Team: Idea for Next "Booster:" Virtue/Dungeon based

[GalenKnighthawke]

EDIT: Fixed a horrendous mis-spelling in the subject line.

I know you're not done with the current booster.

I want you to finish that one, and finish the In the Shadow of Virtue story arc and any related arcs, before you move onto the next booster.

But just figured I should plant the idea now.

Maybe the next booster should be based on the Virtues, and hence based around the Anti-Virtue Dungeons (also known as the Dungeons of Sin or the "legacy" dungeons).

You could finish the Virtue system, add new Virtue-related quests, add new levels to the Anti-Virtue Dungeons (and presumably new high-end monsters, Peerless- or Champ Spawn-style); add Virtue Artifacts that are more worth having than the current crop; add a Felucca-style teleporter system to the version of those Dungeons that are in Trammel; add Virtue-related NPCs; flesh out the fiction of the Anti-Virtue dungeons; etc.

The sea-based booster and this idea both have one very important thing in common: A strong basis in the Ultima universe generally, and in Ultima Online in particular.

Like I said; you have got a lot to do before you get to this point.

But it seemed like a good idea to plant the idea now.

-Galen's player

 

[Prime.]

I'd like to see an Orc themed "Booster" personally.

 

[Coldren]

Mark my words.. One day... Virtues will be a BOOSTER PACK.

I called it, but I never thought a player would ASK for it...

Seriously, you're going to pay them to finish a broken system they never completed? Maybe a few more quests and some more pixel crack?

No wonder EA loves the UO community.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

I called it, but I never thought a player would ASK for it...

Seriously, you're going to pay them to finish a broken system they never completed? Maybe a few more quests and some more pixel crack?

No wonder EA loves the UO community.

Everything in this game, you realize, is "pixel crack" by definition.

If anything in this game somehow left the computer screen and entered the real world, it would terrify me.

There was of course more than finishing the Virtue system that I had in-mind.

But, oh that's right.....It's just "pixel crack."

lol

-Galen's player

 

[sablestorm]

If they should do a virtue booster in the future, they could draw heavily from Ultima 4 and recreate the Quest of the Avatar. After all, there is no avatar in UO (as the Stranger had not completed the quest before slaying Mondain). They could have a Peers of Virtue system which tracks each character's progress on the Quest of the Avatar (see Lynn Abbey's Forge of Virtue). The colored Stones of Virtue could also be introduced in some fashion, perhaps opening instanced areas in the anti-virtue dungeons or some such.

The storyline would be a bit out of order, but this is UO after all and not Ultima Prime.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

Why is any of it called a "booster" ? I saw that term in a fishing thread too

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

They're taking the concept of the "Booster pack" from Trading/Collectible Card Games. Booster packs being smaller packs od card within the existing sets that players purchase to add more possibilities to their game. In the case of UO, it's adding or revamping content in existing areas that players can purchase to add more possibilities to their UO game.

So instead of a "full expansion" in the vein of SA where you have quite a few different systems introduced or revamped, we'll start getting a cohesive theme or system that gets updated, revamped, or introduced.

In theory it SHOULD allow the devs to provide a more fleshed out game-system (in the upcoming case: sea-content (fishing, naval battles, ships, etc)) instead of a lesser version that we tend to get in the expansions.

 

[HD2300]

I'd like to see an Orc themed "Booster" personally.

Interesting idea.

 

[Coldren]

Everything in this game, you realize, is "pixel crack" by definition.

If anything in this game somehow left the computer screen and entered the real world, it would terrify me.

There was of course more than finishing the Virtue system that I had in-mind.

But, oh that's right.....It's just "pixel crack."

lol

-Galen's player

Of course I realize everything is pixels..

However, you are hoping (HOPING, mind you) to pay for a system that's almost a decade old that they haven't finished.

And if they add on a few more quests (Which I'm sure, even in UO's archaic engine aren't THAT difficult to add) and a few items with stats on them, you'd be willing to pay for it.

I guess some people are just more addicted than others.

I could see if the booster packs gave you something genuinely new.. While I don't like the theme of this first one, I can ALMOST understand it.. Though it's debatable weather the additions brought on by the booster pack should have been a standard update anyway, but at least they give you new ships, I guess.

But when all they do is complete content that started that long ago, taking advantage of customers who have seen them through hoping to see something this important to the UO universe, I see it for what it is.. A fleecing.

