Ultima In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless? Is it a common problem?

[hst25]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

 

[Sacred82]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

Did you install from original disks/ disk dump?

also, does the problem (if it is one) exist right at the start?

this is interesting to me personally cause by now I'm convinced even old RPG's were a lot more complex than you'd assume at first, and there's a lot of stuff going on that's never clearly communicated to the player.

 

[hst25]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

Did you install from original disks/ disk dump?

also, does the problem (if it is one) exist right at the start?

this is interesting to me personally cause by now I'm convinced even old RPG's were a lot more complex than you'd assume at first, and there's a lot of stuff going on that's never clearly communicated to the player.

I not install from original disks/ disk dump. I downloaded ultima 5 from abandonware internet site.

 

[Sacred82]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

Did you install from original disks/ disk dump?

also, does the problem (if it is one) exist right at the start?

this is interesting to me personally cause by now I'm convinced even old RPG's were a lot more complex than you'd assume at first, and there's a lot of stuff going on that's never clearly communicated to the player.

I not install from original disks/ disk dump. I downloaded ultima 5 from abandonware internet site.

Could be just botched files, especially if pre-installed and cracked. That's not uncommon. Wizardry VII had a similar problem where monsters tend to be much stronger in cracked versions floating around.

But it could also be intended behaviour. You're getting wounded by the Shadowlords in the beginning,right? So that or their strong influence in the world at that point might be implied here.

 

[hst25]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

Did you install from original disks/ disk dump?

also, does the problem (if it is one) exist right at the start?

this is interesting to me personally cause by now I'm convinced even old RPG's were a lot more complex than you'd assume at first, and there's a lot of stuff going on that's never clearly communicated to the player.

I not install from original disks/ disk dump. I downloaded ultima 5 from abandonware internet site.

Could be just botched files, especially if pre-installed and cracked. That's not uncommon. Wizardry VII had a similar problem where monsters tend to be much stronger in cracked versions floating around.

But it could also be intended behaviour. You're getting wounded by the Shadowlords in the beginning,right? So that or their strong influence in the world at that point might be implied here.

It doesn't seem to be intended.
I raised my character to level 7. But there was the same problem.

And it doesn't seem to be a crack file bug.
Because I tested different versions.

Almost all versions were tested except diskette images.
But still there was the same problem.

Perhaps I guess as a porting bug in the pc version.
I hope somebody will address this problem with a retro pc test.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[Sinatar]

Wouldn't be the first time RG messed up something like that. Weapons in Ultima 3 for instance don't do anything, they all do the same damage as your fists.

 

[Sacred82]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

Did you install from original disks/ disk dump?

also, does the problem (if it is one) exist right at the start?

this is interesting to me personally cause by now I'm convinced even old RPG's were a lot more complex than you'd assume at first, and there's a lot of stuff going on that's never clearly communicated to the player.

I not install from original disks/ disk dump. I downloaded ultima 5 from abandonware internet site.

Could be just botched files, especially if pre-installed and cracked. That's not uncommon. Wizardry VII had a similar problem where monsters tend to be much stronger in cracked versions floating around.

But it could also be intended behaviour. You're getting wounded by the Shadowlords in the beginning,right? So that or their strong influence in the world at that point might be implied here.

It doesn't seem to be intended.
I raised my character to level 7. But there was the same problem.

Almost all versions were tested except diskette images.
But still there was the same problem.

Ultima is a story driven game though, so if you just powerleveled/ edited your character, that wouldn't prove it's not intended behaviour.

Wouldn't be the first time RG messed up something like that. Weapons in Ultima 3 for instance don't do anything, they all do the same damage as your fists.

Sounds like a pretty huge and strangely consistent fuckup though. Meaning it's more likely a story related thing... or there's more nuance to the character/ combat system than it seems.

U7 definitely had way deeper mechanics behind arms and armor than you assume at first for lack of numbers, but the manual hints repeatedly at equipment being only effective if wielded by the right build.

 

[RoksCQ]

hi

In Ultima 5 pc version, I found all armor was totally useless. Is it a common problem?

I have research this problem for several days.

The result is this. All armor in this game has no effect.

Apple version was confirmed to work. But PC version doesn't work.

Armor is totally useless in pc version Ultima 5.

Do you have the same problem?

