FoF: Almost There!

[AesSedai]

FoF: Almost There!
[Note: I did not add all the hot links and such, so visit uo.com to see it as it truly was written]

August 28, 2008



Pre-Town Hall FoF

Once again we're saving the weekend goodness for the Town Hall - and I think this time it will satisfy your cravings. We do still have some announcements and such below!

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QA Request of the Week

QA has been getting a fair number of bugs about players being unable to get their pets to guard them. One thing to consider is that you can only have 5 pets guarding you at once - and if you set a pet to guard and then stable it, it still counts toward the 5. If you're having this problem, go to the stable and pull out any stabled pets and tell them "stop," then re-stable them. If that doesn't solve the problem, please call a GM in-game so they can look at your individual character and see what's going on.

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What's To Come:

The Publish 55 awesomeness is so incredibly awesome that, despite our diligent efforts, it just won't fit into one publish. We're still on track to get it on Test Center next week, and it will have the end of Spring Cleaning (no more turn-in NPCs, although you can still claim your rewards,) the Gardening system updates, the RoT changes for Siege, a number of bugfixes, and one other eensy update that's only about a year late - 10-year Veteran rewards!

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

As for the rest of what's to come - well, the Town Hall is going to cover a lot of that. Keep an eye out for updates and reports from the attendees!

--

Town Hall News:

The Town Hall is in two days - will you be there? Check out the details here and please do RSVP. Also check the Fansite News section for details on Whispering Rose Radio's broadcast of the show - if you can't make it to Seattle, surely you can make it to the internet!

We're aware of issues people seem to be having with the RSVP site - if it's not working for you (for this or any other Town Hall) just show up anyway! We only use the RSVP page to get an idea of how much food to order - there's no "list" or anything you need to be on.

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Fansite News:

Here are a bunch of neat sites to look at, guilds looking for members, and player-run events going on - be sure to check them out!

First, here is a general UO site you may not have seen:
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For all the adventurers out there:
The Ultima Online Travelogues and Adventurer's Guide are available for your entertainment. Here you'll find stories and screenshots of many UO adventures, and a comprehensive guide including detailed maps of all landmasses, dungeons and Points Of Interest in Sosaria: Click here!

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Guild recruitment!


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The United Pirates of Catskills, the first and oldest pirate role playing guild in UO ever, is recruiting members! For details, check the United Pirates website here.

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This past month, the Ancient Order of Elves celebrated 10 amazing years of roleplaying on the Pacific Shard. It has taken the toil and time of many great UO players to make this milestone possible, and they would like to thank the residents of Pacific who have been so supportive over the years. Celebration will take place on Mondays starting September 8th at 7:30pst at the Tel'Ereg ar' Cu Tavern located at coordinates 128o25'N 55o15'E. Gates will be provided in Luna and New Haven.

Visit www.elvenorder.com for membership information or contact Joy via e-mail: [email protected]

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And last but not least, live events!


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Houses and Castles presents; UO Halloween Deco Contest 2008!

Dust off the deco tool, it's time for an overhaul!

H&C is hosting a Halloween competition - create NEW, fresh Halloween inspired deco. no bats, no witches - unless its presented in a new way - full house deco, or a tiny new 'something'.

Is your cauldron bubbling over with ideas? Do the flames of the pits of Hades flicker in your eyes when you grip a deco tool? Do the snip of scissors make you think 'Just how many goza's do they NEED?'

Submissions accepted from September 1st midnight, GMT (england) to September 10th, midnight GMT. You can send up to 3 submission, but each must be sent in their own email.

Send submissions to; [email protected] .

Please read the full rules, so your entry is not disqualified. You can find the rules here

Voting starts September 11th. The voting place will be announced just before voting can start. Prizes will be awarded to the top winners!

Thank you! And much luck to all participants!

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Lake Superior Community's weekly event Schedule
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Meet'n Greet
Date: Monday, September 1st
Time: 7:30PM Central
Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Hosts: Airmid / Sabina Nikolai
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vesper Museum Exhibit tours
Date: Tuesday, September 2nd
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peerless hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required)
Date: Wednesday, September 3rd
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scavenger hunt
Date: Thursday, September 4th
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Misty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilshenar Champion Spawn hunt
Date: Friday, September 5th
Time: 9:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Saturday - August 30th - Once again the road crew of Whispering Rose Radio [WRR] will be broadcasting live the UO Town Hall and this time it’s from Seattle, WA. If you're not able to be there in person then join the rest of the staff for 'party-time' fun at the special WRR Dave & Busters site located on Lake Superior. Bring your ‘dying to know questions’ and we will submit them for you! Click here for location map starting at 3pm Pacific. *If you’re not able to be in game or at the UO Town Hall a tape of the broadcast will be available on UO Forums.

