1. Neighborhood Map Machine Game 2.0
2. Neighborhood Map Machine 2.0 Game
3. Neighborhood Map Machine Game
4. Neighborhood Map Machine Game Online
5. Neighborhood Map Machine Game

This Guide contains information about using the Uru application,logging in, and getting oriented in the Uru Live world. It doesnot try to give you:

About file types supported by Neighborhood MapMachine. File.org aims to be the go-to resource for file type- and related software information. We spend countless hours researching various file formats and software that can open, convert, create or otherwise work with those files. (Actually, it shows your Age or location. Some areas of the game are implemented as separate locations, even though they are part of the same Age. For example: the Neighborhoods, the Ae'gura city locations, the gallery, Sharper's office, and the Cleft are all in the same Age - the world that the D'ni called 'D'ni' and we call 'Earth'.).

• Hints on Uru puzzles.
• Spoilers for Uru puzzles.
• Help with hardware, driver, or system configuration problems.
• A complete list of Uru bugs.

For these things, you will have to search elsewhere. (Seeother resources.)

However, much of the material in this Guide can be discovered byexploring the world of Uru. Therefore, this Guide can be consideredspoiler material for Uru in general. If this bothers you, do notread it -- or follow links to particular answers, rather than readingthe whole document from top to bottom.

If you've gotten into the game, and want some non-spoiler guidance aboutwhat to try first, see'What should I be doing here?'

• If You Never Played Myst...
  • What happened in Myst and Riven?
• Places, Things, and People in Uru
  • What is an Age instance?
• Getting Started
  • Getting a KI device
• Using Linking Books
  • How do I reset an Age to its initial state?
• Using Your KI Device
  • How do I play the Journey (puzzle) Ages with a friend?
• Talking to People
  • What special commands are available at the chat prompt?
• Messages and Photographs
  • How do I delete my message from the imager?
• Neighborhoods
  • How do I delete a Neighborhood?
• Miscellaneous
  • I can't enter the City -- it says that it's full!
• Cyan and Uru
  • How do I contact the author?

Who were the D'ni?

The D'ni were an ancient race of people who had the power to travel to --or perhaps create -- other worlds. (See 'What is an Age?')

They arrived on Earth nearly ten thousand years ago, but they did notcolonize the surface world. They lived in a great cavern, three milesbeneath what is now New Mexico. They flourished for millennia,undiscovered by surface-dwellers. They built a vast city, cultivatedthe Art of their Linking Books, and explored the Ages.

Then, just a few centuries ago, the D'ni civilization collapsed. TheCavern was left uninhabited.

For more information, see 'What is the history of D'ni (the civilization) and the DRC?'

(This entry last updated Feb 19, 2007)

What is an Age?

An Age is the D'ni term for an entire universe. Our world, and theuniverse we see around us, was merely one of many D'ni Ages.

The D'ni possessed the power to travel from one Age to another. Theysettled in this Age we call 'Earth', but they explored many others.See 'What is a Linking Book?'

(This entry last updated Feb 19, 2007)

What is a Linking Book?

The D'ni people travelled to other worlds, or Ages, through Linking Books.

A D'ni master of the Writing Art would inscribe a volume with aprecise symbolic and mathematical description of a world. If this wasdone properly, the first page of the book would come alive with animage of the new Age. Anyone who touches this page will be instantlytransported to the book's Age.

In Uru Live, you always carry a linking book with you. It leads toyour Relto Age. (See 'What is Relto?') You will find many more linking booksas you explore.

(You will also find perfectly ordinary books and journals. These do nottransport you anywhere; you just read them.)

(This entry last updated Feb 19, 2007)

What happened in Myst and Riven?

Sometime around 1800 AD (our calendar), a Linking Book fell to Earth.A surface dweller found it, and it transported him to the Age of Myst --an island surrounded by unbounded seas.

Myst was the creation of Atrus, a descendant of one of the few D'ni tosurvive the Fall. Atrus was a wise man and a master of the WritingArt. His two sons, however, were not so well-adjusted. They trappedtheir father in a sealed part of the D'ni Cavern, and then ran wildthrough the Ages he had created. Finally, however, they themselvesfell into traps that had been left on Myst.

The explorer from Earth was able to free Atrus. He then ventured intothe Age of Riven to rescue Atrus's wife, Catherine. Thus reunited, thecouple left to raise their youngest child -- a girl named Yeesha.

(This entry last updated Feb 21, 2007)

What is a KI device?

The KI (usually pronounced 'key') is a small electronic device, wornon the hand. The ancient D'ni used these devices for communication anddata storage -- their version of a mobile phone and PDA. In Uru Live,the KI is used for all sorts of tasks: chatting with other players,seeing who is in the same Age as you, taking photographs, managingbuddy lists, choosing who can visit your private Ages.

However, your avatar doesn't start with a KI. (You are, after all, aexplorer from the surface world.) One of your first goals when youstart the game will be to pick up a KI. (See 'Getting a KI device'.) Until you dothis, many functions will be unavailable to you.

In case you're curious: it's called a 'KI' because it has a D'ninumeral 3 engraved on it. (We don't know why.) The D'ni symbol for 3looks sort of like the English letters KI.

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2007)

What is Relto?

The Relto Age is a small rocky island, standing in an abyss ofmist. When you play Uru, you get your very own private Relto Age. Youalways carry a Relto linking book (see 'How do I reach the Relto Age?') so you can returnthere whenever you want.

Your Relto is your starting point, your refuge, and your home. Itcontains a hut, which contains bookshelves, where you keep yourlinking books. It also contains a wardrobe, which allows you to changeyour clothing and appearance. As you explore Uru, you may find waysto enhance and customize your Relto.

The Relto Age was written by Yeesha, the daughter of Atrus.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What is the Neighborhood (Bevin)?

The Neighborhoods are areas of the D'ni city where people can gather.There are many Neighborhoods, and you can create your own. However,they are all (nearly) identical. (See 'What is an Age instance?') The maindifference between Neighborhoods is which people you'll find.

Most Neighborhoods are called 'Bevin' -- possibly this is just the D'ni word.Some players just say 'Hood', as a short form of 'Neighborhood'.

You have a home Neighborhood. You can change your home to a differentNeighborhood, but you'll need help from someone who already lives there. See'How do I change my home to a different Neighborhood?' You can also create a new one: see'How do I create a new Neighborhood?'

(This entry last updated Jan 05, 2007)

What is the City (Ae'gura)?

Ae'gura is the only common area of the D'ni city which is currentlyopen to explorers. Most players refer to it as 'the City', although itis actually an island in the center of the cavern lake. (The 'CityProper', which includes the Neighborhoods, is built around the lake'sshore.) Ae'gura contains many of the important civic buildings andmonuments of the D'ni civilization.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What is the Cleft?

The Cleft is a fissure somewhere in the New Mexico desert, near a smallextinct volcano. It plays a significant role in the history of Atrusand his family, and therefore the entire Myst saga.

The Cleft was (re-)discovered about twenty years ago by John Loftinand Elias Zandi. The property is currently owned by Jeff Zandi.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What is the Nexus?

The Nexus Age is a tiny dark circular room with rotating walls. Theonly thing in Nexus is a terminal, which is connected to a sort ofbook-jukebox. When you activate the terminal, it shows a list ofevery Age (public and private) to which you have direct access. Selectan Age, and its linking book is presented to you. From the Nexus, youcan go (nearly) anywhere.

