Sneak Peek

[Eärendil]

Raptor85: AWESOME!!! We should go back to this kinda soundtrack. That would be the best 15th Anny present for me!!!

 

[Eärendil]

P.S.: 50 % of the atmosphere of a rpg is music, for me... and current music is crap!

 

[greenwolf]

Honestly it wouldn't matter if a PVMer joined a faction anyway, whether there in fel or tram if they die they still get stat loss. When they do die they have to find either an npc healer or another player in a faction to get rezed. So it really doesn't matter if you see people running around in tram with faction gear cause the outcome is and always will be the same, you die your screwed. What i don't understand is even before the publish was even talked about there has been multiple sampires running with factions gear, and we ALL know sampires royally SUCK at PVP. So in the defense of non PVPers wearing faction gear is asinine. Honestly though from a third persons perspective it really didn't change anything but making it easier to acquire faction gear. So to all those PVPers crying and throwing a fit, you got what you wanted why are you still crying.???

 

[Picus at the office]

My faction Sampire killed more than his fair share of raiding people and can more than happily defend himself. I think what most faction players would really like to see is just the loss of hiding in tram for those in factions.

 

[Ron Silverbeard]

Just my 2 cent...

 

[Mesanna]

Can we get to Mining the area of Old Blackthorns Castle yet?

I am sure there are some artifacts to be found there. Maybe a basement, Lower dungeon.

Ok who is with me. We just need a rune and we are off.

Heading to West Brit bank now. See you all in a few

Let's get back to the Game Shall we.

Oh I am sure we can find a few interesting bones there =P

 

[Ron Silverbeard]

Maybe the headless miners shovels work - who knows! - if anyone needs a rune on Pacific....dont ask me

 

[Lord Nabin]

Oh I am sure we can find a few interesting bones there =P

Probably the rest of the remains from Lord Gareth - Eww

 

[NBG]

If only faction armor is limited fel only somehow......

That way you still need the lesser version obtained from PvM for tram? I am not sure how they are really implementing it. Guess we can see soon.

Another idea, Faction armor can only be repaired by a faction npc smith that charges silver (longer the town occupation the lower the cost for repair) and can only be hired to faction owned town like war horse npc. (put up a general repair npc that charges gold and are accessible to any faction)

 

[G.v.P]

· Three (3) new ways to gain City loyality.

Anyone know why they wrote "three (3)?" Is that supposed to be a selling point, like three, count them three?

If I'm reading this phrasing right, I imagine they'll eventually turn off the town rioters and such and give us three new ways which will replace the old way.

 

[Woodsman]

To a degree I have to disagree with what your saying about Jeff and his Twitter... Yes its nice when he answers questions and posts stuff about Ultima or Ultima Online but on the other hand.. It's Jeff Skalski's Twitter not "Jeff@Bioware" or "Jeff@Ultima"

At the end of the day it is his twitter about him..

If you disagree with me and believe that his Twitter is about him and not UO or Ultima, then why do you personally interact with him on Twitter in his official capacity as UO producer and your capacity as a UO fansite owner and admin for UO Forums? And UO Forums has it set up so that it automatically posts what he says on Twitter.

Not to mention that as the Ultima producer, he repeatedly refers to people contacting him via Twitter about UO stuff. He even includes his Twitter address in his official sig he uses here at Stratics when posting as the UO producer

He announced that he was the UO producer through Twitter, not the Herald, not Stratics. He's made more posts in an official capacity about UO on Twitter in the past few months than he's made on Stratics or your site. He explained why he likes Twitter for officially communicating about UO

Jeff... we need some kind of way to actually send in Personal Messages, as paid customers in good standing WITHOUT another 3rd party system getting in the way. Maybe greater issues can get some attention. Issues that can be fixed, happier customers make better job and everyone wins. Please.

As for Twitter, it fast and easy. It gives everyone an opportunity to talk to me directly without the effort it takes to comb through threads across multiple sites. I block out a time every week for boards, but twitter is 24/7 as I know many people have already taken advantage of that.

Personally I think it's great that he's officially made himself available as theUO producer for people to interact with on Twitter, because in some ways this has made him more approachable than any producer UO has ever had in the last 15 years!