WRR may also be broadcasting from the PAX 2008 (Penny Arcade Expo) sometime over the weekend from Seattle. The Penny Arcade Expo is a Video and computer gaming exposition and convention, with a video game showcase floor, gaming industry panels, movies, plenty of room for console, PC, and even tabletop (board/card/role-play) gaming, plus two nights of concerts featuring top geek, nerd, and gaming bands. If you are coming remember to bring your handheld game device, your card decks, wear your best geekery or video game character costume to meet interesting people and play interesting games with them. Tune in for more details as we won’t know until we get there and double check the technicalities.

~~~~~~~~~

Sunday - August 31st - The Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues after 4 fantastic years to bring you more great deals. Get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

~~~~~~~~~

Thursday - September 4th - The Tazz and Keg's Underground show returns to the air at 7pm PST - 10pm EST on a NEW night with a CONTEST to kick off their return. They are running a contest for the funniest videogame story in 80 words or less. Listeners will be eligible to win a $25.00 gift certificate to Gamestop if their submissions are read on air. They will be taking submissions until September 25, 2008 and will be announcing the winner on the October 2nd show. Tune into the Tazz and Keg's Underground show on Thursday night for complete details.

~~~~~~~~~

*Friday Night Shard Chatter, Saturdays’ Brush Limpaw, the bi-weekly WRR Casino Night, and the Deal or No Deal ~ 'UO Style' will return over the next few Saturdays. Watch for next weeks WRR 'News' bulletin with more details.

Have a great time this weekend playing Ultima Online and listening to Whispering Rose Radio [WRR] ~ see you all on the flip side.

--


--

I'm in Seattle tonight, and cannot wait for the Town Hall tomorrow!


- Jeremy

 

[AesSedai]

- I just wanted to get it out there because:

Read the section: What's to Come

I more firmly believe now that we will be hearing about SA tomorrow...

 

[Alvinho]

Loseing hope more and more each day with all this lack of information


Saying we like fire, sorry we cannot talk about it or that developer was not in the office for me to ask is getting way way to old

 

[canary]

I just pray to god whatever they have planned involves completing the 50% of KR that needs to be done to make it a halfway viable client.

 

[Lady-Tor]

The Publish 55 awesomeness is so incredibly awesome that, despite our diligent efforts, it just won't fit into one publish.

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

God is Jeremy 15 years old? Seriously that is the most try hard wording... doesnt inspire confidence.

 

[Deb]

I honestly do not believe any of the UO staff is working on
anything other than UO related stuff.
Also, I could definitely read the excitement in Jeremy's words which
also makes me excited...will definitely be listening to this Town Hall

 

[christy1221]

I honestly do not believe any of the UO staff is working on
anything other than UO related stuff.
Also, I could definitely read the excitement in Jeremy's words which
also makes me excited...will definitely be listening to this Town Hall

Me too.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

*Witholds judgement*

While I disagree with the above statement on KR not being a viable client, I agree with the sentiment that it would be nice to know that work will be resuming on the client.

 

[Tazar]

10th year rewards are great (and a year late), but what about 11th year rewards? Are these to be a year late as well???

 

[Alvinho]

I honestly do not believe any of the UO staff is working on
anything other than UO related stuff.
Also, I could definitely read the excitement in Jeremy's words which
also makes me excited...will definitely be listening to this Town Hall

I was excited to hear the san diego meeting, especially seeing teh farce on friday the day before, let me refresh you on that a sec

"Why is this Five on Friday so short?"

We've got a couple of things going on this week that is seriously imbalancing my ratio of questions to answers. First of all, we have the Town Hall - I don't want to steal my own thunder, so some of the forward-looking stuff that I'd normally do here is being saved for that. Secondly, we have a number of people overseas at the moment training our teammates in Japan, so my list of people to pester for info is distressingly short. Thirdly, the next publish is scheduled slightly further out than y'all have become accustomed to, so I don't have the kind of solid QA-approved info on it that I usually would two weeks after the previous one.

The thunder at the san diego town hass was fire, cant talk about it and couldnt ask the developer was out of town.


Now today there is no FOF meanign that there is no thunder to brag about for seattle town hall.


I hope I am very wrong, as I am needing something to renew my faith in the game, and staff, includeing the lack of communication from the community liason.

 

[phantus]

I more firmly believe now that we will be hearing about SA tomorrow...

I don't. I want to believe but I simply can no longer expend my energy waiting on things I feel I should already have.