The Nexus terminal is activated by your KI device. If you don't have a KIyet, you can't use the Nexus. (See 'Getting a KI device'.)

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2007)

What is the Journey?

One of the paths available to explore in Uru is a group of puzzle Ages.Many players refer to this as 'the Journey'. You can solve these Ages andcomplete the Journey playing alone. It is also possible to explore themin company with others.

The common areas of Uru, such as the Neighborhoods and the City, areindependent of the Journey Ages. You can explore these areas and meet otherplayers without beginning the Journey.

The Journey begins with the Cleft. See 'How do I begin the Journey?'

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What is the DRC?

The D'ni Restoration Council is the group that is in charge of the D'niexploration effort. They discovered the D'ni cavern, they began therestoration process, and they are now letting in explorers from the surfaceto help. Their web site is visible athttp://drcsite.org/.

As you can see, the DRC is a fictional, 'in-character' organization. We (theplayers) take the role of explorers, working with (or perhaps against) theDRC. The DRC is not Cyan Worlds Incorporated.

(Maybe that's obvious, but I'm saying it anyway. Oh yes -- the DRC may befictional, but the web site is real. :)

The members of the DRC may appear in Uru Live as characters. You cantalk to them (in-character, of course). You may also meet characterswho are not part of the DRC, and may even be working against them.

These people interact with each other, too. Fan sites such asUru Obsessionalso follow these events, and post summaries and chat logs.

(This entry last updated Feb 14, 2010)

Who are all these people?

The Myst saga now contains many characters, from the D'ni civilization andfrom our own 'real-world' Earth. It is beyond the scope of this Guide toname them all. For detailed information (including Uru spoilers!) see theD'niPedia Information Archive.

However, it is worth mentioning two people you are likely to meet earlyin your exploration of Uru:

Jeff Zandi, son of Elias Zandi: current owner of the New Mexico propertywhich contains the Cleft and the entrance to the D'ni cavern.See 'What is the Cleft?'

Yeesha, daughter of Atrus and Catherine, younger sister of Sirrus andAchenar. (See 'What happened in Myst and Riven?')She wrote the Relto Age where your Uru journey begins. See 'What is Relto?'

(This entry last updated Feb 21, 2007)

What are the Guilds?

The D'ni civilization had many Guilds supporting different activities.The Guild of Writers, creators of the linking books, are the best-known;but there were Guilds of everything from Legislators to Caterers.

In the modern world, Uru players have formed Guilds as well. These arenot 'guilds' in the usual MMO sense. They are groups dedicated tohelping Uru Live's players -- and helping the game itself grow.

Some of these are patterned after the fictional D'ni Guilds. Forexample, the modern Guild of Writers are fans interested in creatingtheir own Age models. Others are entirely new, such as the Guild ofGreeters, who meet new players in the game and offer help.

For more information, see theRel.to index of Uru Guild web sites.

Within the game, there are meeting areas dedicated to five modern Guilds:the Greeters, the Writers, the Maintainers, the Cartographers, and theMessengers. (To gain access to these, explore the area called Kirel.)However, there are currently no in-game abilities or privileges associatedwith these Guilds. Most Guild activity occurs on the web forumsalready mentioned.

(This entry last updated Feb 19, 2010)

What is an Age instance?

There are many copies of each Age in Uru Live. Each copy is called an'instance' of that Age. For example, every player has his own instanceof Relto. (See 'What is Relto?')

Instances of an Age are (usually) very similar, but they are completelyseparate worlds. If you visit an instance, you will only see other playerswho are in the same instance. If you push a button to open a door, itonly opens in your instance.

Some Age instances are private (like Relto); but others are sharedbetween groups of players (see 'What is the Neighborhood (Bevin)?'). The City('What is the City (Ae'gura)?') is unusual, because it has both group instances and a'common' instance which can be reached by everybody. See 'How do I reach the City (Ae'gura)?'

(This entry last updated Jan 05, 2007)

How do I register for Uru Live?

Go to Cyan'sAccount Signup page.

Enter your email address. Cyan will send you an email message containingfurther instructions. (If it doesn't appear quickly, check your spamfilters.)

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

How do I get the Uru client?

TheUru Live web sitewill lead you to the download page. Select 'Play'.You will see a section of 'Download Links'; pick one and downloadthe client.

If you selected the 'full install' (roughly 1.1 gigabyte download), itwill install all of Uru's data directly on your computer. If youselected the smaller 'downloader' option, all the remaining datawill be downloaded the first time you run the client. (This is the'Updating...' dialog box.)

(The full install is better -- you'll get a shorter total downloadtime.)

If you have a Mac:

Uru is not currently supported for the Mac. (Really, Uru is not currentlysupported at all. But Cyan is only distributing a Windows client.)

However, you can get it working on Intel Macs, by doing sometinkering. Roughly speaking, there are three options:

• Use Bootcamp to run Windows on your Mac.
• Use a virtual Windows environment or emulator, such as WINE,Parallels or Crossover.
• Download the 2007 Mac Uru client, and modify some of its contents.(This client includes Cider, which is a Windows emulator.)

Seethis forum threadfor instructions.

(This entry last updated Feb 17, 2010)

What is an avatar?

An avatar is your character in the game world. 'Avatar' and 'character' areused interchangeably. The term 'player' also sometimes refers to yourcharacter, although it can also refer to you yourself.

The first time you start Uru Live, you will create an avatar. Each time youstart Uru Live after that, you will see a dialog box which allows you toplay with an existing avatar, or create a new one. You can have upto five avatars at once.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

Neighborhood Map Machine Game 2.0

How do I create an avatar?

First you must register an account (see 'How do I register for Uru Live?') and downloadthe Uru client (see 'How do I get the Uru client?').

Run the Uru client. Enter your account name (the email address youregistered with) and your password.

If you do not yet have an avatar, the Create Player dialog box willappear. (After the Cyan logo.)

(If you already have an avatar, you can create another. Select one ofthe empty slots in your avatar list.)

The Create Player dialog box has the following sections:

'Explorer Name': Enter a name for your character, and choose yoursex. (Your name and gender are fixed once you create the avatar. You cancreate a new avatar later, but not change the name or sex of an existingone. So choose well.)

'Invitation code': Leave this field blank. It is not currently used.

Once you choose your name and gender, press the 'Explore Uru'button. You will then go to Avatar Customization. This lets you adjustyour appearance -- facial features, hair color, clothing, etc. (Thesechoices are not final. You can return to Avatar Customization wheneveryou want, while playing Uru Live. See 'How do I change my avatar's appearance?')

When you're happy with your appearance, hit the '>>Uru' buttonin the top corner of the screen. You will link to your Relto Age.

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

What should I be doing here? (no spoilers!)

You've successfully started Uru and created an avatar. Now you'restanding on a little island, and you're feeling lost. Where to begin?

Uru is the story of an exploration: the discovery of a lost Cityin a cavern, deep within the Earth.

As the opening movie says, there are two paths: you can explore Urualone, or go to meet other players. You can begin with eitherpath, and switch back and forth as you wish.

Explore together:Go inside the hut, open the far-left linking book, and click on theimage panel. This will take you to a Neighborhood (Bevin) in theCavern. From there, your goal is to reach the Gahreesen Age andacquire a KI (an electronic device worn on the hand). Then you willbe able to go to the Nexus Age and reach other Neighborhoods ofthe City.

