If you where completely in charge

[Lore Master]

If you where completely in charge of an expansion or a number of expansions what expansion or expansions would you create? please do not include any Nerfs or changing any items, properties or rules or taking anything out of the game. this post is for fun and only for things you would add to the game so this is not meant to start any arguments.

• If i was in charge well i do not know much about SA but i hear it will have the biggest dungeon ever in UO which is great but i have no idea how big the dungeon will be. i am sure it will be big but no where near as big as i would make it. so heres just one expansion i would make if i was in charge i hope you like.

• What i would do is make one huge facet that is 100 percent underground with no sun Exposure at all to the sun that is at least as big as Tram and Fel is today with dungeons, caverns, caves, mines, labyrinths, tunnels and passages leading inside mountains and elsewhere.

• I would also create new spawn and monsters and also add some of the current and existing spawn and monsters we have today. perhaps some of the current and new spawn can be albino like, maybe also some would be blind or be very sensitive to the light because they where never exposed to the sun.

• Just because the spawn and monsters may be blind or be sensitive to the light does not make them any weaker or easier to kill because there reflexes and dexterity would be heightened to compo sate for there blindness or sensitively to the light.

• I would also add lots of New: quest, rewards, plants, begging items, champ spawns, peerless and peerless loot, artifacts, Rares, Daily Rares , stealable artifacts, stealable items, Tamables some rideable some not rideable, stackables, materials, all types of ingredients, resources, Craftables, recipes, more types of ships, useable cannons for ships, house customization options and features with more house tiles too, shields, weapons and armor, more races too etc. etc.

• As for this facet perhaps it doesn't have to be a new facet maybe it can be far underneath Tram and Fel. the one under tram would have Tram rules the one under Fel would have Fel rules. perhaps it can be so far under ground that it can expand to underneath the ocean making it practically one gigantic under ground world.

• I would also create underground rivers, lakes, seas, oceans and even islands where you can use ships to travel. it would be so cool to travel in a ship through a gigantic underground dark cave, river or mountain. i would even make a bunch of areas that you can only get to by ship that you have to go through underground mountains, caves and river like mazes etc that would be so big that you can easily get lost on your way to finding these areas.

• I would also add a lot of new species of fish and sea creatures that you can catch some of them will only be available in these new underground areas, some would be available in all bodies of water and some new species can also go in our aquariums. i would also add new sea monsters too and sharks among other dangerous and harmless real and imagined sea creatures and sea monsters. many i would add to all bodies of water underground and above ground and some would only be available underground.

• I would also add some safe areas where there would be some underground cities and towns spread out in different areas. some underground areas would also support housing. some housing areas would be spawn free and some would have a little to a lot of spawn. i think it would be really cool to live in an underground area.

I can add more to this idea but i may have written too much already. i have other ideas for expansions but this is enough for one post by one person. anyway this is what i would do after SA and the pirate expansion. please comment and add your own expansion idea or ideas if you like thanks.

 

[a slave girl]

I want all out pirate expansion with shiny silver red and black box that SCREAMS !!!PIRATES!!! on store shelves.

With craftable boats and ships, ocean going quests and battles (NPC or player or both), craftable pirate clothing, pet monkeys with long tails and the option to have a peg leg for guy chars.The peg leg should only be available after a tough series of quests and obtaining the ingame title of Sea Captain or something.

Ships with working sails and guns.

Poofy long skirts too.

 

[Sweeney]

Half of your ideas are already a part of Ultima Underworld.. and are probably already included. I personally think it should follow the original game, and keep you in the abyss until you work your way out.

 

[Lore Master]

Half of your ideas are already a part of Ultima Underworld.. and are probably already included. I personally think it should follow the original game, and keep you in the abyss until you work your way out.

I don't remember Ultima Underworld i think i heard of it but never looked into it but it sounds like a great version of the Ultima series before ultima Online came out that is my guess anyway. i truly feel we need a lot more under ground areas a lot more then SA will offer us and the current game offers us today combined.

 

[Sweeney]

I don't remember Ultima Underworld i think i heard of it but never looked into it but it sounds like a great version of the Ultima series before ultima Online came out that is my guess anyway. i truly feel we need a lot more under ground areas a lot more then SA will offer us and the current game offers us today combined.

UU was totally unlike the other Ultima's, hence you not remembering it. It was once of the first decent 3-d games out there. Jumping across cliffs was a pain tho when you fell into the river.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

I'd first do this:
Improve the Gaming World
And then I'd do this:
Pirate Expansion

 

[Sneaky Que]

I'd open 4 t2a era shards (US, UK, Asia, Oceania) as classic servers.

 

[Lore Master]

I'd first do this:
Improve the Gaming World
And then I'd do this:
Pirate Expansion

While i do agree with most of what you stated hawkeye_pike i also strongly feel that the game can use an expansion like the one i suggested here. if my idea was done right in ways like you suggested i feel that would be so awesome and bring and keep more players in the game hence making uo much more popular then it is now. of cause the current locations do need improvements too just like you stated too my idea would just be an added bonus if done right.