My fear is that what they believe will be some big news will be just another part of some grand puzzle(delay) to what is supposed to be a big thing. I'm still waiting on something epic to be added to UO and I keep getting the feeling that the people who are promoting this don't know what epic is for UO any longer.

This announcement is going to mean a great deal for the future of UO I believe. I hope it's what we all want it to be.

 

[Sunrise]

Ok folks seriously now....

I pay 10 bucks a month. I play on average about shrugs 30 Plus hours a week and have FUN doing it!!!! stress the fun part.

Now dont get me wrong. I do get frustrated with alot of things in the game. For sure. We are all human. But where else can you find 120 hours a month of FUN stuff to do for only 10 bucks??? seriously now?

I hope this town hall goes great! I hope they bring in alot of good stuff. I do dream that UO makes it to half the subs that WoW has. yeah thats a dream

But seriously now. Ill be listening to the town hall. seeing whats coming. But also on the flip side. Just having FUN with this game!!! Isnt that what its really about?? I mean heck..only 10 bucks a month..come on now...my water bill is more than my UO account.


I also DO hope the devs bring alot of new adventures out, but also in the back of my mind I know once the serves come up with the new stuff...within minutes people will find every loop hole there is..and start posting it on stratics. On the flip side..Its new and hopefully FUN stuff too . This is make beleive world where it fun. No stress from bosses and people..

So aye I will be listening...but I still want to know..why was the radio station banned?

 

[Haddy G]

The Publish 55 awesomeness is so incredibly awesome that, despite our diligent efforts, it just won't fit into one publish.

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but does this mean an expansion and maybe a retail box.

 

[canary]

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but does this mean an expansion and maybe a retail box.

No, it means that Jeremy is sooooo creative she can only use the word 'awesome' over and over to try to sell to ppl that the UO team actually invests energy into this game.








Which they clearly don't.

 

[Tycolby]

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but does this mean an expansion and maybe a retail box.

I truely believe there will never be another box edition to ever hit store shelves again. They will try their hardest to cut cost to keep the game alive for as long as we pay for it.

Every new edition will be download only from File Planet lol and we all remember how well that went

 

[UltimaSword]

Maybe its cause I am an optimist but i really think something great will be announced.

 

[AesSedai]

I think awesomeness is a good descriptive word.

(But then again I do have a soft-spot for the tv show 'How I Met Your Mother', and I love that Neil Patrick Harris brought awesome back into my personal vernacular.)

Oh yeah:
Less than one day before Seattle

 

[Zooithion]

Maybe its cause I am an optimist but i really think something great will be announced.

I hope you are correct.

 

[Galad]

It sounds like this announcement is either going to make it or break it for alot of customers.

 

[Sunrise]

Well if they nuke luna they got my money for life :bowdown:


Just have to wait and see what happens..

 

[Aroma]

yet wrr is still all over the post and site with links. yet no mention of the banning, and intruption of the games that happened. Just bunch of hot air about the town hall hype.

 

[Clog|Mordain]

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

That part is whats got me concerned....

 

[Chad Sexington]

UOThief turns 2 years old on September 1st.

(If anyone cares.)

 

[xempathy]

"The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it."


I firmly believe that's a hint being dropped towards those of us that want a retail box. I wish *crosses fingers* that they've been working on kr and have done enough to to release it in a box format or something awesome like that. Whatever poster said that this would make or break it for a lot of customers was definitely talking about me.

 

[Beefybone]

The Publish 55 awesomeness is so incredibly awesome that, despite our diligent efforts, it just won't fit into one publish.

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

It means that whatever "awesome" crap they're supposed to tell us about has already been delayed until at least Publish 56. So instead of something "awesome" our next publish is going to be some bugfixes and a Siege ROT tweak. Joy.

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Flora Green]

I saw no mention of the anniversary so that must mean more heritage tokens.

 

[Caelas]

Anyone else find it ironic that WRR people got suspended in game for advertizing their URL in-game, yet Jeremy advertized it TWICE yesterday on uoherald.com?

Just sayin... *runs off laughing* To hell with it, I'll probably be listening in anyway.

 

[Uriah Heep]

It means that whatever "awesome" crap they're supposed to tell us about has already been delayed until at least Publish 56. So instead of something "awesome" our next publish is going to be some bugfixes and a Siege ROT tweak. Joy.

