Hasta la Vista

[imported_ParadoxUO]

Well ladies and gentlemen... this concludes my UO experience.

Was a good month... from New Haven to the Gauntlet and then to field PVP.

My special thanks to all those that helped me with basic gear... specially the kind elves that roam the New Haven area looking for new blood... your help was precious... and i bet you never expected to receive a ornament of the magician and a hat of magi for helping a young one...

I learnt alot about UO... i got over 200 messages, both positive and negative...

These are my conclusions:
Positive*
- this game has the one of best communities i ever played with,
- it is complex enough to be a challenge,
- both graphics are promising... 2d promotes pvp area tactics and gives a general perspective while kr gives a more personal, immersing experience,
Negative*
- scritping took over uo,
- if you dont speedhack you are dead on the water(pvp wise),

General idea:
While the Trammel side is more balanced and so is the Gauntlet now... the real problem is felluca and the "black" market...
Felluca is ran by wolfish clans that try to control the powerscroll and stat scroll market... and thank goodness each uo million is worth less and less... those clans will cheat, hack... do anything to keep their steady uo "income"... amassing huge uo fortunes, moving from shard to shard, a wave of foulness way out of control... or they stick to one shard... leeching from it... while the trammies script for hours to have the gold to buy the goods...

cheating promoting cheating...


So my conclusion after my month of uo is simple...

"In UO, cheating is rampant... playing it is pointless."

I wish you all the best and no, you cant have my stuff... already gave everything.

In the words of my teacher... that is stuburn enough to play till EA pulls the plug...

"one circle! one soul!"

 

[Babble]

Have fun

 

[imported_Heartseeker]

While the game was not like this before, you kinda summed up where it headed.

There are many that will dispute your claim, but all in all you are not to far off.

Lots of people still enjoy this game, but not as many lately.

Connor is right hat he made a lot of coin legally; but he doesn't realize that he has a talent for that which many don't.

I would put him in the top few percent on ideas on how to make gold fast in this game.

Have fun in your next game ParadoxUO.

 

[HD2300]

Most important is you had fun.

Thanks for your feedback and opinions, because you never know, it might improve the game for everyone else here.

 

[imported_Sarphus]

all you have to do to have fun in UO is to not play the game the cheaters play...

UO is a big game... there's more to UO tham playing with the cheaters. Some shards have a lot less of a cheating problem than others.

 

[Guest]

<font color=red>Paying customer, player and Stratics poster is making these comments ...</font color=red><blockquote>while the trammies script for hours to have the gold to buy the goods... </blockquote>Ya know, I resent that. A lot. I am a Trammie, from where I prefer to play (ruleset) to the fact that I can't PvP for squat and thus earned that name from the ardent ones. &lt;shrug&gt;

But I have NEVER scripted my way to wealth and I have 4 years on the current account, 4+ years on the account I closed post-AoS. I resent the fact you after one month have the all-fired audacity to judge thousands of players world-wide that you never met, played or fought with or got to know.

<font color=red>&lt;/end customer, player, poster comments&gt;</font color=red>

Have fun whereever you land next.

 

[Lord_locke]

<blockquote><hr>

I resent the fact you after one month have the all-fired audacity to judge thousands of players world-wide that you never met, played or fought with or got to know.

[/ QUOTE ]

If UO hasn't been in a steady decline since the dawn of existence I'd agree with you. Also he was speaking generally and a good deal of what he said hits the nail on the head. I bet a good percentage of the people that have quit in the past oh... 6 months or so would also probably be in agreement with him... Rampant cheating, nearly non-existent support... hmm, haven't most of you written rants complaining about that same crap?

You people sure get mad when 'quitters' say you can't have their things.

 

[Kaj]

The thing in UO is that you do not need to buy their things, nor do you need to care about what ANY scripter is doing.

Yes, it is hard to make billions in a legal way. Even illegal it is a lot of work. But you do not need a lot of money to have fun in UO.

