The state of UO............................

[Jirel of Joiry]

Is in IMHO depressing. I'm beginning to have doubts that SA will ever see the light of day. I look around and its just sad.

Take the West Brit Bank makeover, they made over 3 shards and the rest are forgotten as are the poor contest winners.

Take a look at our EM events what started out as this awesome thing is nothing more than a mere shadow of its self. Thanks in part to greedy, whinerbabies.

Now the player run events are being affected. I attended the final "Name That Tune Contest" hosted by WWR. Sadly it was shut down in the middle not to be finished. I will not go into detail as to exactly what and why prompted the WWR Staff to permanently kill off what I found to be a rather enjoyable expirence. I will leave the details to WWR to reveal if they so choose. I will say this: its the same thing that is the slow death of the EM events. The me-me-me, mine-mine-mine, gimme-gimme-gimme greedy attitude that is the retched curse of UO.


Even more sad is the communcation between us and the Devs is drying up and blowing away like a tumbleweed in west Texas.

The latest nail in UO's coffin is reports from players that the phone Customer "NO" Service is telling players: "We are no longer trained in handling UO."

I can't help but wonder how much longer until they annouce UO is sunsetting.


Which brings me to this....What can each of us do to help revitalize, rebuild, and ultimate save UO from destruction? What can we do to show EA this game IS worthwhile and worth salvaging.

I think we could start by learning to be unselfish, more considerate and show some kindness to each other. I also think if every single UO player made the effort to turn in cheaters and the like every single time they saw them maybe it would encourage them to work on cleansing this unsavory element out of UO. I believe Respect is a two way street....if you want it you must earn it by respecting yourself and others. I really wonder if maybe, just maybe if we start showing the Devs and each other a little more respect then perhaps we could earn some in return.

As UO stands right this moment it make me so sad I could almost weep.

My one wish for UO is that it could rise from the "ashes" like the phoenix and become the game that it once was for all of us.

Regaurdless of what may come or go I will stay with UO until the bitter end. I only wish to delay that end for a while.

 

[Arch Magus]

Nah.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

I'm beginning to have doubts that SA will ever see the light of day.

I will disagree here, but I can go no further than that at the moment.

Take the West Brit Bank makeover, they made over 3 shards and the rest are forgotten as are the poor contest winners.

I believe Draconi said this would be done on his free time, which is probably very small at the moment.

*lots of stuff about player behaviour*

Ok this I will agree with, but it's nothing new to UO. UO's player base has acted like spoiled little children since day one. We the player base have been our own worst enemy from the game's freedom and rulesets to events. Frankly I'm impressed that they keep trying at all considering the way players tend to act.

Even more sad is the communcation between us and the Devs is drying up and blowing away like a tumbleweed in west Texas.

Anytime the devs go quiet it is due to interalizing based on what they are working on... at the moment SA thus they are probably working under a gag order to at least some degree.

The latest nail in UO's coffin is reports from players that the phone Customer "NO" Service is telling players: "We are no longer trained in handling UO."

Wouldn't know here as I have never used the phone customer service and I can't even remember the last time I paged a GM... maybe I'm strage, but I seem to be able to not need the constant attention of CS in UO.

Which brings me to this....What can each of us do to help revitalize, rebuild, and ultimate save UO from destruction? What can we do to show EA this game IS worthwhile and worth salvaging.

Honest answer? Get people to stop acting like the WORST POSSIBLE ADVERTISEMENT AGAINST UO. Stop trying to destroy what may indeed be UO's last real shot at reclaiming subscription numbers (that being the new client and expansion). Set aside the Luddism and think of the future of the game as a whole and not based on your personal inability to learn a new client (either in graphical style or in interface). I know, it will never happen, but the more we trash OUR OWN GAME, the less likely we are to bring people into it.

I don't see UO is as dire straits as you put it. I know on LS I have seen more people active in PvM (especially the Solen infiltrators outside Wind... some days that area gets downright crowded) even in some places I had found for myself away from everyone.

There IS internal activity going on, but as my first answer states, I can go no further than that right now.

