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- Adventures on High Seas
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- Ter Mur
- Object of This Site
- UO Travelogues History
- 05/10/11 - Travelogues:
- > The Final Battle
- > Queen Dawn's Demise
- 05/10/11 - Blog:
- > Leaving Britannia Again
- 02/20/11 - Videos:
- > Are You With Us?
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Ultima Online Travelogues: The Travelogues contain hundreds of stories and thousands of screenshots about Ultima Online adventures, starting back in 1997. Follow our heroes on their exciting, challenging and dangerous journeys! |
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The Ultima Online Column:
Leaving Britannia Again - May 11th, 2011
In December 2007 I returned to Britannia after a 6-year-break. Now, three and a half years later, it is once again time to say good-bye. This time a return is even more unlikely. Several incidents have made that decision surprisingly easy. In this final column I will try to analyze the reasons behind my final step away from the best MMORPG ever.
[Read more...]
High Seas in Retrospect - Feb 4th, 2011
New ships and sea content have been requested by the player base since literally 10 years. In October 2010, our wish finally came true. It now is time for a quick analysis of the effect this expansion (sorry, booster) had on the players and the game, and if it really managed to make UO more successful.
[Read more...]
Video Travelogues - Dec 3rd, 2010
Today I uploaded some video travelogues I had sitting on my harddisk for years and finally had the time to edit. They are video recordings of three epic UO events: The Blackrock Disaster in Moonglow (2008), the Crimson Dragon Invasion (2008) and the Blood Sigil Destruction (2009). Expect to see more video travelogues in the future! You can view all my videos on this page.
Fighting the Lack of New Players - July 1st, 2010
The lack of new players is one of the most pressing issues of Ultima Online. Without new players, any game is destined to die sooner or later. While UO is a very unique and fantastic game, most players prefer popular games with more eye-candy, even if their content can not even slightly reach the quality of Ultima Online. Most people don't even know about UO. What can be done to solve this?
[Read more...]
Some Thoughts About Adventure - May 13th, 2010
When treasure hunting was introduced in February 1999, people were excited about the new type of adventure. However, after a few years treasure hunting palled. The topic "Treasure Hunting" inspired me, because it is a perfect synonym for the whole adventure content of UO. Players simply don't explore anymore, although adventuring is one of the things many players like the most. What do we expect from an adventure in an MMORPG like UO?
[Read more...]
Revolutionzing Ultima Online - February 17th, 2010
When you look at Ultima Online today, you see an exremely versatile game with high complexity and vast content. When you analyze the content, you will soon find out that the game consists of a lot of features lying idle, as players strive for new and challenging things to do. However, the potential of UO is gigantic, and it has not even slighty been tapped.
[Read more...]
Player-Run Towns & Communities - October 3rd, 2009
One of the most basic and important life sources of Ultima Online are
players who offer company, service, events and adventure to other
players. They make us feel "at home" in Britannia and have always been
the foundation of our gaming fun. The past game expansions have brought
more items, skills, landmasses, dungeons and monsters. While those are
entertaining, they tend to move the players' interest away from the
community and towards items. Now it is time to reclaim the very roots
of UO and invent features that cultivate and encourage player-run towns
and communities.
[Read more...]
Leaving a Trace in the World - September 1st, 2009
What makes the difference between a successful MMORPG and any other
game? Apart from technical factors, one of the most important elements
is: In a successful MMORPG, players can shape their gaming world on the
long term. Of course, players are looking for adventure and challenge.
But when they log out after a gaming session, they also want to have
the feeling that their in-game actions had an impact. This impact can
be of very different nature. Player activities and behavior must have a
consequence.
[Read more...]
What Ultima Online Could Be - July 4th, 2009
Who'd wander through Britannia on foot, searching for secrets and
landmarks? Who'd account Felucca for a place worth traveling to? Who'd
venture to old anti-virtue dungeons to explore them from top to bottom?
Not many, I guess. The world of UO has a gigantic potential, which is
far from being tapped. I put together 10 steps that would enhance the
gaming experience and diminish some of the problems (scripting, duping,
farming, boredom) at the same time. The goals would be to encourage
expeditions and discoveries, get rid of repetitive treadmill
activities, make the world unpredictable and dynamic, and revive the
old forgotten places in Britannia.
[Read more...]
Felucca: A Niche Facet - June 9th, 2009
I was "born" in Felucca. I've been playing UO since the release and
experienced all the excitement and trouble of a gaming world where the
safe zone "Trammel" did not exist. Today, I am an 80% Trammel player
and I miss the risk and challenge of the Early Days. That's why every
now and then I venture to Felucca to join into some real PvP action.
But PvP has changed. A lot. Let me explain what Felucca is like today,
so we can understand how PvP in Felucca works, and what it takes to
compete.
[Read more...]