And if you think you know it all after 1 month of playing, you obviously have no clue. A month is around 720 hours.. Even if you have played for 700 hours you can't have mastered all things in UO. And if you really think 'there are cheaters ergo the game sucks' you haven't understood the community or the economy AT ALL.

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

Well ladies and gentlemen... this concludes my UO experience.

Was a good month... from New Haven to the Gauntlet and then to field PVP.

My special thanks to all those that helped me with basic gear... specially the kind elves that roam the New Haven area looking for new blood... your help was precious... and i bet you never expected to receive a ornament of the magician and a hat of magi for helping a young one...

I learnt alot about UO... i got over 200 messages, both positive and negative...

These are my conclusions:
Positive*
- this game has the one of best communities i ever played with,
- it is complex enough to be a challenge,
- both graphics are promising... 2d promotes pvp area tactics and gives a general perspective while kr gives a more personal, immersing experience,
Negative*
- scritping took over uo,
- if you dont speedhack you are dead on the water(pvp wise),

General idea:
While the Trammel side is more balanced and so is the Gauntlet now... the real problem is felluca and the "black" market...
Felluca is ran by wolfish clans that try to control the powerscroll and stat scroll market... and thank goodness each uo million is worth less and less... those clans will cheat, hack... do anything to keep their steady uo "income"... amassing huge uo fortunes, moving from shard to shard, a wave of foulness way out of control... or they stick to one shard... leeching from it... while the trammies script for hours to have the gold to buy the goods...

cheating promoting cheating...


So my conclusion after my month of uo is simple...

"In UO, cheating is rampant... playing it is pointless."

I wish you all the best and no, you cant have my stuff... already gave everything.

In the words of my teacher... that is stuburn enough to play till EA pulls the plug...

"one circle! one soul!"

[/ QUOTE ]

1 "i bet you never expected to receive a ornament of the magician and a hat of magi for helping a young one" .....orny's and hat's are cheep now.

2 "200 messages" ... BOWS down

3 "best communities" .. yep

use to be ALOT better tho

4 "complex enough to be a challenge"... yet simple enough to play

5 "both graphics are promising".. umm 2d still looks good and feels good. KR =
wow clone, no thanks

6 "scritping took over uo".... it did ? i don't script and i'm still one of the top players on atlantic ( at least in my eye's)

7 "if you dont speedhack you are dead on the water(pvp wise)",.... really ? how is this true? i survive just fine and don't even have my system tweaked with the windows tweak program that comes with windows nor any MTU tweakers. you can't really expect to jump into pvp overnight do you? these are people not monsters. i would say smarter AI ,but yah

8 "Felluca is ran by wolfish clans" ... oh you met VIP ? haha

9 'scripting/cheeting'.... and you are positive EVERYONE does this how ?

10 "one month of playing" ... you can't even begin to touch anything that UO is about in a month let alone have the skills in game or out of game to do your best.

11 "In UO, cheating is rampant... playing it is pointless." .... do you cheat in life? i bet your one of those people that NEVER do anything pointless, like say... talking.


hope you didn't come here expecting sympathy because your a quitter. i like people that stick to things.

 

[Guest]

As a 10 year veteran of Ultima Online myself, I have to agree with most of your conjecture. As scripting and exploits are on the increase and the true player base fades, for they too find less and less reason to play, I too find myself at a loss for getting power scrolls without "joining" the band of thieves. Where I see the point of the protests that "I can make $$ thusly" It matters little when the cheaters can out fight, "hack", you even when you are evenly matched in skill. I used to run a very large PvP guild on Catskills and can even find my character's name in a Google search about us out on the hunt. So I am sure I shall hear those out there claiming it's lack of skill in playing the game. Point being these are the reason SOME find to leave UO to play other games. I have found myself playing other online game for the last 3 months, only coming back to UO during events. I keep 2 active accounts so I am still a loyal subscribers but find less and less reason to play these days. Looting my kills seems to be what keeps me poor. I get in some heavy areas to fight and can't seem to find the time to loot 1/10Th of what I slay. These are some of the stronger foes thus you can not stand around and loot and sift. I have much more to say but lacks focus here. Those that are doing well in the game stay longer to be sure. New players fade out fast or tend to join the cheaters to keep up. It's great when guild take the time to bring a playing into thier own to help them find the right path. Others just find the cheating un-bearable which such a complex system. There in lies the question of why bother. Some don't find fun in this type of competition where others thrive.

