Starting Point - Gloa Plan

Background

See Starting Point Debate. Basically, people want the starting point to be both logical and quick (for new players or second avatars, etc.).

Plan

You are told before you start the game that you start in a singleplayer area. You are told there will be a man there who will explain what to do. You are told there is a quick way out.

Then you are dumped into the Cleft like in Ages Beyond Myst (except without the starting video). Zandi is there, and instructs you as in Ages Beyond Myst. However, there is a box near the trailer with a Relto book on top. It has a note on it (unless we could get another Zandi line, where he points at it or physically hands you the book, saying "Here, if you want to go now, here's a book. Take it. And, uh, come back any time. There's still the message for you, in the Cleft." or something). It would be something like this (except better worded and all - you get the general message though - also, it might be instead from Yeesha)

Explorer: If you want to go to your Relto now, here's a book for you. You can take it now, or you can go through the Journey. Come back anytime. -Zandi

The box could also have a book to some public area, but I'm not sure where it would go (since most public areas are in D'ni - although maybe it could go to a public Gahreeson and get you your KI quick too).

Anyway, if you do go through the whole Journey, you get the Journey Pillars already in your Relto. If not, you have to go back to the Cleft and take the journey (probably without Zandi's help) to get the Relto Page.

Some Implications

Everyone gets a Relto. DRC members deal with it, just as they dealt with it in the past, just as Esher dealt with the "bahro abominations".

The tunnels can be developed slower, since they aren't instantly needed for the game. They come in later as a new explorable area. Perhaps to get into them, you need multiple people (like, one person lifts the other over the fence?) and so it just plain can't be accessed in the beginning (so people don't go without Relto Books).

Arguments for the Plan

The Cleft still retains the beginning sense of mystery, and the slow start (from normal surroundings to stranger). Also, it still retains the practice for people wanting to go the long route.

There is a quick way to get to Relto and/or a public area. People aren't forced to go through the puzzle, confused and lost. This should keep it from turning people away.

All Greeters or friendly people can focus on one spot (public Gahreeson, a neighborhood, wherever the person would first link to from Relto/[maybe]Cleft).

People don't have to take Yeesha's Journey if they don't want to, but they still get a Relto (so they don't die the first time they run past a cone). There are no new Ages needed to be made just to replace Relto for nonYeesha supporters (which would have to be somehow an Age which could replicate itself many times without Yeesha magic).