More Layoffs at EA-Mythic: Any UO staff?

[Hildebrand]

Just so you know, new content and fixing core game bugs is not done by the same person. If I stopped doing new content, I would just be fired and the things you pointed out would get done at the same pace they are getting done now.

We do have people working on those other problems, those problems are just hard to squash... especially when they involve changing core functionality of the game. Sometimes we create a fix for something and it breaks something that seemed completely unrelated. It's just the reality of digging into 12 years worth of code. I apologize that some people have found ways to cheat at UO, we will continue to try to stop them. I have always been baffled by the cheater mentality... is Chess still Chess if my side is set up normally and you set up your side with nothing but queens? How can you say you won? How can you say we were even playing Chess?

On the other hand, every time we put out new content people come out and play... so excuse me, but I'm going to continue to put in new content.

 

[Arcus]

Just so you know, new content and fixing core game bugs is not done by the same person. If I stopped doing new content, I would just be fired and the things you pointed out would get done at the same pace they are getting done now.

We do have people working on those other problems, those problems are just hard to squash... especially when they involve changing core functionality of the game. Sometimes we create a fix for something and it breaks something that seemed completely unrelated. It's just the reality of digging into 12 years worth of code. I apologize that some people have found ways to cheat at UO, we will continue to try to stop them. I have always been baffled by the cheater mentality... is Chess still Chess if my side is set up normally and you set up your side with nothing but queens? How can you say you won? How can you say we were even playing Chess?

On the other hand, every time we put out new content people come out and play... so excuse me, but I'm going to continue to put in new content.

Problem is, the content that gets added has bugs that never get fixed.

 

[Hildebrand]

Tell me you don't mean you want to stalk them.... ?!?!?!?!

I mean follow them on the boards and stuff. In fact, I wish they would have blogs for us to read. Sakkara has one and I liked getting insight like that. Even if it's not about UO in particular, I find it fascinating learning about some of the thought processes of the industry.

 

[Taylor]

Tell me you don't mean you want to stalk them.... ?!?!?!?!

I mean follow them on the boards and stuff. In fact, I wish they would have blogs for us to read. Sakkara has one and I liked getting insight like that. Even if it's not about UO in particular, I find it fascinating learning about some of the thought processes of the industry.

I meant stalking...

 

[Lord Gareth]

On the other hand, every time we put out new content people come out and play... so excuse me, but I'm going to continue to put in new content.

As long as you don't put in the code iddqd were good!

is Chess still Chess if my side is set up normally and you set up your side with nothing but queens?

The game is no longer chess. The game is "I Have Control". They don't want to play Chess, they want to play God.

How can you say you won?

Because the cheater now has control over your character and in most cases control over you, the real life players emotions. I wouldnt say they won I would say "Flawless Victory".

Flawless Victory - Being entirely without flaw or imperfection, Defeat of an opponent

***Cheater mentality***
-I will decide if your character lives.
(Allowing you to kill me)

-I will decide if your character dies.
(Using every over powered skill and cheat)

-I will decide if you will be happy by allowing you to win.
(I want you to have a sense of accomplishment in real life)

-I will decide if you will be upset by making you loose.
(I want you to feel miserable and bring you down in real life)

-I will decide if you can play in felucca or not.
(I will purposely hunt you down using the cheats over and over to grief you, until you leave.)

-I will decide if you are going to continue playing Ultima Online.
(I will find a way to make your suit drop or loop holes to clean out your house or destroy your account.)

How can you say we were even playing Chess?

Trying to think of the best way a cheater would put this.

Who said we were even playing Chess? Who said I even want to play Chess? *ROFL* I'm not here to play Chess you newb! I am here to pwn you and control what you do!

(Not calling you a newb Mark *smiles*)
I'm actually very interested in why people cheat in Multiplayer and single player games. There is a variety of reasons. One I believe to be the most common is this: I do not have control over anything in real life.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

If they honestly wanted to move forward with 3D they would have to dump the decrepit 2D client. Its the client thats holding things back, not the servers.

