Anyone else think it might be fun to do a "no player economy" character?

[Spock's Beard]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Obviously a character operating under these restrictions isn't going to be very strong since the game is so gear-dependant these days, but it is really the worst thing in the world if regular monsters are an actual threat for once? At least you get to look at some random loot and say "Yay an upgrade!" on a regular basis.

The only annoying thing might be the fact that characters don't have their own separate gold balances anymore, but even that isn't a big deal. Characters like this won't be slinging around millions, and can probably get away with just storing their gold in a chest in a house and taking what they need by hand.

Just a thought I'm having.

 

[Captn Norrington]

I like this idea a lot!

 

[MalagAste]

I think that's interesting. But how would you regulate this? Just by faith?

 

[Uvtha]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Obviously a character operating under these restrictions isn't going to be very strong since the game is so gear-dependant these days, but it is really the worst thing in the world if regular monsters are an actual threat for once? At least you get to look at some random loot and say "Yay an upgrade!" on a regular basis.

The only annoying thing might be the fact that characters don't have their own separate gold balances anymore, but even that isn't a big deal. Characters like this won't be slinging around millions, and can probably get away with just storing their gold in a chest in a house and taking what they need by hand.

Just a thought I'm having.

I sort of did a deal like that a while back, made a character that spent most of her time in the woods, and just did the best with what I could find in the old world overland. Chopped logs for arrows, got gear off of trolls and whatnot, tamed some dire wolves eventually. It was fun for a month or so.

 

[Larisa]

I do this all the time. I love making new characters...and it kind of reminds me of how it was when I first started playing.

Starting on an archer is always challenging! Kill just enough to buy 12 or so arrows....half of those miss...get that sacred 200 gold pieces and buy 12 more....

OR starting a swords char...I prefer that over any other weapon...and run from Brit Bank to the Wind Trails once my skills are high enough..looting gems and zoogi.

This type of character you speak of is actually very fun...especially if you do it on a shard you don't have gold on...since these days everything is combined.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Welcome to Siege...la

 

[MalagAste]

I started on Siege like that. Built me up a Tamer... had a heck of a time getting LRC stuff.... but slowly put things together... never saw anyone or went far from Moonglow and Tokuno... worked pretty hard for a long time at it. Was rather rewarding.

I still do this from time to time on other shards. Finding things on my own.

As I recall I was inspired once by a story on Stratics about a Husband and Wife who played UO and made it a competition on each of the shards one by one to build 5 fully fledged characters from scratch... without help etc.... a Tamer, a Mage, a Warrior, a Crafter, and a Fisherman I think... if I recall... and the first one to 7x GM won. Then when they ran out of shards they quit.

 

[old gypsy]

I'd give it a go... but only if all players HAD to eat and my chef had a reason to live again (which isn't going to happen).

 

[GarthGrey]

If this were part of the In-game quest system, it would be nice. If the server would say "Welcome blah blah, today is your 3rd day of blah blah. The responses could be driven by your characters stats/skills and then spoken to you by NPCs. Big potential for stuff like this, but I'll say it again, you have to be a Dev that actually plays this game and doesn't just code for it.

 

[It Lives]

Well this is pretty much the definition of solo play. With the exception of purchasing power scrolls and selling my rewards to players and no third party programs(just point and click) its how I have played the game for the first 8 years of UO. It gets mighty boring that way...but to each their own.

 

[Kirthag]

Actually, is how I play. I think I only bought one power scroll for my main character, and that was when they first came out and I saw a 120 Chivalry so snagged it (was only 500k at the time).

I wear the Virtue Armor set (which I earned, not bought), use weapons and shield I looted from champs (mostly legendaries, but they tend to break eventually), and don't really buy anything unless I get a hankering for rares, but that's not so often anymore.

I do sell things - particularly resources and supplies as I stopped crafting armor sets when imbuing got to be the norm - just got to be too confusing for me. Enhance, imbue, reforge... augh!

Does selling things break the "zero economy" deal?

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Does selling things break the "zero economy" deal?

It does if you are selling to NPCs. Then again, just another reason Siege > Production Shards...la

 

[Lord Nabin]

It's how I play on Siege. Enjoy it very much I do.

Those pesky Mongbats are still a bit of a challenge. Much time is spent wandering the forests in search of reagents. Nice relaxing time.

Lot of offers to help over the years from players which has been much appreciated however I turned it all down in order to develop on my own.

All in all Siege is a nice place if you're not a blatant jerk.

They do have a place for those, its in the dirt.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

All in all Siege is a nice place if you're not a blatant jerk.

