Game News Not-Ultima Online 2: Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter is Live

[Avantre]

But that lists his own project as one he backed. Isn't that against the rules of kickstarter?

If it is I haven't seen it listed on the terms of service or faq on Kickstarter

 

[Broseph]

Wow, I think I found out why this is happening. Apparently Lord British is suffering from a demonic possession, listen around 24:30: http://youtu.be/AB7fJVczfc8?t=24m30s

Holy shit. How are people not talking about this? That was creepy as hell.

 

[Stabwound]

I have no idea, man. It's some terrifying shit. I fear for the soul of British.

 

[jaybirdy]

It all makes sense now. How does a guy create an almost perfect, secular moral code and afterwards become incredibly selfish? How could the guy who wrote about a town that was destroyed for its pride be so narcissistic and arrogant and outright delusional? How could a guy preach about compassion and then lay off some of his workforce right before Christmas? He has severely broken every one of his virtues; it has to be demonic possession.

 

[Minttunator]

According to the most recent update;

• the game can be played completely offline
• offline characters can't be imported into the online version
• the offline version won't have DRM or microtransactions

So it seems somewhat similar to the model the old Diablo games used with there being, in essence, 2 parallel games (online and offline). That's actually surprisingly reasonable, no?

 

[Kattze]

Jack of all trades, master of none. Would it hurt them to just focus on either single-player or multi-player?

 

[General Maxson]

According to the most recent update;

• the game can be played completely offline
• offline characters can't be imported into the online version
• the offline version won't have DRM or microtransactions

So it seems somewhat similar to the model the old Diablo games used with there being, in essence, 2 parallel games (online and offline). That's actually surprisingly reasonable, no?

No, it's still crap.

 

[Minttunator]

Jack of all trades, master of none. Would it hurt them to just focus on either single-player or multi-player?

It seems that their focus is mostly on the single-player part - I agree, though. Personally I wouldn't mind at all if they cut the social crap altogether at this point, as this clearly isn't the UO successor a lot of people were hoping for. Would it hurt them? Might be, a lot of UO players are still pledging out of nostalgia - on the other hand, if they went pure single-player, they might get more money from the Codex.

 

[Infinitron]

It seems that their focus is mostly on the single-player part

It does?

 

[Zeriel]

It seemed to me that their focus was mainly on the DRM, HOO-BOY-LET'S-MAKE-AN-MMO part. But perhaps I am just used to assuming the worst of developers. Lord knows it doesn't lead me wrong in this day and age.

 

[Minttunator]

It seems that their focus is mostly on the single-player part

It does?

It does to me, based on the most recent update. To be fair, though, that might be just wishful thinking on my part.

 

[Infinitron]

It seems that their focus is mostly on the single-player part

It does?

It does to me, based on the most recent update. To be fair, though, that might be just wishful thinking on my part.

Those are just technical details. They haven't talked yet about any plans for actual single player content. I'm not sure if they even have any.

 

[Minttunator]

They haven't talked yet about any plans for actual single player content. I'm not sure if they even have any.

That's true, apart from crafting and housing (which most probably wouldn't consider content) we know nearly nothing - especially concerning the plot. You might be right in the sense that there might not even be any and they could be going for a 'virtual world' type thing here (which would probably really suck in a single-player game).

 

[Jaesun]

Those are just technical details. They haven't talked yet about any plans for actual single player content. I'm not sure if they even have any.

Yeah all they talk about is the the MMO shit. Even the forums are nothing but talk about Guilds, houses, PvP etc...

All he has said is a few shit buzzwords about the "supposed" single player game.

 

[Scruffy]

well to be fair, the KS page talks about "A fantasy role-playing game that will focus more on player choices and discovery than on level grinding" and "Using state-of-the-art tools and technology, the game will focus on what made his seminal Ultima Series great" and "Players will be free to choose their path, but must then live with the consequences of their actions."

IF this is true, it doesn't sound too typical of multiplayer games. Unless these "consequences" are unimportant, world changing decisions in a multiplayer game seems... unlikely?

