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Ultima Online: A Call to Arms
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Bioware Mythic has issued a Call to Arms for all current, new and former Ultima Online players to return to the game. Starting today, August 5th, players are invited to join up against the minions of evil and to participate in new live events being organized by GMs across the UO servers. Players will have the chance to explore the latest UO expansion, The Stygian Abyss.
Players creating new (non-trial) accounts will receive a “New Player Token” giving them access to 20,000 gold, a premium armor set, weapons, and increased skill gain for all venturing party members
For former players, we’ve updated the templates for the Advanced Character tokens that making them more exciting. As an incentive to invite someone new to Ultima Online and bring forth a new pack of “UOphiles” – current players who journey with new players will also receive escalated skill advancement
Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss, UO’s most recent expansion, is available now for new low price. Upgrades for existing players will now cost $19.99 USD while new users will be able to buy the expansion plus 30 days of gametime for $29.99 USD. Pruchase Stygian Abyss via digital download from www.UOGameCodes.com
Live Events are back: One of the long lost gameplay elements of Ultima Online is returning with the help of Event Moderators to lead in game events and drive the live story arc. Ultima Online will be re-introducing several characters from both Ultima’s and Ultima Online’s past and pressing toward re-creating the former majesty of the town Magincia during Call to Arms
Introduction of PvP “Arena” Gameplay to Ultima Online: For the first time ever, players will have the option of battling in 1 versus 1 player versus player (PvP) combat in one of two brand new arenas
Find out more about a Call to Arms here.
Comments
I'd love to... but I played UO for 11 years. As much as I'd love to continue playing, I don't see myself ever going back. If they made a UO2 with the current tech available and a new world I'd be there in a heart beat guaranteed. But after 11 years of UO, I just can't go back to the old UO lol.
I wish this were enough. In a perfect world, they would have never released Trammel, and I would probably still be playing. The problem is, with bringing back UO vets, that giving us a New Player Token and some free stuff isn't going to account for what the game is lacking now, compared to what it once was.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
When they make a real 3D client, I'll go back.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
was hoping this was a free reactivation
The other issue, I dont think its an all in one. Meaning, the last 3 expansions I never got (as I quit back in 2000 or 2002 Id have to rebuy.
No thanks.
Same here. Was a great game, played it for a decade, but I don't see anything short of maybe incorporating the IRIS client bringing me back.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Damn. Was hoping they did a free two weeks reactivation like COH does once in awhile.
Would love to get back on and try out the new stuff. I know its not old UO. But I still would like to taste it.
So, typos and bad links. Your quality has gone down MMORPG.com.
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Leerooooyyy nngggJJennkkinnss..
A Legend was Born
Me three. I have a special place in my heart for the game and I played it for many years... I just don't think I can go back unless it changes in some big ways. And by big... I mean it needs a major graphical overhaul. Don't get me wrong, UO is the game I hold all other games to in comparison, but I have become a little spoiled over time with the graphics of today's AAA games.
I played and was a huge fan of Ultima Online from 1997 until 2006 (an Ultima fan since the '80s), and I left for very good reasons, and would never come back to the game for those same reasons. UO is one of tho many MMOGs that should never have "changed with the times". There is a laundry list of reasons, that have been rehashed a billion times over the years that I won't even bother starting to go through here. Sorry Mythic, it's not really your fault either... short of bringibg the game back to a 1999ish state there is nothing that you can do to win me back, and we all know that will never happen.
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"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places..." ~ H.P.Lovecraft, "From Beyond"
Member Since March 2004
I too thought at first it was an invite to free play, most certainly not going to pay to try out the new version.
Don't understand why everyone mentions Trammel as the turning point in UO. Trammel was a good expansion in my eye, it increased the number of players playing. My thought was that Age of Shadows was the expansion that hurt the game. They tried to make it more like EQ with fancy weapons and armor and completely broke pvp in the process, not to mention 3 months of constant server crashes.
I doubt if I would ever go back, too much has changed and I liked the old UO.