Bah, I'm a blatant jerk and Siege is a nice place for me ...la

 

[SlobberKnocker]

yup. seige is good for this style of play. go shear sheep to make your bandages and get yourself in a situation where u cant get to your body in time and have to run around picking up reagents to get yourself out of the wilds and back to civ.

if ur not a mage take the long way over the map and learn where the public hubs are.

if your playing to get away from reality in a low stress environment you can derive much pleasure from this playstyle.

 

[Kirthag]

It does if you are selling to NPCs. Then again, just another reason Siege > Production Shards...la

Nah... I have vendors. One in Luna at a friends house for those rarities I don't want, and a couple more at my home for people wandering around Yew who might need mats or stuff.

I haven't sold anything to an NPC in ages...

 

[Spock's Beard]

Does selling things break the "zero economy" deal?

Only if you're selling to a player.

 

[Tanivar]

Back in my days on Chessie I at times made 100's of k gold and a couple of times over a million gold buying bottles at small towns and selling them in Luna. 2k of bottles using a packy and 400 on my character buying for 5 gold and selling for 90+ gold to the 4 Luna bottle vendors was fun. Zillionaires ran those bottle vendors prices up quite often, they have gold to throw away,

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

I think that's interesting. But how would you regulate this? Just by faith?

Regulate? I take it's more like a personal challenge? Like I tried to play FFT (PS1 Game) only using the main character one game and not overleveling. Something like that.

 

[kelmo]

Just thinking. What if... The Dev Team loaned you a test center. I know, not likely but while we are wishing lets wish bis

What kind of survivor sort of games would you come up with?

I would want to see only one character per player. No cheating you multi accounts players!
No NPCs at all. Rez with another player or a shrine.
Old lands only.
Weekly challenges.

Make it a show with scores and stuff.

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

A player highlight type show would be cool.

 

[Kirthag]

Only if you're selling to a player.

well... i suppose i could do without gold for events... but then... what would lure the masses to attend the events without the gold?


I play that style for most all gold I get (from benefactors and earned via the game) is turned around to buying pixels as awards for ppl to attend events which will (hopefully) spur some community activity on Pac.

then again, every time I've attempted to do something it kinda flops

*sigh*

 

[Spock's Beard]

well... i suppose i could do without gold for events... but then... what would lure the masses to attend the events without the gold?


I play that style for most all gold I get (from benefactors and earned via the game) is turned around to buying pixels as awards for ppl to attend events which will (hopefully) spur some community activity on Pac.

then again, every time I've attempted to do something it kinda flops

*sigh*

I'm not suggesting that one play this way on every character they own. Just the one.

 

[Lady CaT]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Obviously a character operating under these restrictions isn't going to be very strong since the game is so gear-dependant these days, but it is really the worst thing in the world if regular monsters are an actual threat for once? At least you get to look at some random loot and say "Yay an upgrade!" on a regular basis.

The only annoying thing might be the fact that characters don't have their own separate gold balances anymore, but even that isn't a big deal. Characters like this won't be slinging around millions, and can probably get away with just storing their gold in a chest in a house and taking what they need by hand.

Just a thought I'm having.

I have played this way for a long time now. I enjoy it a lot. I would disagree entirely with your comments about characters playing this way obviously not being very strong or slinging around millions.

 

[Yadd of Legends]

I've also always pretty much played like this and often start a new character on a new shard just to experience it. But I do buy power scrolls from other players with the gold I earn, rather than loot my own scrolls, because they're spawning with a guild and I'm not.

 

[Greer]

No insurance too.

 

[Kirthag]

I'm not suggesting that one play this way on every character they own. Just the one.

Kinda hard actually... as all characters on a shard are connected for the most part.

To note:
Kirthag goes hunting, fighting, dungeon crawling, and champs
She gets back to the castle, dumps everything into a chest, and goes to soak in the tub
Tandy (eventually) come around and sorts through things, for she is an OCD crafter
She may take some of the "worthy" items and pop them onto any number of vendors
She will sometimes go mining
When she's tired, she stables her bug-of-the-day and goes to bed
Kat will pop on periodically
Kat will go make her magus rounds for regs and blank scrolls
Kat then scribbles in her stuffy room until she passes out
A Ferret pops in for some snacks, then disappears to unknown whereabouts
Tandy wakes up, checks vendors, checks dump chest and finds a smattering of recall scrolls - put them on a vendor
She then remembers the wood supply is low, and disappears into the woods
Kirthag ventures out of her soak, gets dressed, and makes the rounds of her social activities
If so inclined, Kirth will go and visit Sanctuary, Azeroth or some other realm
Tandy returns to the castle, forgetting her favorite axe and a pack bug, disappears once again into the woods
The Black shows up and dumps an untold amount of gold into Kirthag's mailbox with a note about sold creatures
Kirthag ventures back from wherever else she was, notes the gold from The Black, deposits into her account
Gets her Steward to help her get her armor on, and back out into the world she goes - hunting, fighting, dungeon crawling and champs.....