Right... because the EC is such a thing of beauty to behold.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

I can't argue with anything you said there. But I meant items on the ground outside, in dungeons, etc. This to me adds a whole lot of "sandbox" to the game. SWG had it in houses only, right? From what little I played, I saw very little in those houses too. Although I think that was before they gave it the full support you mentioned.

If there's one huge factor that "sandbox" can offer, it's the feeling of "being there" as opposed to just playing a game by the numbers. By placing an item on the ground, or picking one up, it's a subconscious thing, suddenly the player is "there". It's not just a backdrop. Immersion shoots up on the barometer. Most people don't even think about this, but in my mind it's a forgotten, but critical, thing.

Next comes, you know, setting that stuff on fire and things.

Edit to add: There is a solution in case this is a problem. Stacking into containers that look like piles of similar things, within radius.

Actually, even EverQuest had items that dropped out onto the ground. Their quality wasn't that great but this was also 10+ years ago. It would not be difficult to do it so that items appeared on the ground anymore than it is in a 2D client. It's just a different way of rendering things.

 

[Cal_Mythic]

hey guys ... I didn't make it through the gauntlet to get out an update today.

I will try try to get something to you guys early next week.
Also, expect fiction when we go Live on Tuesday.

- c

 

[Tina Small]

hey guys ... I didn't make it through the gauntlet to get out an update today.

I will try try to get something to you guys early next week.
Also, expect fiction when we go Live on Tuesday.

- c

Thanks for the update, Cal. What's the best way to give you guys feedback this weekend about the publish that's on TC1 and Origin? Post here or on the Test Center forum?

 

[Cal_Mythic]

Thanks for the update, Cal. What's the best way to give you guys feedback this weekend about the publish that's on TC1 and Origin? Post here or on the Test Center forum?

We watch the boards in both places ...

 

[RaDian FlGith]

hey guys ... I didn't make it through the gauntlet to get out an update today.

I will try try to get something to you guys early next week.
Also, expect fiction when we go Live on Tuesday.

- c

Thanks for the update, Cal. Much appreciated! Hope you have a great weekend, and here's looking forward to next week!

 

[Jhym]

"Flawless Victory" is only so if done honorably and with precise skill and timing.

Just because they -think- they have one doesn't mean they do... which is why I'd not be angry with them but very very sad for them. They are pitiable. However their delusional state does ruin other peoples' nights and potentially cause harm and needs dealt with.

As for cheating in general:

There is the pvp cheater, who is out to win no matter what and is willing to delude themselves (or not) that the odd things they do or use are not cheats.

There is the rare cheater, who is out to get as much money as possible, by creating items to sell. Note that they generally don't display said items at their houses, they usually sell them all. They are just out to get the highest gold/item score and nothing else. Some of them argue that rares shouldn't be rare, blah blah blah... then they dupe and sell rares for obscene money. Funny funny folks. They do hurt others, but generally if you're knowledgable they can be ignored.

There is the resource cheater. They are into getting as much basic stuff as they can, as fast as they can, to sell or build other things. I have to say that while I don't like them, they do have a point -- resource gathering is quite boring usually and your return on effort is fairly low for most gatherers. In many cases, however, the underlying reason they are able to do this is that the demand for the materials is high because of skill building requirements.

There is the skill cheater. These folks try to circumvent the system because many high level, desired skills require a LOT of BORING effort to gain in. To get a GM carpenter or smith requires hundreds of thousands of resources. To GM or Legendary tamers, discorders and provokers takes thousands of higher powered monsters and animals to get gains. It's a boring way to get skills to where you want them, so the temptation is always there to get gains the easy way when you find them. I can't blame many folks; some of the skills I built up over the years were incredibly boring to do... with no alternatives to get those gains. There are a few these days, with alacrity and trancendence scrolls, but it's still very very tough to get somewhere without a lot of time or money on the best skills.


