NEWS [UO.Com] Ultima Online Turns 22 and the Legacy Forges On!

[UO News]

9/24/2019 On this day in 1997 thousands of people from around the world entered a world born of mystic arts and ancient sorcery. 22 years later and millions have forged the legacy of one of the longest running MMORPGs of all time. From the entire Ultima Online team we want to thank each and every one of you who have been a part of this incredible journey! What’s your UO legacy? Head on over to our Facebook page or the UO Forums to share your UO legacy today! Long Live Britannia!

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[GarthGrey]

I didn't start until November of 97 but was hooked from day one. Compuserv was my first internet provider, then AoL (Goodbye) on my 19200 modem. I worked for Volkswagen/Audi test driving prototypes. We were required to follow a specific set of instructions and mileage each night on the vehicles. I learned from the other drivers to just get on I-75 and rack up the mileage really quick and then go home , they went to bed, I logged into UO, got naked and mined ore in North Minoc for hours on end until someone either killed me, or I lost connection. It's been an off and on 22yrs of fun.

 

[Zeke]

@GarthGrey they frown on getting naked at work these days...

 

[Taylor]

Happy birthday, UO!

 

[popps]

Indeed, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ultima Online and thank you SO much for all the fun across these long 22 Years !!

 

[ShriNayne]

Happy Birthday UO, I still remember the first day I played, I was too scared to speak to anyone!

 

[MalagAste]

I recall buying UO:R in WalMart of all places... I brought it home registered it but didn't play it for a good while I was rather into playing the Sims... Then one day my son asked if I was going to start playing that game or what.. well.... 2 hours into playing my computer died... yep hard drive crashed bigtime... I didn't get my PC back for something like 3 months... then I forgot about the game again... and then once I started playing and actually really playing I read through that book that came with the game... which I recall pretty much told you "don't talk to anyone, don't trust anyone, don't trade with anyone, etc"... so I didn't for like weeks trying to figure out the game.

Used to stand around at Brit Cemetary (after accidentally going through the gate in Haven, which you then couldn't go back to Haven)... since I didn't know what I was doing... stood on some blocks so I could basically plink away at stuff and not die... looted everything I could.

I remember it was 6 months before I figured out that the Circle of Transparency wasn't a spell it was something in the user menu... I kept looking to buy the spell in the mage shop in Brit... every time I'd ask about it people would just laugh and call me a noob... I recall dying on the lea side of a small tower to 2 dire wolves and having to watch my body turn to bones and then decay because I couldn't figure out how to loot it since I couldn't see it to click on it... lost everything I owned pretty much. And then I was playing around in the settings and came upon the stupid circle... boy was I disgusted... I remember thinking good god why couldn't someone just tell me that was where it was???

I recall reading MY:UO every day... which is where I found an ad for the "Tales and Ales" tavern near Yew which had "Story Night" every Friday... I went 3 weeks in a row before I got up the courage to chat with anyone there. The rest was history when I met Alex of Yew, which started me on the path of learning what the RP in MMORPG really stood for.

Happy Birthday, UO! You got me through so many things... raised 2 children on my own... got me through the death of both my parents... and the birth of my grandchild. I look forward to many wonderful adventures to come. Even if sometimes I get a bit disgusted, it's only because I really love UO and the UO community.

 

[Gem]

I started playing in beta...and would get routinely killed by mongbats

 

[zamot]

I still have my beta CD. I must say that my dog ate the box and map But the CD survived
I dont play as much and have long periods where I do not play at all but my 4 accounts have never had a missed month. hopefully the game never dies

 

[Dot_Warner]

I remember asking my mother for her credit card to pay $5 for the pre-alpha disk. She thought I was insane. She didn't realize that this was the opening salvo in a two year battle over the phone line, a casualty of which was the phone jack in my parent's bedroom (I ruthlessly sabotaged it so they couldn't kick me offline late at night by picking up the phone ) I ultimately won the battle when they broke down and got me a teen line for my room.

