Ultima The Ultima Series Discussion Thread

[Cael]

Maybe, maybe not. Could be the dev was trying to prevent people from shortcutting the process and actually want you to play the game instead of doing speed runs with no in-universe knowledge (but lots of metagame knowledge).

Which is declined as fuck. Why should the developer care how people approach the game on repeat playthroughs?

And which game allows you to use typed keywords to shortcut the game the last 20 years?

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Yes, the Decline is real and Ultima VII was part of the problem, thank you Cael.

 

[Cael]

Yes, the Decline is real and Ultima VII was part of the problem, thank you Cael.

It is no skin off my nose that you think that way. It is merely entertaining watching you go so aggro over nothing.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

It is no skin off my nose that you think that way. It is merely entertaining watching you go so aggro over nothing.

That "nothing" was the design philosophy that made the earlier Ultima games what they were though, forgotten to favor accessibility and storyfaggotry. A linear Ultima game is a travesty.

Also, welcome to the Codex.

 

[Cael]

It is no skin off my nose that you think that way. It is merely entertaining watching you go so aggro over nothing.

That "nothing" was the design philosophy that made the earlier Ultima games what they were though, forgotten to favor accessibility and storyfaggotry. A linear Ultima game is a travesty.

Also, welcome to the Codex.

Oh. I know there are lots of dramacunts in this forum that believe their way of playing is the only way of playing and everyone else are apostates for playing otherwise. It is still fun to goad you into blowing your stack.

 

[LarryTyphoid]

The linearity of Serpent Isle goes beyond the botched keyword system of U7. You can't find Cantra or Batlin without first giving one of their items to the Hound of Doskar, even if you happen to find where they are (which is extremely easy to do, there's not many places to go on the map at that point). There'll literally be an energy field there until you have the hound track them. So the non-sequitur linear progression extends beyond the dialogue, it actually affects physical things in the world.

 

[Cael]

The linearity of Serpent Isle goes beyond the botched keyword system of U7. You can't find Cantra or Batlin without first giving one of their items to the Hound of Doskar, even if you happen to find where they are (which is extremely easy to do, there's not many places to go on the map at that point). There'll literally be an energy field there until you have the hound track them. So the non-sequitur linear progression extends beyond the dialogue, it actually affects physical things in the world.

Yes. And you can't get into the Swamp without getting all three artifacts, and so on. SI is gated like that.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

14:45 I believe... Akalabeth.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

Despise the almost inevitable shit that it would turn out to be, it's so weird that at NO point EA every attempted a revival of the Ultima franchise (outside of that abominable low budget mobile thing).

 

[LarryTyphoid]

Despise the almost inevitable shit that it would turn out to be, it's so weird that at NO point EA every attempted a revival of the Ultima franchise (outside of that abominable low budget mobile thing).

It's a very obscure series at this point. Its most famous entry is probably Underworld (on account of its connection to System Shock and other Looking Glass Studios games), and we saw how that game's "revival" ended up. And even Ultima Underworld is a pretty obscure game among casual gamers. I had someone on /v/ tell me that Grand Theft Auto is a more important and influential game than Underworld.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

The games could use a modern update having played many versions of them.

Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Voyd links
Geocities old Remaster

I'll see if this old remaster works better on my winxp laptop. I'd hate to think i need a win98 laptop. Sure i could fuck around with dosbox getting older windows shit to work I guess..

I am surprised a joshua steel tile set and maybe ultima underworld set weren't use or pics from AppleIIGS or other ultimas like 5. I always hated gremlins eating 1/2 food. Ultima 3-5 was better. Yeah, a more streamlined A-5 (or A-9) using 2D enhanced tilesets 32x32 or 64x64 pixels, shading, shadows, flares, certain QOL and change the game play to a more U5 or better tactical combat. I liked the FPP dungeons but the top dosn for Sega Master System and a few others like the Palm OS would be quite interesting. PIX PLAYS PALM OS ULTIMA

 

[Daemongar]

That's unfortunate as going back to LarryTyphoid's point - there are points where you do not get dialog options for key events. A text parser to cut to the chase (like Fallout's, only useful) would be a great addition. There is already WAY too much text clicking on useless info in SI - I can see how they can't include *everything* but it would be nice if instead of having to click on goblins or Pomdragin with everyone in Monitor, you could just type that in if inclined - kind of like stone, rune, or mantra in U4 - maybe it will pay off, maybe it won't - but it won't hurt to try with everyone.

Maybe, maybe not. Could be the dev was trying to prevent people from shortcutting the process and actually want you to play the game instead of doing speed runs with no in-universe knowledge (but lots of metagame knowledge). The game is already absurdly easy to break as it is with what metagame knowledge you can act on (carpet, magic weapons/armour, etc.). Technically, you can bypass all of the keywords by just using the teleportation cheat as it is. Just use that instead if you want to cheat in the game.

