A Letter from Live

[Guest]

...


There's a difference between hype and re-establishing a presence. It's not what was said that I paid attention to, rather all I wanted to hear was a statement, any statement, a "here we are, here we stand" moment.


Truth.

At the very least everyone can acknowledge that at least we've gotten a lot more tonight than we have in the past several weeks of "There will be more information next week".

This is just the first step, the next is letting us seethe notes for what is to come in the next patch/publish and the final being the patch/publish itself.

This is at the very least a start. If you're going to complain that the game is "on life support" because they haven't said anything, then at least recognize that they HAVE said something.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, sometimes.

 

[Latobian]

I'd like some blessed eggs to serve alongside the blessed bacon this Valentine's Day.. any chance that'll happen?

lol!

Congrats and thanks Draconi, Leurocian and team - woohoo!

 

[Sergul'zan_SP]

If you can get it to the point where every publish fixes a lot of bugs and updates current/adds new game systems, then you're on top of it. It seems there has never been a happy medium to address both at the same time.

I patiently await results.

 

[imported_Bullet]

Prove me wrong!!!!!
Ive heard all that before over the last 112 monthes so i dare you!
Live up to what you just said unlike all those in the past!
You are fighting against a very bad track record.
But in a lighter note I wish you well and im sure you cant do worse than those who run our country!

 

[Belmarduk]

Sounds good

 

[imported_Bullet]

My view on IDOC's is they could be the largest gold sinks. It falls and all is gone, nothing but an empty plot. Nothing to be picked up? What a huge gold sink!

 

[Guest]

Um... this didn't answer any questions. All it did was say the same thing every other dev has said in the past, all of which haven't followed up on it.

 

[Guest]

Seriously what good news is this everyones talking about? You people have to be the biggest push-overs ever.

 

[imported_spiderpig]

Cant wait til entire guilds get booted for cheating in pvp. Oh wait-theres no such thing as speedhacking.
What about the 1000's of barbed kits? oh wait, they just get lucky handing in bods and work hard at it.

I really cant wait to see whats done

 

[Lady_Rachel]

Nay sir.
We just love the game.

And when the Master plays with us.
It is always explosive.

Be Safe

 

[chitrani]

Whoot Woot !!!

Things go BOOM ! They put Draconi in charge of... Wait... MORE Things go BOOM ?!

Erm...Valentines day go BOOM ?

OMG, I can't wait to see this, lol.

Thanks Draconi, whatevfer you have in store for cheaters...(especaily if it goes boom

It should rock.

Chitrani *eyes the chocolate on her desk, half expecting it to go Boom*

 

[Guest]

While there were no concrete plans, it is nice to see some news coming out.

 

[Guest]

I'm so glad you stayed with us. We like it when you blow stuff up.

Seriously guys give them a break, they just got settled in, give them a chance to do some stuff.

All this doom and gloom is depressing, I think the future of UO is going to be bright.....with fire.

 

[Tomas_Bryce]

In Draconi We Trust!


It will not be that hard to find information on cheaters. Most of us know the biggest losers out there anyways.

*Starts writing yet another email with all the dirt that he knows*

 

[imported_Warpig Inc]

Cheating: We hate it as much as you do. We can’t disclose our plans or methods, but be assured that removing exploits and keeping the game fair is a top priority for the Live team. As far as the cheaters themselves? Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: cheating will not be tolerated.

Has been for going on for year...........s. The items and economy of the game has been in ruin due to it. If the GMs had been more useful then bulls nuts on a field mouse from the start none of the games problems would be or been an issue. Same SOBs that did the little things also had part in the greater flaws that made you jump through rings of fire to fix. Hacks Dupes Expliots. To line your pockets from the start you let the junk accounts go. Protected even. My view blowing up the secondary account accomplishes nothing. Its the main accounts that need to be hunted and knocked into the viod. For 8 days straight have been trying to lead GMs by the hand on how to ID a scripter. Appling the ROC and EA Rules. How it is written on how they are to perform thear duties. (Looks at other system.............yup both scripting nieghbors still at it.)
Hiring few Homeless plp 5 years ago and trained them to police the game was my answer then. Hell if all the honest players that quit was playing, their paycheck would be covered today. Once word of mouth got out main accounts gaining from junk accounts were being banned they could take long vactions due to fear factor.
With the ammount of time I have in game I could go on for to long. But if Stratics still needs a pic of "A Bottle Of Hurreck's House Ale (Full)" still, I have it. Just a clue on time.