I definitely don't miss the stutter-step glory of a 56.6 modem, or the many death robes it dealt me when you heard the dreaded *click*

22 years later, I realize UO has gobbled up more of my time than anything else. *considers looking up gaming addiction support groups* Nah...

 

[Delores D]

I started playing after I went to my daughters and played there. Not long after there was a meet up in Orlando Disney World. My daughter, son-in-law and I went. The last door prize of the day was a box with the UO game in it. Everyone wanted the box but said I could keep the game. It is in a book case in my house. Signed by Sunsword, Runesabre, and Zoot.

 

[Dorset]

I brought the game from Curry's after watching two friends play the game from school. Then had to beg my older brother to let me use his credit card to play the game, I ended up having to wash his motorbike as my paper round money didn't cut the mustard.

The game was so addictive, hate to think of the hours put in over those first few years. Still very good memories, not found anything like that early experience so far.

And then 20+ years on, I'm half asleep making my thermosflask to take to work. Filling it up and the noise reminds me of filling those potion bottles up all those years ago, fond memories.

 

[celticus]

Happy birthday, long live UO! 15 years for me. Still learning and discovering new things in this game. Still have my original install disk from way back then, and the box it came in.
I am a slow learner on purpose in this game. Its like a great cup of coffee. You sip it slowly and enjoy every sip...

 

[Keith of Sonoma]

For the first time in many years, I am not concerned with the "anniversary gifts", Halloween content, or even logging in to UO. @Mesanna, and the rest of the Developers @Kyronix @Bleak haved ruined UO with their decision NOT to help anyone unless they are a gold sellers/rares collector/scripter/broker/multiboxxer. Their BLATANT favoritism toward a select group of players, a LARGE majority of which break the UO ToS, and then laugh about it, knowing that nothing will be done, is a slap in the face of the HONEST UO players. Which are becoming fewer and fewer in numbers. Y'all have fun. Not even missing my UO friends is enough to compel me to log in, not even to start combining/giving away stuff, such is my disdain at the hypocricy of the developers. I'm getting some sunshine and playing some golf. Good luck to those you who still log in, and do abide by the UO ToS. You need it!

 

[celticus]

Cheating is built in human nature, more for some, less for many many others. It has been present since day one of this game, 20 years ago. Some people called it "discovering new tricks of the game". Be that as it is, not much the devs can do about most of it. I suspect strongly that the devs are incapable technically to deal with the gold sellers, that inundate the chat channels with ads etc. Also technically very hard to deal with other cheats, like in EM events and idocs.
I have appreciate your disgust with the cheating folks, and share the sentiment.
But as a part time UO player, still find that the game is still a world for me to keep exploring with its basically infinite mini adventures and locations. The intrigue of exploring is still there. The cheaters and exploiters, I will let them rack in what they consider valuable. They cannot affect me in any way. I still have fun playing this old game when time allows. I am not in competition with anyone. I am better off with few goods and lots of fun. The folks that I consider my heroes always due to their integrity are you and few other people here (including @Stinky Pete believe it or not, for his sincere gameplay and also disgust for the cheaters and the greedy).
Sorry to see you leave the game and I hope some day you come back.

 

[MalagAste]

For the first time in many years, I am not concerned with the "anniversary gifts", Halloween content, or even logging in to UO. @Mesanna, and the rest of the Developers @Kyronix @Bleak haved ruined UO with their decision NOT to help anyone unless they are a gold sellers/rares collector/scripter/broker/multiboxxer. Their BLATANT favoritism toward a select group of players, a LARGE majority of which break the UO ToS, and then laugh about it, knowing that nothing will be done, is a slap in the face of the HONEST UO players. Which are becoming fewer and fewer in numbers. Y'all have fun. Not even missing my UO friends is enough to compel me to log in, not even to start combining/giving away stuff, such is my disdain at the hypocricy of the developers. I'm getting some sunshine and playing some golf. Good luck to those you who still log in, and do abide by the UO ToS. You need it!