He's publicly telling us he's excited about finding out this week what Nintendo is doing with a console that won't even launch until the end of this year, and we're still in the dark wondering what his actual plans for UO are beyond the next 4 months.

I'm not asking for something difficult. I'm just asking what actual plans Jeff has for UO. I'm not talking about new vet or holiday rewards or stories or pixel crack in the Origin store because we get those every single year. Those are not plans for UO's future, those are a core part of UO.

 

[Woodsman]

Does Jeff even play UO or talk about it on Tweeter unless asked a question. You would think because it is his JOB at EA that he would give Ultima some plugs now and then.

Actually he mentions UO or Ultima quite a bit on Twitter and he responds to a lot of UO players on Twitter.

As I said, it's good, because it's made him the most approachable UO producer we've ever had.

 

[Rupert Avery]

If you disagree with me and believe that his Twitter is about him and not UO or Ultima, then why do you personally interact with him on Twitter in his official capacity as UO producer and your capacity as a UO fansite owner and admin for UO Forums? And UO Forums has it set up so that it automatically posts what he says on Twitter.

Not to mention that as the Ultima producer, he repeatedly refers to people contacting him via Twitter about UO stuff. He even includes his Twitter address in his official sig he uses here at Stratics when posting as the UO producer

He announced that he was the UO producer through Twitter, not the Herald, not Stratics. He's made more posts in an official capacity about UO on Twitter in the past few months than he's made on Stratics or your site. He explained why he likes Twitter for officially communicating about UO

Personally I think it's great that he's officially made himself available as the Ultima or UO producer for people to interact with on Twitter, because in some ways this has made him more approachable than any producer UO has ever had in the last 15 years!

His methods of communication don't matter though and I'm not sure why we are discussing them since he has repeatedly made it clear that he prefers Twitter for official communication.

The fact is that he's publicly telling us he's excited about finding out this week what Nintendo is doing with a console that won't even launch until the end of this year, and we're still in the dark wondering what his actual plans for UO are beyond the next 4 months.

Based on everything that has been canceled or pushed aside in the past year, the only thing keeping me from joining the UO is just a maintenance mode game is the comprehensive new player guide and the graphics update, but the graphics update keeps getting pushed around and aside.

I'm not asking for something difficult. I'm just asking what actual plans Jeff has for UO.

I'm not talking about new vet or holiday rewards or stories or pixel crack in the Origin store because we get those every single year. Those are not plans for UO's future, those are a core part of UO.

Let me refrase what i meant then

Yes he advertises it as a way to communicate I don't disagree with that.. but you have to remember he is gamer like us... and has likes out with his job..
I talk about other things on my Ultima Auctions twitter other than Ultima or Ultima Auctions..

 

[Woodsman]

Let me refrase what i meant then

Yes he advertises it as a way to communicate I don't disagree with that.. but you have to remember he is gamer like us... and has likes out with his job..
I talk about other things on my Ultima Auctions twitter other than Ultima or Ultima Auctions..

The method of communication does not matter.

What matters is that he's telling us that as a gamer, he's excited about finding out news for a console that won't launch until late this year. As a gamer, he understands how great it is to find out future plans for games and Jeff understands us from that perspective.

We, you, me, and everybody else reading this thread, as gamers, would be excited to know what he has planned for UO beyond the anniversary. Vet or holiday rewards or stories are not future plans, those are things that happen every year.

He's a smart guy. I cannot believe that he doesn't already have UO's future mapped out beyond the anniversary.

 

[AirmidCecht]

Lets try to stay on topic to Mesanna's Sneak Peek list please

I understand communication and where/how it happens relates to a degree but it really would be better in another subject thread.

Thanks guys!

 

[Rupert Avery]

Lets try to stay on topic to Mesanna's Sneak Peek list please

I understand communication and where/how it happens relates to a degree but it really would be better in another subject thread.

Thanks guys!

Agreed

 

[G.v.P]

Honestly it wouldn't matter if a PVMer joined a faction anyway, whether there in fel or tram if they die they still get stat loss. When they do die they have to find either an npc healer or another player in a faction to get rezed. So it really doesn't matter if you see people running around in tram with faction gear cause the outcome is and always will be the same, you die your screwed.