 

[imported_GalenKnighthawke]

I see it didn't take long for the negativity to start.

Thank you for posting, Draconi. I have for the most part enjoyed your events and I expect to continue to.

-Galen's player

 

[imported_Anakena]

<blockquote><hr>

This phrase interests me:
"Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held."

Does this mean that houses placed and or used by scripters to hold their resources will be burned?

[/ QUOTE ]


Well Draconi is known as guy who likes to play with fire.

 

[imported_Traveller]

As much respect as I have for you, Draconi, words are cheap, and we all know that EA track record is (censored).

As far as I am concerned, it took an awful lot on behalf of EA to kick me out of this game, and that is probably true of many veterans, so don't expect people to come back before you deliver MORE than you did to kick people out.

"Just to be clear: our focus is server bugs, not client. While larger systems will take some time, there’re things that need to change immediately – which leads us to our next topic."

There is an important point in those lines, and I am surprised that nobody noticed it yet. Does that mean that the stream of patches to improve on KR are "on hold"? Or, in other words, has KR turned out as another flavor of 3D? If that is true your player base deserve to know, if it is not it's probably best you clarify the new strategy on KR.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Seriously what good news is this everyones talking about? You people have to be the biggest push-overs ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

Call it what you will.

I have every reason to believe Draconi when he says he's going to deliver.

And until he proves otherwise I will continue to do so.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Well, I mean, I was a forum mod for Atlantic here. I don't exactly have a fear of flames... in fact, <font color="brown">I like fire.</font></font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course you don't fear flames.

I like you ^^

 

[Halister Marner]

Getting rid of cheaters and holding events?

You sir have my eternal gratitude if the cheaters are kicked down a notch and the events begin again. Well, those as well as what I've been pestering you in PM about occasionally.

 

[Guest]

This is from a post in another thread that I was talking about EA's problem with addressing cheating.

The UO Dev's worked so hard to try and make UO's 3D UI WOW like, too bad they didn't make UO's TOS more WOW like as well. WOW has what 10 million people now, and UO 60,000, yet with regards to cheating UO has the reputation for giving cheaters carte blanch, and WOW has the reputation for not tolerating it. Doesn't it make you wonder why a huge company like EA can't control cheating in a game with maybe 60,000 accounts, but Blizzard's can control it in a game with 10 million?

WOW choose to allow any programs that don't give you an unfair advantage, in fact they encourage people to develop them. You can't exploit, or speed hack or dupe in WOW, but apps that users make to run with its game are allowed. Wow knew that they could not put in every request from their users, so they let their users make apps that have the features the users want. There are 1000's, perhaps even millions of things that run with wow, all legal, sights like www.curse.com is one of many sights with wow add ons on them. From WOW's TOS directly:



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A third party program is any file or program that is not a part of the World of Warcraft software, but is used to gain an advantage, such as increasing your movement speed or teleporting from one place to another beyond what is allowed by game design. It also includes any programs that obtain information from the game that is not normally available to the regular player...

We definitely want people to create their own UIs utilizing custom menu configurations, graphics, and even sounds. Anything that can be coded to modify the style and the look of the UI is fair game, as long as the modifications are done to the sanctioned internal files of the game......"




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The first problem with EA's approach to cheating is their rules and definition of cheating in the first place. The second problem is their enforcement of their own rules. They need to change the rules to allow apps that don't give users advantages over other people, and they need to uniformly enforce not allowing those that do. If UO wants to be more WOW like, and make users happy it should seriously reconsider it's TOS and make it more WOW like, not just the the UO Ui.

 

[BajaElladan]

Hail Lord Draconi,

Thy words warm my heart "almost" as much as thy nefarious powders and rocks. Mixing those has left me in pieces upon the ground on more than one occassion (LOL).

I have played AND loved Ultima Online since 1997. I believe and intend that I shall play UO so long as the Creator of ALL Worlds gives me life and strength to so do.

I shall do all in my power as a player to aid and assist you and your team in improving our Beloved Britannia.

