Are the players the reason for lack of a modern UO?

[UODevTracker]

Original Thread

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[TheGrimmOmen]

If they can make a true 3d client that's great. Just leave me a classic client to play.

I'm sure im not alone when i say i get physically ill, almost like a car sickness, when playing 3d games. In my case, and others like mine, it's truely 2d or nothing.

Nope. I know someone who gets the exact same feelings. You aren't alone!

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Make a UO2 with the graphic quality (not graphic style, graphic quality) and isometric camera of Diablo 3, let me port my characters and items over, and I would keep on trucking in the new game, no questions asked.

The only problem I see with it would be that you would want to remove the tile-based nature of UO and replace it with free-range movement. If they did that, they'd have to spend a year just developing a house decoration system that didn't make aligning items a nightmare.

Well, there's that, and you haven't even began to cover server side stuff!

As for you keeping your stuff. An interesting point. Where would we draw the line as to what is portable and what is not?

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

These are just a few of the obvious issues, but I have to say again. There is absolutely positively any possible way that a game company would allow a player to import 14 years worth of wealth and property into a new game. It is an instant game killer. Especially if hundreds or even thousands did it. They would rather you quit.

More than that, it's a development killer.

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Ok, so this has been a very interesting read. Lemme pose the same question again with a slightly altered scenario (just a reminder that this is strictly hypothetical):

If you got the following:

1. A new 3D client client with fixed perspective
2. Similar art style to the Legacy client
3. Updated visual FX
4. Larger animation set for player characters and monsters
5. Ability to mount creatures such as dragons
6. Same core gameplay system

But had to agree to the following:

1. No EC or Legacy updates for a year and a half (including vet rewards, and Holiday stuff)
2. No more Fel / Trammel split (PvP is a toggle)
3. Landmasses are reduced to 1.
4. Items and equipment are reduced to what UO originally launched with
5. Elves and Gargoyles are removed
6. After 6 months, the Legacy and EC clients would continue, but would no longer receive updates
7. Equipment slots reduced to what UO originally launched with
8. You would start completely fresh, although vets of X number of years and up would get some kind of bonus
9. Completely new and reduced set of shards (with obviously no transfers between current shards and shards for this new client.

That's all I can think of at the moment. So would you still be willing to start fresh under this (I cannot stress how hypothetical this is ) scenario? Would you continue playing for a year and a half with no patches or updates? "Tawk amongst yaselves"

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

I would ABSOLUTELY support this. I'd pay double the price of admission. If you could make it run as smooth as something as Diablo III, with UO's STYLE, gameplay, and a modern interface, it'd be a home run. Although I don't think it could be done that quickly, unless you get the whole SW:TOR team to help! I'd even go so far as to do what Blizzard did, and buy an annual pass that requires me to keep paying in return for access to this versions beta.

Well we did UOKR in in about that amount of time, and that was updating everything in UO up to that point AND make everything backwards compatible with the existing client. So I don't think we need SWTORs power to accomplish that -- but I'd definitely take some of it! ;-)

My biggest gripe with the KR client wasn't bugginess, or performance, or the attempt at high-resolution art. It was that the art STYLE was so DIFFERENT looking.

Agreed.

If I had 100 million dollars, I'd spend every penny on it to make what you offer happen. Buying lotto tickets as we speak.

<Makes a note in case Coldren ever hits the lotto>

Cheers,
Grim

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

Ok, so it sounds like Pinco and Saph are in the "no" category?

The point of my question is to add a layer of reality to the question of a "new" client. Most importantly, the twist that during this time of development, there's no way to also provide live support. So would that be an acceptable trade off? The question about wanting a new client is easy when you just assume that everything is going to be the same in regards to publishes and bug fixing. But the reality would be closer to the scenario I described. My guess was that most folks would not want to go without any updates for over a year on the off chance that would actually like the new 3D client.

So don't look look at this as any kind of proposal to "build" on the license or making a game that's competitive in an already heavily saturated market. Those are different conversations from the question posed.

*Edit*
Oh. And speaking of answering questions, to answer the question if players are holding back UO from getting a "Modern" client. My answer is "No."

-Grimm

 

[TheGrimmOmen]

first i'd like apologize for my bad english, english is not my first language.

Well i started playing uo 1 month ago, and this game is amazing, i played a lot of mmorpgs and ultima online is most complete game, maybe the reason about its lifetime, but years ago i played with kr with trial, and i love all arts that was used in this client, when I knew that client was closed my feeling was great sadness and disappointment.

i like arts from ec, but when compared with kr, i feeling that new arts is lower compared with kr, but i'd like to congratulate the entire team of uo, the effort to revitalize this aspect of the game

and another thing I would say, grim've had several opportunities to read forums about mmorpgs and I can say I never saw a person like you that I see always keep communication with the players so congratulations, and of course I would like to again congratulate you for the effort to revitalize the graphical aspects of the game, believe it should be extremely complicated.

Thank you very much for such kind words, Shinji. I hope that we can deliver an equally satisfying experience with these new high res art pieces.

And your English is very good!!

Regards,

Grimm