In general - I see no point in cheating in a game at all. Even if you were trading for real money, the underlying cheating is pretty much the same as if you were swindling children out of their lunch money and selling the proceeds. Useless to do, and you eventually get caught.

I guess I don't understand the depths of delusion that people have when it comes to their own actions and motivations, it always surprises me.

 

[MalagAste]

Cheaters only cheat themselves...

and it can't be "flawless victory" if the victory comes with flawed thinking.

 

[Lord Gareth]

Cheaters only cheat themselves...

and it can't be "flawless victory" if the victory comes with flawed thinking.

Try to tell them that *Grins* I guess it would depend on what they have set out to do.

 

[Llewen]

We are more than good here.

I hope so because this dev team might be the best UO has had since the earliest days, and it would be more than a little disheartening to see it torn apart.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

I can't argue with anything you said there. But I meant items on the ground outside, in dungeons, etc. This to me adds a whole lot of "sandbox" to the game.

Objects could still be on the ground outside of player housing. They would be handled by a physics engine for placement.

If they honestly wanted to move forward with 3D they would have to dump the decrepit 2D client. Its the client thats holding things back, not the servers.

Right... because the EC is such a thing of beauty to behold.

Didn't say anything about the EC, did I? I said "move forward with 3D" as in an actual 3D client. Not the Frankenstein of 2D sprites slapped into the EC's 3D engine.
The way they've done the EC its still 2D. While the engine may be more flexible than the CC's, the 2D factor will forever hold UO back.

 

[AesSedai]

- Okay first off there have been some great comments, esp by Devs, in this thread. Glad to hear it.

Now to cherrypick what I just had to reply to:

I apologize that some people have found ways to cheat at UO, we will continue to try to stop them...

- I am so happy to hear this. It feels like a breath of fresh air, especially with so many outspoken cheaters around trying to promote to the further abuse of all UO, for their sole benefit...

I have always been baffled by the cheater mentality... is Chess still Chess if my side is set up normally and you set up your side with nothing but queens? How can you say you won? How can you say we were even playing Chess?

- Thank you very much for that. I completely agree. Although over the past 25+ years of asking myself why people cheat (and most often cheat themselves at the same time), I have formed several theories as to why people cheat. I find it rather simple psychologically speaking; even though the true root of the why can often be a quite complex series of events and/or irrationalizations...

 

[Zooithion]

I hope so because this dev team might be the best UO has had since the earliest days, and it would be more than a little disheartening to see it torn apart.

ditto on that!

 

[HD2300]

I just hope it comes through good, quality updates to the game, and not something silly and temporary like a "classic" server.

WAR has just shown what will happen with a "classic" shard. A fantasy PvP focused game just doesnt work long term.

You make a fantasy MMO cater mainly to the minority PvP crowd and when there is a lack of content on production shards for extended periods developing and fixing all the bugs on this "classic" shard, the 2000 returning PvPers are not going to offset the droves of PvEers that leave. All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client. There was 9 months when there was no new content and UO lost ~30,000 subscribers in that year.

Only PvP, and only PvE (guild wars and factions) servers with the latest patch would be far cheaper and quicker to develop and more successful than a "classic" shard. Besides we already know that the "classic" shard campaign is just the same a handful of people repeatedly spamming and one of them is a markey dragoon wannabee who made a living off UO... "Oooooo dont do anything about cheating... UO will shut down."

 

[Just Emma]

....All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client....

I thought KR was 2007...

 

[Llewen]

....All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client....

I thought KR was 2007...

It's horrible! You crawl into a bottle, and there it is, a whole decade gone! Why?! Why?!

 

[HD2300]

It's horrible! You crawl into a bottle, and there it is, a whole decade gone! Why?! Why?!

Speaking of bottles, KR did look better when I was drunk.

 

[Evlar]

WAR has just shown what will happen with a "classic" shard. A fantasy PvP focused game just doesnt work long term.