 

[Aboo]

I don't remember Ultima Underworld i think i heard of it but never looked into it but it sounds like a great version of the Ultima series before ultima Online came out that is my guess anyway. i truly feel we need a lot more under ground areas a lot more then SA will offer us and the current game offers us today combined.

There was Ultima Underworld I: The Stygian Abyss and Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds (I think I got those names correct). Both were great games!

 

[Nexus]

If you where completely in charge of an expansion or a number of expansions what expansion or expansions would you create? please do not include any Nerfs or changing any items, properties or rules or taking anything out of the game. this post is for fun and only for things you would add to the game so this is not meant to start any arguments.

I've got an idea, name me one expansion that didn't do at least one of the things you just mentioned you didn't want to hear about...That's part of the point of an expansion, it's expected to be a large amount of data you can make huge changes to game subsystems without players spending 15 hours patching it in. I personally can't think of one major sweeping change they could make to the game other than adding pixel crack that wouldn't involve changing how the game is played on some level.

 

[Ender]

I would even up the playing field. Take greater dragons off the list of tamable creatures. Make warriors useful in PvM without going necro, chiv, AND bushido. Remove mage weapons from the game, at least the ones that aren't 2 handed, -0, FC 1 and no other mods. Make archery a lot less accurate, especially with moving shot in PvP. Couple other things I'm forgetting, probably.

 

[Nevyn]

I'd make Ultima Online: Pirates of Sosaria*. Everyone loves pirates!


*I'll admit, the name was born via commitee during a community event. But I rather like it.

 

[Harb]

I’ll try and answer as thoroughly as possible, but have to say up front that everything following comment 1 below may in fact be influenced, strongly influenced, by comment one.

1) The first thing I’d do is assess what I have on my hands. I know the game, and many of those I play and have played with. I don’t know everybody else, and frankly, when you forget that everyone is important, your demise becomes inevitable. The most important thing to a “me in charge,” as it should be to everyone within dev and the tiers above them, is determined what interests and satisfies the player base as a whole. I’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’re way overdue for some comprehensive, detailed, professional/ scientific polling. I want to know who the players are, what they like, what they don’t like, and where they want to see the game go. Our base is not the same base as other MMOs, if it were we’d be done here as everyone would have moved on to newer games. It’s in this fact that EA is missing something. Hitting player desires, even if 100% on target, is not the entire battle. I’d also need to assess our role within Mythic, their goals/ requirements, and then repeat the same with EA. If expectations are to sustain the current player base, opposed to expanding it, the ramifications and implications are huge. Then I’d have to look at budget, assets, and strengths of the assembled team. While it may sound silly, I’d also need to take a hard look at organizational structure. A low friend was once in a very high position within OSI, the structure relayed was horrifying from a perspective of efficiency. So first, get to know all the players, see the structure, adjust as required, and retarget a growth strategy with reasonable metrics and timelines to at least “tilt” growth back into the green as quickly as possible.

2) Categorize players into groupings, and offer each “group” something new at least quarterly. Communicate to ensure we’re meeting all player requirements from each group. I didn’t say “all desires,” opting for the term requirements, as there seems few times that everyone is fully satisfied with any given publish/ change/ addition. I think the duration many have been with the game is something that should be revered by EA, though it seems it is not. And while duration is attributable to efforts of many dev folks over time, the real “heroes” are the loyal players. So in sum, “feed” the base. To reiterate, communicate. Once more, communicate.

3) Get development on a 1, 3 and 5 year schedule. Too much development is piecemeal, and direction often seems lost. That may have to change to 1/2/3 year plans, depending on comment 1. The overall idea is simply to get a long range plan, IAW a vision blessed by the complete organization.

4) Review and adjust for short and long term player goals within the game. The business of characters being fully developed, fully equipped, and nothing to do except wait for the next publish has to stop. It is a deadly trend.

5) Cease wasted effort and developmental initiative. Everything done goes somewhere, but remains active within the game. I’ve mentioned Fel in other posts; it seems best suited without major “new” investment.

6) Pursue cheaters/ cheating through every means to every end. Don't get me wrong, unattended macroing, as an example, is not what I'm talking about. Duping on the other hand has had an unacceptable, huge negative impact. Now that there is a legal precedent, large fines and jail time are no longer out of reach.

7) Establish a “clean-up” crew, fixing what’s broken. A second team works diligently, and in dedicated manner, toward a “next generation” modern code. For both the client and servers.

8) Review/ adjust what we have. As Hawkeye initiated in another current thread, much in today’s world is “wasted.” Everything, everywhere, should have a valid and current task/ purpose.

9) Address the in game economy. You know things aren't right when you can go to any after market site and purchase gold for $1.50 per million. Now, no matter how easy anyone believes it is to make gold in the game, I have met no one who believes their valued time is worth so little. Who works for less than $ .15 an hour?

10) Get a box to market, and market the box.

I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for in your thread. I suspect it isn’t, and apologize if I disappoint. But your question is what you’d do if king for the day; I did try to answer the question honestly at surface level!! Good luck with your thread.

