At this kind of distance, it's much easier to see how important Ultima Online is in the history of videogames. It wasn't the first MMOG, but it is perhaps the foundational game for what we'd come to think of as MMOGs, and its influence can be found in everything from the obvious (World of Warcraft and even much more contemporary examples like New World) to edge cases such as Minecraft's crafting system.
Ultima Online is a landmark, and that is most obviously shown in the fact it's still a going concern: servers remain live to this day, and the game receives regular if small updates. This month
marks 25 years since the game launched and, alongside a merry in-game celebration (including drinks vouchers and a 'troll kissing booth'), Ultima Online also offers one of the most remarkable in-game collectables you'll see:
a shield that reflects a player having spent 25 years playing the game.
Hildebrandt shield
- As special recognition for unprecedented support of Britannia, this account-bound shield is available for claim and use by accounts 25 years old or more.
- 30% chance to flame strike a mob on successful parry and a 5% chance to flame strike unsuccessful parry, does not proc against other players or pets.
- Valid destination target for transmogrification potions
- Invalid origin target for transmogrification
- Can be dyed with natural, metallic and promotional dyes
- Can be repaired via blacksmithy
- Will display an informative gump when double clicked
As well as the shield, players with this kind of vintage account can claim the title 'Founding Citizen of Britannia' which, yeah, fair enough.