I guess it depends on what style of game you prefer playing. For the people who enjoyed having an active player base in what turned into Felucca, the game practically died in a matter of weeks. If a player wanted to avoid all of the features that made UO exciting (for me atleast), like a sense of peril and danger despite location in the world, all they had to do was stay in the safe Trammel parallel.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
As much as I loved UO, I cannot see myself going back to it. Maybe if the game was redone with modern technology and in 3D but I would much rather have a proper UO2 though.
Man, this news article had my excited for some special announcement!
I'm normally not that crazy about graphics when it comes to games. However Ultima Online needs a new client. It's so bad that the game lags and it has nothing to do with one's computer or network connection. The client is just bad. The 3D client might look a little better in terms of art then the original one but it has horrible performance. Characters still stop and look like they are running place while moving, resolution is locked to low, etc.
I have no problem at all with the the isometric point of view. In fact there are times where I prefer that. I love playing games like Titan's Quest, Sacred, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance, etc. However UO's client, even after these so called "updates", doesn't even begin to compare. The client itself was and is the thing that stopped me from enjoying the game and even sticking with it beyond the trial periods.
Make it full 3D and free to play and a lot fo people will play it.
BTW, they haven't gotten around to actually, you know, UPDATING their site to reflect this nor the pricing. So buyer beware, the 'sale' hasn't even started yet.
Though tbh I attribute that to the UO team's lackluster communication. Which, of course, is only rivalled by their general incompetence as a team to do something interesting and not buggy with Ultima Online.
Their latest 'addition' was an overhaul of the treasure maps... which they now can create treasure under oceans or houses. Did I mention you cannot dig them up, either? Stunning work. /rolls eyes
can someone tell me my account # I left 11 yrs ago lol. Serious UO and Warhammer should be F2P, some ppl just got no clue how to run business.
I've always thought that if they'd made WoW with skill points and full looting instead of gear/level based, that it would have been a lot better. It wouldn't be mainstream either.
Now they have arenas just like world of warcraft nice...the best mmorpg is an inspiration to copy stuff.
This may just be the worst organised PR activity and press release ever by EA...
Neither the link given in the press release, or the one given by the writer of the article, lead to a page with ANY information about 'Call To Arms' for UO.
Of the features listed as coming in 'Call To Arms'
- Event Moderators have been active on all shards for almost 2 years - it's not new.
- The PvP 'arena' structures appeared in-game a few days ago - they are hopelessly bugged at the moment, large areas of the floor 'trap' people, the walls of the arena block movement for players but all the game mobs can target you, and they walk through the walls to hit you, without finding them any impediment at all.
- The PvP system for the arenas, so people can actually fight in them, is not yet active.
- Quite what currently retired players will see as an 'incentive' of new tokens for advanced characters is escapes me, since if you are not a current player you need to pay to reactivate your account, then buy a token from the GameCodes store to scrap an existing skillset on a character and get the new template... so you pay quite a bit in order to have a partially complete new character. If you are wanting to come back for the PvP changes, that means a lot of time training up those essential top-end skill points or you will die, a lot, to the characters who already have the skills and equipment at top level.
And this is 'active' from 5 August? As a current player, let me state clearly - NO IT IS NOT. Anyone signing up now expecting to see this stuff in game is going to be mightily ticked off when so much of it simply is not there....
Including the Free stuff for new accounts!! I just bought and signed up for the Stygian Abyss expecting 20,000 gold, a set of armour, mount, ect and when I finally get in game, it tells me that "New Players cant recieve gifts". WTF??! FIX THIS MYTHIC/EA!!! I AM SOOOO PISSED RIGHT NOW!!! EITHER GIVE WHATS ADVERTISED OR A REFUND IS REQUIRED!!!!
I think EA/Mythic screwed up in implementing this or giving out the wrong date to the press. I don't see anything on the official site or in game to reflect this 'call-to-arms' event, but tons of MMO sites are promoting it. There's something really wrong about this, and I'm not going to return to UO or give EA a penny until they fix it.
Add Dark Age of Camelot to that list.
Hell, yeah. UO2. Also like the one guy's idea about full 3d and F2P. I'd prefer some form of hybrid or tier sub model, though.
I agree with everyone. Not going back unless they get rid of Trammel and stat loss.
Shadowlord Sage
CmdrAkbar
Napa Valley, UO, 1997.