I feel much the same... it's hard for me to log in... I try really hard to continue to enjoy the game but when it is right there staring you in the face all the time the things you speak of... you just can't ignore it... and it disgusts me and irritates me but then I remind myself that if everyone felt as strong as you and I do then no one would be buying what these people are selling and it would stop... but the fact that it doesn't speaks volumes to me.

I find myself wanting to get the recipes and such but then I wonder why because it's not like I really play that much anymore.

 

[Stinky Pete]

As much as everyone hates @celticus, he makes a good point. Who cares what cheaters do? You aren't competing with anyone. Play the game, have fun. If you want to come here to cry and try so solicit sympathy from your fellow players, that's fine too, but you should know that I'm going to be here to say, "good riddance, one less whiny cry-baby."

People cheat, I know you don't like it, hell, even I don't like it, but I have come to realize that when they sell their stuff for real money, they are providing a service that actually brings people to the game. Some people want to just be able to jump into it without having to do the grind. If someone wants to be able to compete in any sort of PvP, they are likely to buy their way into it rather than grinding PvM content that they aren't interested in. Can you blame them? If there were no RMT sites, people would just buy UO store items and sell those for gold which would contribute money to EA but the results are the same, people spending real money to get ahead in the game. So, unless you hold stock in EA, it shouldn't really bother you as much as it does. EA and Broadsword are the only ones losing anything from RMT sites, but for some reason, a group of people here like to pretend that somehow they are too.

if everyone felt as strong as you and I do then no one would be buying what these people are selling and it would stop

Agreed. I don't buy the stuff... Y'all don't buy the stuff... But somebody is buying the stuff, at least enough to keep the people selling it in business. Not buying it is the best way to stop it from happening. Quitting is not going to stop it. Being disgusted about it isn't going to stop it. Nothing short of not buying the stuff is going to stop it. So just continue not buying it and ignoring the people that do or better yet, come to Siege where we don't have a major problem with RMT or cheating.

 

[celticus]

As much as everyone hates @celticus, he makes a good point. Who cares what cheaters do? You aren't competing with anyone. Play the game, have fun. If you want to come here to cry and try so solicit sympathy from your fellow players, that's fine too, but you should know that I'm going to be here to say, "good riddance, one less whiny cry-baby."

People cheat, I know you don't like it, hell, even I don't like it, but I have come to realize that when they sell their stuff for real money, they are providing a service that actually brings people to the game. Some people want to just be able to jump into it without having to do the grind. If someone wants to be able to compete in any sort of PvP, they are likely to buy their way into it rather than grinding PvM content that they aren't interested in. Can you blame them? If there were no RMT sites, people would just buy UO store items and sell those for gold which would contribute money to EA but the results are the same, people spending real money to get ahead in the game. So, unless you hold stock in EA, it shouldn't really bother you as much as it does. EA and Broadsword are the only ones losing anything from RMT sites, but for some reason, a group of people here like to pretend that somehow they are too.



Agreed. I don't buy the stuff... Y'all don't buy the stuff... But somebody is buying the stuff, at least enough to keep the people selling it in business. Not buying it is the best way to stop it from happening. Quitting is not going to stop it. Being disgusted about it isn't going to stop it. Nothing short of not buying the stuff is going to stop it. So just continue not buying it and ignoring the people that do or better yet, come to Siege where we don't have a major problem with RMT or cheating.

"As much as everyone hates @celticus"
Very good @Stinky Pete, thats a joke of course I take it? LOL always full of crap as usually.
"he makes a good point"
Most of the time right? And here is where I lose you:

"when they sell their stuff for real money, they are providing a service that actually brings people to the game. Some people want to just be able to jump into it without having to do the grind".
In a sense I hear you condoning RMT. There are some people that have a sense of game honor, regarding cheating and RMT especially. I disagree that RMT brings people to the game. It brings PVP to the game, due to the massive amount of gold and US$ spent on PVP gear, I gather that, but PVP is only a part of the game, not the biggest part either. Also, there is no way to stop RMT and cheating with RMT. But it does not make it a good part of the game. Whichever way you look at it, it is a dishonest way to play, especially since it is against the TOS.