Why am I not surprised?

And plants

So to confirm and recap, 55 is late cause 56 was going into it. Now 56 and probably a lot of 55 has been pulled, to be delivered later.

Now move along, nothing else to see here...

 

[Jeremy]

Well, actually some of 56 is now in 55 and some of 55 is now in 56. Are you confused yet?

 

[Coranthe]

I don't see how you folks can believe this has anything to do with SA. She clearly stated it was the "Live Events" that were too big for 55. Surely an expansion this far behind isn't a set of live events that last a month or less.

 

[kelmo]

Well, actually some of 56 is now in 55 and some of 55 is now in 56. Are you confused yet?

I started out that way... I just hope the RoT changes make it soon. I am thinking about rebuilding all of my Siege characters to change it up a bit. Staleness has kinda set in.

 

[RenaLynne]

I don't see how you folks can believe this has anything to do with SA. She clearly stated it was the "Live Events" that were too big for 55. Surely an expansion this far behind isn't a set of live events that last a month or less.

*Nods*, thats what Im thinking. People are so desperate for new content theyre reading things that arent there. I dont blame em.

 

[Alvinho]

Well, actually some of 56 is now in 55 and some of 55 is now in 56. Are you confused yet?

is that meaning that we are not sure what is in 55 anymore we hyped it up so much and now cannot deliver as usual from the hype?

Wait the Thunder this time is that you hyped this publush up so muhc it is another fizzle as usual?



Loseing faith faster and faster in the game staff/Community cordinator

 

[Surgeries]

Anyone else find it ironic that WRR people got suspended in game for advertizing their URL in-game, yet Jeremy advertized it TWICE yesterday on uoherald.com?

Just sayin... *runs off laughing* To hell with it, I'll probably be listening in anyway.

Umm...let's see.

Does UOHerald have a ToS that prohibits giving out URLs?

Does the Game, Ultima Online, have a ToS prohibiting in-game dissemination of URLs?

No...I don't find those two facts ironic at all.

You know...logic can be a powerful ally. If you actually use it.

Just sayin...*Walks Away Shaking His Head*

 

[Harb]

Jeremy, just an observation, but might you be better served if FoFs the day preceding Town Halls were actually more robust than usual - it might hit a larger audience and better facilitate dialogue at the meeting Ah but then, there are those pesky competing needs...

 

[The Home Guild]

10th year rewards are great (and a year late), but what about 11th year rewards? Are these to be a year late as well???

I was thinking the same. I just hit 130 months.. acct was closed for a few of them however i want my 11yr rewards.

 

[Surgeries]

- I just wanted to get it out there because:

Read the section: What's to Come

I more firmly believe now that we will be hearing about SA tomorrow...

I am hoping that you are correct...it would be great...that and a KR Update...

 

[Jeremy]

I am confident that we will have plenty to talk about today.

 

[Ender]

I am confident that we will have plenty to talk about today.

Does talking about things include "we like fire" or similar answers?

 

[DevilsOwn]

ohmighosh, I just heard my grandmother's voice saying that, and she would have put the emphasis on 'plenty' because she just knew what I had been up to, even tho there was absolutely no way she could have known

kay, apprehension just turned to dread

*heads back to deco to take her mind off of it*

 

[Beefybone]

Jeremy, if you guys don't announce an expansion with a retail box then it's basically epic fail. Getting up there and blabbering about some more city invasion events that, oops, have already been delayed? Not gonna cut it.

 

[Uriah Heep]

I am confident that we will have plenty to talk about today.

Like I posted earlier, Talk is cheap. I will be tuned in to listen, but I wont get too excited about anything ya say, we've heard it before.

Show us, Talk now, and then deliver for a change. Then, we will be happy.

 

[Kith Kanan]

I would be happy if they said that those of us that got an account banned would get a non canned response to why we got banned sometime this year.....

Jeremy I'll keep mailing you until I get an answer , you decide how many many times I got too mail it

 

[Caelas]

Logic, eh? Ok, here's this:

A popular game (not to name names, but Warcraft) has a strict policy about gold buying and selling. If you advertise in-game a gold selling / buying site, chances are someone will report you.

Blizzard (the people that make Warcraft, in case you don't know) follows the same rules it's players do: they don't link gold selling/buying sites, and they won't sponser sites that even have ads to them, regardless of being intensional or not. For example, the WoW Stratics site at one time has I believe Google ads...that had a gold selling ad in it. Blizzard refused to link the WoW Stratics site because they saw it. Totally un-intensional ad placement, but Blizzard isn't going to be hypocritical.

Now, we have WRR people being suspended because of in-game links. Why, who cares. There had to be a reason. BUT...the UO website can link the SAME site?

