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11 years and I still love UO

Let me start off by saying I haven't played in about a year. Been trying to "find" that new MMO that satisfies, we all know how this feels. Needless to say, I've tried them all and in the end I try and fool myself into thinking I like "leveling up" and getting "new skills" and moving on to the next area, you know, every game out there that isn't UO does this. I like to call this the everquest model of MMOs.

I've been playing WAR recently and I think it's a great game, like some of the others, but I think i've finally nailed what is missing from these games.

Where is the correlation between me pressing 1, my character shooting an arrow and the sense of accomplishment? Sure I get accomplishment when my arrow hits the  monster and I see some damage, but thats about it. I could shoot off 1 million arrows and never advance at all, its completely possible. This micro detail is that itch in my a.ss that I haven't noticed before.

Let me fill you in a bit. I started MMO gaming back during MUDS and eventually I ended up playing UO when it came out. I played UO hardcore until about 2006. I also played EQ, swg, and a bunch of others.

The difference between my above example and UO is simple. In UO, when i shoot off an arrow, I'm actually using and working my archery skill. I'm not trying to kill 100 monsters using my archery skill so that I can go to the next level, and get some more skills for archery. I'm simply using my bow to do whatever and based on how I use it I can either gain or not gain skill. At the same time I have the benefit of killing a monster, animal, player, etc.. The benefits of killing and the benefits of using a skill are completely different but both cause each other to grow and allow the player to prosper.

Not only this but I'm not an "archer" simply because I can use a bow. Everquest model games force you to pre-define your entire life within the game. You're labeled with mage/healer/tank/crafter and you level up. If at level 60 you're bored and want to do something different you have to simply roll a new character and start over, being forced to do the same things you've already done before.

In UO, you are a blank character. YOU decide what you want to do, be, not be, etc..

I could be a mage who bakes and begs.

I could be an archer necromancer bard.

I could be a tailor that employs any means to kill my prey and obtain leather, magic, weapons, etc..

And I can change these things at any time and balance them as I see fit.

I could be a really strong mage with a weak mind, sure why not! Maybe I only need to cast low level spells and want to primarily use my sword to fight stuff.

The fact is, you can create any type of character you can dream up for any type of gameplay you can imagine!

How fun is this?!? Let me explain it again:

You can do whatever you want with your character!!!!

Now, this is just the residual of what is left over from the original freedom that came with UO.

Back in the day not only did you have such immense freedom of choice with your character, you could literally do ANYTHING in the game from killing other players to stealing from them. Using only your real intellegence you could potentially poison a loaf of bread and convince someone to eat it.

What I'm trying to say here is that UO was based on rules that governed the world and not rules that governed every action a player could take.

Now, while I miss old UO just as much as the other vet players I still enjoy UO. I resubbed on friday and am already addicted again. I played literally all day saturday ( rainy days are fun ) and most of sunday. What did I do? Well, I have a lot of characters who are all Grand Masters in a bunch of stuff but my most favorite character is Homer, my mageromancer and soon to be grandmaster poisoner.

I even chose kingdom reborn as my client and I have to admit, I really like it. When I first tried the KR i really didn't like it, but that was a year ago and now I'm finding it very useful and better on the eyes since I have large screens and it runs at the max resolution.

Anyway, I spent the weekend riding around looking for a spot to put a Keep while working on poisoning and alchemy. I also took several breaks to go hunting. I never really played my mage in a hardcore fasion but I decided to try my tactics on dragons, sphynx, etc.. I was amazed that my mage could take down these critters faster than my tamer if you employed the right strategy. Being GM+ in necro and magery really is a plus as well.

I play on Napa, always will. I was suprised to find a healthy server population on napa. Sure it's not as healthy as back in 2000 but its not as bleak as some of the other MMO's I've played where you literally see no-one for hours sometimes.

I'll be on Napa, working on rebuilding the Homer empire.

I hope you will come join me. I'm looking to start a tight knit group of friends to play with casually or non casually. If you want to come join the fun, send me an mmorpg.com email and I'll help you get started in UO!