And:
"If you want to come here to cry and try so solicit sympathy from your fellow players, that's fine too, but you should know that I'm going to be here to say, "good riddance, one less whiny cry-baby."

Pretty nasty fair-well to a respected fellow player who has been with us for many years. And why? Because he hates cheating and RMT with a passion.

@Stinky Pete, you are stinky.

 

[Stinky Pete]

Well, I hate you and everyone likes me, so one could easily infer that everyone hates you.

Now, let's get one thing straight:

I do not support RMT or cheating but I am not deluded enough to believe that it ruins anything for anyone except for EA/BS who seem to be ok with it. RMT provides a similar service as the UO store, they just happen to do it better.

I would be willing to bet that the people who use these RMT sites are mainly new and returning players. I would also be willing to bet that if they didn't have the ability to purchase gold and items with cash, they would be likely to quit. The people who use RMT sites don't want to grind for gold to buy the things that they think they need, if they did, they wouldn't be buying stuff for cash. If you don't think being able to do that keeps players subscribed and interested in the game, you are delusional.

Pretty nasty fair-well to a respected fellow player who has been with us for many years. And why? Because he hates cheating and RMT with a passion.

I have no respect for the guy. He never did anything for me. Being nasty is just a side effect of my particular brand of the truth. He hates cheating and RMT with a passion and I hate cry-babies and people who get their jollys from sympathy on internet forums. So again I say, "good riddance @Keith of Sonoma, perhaps a single player game would suit you better."

 

[ShriNayne]

It doesn't matter if you like another player or not, every time someone closes their accounts and finds another game to play UO is another step closer to not having enough players to keep it going, it's sad to lose players.

 

[petemage]

Cheating is built in human nature, more for some, less for many many others. It has been present since day one of this game, 20 years ago. Some people called it "discovering new tricks of the game". Be that as it is, not much the devs can do about most of it. I suspect strongly that the devs are incapable technically to deal with the gold sellers, that inundate the chat channels with ads etc. Also technically very hard to deal with other cheats, like in EM events and idocs.
I have appreciate your disgust with the cheating folks, and share the sentiment.
But as a part time UO player, still find that the game is still a world for me to keep exploring with its basically infinite mini adventures and locations. The intrigue of exploring is still there. The cheaters and exploiters, I will let them rack in what they consider valuable. They cannot affect me in any way. I still have fun playing this old game when time allows. I am not in competition with anyone. I am better off with few goods and lots of fun. The folks that I consider my heroes always due to their integrity are you and few other people here (including @Stinky Pete believe it or not, for his sincere gameplay and also disgust for the cheaters and the greedy).
Sorry to see you leave the game and I hope some day you come back.

The point is not about cheating players, but about Broadsword knowing about it and not doing anything, despite all the smokes and mirrors they tell. Wait for the IDOC things they were talking about. Will keep people subbed another half a year with high hopes and in the end will not hurt a paid scripter a tiny bit. Smokes and mirrors, but hey, it will be 2020 when people get to realize it.

Sad to see UO's legacy being held hostage like that. Even more when you see how other old games with proper managemenet have a good retro run, get ported to consoles, mobiles and what not - with success (runescape, wow, sto, ...). I suppose EA tried to jump the bandwagon with EJ, but Broadsword did everything possible to make it a fail and keep the status quo for the precious.

At least they are still running a server for my sub. Thanks @Broadsword

 

[MalagAste]

Well, I hate you and everyone likes me, so one could easily infer that everyone hates you.

Now, let's get one thing straight:

I do not support RMT or cheating but I am not deluded enough to believe that it ruins anything for anyone except for EA/BS who seem to be ok with it. RMT provides a similar service as the UO store, they just happen to do it better.

I would be willing to bet that the people who use these RMT sites are mainly new and returning players. I would also be willing to bet that if they didn't have the ability to purchase gold and items with cash, they would be likely to quit. The people who use RMT sites don't want to grind for gold to buy the things that they think they need, if they did, they wouldn't be buying stuff for cash. If you don't think being able to do that keeps players subscribed and interested in the game, you are delusional.