The Neighborhood and City areas are gathering places, where you willmeet other players. You can explore further to find puzzles whichrequire groups of players to solve together.

Explore alone:Open the pillar, select the book inside, and click on the image panel.

The area this takes you to is the beginning of a Journey, which can besolved by a solitary adventurer.

To return to the beginning:To return to this island (Relto) at any time, press the F3 key, openthe book, and click on the image panel.

(This entry last updated Mar 23, 2007)

How do I reach the Relto Age?

Whenever you play Uru, you will start in your Relto.

You can return to Relto at any time. To open your Relto linking book,hit the F3 key; or move the mouse to the bottom edge of your screen,on the left, and click the book button. Open the book and click thelinking panel to link home.

If you ever find yourself in mortal danger -- falling off a cliff, orinto bubbling magma, or whatever -- your character will automaticallyslap the Relto book and link to safety. Players refer to this as a'panic link'.

(Your Relto book is always attached to your belt. Unlike every otherlinking book in the Myst saga, it travels with you when you linkthrough it!)

(This entry last updated Jan 09, 2007)

How do I reach my home Neighborhood?

Go to your Relto Age. (See 'How do I reach the Relto Age?')

Enter your Relto hut, and look on the bookshelf. The Neighborhoodlinking book is the leftmost book; it is blue-green, with a tracery ofgold curves.

If you do not have a Neighborhood book, something is wrong.Contact Support. (Unless you've deleted it yourself, as part of creatingor changing Neighborhoods. See 'How do I create a new Neighborhood?' or'How do I change my home to a different Neighborhood?')

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

How do I reach the Nexus Age?

Go to your Relto Age. (See 'How do I reach the Relto Age?')

Enter your Relto hut, and look on the bookshelf. The Nexus linkingbook is the second book from the left; it is yellow, with a greengeometric wheel design on it.

If you have never visited the Nexus, you will not have a Nexus bookyet. Go to your Neighborhood. (See 'How do I reach my home Neighborhood?') Go upstairsfrom the fountain, and across the bridge. If you explore a bit, youshould find a circular room containing linking books. Use the one inthe center of the room. This will take you to the Nexus.

(There are also Nexus linking books in many other Ages. In Gahreesen, forexample, there is a Nexus book on a pedestal near the KI dispenser.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I reach the Gahreesen Age?

There are two ways to reach Gahreesen. The easy way is from theGahreesen linking book in a Neighborhood. The hard way is from theGahreesen linking book in your Relto Age; this is only available afteryou have completed the Cleft and begun the Journey.

From a Neighborhood (see 'How do I reach my home Neighborhood?'): Go upstairs from thefountain, and across the bridge. If you explore a bit, you should finda circular room with several linking books. Use the one on the left,beneath the left stained-glass panel. This will take you to Gahreesen.

From your Relto Age: If you have completed the Cleft (see'How do I begin the Journey?') you will have four pillars in Relto. Standing inthe door of your hut and looking out, note the farther pillar on theleft side. Go to this pillar and touch the hand carving. Inside thepillar is the Gahreesen linking book.

(If you have opened this pillar already and used the linking book, itwill have moved to your Relto hut bookshelf. It's the olive book, witha stylized picture of a person reading a book.)

When you link to Gahreesen, you will appear in a small five-sided courtyard.

Note: If you enter Gahreesen from a Neighborhood, most of the Agewill be blocked off. (You will find a barrier just past the KIdispenser.) To explore the rest of the Age, you must begin the Journeyand enter Gahreesen from your Relto. You will then find the barriermoved aside.

(This entry last updated Sep 11, 2007)

How do I reach the City (Ae'gura)?

There are two ways to reach the City: from a Neighborhood, and from theNexus.

From your Neighborhood (see 'How do I reach my home Neighborhood?'): Go upstairs from thefountain, and across the bridge. If you explore a bit, you should finda circular room with several linking books. Use the cloth-coveredtablet by the balcony.

From the Nexus (see 'How do I reach the Nexus Age?'): Make sure you have a KI device (see'Getting a KI device'). Then link to the Nexus and click on the hand slot of theterminal. Select 'Ferry Terminal', and then press the large circularbutton at the top. A linking book will appear.

Note: When you travel to the City from the Nexus, you are linked to acommon instance of the City. (See 'What is an Age instance?') The common City hasa population limit of 50 players at a time. If the City is full, theNexus terminal will not let you go there. The Neighborhood tablet takesyou to a more private instance of the City, which will have fewerplayers (perhaps none).

(This entry last updated Feb 14, 2010)

Getting a KI device

You'll need a KI in order to do most of what's interesting in Uru Live. Soone of your first goals will be to acquire one.

The KI dispenser machine is in the Gahreesen Age. So travel there first.(See 'How do I reach the Gahreesen Age?')

When you link to Gahreesen, you'll appear in a small five-sided courtyard.Go out, past the sign which says 'Please retrieve your KI.' You'll have toexplore a little bit. Don't panic; you can't get very lost.

The KI dispenser is a glowing blue machine. Touch the slot. You'll see yourhand slide in, and emerge with a KI strapped to it. That's it.

To verify that your KI is working, press the F2 key; or move yourmouse to the bottom edge of your screen, on the left, and click thedisk button. A circular control should appear in the upper left ofyour screen. Hit F2 again (or click the top-right button on thecontrol disk) and you should get a full-screen overlay with the KIinterface. Hit F2 a third time (or press the top-right button again)to close the overlay interface.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What can be found by turning pages in books?

Many of the notebooks and journals that you will find have multiplepages. You can flip forwards and backwards by clicking on the lowerright and left corners of the open book.

Linking books can also have multiple pages. When you first find alinking book, it will be open to one page. This is the main entrypoint of an Age. However, you will sometimes find alternate entrypoints -- a book which links to that Age, but to another locationwithin that Age. When you link through such a book, its entry pointwill be added as a new page in the linking book on your Reltobookshelf. Flip through the pages of your linking books to choose yourAge entry point.

You will also find the means to add bookmarks to some of yourlinking books. A bookmark is a cloth scrap which is placed beforeall the linking pages; flip backwards to find it. If present,the bookmark allows you to link to the last location that youbookmarked in that Age.

Your Relto linking book can also have multiple pages. The pagesafter the first are green symbols, not linking pages. The purpose ofthese pages, and the means of acquiring them, will not be disclosedhere.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I get linking books on my Relto bookshelf?

The first time you link to an Age, a linking book for that Age appearson your shelf. You will keep that book from that time onward.

However, not all Ages follow this rule:

The common instance of Ae'gura (see 'What is the City (Ae'gura)?') is not represented bya book on your shelf. You can reach it via the Nexus.

When you first link to the Cleft, you will not get a Cleft linkingbook on your shelf. It will appear there when you complete the Journey.(See 'What is the Journey?')

If you link to Gahreesen from the Neighborhood, you will not get aGahreesen linking book. It will appear there when you complete theCleft and link to Gahreesen as part of your Journey.(See 'How do I begin the Journey?')

(This entry last updated Mar 23, 2007)

How do I begin the Journey?

Go to your Relto Age. (See 'How do I reach the Relto Age?')

In the center of the island is a pillar. Click on the hand symbol toopen the pillar. Within you will find a linking book for the Cleft.(See 'What is the Cleft?') The clues there will lead you to the Journey proper.