Not only that, but members of opposing factions can't be in the same party, regardless of faction. That kills interactive PvM down a bit in a mixed group, but I guess most people would use the faction arties for solo play, not sure.

 

[Rusko]

Maybe it would be as simple as to have an official twitter and a personal twitter, and not mix the two....?

 

[Woodsman]

Lets try to stay on topic to Mesanna's Sneak Peek list please

I understand communication and where/how it happens relates to a degree but it really would be better in another subject thread.

Thanks guys!

I agree with you and I apologize, this was clearly a thread about very short-term things, like the next publish, and not the bigger things. I started a new thread, maybe you could move the relevant posts over there?

Thank you.

 

[Pinco]

Personally I still think the faction arties was a HUGE mistake from the beginning, and giving it for "free" (with all the silver trading around the new changes just made it free), force people to be factioned in order to have usable arties.

The city loyalty? new ways is good, but with a daily decay? I've already given up.

Communication crystals... there still someone using it instead of a real voice chat (like team speak)?

Overall opinion:

 

[polanco]

If only faction armor is limited to fel only somehow......

that is the only real way to balance and keep the non faction artifacts relevant

faction artifacts with no restrictions is going to kill the market for normal arties

 

[G.v.P]

Maybe it would be as simple as to have an official twitter and a personal twitter, and not mix the two....?

But the only way to get the maximum amount of Twitter followers you can is to have one Twitter and advertise it everywhere you go

>>>Right?<<<

*Hands out business cards*

I like Jeff's model. I don't think anyone uses Twitter just for business. You can, easily, make two accounts and run them in Tweet Deck, etc., but still. It's social media. Personal is part of the deal.

 

[G.v.P]

that is the only real way to balance and keep the non faction artifacts relevant

faction artifacts with no restrictions is going to kill the market for normal arties

Meh, normal arties--if you mean Gauntlet arties--are pretty dead anyway. You can re-forge/imbue almost everything. Just replaced my Hat of the Magi on one of my guys with a re-forge hat of the...whatever. Would be nice to have a Gauntlet re-vamp.

 

[Driven Insane]

Meh, normal arties--if you mean Gauntlet arties--are pretty dead anyway.

Show me how to Reforge/Imbue an apron (Crimson/Tangle) or an orni just to name a few.

I've sold 30 mil worth of those "dead" artis off my vendor in the last week.

 

[Driven Insane]

Honestly it wouldn't matter if a PVMer joined a faction anyway, whether there in fel or tram if they die they still get stat loss. When they do die they have to find either an npc healer or another player in a faction to get rezed. So it really doesn't matter if you see people running around in tram with faction gear cause the outcome is and always will be the same, you die your screwed. What i don't understand is even before the publish was even talked about there has been multiple sampires running with factions gear, and we ALL know sampires royally SUCK at PVP. So in the defense of non PVPers wearing faction gear is asinine. Honestly though from a third persons perspective it really didn't change anything but making it easier to acquire faction gear. So to all those PVPers crying and throwing a fit, you got what you wanted why are you still crying.???

There's so many things wrong with this post I can hardly contain my laughter.

 

[Tm84]

Faction is based on War. If you want the perks you have to have the risks. Trammel PVP via faction. "A step back to the way is was".
-Un-insurable
-Easy to get (with low Silver cost)
-Any faction member can wear it
-Trammel fighting

 

[G.v.P]

Show me how to Reforge/Imbue an apron (Crimson/Tangle) or an orni just to name a few.

I've sold 30 mil worth of those "dead" artis off my vendor in the last week.

Gauntlet arties, good sir, I said Gauntlet arties!

 

[Llewen]

I haven't read the whole thread, I'll just say, there needs to be something more to having access to faction arties than just buying them with silver. I don't know what that should be. The old system was broken, the current system is broken, this new proposal sounds more broken than both of them put together...