To really do what you are suggesting, a player should have only ONE character on a shard... now THAT is a challenge, indeed. (I have one, on Catskills... maybe should log on there sometime)

 

[Spock's Beard]

You just forget about all that stuff on one character and have them live the solo life out of their bankbox. They're allowed to give stuff to your other characters for whatever reason, but you're not allowed to have your developed characters give them stuff.

 

[Kirthag]

ahhh...

i might try this a bit more.

considering my armor is blessed, my shield and swords are disposable (and replaceable) and my jewelry also blessed, not much else to do...

OR

I'll start a new Kirthag!

 

[Yadd of Legends]

BTW, has anyone ever tried this with a gargoyle character? It's so hard to find gargoyle loot to equip and build a gargoyle character all by yourself

 

[MalagAste]

BTW, has anyone ever tried this with a gargoyle character? It's so hard to find gargoyle loot to equip and build a gargoyle character all by yourself

yes it is I was trying to find some Gargoyle stuff on a shard just trying to loot stuff but at low levels of skill it is real hard.

 

[Yadd of Legends]

That's what I've found. Gargoyles in that sense get the short end of the stick in this game. I know it's a lot easier to imbue a decent suit for a gargoyle, if you have an imbuer, but it's a lot harder to loot a decent suit from scratch.

 

[hen]

A long time ago there was a guy on Drachenfels called Rabin who made a char who lived exclusively in Ilshenar. Kind of interests me now to see how far I could go with looted junk as some of the paragons there are strong and there are a lot of lovely nooks and crannies to get yourself lost in.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

To really do what you are suggesting, a player should have only ONE character on a shard... now THAT is a challenge, indeed. (I have one, on Catskills... maybe should log on there sometime)

With the invention of soul stones, it's actually rather easy. For the most part, people with multiple accounts on Siege only have them for additional house spots...la

 

[Smoot]

this is really not hard to AT ALL. ive done it many times.

make / loot 25k to make a guild
get your VVV arties.
go to 1 em event and loot legendary armor / jewels (even the stuff no one bothers to loot, stuff that might be worth only 500k to 2mil is extremely powerful)

you can make a character like this extremely easily. its really not hard to do at all, which is why i believe UO is in a very good place right now because you dont need more than 25k. (which can be looted easily off normal monsters in a few hours, or by picking up gold at 1 em event.

 

[Yadd of Legends]

On the subject of building a gargoyle character, what's the chances of looting gargoyle armor at EM events you've attended?

 

[Smoot]

On the subject of building a gargoyle character, what's the chances of looting gargoyle armor at EM events you've attended?

depends entirely on the boss type, what its based on. (and the lesser mobs as well) some of the best garg loot ive gotten ever has been from EM events, the slasher base mob has ok loot, but the best is stygian dragon. i forget if primeval lich drops garg loot, but its an SA mob and is often used for event bosses so it might.

 

[Brom Thunderstone]

Love this idea of play style I'm trying it

 

[Yadd of Legends]

This is what I like to see, people setting their own goals, not following the crowd, playing their own game

 

[Aran]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Obviously a character operating under these restrictions isn't going to be very strong since the game is so gear-dependant these days, but it is really the worst thing in the world if regular monsters are an actual threat for once? At least you get to look at some random loot and say "Yay an upgrade!" on a regular basis.

The only annoying thing might be the fact that characters don't have their own separate gold balances anymore, but even that isn't a big deal. Characters like this won't be slinging around millions, and can probably get away with just storing their gold in a chest in a house and taking what they need by hand.

Just a thought I'm having.

You mean the thing I've done 99% of the last 16 years? Easy.

 

[sablestorm]

You know, as sort of a PVE ironman thing. No buying from players, no buying from player vendors, no trading. (Maybe make an exception when it comes to buying repair deeds.) Everything you wear and use is either NPC purchased, a quest reward, or something you personally looted.

Obviously a character operating under these restrictions isn't going to be very strong since the game is so gear-dependant these days, but it is really the worst thing in the world if regular monsters are an actual threat for once? At least you get to look at some random loot and say "Yay an upgrade!" on a regular basis.

The only annoying thing might be the fact that characters don't have their own separate gold balances anymore, but even that isn't a big deal. Characters like this won't be slinging around millions, and can probably get away with just storing their gold in a chest in a house and taking what they need by hand.

Just a thought I'm having.

I've actually done this and kept journals about it as a writing project. Other players have as well, such as the player of Angst Fretting and the Leafsta survivors. He's got some excellent writing floating around which captures his roleplaying the salt-of-the-earth type character. You can probably find some of it in the White Stag Forums. I found it to be really fun and engaging.