As for you returning players, c'mon, come play with me and the others. There is no game like UO other than UO. You can continue wasting your time trying to get the next level or you can play an intellegent game that puts the thinking back into the players hands and gives you a greater sense of satisfaction as an individual than any of these games.

Take it easy, cheers, peace and goodbye!

PLAY WURM ONLINE!! www.wurmonline.com

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Comments

  • WearacupWearacup Member Posts: 161

    The UO you describe no longer exists. It is an item based safe zone populated by all the losers who used to set up spam macros at brit west bank selling their torches and layered sashes.

    Trammies need to stop polluting the MMORPG landscape. They already have enough games in which to emote hugs and sell garbage by the banks.

  • EndDreamEndDream Member Posts: 1,152

    UO was the best game of all time.. of any genre in my opinion.. it is a different game now however

    If you are interested, there is a game coming out that is very similar to UO.. and it comes out in 2 month aproximatly

    Its very controvercial on these boards because for some reason people fear one game out of 500 to not be an EQ clone..

    its called Darkfall Online and after years of waiting it is releasing very soon.. they say a december relese.. phase 3 of beta is starting in 7 days.

    Sign up for beta: www.darkfallonline.com/beta

    you need to make a forum account to do so...

    completely skill based , exactly like UO.. open world no safezone ect... have fun

    Remember Old School Ultima Online

  • GemmaGemma Member UncommonPosts: 337
    Originally posted by EndDream



    its called Darkfall Online and after years of waiting it is releasing very soon.. they say a december relese.. phase 3 of beta is starting in 7 days.


     

    lol

  • pixeldogmeatpixeldogmeat Member Posts: 441

    yeah i signed up for the DF beta a while back.

    I forgot to mention I like the non first person aspect of UO, gives more of a "looking into a window of a virtual world" feel than a "hey I'm a dark elf mage casting this spell" feel.

    And I know the UO from the past doesn't exist, but that doesn't mean the current UO is bad, its just a different game.

    PLAY WURM ONLINE!! www.wurmonline.com

  • WearacupWearacup Member Posts: 161

    The new UO is an abomination and a blasphemy of old UO. It is WOW with crappy graphics. I liked the old bird's eye 3/4 view 2d/3d hybrid too though. I agree with you there.

    Trammies need to stop polluting the MMORPG landscape. They already have enough games in which to emote hugs and sell garbage by the banks.

  • pixeldogmeatpixeldogmeat Member Posts: 441

    Sorry but if you compare WOW to UO you obviously haven't played one or the other. WOW is a level/quest based game whereas UO is a skill-use based game.

    PLAY WURM ONLINE!! www.wurmonline.com

  • WearacupWearacup Member Posts: 161

    The current incarnation of UO is NOT a skill-based game. If I reactivate one of my 7x GM's and fight some goofball at the Moonglow graveyard, I will get owned based on his gear alone even though I was a top-ranked dueler. Hell, I would probabaly be killed by the npc spawn. If you don't have good gear, you suck. That is not a skill-based game. Sorry. Trammel also killed the sandbox. No risk, no return. It is WOW sans linear quests and cartoonish graphics. Sorry, just because you played some MUDS doesn't make you an authority on the evolution of MMORPGS. UO is dead. What you are playing is not the same game.

    Trammies need to stop polluting the MMORPG landscape. They already have enough games in which to emote hugs and sell garbage by the banks.

  • RogerWilco12RogerWilco12 Member Posts: 19

    Yeah I've got a 1998 account with Ultima Online.

    I've been thinking of coming back for a few weeks now, and I think I might !

    Ultima Online will always be a game I can go back to for a bit of fun :)

     

  • DeeweDeewe Member UncommonPosts: 1,980

    I have been playing Ultima since Ultima I but never put my hands on UO :(

    I'm a SW vet and well depending on TOR I might have a try at UO. It seems to have neraly everything I'm looking for.