 

[BbqLou]

The only thing that we've all been asking for, PIRATESSSS!!!! FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS EXPANSION!

 

[Lore Master]

I’ll try and answer as thoroughly as possible, but have to say up front that everything following comment 1 below may in fact be influenced, strongly influenced, by comment one.

1) The first thing I’d do is assess what I have on my hands. I know the game, and many of those I play and have player with. I don’t know everybody else, and frankly, when you forget that everyone is important, your demise becomes inevitable. The most important thing to a “me in charge,” as it should be to everyone within dev and the tiers above them, is determined what interests and satisfies the player base as a whole. I’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’re way overdue for some comprehensive, detailed, professional/ scientific polling. I want to know who the players are, what they like, what they don’t like, and where they want to see the game go. Our base is not the same base as other MMOs, if it were we’d be done here as everyone would have moved on to newer games. It’s in this fact that EA is missing something. Hitting player desires, even if 100% on target, is not the entire battle. I’d also need to assess our role within Mythic, their goals/ requirements, and then repeat the same with EA. If expectations are to sustain the current player base, opposed to expanding it, the ramifications and implications are huge. Then I’d have to look at budget, assets, and strengths of the assembled team. While it may sound silly, I’d also need to take a hard look at organizational structure. A low friend was once in a very high position within OSI, the structure relayed was horrifying from a perspective of efficiency. So first, get to know all the players, see the structure, adjust as required, and retarget a growth strategy with reasonable metrics and timelines to at least “tilt” growth back into the green as quickly as possible.

2) Categorize players into groupings, and offer each “group” something new at least quarterly. Communicate to ensure we’re meeting all player requirements from each group. I didn’t say “all desires,” opting for the term requirements, as there seems few times that everyone is fully satisfied with any given publish/ change/ addition. I think the duration many have been with the game is something that should be revered by EA, though it seems it is not. And while duration is attributable to efforts of many dev folks over time, the real “heroes” are the loyal players. So in sum, “feed” the base. To reiterate, communicate. Once more, communicate.

3) Get development on a 1, 3 and 5 year schedule. Too much development is piecemeal, and direction often seems lost. That may have to change to 1/2/3 year plans, depending on comment 1. The overall idea is simply to get a long range plan, IAW a vision blessed by the complete organization.

4) Review and adjust for short and long term player goals within the game. The business of characters being fully developed, fully equipped, and nothing to do except wait for the next publish has to stop. It is a deadly trend.

5) Cease wasted effort and developmental initiative. Everything done goes somewhere, but remains active within the game. I’ve mentioned Fel in other posts; it seems best suited without major “new” investment.

6) Pursue cheaters/ cheating through every means to every end. Don't get me wrong, unattended macroing, as an example, is not what I'm talking about. Duping on the other hand has had an unacceptable, huge negative impact. Now that there is a legal precedent, large fines and jail time are no longer out of reach.

7) Establish a “clean-up” crew, fixing what’s broken. A second team works diligently, and in dedicated manner, toward a “next generation” modern code. For both the client and servers.

8) Review/ adjust what we have. As Hawkeye initiated in another current thread, much in today’s world is “wasted.” Everything, everywhere, should have a valid and current task/ purpose.

9) Address the in game economy. You know things aren't right when you can go to any after market site and purchase gold for $1.50 per million. Now, no matter how easy anyone believes it is to make gold in the game, I have met no one who believes their valued time is worth so little. Who works for less than $ .15 an hour?

10) Get a box to market, and market the box.

I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for in your thread. I suspect it isn’t, and apologize if I disappoint. But your question is what you’d do if king for the day; I did try to answer the question honestly at surface level!! Good luck with your thread.

• your post was not disapointing at all it may not be entirely what i was asking for but many things you mentioned are even more important then any expansion like for instance fixing everything that is broken and especially stopping all the cheats, scripts, exploits and dupes.

• if all the cheats, scripts, exploits and dupes and bugs where eliminated from the game UO would greatly grow in popularity and players its the cheating, scripts, exploits and dupes that i believe is the main cause of UOs slow decline the bugs dont help either even the little ones.

 

[Harb]

Actually, if graphics, and a reputation for anti-social behavior are neither in a potential buyers decision making process, UO certainly can grow if marketed. You might add other "deterrents," the age of the code (not seen by players), a cumbersome interface (we do need a "friendlier" interface for new players, despite us old guys lovin most of what we got (you hear many of us cling to guns, religion, and the 2D client, but you have to look hard for someone who loves the BOD or crafting quests systems for example), and a steep learning/ growth curb. The challenge to anyone in a position of resposibilty, old/ current/ or new, is holding what we have until each of these can be addressed. Then they must convince Mythic and EA to make a hard charge toward marketing. Anything short of saturation would be an error. None of these challenges are easy. The game is solid in terms of systemic diversity and depth, as well as an exceptionally loyal player base. Had year one been even close to where we are today, we might even sit atop the MMO perch - still.