You can explore the Cleft freely. You can return to Relto at any time,explore other parts of Uru, and then return to the Cleft.

However, once you complete the Cleft, the Cleft linking pillar willno longer be openable. See 'Why can't I open this Relto pillar?'

The Gahreesen Age is unusual: it is reachable from the Neighborhoods,but it is also part of the Journey. If you enter Gahreesen from aNeighborhood, most of the Age will be blocked off. (You will find abarrier just past the KI dispenser.) To explore the rest of the Age,you must begin the Journey and enter Gahreesen from your Relto. Youwill then find the barrier moved aside.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

Why can't I open this Relto pillar?

The pillar containing the Cleft linking book cannot be opened afteryou finish the Cleft. Once the Cleft is complete, you have embarkedon the Journey, and the Cleft is inaccessible. (After you complete theentire Journey, you will receive a Cleft linking book for your Reltoshelf.)

In the course of the Journey, you will discover other pillars; each canbe opened to reveal a new linking book. Once you use such a linkingbook, it will be moved to your Relto shelf. The empty pillar cannotbe opened after that. So if you can't open the pillar, check yourbookshelf.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I reset an Age to its initial state?

You will almost never need to do this. It should always be possible toturn off or reset the devices inside an Age -- either the same way youturned them on, or by some alternate means.

However, if a bug or some other problem has truly made an Age unplayable,there is a procedure for resetting it. This will undo everythingyou have done in that Age -- machines will be off, puzzles will beunsolved.

First, you must delete your existing linking book. Go to your Reltobookshelf. Click the 'remove' tab below the Age book. (This tabis marked with the symbol of a square with a dot inside.) Confirm that youwant to delete the book. The book will slide inwards. Leave it there.

Now, go back to where you found the book originally. (For example,if you are resetting Gahreesen, go to the Relto pillar that held it.The pillar will be open.) Use the book. You will enter the Age atits beginning.

Note: this procedure does not reset your Journey progress. Cloths youhave touched are still counted as touched.

Some Ages cannot be reset: the City, the Cleft, Nexus, the Neighborhood.(The Neighborhood 'remove' tab is used to switch Neighborhoods or createnew ones. See 'How do I change my home to a different Neighborhood?'How do I create a new Neighborhood?')

(This entry last updated Mar 01, 2007)

What are the features of the KI control disk?

The control disk is a circular control which appears in the top leftcorner of your screen. If you don't see it, hit F2; or move yourcursor to the bottom edge of the screen, on the left, and click thedisk icon that appears.

Not all controls on the disk are functional yet. Currently, only thefollowing buttons work:

• Top right button: Open the full KI overlay display. (See 'What are the features of the KI full-screen display?')Same as F2.
• Middle right button: Mute or unmute volume.
• Lower right button: Indicator light (not really a button) which showswhether you have one person or a group selected for chat.
• Bottom center tiny button: Hide the control disk. (Use F2 to show again.)
• Book button in center: Create a journal entry, and file it in the currentage folder. Same as F6.
• Eye button above book: Take a photograph, and file it in the current agefolder. Same as F5.

A handy diagram of the KI disk, plus other information, can be found attheGuildof Greeters.

(This entry last updated Jan 26, 2007)

What are the features of the KI full-screen display?

The KI screen is divided into several panels (not counting the control disk,and the list of players which appears below the disk).

The top right corner shows what Age you are in, and the current time (NewMexico time!)

The bottom line shows your name, your KI number, and the Neighborhood whichis your home.

The left column begins with the selection box. This holds the name of theperson you have most recently clicked on.

Below this box are three icons. I will refer to these as Files (thetrapezoidal grid); People (a stylized person with outstretched arms); andControls (two gears).

Below the three icons you'll see a list of options, which varies dependingon which icon is selected. (If this list is long, you can scroll it with thearrows at the bottom.) On the right is a panel which can display furtherinformation.

The Files icon:

This brings up a list of folders, one for each Age you have visited. Thereis also a folder called 'Incoming'.

Each folder can contain journal entries and photographs you have taken. The'Incoming' folder contains messages broadcast from the DRC. (You shouldcheck these every time you log in.)

The People icon:

This brings up a list of five folders: 'Age Players', 'Buddies','Neighbors', 'Recent', 'Ignore List'. Below these are a list of visitorlists, one for each of your private Ages. Select a folder or visitor list toview its contents.

• 'Age Players': all the people in the same Age (or Neighborhood) as you.
• 'Buddies': people you have added to your buddy list.
• 'Neighbors': people who share the same home Neighborhood as you.
• 'Recent': people who have recently spoken to you.
• 'Ignore List': people you have added to your ignore list.

The visitor lists show which people have permission to visit each of yourprivate Ages.

The Controls icon:

This brings up an option labelled 'KI Controls', followed by settingsfor your home Neighborhood.

'KI Controls' contains a slider which controls the chat message fontsize. A second slider controls how long chat messages remain visiblebefore they fade out. (Move this all the way right if you don't wantthem to fade out at all.) There is also a privacy control, whichprevents random strangers from sending you messages or KI mail.

(This entry last updated Jan 24, 2007)

How do I learn my KI number?

Bring up your KI overlay interface. Your KI number is shown on thebottom line, after your name.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I add a person to my buddy list?

If you know the person's KI number, it's easy. Bring up your KI interfaceand press the People icon. Select 'Buddies'. Your buddy list appears in theright panel, below the line 'Add buddy by ID'.

Click that line. Then type in your friend's KI number. He'll be added to thelist.

(If your friend is in the same Age as you, you can enter his name instead ofhis number. If he's elsewhere, or not logged in, you'll need the number.)

Another method: bring up the text prompt, and type'/addbuddy NUMBER'.(Or '/addbuddy NAME',if the person is in the same Age.) Don't forgetthe initial slash.

If a person has spoken to you recently, or is a neighbor, or is in the sameAge as you, you can add him to your buddy list without asking his KI number.Select 'Age Players', 'Neighbors', or 'Recent' (whichever is appropriate),and then select the person's name. His character info will appear in theright panel.

You will see small white triangles, next to the folder names in the leftcolumn. Each of these triangles is an 'add' button; it adds the person tothe folder it points to. Click the triangle which points to 'Buddies'. Thecharacter shown on the right will be added to your buddy list.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I delete a person from my buddy list?

Bring up your KI interface, press the People icon, select 'Buddies', andthen select the person's name. His character info will appear in the rightpanel.

To delete the name from the buddy list, press the glowing button on theright, which looks like a square with a dot inside. (This is the D'ninumeral zero, which also means 'erase' or 'remove'.)

Another method: bring up the text prompt, and type'/removebuddy NUMBER'. (Or '/removebuddy NAME'.)Don't forget the initial slash.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I allow someone to visit one of my private Ages?

Bring up your KI interface, and press the People icon (the person withoutstretched arms).

First you must find the person in one of the folders. If the person is inthe same Age as you, select 'Age Players'. If he shares your homeNeighborhood, select 'Neighbors'. If he is on your buddy list, select'Buddies'. If he has spoken to you recently, select 'Recent'.

When you see the person's name, select it. His character info will appear inthe right panel.

You will see small white triangles, next to the folder names in the leftcolumn. Each of these triangles is an 'add' button; it adds the person tothe folder it points to. Click the triangle which points at the Age visitorlist. (You may have to scroll the left column down. The scroll arrows are atthe bottom of the column.)

