Coming back to UO for the first time since 2001. Got involved way back when it first started into testing, as soon as the servers were up and we were allowed in. My father new someone who worked for the company and he invited him to play an early test phase of the game. Of course, my father introduced my brother and I to the game too. Eventually after enough time playing I moved out onto Napa Valley - having played the same account since we began playing UO - and still being too young to have a job and have my own account. Made a ton of friends, had a blast every day getting to jump people in dungeons like Deceit (my favorite hang out).
Spent a lot of time dungeon crawling, in the Covetus, Deceit and Despise. Sometimes I'd be mean, go down to Deceit luring around Poison Elementals around to kill people (we all did it at one point or another back then... come on, how fun was that!) Other times I'd just hang around outside of banks, trying to see what we could "lift/borrow" from other players, trying not to get guard whacked.
Then there were the server resets in the Britain Graveyard, anyone who played back then knows what I mean! Bring out all those Indestructible/Vanqs and the Invunerable pieces of armor that you owned. And have one massive brawl, knowing anything you lost would be returned to you upon server up.
I remember when Factions were first introduced too. Being able to jump on people all over town and having to fight for your life, sometimes even when simply bank sitting. But it was always a blast! Even when you died, and all you could say was, "OooOoOoO OoOooOO OOo"
The game sure has changed a lot, the last I remember was Trammel being introduced (and at the time, the massive rage-fest that ensued along with its introduction, from the PvP community.) I stuck around for a while after that, tried to get used to the "Brave New World" that had suddenly fallen in my PvP ever-loving lap. I did for a while, hung on like a man on the edge of a cliff over looking the grand canyon. Kept alive and kicking, running down to the Lich Lord pits for some fun, running into the other Dread Lords, whacking a blue here and there, starving for the day when we'd 10 x 10 man in Deceit and bodies would litter the floors hourly.
People would stand in the wake of the destruction, all of them blue, not daring to reach for that fabled loot on the corpse of the fallen. They'd hesitate, they all wanted it. We knew it wouldn't be long. Then suddenly, someone would get bold! A grey would go fleeting off into the darkness, heading for the stairs up into safety. Some of the people would turn on him, hoping to get the kill and find out what he looted. The others would cling around the body, just waiting for a clear chance. And a whole new battle would rage on!
Exp, Exp, FS. Paralyze, Exp, FS. We all remember the combo. Pre-Cast FS, put on your Halberd and smack em in the face with a nasty surprise. Down they go.
Then there were the times, just hanging around banks, talking to people and enjoying a good laugh. Just having a good time, listening to the RPers and newbies talking. Would help a new player out every so often. (Just to add a little balance to all the malicious PKing in the dungeons.)
Slowly over time, the game lost its draw for me. I was a pure PvP player and when Trammel came in, and the Brave New World showed it was here to stay. I hung up my hat, handed away all my hard earned loot, gave up my house to a player in need and told them to enjoy the home. I had. Didn't think I would ever return, ever be back in the world I had once come to love. My UO days were over. I was saddened, as I bet most who left were.
--- That was then, this is now.
Got an old urge, you know the ones. Decided to look UO up. Saw the free 15-day trial... decided, what the heck, it won't cost anything to take a trip down memory lane. Played a few days, built a couple chars, mages, obviously. It was new, that scary "Brave New World" and I didn't think I could enjoy such a place. I was simply hoovering in the nostalgia of all the good times. Of all the friends I had made and all the hours up hours in a row I'd spend having the time of my life. Just a bunch of pixels, huh? I think not.
Kept playing, got to the end of my 15 days trial. Decided, why not subscribe for a month. That was a month and a half ago. Still here. Made a couple hundred million gold. Gotten some pretty good gear, for a mage char, top end stuff.
Somehow I got drawn back in without even noticing it. Instead of PvPing every single day. I'm having a blast dungeon crawling again. Built a tamer, tamed a few Greater Dragons and man are they beastly.
A friend convinced me to go IDOC'ing to find good stuff. Didn't think it'd be so much fun. IT WAS A BLAST. My first big Felucca IDOC house. It dropped well over 170m worth of major "Arties" (which at first I had no idea what Artifacts were.) Have had to contend with Reds at half a dozen of the spawns... COMPLETELY WORTH IT, so much fun. Even the deaths. Might even draw me back into PvPing and joining a Faction guild.
I notice I rambled quite a bit.
UO tends to do that to you. No matter how long, or how much time goes by. This game will always be the amazing MMO we all know and remember, no matter when we joined. And we all hope (I know I do) this place is around for another ten years.
We don't need the most brilliant new graphics around. All we need is the world of Sosaria. A place that had stood the testament of time and continues to show the gaming world (whether they listen or not) what a real MMO is meant to be. It has room for the PvPers, the RPers, the bank sitters, the people who want to craft and mine all day. It has a place for the tamers, the 2 hour a week player, the 40 hour a week "lifer", the Reds (Dread Lords), the thieves. The people who only come on for events. The player who spend all day designers their houses and socializing.
Even the Rare collectors have a place here. Even the IDOCers have a home they can call their own. Cheers UO.
