Difference between revisions of "Playing Fan Ages"
(Re-work the tutorial to remove confusing outdated information)
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The quickest way to play Fan Ages is to install [[Drizzle|UruAgeManager]] or [[Installing ULM|UruLibraryManager]].
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This page describes how you can play fan-created [[:Category:Ages|Ages]] on your own PC, manually installing those you are interested in. If you want to meet other explorers in an age, you need to [[Playing Together|playing the ages online]].
  
 
=What do I need to play Fan Ages?=
 
=What do I need to play Fan Ages?=
  
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*Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Windows7 (Also known to work in Linux using WINE)
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*Windows 2000 or newer (also known to work in Linux using WINE)
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*The Uru game engine, necessarily as part of one of these games:
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*[[Uru: Complete Chronicles]]
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**[http://en.mystlore.com/wiki/PotS Uru: The Path of the Shell] (which requires [http://en.mystlore.com/wiki/ABM Uru:ABM])
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**For Windows Vista and newer, please read the [[TPOTS_Installation|installation instructions]] carefully as incorrect installations quickly cause hard-to-find problems.
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**[http://en.mystlore.com/wiki/Complete_Chronicles Uru: Complete Chronicles]
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*[[Offline KI]]
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*An Age manager program:
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*The ages
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**[[Drizzle|Uru Age Manager]], currently included with the [[Drizzle]] toolkit. Requires [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language) Java]. Created and maintained by Old Wolle and ddb174.
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**[[Installing ULM|Uru Library Manager]]. Requires [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework .NET]. Created by Trylon.
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For online play, you'll need to find someone running an Alcugs shard, or set one up.  Details are at the [http://alcugs.almlys.org Alcugs] wiki.
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=What do I need to do?=
  
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=What are Fan Ages?=
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After [[TPOTS_Installation|installing Uru]], you need to install the [[Offline KI]]. It extends Uru to properly support fan-ages and also features many more gooedies. Click on the link for installation instructions and a more detailed feature description.
  
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This article deals with a certain kind of [http://en.mystlore.com/wiki/Age Age] - those created by fans of Myst and Uru and by the [[GoW Intro|Guild of Writers]], that are playable using Uru's game engine, [http://en.mystlore.com/wiki/Plasma Plasma].
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Now Uru is ready for fan-ages, but the ages themselves are still missing. While manually downloading, installing and updating them is possible, the most common way to manage your fan-ages is by using the [[Uru Age Manager]] functionality of [[Drizzle]]. It automatically downloads the ages you selected, and tells you when there are new versions available. Uninstalling ages is also easily possible.
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These Ages are comprised of data made with certain tools ([[Blender Intro|Blender]] and [[PyPRP Intro|PyPRP]] to create the Age, and [[Free and useful tools to help in Age writing#Python tools|Python]] and [[AlcScript]] to make it interactive). However, the game engine needs a push to recognize these Ages. Manager programs, [[Installing ULM|Uru Library Manager]] (ULM) and [http://alcugs.almlys.org/Drizzle Uru Age Manager] (UAM), were written to make this push (installation).
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=What are Manager Programs?=
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There are two different methods of downloading/installing/playing Fan Ages: UAM and ULM.  Historically, UAM(UruAgeManager) was written initially and used for Fan Ages.  During the "Great Cyan Clampdown of 2006", projects that relied on the reverse-engineering of Plasma were driven underground for a while. In time, ULM(UruLibraryManager) was written to take its place.  Later on, UruAgeManager was rewritten from scratch to become part of the Drizzle tool, and with the [http://alcugs.almlys.org/Offline-KI Offline KI] there is a tool to actually reach the ages UAM downloads without any further patches.
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==UAM Strengths==
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*Uses the Java framework
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*Has every Age ever released, some 24+ more than ULM
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*No problems with corrupted Ages
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*Much faster downloads
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*Caches downloads, and lets you easily switch versions of an Age without redownloading
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==ULM Strengths==
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*Uses the .NET framework
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*Allows you to customize which books are on your Relto shelf, using a simple graphical interface
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*Allows Writers to upload their Age to the ULM server
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==Installing by hand==
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I don't actually know how this is done, but it would be nice to have a summary of how these programs get PotS to recognize Ages. The strengths are:
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*Use whatever freaking manager you want
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*????
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*Profit!
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However, there will not be any way to reach the installed ages unless you are ready to implement the linking code yourself, which is exactly what Offline KI / ULM do for you.
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= How can I meet my friends in the new ages? =
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To meet other players in fan-created ages, you need to get access to a Shard. There are various private ones, but some are public, for example the [http://forum.guildofwriters.com/viewforum.php?f=111 Deep Island Shard] that you can log in to with your GoW account.
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[[Category:Tutorials]]
 
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Revision as of 11:59, 7 July 2011

This page describes how you can play fan-created Ages on your own PC, manually installing those you are interested in. If you want to meet other explorers in an age, you need to playing the ages online.

What do I need to play Fan Ages?

What do I need to do?

After installing Uru, you need to install the Offline KI. It extends Uru to properly support fan-ages and also features many more gooedies. Click on the link for installation instructions and a more detailed feature description.

Now Uru is ready for fan-ages, but the ages themselves are still missing. While manually downloading, installing and updating them is possible, the most common way to manage your fan-ages is by using the Uru Age Manager functionality of Drizzle. It automatically downloads the ages you selected, and tells you when there are new versions available. Uninstalling ages is also easily possible.