When you click the triangle, the person is added to that Age's visitorlist. (He'll receive KI-mail saying so.) He can then go to the Nexusterminal; he will find the Age in the 'Private links' list of theNexus terminal.

(If you want to invite a player to several Ages, you'll have torepeat this process several times. Unfortunately, this is tedious.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I revoke someone's invitation to visit one of my private Ages?

Bring up your KI interface, press the People icon, select the Age's visitorlist, and then select the person's name. His character info will appear inthe right panel.

To delete the name from the visitor list, press the glowing button on theright, which looks like a square with a dot inside. (This is the D'ninumeral zero, which also means 'erase' or 'remove'.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I allow a person to visit my Relto?

You cannot do this through the KI interface. You must meet your friendsomewhere, and share your Relto book.

Stand close together. You should then bring up your Relto book (hit F3).Click the 'share book' (hands) symbol on the left page. Your cursor willturn to an open-book symbol. Click (once!) on your friend's avatar. Then wait.

At this point, your friend will see your Relto page appear. He should clickon the linking panel.

If this is successful, you will both see your avatar hold out the Reltobook, and his avatar touch the page. Then he will link out. He is now inyour Relto.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What can a person do in my Relto?

Not much, unless you let him. Nobody can access your linking books withoutyour permission.

To let another person use one of your books, go to the bookshelf. Flip upthe locking tab above the book. If the tab is up, anyone in your Relto canopen the book and link through it. If the tab is down, only you can use thatbook.

You may also want to open the book and turn to a particular page. Otherpeople cannot turn the pages of your books.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I play the Journey (puzzle) Ages with a friend?

The Ages of the Journey are private Ages. You explore your own versionof each one; you will not encounter other players there; and nobodycan get in to mess up your half-solved puzzles.

However, you can invite a friend into them, to explore with you.

First, each of you needs a KI device. (See 'Getting a KI device'.)You should also add each other to your buddy lists. (See 'How do I add a person to my buddy list?')

Next, you must visit each Age yourself, so that they appear inyour KI lists. All the Age linking books should be on your Reltoshelf. If they are not, go to each linking book, enter it, and thenlink back to Relto.

Then open the KI interface, and add your friend to the Age visitorlist for each of the puzzle ages. (See 'How do I allow someone to visit one of my private Ages?')

Your friend can then go to the Nexus terminal. Your Ages will belisted under 'Private links'. He can link to whichever Age you haveagreed to play.

(Remember that you can chat with someone on your buddy list even ifhe is in a different Age. See 'How do I choose who I'm talking to?')

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I talk to other players?

First, you should pick up your KI. (See 'Getting a KI device'.) If you don't have aKI, you can still chat to nearby players. But you won't be able to seeany player lists, or manage your buddy list.

To talk, just start typing. Any key should make the text inputprompt appear, in the upper left area of the screen.

(However, if you have remapped some keys to be movement keys, you'llhave to hit a different key first to bring up the prompt. If you'vemapped a particular key to 'Start Chat', you'll have to hit that keyto bring up the prompt. You can also bring up the prompt by moving thecursor to the bottom edge of the screen, on the left, and clicking thedisk or 'chat' button.)

To cancel the text input prompt, hit ESCAPE.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I choose who I'm talking to?

To choose who you're talking to, select any of the names in the listbelow the KI control disk. (The selected name will be brighter.) Youcan do this at any time while you're typing your message.

(If the list is too long, you may have to scroll down to see all of it.The scroll arrows are just above the list. However, in a busy age, boththe scrolling and the name selection tend to revert unexpectedly.)

You can also select the three category headers, to speak to anentire group of people.

• 'Age Players': Your messages will be heard by people in the sameAge (or Neighborhood) as you. If the Age is very crowded, only nearbypeople will hear you.
• 'Buddies': Your messages will be heard by everyone on your buddy list,no matter what Age they are in, as long as they are online.
• 'Neighbors': Your messages will be heard by everyone who belongs toyour home Neighborhood, as long as they are online.

There are also special commands you can type to send messages to particularpeople (or groups of people), even if you do not have a KI device yet.See 'What special commands are available at the chat prompt?'

(This entry last updated Dec 04, 2006)

How do I reply privately to a person who has just spoken privately to me?

The '/reply message' command will send message back to the last personwho spoke to you. But if someone else's name pops in while you're typing,the reply will go to the newer speaker. So this is not a reliable solution.

If the person is in the same Age as you, just select his name in thelist below the KI control disk.

If the person is bespeaking you from another Age, you can add him toyour buddy list. Open your KI interface, press the People icon, andselect 'Recent'. The names of players who have recently spoken to youwill appear. Select the one you want to reply to. His character infowill appear in the right panel.

You will see small white triangles, next to the folder names in the leftcolumn. Each of these triangles is an 'add' button; it adds the person tothe folder it points to. Click the triangle which points to 'Buddies'. Thecharacter shown on the right will be added to your buddy list.

Once you have done this, the person's name will appear under 'Buddies'in the player list under the KI disk. You can select it there to speakdirectly to him.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I know whether someone is talking to me alone, or to a group?

This is a bit tricky. The color of the speaker's name (in the chat log)is important.

If someone is speaking to the entire Age, his name will be in purple.(In a very crowded Age, these messages may go only to nearby players,not the entire Age.)

If someone is speaking to your neighbor group, his name will be in pink,and it will say 'From Person:' instead of just 'Person:'

If someone is speaking to his buddy list, his name will be in green,and it will say 'From Person:' instead of just 'Person:'

If someone is speaking directly to you, his name will be in yellow,and it will say 'From Person:' instead of just 'Person:'

(This entry last updated Dec 04, 2006)

What are the > and < brackets that mark some names in the player list?

Those mark the players who are standing close to you. This indicatesthe range of the voice-chat system. If you have enabled voice chat,and have a microphone, hold down the TAB key to speak. Your voice willbe heard by anybody whose name appears in >brackets<.

(This entry last updated Nov 30, 2006)

What special commands are available at the chat prompt?

You can use the chat prompt to invoke some avatar and interface commands.Special commands all begin with a forward slash (/).

Many of these commands replicate functions of the KI device. (See 'What are the features of the KI control disk?')However, these commands are available even before you get your KI.

• /reply message : Send a message to the last person who spoke to you.
• /p namemessage : Send a private message to anyone online (by name)
• /neighbors message : Send a message to everyone who shares your homeneighborhood.
• /buddies message : Send a message to everyone on your buddy list.
• /addbuddy name-number : Add a person to your buddy list.
• /removebuddy name-number : Remove a person from your buddy list.
• /ignore name-number : Add a person to your ignore list.
• /unignore name-number : Remove a person from your ignore list.
• /clearchat : Clear the chat pane on your screen.
• /startlog : Begin logging chat text to a file in your Uru documentsfolder. (Chat files are in a 'Log' folder, and are named 'Chat.0.log','Chat.1.log', etc.) See 'Where is my Uru documents folder?'
• /stoplog : Stop logging.
• /wave, /clap, /dance, /laugh,and many others : avatar poses and gestures.
• /afk : Sit down, head bowed -- an 'away from keyboard' posture.

When entering someone's name in one of these commands, be careful aboutspelling, punctuation, and capital letters. All must match exactly.

The commands marked name-number (/addbuddy, /removebuddy,/ignore, /unignore) accept either the name of a person inyour current Age, or the KI number of anyone. So if you get into achat with someone in another Age, you'll want to exchange KI numbersso that you can buddy each other. (see 'How do I learn my KI number?')