I have gathered together some of Britannia's most Ancient &amp; Learned Hands, Spellweavers, Mages, Sages, and Wizards...they have conjured a few special items just for thee, and only for thy use.

A One Handed Staff of Mana Ignition &amp; Explosions

A Tome of Mythical Conflagration

A Helm of Comprehension

A Gorget of Greater Explosion &amp; Communication

Arms of Tactical Embracing &amp; Concussion

A Tunic of Balancing

Gloves of Scripter Choking

Legs of Striding &amp; Stability

Sollerets of Bug Stomping

Bracelet &amp; Ring set of Stratics Forum Thrashing


All of these have high Durability and Self Repair 5.

Wear them with our best wishes and warmest regards as they are impervious to all damage.

I truly look forward to a Great 08 in UO.

Lead On, Live!!!

Elladan of Baja

 

[Guest]

I can only hope and pray you follow through with what you are saying. Can EA really take that kind of cut to income? Removing the cheaters? You're talking probably hundreds maybe thousands of accounts. How great this game would be again though if they were gone!

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

Awesome!! With all the gloom and doom on the boards lately, we definitely needed to hear you guys have some good stuff in the works for us.

[/ QUOTE ]

hearing and doing/seeing are different.
when are all these great things going to happen ? sorry my faith has dewindled ALOT.

i've been watching the run for president and i wonder just how much of what these people 'promise us' will actually happen.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<center>A Letter from Live</center>Cheating: We hate it as much as you do. We can’t disclose our plans or methods, but be assured that removing exploits and keeping the game fair is a top priority for the Live team. As far as the cheaters themselves? Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: <font color="brown">cheating will not be tolerated.</font>

[/ QUOTE ]

Really hope this one is completed this time. How many times have we heard it though and everything is just worse?

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

*you see a cheaters house*


BOOM!!!!

Maybe that is what we will turn our blackrock in for?

[/ QUOTE ]

lol
i can see that mess.
but blowing up luna would be nice

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

As far as bug fixes go, you state that the team is more focused on server bugs, than client ones. What is the difference? Could you give any examples to delinate between them?

[/ QUOTE ]
Server bugs are basically everything related to actual gameplay and mechanics. A targeting bug that messed up your cursor, or a UI element that didn't work - that would be client.

PVP balance, spell damage, resistances, flagging issues - those are server.



[/ QUOTE ]

sorry but those are not bugs, those are game changing things your talking about messing with.

maybe it is the client you should be bug fixing if thats what you see as bugs in uo.

pvp balance a bug WTF ?

i would perfer my targeting bug fixed or, item display stuff fixed, like things dropping once locked down and raised.... stacking issues.... etc things that are IMPORTAINT.

those other things are things players control basicly, pvp balance .. everyone is equal in life right ? ... spell damage, again everyone will get the same things to balance this ? ... resistances, whats wrong with them?...
this stuff are not bug's, pvp, i've posted many times my idea to 'fix' pvp. spell damage and resistances, where effected greatly when items got properties and then it mattered all of a sudden the intesity's(sp).. bottom line here is these things are things players control by there skills, both real life and in game.. and the armor/weapons the CHOISE to use.

flaggign issues, ok this is a bug


well?

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

This is from a post in another thread that I was talking about EA's problem with addressing cheating.

The UO Dev's worked so hard to try and make UO's 3D UI WOW like, too bad they didn't make UO's TOS more WOW like as well. WOW has what 10 million people now, and UO 60,000, yet with regards to cheating UO has the reputation for giving cheaters carte blanch, and WOW has the reputation for not tolerating it. Doesn't it make you wonder why a huge company like EA can't control cheating in a game with maybe 60,000 accounts, but Blizzard's can control it in a game with 10 million?

WOW choose to allow any programs that don't give you an unfair advantage, in fact they encourage people to develop them. You can't exploit, or speed hack or dupe in WOW, but apps that users make to run with its game are allowed. Wow knew that they could not put in every request from their users, so they let their users make apps that have the features the users want. There are 1000's, perhaps even millions of things that run with wow, all legal, sights like www.curse.com is one of many sights with wow add ons on them. From WOW's TOS directly:



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A third party program is any file or program that is not a part of the World of Warcraft software, but is used to gain an advantage, such as increasing your movement speed or teleporting from one place to another beyond what is allowed by game design. It also includes any programs that obtain information from the game that is not normally available to the regular player...