 

[Sprago]

Happy Friday Everyone,

I wanted to touch base with you guys and let you know what is going on and what you can look forward to in a couple of weeks on TC1. I also want to let you know that early next week we will be putting out a few fixes during a maintenance cycle.

Early next week we will be publishing the following fixes:

· Point decay (city and virtue)
· Siege Perilous Covetous Level 3 spawn

In approx 2 weeks we will be putting the following on TC1, I hope you guys have time to go check out the changes and give us your feedback.

· Faction armor distribution - Faction Armor will now cost silver and we removed faction rank restrictions for wearing faction artifacts
· Faction point system distribution – Points will now be distributed to multiple faction members when participating in killing faction enemies via healing and direct damage.
· Three (3) new ways to gain City loyality.
· A new craftable improved version of the communication crystals.

And last but not least, I know there has been a lot of buzz about the land where Blackthorns castle was, but I can assure you guys it is not a prime location for housing. MINE!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Maybe we could make these cursed and/or remove the name onthe faction items which will create a game play aspect peole wil have to farm for silver if they wanna keep running these

 

[archite666]

Normal artifacts had a market when faction artifacts were popular. There will always be a reason a for people to own non faction artifacts. For instance, if your in factions and your blue and you go to fel to do champ spawns, you are now statable and freely attackable by other factioneers, thus increasing your chances of getting raided.

The issue is simple.

We (factioneers) want easy access to gear to build diverse templates for pvp.

Pvmers want the market for nonfaction arties to stay high and not make factions so easy that everyone will join just for the the arties.

Iv said it a hundred times, make some task that is in felucca nessasary to maintain arties. Kill points is not a bad system. Just stop making it competitive. Make it so each player has a chance to earn rank 10 and make it so he does not have to be a pvp god to get there. Iv suggested making factions monsters give kill points. Make each players kill points drop a little each day. That way players must go to felucca and farm points (and risk being raided in dungeons)

This creates a need for basic ability to pvp for a factioneer, and also creates an opportunity for pvp for factioneers. Everyone is tired of fighting at yew gate. There are only select spots to kill faction monsters, these will become pvp hotspots for players looking to farm points and players looking for fights.

Iv said it time and time again. This worked on siege, where everyone had to farm silver constantly since our arties were not insured. There was always people farming silver and always people down there fighting. My system would be great and would satisfy both parties. I'm welcome to imput. I think I will revive my thread where I purposed this solution before.

 

[Petra Fyde]

Llewen Sprago and Cash - There's a constructive discussion on the faction arties over on the factions forum. I started it with a half baked idea that folk more knowledgeable are refining and adjusting to better suit the purpose. I think they're getting somewhere.

 

[Sprago]

Llewen Sprago and Cash - There's a constructive discussion on the faction arties over on the factions forum. I started it with a half baked idea that folk more knowledgeable are refining and adjusting to better suit the purpose. I think they're getting somewhere.

cool ty il go check it out

 

[semmerset]

Faction artie user have very very low risk and high return.
Many faction guy is red name,i think not faction .
(I watch faction guy,I think soon PK coming)
And PvMer can use faction artie,no risk and high return,and nobody go to doom and covtus and more dungeon.

Old days,faction guy had many risk.
At trammel,no faction guy can not heal,res for faction guy.
I forgot they can fight at trammel.
I hope faction guy have that risk.

By the way, after factinal artie add,in how many person faction did it participate?
Many pk join faction after factinal arite.
They want only use artie,not join faction?

 

[Baby Bear]

Faction for the activity, do you introduce it?
The more I think people are being put into a faction in the intended use only AF.
The opposite

 

[FrejaSP]

The issue is simple.

We (factioneers) want easy access to gear to build diverse templates for pvp.

Pvmers want the market for nonfaction arties to stay high and not make factions so easy that everyone will join just for the the arties.

PvP'ers want easy access to gear to build diverse templates for pvp, if PvP'ers only join faction to get easy access to PvP ites, something is wrong
We do have imbuing and reforging now. The crafters, at least on Siege would love to be able to sell PvP gear to a fair price, only problem is, we need better access to the resources. 2xresource spawn and remove of most of the vendor fee would help here.
In return you get alot more victims

Iv said it time and time again. This worked on siege, where everyone had to farm silver constantly since our arties were not insured. There was always people farming silver and always people down there fighting. My system would be great and would satisfy both parties. I'm welcome to imput. I think I will revive my thread where I purposed this solution before.