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

<blockquote><hr>

And if you really think 'there are cheaters ergo the game sucks' you haven't understood the community or the economy AT ALL.

[/ QUOTE ]

Economy:
High end items... runic kits, gauntlet artefacts, powerscrolls, stat scrolls, peerless items, resources, rares.

runic kits: scripted.
gauntlet artefacts: fun due to devs changes.
powerscrolls/stat scrolls: some guilds ran bots to do champ spawns till level 4 (pictures posted on their boards), general use of cheats, speedhacking and scripts to "own" felluca.
Peerless items: fun even if rare.
Resources: scripted.
Rares: how many accounts hacked because they had unique shard rares? how many because they had gold and artefacts? how many players left because of nothing being done about it?



Community:

Fell type A:
high cheating guilds that lock felluca and have complete monopoly of power and stat scrolls... plus several online sites to instantly sell those items... (some even have instant updates from their ghost cams on their sites)

Fell type B:
high cheating guilds that keep the shard busy but dont have complete control... not have a system to sell those items.

Fell type C:
pvpers that cheat because everyone else does it... they are great, but cant be the best without it.

Fell type D:
new pvpers... unless they cheat they will have fun and kill some... but once facing the cheating guilds they go down in a few seconds.


Tram Type A:
Veterans that know everything and do everything... they script and get their top items, resources, bods, house placement, etc...

Tram type B:
Players learning the ropes but getting info from big guilds... learning how to cheat... and move faster.

Tram type C:
Veterans that refuse to cheat and play fair and square... they know enough about the game and the economy... which allows them to know exactly what to sell, where to make a profit...

Tram type D:
Players that are exploring and are having fun... blind but enjoying the game.


(A to D: decrease in the use of cheats; multi clienting not included)

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

<blockquote><hr>

"i bet you never expected to receive a ornament of the magician and a hat of magi for helping a young one" .....orny's and hat's are cheep now.

[/ QUOTE ]

yup, but i got them myself... was one of my finest moments!

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

i forgot one thing!!!

is cheating only a problem on the western servers? does the same problem exist on the japonese ones? just curious!

 

[Guest]

T'is not WHAT was stated, but HOW. See the Magdalene, LC666 subthread in Sheidan's State of UHall post. I personally do NOT give a rats rump what anyone calls me if it's justified, but generalized statements as made in the original post do bother me.

The real issue, and I won't even debate it, is that there are scripters and EA seems ineffective or incapable of curtailing the activity without punishing the ones who play legitimately (resource randomization, BoS changes, etc).

My upset was the generalization ... period. I prolly should have clarified that in my post, but frankly was too bothered to REALLY think that one through before hitting SUBMIT. My bad.

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

At least you still click the button...

I truly hope SA comes out or some new content.

Thanks to many i saw:
the legacy dungeons,
ilshenar and its dungeons, got lost several times...
t2a, weird teleports too, ended up running from ophids...
a tokuno champ spawn,
the gauntlet where i lost 5 days,
fel champ spawn (black and white)
some melisands, one dreadhorn (yucky shapeshifters!), a grizzle one.
all was video recorded and it was fun!

You all take care... Jeremy is doing her best and dodging the bullets, the devs are slowly making the game fun (the gauntlet IS fun, thanks to them, the resources... hum, better not start another discussion)...

and keep the Faith.

Be the Avatar(?)

 

[Guest]

I agree with alot of this. Sure not all do cheat and there are still great and honorable players in UO.
Still EA should not close their eyes for cheating, sometimes I think, that they fear stopping cheating, cheaters do also pay their fee each month and stopping them may cost EA money just like the bod runners did pay each month.