Aside from player attitude, I don't think UO is nearly as bad off as your post states... but then I've read these "state of UO: UO sucks" types of threads for what... 11+ years now? And if it's not these, it's the "{Game name} is going to kill UO".

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Nah.

Um, sir what sort of reply is a one word "nah"? One can not even discern exactly what you are saying "nah" to?? Would you be so kind as to clarify yourself please?

 

[Maplestone]

Oh, is it that time of year again already?

 

[Draxous]

Which brings me to this....What can each of us do to help revitalize, rebuild, and ultimate save UO from destruction?

Stop complaining so damn much about nothing at all.

 

[Rocklin]

I could not disagree more. I do not know what the subscriber rate is, nor how much Mythic is invested in the game, but I do know I am having a blast.

1) EM discussion and mini-adventure each Thursday discussing one of the virtues. We talk about the history, meaning and applications of the virtues. Last week we did the Justice quest as a group. And at the end, everyone was able to have a brightly colored book as a keep-sake for the experience.

2) Friday night I attended a 5 hour marathon player run auction (Queen Mum and Judi you rock!) that raised 33 million for donation to our Britain Zoo. With the proceeds we purchased two items that were donated and EM locked down in our Luna fairgrounds. The contributor reward and a Silver Steed statue.

3) On Sunday we had an EM run fishing contest. EM generated monsters were spawned (sparingly) in New Haven Bay as player teams fished for the largest "big fish". The winner (by the way) was a fish weighing 136 Stone. Every participant was given a Yew Wood fishing pole crafted by the EM.

In the end, the token items are insignificant to the fun, friendship and entertainment that this game can still provide. Don't lose heart, the old girl is battered and bruised, but she has a lot of fight left in her. I am a returning WoW player who has fallen in love with UO all over again. There are negatives, but look at all the good this little twelve year old game still has.

~ Rock

 

[Storm]

Oh, is it that time of year again already?

lol i was thinking same thing!

UO will be around a long time yet ! and I think we all may be in for a very good suprise!

 

[Arch Magus]

Um, sir what sort of reply is a one word "nah"? One can not even discern exactly what you are saying "nah" to?? Would you be so kind as to clarify yourself please?

"Nah" as in
"no" as in
"I don't agree with any of what is said".

Sorry I didnt do a word by word reply like the guy after me.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

...

I'm beginning to have doubts that SA will ever see the light of day.

I will disagree here, but I can go no further than that at the moment.

Take the West Brit Bank makeover, they made over 3 shards and the rest are forgotten as are the poor contest winners.

I believe Draconi said this would be done on his free time, which is probably very small at the moment.

*lots of stuff about player behaviour*

Ok this I will agree with, but it's nothing new to UO. UO's player base has acted like spoiled little children since day one. We the player base have been our own worst enemy from the game's freedom and rulesets to events. Frankly I'm impressed that they keep trying at all considering the way players tend to act.

Even more sad is the communcation between us and the Devs is drying up and blowing away like a tumbleweed in west Texas.

Anytime the devs go quiet it is due to interalizing based on what they are working on... at the moment SA thus they are probably working under a gag order to at least some degree.

The latest nail in UO's coffin is reports from players that the phone Customer "NO" Service is telling players: "We are no longer trained in handling UO."

Wouldn't know here as I have never used the phone customer service and I can't even remember the last time I paged a GM... maybe I'm strage, but I seem to be able to not need the constant attention of CS in UO.

Which brings me to this....What can each of us do to help revitalize, rebuild, and ultimate save UO from destruction? What can we do to show EA this game IS worthwhile and worth salvaging.

Honest answer? Get people to stop acting like the WORST POSSIBLE ADVERTISEMENT AGAINST UO. Stop trying to destroy what may indeed be UO's last real shot at reclaiming subscription numbers (that being the new client and expansion). Set aside the Luddism and think of the future of the game as a whole and not based on your personal inability to learn a new client (either in graphical style or in interface). I know, it will never happen, but the more we trash OUR OWN GAME, the less likely we are to bring people into it.