I will say it again, Factions Items almost killed Siege and will do it again if they become easy to get.

Your Victims would love to be able to fight you back but PvM'ers and crafters do not want to join Faction to get upper gear, they want to farm artifacts or craft good stuff. Alot on Siege do not mind PvP even when not agressive in PvP.

Do you remember what factions arties did to TDO, it splitted the guild as the PvP'ers did not want the support from the guild crafters and PvM'ers, they just wanted Factions Items and left TDO to join you.
It did not last for long, TDO was not the only guild that falled apart. The non factions gave up and stopped playing and the factions players left for Atlantic, guess item insurance was the reason

Siege is getting back to life slowly, now where factions arties become hard to get. Best thing for Siege would be to keep them of the shard and let the crafters and PvM'ers put up vendors with PvP gear.

 

[FrejaSP]

Llewen Sprago and Cash - There's a constructive discussion on the faction arties over on the factions forum. I started it with a half baked idea that folk more knowledgeable are refining and adjusting to better suit the purpose. I think they're getting somewhere.

The problem with the faction forum is, Faction effect non faction too but very few non faction go to the factions forum. That mean, all on faction forum may agree about an idea but it may hurt the non faction players.
Faction should never effect non faction in any way.
Also Petra, you may success posting there , but others without a nice A to protect them will mostly be flammed of the forum and told, they should stop crying and join faction if they want to be able to survive against a PK in factions gear.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

That mean, all on faction forum may agree about an idea but it may hurt the non faction players.
Faction should never effect non faction in any way.

All the more reason to come participate, but I urge people to be constructive, and proactive in explaining their point of view.

Sometimes I think there should just be a generic list of replies we could select from: NO, I hate that, it'll kill UO, classic Shard FTW, I have some dirty Nikes at home, just all the things that don't matter. Or else watch the thread be pruned.

Guess who writes the technical books teaching pilots how to fly jet fighters? Typically, Non-Pilots. Yep, technical writers who have never flown. Point is you don't have to be in factions to offer good ideas, nor even PVP. It's just a game forum thread, doesn't require programming skill or a degree. Well, it requires a degree of logic, and some common sense, keeping the good of the game up front with fairness to all.

 

[Tm84]

Let's get remove insurance and gear specs all together. Last that I know a sword in real life didn't give me 44% life leech lol.
-This will bring back the Economy the way it was.
-It will fix everything that is gear related.
-Crafting will actually be fun again and not a farm feast for imbue mats or similar
-Plate armor actually be worn over leather for it's defense and not it's resistance/mana regen rate

Sure this may hinder some systems like Imbuing and other player abilities like 50% DI and the new ITEM /Armor drops from the Dungeons. But at least game play would be awesome again for non/crafters PVM/PVPERs non/faction Alike.
Would it even balance the players out again? Maybe... just maybe....

Just saying.. old system worked out great with a few holes but not like what it is today.

The Faction gear system should reflect something that works not broken.
People want it, use a system that works.
Supply and Demand
Easy to get = Easy to loss
Risk = Perks
Trammel is not a safe place for Faction players = good gear Specs

 

[Sprago]

Let's get remove insurance and gear specs all together. Last that I know a sword in real life didn't give me 44% life leech lol.
-This will bring back the Economy the way it was.
-It will fix everything that is gear related.
-Crafting will actually be fun again and not a farm feast for imbue mats or similar
-Plate armor actually be worn over leather for it's defense and not it's resistance/mana regen rate

Sure this may hinder some systems like Imbuing and other player abilities like 50% DI and the new ITEM /Armor drops from the Dungeons. But at least game play would be awesome again for non/crafters PVM/PVPERs non/faction Alike.
Would it even balance the players out again? Maybe... just maybe....

Just saying.. old system worked out great with a few holes but not like what it is today.