Please let me know if anyone has solved this problem?

I don't even remember caring that much about armor in ultima 5 but ultima 5 went a little heavier on the combat that ultima 4 -- What I do remember is bitching how much I wish it was ultima 4 until i had everyone equipped with those silver axes that make combat so much less shit. So raise your defense with silver axes OP

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Somewhat related... octavius What was that bug again you informed us about in the PC version of Bard's Tale 3?

Are we spotting a pattern here that MS-DOS ports of far too many RPG titles of a certain era (1983-1990) are bugged?

I know that Bloodwych and Captive are both bugged on the PC version, for example.

 

[octavius]

The main BT3 bug was no monster special attacks, as well as some other bugs.
Also, in BT1 and 2 your chance to hit was based on your Armour Class for some reason. Not a bug per se, but weird/sloppy design. There was also integer overflow bugs in some of the BT 1/2 ports.
If there's a pattern it seems to involve the ports and versions Burger Heineman worked on...

I didn't notice any armour bug in Ultima V, though. I played an abandonware DOS version.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Since I was asked to name sources, I'll do so:

Bloodwych on the PC has a bug where a passage that's supposed to be clear is blocked by a wall. This bug is present on the original floppy release, but ~15 years ago someone in the abandonware scene hex-edited the game to fix this, so most versions floating about in there should be the fixed version.

Captive on the PC was released in 1992, roughly two years after the original Amiga/Atari ST-versions by a third party on behalf of Mindscape. The game works exactly as it should, except it gives out too little XP and too little cash for every monster killed, so the game becomes quite challenging as early as the third dungeon, and almost impossible by the fourth one. I know this because I was the one who noticed and reported on this back in 1997. My solution was to hex-edit the savegames to regularly award myself extra gold at first, but then as I reached the first prison dungeon I realized that I didn't have enough XP to be qualified to use the weapons being sold there - and they're kinda needed to deal with the überpowered baddies there, such as the one on the game's box cover. So back to the hex editor I went, and boosted up my XP as well.

This bug is present in the floppy disk release of Captive (as I own a physical copy of it myself) and to my knowledge has never been fixed.

EDIT: Typo.

 

[Jarpie]

Since I was asked to name sources, I'll do so:

Bloodwych on the PC has a bug where a passage that's supposed to be clear is blocked by a wall. This bug is present on the original floppy release, but ~15 years ago someone in the abandonware scene hex-edited the game to fix this, so most versions floating about in there should be the fixed version.

Captive on the PC was released in 1992, roughly two years after the original Amiga/Atari ST-versions by a third party on behalf of Mindscape. The game works exactly as it should, except it gives out too little XP and too little cash for every monster killed, so the game becomes quite challenging as early as the third dungeon, and almost impossible by the fourth one. I know this because I was the one who noticed and reported on this back in 1997. My solution was to hex-edit the savegames to regularly award myself extra gold at first, but then as I reached the first prison dungeon I realized that I didn't have enough XP to be qualified to use the weapons being sold there - and they're kinda needed to deal with the überpowered baddies there, such as the one of the game's box cover. So back to the hex editor I went, and boosted up my XP as well.

This bug is present in the floppy disk release of Captive (as I own a physical copy of it myself) and to my knowledge has never been fixed.

IIRC Bloodwych C64 version had a bug too which prevented it being completed, not sure is it the same bug.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I doubt that it is. I've played Bloodwych on four different platforms (Amstrad CPC, C-64, Atari ST and PC) and there's a difference between the level layouts of the 8-bit and 16-bit versions. Most notably the 8-bit versions don't have the wooden panels that can take up only a single side of a square - everything on the 8-bit versions is measured in whole squares. Also, you can't split up the party on the 8-bits.

I beat the Amstrad and Atari ST versions (also the expansion pack on the Atari ST) but was stumped by the bug on the PC version. I played the C-64 version at a mate's house in two-player mode, and there was a point about half-way through the game where we got completely stumped and couldn't find any method to progress. (On a sidenote my friend found a way to make infinite money in the game by summoning an illusion, talking to it, selecting specific dialogue options in sequence and then asking it for money... which it happily gave to him!)

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Might & Magic I on c64 had a bug on my disk where once you hit a certain level you could just pay to level up infinitely (though you'd prolly die from old age so off to the desert sands and the hour glass for age reversal.... sooo many dinosaurs).