    OP, Thanks for the nice post.

  • pixeldogmeatpixeldogmeat Member Posts: 441

    Np, I'm working on my first mmorpg.com correspondent project, a newbie guide to UO that doesn't involve running through quests or anything. Look for it soon on mmorpg.com :)

    PLAY WURM ONLINE!! www.wurmonline.com

  • RogerWilco12RogerWilco12 Member Posts: 19

    Hell yeah good work !

    I downloaded the latest Ultima Online KR last night, wow 2gb file, gone along way since the first UO installer (like 300-500 megs?).

    Hopefully this weekend be up n running again :)

  • WearacupWearacup Member Posts: 161

    Finally the truth comes out. The OP is getting paid to push this poor, tortured amalgamation of an online abortion on the gaming community. UO was the best game ever. It has been patched, updated and expanded into oblivion. Save yourself the trouble of trying to fall in love all over again. That young hotty you knew before is a big fat mullet wearing trailer queen now. Maybe if you never knew UO in its original glory you can enjoy it. Who knows...

    Trammies need to stop polluting the MMORPG landscape. They already have enough games in which to emote hugs and sell garbage by the banks.

  • talismen351talismen351 Member Posts: 1,124

    I hafta agree with Wearacup here. UO was a great game...in the past. I very much enjoyed the game untill AoS. I know many will say tram destroyed UO but I think it was more AoS...before then you could easily travel between the two relms n find a healthy population and have fun in either area.

    But AoS brought in all kinds of stupid stuff that really IMO brought down the game. Luck items, Power Scrolls,Item Insurance, items that brought up your stats. It completely destroyed the crafting community making much of the crafted materials useless. Everything had to be enhanced or it had to become some kinda 'rare' item. I wouldn't say it is like WoW, but became more Diablo like. Just mostly about grinding for loot.

    Currently I am still subbed to the game...I donno why but plan on leaving soon. I mainly see a messed up economy.  Crafted items not worth crap...or if anyone does craft armor, they charge way way too much. Mostly weapons n armor are from loot. Finding home decore crafts is a longtime search, simple beds or tables are rare to find. Most ya see alot of rares going for millions of gold. Or alot of vendors selling 'soon to be rare' items for millions.

    So lets face it, the economy is borked, and the game is about the 'Uber lootz gear'. Skills mean very little anymore. Lets face it...I could bring in my GM warrior n I would get pawned by a newbie with the right equipment n half the skill. I used to be able to take my GM Bard/Mage n have a blast killing dragons n such...but now I get owned most of the time...cause my gear is no good against em.  

    Even crafting is a pain, and there is even items to improve your crafting skill. At 105+ smithy I still find I fail to much making exeptional items.

    The OP is right...you can do as you want with your character...something I loved about UO. But unless you have the gear to back you up...and the power scrolls to make your skills go above the max of 100, you won't find things as appealing. Just MY OPINION...yes I been around UO since 97 as well.

    image

  • pixeldogmeatpixeldogmeat Member Posts: 441

    yeah you bet i'm getting paid. Get real!

    For the compensation I could potentially get from writing articles is the equivelent of me getting paid for being at my real job for 5 minutes so I'm hardly getting paid.

    I really love UO, after all this time I'm still playing it, i'm still giving it good mention.

    All you need to play UO is your imagination, remember what that is? Maybe WOW stole it from you, I don't know.

    PLAY WURM ONLINE!! www.wurmonline.com

  • TerranahTerranah Member UncommonPosts: 3,575

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting paid for your work.  And if you are getting paid to write about something you enjoy, well it's all the sweeter.

     

    Congratz on finding a game you love OP.  Precu SWG also had skill based and you could mix skills from various professions.  And when you got tired of your template or wanted to try something new, you could just drop your skills and do just that, without rerolling.  It was nice when all my friends new my character instead of having three or four toons.

     

    I would give it a try, but from what some say it sounds like the game has gone through a negative transformation.  The other thing is the graphics.  I could give up some graphics for great gameplay, but going back too far I can't do.