I don't see UO is as dire straits as you put it. I know on LS I have seen more people active in PvM (especially the Solen infiltrators outside Wind... some days that area gets downright crowded) even in some places I had found for myself away from everyone.

There IS internal activity going on, but as my first answer states, I can go no further than that right now.

Aside from player attitude, I don't think UO is nearly as bad off as your post states... but then I've read these "state of UO: UO sucks" types of threads for what... 11+ years now? And if it's not these, it's the "{Game name} is going to kill UO".

Touche' Dermott of LS, touche'. Perhaps I am seeing things through the down and out funky blues glasses. The WWR event mess and EM event issues have gotten me a little depressed.

I mean The Devs gave us the EM events and WWR kindly hosts player run events and we act like the worst "spoiled little children " to borrow from you.
Its like someone giving us(the playerbase) a lovely cake and instead saying "Oh, thank you!" we say "I wanted chocolate cake! gimme chocolate cake." How rude of us. I am trying to do my part to be a better UO citizen but sometimes I just get discouraged...I am only human after all.

 

[Arch Magus]

I could not disagree more. I do not know what the subscriber rate is, nor how much Mythic is invested in the game, but I do know I am having a blast.

1) EM discussion and mini-adventure each Thursday discussing one of the virtues. We talk about the history, meaning and applications of the virtues. Last week we did the Justice quest as a group. And at the end, everyone was able to have a brightly colored book as a keep-sake for the experience.

2) Friday night I attended a 5 hour marathon player run auction (Queen Mum and Judi you rock!) that raised 33 million for donation to our Britain Zoo. With the proceeds we purchased two items that were donated and EM locked down in our Luna fairgrounds. The contributor reward and a Silver Steed statue.

3) On Sunday we had an EM run fishing contest. EM generated monsters were spawned (sparingly) in New Haven Bay as player teams fished for the largest "big fish". The winner (by the way) was a fish weighing 136 Stone. Every participant was given a Yew Wood fishing pole crafted by the EM.

In the end, the token items are insignificant to the fun, friendship and entertainment that this game can still provide. Don't lose heart, the old girl is battered and bruised, but she has a lot of fight left in her. I am a returning WoW player who has fallen in love with UO all over again. There are negatives, but look at all the good this little twelve year old game still has.

~ Rock

I love hearing about returning people who are loving UO again.

Please stick around.

 

[Arch Magus]

Touche' Dermott of LS, touche'. Perhaps I am seeing things through the down and out funky blues glasses.

Yeah, take off them things and play UO for the game that it is.

It's still very fun.

 

[Tina Small]

Jirel, like I told Galen the other day, "it's always darkest before the dawn."

Don't give up on UO yet. There are plenty of small signs that it is still alive and promises to get even better. Keep your eyes on the SA website and the Facebook site. Every time I visit the SA site, I spot something new. And the developers are doing what they promised last fall at the town hall meetings, i.e., using the FoF to give us ever more advance information on SA. They wouldn't be bothering with that if things were falling apart.

 

[Zodia]

There IS internal activity going on, but as my first answer states, I can go no further than that right now.

Sounds like somebody signed an NDA...

 

[Petra Fyde]

The fact that the banks haven't yet been done is actually a very good sign.
Draconi is doing those in his free time. That they're not done indicates he hasn't got any free time, ergo he's working flat out on the future of UO. As, probably, are all the others, hence their inability to find time to come 'chat' with us here.

 

[siyeng0]

"The state of UO............................"

Good heavens, the ellipses are breeding, somebody get the hose.

 

[Tomas_Bryce]

Jirel if you were not so busy dooming and glooming about the game on this board, then you would have had a chance to enjoy the plethora of awesomeness going on in the game for the past few months.

Alas,..

 

[popps]

I love hearing about returning people who are loving UO again.

Please stick around.

Personally, I think that if the war against cheating in UO was stepped up and scripting eradicated in some way quite a good number of players who left disturbed by the rampant cheating in UO would come back.

And if a brand new server was opened up AFTER cheating is destroyed and not made possible any longer in UO this, I imagine, would gain even more returning players.