Also, "Shroud of the Avatar is the first installment of Richard’s new vision", so a "first installment" doesn't really sound like something desirable for a MMOG, since it sort of implies a second installment to come up in a relatively short time.

 

[Infinitron]

IF this is true, it doesn't sound too typical of multiplayer games. Unless these "consequences" are unimportant, world changing decisions in a multiplayer game seems... unlikely?

Have you ever played a sandbox MMO?

 

[Haba]

As a bonus, Richard Garriott will give each Lord of the Manor one of the rarest Ultima collector items imaginable, the game that started it all, Akalabeth. This rare game is in the original packaging that Richard made himself and sold only a dozen copies before it was picked up by a publisher.

Wat?

Wat?

For $10k, that's a bargain.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230908736394

Unless he is making new copies himself...

 

[Infinitron]

Unless he is making new copies himself...

Yes: http://ultimacodex.com/2013/02/on-sale-at-ebay-akalabeth-double-sticker-version/

 

[Scruffy]

IF this is true, it doesn't sound too typical of multiplayer games. Unless these "consequences" are unimportant, world changing decisions in a multiplayer game seems... unlikely?

Have you ever played a sandbox MMO?

yes (do darkfall, eve and fallen earth qualify?)
it never felt based on choices and consequences to me tbh

 

[Infinitron]

IF this is true, it doesn't sound too typical of multiplayer games. Unless these "consequences" are unimportant, world changing decisions in a multiplayer game seems... unlikely?

Have you ever played a sandbox MMO?

yes (do darkfall, eve and fallen earth qualify?)
it never felt based on choices and consequences to me tbh

Well, I guess that depends on how you define "choice and consequences".

 

[Scruffy]

IF this is true, it doesn't sound too typical of multiplayer games. Unless these "consequences" are unimportant, world changing decisions in a multiplayer game seems... unlikely?

Have you ever played a sandbox MMO?

yes (do darkfall, eve and fallen earth qualify?)
it never felt based on choices and consequences to me tbh

Well, I guess that depends on how you define "choice and consequences".

Well, claims like "Players will be free to choose their path, but must then live with the consequences of their actions" seem to imply that they would be MEANINGFUL consequences. As in, world-changing. Never felt like that in any sandbox mmog tbh. Just saying, the Ultimas C&C DID affect the world. The UO choices didn't.

 

[AC Sleighter]

They haven't talked yet about any plans for actual single player content. I'm not sure if they even have any.

That's true, apart from crafting and housing (which most probably wouldn't consider content) we know nearly nothing - especially concerning the plot. You might be right in the sense that there might not even be any and they could be going for a 'virtual world' type thing here (which would probably really suck in a single-player game).

So crafting and player housing are the only mechanics they've talked about and you are still sucking enough Lord British cock to say that it "sounds like they are focusing on single player"? What the fuck is wrong with you? In what world do you live in, that crafting and player housing sounds like the core mechanics of a single player RPG?

It's a fucking MMO. Everything he's said about the game doesn't even make sense if it's not an MMO. The opted in PvP. Player housing. Crafting. Becoming a farmer or merchant and selling your goods to other players. These are the game mechanics they've talked about.

 

[Infinitron]

Well, claims like "Players will be free to choose their path, but must then live with the consequences of their actions" seem to imply that they would be MEANINGFUL consequences. As in, world-changing. Never felt like that in any sandbox mmog tbh. Just saying, the Ultimas C&C DID affect the world. The UO choices didn't.

Actually the quests in Ultima single player games didn't have much if any C&C either, which is another reason to believe that you and Garriott aren't talking about the same thing here.

 

[Minttunator]

Also, "Shroud of the Avatar is the first installment of Richard’s new vision", so a "first installment" doesn't really sound like something desirable for a MMOG, since it sort of implies a second installment to come up in a relatively short time.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw mentions of episodic content somewhere.

 

[Infinitron]

Also, "Shroud of the Avatar is the first installment of Richard’s new vision", so a "first installment" doesn't really sound like something desirable for a MMOG, since it sort of implies a second installment to come up in a relatively short time.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw mentions of episodic content somewhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Online#Expansions