(This entry last updated Mar 22, 2007)

How do I create a message or journal entry?

Press F6, or click the book button at the center of the KI controldisk.

The KI interface will come up, and a blank message will appear.You can edit the caption (headline) and the body of the message.Just click to place the cursor, and then edit, like any editabletext string.

To find this message again, select the 'Files' icon (thetrapezoidal grid) in the KI interface. Then select the Age folder forthe Age in which you created the message. The list of messages and photosfor that Age will appear.

You can edit a message at any time (even after you've KI-mailed it tosomeone, or posted it on an imager!) Select it, and then edit thecaption and body of the message, as before.

(This entry last updated Dec 04, 2006)

How do I take a photograph?

Line up facing the image you want to record. Then press F5, or clickthe eye button near the center of the KI control disk.

The KI interface will come up, and the image will appear. You canenter a caption by clicking and editing the caption string.

To find this photograph again, select the 'Files' icon (thetrapezoidal grid) in the KI interface. Then select the Age folder forthe Age in which you took the photo. The list of messages and photosfor that Age will appear.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I delete a KI-message, journal entry or photograph?

Bring up your KI interface. Select the Files icon (the trapezoidal grid).

You will see a list of folders, one for each Age you have visited.For KI-mail you have received, select 'Incoming'. For journal entries,photographs, and messages you have sent, select the Age folder whichcontains the item you want to delete.

Then select the item. The text or photo will appear in the rightpanel.

To delete the item, press the glowing button on the right, which looks likea square with a dot inside. (This is the D'ni numeral zero, which also means'erase' or 'remove'.)

Note that messages from the DRC cannot be deleted (or edited).

(This entry last updated Dec 02, 2006)

How do I send KI-mail to another player?

First, create a message. (See 'How do I create a message?')Remember to fill in both the caption (subject line) and thebody of the message. (Or, take a photograph -- photos can be KI-mailedjust like text messages.)

Then select the person you want to send the message to.You can select his name in the player column beneath the KI disk;or you can find his name under 'Age Players', 'Buddies', 'Neighbors',or 'Recent' in your KI interface. (Select the People icon to seethese lists.)

Once you select the person, his name will appear in the selection box --the box above the three icons in the KI interface.

Now go back to your message. If you've been fiddling with the KI lists,it may have disappeared from the right panel. You'll have to find itagain. Select the Files icon, and then select the folder for the Agein which you created the message. Select the message.

Once your message is visible in the right-hand panel, and the recipient'sname is visible in the selection box, you're ready to send. There willbe a glowing white triangle pointing from the message to the player'sname. Simply click this. The message will be sent.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I reply to KI-mail?

You can simply send a message back in the usual way.(See 'How do I send KI-mail to another player?')

There's another, sneakier way to reply. You can edit the body ofmessage which has been sent to you. If the sender hasn't deletedit, he'll actually see your changes reflected in his copy of themessage! A KI-mail message is shared between the sender andrecipient; either of you can add text, or edit existing text, andyou'll both see the result.

(In fact, you can send a message to many people, and it will beshared among all of them.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I post a message on my Neighborhood imager?

The imager to the left of the telescope is reserved for players;any member of the neighborhood can post a message there. Theimager can hold five messages -- it will cycle through them.(If someone adds another, the oldest will be removed to make roomfor it.)

First, create a message or take a photograph. (See 'How do I create a message?'How do I take a photograph?')

Then walk up to the imager. The KI symbol below the imager shouldglow once. (If it doesn't, make sure you're in your home neighborhood!)

Open your KI interface. At the bottom of the player list (below the KIdisk), there should be a category 'Devices'. Under this you'll see'D'ni Imager Left'. Select this -- it will appear in the interface'sselection box.

Neighborhood Map Machine 2.0 Game

You can now send your message to 'D'ni Imager Left', just like sendingKI-mail to another player. See 'How do I send KI-mail to another player?'

Note that you can edit a posted message at any time. You don't evenhave to be standing near the imager to do this. Find the message in yourNeighborhood Age folder (under the Files icon). Edit the text howeveryou want. The change will immediately be reflected in the imager'simage cycle.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I delete my message from the imager?

There is no way to delete a particular message. (Deleting it fromyour KI doesn't work.)

The only true way is to post a new message. An imager only holds fivemessages, so if you add another, the oldest one is wiped to make room.

You can modify a message at any time (see 'How do I post a message on my Neighborhood imager?'), so itmay be sufficient to delete the contents of the message and let it beblank.

(This entry last updated Dec 04, 2006)

What Neighborhood is my home?

Bring up your KI interface. The bottom line says 'Member of ... Bevin.'

The Neighborhood book on your Relto shelf always takes you to yourhome Neighborhood.

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

How do I visit other Neighborhoods?

Go to the Nexus. Activate the terminal, and select 'Public links'. Youwill see a list of public Neighborhoods. You can select any of theseNeighborhoods to travel there.

Click a column header to sort the list by name or population. Clickagain to reverse the sort.

(It is particularly handy to sort in decreasing order of population. Thisbrings the Neighborhoods with the most people to the top of the list. Ifyou're looking for people to hang out with, those are the ones to try.)

(This entry last updated Dec 12, 2006)

How do I change my home to a different Neighborhood?

To do this, you will need to work with someone who is already a member ofthat Neighborhood.

This is a two-step process. You must have both the Neighborhood and Nexusbooks on your shelf (see 'How do I reach the Nexus Age?')

First, you must delete your existing Neighborhood book. Go to your Reltobookshelf. Click the 'remove' tab below your Neighborhood book. (This tabis marked with the symbol of a square with a dot inside.) Confirm that youwant to delete the book. The book will slide inwards. Leave it there.

Now, go find your friend who belongs to the Neighborhood you are joining.(You should leave through your Nexus book, since your Neighborhood book isin the pushed-in state.)

Your friend must bring you to his Relto. (See 'How do I allow a person to visit my Relto?' Onlybackwards, because you're visiting his Relto.) Then he must unlockhis Neighborhood book, by flipping up the locking tab above it.

You should then go to his bookshelf, open his Neighborhood book, and linkthrough it. When you do this, you become a member of his Neighborhood. Yourold Neighborhood book on your own bookshelf will automatically be replacedby a new one which links to your new home.

(This entry last updated Mar 01, 2007)

How do I create a new Neighborhood?

This is a two-step process. You must have both the Neighborhood and Nexusbooks on your shelf (see 'How do I reach the Nexus Age?')

First, you must delete your existing Neighborhood book. Go to your Reltobookshelf. Click the 'remove' tab below your Neighborhook book. (This tabis marked with the symbol of a square with a dot inside.) Confirm that youwant to delete the book. The book will slide inwards. Leave it there.

Now, go to the Nexus and activate the terminal. Press the button inthe upper left, with the symbol of a person reading a book. You willbe asked to confirm that you want to create a new Neighborhood andmake it your home. If you say 'yes', it will be done.

(You can still travel to your old Neighborhood; it will be listed under'Private Links' in the terminal interface.)

Note that you are limited to creating Neighborhoods once per day.

(This entry last updated Jan 24, 2007)

How do I change the name of my Neighborhood?

The system currently does not allow Neighborhood names to be changed.The name is always '...'s Bevin', named after the avatar who created it.