There is nothing as enjoyable for me as playing a game where I have the perception that noone or hardly anyone has room for cheating. All players can play on an evened field.

At least, that's my view of it.

 

[Harlequin]

Which brings me to this....What can each of us do to help...

I try

So do many many others you see on these boards. See if you can tell who they are.

Then see if you can tell who are the naysayers that are always complaining about certain aspects of the game.

And by doing that, I hope it will allow you to focus on the positive sides instead of the gloomy people and realize that us loonie Pollyannas outnumber the naysayers!

 

[Arch Magus]

Personally, I think that if the war against cheating in UO was stepped up and scripting eradicated in some way quite a good number of players who left disturbed by the rampant cheating in UO would come back.

And if a brand new server was opened up AFTER cheating is destroyed and not made possible any longer in UO this, I imagine, would gain even more returning players.

There is nothing as enjoyable for me as playing a game where I have the perception that noone or hardly anyone has room for cheating. All players can play on an evened field.

At least, that's my view of it.

Leave me alone already, gawd. lol.

It's ok popps, I like to dream too.

 

[CatLord]

Greetings... I have been playing UO since 97.
My search for knowledge and everything related to this game can be sometimes... overwhelming.


So to answer the question...

A- Skill Training Cycles:
...

(Here the players maximize their skills)


B- Crafting Cycles:
Gather resources (wood, reags, scrolls, ore...),
Gather bods,
Fill bods,
Complete Heartwood Quests,...

(Here the players create slayer speelbooks, special weapons, armor...)


C- PVM Cycles:
Camp a Monster site, collect gold/silver/items... send to bank,
Train a New Pet,

(Here the players collect some extra gear and finish their pets...)


D- PVP Cycles:
One on one tactics,
Gnk tactics,
Stealth Tactics,
Team Work,

(Here the players learn to survive and work together/or not...)


E- Selling Cycles:
Craft items and place them in vendors,
In UO you can sell almost anything... so anything goes,




Now the Sad part...

New players do all of the above using the game rules.
Some veterans... the same.

I have been on 12 shards for the past 11 years and joined the major guilds on each shard...

Everyone of them teaches how to do all of the above cycles in a fully automated way... everyone of them.


Then I take a step back and I see:

- The majority of the players in Trammel... bickering about guild politics, hunting spots... penuts! How can they be so blind to everything? Are they?

- EMs busy but it strangely reminds me of the Roman Gladiator Games to appease the masses and make them blind about the Status Quo of the Republic.

- Developers doing their best and being sneaky/wise enough to bring positive change.

- Many crafters working 24/7 on their shops.

- The fellucan guilds that are all about pvp, having Luna shops and online sites selling all the power and stat scrolls, but after joining them for 6-8 months it is easy to see that EVERY tool is used to control the champ spawns... some used numbers, decreasing the individual profit but making sure no other guild would fight for the spawns... aka zerg, but even those have the private boards with cheats and speed add-ons.



Are most of the players blind to the unfairness and discrimination they are subject to?
Unless they cheat or come up with a plan... they are stuck in Trammel or dead in Felluca.
Of course they can join those guilds... and the majority does... a few dont.



I dont... at least not for profit... but yes, for knowledge... and it has been a wild ride.


Thank You.


PS: Many of the UO players do everything fair and square... from crafting to owning other players in pvp... those deserve all of my respect.

 

[RichDC]

Why cant these threads just be locked first post deleted and replaced with...

ITS AWESOME

I love the game, theres alot wrong but so what...theres a hell of alot more right!

 

[Petra Fyde]

cos that gets the mods called even more nasty names than usual

And other than that, I agree with you totally. It's not perfect by a long way, but who or what is?

 

[RichDC]

It's not perfect by a long way, but who or what is?

Simple, ME!!!

 

[enigma eb2]

Personally I can't wait for everyone to quit or leave.... That is when I know for sure that I have WON UO!!!!!!!!

 

[RichDC]

Personally I can't wait for everyone to quit or leave.... That is when I know for sure that I have WON UO!!!!!!!!

Looks like we got a duel then...last man standing wins uo!