There's making a profit, and then there's taking advantage... Virtues as a booster pack wouldn't be about profit.

 

[Zosimus]

...

They're taking the concept of the "Booster pack" from Trading/Collectible Card Games. Booster packs being smaller packs od card within the existing sets that players purchase to add more possibilities to their game. In the case of UO, it's adding or revamping content in existing areas that players can purchase to add more possibilities to their UO game.

So instead of a "full expansion" in the vein of SA where you have quite a few different systems introduced or revamped, we'll start getting a cohesive theme or system that gets updated, revamped, or introduced.

In theory it SHOULD allow the devs to provide a more fleshed out game-system (in the upcoming case: sea-content (fishing, naval battles, ships, etc)) instead of a lesser version that we tend to get in the expansions.

GuildWars has been doing this (boosters) for a long time and its not a new concept. If I remember reading correctly Mythic did hire somebody from the guild wars team a while back.

 

[Zosimus]

The better concept about boosters, they could charge more for boosters and have an ingame store for special items then it could make UO "FTP. Seems those games have way much larger a player base. Just like the Rappelz advertisment on stratics. Its FTP and boasting 6 million gamers. FTP attracts more players and that has been one issue of UO is the lack of player base.

 

[olduofan]

I'd like to see an Orc themed "Booster" personally.

signed

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

I'd like to see an Orc themed "Booster" personally.

Now that I think about it, they aren't mutually exclusive, are they. Especially depending upon how much cosmic significance they want to assign to the orcs.

Enlarged, Anti-Virtue laden Orc Cave Dungeon, anyone?

Orcish Axe of Despise...Double Axe, 30 SSI, 100 Stamina Leach, random super slayer (but can't be Repond), 50 DI, 50 Hit Lower Defense.

Imbued Masks of Orcish Kin? (Or can you Imbue those already?)

A new combat support skill that can only be used when a player is wearing an orc-themed head piece and made to interact with high levels of natural strength and low levels of intelligence, and cannot be held if you have ANY amount of Chivalry. (Basically a cheap-o way of making a new race without having to worry about racial balancing or new art.)

-Galen's player

 

[Hildebrand]

The virtue system is done. Plain and simple, it's done and was done way back whenever. It's not finished from our point of view, but when these devs inherited this stuff, it's done. There's no economic reason for them to finish it. Like they say, it's a balance of content vs time & money. Even if they did finish, it would be crap taped together with duct tape due to constraints.

I would pay for a Virtue Booster. As long as it adds a whole new experience and content and quests, then it would be worth it.

 

[Hildebrand]

I can imagine:

* All 8 virtues finished with a system in place.
* new virtue & anti-virtue dungeon areas (within the existing dungeons perhaps. 4th level of Despise?)
* New Virtue ridable.... Pegasus? Can fly over water, but slow due to the winds. Ties in with the High Seas booster. Great way to explore.
* New Anti-Virtue ridable.... what's the opposite of Pegasus? Chaos Dragon is used up, so um, something similar I guess.
* New virtue craftables. Perhaps some deco and some clothing. Virtue Weapons? Virtue Armor Set? (new type called Avatar's Virtue Armor?).
* New titles: You can select if you want a title like "Hildebrand the Honest", or "Hildebrand the Honorable", or if you did all 8 virtues "Hildebrand the Virtuous". Selectable titles.
* Re-vamp of the detectives. (hunt down virtue-less criminals. Or vice versa if you're evil you prey on the virtuous goodie two shoes)
* Some type of virtue vs anti-virtue conflict
* New quests.
* Paladin that is legendary, gets extra boost to being virtuous in all 8 virtues.
* Adds new dynamic lighting effects. Dungeons are dark unless you have a torch, In Lor brightens only a certain radius rather than negates the dark. Dungeons will have that creepy dark feel that they deserve.
* Virtue home style theme (tiles, walls, foundation).


And as all expansions... this would upgrade non booster players to get some benefits for free. They would get the re-vamped virtues, but no access to the mounts/armors/titles/new dungeons. They can't craft new virtue items, but can buy/use/trade them. Get the detective re-vamp for free, but can't do all the quests.

Way ahead of myself here but it's good to get ideas flowing. Perhaps add some of these in the High Seas instead. I think the dev team needs to plan two boosters at a time, so that they can spread the ideas out. Work on the High Seas, but keep in mind a plan on the second booster pack.