Ultima The Ultima Underworld I & II Thread

[Spukrian]

Well, I found it here, quoted for simplicity:

Level   Exp. Points    Exp./Skill pt.
-----   -----------    --------------
 1           0           50
 2          50           |
 3         100           |
 4         150           |
 5         200          \|/
 6         300          100
 7         400           |
 8         600           |
 9         800          \|/
10        1200          150
11        1600           |
12        2400           |
13        3200           |
14        4800           |
15        6400          \|/

Not sure if it's accurate though.

 

[Cael]

Well, I found it here, quoted for simplicity:

Level   Exp. Points    Exp./Skill pt.
-----   -----------    --------------
 1           0           50
 2          50           |
 3         100           |
 4         150           |
 5         200          \|/
 6         300          100
 7         400           |
 8         600           |
 9         800          \|/
10        1200          150
11        1600           |
12        2400           |
13        3200           |
14        4800           |
15        6400          \|/

Not sure if it's accurate though.

After 6400 though? Because XP continues to accumulate even after you hit level 15. You can theoretically grind all skills to max with that arena place, if you are so inclined.

 

[Spukrian]

I don't know. I would have to replay the game to check, it will be a while though before I get around to it.

 

[Cael]

I don't know. I would have to replay the game to check, it will be a while though before I get around to it.

Yeah. I do recall getting to 15k+ XP before, but never did get anywhere near training everything. One of them becomes untrainable after an event in the castle (Search, I think?), I do recall that one.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

There's more to it than just points. In the first game, skill gains were partially random; you could get three points, reload, use the same mantra, and get two points. While trying to figure out the system in the sequel, I noticed that it's somehow inconsistent. For example, if I have Geoffrey train me twice in defense, I'll get one point each time, ending up at seven. If I first have him train me in attack and then defense, I'll get one attack point and two defense points, still ending up with seven defense. It could be that it's randomized but predetermined, to prevent save scumming, I guess.

 

[Cael]

How much you get trained per skill point is at least partially dependent on your stats, IIRC. It is very noticeable when you have an extreme stat (e.g., 27 Str and 12 Int). Training the associated skills will yield different results for the same skill points.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

After 6400 though? Because XP continues to accumulate even after you hit level 15. You can theoretically grind all skills to max with that arena place, if you are so inclined.

I can confirm that some skill points are earned after reaching Level 15, but I'm not sure if it's an infinite source.

 

[Cael]

After 6400 though? Because XP continues to accumulate even after you hit level 15. You can theoretically grind all skills to max with that arena place, if you are so inclined.

I can confirm that some skill points are earned after reaching Level 15, but I'm not sure if it's an infinite source.

It is at least up to 15k. I did a LOT of arena fights and you will keep getting skill points.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

Found a blackrock gem (damn, they had their fingers in the pie even back then?). Remembered that it was supposed to react to certain sounds, so I played a note on the flute. Nothing happened, so I played some random notes. Went to see what would happen if I attacked it, and when I approached it I went into another dimension/area with a bunch of goblins. Negotiations didn't go so well, so I reloaded and saw if I could enter again by playing some random notes and/or attacking it. Nope.

Did I actually stumble upon the right melody by playing random notes?

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

That is possible I suppose. I've done that in adventure games before.

 

[Kweepa]

Did I actually stumble upon the right melody by playing random notes?

Lol, it's got nothing to do with the flute. Examine the facets of the gem more closely (it helps if you look at it from different angles)...

 

[The people of Duckburg]

Did I actually stumble upon the right melody by playing random notes?

Lol, it's got nothing to do with the flute. Examine the facets of the gem more closely (it helps if you look at it from different angles)...

Yes, I realized. In my defense, it seemed like a pretty valid solution, since there have been a bunch of flutes strewn about and you do get told that blackrock reacts to sound.

Made a proper visit to the tower. Handled it non-lethally. Up until I found a great troll, at least. He solved the goblin problem. Could probably have solved them myself, with some luck and patience, but I like this resolution.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

Entering the blackrock gem is either bugged, or it has some obscure mechanic I haven't grasped yet. Some sides of it will seemingly randomly not work at times. I've noticed it very often with the floating fortress side. Usually when I try to enter it, the game won't let me and gives the message about being pushed away. If I enter the goblin tower and exit, the fortress side of the gem becomes active again pretty much every time. I get the impression that the gem is supposed to have its unlocked sides shine brightly, but it's very inconsistent and doesn't work properly, if so. Am I missing something, or is this a known bug?

In other news, I strongly dislike the weed-fuelled dreams.

 

[Butter]

I never figured out how the gem works. You just run at it and eventually it warps you somewhere, but usually you just bounce off.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

How the gem works

The Blackrock Gem at the bottom of the Britannian Sewers has eight facets. At the start only one works. Once the "quest" of that world is over, a further two worlds are unlocked. Further unlocking of the worlds goes along with the gameplay, as long as a computer/player goes along and recognizes a gameworld. (Hence Ultima: Worlds of Ultima.)