EAMythic = hypocricy. They can link, but the players can't.

Doesn't seem logical to me. Seems...oh...unprofessional.

 

[Coranthe]

It would be really cool if someone took a taser and zapped the offending Dev today everytime they said "we like fire".

 

[Surgeries]

Like I posted earlier, Talk is cheap. I will be tuned in to listen, but I wont get too excited about anything ya say, we've heard it before.

Show us, Talk now, and then deliver for a change. Then, we will be happy.

Really?

I am of the mind that they could announce an expansion, come to your house and install it for you, update KR, and get 25 million subs, and you would still pancake.

I could be wrong...but talk is cheap.

And your sig really says it all.

Why be a Good Finder, when you can continually find Fault?

I mean...why do what is hard, when you can take the path of least resistance?

EA has screwed up plenty. They have obviously done one or two things right, as well.

How about every time you pancake...you find as many things that you Like about the game?

After all...if you REALLY hate UO THAT much...wouldn't one think that finding another game to play would just make sense?

Good Lord.

 

[Surgeries]

Logic, eh? Ok, here's this:

A popular game (not to name names, but Warcraft) has a strict policy about gold buying and selling. If you advertise in-game a gold selling / buying site, chances are someone will report you.

Blizzard (the people that make Warcraft, in case you don't know) follows the same rules it's players do: they don't link gold selling/buying sites, and they won't sponser sites that even have ads to them, regardless of being intensional or not. For example, the WoW Stratics site at one time has I believe Google ads...that had a gold selling ad in it. Blizzard refused to link the WoW Stratics site because they saw it. Totally un-intensional ad placement, but Blizzard isn't going to be hypocritical.

Now, we have WRR people being suspended because of in-game links. Why, who cares. There had to be a reason. BUT...the UO website can link the SAME site?

EAMythic = hypocricy. They can link, but the players can't.

Doesn't seem logical to me. Seems...oh...unprofessional.

UO links to the WRR Radio Site from a website.

A Website. Not In Game.

You understand the difference...yes?

One is In Game and Against the ToS...

The other is Out of Game, and totally legal, based on the ToS.

You fail this logic test...but a valiant attempt.

WRR advertised their site In Game

They got suspended for it.

They could have told people to go to the UO Herald...they could have told the people to Google UO Herald to find it...anything...but the DJs didn't do that.

Until the rules allow them to post URLs In Game, then they take the chance that they could be suspended for posting a URL, In Game, when they do it.

Make sense?

 

[DevilsOwn]

I don't think people that "hate" the game are here asking that it be made better, and for most of the posts, that's what I see

I'll concede that there are those that only whine, some of whom don't even play anymore, and you would be right to call them out

the rest of us just rant because we want the game to improve, we want more people to discover it's unique qualities, and we sure as heck don't want it to slip off into oblivion

 

[Flora Green]

I would be happy if they said that those of us that got an account banned would get a non canned response to why we got banned sometime this year.....

Jeremy I'll keep mailing you until I get an answer , you decide how many many times I got too mail it

I hope the bannings, the lack of communication from the reps and why the hell GM's won't actually help people are brought up countless times until someone is forced to give answers. Just sayin'.

 

[Caelas]

UO links to the WRR Radio Site from a website.

A Website. Not In Game.

You understand the difference...yes?

One is In Game and Against the ToS...

The other is Out of Game, and totally legal, based on the ToS.

You fail this logic test...but a valiant attempt.

WRR advertised their site In Game

They got suspended for it.

They could have told people to go to the UO Herald...they could have told the people to Google UO Herald to find it...anything...but the DJs didn't do that.

Until the rules allow them to post URLs In Game, then they take the chance that they could be suspended for posting a URL, In Game, when they do it.

Make sense?

You missed my point entirely.

I do understand the concept of a website and in-game. Please don't think otherwise...I'd hate to see you stress yourself using more bold. Perhaps underscore next time? Or italics? Oh, here's an idea...re-read my post. Same ideas present themselves. In WoW, you advertise in game, got get hit. The webmasters follow the very rules that the players have to. Keeps things neat and professional.

In case you need it pointed out...the point is EA-Mytic is being hypocritical posting the very same URL on its own website that it suspended players for.

If a company is going to make rules, they should at least have the decency to follow them. It is very much like a police officer arresting you for posession then smoking pot as they drive you to jail...