Hi!
gosh. Gosh. GOSH!
I have to go back a number of decades to find this answer, and it certainly is not Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny that I watched my brother play hours on end, take notes on to help him, and fell in love with. That could very well mean it was my brother I lost my RPG virginity to, and gosh that is just super-duper creepy right? Right?!?
How we spent countless nights together adventuring through Britannia, battling monsters, decoding our cloth map, and delving into the dark dungeons. It was not until Ultima 6: The False Prophet, that I got to go out on my own, venture into the depths of the dungeons myself, drink at pubs in Paws, Minoc and Moonglow, and chase down a story that would take me from Lord British's Castle, to many places found in the world.
This was my first ever Ultima game I played on my own, the very first Ultima game I beat on my own, and the very first RPG that I enjoyed from start to finish. It had everything! Visiting old friends, visiting old places, and finding new unexplored places. I fell in love with all you could do in the world, remembering each detail from Ultima 5 that I sat and watched my brother play, venturing out to old favorite haunts, meeting NPCs I met previously, and looking forward to the next romp. Ultima 6 changed a lot from Ultima 5 like the engine, conversations, and graphics, but it was such a huge step for me when I loaded it up for the first time. It was my adventure, my time, and everything I ever needed in an Ultima. By far my favorite, but Ultima 5 still holds a lot of memories for me watching my brother play it, learning the world, and flipping through the paper manuals.
To this day, it still holds a place in my heart.
Thanks,
Sherry