The Faction gear system should reflect something that works not broken.
People want it, use a system that works.
Supply and Demand
Easy to get = Easy to loss
Risk = Perks
Trammel is not a safe place for Faction players = good gear Specs

going back to publish 16 is simply not an answer why cant people like you relize that

 

[Tjalle]

Siege is getting back to life slowly, now where factions arties become hard to get. Best thing for Siege would be to keep them of the shard and let the crafters and PvM'ers put up vendors with PvP gear.

Yup.
It´s time to remove the faction arties from Siege.

We got them. We tried them. They killed PvP.

Let´s learn from history, shall we?

 

[sirion]

- Remove ALL decay (city / virtue).
- me duh cares anything related to Faction... c

 

[Sprago]

OK i got the best solution

Remove the faction collection box from the bases and place them in the 7 towns. Then you have to OWN that town to collect from that collection box

OK now you need to remove names, remove rank requirement and make them cursed (but keep them faction item)this would allow you to keep what you kill, use what you keep and make you fight for the towns this would bring life to factions if you want the armor

what ya think about this idea???????????????

 

[Takeamada]

· Three (3) new ways to gain City loyality.

Would like to hear more about this?

 

[Sevin0oo0]

· Three (3) new ways to gain City loyality.
Would like to hear more about this?

I'm leaning towards town invasions by mobs - you can kill or help those who are, or ???
Mesanna mentioned "bones" on the old castle grounds, why I think that

 

[Tm84]

going back to publish 16 is simply not an answer why cant people like you relize that

It was just a joke relax.
I was giving an example of something that had worked and should possible look into something similar hance why i said

"Just saying.. old system worked out great with a few holes but not like what it is today."

and then I gave an example of what was working for those that would take it the wrong way. *Cough* which would be a Supply and demand correlation with the Faction items.

I hope this cleared it up for you as what I was saying.

 

[Tm84]

OK i got the best solution

Remove the faction collection box from the bases and place them in the 7 towns. Then you have to OWN that town to collect from that collection box

OK now you need to remove names, remove rank requirement and make them cursed (but keep them faction item)this would allow you to keep what you kill, use what you keep and make you fight for the towns this would bring life to factions if you want the armor

what ya think about this idea???????????????

Not a bad idea, however this would break Faction all together since one faction would own all the towns and be able out gear everybody else. You would need to adjust Sigil corruption time or a time limit as to when Collection box can be used and limit town ownership to balance all faction at any given time. If not, one side will always be better then all the others.

 

[Tm84]

I'm reading some of the post and all i see is Limit this... restrict that. Control this control that.... UO is a Sand-Box game that the people of the community decide what happens to the items and how it's used. Let's think outside the box and stop trying to limit everything. Don't a "Dot" person.

 

[Sprago]

Not a bad idea, however this would break Faction all together since one faction would own all the towns and be able out gear everybody else. You would need to adjust Sigil corruption time or a time limit as to when Collection box can be used and limit town ownership to balance all faction at any given time. If not, one side will always be better then all the others.

your right it would create a unbalance among factions but yet thats the reason to fight for towns so not really you only own a town for 3 days and gotta guard for 10 hours to regain keep control once apon a time we used to have to gain control of town for the ablitly to bless an armor for 3 weeks at a time eventually everyone had armor but yet hte battle still had to be fought for the up and coming 3 weeks well im kidna syaing go back to that style of a system I THINK IT WOULD WORK i know the cursed thing a little far fetched but the controling towns to gain the right to purchase factin armor how is that not gonna make people fight for there towns

 

[Bob Schaffer]

So to all those PVPers crying and throwing a fit, you got what you wanted why are you still crying.???

To put your statement in context i shall use an analogy.
If god were a dev after the great flood of Noah he would of burnt the earth to a cinder to make sure it had dried enough.

 

[Orgional Farimir]

Not a bad idea, however this would break Faction all together since one faction would own all the towns and be able out gear everybody else. You would need to adjust Sigil corruption time or a time limit as to when Collection box can be used and limit town ownership to balance all faction at any given time. If not, one side will always be better then all the others.

Even with all the "benifits" of the faction gear, a good, organized guild using non faction arties can easily beat a decent, non organized guild using faction gear.