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 General information
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Overview
Ultima Online (UO) is a popular graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today. The game is played online, in a fantasy setting similar to that of the other Ultima games that preceded it.
The success of Ultima Online (UO) opened the door for the creation of many new massively multiplayer games that have or are about to hit the market. UO is a third-person/isometric fantasy role-playing game set in the Ultima universe. It is online-only and played by thousands of simultaneous users (who pay a monthly fee) on various game servers, also known as shards. It is also known for its extensive timing-based player versus player combat system. Over a million paid accounts have been created in the game. To maintain order in the online community, there are Game Masters who resolve player disputes, police the shard for terms of service violations, and correct glitches in the game.
Ultima Online continued the tradition of previous Ultima games in many ways, but due to advancing technology and the simple fact that it was Origin's first persistent online game, there were many new game mechanics as well. Partially designed as a social and economic experiment, the game had to account for the widespread player interaction as well as deal with the long history of players feeling as if they were the center of attention, as had been the case in single-player games. New to both the developers and the players, a lot that was planned never happened, and a lot that was unexpected did, and many new game systems were put in place to compensate.
Compiled from Wikipedia |
Articles and reviews
Expansions
Ultima Online: The Second Age
Release date: October 1, 1998
Media: CD
Official website: http://www.uo.com/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: Featured a new area of land called the Lost Lands, along with an in-game chat system and new creatures. Also known as T2A. Was Released in two boxed versions with the first having different artwork and a single manual. Critical reaction to the game was mixed. The Second Age was given the "Online Role-Playing Game of the Year" award at the 1999 Interactive Achievement Awards. Many reviews criticized The Second Age for not expanding the game enough, especially since gamers were anticipating the 3D MMORPGs EverQuest and Asheron's Call. |
Ultima Online: Renaissance
Release date: April 3, 2000
Media: CD
Official website: http://www.uo.com/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: The world was doubled in size, as there were literally two copies of it. The worlds were called Felucca and Trammel, after the two moons in Ultima's Britannia world. The Trammel world did not allow player killing, while the Felucca world did. Felucca also adopted a darker, more foreboding look. Prior to its release, the expansion was said to double the amount of room in the game, but that it would not use a duplicate of the map, rather it would be adding new content. It was later found in the previews that Renaissance simply added a mirror world under different rules. Felucca and Trammel were created, the first one with "player vs. player killing" allowed, and the second with only consensual combat. In game terms many considered this a breaking factor. It was argued that the creation of Trammel signaled the end of traditional, realism-oriented UO, where all characters were forced into dealing with one another, including being murdered and robbed. |
Ultima Online: Third Dawn
Release date: March 7, 2001
Media: CD
Official website: http://www.uo.com/thirddawn/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: The major change was that this expansion included a 3D client, no doubt to compete with 3D MMORPGs like EverQuest. Also, a special Third Dawn only land was created, called Ilshenar. It was accessible only to 3D clients until the release of Lord Blackthorn's Revenge. Even the original Ultima Online client uses a height map for terrain and three dimensions for item and character location within the world, but the newer "3D Client" introduced with Third Dawn included 3D models for all creatures. It still, however, maintains use of 2D artwork for objects. While it has an option to zoom in, it does not allow for any rotation due to the 2D artwork still incorporated, and the way the map is constructed. Some of the 2D artwork (especially walls and trees) were improved noticeably. |
Ultima Online: Lord Blackthorn's Revenge
Release date: February 24, 2002
Media: CD
Official website: http://www.uolbr.com/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: The story is about the return of Lord Blackthorn, the corrupt noble who usurped the throne of Lord British in Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny. This expansion brought "a dark new world based on new characters from Todd McFarlane" to Ultima with improved game AI, in-game help, and improved character creation. |
Ultima Online: Age of Shadows
Release date: February 28, 2003
Media: CD
Official website: http://www.uo.com/ageofshadows/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: Brought the landmass of Malas with lots of space for new housing, two new character classes (Paladin and Necromancer) and the ability to customize house designs. The item system was completely reworked with this expansion. Armour resistance was split in to five types of resistance, and many new properties that affected gameplay were added to weaponry. As good equipment was now vital, this expansion also brought with it item insurance. |
Ultima Online: Mondain's Legacy
Release date: August 30, 2005
Media: CD, Download
Official website: http://www.uo.com/uoml/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: Introduced a new race, elves, and a new skill, spellweaving. Several dungeons were also added.
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Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn
Release date: June 27, 2007
Media: CD, Download
Official website: http://www.uo.com/uokr/UOKR/UOKR.html
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features: This expansion introduce a new client with new graphics.
Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss
Release date: Planned for 2007
Media: TBC
Official website: http://www.uo.com/
Price: check prices on Amazon, Ebay, Direct2Drive
Features:
- A new playable race: The Gargoyles
- A new dungeon, the largest of the game: The Stygian Abyss
- New skills, new items, new pets
- A home for The Gargoyle race
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