I have no respect for the guy. He never did anything for me. Being nasty is just a side effect of my particular brand of the truth. He hates cheating and RMT with a passion and I hate cry-babies and people who get their jollys from sympathy on internet forums. So again I say, "good riddance @Keith of Sonoma, perhaps a single-player game would suit you better."

First off... I don't like you... not that I hate you that's a pretty powerful word... but I'm not a fan of your mentality sometimes...

Secondly it DOES hurt me when people cheat... because of people cheating I now can't go get the color of ore or stone I need without spending FAR more time than I should have to because the DEVs opted to randomize things making it more profitable to the 24/7 scripter than it is to anyone who actually once went mining for their own personal use... now it's damn near impossible to find and get the quantity of stone and ore I need without spending 10x longer than I used to... Same goes for wood...

Because of ONE particular individual the only way to get blackthorns artifact drops now is to go do the captains and for people like me who can't solo that crap it's now out of reach for me. Once upon a time I could go down and train a pet with resist and such on the Balron down there but now thanks to a scripter I can't do that anymore to get drops I once did. Now I will have to wait till someone actually wants to go do the captains which is generally a cold day in hell......

Every day we are affected adversely by cheaters... you just fail to see that. There are 100's of other examples of how cheaters have adversely affected the gameplay of everyone else... pretending it hasn't doesn't change that.

Yes, there are always cheaters... but IMO cheaters never win... they just ruin things for everyone else. IMO those who feel the need to cheat are losers... anyone who can't play the game as intended shouldn't be playing. But cheaters like to believe they are "winning" ... when the rest of us know better. I prefer not to risk my account... and I prefer to "earn" what I have... You don't earn anything by cheating but a nasty reputation as a scumbag.

 

[Stinky Pete]

It doesn't matter if you like another player or not, every time someone closes their accounts and finds another game to play UO is another step closer to not having enough players to keep it going, it's sad to lose players.

Players come and go as they always have but this is different. Some players think that they are the glue that holds the game together and that them quitting is a big deal so they come here to announce it expecting everyone to pander to them and beg them not to go. There are all kinds of players that leave without acting like some sort of martyr about it. I'm going to point that behavior out every time I see it because it only serves to get more players to quit. It's also a bit sad that you have become one of these players after the whole T-map thing. You used to be so positive and not whiny at all, it's a shame you can't look past that. Now it seems you have just let the whinebots™ take control and tell you how to think. Look at your previous posts lately and tell me I'm wrong.

First off... I don't like you... not that I hate you that's a pretty powerful word... but I'm not a fan of your mentality sometimes...

You can hate me... It's ok. I get that it upsets you when I point out your flaws. As the leader of the whinebots™ I would expect no less of you.

I can kind of see your point with the cheaters, but both of the examples you listed are the result of knee-jerk fixes by the devs. If they would have banned the cheaters or just let them cheat you wouldn't have those problems, so really the issue is poor solutions to cheaters, not the cheaters themselves. That is not to say that you are wrong, but it is a matter of perception. I do not cheat, don't support cheating, I agree that cheating is not good, but you and I can only not buy what the cheaters are selling. It is our only way to fight them. Taking to the forums whining about it only causes a chain reaction of whining which only hurts the game. Look at this thread for example... I'll wait. It started off with a bunch of people talking about how they got started with UO, what a fun topic! Then here comes @Keith of Sonoma to begin the whine train followed by the rest of the whinebots™ to back him up. Then add a touch of @celticus to come and issue out the sympathy that @Keith of Sonoma was looking for. Now who, besides me, wants to read this crap? We've heard it all before. It doesn't make people want to play.

Now I will have to wait till someone actually wants to go do the captains which is generally a cold day in hell......

I'll hunt captains with you anytime toots... just look me up.