So u3 & u5 are fucked up even on the gog versions? Sheesh.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Remember - the PC didn't become the leading home computer on the market until 1991-1992, so the focus wasn't really on it before that. In fact, it was most often an afterthought before it achieved the multimedia standard.

 

[Viata]

Damn, guess I'll have to start a thread whenever I hit up some old game to avoid any bugs.

 

[Grauken]

Since I was asked to name sources, I'll do so:

Bloodwych on the PC has a bug where a passage that's supposed to be clear is blocked by a wall. This bug is present on the original floppy release, but ~15 years ago someone in the abandonware scene hex-edited the game to fix this, so most versions floating about in there should be the fixed version.

Captive on the PC was released in 1992, roughly two years after the original Amiga/Atari ST-versions by a third party on behalf of Mindscape. The game works exactly as it should, except it gives out too little XP and too little cash for every monster killed, so the game becomes quite challenging as early as the third dungeon, and almost impossible by the fourth one. I know this because I was the one who noticed and reported on this back in 1997. My solution was to hex-edit the savegames to regularly award myself extra gold at first, but then as I reached the first prison dungeon I realized that I didn't have enough XP to be qualified to use the weapons being sold there - and they're kinda needed to deal with the überpowered baddies there, such as the one on the game's box cover. So back to the hex editor I went, and boosted up my XP as well.

This bug is present in the floppy disk release of Captive (as I own a physical copy of it myself) and to my knowledge has never been fixed.

EDIT: Typo.

I played this through as a kid and never noticed it (through means the first loop obviously), although I found the game challenging at the time

 

[Grauken]

Might & Magic I on c64 had a bug on my disk where once you hit a certain level you could just pay to level up infinitely (though you'd prolly die from old age so off to the desert sands and the hour glass for age reversal.... sooo many dinosaurs).

So u3 & u5 are fucked up even on the gog versions? Sheesh.

I wouldn't bet on it, a single mention of this in all these years, and due to the updates the PC versions are the most heavily played in the last decade, so I would be surprised if its true, OP is probably misinterpreting something

 

[Sacred82]

Ok, I'll add another point to my list of reasons for unexpected behaviour in old games: sabotage.

As for Becky being brought up ITT; I'm convinced she was a pretty gifted and passionate developer. You don't see anybody else talk about the BT's like she does, as if it happened yesterday and not like they were curious relics. Totally buy the claim that Dragon Wars was her baby. The saboteurs would be somebody else.

 

[Grauken]

Eh, lots of early computer games were multisystem games, and many ports handled by less gifted people, so lots of errors crept in.

As for sabotage, theoretically possible, sure, but unlikely for 99% of all games.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I played this through as a kid and never noticed it (through means the first loop obviously), although I found the game challenging at the time

The PC version then? And where did you get it from?

 

[Sacred82]

Eh, lots of early computer games were multisystem games, and many ports handled by less gifted people, so lots of errors crept in.

Fundamental things like weapons and armor doing anything at all, but having purely gameplay related consequences and not technical ones? Sounds unlikely. Especially because it should have been just as obvious to them during testing as it is to us.

Becky did lots of ports, maybe Garriott didn't but he would have been able to tell if someone is worth their salt. Why would you outsorce any port to some hacks? It's still a viable product you want to sell or there'd be no port. Sounds more like a developer's post factum excuse to disgruntled customers.

Things like blocked passages may or may not be a little different. OTOH, how many instances of "late game door doesn't behave like all other doors in the game and can't be picked or broken down" have there been in RPG's alone? A few too many, probably. Just statistically.

 

[Grauken]

I played this through as a kid and never noticed it (through means the first loop obviously), although I found the game challenging at the time

The PC version then? And where did you get it from?

I bought it in a shop, yes PC version

 

[Grauken]

I just want to mention that I don't know if the bug was present or not, this was when I was 13 or 14, around that age, so I had no idea how a proper RPG should work and whether I got the correct amount of EXP, I just had the tendency to brute force games like this, saving almost every step of the way (I had much more time then, than I do now obviously) and trying to play the game perfectly with no damage done to my bots

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Then you either went Full Autism while playing the game, or the bug is only present in some versions of Captive on the PC.

I'm gonna have a better look at this.