You make a fantasy MMO cater mainly to the minority PvP crowd and when there is a lack of content on production shards for extended periods developing and fixing all the bugs on this "classic" shard, the 2000 returning PvPers are not going to offset the droves of PvEers that leave. All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client. There was 9 months when there was no new content and UO lost ~30,000 subscribers in that year.

Only PvP, and only PvE (guild wars and factions) servers with the latest patch would be far cheaper and quicker to develop and more successful than a "classic" shard. Besides we already know that the "classic" shard campaign is just the same a handful of people repeatedly spamming and one of them is a markey dragoon wannabee who made a living off UO... "Oooooo dont do anything about cheating... UO will shut down."

ERm...

I see you're still bitter about the chewing up and spitting out you received in the classic shard thread... rolleyes: Probably because you made up lots of apparent "statistics" in a vain attempt to back up your arguments, but could provide no such proof when called out over them.

You're also happy to make spurious accusations against other players, which again, you have no proof. Sounds to me that it's not just a chip on your shoulder... but a whole sack of potatoes there pal!

As for "statistics", the only one anyone can say for certain, is that there's a hell of a lot more former players of UO, than there is current players.

To get more players, there's only really two options:

Create a couple of classic shards. Bring back some of those former players. The exact numbers of how many would play are entirely open to conjecture, but there's plenty out there who play game after game, looking for what pre-Tram, pre-AoS UO offered them. Neither UO or any other game has been able to offer them that for a good number of years. The closest most recently I would think, is perhaps Fallen Earth, but that's an entirely different genre.

Or...

Complete re-design from the ground up. 3D graphics engine that's at least of sufficient quality to match other games out there. Maybe even a completely new game entirely.

Of those two options, the latter is the most likely to attract "new" players in sufficient numbers. It's pretty clear that EA won't fund that option directly themselves, which is why they've sold the rights to do so to NetDragon, who are looking to cash in on the void left open since WoW has gone "missing" in China. If it takes off, then it could do wonders for Ultima Online as a brand, though it might be entirely nothing like the game we've played for so many years.

Classic shards as an option, would seem the most feasible way to bring back predominantly former players, perhaps for the least outlay. Nobody can say with any certainty, if this would bring back either sufficient or sustained subscriptions, or over the short or long term.

Let's face facts though. We all know that EA have tried to pull the plug on UO, more than once to my recollections. It's still here, but it's hardly thriving.

I think it will indeed stay here, for the time being, but when the NetDragon version goes live in 2011, plus if it's open to Western players, it will be interesting to see what the impact is. At this stage, NetDragon has the rights for specific areas of the Asian market. My gut feeling is though, that if it's successful, then either they will try to buy the rights to Ultima Online entirely, or EA will offer them to NetDragon, so that they can finally wash their hands of something I don't think they've ever felt comfortable holding.

Let us also not forget here, that it's the Asian player base (mainly Japan) that's keeping Ultima Online afloat. The last published figures and the best guesses since, suggests the percentage of the entire player base is about 70% Asian, with the remainder split amongst North America, Europe, and a very small proportion remaining from Oceania. Were UO completely reliant on its "Western" player base, I think the horse would have bolted a long time ago and we wouldn't be here now, talking about its past, present or future.

Something nobody here has actually asked of the developers, yet it's been widely covered in press releases around the net, is that NetDragon are producing the "new" Ultima Online based game, with help from Mythic.

Perhaps you need to be asking the developers a few things...

How's Cal's Chinese...?

How much time are they spending working with NetDragon on the "new" UO?

What (if any) impact does this have on the UO we know here?

 

[Tina Small]

All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client. There was 9 months when there was no new content and UO lost ~30,000 subscribers in that year.