(This entry last updated Jan 24, 2007)

Neighborhood Map Machine Game

How do I delete a Neighborhood?

A Neighborhood is automatically deleted if it has no members and novisitors.

Every member of the Neighborhood must switch to a different home. (See'How do I change my home to a different Neighborhood?') You should also remove all the visitorsfrom its visitor list. (See 'How do I revoke someone's invitation to visit one of my private Ages?') Once this is done,the Neighborhood should be cleaned up within a few days.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

What Age am I in?

Bring up your KI interface. (If you don't have your KI, you'llneed to get it before you can do this. See 'Getting a KI device'.)

The top right corner of the interface screen shows the name of theAge you're in.

(Actually, it shows your Age or location. Some areas of the game areimplemented as separate locations, even though they are part of thesame Age. For example: the Neighborhoods, the Ae'gura city locations,the gallery, Sharper's office, and the Cleft are all in the same Age-- the world that the D'ni called 'D'ni' and we call 'Earth'.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

Where is my Uru documents folder?

Some game-related files are kept in a personal folder on your computer.The Uru documents folder contains:

• KI images that you took on this computer
• Thumbnails of your avatar
• Chat logs you have saved
• Your graphics and sound preferences
• Game debugging information (important when filing bugs)

(KI images that other people send you are not stored on your computer.They are only visible inside the game.)

If you are using Windows:

Open your top-level 'My Documents' folder, and then open the folder called'Uru Live'.

If you are using a Mac:

This is, unfortunately, more complicated. It depends on what Windowsemulator you are using to run Uru.

If you are using the 2007 Mac client (Cider):

Start in the Library folder in your home directory. Then dig downthrough this chain of folders:

• Library
• Preferences
• Myst Online Preferences
• p_drive
• My Documents
• Uru Live

You might want to create a Finder shortcut to the 'Uru Live' folder andput it somewhere more convenient.

(This entry last updated Feb 17, 2010)

Neighborhood Map Machine Game Online

How do I save the game?

Your avatar state is stored in the server, not on your computer. Forall practical purposes, it is always saved.

Even if your client crashes, or if you lose your connection to theserver, you will come back to find that your character has not lostany progress.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I back up my avatar's progress?

There is no way to back up your Uru Live avatar. It exists only onthe Uru server, not on your hard drive.

This means that you shouldn't need to back it up. Even if you wipeyour hard drive, or delete the Uru client, or reinstall Uru on a newcomputer, you will be able to log in with your original account andpassword. You'll find your avatar waiting for you -- you won't loseanything.

Neighborhood Map Machine Game

(Except for the little avatar image in the login dialog box. That'skept on your hard drive. If you lose it, you can create a new one:see 'How do I set my avatar thumbnail image?')

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

I've been solving puzzles with one avatar, and I want to transfer the progress to a different avatar.

You can't. All avatars are separate. Each progresses independently.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I change my avatar's appearance?

Go to your Relto Age. (See 'How do I reach the Relto Age?')

Enter your Relto hut, and open the wardrobe. You will then see theavatar customization screen. This is exactly the same interface youused to create your avatar in the first place. You can change any ofthe choices you made then. (Except your name and gender -- those arefixed.)

If you have picked up clothing, hats, or other accoutrements anywherein Uru, they will all be available as appearance options in yourwardrobe.

You can also set your avatar thumbnail image from this screen.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I set my avatar thumbnail image?

When you start the Uru client, you see a dialog box that allows youto choose from the avatars you've created. The avatars are listed byname, but each one also has a space for a small portrait.

To set this portrait, go to Relto and enter your wardrobe (see'How do I change my avatar's appearance?'). Click on the magnifying glass to get aclose-up view of your face. You will then see a small camera iconbelow the magnifier icon. Click the camera to set your avatarthumbnail. You may wish to use the arrow keys to adjust your facing,or wait for a particularly fetching expression to cross your face.

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

How do I change the movement keys?

Hit F4 to bring up the options menu, and select 'Navigation'.Then press the 'Advanced' button in the lower right; then press'Key Map'.

You will then see a list of command keys. Select one and press akeyboard key to assign it. You can assign up to two keys to eachcommand.

Most of the commands are self-explanatory, but:

• First Person : toggle between first- and third-person view.
• Push To Talk : turn on your microphone for voice chat.(Hold the key down while talking.)
• Start Chat : begin typing a chat message or '/' command.
• New Marker, Place Marker : these commands do not become active untilyou have reached a certain point in the Great Zero calibration quest.

(This entry last updated Jun 24, 2007)

The F1-F4 keys don't work on my Mac laptop!

The F-keys on the Mac laptops operate as hardware controls by default.(Screen brightness, audio volume, etc.) To make Uru accept them as F1,F2, F3, etc, you have to hold down the 'fn' key -- bottom left cornerof the keyboard.

It is possible to reverse this. Go to the Mac System Preferences,Keyboard&Mouse, Keyboard, and check the box that says 'Use theF1-F12 keys to control software features....' Then the F-keys willwork in Uru, but you'll have to hold down 'fn' to change the screenbrightness and volume. (All the time, not just in Uru.) This isprobably not what you want.

A better solution is to change the key commands in Uru. See'How do I change the movement keys?'.

Alternatively, plug in a full-size external keyboard (into the Mac'sUSB port). The F-keys on the full-size keyboard will work normally.

(This entry last updated Apr 08, 2007)

Everything is too dark!

Hit F4 to bring up the options menu, and select 'Graphics Settings'. You willsee a 'Gamma' slider. This should help you adjust the brightness of the Urudisplay. (The gamma adjustment only works in full-screen mode. If you areplaying Uru in a window, you must use your computer's standard gamma setting.)

You can also adjust the contrast and brightness of your monitor, of course.You probably want maximum contrast. Then you can juggle brightness andgamma.

(If you find that the black regions of your monitor are turning grey, tryturning brightness down and gamma up.)

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

Why do I keep seeing messages from people who aren't here?

Your KI device lets you receive chat messages from players in other Ages.The device maintains a buddy list and a list of people who share yourhome Neighborhood; you can easily send messages to either list, or tospecific people. See 'How do I choose who I'm talking to?'

Even before you get your KI device (see 'Getting a KI device') you can receivemessages from remote players, if they are broadcasting to yourNeighborhood list. There are special commands you can type to sendmessages back. See 'What special commands are available at the chat prompt?'

(This entry last updated Nov 29, 2006)

I can't enter the City -- it says that it's full!

When you travel to the City from the Nexus, you are linked to a commoninstance of the City. (See 'What is an Age instance?') The common City has apopulation limit of 50 players at a time. If the City is full, theNexus terminal will not let you go there.

There are other ways of reaching the City (see 'How do I reach the City (Ae'gura)?') These takeyou to a more private instance of the City, which will have fewerplayers.

(This entry last updated Feb 14, 2010)

What's going on with Cyan and Uru Live?

Cyan is a small company right now. They put most of their resourcesinto the first two launches of Uru Live (2003 and 2007), both of whichwere cancelled without making much money. The developers remaining atCyan are now concentrating on smaller projects.

Right now, the company is offering Uru Live as a free-to-play service.The game is a snapshot of what was available when Uru was shut down inearly 2008. There are many Ages to explore, many secrets to find, andsome goals to achieve; but there is no ongoing storyline, and no newAges are being added.

Cyan is accepting Paypal donations to cover the cost of running theUru servers. See theUru web sitefor the donation link.