Yah, I never really had a qualm with their design until I returned to play it recently. I have always liked the game but those flags make a walk-through or taking in game shortcuts a pain in the arse. Ultima VII with the open world followed by Serpent Isle... you know what? Screw it. I like Serpent Isle a lot. You know what? They could have waited 5 years to come out with a better game or such, but they released Serpent Isle about a year after Ultima VII - it was good enough. It tells a pretty good story and eventually opens up.

Just checking now.
Ultima VII - released April 16, 1992
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle - released March 25, 1993
Ultima VIII: Pagan - released March 15, 1994

That's fucking amazing.

 

[LarryTyphoid]

Ultima VII - released April 16, 1992
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle - released March 25, 1993
Ultima VIII: Pagan - released March 15, 1994

How EA killed Ultima, in a nutshell.

 

[Daemongar]

Ultima VII - released April 16, 1992
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle - released March 25, 1993
Ultima VIII: Pagan - released March 15, 1994

How EA killed Ultima, in a nutshell.

Eh, I think
Ultima VII - released April 16, 1992
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle - released March 25, 1993
Ultima VIII: Pagan - released March 15, 1994
Ultima IX: Ascension - released November 23, 1999

I think Origin/Ultima could survive Pagan, but the 15 years for the next Ultima and it being horrible probably had a lot more to do with things.

 

[Cael]

That's unfortunate as going back to LarryTyphoid's point - there are points where you do not get dialog options for key events. A text parser to cut to the chase (like Fallout's, only useful) would be a great addition. There is already WAY too much text clicking on useless info in SI - I can see how they can't include *everything* but it would be nice if instead of having to click on goblins or Pomdragin with everyone in Monitor, you could just type that in if inclined - kind of like stone, rune, or mantra in U4 - maybe it will pay off, maybe it won't - but it won't hurt to try with everyone.

Maybe, maybe not. Could be the dev was trying to prevent people from shortcutting the process and actually want you to play the game instead of doing speed runs with no in-universe knowledge (but lots of metagame knowledge). The game is already absurdly easy to break as it is with what metagame knowledge you can act on (carpet, magic weapons/armour, etc.). Technically, you can bypass all of the keywords by just using the teleportation cheat as it is. Just use that instead if you want to cheat in the game.

Yah, I never really had a qualm with their design until I returned to play it recently. I have always liked the game but those flags make a walk-through or taking in game shortcuts a pain in the arse. Ultima VII with the open world followed by Serpent Isle... you know what? Screw it. I like Serpent Isle a lot. You know what? They could have waited 5 years to come out with a better game or such, but they released Serpent Isle about a year after Ultima VII - it was good enough. It tells a pretty good story and eventually opens up.

Just checking now.
Ultima VII - released April 16, 1992
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle - released March 25, 1993
Ultima VIII: Pagan - released March 15, 1994

That's fucking amazing.

SI would never be a better game because EA. Ascension was its fate if it were given a longer time with even more EA meddling.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

You could tell something was up when UO changed their graphical style. The gazer changed to mirror the U9 gazer or I have my dates wrong and it was vis versa.

 

[LarryTyphoid]

What exactly was the Guardian doing during Serpent Isle? Like, what was his plan? And how come that faggot Earth Serpent doesn't do anything while the Avatar gets kidnapped?

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Isn't that explained?

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Great_Earth_Serpent

I guess it can't really do anything because of the blackrock statue. There are probably discussions of thus on Ultima Dragons.

 

[LarryTyphoid]

Isn't that explained?

Maybe in Ultima 8, but not in SI. I mean, Batlin was seemingly trying to betray the Guardian the whole time. Batlin's motives for doing so are never really explained, either, he kinda just dies like a retard.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I thought these games were rather rushed to appease the EA overlords.

Link1

Hmmm.... actually, I might just agree this was Origins fault. More time spent later on UO and RG(LB) getting more hands off and letting teams do the work. Also, Origin was flooding their caralog with other games at this time. EA or Origin, the games started getting rushed out to try to compete. I'm betting they thought UO was just going to advance from there. Possibly, that is why he is now pushing his FB link now. They are either quiet about the new game or there is absolutely nothing and this is a HUGE SCAM.

The lord is corrupted and the only virtue is greed $$$$$

 

[Cael]

What exactly was the Guardian doing during Serpent Isle? Like, what was his plan? And how come that faggot Earth Serpent doesn't do anything while the Avatar gets kidnapped?

The plan was to use the Wall of Lights to let the Guardian into SI like the Black Gate. Batlin was going to subvert the ritual to enter the gate instead. Dialing out instead of dialing in, as it were. Unfortunately, the moron use the CHAOS Serpent to open the ORDER wall, resulting in his fat literally flying everywhere.

 

[LarryTyphoid]

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Lol. Indeed.

 

[Comte_II]

So what was Batlin going to do? Kill the Guardian? Usurp his power?