A friend of mine who started playing a few months after I did, quit playing back in early 2007. When she played UO, she used the old "3d" client that was put to sleep shortly before KR was released. I recently managed to coax her into trying UO again. She's been using the Enhanced Client and seems to have had no problems getting used to it, I think primarily because she played WoW for quite a while after she quit playing UO. She told me last night she'd never consider switching over to the legacy client. (She never used it when she played before. When we both started playing several years ago, the 3d client was what we both chose because we knew no one playing UO already to tell us why we should use what seemed like the inferior client. I mean if you don't know the difference, who wouldn't pick 3d over 2d?)

Anyway, it's been rather interesting to see her come back and pick up so easily on using a client she'd never seen before. She told me last night she especially loved being able to drag her rune books onto a hot bar. Kind of gives me hope that maybe other people that left around that time because they didn't want to switch to the 2d client and have in the meantime been playing other, newer games might go the same route if someone can convince them to come back long enough to give UO a serious try.

 

[HD2300]

WAR has just shown what will happen with a "classic" shard. A fantasy PvP focused game just doesnt work long term.

You make a fantasy MMO cater mainly to the minority PvP crowd and when there is a lack of content on production shards for extended periods developing and fixing all the bugs on this "classic" shard, the 2000 returning PvPers are not going to offset the droves of PvEers that leave. All I can say is remember 1997, the year of the KR client. There was 9 months when there was no new content and UO lost ~30,000 subscribers in that year.

Only PvP, and only PvE (guild wars and factions) servers with the latest patch would be far cheaper and quicker to develop and more successful than a "classic" shard. Besides we already know that the "classic" shard campaign is just the same a handful of people repeatedly spamming and one of them is a markey dragoon wannabee who made a living off UO... "Oooooo dont do anything about cheating... UO will shut down."

I see you're still bitter about the chewing up and spitting out you received in the classic shard thread... rolleyes: Probably because you made up lots of apparent "statistics" in a vain attempt to back up your arguments, but could provide no such proof when called out over them.

You're also happy to make spurious accusations against other players, which again, you have no proof. Sounds to me that it's not just a chip on your shoulder... but a whole sack of potatoes there pal!

Did I get chewed up?

One of the top 3 classic shard spammers is now playing Siege. Hope he keeps playing Siege otherwise it will be twice he quit Siege because it was too hard.

Another of the top 3 classic shard spammers made no secret he made a living off UO, was a markey dragoon founder, tradenet broker blah blah and was the first to post in one of Cal's threads 'if you ban all the cheaters then UO will shut down'. Then he posted it was a joke. Too bad he has posted a another similar comment previously in another thread. Pity a lot of it got removed because classic fanbois complained to the mods. LOL.

btw The classic thread is practically dead now, so please spend all your time posting in it until the end of the year. LMAO.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

To get more players, there's only really two options:

Create a couple of classic shards. Bring back some of those former players. The exact numbers of how many would play are entirely open to conjecture, but there's plenty out there who play game after game, looking for what pre-Tram, pre-AoS UO offered them. Neither UO or any other game has been able to offer them that for a good number of years. The closest most recently I would think, is perhaps Fallen Earth, but that's an entirely different genre.

What's ironic about this strange belief that's held by the "classic sharders" is that we know two things to be absolute truth: (1) UO subscriptions increased after UO:R; (2) UO subscriptions were at their peak just post UO:AOS. So while the "classic sharders" love to make up figures to support their own strange view of the UO game world, the fact is that the number of people who would come clamoring back for a "classic shard" is far fewer than is being touted by the people who want it to happen so badly.

Complete re-design from the ground up. 3D graphics engine that's at least of sufficient quality to match other games out there. Maybe even a completely new game entirely.

UO with a completely new client and client engine that supported 3D would be awesome. A new Ultima game... sadly, I doubt that people would have faith in it, given it would be at least the fourth attempt.

Of those two options, the latter is the most likely to attract "new" players in sufficient numbers.

What's your definition of "sufficient." In my opinion, it's unlikely to have been worth the development time spent doing it.