We definitely want people to create their own UIs utilizing custom menu configurations, graphics, and even sounds. Anything that can be coded to modify the style and the look of the UI is fair game, as long as the modifications are done to the sanctioned internal files of the game......"




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The first problem with EA's approach to cheating is their rules and definition of cheating in the first place. The second problem is their enforcement of their own rules. They need to change the rules to allow apps that don't give users advantages over other people, and they need to uniformly enforce not allowing those that do. If UO wants to be more WOW like, and make users happy it should seriously reconsider it's TOS and make it more WOW like, not just the the UO Ui.

[/ QUOTE ]


usualy i dislike anything to do with WoW, but they actually have something good right there, thats the only thing tho. bring back the uopro program or do something to lessen the chance someone would want to cheat.

honestly tho after all this time and the millions of post's everywhere, irc talk, icq talk,teamspeak/ventrilo chatter... do you relize how publicized the unmentionable program is ? it is like a virus the more contact people have the more it gets spread around.
heck it prolly gets more publicity than the game it'self does

can you fix this ?
and how will you know if your blowing the right things up? i don't particularly like the idea some GM might go around blowing peoples stuff up. i can see big problems with that.

 

[imported_Lord Kynd]

<blockquote><hr>

Cant wait til entire guilds get booted for cheating in pvp. Oh wait-theres no such thing as speedhacking.
What about the 1000's of barbed kits? oh wait, they just get lucky handing in bods and work hard at it.

I really cant wait to see whats done

[/ QUOTE ]

well thats not good, i don't cheat but some other people in the guild i am in might, how am i to know if they are doing something they shouldn't be ?

totaly ruin the community quickly if no one can trust being around others.

 

[AncientGeek]

I can't help but default to skepticism after so many "it's going to be great" announcements. I hope it all works out and there's real follow through this time because UO is a great game, but I won't reopening my accounts until I actually see the changes.

 

[Sakkarah]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Awesome!! With all the gloom and doom on the boards lately, we definitely needed to hear you guys have some good stuff in the works for us.

[/ QUOTE ]
hearing and doing/seeing are different.
when are all these great things going to happen ? sorry my faith has dewindled ALOT.

i've been watching the run for president and i wonder just how much of what these people 'promise us' will actually happen.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I choose to look at the bottle as half full. Granted, until they deliver this is all just words, but I will take words over silence any day. Also, to date Draconi has always delivered on his promises so his track record says to me "warning, fun times ahead!"

 

[imported_ParadoxUO]

yup, i'm staying. GO DRACONI!

*runs for cover*

 

[kennykilleduo]

One question will we see playable Gargoyles in 2008....

 

[Guest]

Great! I Go page a GM now and see if it will help this time

Naaa, joke a side, GL reaching goals! now fix factions!

 

[Llewen]

I must say, I've been one of the ones screaming the hardest about cheating in particular. I am very much looking forward to what is to come, and it is extremely encouraging to hear something official on this topic, and the many others that were addressed in this post and the post from Cal.

I realize this is just words, but even that is more than we have gotten for some time, and the words are the right words. I am looking forward to the actions to come, and to being proud of this hobby that I have dedicated so much time and effort to.

Good luck, and may the all the Deities and Demigods smile on your efforts (this is actually a bit of a response to Cal's post).

 

[imported_Sarphus]

Very cool

 

[Guest]

New Story Arcs? Could it be true?

 

[imported_Ozymandies]

Hey Drac,

thanx for posting. Good to hear the team is assembled. We are all waiting for the word to hit the LZ with everything we got.

OZ

 

[imported_lady michelle]

<blockquote><hr>

Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: cheating will not be tolerated.

[/ QUOTE ] I just pictured a pvp cheater running after another player, suddenly the pvp cheater blows up. you appearing, and saying MAUHAHA!!! then you disappear.

 

[Lord Franklin]

I think someone fed her HUP some bacon. Thank you!

Lord Franklin

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

there are a fair few of entire guilds that have been banned for members (not all) actions. They always get laughed at when they post on stratics about it, why would you think it should be any different for you? That's exactly what people said, if you are in a guild with people, you should know what they are doing, and you are guilty by association. *shrugs* whatever, it's a stupid belief, but a lot of people believe in it.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

New Story Arcs? Could it be true?