Along a similar vein, I've thought about doing Ultima Challenges. In the YouTube community, they've got these challenges which go around which different YouTubers do, I thought it might be fun to do something similar with UO players. For instance, the first challenge is what can you kill with NPC bought items? Things like that.

 

[Kirthag]

I'm getting back into my streaming (via hitbox) so yeah, actually been thinking up some challenging and exciting things to stream re: UO.
Doing "challenges" sounds like fun.

 

[Silverbird]

Finding rules for such a challenge might really be difficult ...
- What about powerscrolls? If you play like you are alone on a shard, you prob can only include +5's.
- What about including a crafter skill into a template? With tailoring at about 80 you already can craft decent exceptional leather suits (resist wise).
- On a mage it might be difficult to get a simple full spellbook.

With buying and selling to/from npcs i probably would start like i always start. Doing inscription in a mage shop by buying reags and selling the scrolls back to the npcs. After earning 'some' gold and training some inscription, i would buy a ship and start fishing. If you include in the beginning magic resistance, med and focus you will be able to deal with sea serpents with circle 4 spells (lighning, heals, cure). Once you can go for mibs/sos messages you will gather mage scrolls up to circle 7, which is enough for finishing with inscription. Over time around 90 magery is what you need for fishing. Not to mention that i would say, fishing is one of the easiest ways to gather clean up points. 60k points for a full sorcerors set and your fully set up.

If you go for a fighting character:
-If you find a slayer weapon: use it! Terrathan, orphidian, orc slayers are not as bad as most ppl think. Thought earth ele and gargoyle slayers are the match winners.
- Basic resist from magic resistance do help a lot. (40 resis all from gm resist if i remember right. Thats already enough to survive fights vs minor casters.)
- Do minor questing. Not only the starter quests in new haven, but you can also do the hunting quests from heartwood or ter-mur.
- Armor sets to aim for in the beginning could be: brit clean up - 60k points or a virtue armour set.

 

[Magnus]

This is how I've played since 2005, everything is loot I've got except for a. repair deeds and b. a rune book a friend gave me. Once in awhile I've got a few objects from friends like a special dyed robe, but generally its all things I've found.

I am not rich, I can't afford to buy all those fancy gears - and I'm casual - its a fun game and I just wander around.

 

[Corwyn]

That's what I've found. Gargoyles in that sense get the short end of the stick in this game. I know it's a lot easier to imbue a decent suit for a gargoyle, if you have an imbuer, but it's a lot harder to loot a decent suit from scratch.

Since I've been spending a lot of time in level 1 Shame, I can tell you that gargoyle armor drops quite a bit in there. Whether or not it's worth much is another matter, but it does drop.

 

[Yadd of Legends]

Since I've been spending a lot of time in level 1 Shame, I can tell you that gargoyle armor drops quite a bit in there. Whether or not it's worth much is another matter, but it does drop.

True, but getting together a gargoyle suit with 100 LRC and decent resists I found to be impractical - and that's not to mention some LMC or MR

 

[Eärendil]

Howdy everybody! I began my "no-player-equipment" ironman on Siege and have one tiny question: Anybody an idea for low level critters bearing gargoyle armor as loot? Best would be in Ter Mur and outside the dungeons. Any suggestions? I mean: REALLY low lever...

Ah, and by the way: Happy new year! I am back! Muahahaha!

Ah, I see: Others have the same problem, hehehe

 

[Yadd of Legends]

Good luck on that one. I started with the toxic sliths east of the bridge that goes east out of the city - OK loot, not great. Also, the spawn inside the tomb of kings, before you go over the bridge into the abyss, drops gargoyle loot, but it's tough without the ability to go invisible because of those fast moving poisonous serpents. Shame OK for just starting. Abyss spawns - you'd think gargoyles would get a break on the loot, since this is their home turf, but not really. You might be able to do it if you don't need LRC, but I was going for a mystic mage and was never able to build a satisfactory suit for a gargoyle with 100 LRC and decent resists playing solo with help from no other character. Did it easily with elves and humans

 

[sablestorm]

Howdy everybody! I began my "no-player-equipment" ironman on Siege and have one tiny question: Anybody an idea for low level critters bearing gargoyle armor as loot? Best would be in Ter Mur and outside the dungeons. Any suggestions? I mean: REALLY low lever...

Ah, and by the way: Happy new year! I am back! Muahahaha!

Ah, I see: Others have the same problem, hehehe

I believe you could go to shame and do earth elementals and mud pies. If I am not mistaken, they drop gargish loot. If you are a little more established, you might head over to the Tomb of Kings. I find the undead guardians are fairly easy to kill and they drop a good sum of gold and items.

 

[Eärendil]

Thats exactly what I started 30 min before I read your post. Thanks, mate. Never cared about these slithes. PVE-ironman has nice sideeffects: You actually PLAY the game and TRAVEL.

I like it!