Classic shards as an option, would seem the most feasible way to bring back predominantly former players, perhaps for the least outlay. Nobody can say with any certainty, if this would bring back either sufficient or sustained subscriptions, or over the short or long term.

Except that we have the historical facts -- of which Mythic must have some level of access to -- that show the rise and fall of the UO subscriber base.

Let's face facts though. We all know that EA have tried to pull the plug on UO, more than once to my recollections. It's still here, but it's hardly thriving.

We "know" that based on the ramblings of Mark Jacobs, who, quite frankly, given his inability to stay to his guns with his own game (WAR) leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Let us also not forget here, that it's the Asian player base (mainly Japan) that's keeping Ultima Online afloat.

That's an assumption and nothing more.

The last published figures and the best guesses since, suggests the percentage of the entire player base is about 70% Asian, with the remainder split amongst North America, Europe, and a very small proportion remaining from Oceania. Were UO completely reliant on its "Western" player base, I think the horse would have bolted a long time ago and we wouldn't be here now, talking about its past, present or future.

The latest what? There have never been any published figures. Unlike Blizzard, which loves to share its subscriber data, OSI, EA Austin, EA Games, EARS, EA Mythic, and Mythic have all decided that information is not for public consumption.

Something nobody here has actually asked of the developers, yet it's been widely covered in press releases around the net, is that NetDragon are producing the "new" Ultima Online based game, with help from Mythic.

Honestly, I'm not holding my breath on the NetDragon version of UO. And if development of a Chinese UO is affecting development of the existing UO, well, just like devoting time to a classic shard, it's time poorly spent.

 

[Ghost of Gramps]

It is my hope that all will be well, especially from the perspective of a player of Ultima Online. I am not the consumate player, yet, over the years, it provides an occassional escape, with great fun. It is also one that I am invested through, by way of EA Mythic. I play my investment, that is, one part of it.

I can assure you, that this is one part of my portfolio I do not expect a dividend return, as much as the salvation of the organization that provides so much entertainment for so many.

Let us give as much support to the men and women who have built for us a world that allows us to occassionally escape from so much.

Ultima Online, through EA Mythic, is worth supporting, and saving.

 

[Trebr Drab]

It is my hope that all will be well, especially from the perspective of a player of Ultima Online. I am not the consumate player, yet, over the years, it provides an occassional escape, with great fun. It is also one that I am invested through, by way of EA Mythic. I play my investment, that is, one part of it.

I can assure you, that this is one part of my portfolio I do not expect a dividend return, as much as the salvation of the organization that provides so much entertainment for so many.

Let us give as much support to the men and women who have built for us a world that allows us to occassionally escape from so much.

Ultima Online, through EA Mythic, is worth supporting, and saving.

Amen. Let us bow our heads, and remember for a moment that UO and it's developers are going down the same path as they who have gone before them. Lets us remember where that has led those who came before them. Let us remember that no one can escape the mortal confines of this worldly shell, and that these too shall pass. But let us equally remember that when these developers pass, it is likely that we too shall pass. Let us remember that, as the dawn of a new day comes, so too does the dusk of the end of that day, and that nothing lasts forever. Let us remember, for we look upon the end of our own selves, just as we look upon the end of these fine developers so much like their predecessors.

A few moments of silence, please.

 

[Coldren]

hey guys ... I didn't make it through the gauntlet to get out an update today.

I will try try to get something to you guys early next week.
Also, expect fiction when we go Live on Tuesday.

- c

Thanks for responding, Cal. Good to know.

Any word on that update?

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

I try to imagine it all the time..

What would increase the subscription rate? Real 3d...

Unfortunate but true.

If UO had true 3d.... and the graphics to back that.... with all the current systems and all..... I believe it would outshine WoW within 2 years.

Why? Content. That simple.


