What happened to the Shard of the Dead server?

[tenduil]

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back but it was for last October. Naively I assumed I could re-activate my account and it would be there for me to play 24/7.

Only then did I read it was only planned to be up for 2 months.

So what happened? 'Searching' for Shard of the Dead doesn't get me anywhere and honestly this to me should be a hot topic.

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard? Don't post about what you want in a classic shard. I want news and facts.

 

[canary]

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back but it was for last October. Naively I assumed I could re-activate my account and it would be there for me to play 24/7.

Only then did I read it was only planned to be up for 2 months.

So what happened? 'Searching' for Shard of the Dead doesn't get me anywhere and honestly this to me should be a hot topic.

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard? Don't post about what you want in a classic shard. I want news and facts.

It has closed and Cal (UO producer) stated they are currently not looking at moving forward with a classic shard.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back but it was for last October. Naively I assumed I could re-activate my account and it would be there for me to play 24/7.

Only then did I read it was only planned to be up for 2 months.

So what happened? 'Searching' for Shard of the Dead doesn't get me anywhere and honestly this to me should be a hot topic.

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard? Don't post about what you want in a classic shard. I want news and facts.

It has closed and Cal (UO producer) stated they are currently not looking at moving forward with a classic shard.

I approve of this short sweet and to the point reply.

tenduil ??

Read allll about it post by post here

yw

 

[tenduil]

Canary thank you. Guess I'll never play EA UO again.

Fayled your link didn't work.

 

[Uvtha]

Canary thank you. Guess I'll never play EA UO again.

Fayled your link didn't work.

They put in stupid glass swords that were one hit kill items, that kind of spoiled the shard from what I hear. I never played it myself.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Canary thank you. Guess I'll never play EA UO again.

Fayled your link didn't work.

humph! still does ... tested & connected

what was your error message?

 

[tenduil]

humph! still does ... tested & connected

what was your error message?

Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.

humph ... must be a cookie thing then ...
here
all the official scoop (Statistics tab: all threads / all posts)

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

It died due to a misunderstanding, an overpowered item, and lack of interest.

 

[tenduil]

humph ... must be a cookie thing then ...
here
all the official scoop (Statistics tab: all threads / all posts)

Went through his created threads and several pages of responses and not seeing anything as a review or a 'were not going forward.'

Since links just aren't working do you have the thread name, page, date, something like that?

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

From "Video Update" by Cal:

Anyway, you are only waiting for one answer so here I am with flame-retardant mutant suit to field questions and avoid pitchforks.


The answer is: not right now.

In constant review of the threads and other fansites that cater to Ultima Online, we realized that the classic shard comes down to a checklist. It becomes about if you have X rules then this is what a classic shard is. The problem with this is, when working inside this constraint it’s impossible to please everyone.

Also, we DID look into the possibilities of different rulesets and took a look at what had been done in the past, and there was no viable answer that works for everyone.

Finally, it’s about opportunity cost. The more resources and time we spend on developing a classic shard… that is ONE single shard, that means other things get neglected. It would be many months of work at the expense of the wider game.


Edit: Shard of the Dead was a temporary "holiday test shard" that is done from time to time. Whatever purpose that it served, many people thought it was going to be a "classic shard" test server. However they added in other content including Glass Swords which threw PvP WAAAY off balance which in turned caused people to leave the shard causing it to be closed down due to "lack of interest".

 

[Derium of ls]

Shard of the dead was put up and I do not know why.

the point of the server was to run into a monster infected town, run to the top of some random building. Get a glass sword (one use, insta kill) run to yew gate, grief someone. rinse and repeat.

not a single person liked that server.

but they had enough resources to make that server and code all the changes.

classic server, he said they won't put one up because they don't have the resources... to not change a single thing with code they already have.


there, I gave an actual answer, WHILE venting

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Went through his created threads and several pages of responses and not seeing anything as a review or a 'were not going forward.'

Since links just aren't working do you have the thread name, page, date, something like that?

*ahem*
takes handholding points for the year
The answer is: not right now.

and You Knew that Last April

and re: your Siege Queries
look for yourself

yw

 

[tenduil]

Thank you for the pasted post from the dev. I'm sorry I couldn't find it and I'll take the tool of the day award.

 

[Black Sun]

Removed a few posts.
OP was not asking about a classic shard. He was asking about the shard of the dead. If people can't stay on topic we're going to have a problem.

Don't turn this into another classic shard thread. We have more than enough of those already.

 

[Kael]

Shard of the Dead was a great idea but it failed badly with a couple of things that they implemented

I really hope that Cal and the crew from EA/Mythic didn't base their conclusions on the interest of a Classic Shard from the player base on this ill thought out event

 

[Dannyboy]

Removed a few posts.
OP was not asking about a classic shard.