 

[celticus]

Players come and go as they always have but this is different. Some players think that they are the glue that holds the game together and that them quitting is a big deal so they come here to announce it expecting everyone to pander to them and beg them not to go. There are all kinds of players that leave without acting like some sort of martyr about it. I'm going to point that behavior out every time I see it because it only serves to get more players to quit. It's also a bit sad that you have become one of these players after the whole T-map thing. You used to be so positive and not whiny at all, it's a shame you can't look past that. Now it seems you have just let the whinebots™ take control and tell you how to think. Look at your previous posts lately and tell me I'm wrong.



You can hate me... It's ok. I get that it upsets you when I point out your flaws. As the leader of the whinebots™ I would expect no less of you.

I can kind of see your point with the cheaters, but both of the examples you listed are the result of knee-jerk fixes by the devs. If they would have banned the cheaters or just let them cheat you wouldn't have those problems, so really the issue is poor solutions to cheaters, not the cheaters themselves. That is not to say that you are wrong, but it is a matter of perception. I do not cheat, don't support cheating, I agree that cheating is not good, but you and I can only not buy what the cheaters are selling. It is our only way to fight them. Taking to the forums whining about it only causes a chain reaction of whining which only hurts the game. Look at this thread for example... I'll wait. It started off with a bunch of people talking about how they got started with UO, what a fun topic! Then here comes @Keith of Sonoma to begin the whine train followed by the rest of the whinebots™ to back him up. Then add a touch of @celticus to come and issue out the sympathy that @Keith of Sonoma was looking for. Now who, besides me, wants to read this crap? We've heard it all before. It doesn't make people want to play.



I'll hunt captains with you anytime toots... just look me up.

Awesome @Stinky Pete whinebots.TM, like it! How bout stinkybots.TM?

 

[MalagAste]

Players come and go as they always have but this is different. Some players think that they are the glue that holds the game together and that them quitting is a big deal so they come here to announce it expecting everyone to pander to them and beg them not to go. There are all kinds of players that leave without acting like some sort of martyr about it. I'm going to point that behavior out every time I see it because it only serves to get more players to quit. It's also a bit sad that you have become one of these players after the whole T-map thing. You used to be so positive and not whiny at all, it's a shame you can't look past that. Now it seems you have just let the whinebots™ take control and tell you how to think. Look at your previous posts lately and tell me I'm wrong.



You can hate me... It's ok. I get that it upsets you when I point out your flaws. As the leader of the whinebots™ I would expect no less of you.

I can kind of see your point with the cheaters, but both of the examples you listed are the result of knee-jerk fixes by the devs. If they would have banned the cheaters or just let them cheat you wouldn't have those problems, so really the issue is poor solutions to cheaters, not the cheaters themselves. That is not to say that you are wrong, but it is a matter of perception. I do not cheat, don't support cheating, I agree that cheating is not good, but you and I can only not buy what the cheaters are selling. It is our only way to fight them. Taking to the forums whining about it only causes a chain reaction of whining which only hurts the game. Look at this thread for example... I'll wait. It started off with a bunch of people talking about how they got started with UO, what a fun topic! Then here comes @Keith of Sonoma to begin the whine train followed by the rest of the whinebots™ to back him up. Then add a touch of @celticus to come and issue out the sympathy that @Keith of Sonoma was looking for. Now who, besides me, wants to read this crap? We've heard it all before. It doesn't make people want to play.



I'll hunt captains with you anytime toots... just look me up.

Whinebots... hum... dces that make you a trollbot??? Thinking it does.

As for you coming and doing captains with me... think I'll pass. I don't much enjoy hunting with trolls.

 

[Pawain]

One of these posters is in love with Pete. I can't tell for sure which one.

 

[kelmo]

I think it is MalagAste.

 

[MalagAste]

Oh, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...

 

[Stinky Pete]

Oh, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...

So hot!

 

[Fortis]

A game whitout gold sellers and items sellers meens this game is dead...so uo still healthy you should be all happy...because the day you would not see afk scripter or gold seller you will talk to yourself in the game