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, I suspect one might be able to split hairs over the definition of "new", but it does sound tantalizing, doesn't it?

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

That's exactly what people said, if you are in a guild with people, you should know what they are doing, and you are guilty by association.

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Guest]

Well I like Draconi so I'll keep paying another month.

 

[Jhym]

cheating

Ooooo how about pillories in British castle of all characters associated with such things, and any items and materials would be applied to Library, Museum and Zoo collections for the shard.

 

[imported_Hanneth]

<blockquote><hr>

There is an important point in those lines, and I am surprised that nobody noticed it yet. Does that mean that the stream of patches to improve on KR are "on hold"? Or, in other words, has KR turned out as another flavor of 3D? If that is true your player base deserve to know, if it is not it's probably best you clarify the new strategy on KR.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, I noticed it. I have to disagree, KR is not another flavor of 3D. 3D when it was released was feature complete unlike KR is even now. True 3D crashed quite often when it was first out, but I'd sometimes be able to play for up to 2 hours on it. I'm lucky if I make 1 hour in KR.

Though I guess at least KR doesn't crash on exiting anymore.

 

[imported_S!ckLoveR]

Everyone is either bashing or or hooraying! *Jumps right in!*

Impressive, you actually posted again! Let's see.. You talk about;

- Bug fixes : It all depends on what this new patch will fix. Until then I don't think anyone with a reasonably busy real life would spend time reporting bugs. Maybe if the list is like a page long you'll get us interested in finding you your own game's bugs.

- Cheating : Oh sure. Everything's been said and done and you can't do more. Just maybe kick out a couple of gold sellers or a suspicious merchant or two for a few days until they get back. Someone noticed(makes me glad) that you say NOTHING about the heavier, home-made stuff like cheats that affect PvP performance- no, COMBAT is more proper. I'll believe it when I see it and it's gotta be sooner than yesterday to be honest. As for reporting them? NO WAY. Been through that nightmare one too many nights for the last 2-3 years. In fact once a friend was banned because A CHEATER reported him.

- New content : PLEASE NOT NOW. Fix what you got and make it look a bit pretty instead of blurry water-paint over pixels. But if you're talking events, feel free if you think it will attract your players back- you know, the ones who announced their dislike and left, and the ones who didn't(who in fact are a lot more, at least as far as I can know).

You all sound like happy puppies on the team and you should be. You got the fan boys hyped, the doubters interested to debate and the money still flows considering the way UO has ended up in your hands.

"“The Ophidian Invasion,” “The Destruction of Haven,” and the “The Fall of Magincia.”"

- Oh you were behind those? Really sorry to hear.. :| Nobody seemed to like them. Too much negativity, at least here in UHall if I remember right?

PS. : Now do you see you SHOULD HAVE implemented PB? No matter.
Whatever new systems, measures and balances you got in mind for your "Server Side Fixes" and PvP will be trash-canned by a bunch of kiddies that will pop up like mushrooms screaming how they will quit if you do this or that to prevent cheating or imbalanced gimplates... or duping items.
Seen it before, haven't we? Maybe this time they'll come up with something smarter than "It slows down my PC" or "It invades my privacy" or "You nerfed us for no reason".

Good luck really. *Bows*

 

[^Wolfie^]

Cheating: We hate it as much as you do. We can’t disclose our plans or methods, but be assured that removing exploits and keeping the game fair is a top priority for the Live team. As far as the cheaters themselves? Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: cheating will not be tolerated.

Please report anything you see through the in-game petitioning system, and larger issues to Jeremy through the Feedback system on the Herald.


This is the biggest line of BS I've heard yet. You have already "tolerated" it. Hear let me show you:

^ Ya, this isn't a scriptor?

^ Luna Houses. Every shard knows this guy !

^ Should I even go here? This house probably has more colored wood, colored ingots, and high end bods then all Sonoma Players have put together. Yet when we page we get told to STOP paging or they will take action against OUR accts.

I will believe illegal activity won't be tolerated when I actually SEE action taken.. until then, they are just empty words and promises to the said game that the DEV team say they care about. =/

 

[Guest]

Hello Draconi and Adida...

Thank you for the information, and I know we are looking forward to seeing your creations in the (hopefully) not-so-far future! &lt;3