Thinking of Returning: Question?

[Lord Prospero]

Hello Everyone,

I havent played UO for a long long time, but recently while a bit bored during the holidays started playing on a free shard. Well it brought back some good memories and now I fancy dipping my toe and seeing how things are now (will ignore a lot of the posts about how bad it is and its dying )

Anyway I wondered if there was a way for a returning player to try before buy as it were? Or would I have to reactivate my subscription to have a look?

Many thanks.

 

[Duskofdead]

Hello Everyone,

I havent played UO for a long long time, but recently while a bit bored during the holidays started playing on a free shard. Well it brought back some good memories and now I fancy dipping my toe and seeing how things are now (will ignore a lot of the posts about how bad it is and its dying )

Anyway I wondered if there was a way for a returning player to try before buy as it were? Or would I have to reactivate my subscription to have a look?

Many thanks.

I returned after 7 years away on a full 14 day free trial. However, if you wish to REACTIVATE an existing, inactive account.... I do not know (but probably believe there is not) a way to play on IT, for free.

 

[Lord Prospero]

Was it worth it?

 

[Lucius1997]

As Duskofdead had said, the only way to get a "trial" in essence is to start a brand new trial account. The "return to britannia" program is not currently open.

If you wish to go that route, direct yourself to the ultima registration site. The code for the trial is "FREE-UOKR-REG1-14DT". (Just enter it in when it asks under the Create Account section).

Is it worth it? I think so, especially if it's been a while since you've last played. It's going to feel a lot different than the free shards, but the spirit of UO is still here. There is plenty to keep you occupied, especially if you haven't played since before Mondain's. Good Luck!

 

[Duskofdead]

I am enjoying it. I dislike many of the changes since I've been gone, including messing around with skill and stat caps, and the Diablo 2 gear system that exists now. (Just left WOW..... gear farming is very unattractive to me in a game.) But I am having fun overall. Ask me in 3 years though if I was wasting my time.

 

[T_Amon_from_work]

THANK YOU! I intensely dislike the Diablo-ism of the game, however it ain't gonna go away. The skill/stat caps can be handy, though ... so don't brush them aside too soon. You will find that stat/skill locks are among the best things implemented over the years.

A bit of my history for the returnees: I started in Dec '98 - a month or 2 after the T2A release. AOS screwed my characters so badly I just gave up (June 2003) and went to DAoC. A year later (May 2004), I returned.

 

[Duskofdead]

THANK YOU! I intensely dislike the Diablo-ism of the game, however it ain't gonna go away. The skill/stat caps can be handy, though ... so don't brush them aside too soon. You will find that stat/skill locks are among the best things implemented over the years.

A bit of my history for the returnees: I started in Dec '98 - a month or 2 after the T2A release. AOS screwed my characters so badly I just gave up (June 2003) and went to DAoC. A year later (May 2004), I returned.

Whoever thought (or, as the case might be, was NOT thinking and was merely flinging money at contracted programmers saying "make it more popular!") that making a D2 gear system would make UO more fun was insane. What made UO distinct, casual-friendly, fair and unique from other MMORPG's was that it was not a gear-farming treasurehunt fest. I dislike very much that they made it itemization-oriented now.

Regarding stat LOCKING, that was implemented well before I left, and I don't mind that at all. What I dislike is this (excuse me) b.s. about if your account is so old, you get a higher cap, and scrolls to increase caps. I mean, if you're going to do that, then just do it equally for everyone, because acting like it's just some exclusive thing only some players should get or only old accounts should get is crappy. Stats are too important to hand out different caps to different players haphazard.

 

[Cat Crimson]

It's hardly a haphazard method - it's rewarding those who have kept on playing, or at least paying, for the game for a prolonged length of time. Also, anyone can increase their stat cap somewhat with stat power scrolls, obtainable from certain champ spawns ( or by buying from other players ).

But yes, skill and stat locks are good - I can remember the time when your carefully GM'd skills/worked stats would be buggered up by someone working theirs nearby ie lighting a fire and you gain in camping and lose your GM whatever.....

 

[Duskofdead]

It's hardly a haphazard method - it's rewarding those who have kept on playing, or at least paying, for the game for a prolonged length of time. Also, anyone can increase their stat cap somewhat with stat power scrolls, obtainable from certain champ spawns ( or by buying from other players ).

But yes, skill and stat locks are good - I can remember the time when your carefully GM'd skills/worked stats would be buggered up by someone working theirs nearby ie lighting a fire and you gain in camping and lose your GM whatever.....

I do not believe your character should be hardcoded to be (potentially) superior to others because of account age. Period. That's very reckless pandering to keep old subscribers. Is it a game breaking issue? Not by itself. By I think being willing to toss out balance as a pander to keep bored older players in the game is not good in the long-run.

 

[Cat Crimson]

You are making a LOT of assumptions in your statement. Sit back a while, get back into the game, then tell me if you think the increased vet stat cap makes all that much difference to your overall gameplay ( and you seem to have ignored the bit where I said you can obtain or buy stat scrolls that will up the stat cap for everyone regardless of account age ).

 

[Tazar]

...and the stat increase jewelry, etc...