It's like pee in your pants to get warm, it do not last for long and after it get worse.

If EA do not stop the cheating, the last honorable player will soon be gone and the cheaters will be out of business and quit too and there won't be any to pay the fee.

The ones who say, it's easy to make mills may be right but it hurt the game, it should not be possible. In old days it was hard and some days you lost more than you got.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Actually ... quite a "different" picture emerges ... IF one follows his/her posting history ...

#7588679 - 01/18/08
It seems UO has several advantages no other Online Game has...
so it is time to try it.
Which shard should i pick?
Which template is the best to start with?
Any special tips?
Thank you.

#7593090 - 01/22/08
Just wanted to thank the Great Elves of ELV for the starting gear and blue beetle for my paladin/archer Moliera... it sure made a difference.
I placed a small tower near Cove... do come and visit!
and once again...
THANK YOU!

#7593104 - 01/22/08
i have to blame my multi-linear thinking process on that one... it prevents me from wasting resources... plus it works like a Nth derivative matrix... all vectors push me forward.
and eve online wasnt even a challenge... just a loop, then again most online games are... was fun while there was challenge...

#7597642 - 01/25/08
i'm a fire starter!
About winning UO... the UO variables are simple... specially non-fell ones.
Create paths... so no time is wasted... and goals are reached with minimal friction/effort...
lets see if i can write down the path of the paladin/archer:
- start with 49 healing, 49 chivalry, 2 points anywhere...
- escort and get 500 gold, buy your skills till 40...
(archery, tactics, anatomy, healing, chivalry, bushido, focus)
- do the new haven quests (if you start one you cant buy more skills)
- read the stratics info about making macros... make them for the chivalry spells, bushido spells, primary/secundary weapon attacks, new targetting system.
- get uoa, read the europa thread about it... learn to drink potions, record basic macros...
- look for hci ring and bracer, bug a tailor to make you two quivers, buy arrows/bolts in ilshenar at the gypsy camps, bug a tamer to tame you a blue beetle, then another and feed it and stable it(wait 7 days, then trade pets... it bonds... this means it will die but its ghost will still follow you)... save some gold to buy a earth elemental slayer weapon... fast if possible.
- visit shame and pull all scorpions to the NE... kill the Earth Elementals while training your skills... collect the gold, gems, items and fertile dirt... (metal items used later to improve mining while smelting them)
- buy a house with 73k, i like the small towers... near town if possible (alot of room near minoc, vesper and cove)
- color code your containers so you dont waste time...
- do the humility quest and get the last piece of the virtue set...
- buy a undead, a demon slayers... even if not fast...
- make sure you have 40k insurance in the bank and 10k tithing points... and use a rune library to go to doom... hunt there, near the beach at prime time... until a team is going in... and ask for a ride in.
- explore the gauntlet (many guides available, some videos!) and collect artefacts while finishing your training... hope this helps!
was just told... if you log out when you die, your pet vanishes... and you save it!

#7606876 - 02/01/08
Hail... i have finished my archer and got the required artefacts to pvp...
which guilds pvp and where can i find them?
Side note: looking for non cheating fel guild for some fun using my archer...
Thank You!

#7610774 - 02/04/08
Thank you... but after watching the pvp i found out something...
Unless I speedhack... it is quite pointless.
This ends my days in uo... from training to the gauntlet to pvp...
Three weeks of fun and exploring... but also under a great shadow.
No matter how I played only a few things were fun and fair... most of the game is ran by scripters and that makes it impossible to compete for the average 2hour per night player...
Kudos to the veterans that never cheated and kept their guilds clean... even if that means huge beatings in Felluca.
Safe Gaming to everyone.