 

[The people of Duckburg]

How the gem works

The Blackrock Gem at the bottom of the Britannian Sewers has eight facets. At the start only one works. Once the "quest" of that world is over, a further two worlds are unlocked. Further unlocking of the worlds goes along with the gameplay, as long as a computer/player goes along and recognizes a gameworld. (Hence Ultima: Worlds of Ultima.)

I already figured out how it's supposed to work (as far as I can tell). The thing is that it often doesn't work that way, and refuses to let me enter certain worlds until I enter and exit another world. Or is it supposed to have you enter certain worlds to make a certain set of other worlds available when you exit? Because that doesn't seem right, and it would be a terrible idea.

 

[behold_a_man]

The thing is that it often doesn't work that way, and refuses to let me enter certain worlds until I enter and exit another world. Or is it supposed to have you enter certain worlds to make a certain set of other worlds available when you exit? Because that doesn't seem right, and it would be a terrible idea.

There are eight faces of a jewel, each leading to the same world. These faces can be divided into three sets: stable, unstable, and unavailable.

• The stable ones are the ones that always shine. Jewel's face changes its state from unstable to stable after applying a prism on a blackrock jewel.
• At most one unstable one shines at the time. The unstable jewel's faces shine cyclically, in a clockwise order (look at the jewel with at least 2 unstable faces for a minute to see the process). Jewel's face changes its state from unavailable to unstable after plot developments in a castle.
• Unavailable ones cannot be opened in any way yet.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

At most one unstable one shines at the time. The unstable jewel's faces shine cyclically, in a clockwise order (look at the jewel with at least 2 unstable faces for a minute to see the process). Jewel's face changes its state from unavailable to unstable after plot developments in a castle.

But... why? Why not just have the unlocked sides always be active? And it doesn't really seem to be tied to plot development either, since as mentioned certain already unlocked worlds will be locked until I make a trip to the goblin tower and return. I think this is the most needlessly convoluted level select menu I've encountered.

 

[Cael]

At most one unstable one shines at the time. The unstable jewel's faces shine cyclically, in a clockwise order (look at the jewel with at least 2 unstable faces for a minute to see the process). Jewel's face changes its state from unavailable to unstable after plot developments in a castle.

But... why? Why not just have the unlocked sides always be active? And it doesn't really seem to be tied to plot development either, since as mentioned certain already unlocked worlds will be locked until I make a trip to the goblin tower and return. I think this is the most needlessly convoluted level select menu I've encountered.

It is what it is. Either play the game or not.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

It is what it is. Either play the game or not.

I can criticize individual design decisions without having to drop the game entirely. A thinking man should be able to acknowledge flaws in things that are good overall.

 

[Cael]

It is what it is. Either play the game or not.

I can criticize individual design decisions without having to drop the game entirely. A thinking man should be able to acknowledge flaws in things that are good overall.

You couldn't figure out how the gem worked and came here whining about it thinking you'd get validation. A THREE YEAR OLD would have figured it out and just continued playing the game. A thinking man you are not.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

It is what it is. Either play the game or not.

I can criticize individual design decisions without having to drop the game entirely. A thinking man should be able to acknowledge flaws in things that are good overall.

You couldn't figure out how the gem worked and came here whining about it thinking you'd get validation. A THREE YEAR OLD would have figured it out and just continued playing the game. A thinking man you are not.

It's a level select menu that randomizes which level you can select. It's an objectively stupid design and I wouldn't have expected a competent developer to come up with such an awful idea. It's inconsistent, too, as the goblin tower is always brightly lit up and available, while the other sides randomly shine with a much duller light.

Why do you assume I haven't been playing? I've killed the Listener, found the lost city, replaced the Bliy Skup Ductosnore and when I last stopped, I was in the middle of the magic academy exam. Stop flying off the handle because I criticized a genuinely bad design decision in a game you like.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Consider these LBs early attempts in this type of dungeon exploration genre. I never got the UWII but I read reviews in magazines and a few blogs. Honestly, I played Hexen even though I owned this and I keep thinking they are somewhat similar in an odd way.

 

[behold_a_man]

It's a level select menu that randomizes which level you can select.

It's not random, it's periodic.

I wouldn't have expected a competent developer to come up with such an awful idea.

What exactly would you expect them to do? This solution rewards the player (by removing the 10*x seconds long wait), makes the progress easily visible, ties those silly essential items with the world, and does not enforce linearity (that is, you can still get gems from each group gated by the plot in any order). Also, this mechanism makes sense if they invented the plot before that part of the game.

The power lines were far more disappointing for me - completely detached from the rest of the plot, with some random NPC being the only person who could tell me about the progress. Also, I'm sure you'll be very happy with the reward for this one.

 

[Butter]

Consider these LBs early attempts in this type of dungeon exploration genre. I never got the UWII but I read reviews in magazines and a few blogs. Honestly, I played Hexen even though I owned this and I keep thinking they are somewhat similar in an odd way.

Nah, Hexen has more bad design decisions.