 

[Petra Fyde]

Fine, you pair stand there and fight, I'll just sit comfy and watch. I don't plan on leaving any time soon.

 

[CatLord]

Looks like we got a duel then...last man standing wins uo!

Yup, and he plays on Drachs...

http://my.uo.com/cgi-bin/my_chars.p...904d15a71fdca2d192da7feb4f0cc8dc9e8b7b6e38af2

 

[CatLord]

ITS AWESOME! I love the game, theres alot wrong but so what...theres a hell of alot more right!

Why do you think I am still around... nothing beats UO.

Automated or not.


(sorry for quoting you)

 

[RichDC]

Ok so i win GL enigma wins Drach, petra wins Europa, you win Cat...

Petra and enigma need to fight to see who wins siege and then we all fight to see who wins uo

 

[CatLord]

Isnt that what the thread is all about?
That the majority should feel they can win uo and have fun ... instead of being slaugthered?


PS: I am not LMS.

 

[hen]

Isnt that what the thread is all about?
That the majority should feel they can win uo and have fun ... instead of being slaugthered?

I always get slaughtered in pvp, but I still have fun. I've even struggled to kill people who were afk before.

 

[CatLord]

you forget I have seen you fighting... and you are dangerous...

Funny Scotish man...

 

[RichDC]

I always get slaughtered in pvp, but I still have fun. I've even struggled to kill people who were afk before.

You're in the same boat as me then, playing an east coast server(great lakes) from the uk tenps to mes up my conn somewhat. But ill be there pvpin and pvmin till the physically force me to stop!

 

[debii]

playing for 9 years and no intention of quitting anytime soon. still finding things to do and keeping busy

 

[ColterDC]

Personally, I think that if the war against cheating in UO was stepped up and scripting eradicated in some way quite a good number of players who left disturbed by the rampant cheating in UO would come back.

I'm in that boat.

UO is a good game as long as you keep your head in the sand.

If you really dig into what is going on in UO you quickly discover that almost every aspect of the game is dominated by cheaters.

It's very sad...

 

[Black Sun]

Ok so i win GL enigma wins Drach, petra wins Europa, you win Cat...

Petra and enigma need to fight to see who wins siege and then we all fight to see who wins uo

Pitr get's Cats? Over my dead body. I'm here for the duration this time.


In all honesty, I don't think UO's in as bad of shape as some people make it out to be. Granted subscriptions are down since the first time I played, but when I came back in '07 I noticed a stronger sense of community, more player run events, and more official events and ongoing storylines than I've ever witnessed before. Also, the EM program is back! Granted it's in a limited capacity, but it's back and I feel that bodes well for the future. UO has a lot of life left in it.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

I'm more optimistic than I was 6 months to a year ago.

Sure I see plenty of issues but there have always been plenty of issues.

*shrugs*

-Galen's player

 

[Black Sun]

I'm more optimistic than I was 6 months to a year ago.

Sure I see plenty of issues but there have always been plenty of issues.

*shrugs*

-Galen's player

Yes, there are, have been, and always will be plenty of issues. That's just the way it is with an MMO. It's a never ending cycle.

 

[CatLord]

The Age of Scripting... I wonder when the Devs will break this cycle...

 

[Lady Michelle]

There is always going to be others who act like spoiled kids, and ruin things for others in real life or even in a game. It has to be up to you, and others to decide are you going to let them get to you , and ruin your fun. See them as role players, and not someone who ruins the game for you, because UO is about role playing. Think of silly things you could post at these events when others act out. Like someones kid is running rampant please get control of them. Things that will make you laugh, and others. Its all about you and others having positive attitudes, and not negative ones where you think this is the down fall of UO. Its not the down fall of UO. Events, and player run events is not just what UO is about.With or without these UO will go on, because there is so much to do.

 

[MageCruella]

Jirel, you started a good discussion! I am in a funk these days too so you are not alone here. So lets perk up and kill sumpin : )

 

[Draxous]

If you really dig into what is going on in UO you quickly discover that almost every aspect of the game is dominated by cheaters.

It's very sad...

