 3D
allowed us to abundantly populate the Ages with environmental effects—rain, snow, ocean water, day/night
cycles, moving clouds, windstorms, shooting stars, etc., which would
have been difficult (if not impossible) to
incorporate using the technology used in previous Myst products.

4. Will the characters also be in 3D or live-action like previous
Myst games?

In order to seamlessly
integrate the characters into our real-time 3D environments we
decided early on to create them as 3D models instead
of using live-action
video. To this end, we used a technique we call “face-mapping”, a
process by which video captured sequences are “mapped” onto the characters
faces thus providing more realistic character expression and emotion than we
could have achieved otherwise. In addition, because the characters are physically
in the environment, they can affect and be affected by that environment. For
example, they are dynamically lit by the lights in the scene and also cast
and receive shadows. To further enhance the realism of the characters we utilized
cloth simulation techniques to make their clothing drape and flow realistically
when the characters move.

5. People could be worried of higher technical requirements due
to real-time 3D? What are they?

Well, the most basic
requirement is a 3D-Graphics Card. We’ve worked very hard to create
a game that looks great and runs smoothly on a gamut of graphic
cards,
but obviously, higher performance cards will be able to run the game at the
highest level of quality and speed. Likewise, a good quality Audio card will
provide players with the optimum audio experience which greatly enhances
the immersive feel of the worlds.