The Trammel/Felucca Dilemma - March 10th, 2009
Almost daily we can find discussions about unconsentual PvP in UO on
public message boards. Some think that murdering other players is an
essential part of the game (risk vs. reward), and those are mostly UO
veterans. Others spend all their time in Trammel and do not want PvP,
and those are called "Trammies". And a lot of players are somewhere in
between. This debate is almost 10 years old. And still nobody has come
up with a decent solution to favor both sides. Until today.
[Read more...]
Pirate Expansion, A Concept - Feb 20th, 2009
I have been regretting for a long time that the naval content always
was neglected. Just look at the map of Britannia! It consists more of
water than of land. In this column will rant a bit over ideas that
sprang into my mind while thinking about what seems to be the players'
most anxiously awaited and desired game expansion in UO history: The
Pirate Expansion. The object of the Pirate Expansion would be to
breathe life and adventure into the seascape, and to add new features
encouraging voyages by boat: Player-run docks! Enhanced Ships! Cannons
and Sea Battles! Letters of Marque! Bad Weather! Seafaring Adventures!
Merchant Quest System!
[Read more...]
Artificial Life Engine - Jan 27th, 2009
When I decided to become an UO subscriber back in 1997, I somewhere
read a very appealing description about the artificial intelligence of
game creatures. "Nearly everything in the world, from grass to goblins,
has a purpose, and not just as cannon fodder either. If the rabbit
population suddenly drops then wolves may have to find different food
sources - say, deer. When the deer population drops as a result, the
local dragon, unable to find the food he’s accustomed to, may head into
a local village and attack.
[Read more...]
Flashback 2008 - Jan 16th, 2009
2008 was one exciting year in UO, with a lot of changes and challenges.
However, the never satisfied and always demanding customer still is not
happy and has a lot to complain about. Do we really recall everything
we experienced in Britannia last year? Or do we just remember the bad
things? Maybe the points of criticism should not be completely forgot.
But after all, 2008 was a year full of activity, events and game
enhancements. Let me recollect...
[Read more...]
UO Too Much Based on Items? - Dec 9th, 2008
I've been playing UO since its release in 1998. I made a long break
from 2002 and 2007. After my return, I noticed how much the game had
changed. First, I first want to say that many many changes have been a
great enhancement of UO, and increased the breadth and the diversity of
UO. So, I do not want "the good old days" back! However, one thing has
destroyed a lot of the gaming experience, to my opinion. And that's the
artifacts, rare uber-items and insurance. Let me explain, why:
[Read more...]
Britannian Towns Deserted - Nov 15th, 2008
Let me pull out some memories of the first 3 or 4 years in UO
(1998-2001): During the first years of UO, before Ilshenar, Tokuno and
Malas were invented, you would meet a lot of people in EVERY town of
Britannia. Britain is the capital of Britannia. It was the most famous
city, and it always was full of people. It was the town where you would
find every kind of shop and vendor. I never saw less than 20 people
hanging out at the First Bank of Britain...
[Read more...]
Improving the World - Oct 21nd, 2008
We all are looking forward to the upcoming changes and enhancements of
UO. However, some of us think that increasing the breadth of the game
(instead of the depth) might favor us veterans, while new players will
still have difficulties accessing the game. And what UO needs most at
times of dwindling activity, is new fresh players! I have put together
some facts. Maybe I am able to point out a few weaknesses of this
otherwise great game...
[Read more...]
Requesting a Pirate Expansion - Sept 30th, 2008
I came up with an idea of the next expansion after Stygian Abyss.
Pirates and sea adventures are what excite many people these days, and
the existing vast and unused areas of water in Britannia could finally
become a destination worth traveling to. Give us a Pirate Expansion!
Some details:
[Read more...]
New Craftables Discovered? - Aug 14th, 2008
Just a few minutes ago, while digging in the sandy beach in front of my
house for glassblowing ressources, I accidentally dug up an old
tattered scroll. Things you find on the beaches these days! The scroll
was very encrusted and indecipherable. I remembered from a past event
(the massacre of the Royal Council) that some speckled poison and zoogi
fungus might help me. My alchemist actually managed to create a potion
out of these ingredients (it took him a while and he burned a lot of
poisons and fungi, although he is grandmaster). It was a yellowish
liquid and was named Solvent. Using three of these potions on the
scroll suddenly revealed an inscription...
[Read more...]
Returning to Britannia - Dec 15th, 2007
A kind of nostalgia finally made me return to Britannia. It happened
when I accidentally discovered some old UO screenshots on a backup CD.
I suddenly wanted to explore Britannia and all the new landmasses
again. I reactivated my account and found my characters were still
available. That was a relief, because I doubt that I would have had the
nerve to start all over again. However, the game had changed a lot
during the past 6 years and I had to learn and re-learn a lot of
things. My Ultima Online Travelogues are now continued. Read about my
adventures in the book "Returning to Britannia". If you want to find your way in Britannia, the Lost Lands, Ilshenar, Malas or Tokuno, check out my comprehensive Adventurer's Guide, which will be constantly updated and enhanced.