But I'm not certain it could be done... I'm thinking the housing system would keep that from happening. And UO just wouldn't be the same if you couldn't design and deco your home. I'm thinking in order for you to play UO in 3d with the housing you'd have to have a monster pc like nothing available now. Just my thoughts.

A long while back, this topic came up. And, yes, Housing was a significant hurdle. Mainly because a LOT of players have created and decorated their houses with optical illusions by combining and hueing various types of tiles (I've seen impressive fish tanks, and baby grand pianos) and a conversion to 3d would just destroy all that. 2D optical illusions no longer work in a 3D environment.

-Grimm

 

[Trebr Drab]

I try to imagine it all the time..

What would increase the subscription rate? Real 3d...

Unfortunate but true.

If UO had true 3d.... and the graphics to back that.... with all the current systems and all..... I believe it would outshine WoW within 2 years.

Why? Content. That simple.


But I'm not certain it could be done... I'm thinking the housing system would keep that from happening. And UO just wouldn't be the same if you couldn't design and deco your home. I'm thinking in order for you to play UO in 3d with the housing you'd have to have a monster pc like nothing available now. Just my thoughts.

A long while back, this topic came up. And, yes, Housing was a significant hurdle. Mainly because a LOT of players have created and decorated their houses with optical illusions by combining and hueing various types of tiles (I've seen impressive fish tanks, and baby grand pianos) and a conversion to 3d would just destroy all that. 2D optical illusions no longer work in a 3D environment.

-Grimm

How many players actually complained that they'd be real upset to lose that for a good 3D environment? And how many of those realize that with a good 3D environment, they could still make great illusions from items?

And do pianos and fish tanks belong in UO? Where's the water ponds to stock with fish? Where's the horns to blow different sounds?

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

How many players actually complained that they'd be real upset to lose that for a good 3D environment? And how many of those realize that with a good 3D environment, they could still make great illusions from items?

And do pianos and fish tanks belong in UO? Where's the water ponds to stock with fish? Where's the horns to blow different sounds?

Well, those items aside, there were tons of "creative architecture" that looked terrific, but would get completely blown away by switching to 3D.

Mind you, this wasn't necessarily a deterrent, but it was something that was going to be a hurdle.

-JP

 

[BeefSupreme]

We had a great for it's time 3D upgrade coming. UO2.

Fantastic motion capture, graphics, great never been done before fiction.

All dead because of the short sightedness of some exec(s).

God I hope whoever killed it is now cleaning puke out of movie theater bathrooms.

 

[BeefSupreme]

And yea, the UO playerbase collectively dropped loads when the first vid came out.

 

[Nexus]

A long while back, this topic came up. And, yes, Housing was a significant hurdle. Mainly because a LOT of players have created and decorated their houses with optical illusions by combining and hueing various types of tiles (I've seen impressive fish tanks, and baby grand pianos) and a conversion to 3d would just destroy all that. 2D optical illusions no longer work in a 3D environment.

-Grimm

And you create an opportunity to add even more depth to the game artistically, Instead of mocked up pianos you guys could create a real one as an addon for the game that players can actually sit at and play.. 3D would provide you opportunities that you guys have only dreamed about.

 

[canary]

And you create an opportunity to add even more depth to the game artistically, Instead of mocked up pianos you guys could create a real one as an addon for the game that players can actually sit at and play.. 3D would provide you opportunities that you guys have only dreamed about.

I find it slightly humorous that they stated they didnt want to destroy things like player made pianos, but it WAS ok to destroy things like player backpack art. Even after a legacy backpack WAS added, the legacy zoom for the items IN the pack is not set correctly at 1:1, making the items look 'blurry'.

The UO art guys made huge, failing mistakes on what KR needed to be. The lack of players using it as the preferred client is proof of that.

 

[ElRay]

Fixing speedhacking might bring back some of the old PvPers, but I suspect most have moved on to different pastures.

I'd come back in a heartbeat, as well as many others IMO.

I've also moved onto MANY different pastures, but UO's pvp will always be in my heart.