No.

Not true at all.

It's cry-babys like you who cry "CHEAT CHEAT" that give people who don't understand why they aren't the 'absolute best' excuses other than the truth as to why they aren't 'dominating.'

This game is dominated by the powergamers. The ones who spend almost all day on UO, who constantly seek to obtain and retain the most up-to-date knowledge regarding the game and the mechanics that drive it. The one's who you think cheat, but are simply... just better than you. Like when everyone wears teh undead conjurs trinket and gets pwned by an orc brute (double dmg for slayer opposition types) cause they didn't know better.

I get sick of hearing the "they cheat!!!" excuse.

And by the way... cheating doesn't even give you a big advantage. Fighting any person (which is 90% of the UO population I come across) who doesn't know wtf they are doing, has little to no team work skills (or a team to work with,) or just plain ole sucks at this game is the only real advantage in this game, one player has over another.

It's why everyone goes for the gimpy gold when making a character. Screw going after the toughest character to master and trying to beat people at that... nooooo, sir sucky suckenstein. You get your gimplate of the month and then go ahead and cry all about how people cheat because you can't hack it.

Well you and your kind of suckensteins are annoying and need to l2play.

Thanks

and byes byes

 

[MalagAste]

I'm sorry but I think UO is fine... infact I've never been happier with the DEV's that I can remember...

Seems to me they are attempting to at least listen to the player base... they try to get to issues when they can.... they do FoF which is a heck of a lot better than days of old when you were lucky if they put any word out at all in 3 months....

And I have to say I had yet another old friend who quit, ICQ me out of the blue just to ask how I was and try yet again to "inspire" me to join them on WoW.... and I told him yet again I'd rather chew off my own left arm. There is NOTHING in WoW that appeals to me in the slightest.... sure they have "fancy" graphics... and sure your character doesn't have to emote things cause they can do actions in-game which I will admit would be nice.... but and this is the big one... NOTHING you do in WoW effects your community or surrounds.... there is NO housing..... there is no design or deco.... a community there isn't like one here.... you can't build your own town.... besides that.... any idea how many 1,000's of little sniveling whining little 9 yr olds play that game???? No.... I'll stick to UO... where I can build a town..... shape my surroundings... and feel like I really am part of something...

I've looked at other games but I'm sorry NONE of them stacks up to UO...

I don't need fancy graphics.... though I wouldn't complain if I had them.... I don't even need to have a bunch of built in movements for my character.... though having them might be nice.. I know how to use my imagination.... thank gods... So I told him once again sorry..... but my home is on Great Lakes... where you can find me when you come to your senses and return home.

 

[uoBuoY]

I Will Give Up My Ultima Online When They Peel My Cold Dead Fingers From Around It!

 

[Arch Magus]

I'm in that boat.

UO is a good game as long as you keep your head in the sand.

If you really dig into what is going on in UO you quickly discover that almost every aspect of the game is dominated by cheaters.

It's very sad...

The more I read your posts, the more I am convinced that you use cheating as an excuse.

An excuse to complain, bash UO, bash it's players, I don't know exactly. Take your pick.

 

[Alezi]

Suggestion: Don't reinvent the wheel: re-do Ultima Online in _proper_ 3D

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Sounds like somebody signed an NDA...

I'd rather not talk about it.

 

[RichDC]

Its all about you and others having positive attitudes, and not negative ones

QFT,

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of uo bashing comes from people who dont even play the game any more?

They moan about cheaters because, as some one posted they cant hack it. I dont cheat never have, i PvP and due to lack of skill im not great but i get my fair share of kills, and more than my fair share of enjoyment.

People who dont play the game should instantly be banned from stratics, i dont wana hear there whining about something they now know nothing of.

 

[Mistura]

People who dont play the game should instantly be banned from stratics, i dont wana hear there whining about something they now know nothing of.

Maybe that would be a bit much as it would stop people who are thinking of playing UO getting info. What if mods were allowed revoke posting privilages from certain members in all UO related forums upon discovery that they are embitered ex-players who are here to simply troll threads, whine and bash UO.

I would like to see that