Now ... yeah ... I just pulled a couple of pages out of his "diary" ... its all there for detailed reveiw ... but ...
Taking it "as is", ie: as a diary of a fresh new player ... with no other assumptions or guesses "shading" the analysis ...

tsk ! For ME ... it looks like the noobie (god bless 'em ... we NEED 'em)
it looks like the noobie thought He could "win" UO in a month ...
and basically ... "quit" after finding one or the other:
A) first flaw to the "n-matrix formula"
B) realized that UO can't be "Won"

All in all: worthy of a salvage effort ... basically needs a re-adjustment on "expectations and adjustment parameters" ... *shrugs*

Had to grin though ... ^^up there in the quoted bit: do the humility quest and get the last piece of the virtue set ...

Last week I "finally got" the 7th drop piece from working dispise ... "I" start researching/working/training ... for the humility quest ... Next week ...
maybe ...

Which is where I would suggest, the primary focus of any "salvage" work be done ... (given the possibility of a "chance")

"expectations and adjustment parameters"
Don't "expect" to win ... Kinda technically ISN'T possible ... given: A) the human factor and B)(

No mention) The Evil Lord RNG

UO is a continuous "learn and adapt" environment ... Especially in the PvP playstyle ...

yeah yeah! WE know that ...
Some one shoulda told HIM
obviously ... he didn't figure that out hisself ...

too bad ...

coulda had another Veteran
...
...
Next!

 

[Yewish News]

<blockquote><hr>

while the trammies script for hours to have the gold to buy the goods.

[/ QUOTE ]

But you ARE a Trammie! You are the prime example of the petulant little whiners that so rightfully deserve that label.

You do NOT need scripts and hacks to compete, I have never used cheats and I enjoy PvP a lot. Player skill and teamwork wtfpwn Hacks.

 

[Guest]

See, now we both did the same thing here Fayled, I've been watching this chap's posting over the last month as it's quite insightful into the perception of someone who has played an MMO before and has come to try UO. Especially as the goal was to get involved in PvP, which is most likely the goal of many people coming to try the game. (as in 3 out of the 7 in the last year)

While to you it reads like someone who wants to "win the game" in a month, to me it reads very differently, I see it as someone who begins with that initial excitment I myself have at the start of any new MMO, that excitment and optimism is maintained quite a while, until the obvious flaws in the system, more and more become too much to glaze over with excitment.
You can't understand this perspective as you so clearly believe you can, you are not an MMO player coming to UO fresh from other current games looking for a new experience.
Not that I would in anyway pretend to understand your perspective at all, I doubt even Frued would. You simply cannot brush this person's valuable insight under the rug.

I think I managed to decode the majority of your statements, and I disagree with them all. It is not the player's job to re-asses their expectations and priorities.. It is the game's job to account for them. But expectations and priorities are not even the root of the issue here.
From my understanding, all this chap wanted was to have a fun time in the game and get involved in some PvP, along with a somewhat calculative outlook on how to achieve that goal. That's not so much to ask, it's not looking to win, nor is a "wrong" approach to have, it's not a perspective that needs to be altered in the slightest as you suggest.

I think your codesention is poorly placed. I'd rather have this person playing the game than someone with your "expectations and adjustment parameters"

Good luck finding what you're looking for Paradox.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

You need to put a "fresh eye" to rereading my post ... There &gt;was no condescending&lt; in it. weren't.
and, for me, wasn't much to "decode" either ... ie. I stated my points pretty clearly

All in all: worthy of a salvage effort ... basically needs a re-adjustment on "expectations and adjustment parameters" ... *shrugs*
Don't "expect" to win ... Kinda technically ISN'T possible ... given: A) the human factor and B)( No mention) The Evil Lord RNG
UO is a continuous "learn and adapt" environment ... Especially in the PvP playstyle ...

Now ... as to Your "conclusion":

From my understanding, all this chap wanted was to have a fun time in the game and get involved in some PvP, along with a somewhat calculative outlook on how to achieve that goal. That's not so much to ask, it's not looking to win, nor is a "wrong" approach to have, it's not a perspective that needs to be altered in the slightest as you suggest.

4 days ? 4 days is "a Fair" time frame to come to a decision ....about UO PvP ...

Oh really?