Someday Cyan hopes to release Uru as an open-source, community-managedproject, with new Ages contributed by all. However, that has not yethappened.

(Seethis forum post,for Cyan's explanation of Uru's status, in their own words.)

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

How do I submit a bug report?

Go to theCyan Support Site.

(The 'Knowledge Base' link contains frequently asked support questions.Consult that first, if you're not sure what's going on.)

To submit a bug report, you must first register an account. Your Uru Liveaccount does not automatically work here; it's a separate registrationsystem.

When you select 'Register', you will see a typical web-site registrationpage. Fill in your name and email address. (It's best to use the sameaddress that you registered for Uru Live.)Then fill in as much information about your computer hardware as you know.

Once you're logged in, select 'Submit a Ticket'. Then fill out the bugreport form.

• Be sure to put a summary of the problem in the 'Subject' field.
• 'Product' should be 'MOUL'.

Note that Cyan is currently very understaffed. Inthis forum post,Richard Watson says:

'MO:ULagain, for now is AS IS. We don't have many people at Cyan, andour employees are currently working full-time on other projects. Bugsthat are reported (and there are bugs to be found) are added to adatabase for future consideration. If a programmer or artist can graba moment of free time, they may be able to address an issue, butplease set your expectations bar very low for now, and help us shareworkarounds with other players.'

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

I own the single-player Uru game on CD. How do I get into Uru Live?

Uru was originally released in 2003 as a single-player game, titledUru: Ages Beyond Myst. Expansion packs were added in 2004. (Therewas also a single-player bundle called Uru: Complete Chronicles.)These games were developed by Cyan in partnership with Ubisoft.

The Uru:ABM game contained a menu option for 'Play Uru Live.' Thiswas intended to launch the on-line game client. However, that versionof the on-line game no longer exists. The current Uru Live uses adifferent client, running on different servers. You cannot use the oldUru:ABM game to reach it.

To play the current Uru Live, go to theUru Live web site.(See 'How do I get the Uru client?')

Note that nearly all the material from Uru: Complete Chronicles hasbeen incorporated into Uru Live.

However, you cannot transfer your character or progress from the oldsingle-player Uru into Uru Live. You will have to create a new character.

(This entry last updated Feb 15, 2010)

What is the history of Uru (the game)?

• November 2003: Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is released. This is a single-playergame which covers what we now call 'the Journey'. (See 'What is the Journey?')This off-line game is also called 'Uru Prime'.The software includes a client for the on-line Uru.
• November 2003: Players are invited, in small groups, into the 'UruPrologue'. This is a free on-line game which includes the Journey Ages,the Neighborhood, and small parts of the City. Prologue is considered bymany players to be an open beta-test phase, although it is not officiallylabelled that.
• December 2003: More players are invited into Prologue.More areas of the City are opened. Dramatic events occur,involving both players and DRC personnel (handled by Cyan actors).
• January 2004: A whole lot more players are invited into Prologue.
• Feb 4, 2004: Cyan announces that Uru Live has been cancelled.Prologue will be shut down (on the 9th) and the unreleased Uru materialwill be released as single-player games.
• March 2004: Uru: To D'ni is released. This is a single-player expansionto Uru Prime. It includes the City and Neighborhood areas (which had alreadybeen seen in Prologue), and a D'ni construct called the Great Zero.
• July 2004: Uru: The Path of the Shell is released. This is a single-playerexpansion to Uru Prime. It includes two brand-new Ages -- Ahnonay andEr'cana -- and some associated material. (There is also a combinedpackage, called Uru: Complete Chronicles, which includes all thesingle-player Uru material.)
• August 2004: Cyan releases the Uru server binaries. This allows fansto run their own Uru servers -- no support and no new material, but itkeeps interest alive. This shared on-line service is called UntìlUru.
• October 2004: Myst 4: Revelation. (This game was designed by Ubisoft,not by Cyan.)
• September 2005: Myst 5: End of Ages. This uses a version of thesingle-player Uru engine.
• September 2005: As soon as Myst 5 is out the door, Cyan ceases operationand lays off all of its staff. Three weeks later, they resurrectthemselves and hire many people back. Everybody says, what the heck?(It is now clear that Cyan managed to make a post-last-minute dealwith Gametap to revive Uru Live.)
• Feb 14, 2006: Cyan opens D'mala, a 'shard' (server) in the sharedUntìl Uru network. (Does this make D'mala an officially unofficialUru service, or the other way around?)
• May 16, 2006: Cyan announces that Uru Live has been resurrected, andwill released through Gametap in winter of 2006.
• November 29, 2006: Cyan invites players into the 'Uru Live Preview'.
• December 12, 2006: Cyan opens the Preview to all Gametap subscribers.
• December 20, 2006: Cyan begins canonical storyline events (DRC personnelappearing in-character in the Preview; areas of the City being openedregularly).
• February 15, 2007: Uru Live is officially launched.
• May 19, 2007: Uru switches over to the 'episode' system. Events andnew Ages occur in a one-week period per month (approximately).
• November 5, 2007: End of the last episode of 2007. (A hiatus had beenannounced, as plans for 2008 had not yet been finalized.)
• February 4, 2008: Gametap announces that Uru Live has been cancelled.Again. The game will be shut down on April 4.
• March 15, 2008: The shutdown is shifted to the night of April 9.
• April 10, 2008: The servers are shut down at one minute after midnight(Eastern).
• February 8, 2010: Cyan opens an Uru Live server for free use.

(This entry last updated Feb 09, 2010)

What is the history of D'ni (the civilization) and the DRC?

SeeCyan'sD'ni Timeline.Also theD'ni Restoration Councilweb site,and theDRC public forums --particularly the 'Restoration So Far' thread in the 'Share Your Journey'forum.

(This entry last updated Feb 16, 2007)

What other sources of Uru information can I find?

You can see Cyan's announcements, and follow discussion on the web forums,at theofficial Uru Live web site.

The Greeter's Guildhas many FAQs and help documents.

Rel.tois a comprehensive index of Uru web sites, including guides, news, andguild sites.

Uru Obsessionfollows events in the Uru world.You can find news postings and chat logs that fans have collected.

The D'niPedia Information Archiveis a detailed encyclopedia of names, places, and events in the Mystsaga.

Anold version of this Guide.This was written in 2008, to cover the 2007-8 versionof Myst Online, hosted by Gametap. Much of thatinformation is obsolete, but it includes some discussion of the Gametapcancellation, and it may make an interesting comparison to the present.

Aneven older version of this Guide,covering Prologue (hosted by Ubisoft in 2003-4) and its cancellation.

(This entry last updated Feb 16, 2010)

How do I contact the author?

The author of this Guide, that is... Feel free to send a message tobelford at KI#00102725. (Please sign KI messages, since'from' information sometimes gets lost.) Or, if you see me in thegame, just shout.

You can also send email to erkyrath (at) eblong (dot) com.(Pardon the anti-spam munging.)

I hang out on the Uru web forums, but that's not a great way to contact me.I may not see private web messages for many days at a time.

(This entry last updated Feb 14, 2010)

Last updated: Feb 19, 2010

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The names and terms described here are created and owned by Cyan Worlds, Inc. Copyrights and trademarks are held by them.This Uru Live FAQ was written, edited, and arranged byAndrew Plotkin. Please don't steal from me without givingcredit. Please don't steal from Cyan at all.