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard?

I can appreciate this is a topic which might be doing your head in by now so maybe it's worth putting up a sticky about classic shard information as like it or not, it does seem to be an issue some people want to debate. That way you guys could keep in contained to one thread too if you feel it's disrupting the forum.

 

[Herman]

Shard of the dead was put up and I do not know why.

the point of the server was to run into a monster infected town, run to the top of some random building. Get a glass sword (one use, insta kill) run to yew gate, grief someone. rinse and repeat.

not a single person liked that server.

but they had enough resources to make that server and code all the changes.

classic server, he said they won't put one up because they don't have the resources... to not change a single thing with code they already have.


there, I gave an actual answer, WHILE venting

The shard was a test and so was Glass swords i think the devs wanted to see if players would abuse the fact we could easy kill eachother and we did over and over again untill no one was playing the shard

Probably part of the reason why he said NO to classic shard

 

[Sevin0oo0]

So what about those glass swords? they gonna be used elsewhere, or just another uncorrected mistake?

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

So what about those glass swords? they gonna be used elsewhere, or just another uncorrected mistake?

they >took them out< .... along with the shard of the dead ... not enough correction?

want an apology?


sowwy!

Happy NOW?

 

[BBWolf]

Hi, yes i tried Shard of the Dead and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

When i learned there was this "Glass sword" with a one hit kill i said, "Good grief!" Forget it pvpers are just gonna grief other players who they see and kill them in one hit.

However, have you ever tried using this Glass sword on Peerless bosses? You can kill Melisande in like 3 to 5 glass sword (one hit kills) if everyone brings one. LOL, pretty nice item at the time. If they add this item to production shards, uhh...forget it im quitting UO and throwing everything in the trash can!

And its not about killing the boss or player in one hit, to get the best item or whatever. Maybe if you want to play UO like that...but not me.

 

[Kael]

I almost got the feeling that they intended for this Shard of the Dead to not do well as a main point in not opening Classic Shard.
For those that hate the idea of item based pvp the Glass Sword made them stop playing the Shard as soon as they encountered it on the field

 

[Sevin0oo0]

they >took them out< ... not enough correction?

Maybe they'll do that w/ the rest of the game,
Removal is the new correction?

 

[Cal_Mythic]

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back but it was for last October. Naively I assumed I could re-activate my account and it would be there for me to play 24/7.

Only then did I read it was only planned to be up for 2 months.

So what happened? 'Searching' for Shard of the Dead doesn't get me anywhere and honestly this to me should be a hot topic.

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard? Don't post about what you want in a classic shard. I want news and facts.

The Shard of the Dead was in no way intended as a Classic Shard. It was revisiting an old shard ruleset that UO Devs used to do several years ago. So we dusted it off. It was stated as such when we made it live.

Shard of the Deads were done for Halloween in the past, and that's all it was meant for.

- C

 

[Smoot]

So I about fell out of my chair when I saw an old Stratics news post about finally a classic shard coming back but it was for last October. Naively I assumed I could re-activate my account and it would be there for me to play 24/7.

Only then did I read it was only planned to be up for 2 months.

So what happened? 'Searching' for Shard of the Dead doesn't get me anywhere and honestly this to me should be a hot topic.

Is there a analysis of what happened? Is EA going to put up a permanent classic shard? Don't post about what you want in a classic shard. I want news and facts.

The Shard of the Dead was in no way intended as a Classic Shard. It was revisiting an old shard ruleset that UO Devs used to do several years ago. So we dusted it off. It was stated as such when we made it live.

Shard of the Deads were done for Halloween in the past, and that's all it was meant for.

- C

Alot of players (including myself) thought that Shard of the Dead was purposely made to determine interest in a Classic Shard, but made terrible enough so no one would play it, giving you guys an excuse to axe the Classic Shard / Shards option (which was done anyway)

But yeah Shard of the Dead was horrible, nothing resembling a Classic shard, but thats what alot of players thought.

Personally ive always been nuetral on the Classic Shard option. Myself and many other vets will continue to play both Mythic UO and free servers, or only free servers.

 

[Cal_Mythic]

Alot of players (including myself) thought that Shard of the Dead was purposely made to determine interest in a Classic Shard, but made terrible enough so no one would play it, giving you guys an excuse to axe the Classic Shard / Shards option (which was done anyway)

But yeah Shard of the Dead was horrible, nothing resembling a Classic shard, but thats what alot of players thought.

Personally ive always been nuetral on the Classic Shard option. Myself and many other vets will continue to play both Mythic UO and free servers, or only free servers.

So that answer then was no, that was not the intent.