     

    Anyway, I look forward to your article.  I hope you put some nice screenies in there too, something to spark some interest in an older game.

  • obiiobii Member UncommonPosts: 804

    I agree.

     

    UO also has a very good open source Emulator so you can custom design whatever style you like and let friends play with you.

     

    Not limited by EA's vision you can do your own version of the game.

     

  • uoplayer123uoplayer123 Member Posts: 225
    Originally posted by RogerWilco12


    Hell yeah good work !

    I downloaded the latest Ultima Online KR last night, wow 2gb file, gone along way since the first UO installer (like 300-500 megs?).

    Hopefully this weekend be up n running again :)



     

    UOKR is huge if downloading , It needs some TLC , but I liked it alot and from what it sounds like the next expansion will fix ALOT of issues.

  • StellosStellos Member UncommonPosts: 1,491
    Originally posted by Wearacup


    The new UO is an abomination and a blasphemy of old UO. It is WOW with crappy graphics. I liked the old bird's eye 3/4 view 2d/3d hybrid too though. I agree with you there.



     

    I agree.  The UO you see today is a total waste of time and money.  It gives orginal UO a bad name. 

  • wrekognizewrekognize Member UncommonPosts: 388

    The OP is right.  The freedom is still there to do as you wish with your character.  Skill points matter very much!!! There is no other MMO that compares.  Not to mention the freedom in building and decorating your own house, growing all kinds of plants, fishing to get items of high value, or maybe one day tame the rarest animal worth 300 million.  auction houses other mmo's know are computer ran where people buy from a list of items.  In UO REAL players run live auctions nearly every night of the weak.  You could start a character in UO, never pick up a weapon and build a kingdom.  What other mmo is out there where that can be said???

  • FockerFocker Member Posts: 344
    Originally posted by Jonzo


    .



     

    Post whore! 

    Sure you start out with just 1, but whats next  2?!?!?!?

  • talismen351talismen351 Member Posts: 1,124
    Originally posted by Focker

    Originally posted by Jonzo


    .



     

    Post whore! 

    Sure you start out with just 1, but whats next  2?!?!?!?

     

    .  .

    image

  • Yeah sorry, completely broke the rules about posting on illegal servers, so I edited it.. lol

  • sabutai33sabutai33 Member Posts: 90
    Originally posted by EndDream


    UO was the best game of all time.. of any genre in my opinion.. it is a different game now however
    If you are interested, there is a game coming out that is very similar to UO.. and it comes out in 2 month aproximatly
    Its very controvercial on these boards because for some reason people fear one game out of 500 to not be an EQ clone..
    its called Darkfall Online and after years of waiting it is releasing very soon.. they say a december relese.. phase 3 of beta is starting in 7 days.
    Sign up for beta: www.darkfallonline.com/beta
    you need to make a forum account to do so...
    completely skill based , exactly like UO.. open world no safezone ect... have fun

     

    I was about to get into DF, but then i found out they threw out their pet system, i was hoping to have my UO Tamer once again, but it just doesnt look like it will. So ill pass on this one.

     

    10 print "go home"
    20 goto 10

  • HolaHolaHolaHola Member Posts: 68

    UO is still a very nice game, with lots freedom... with items you get even MORE freedom really, but it is less skill based then pre AoS for the same reason, sadly.



    Today UO is really a pretty even playing field because they made it so easy to make an uber suit. And now with the new pub56 faction items, and the next publish that will give everyone the heavily duped Evet items and make it easyer to train skills. There will not be such big diffrence between people gear, which for every publish atm makes it more skill based once again.



    I played UO, and Pvped since pre trammel, and people who say its a clone of some of the modern MMOs like WOW today, got no idea about the state of UO now, simply because they dont play and haven't seen all the great changes. 



    On a side note, some in this thread said powerscrolls came with AoS, they didn't. They came with publish 16. Bad move! Publish 15 Factions were the shit!

    Playing: League of Legends!

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