And ... btw ... Yes .. I can ... ( understand this perspective as you so clearly believe you can )
I saw a "salvagable" player ... you seem to be construeing him as doomed "to failure"
*shrugs*

the slight alteration (noted in three lines above) ... Those are "unreasonable" ?
for training a long term player ...

humph!
I disagreee

 

[Sergul'zan_SP]

<blockquote><hr>


These are my conclusions:
Positive*
- this game has the one of best communities i ever played with,
- it is complex enough to be a challenge,
- both graphics are promising... 2d promotes pvp area tactics and gives a general perspective while kr gives a more personal, immersing experience,
Negative*
- scritping took over uo,
- if you dont speedhack you are dead on the water(pvp wise),

General idea:
While the Trammel side is more balanced and so is the Gauntlet now... the real problem is felluca and the "black" market...
Felluca is ran by wolfish clans that try to control the powerscroll and stat scroll market... and thank goodness each uo million is worth less and less... those clans will cheat, hack... do anything to keep their steady uo "income"... amassing huge uo fortunes, moving from shard to shard, a wave of foulness way out of control... or they stick to one shard... leeching from it... while the trammies script for hours to have the gold to buy the goods...

cheating promoting cheating...


[/ QUOTE ]

This is further evidence that new content is not going to bring new players unless bugs are fixed and cheating is addressed in a competent manner.

 

[Yewish News]

<blockquote><hr>


This is further evidence that new content is not going to bring new players unless bugs are fixed and cheating is addressed in a competent manner.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much impossible to stop attended scripting and speed hacks. But unattended scripting could easily be addressed.

 

[Guest]

In sprinting towards end-game as you've elected to do, you have very effectively bypassed and therefore cheated yourself of much of UO's charm as well as...well, "fun," too. Yeah, I said, "fun."

I see you were on Europa, home of a rich &amp; hearty roleplaying community.

Stick with me. If you find it intimidating or offputting, then forget the "thee's" and "thou's" of roleplaying - heck, you could roleplay a mute &amp; avoid typing that stuff altogether, if it pleased you.

I mean, obtaining the arties is great and all and certainly if that was your goal after a month or so, you absolutely achieved it. However, decking oneself out in arty-farties is but one tiny aspect of UO's pvp end-game.

It takes some REAL talent and considerable skill to be able to pvp effectively in uninsured GM crafted gear with GM crafted weapons.

The formation play, the teamwork, and sheer tenacity of Europa's roleplayers against non-roleplaying reds sporting 100's of millions in suit &amp; kit in, say a champ spawn or a Harrower, are truly a sight to behold.

Often, it's the quips &amp; emotes from the rpers followed by the utter disbelief of their non-rp &amp; arty-dripping rivals who are cannily &amp; consistently outmanouvred and are falling to these staunch GM kit bedecked warriors which makes it all the more wonderful a spectacle to witness.

Have you really "won" or "conquered" UO if you haven't done it all with only GM crafted armour and a GM crafted weapon or GM crafted non-modded spellbook between you and your off-white undies?

You spoke of videoing some of your gameplay. Now these folk, the rpers in Felly with such heart and such fun, those would be videos I'd really love to see.

 

[Connor_Graham]

"Often, it's the quips &amp; emotes from the rpers followed by the utter disbelief of their non-rp &amp; arty-dripping rivals who are cannily &amp; consistently outmanouvred and are falling to these staunch GM kit bedecked warriors which makes it all the more wonderful a spectacle to witness."

I'd pay admission to watch this show.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

ya already got the ticket ... location ...

just need a date?
(either)

hehehehe

 

[Babble]

*grins*
If you ever play a mute you will learn that you type more than all others

 

[Guest]

We have (or at least had) a once a month Open Harry on Europa usually sponsored by a particularly community minded Felucca-based guild, Fayled. That's where I usually see (or saw) the fab rp chappies - who often leave recruitment parchments around WBB.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

*grins*
If you ever play a mute you will learn that you type more than all others

[/ QUOTE ]That is so true.
(Voice of experience, and current player of several very talkative characters)

 

[Babble]

nice review