Are You There, Robert_EAMythic? It's Me, UO Subscriber...

[deadite]

Hi Bob, I was hoping you could lend your ear and perhaps take the time to reply.

This was part of your introduction in January:

<blockquote><hr>

I’m Robert Mull, the new Community Relations Director for EA Mythic...

&lt;snip&gt;

In the coming months you will be hearing much more from me. I want to continue and extend the reputation EA Mythic has built for integrity, honesty and quality in community and customer support. Our job here is to be the voice of the community inside EA Mythic and the voice of the people working hard at EA Mythic to the community. The Community Relations team is a feedback loop and our goal is making the community better, day by day. I, for one, take that job very seriously and enjoy it immensely.

[/ QUOTE ]

We had a pretty good line of communication from you for a little while. Then, on February 1st, a month after the move to Virginia, you gave us one last update:

<blockquote><hr>

The UO Team has settled in nicely and it's great to have them on-site. There have been a number of meetings regarding our short-term and long-term goals and plans, and the most effective way to meet those. Yes, we have things coming, including much more information. No, we aren't ready to share that information yet. Granted that's not much of an answer other than to say that we have lots in store for UO and you are going to have to wait a bit longer to find out. We know the community wants more info and we are doing everything we can to speed up this process.

[/ QUOTE ]

So, I have to ask... Any updates? Is it time to share? Can I bribe you with sweets? Beer? Rare action figures? What's your poison? What will it take?

The event is a lot of fun so far, so kudos to the team! But we all know that events aren't going to revive the UO playerbase, fix KR bugs or release SA. Can we get some updates on those topics and more?

The last thing I remember hearing from our producer, Chris (if he is still our producer) was that he was a terrible procrastinator (his words!) and hadn't gotten the "State of UO" address together yet, but was working on it.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Guest]

Please stop asking for KR fixes, majority could care less.

 

[Guest]

...

Bring on KR Patchurday!

 

[fred252]

<blockquote><hr>

Please stop asking for KR fixes, majority could care less.

[/ QUOTE ]

As one of the majority, I agree.

Ea should just take their lumps and admit that KR is a failure.

 

[AirmidCecht]

"Are you there God? It's me Margaret"

For some reason the Judy Bloom book bounced around in my head when I read this topic *grins*

Kinda the same too....lots of questions....waiting for attention.... novels could be written.

*waves at Bob*

 

[Jackson]

Whats KR?

 

[kokopelli]

Actually KR is not so much a failure. Yet.
But they are certainly already driving on the highway that will lead them there... again.

KR has a lot potential and partly I was really impressed but it appears they are making the same mistakes again they did with the old "3d" client... after initial rushing an unfinished - well, lets be honest here - still beta piece of crap, they just stop with the polish work.

They had 10 years to see and study what ppl really want (e.g. a lot features that UOA and UOAM provided) in the client; then they do code a new client from scratch, had every opportunity to crush UOA and any other third party tool feature wise.
But they dont do it. Wtf? Why not?
Hell, UOA is even officially approved so gimme one reason KR cant do everything 2d + UOA can?
No wonder ppl get pissed and stick with the good old 2d client...

 

[Razeial]

EA's disgusting failure they called a 'client'. They tried desperately to get people to switch from the 2d legacy client to a half-assed "3d" client. It's an abomination an should be scrapped IMHO.

 

[imported_Cyrah]

Those two are a lot like that "cake" I think.

 

[Guest]

KR or bust! Woot!Woot!

 

[the 4th man]

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

 

[Sergul'zan_SP]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Please stop asking for KR fixes, majority could care less.

[/ QUOTE ]

As one of the majority, I agree.

Ea should just take their lumps and admit that KR is a failure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that before or after they take their lumps and admit Age of Shadows was also a complete failure?

 

[kennykilleduo]

Lets break this down:


Last producer notes :

" From the Producer Aaron Cohen28 Jun 2007 16:40:55 EST "

http://www.uoherald.com/news/news.php?newsid=150


January:

" I want to continue and extend the reputation EA Mythic has built for integrity, honesty and quality in community and customer support."

February 1st, a month after the move to Virginia:

" Yes, we have things coming, including much more information. No, we aren't ready to share that information yet. Granted that's not much of an answer other than to say that we have lots in store for UO and you are going to have to wait a bit longer to find out. "

Find this post or article:

" The last thing I remember hearing from our producer, Chris (if he is still our producer) was that he was a terrible procrastinator (his words!) and hadn't gotten the "State of UO" address together yet, but was working on it. "


You know what that all equals to us???

Same answers different year....I'm sorry , but this is truly sad that we customers / devoted fans , pay a good deal of money for this game and get excuses , why we cant get this or that or be told whats going on , why is UO so secret , think WOW way take over your ideas, or maybe UO is nothing more than a intern testing ground game?

I call out a challenge to UO Dev's managers , producers , ect , to come here on this site or UO.com and answer questions like Mark Jacobs did last week on this thread:

http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31118

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

EA's disgusting failure they called a 'client'. They tried desperately to get people to switch from the 2d legacy client to a half-assed "3d" client. It's an abomination an should be scrapped IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's funny how the same things can be said for both KR and Turd Dawn.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

[/ QUOTE ]

*Nods* Its amazing how much of an amazing disparity there is, between the majority of postings that I read here on U.Hall (which are mostly negative), and people that I actually talk to in-game (which are generally far more positive).

I agree, that Kingdom Reborn hasn't lived up to expectations and needs alot more work. On the other hand, we need to stop living in fantasy land believing that the 2D client can sustain Ultima Online forever. I keep reading all these threads about "updating the 2D client", but the whole reason behind Kingdom Reborn was that 2D can't be updated. They couldn't get so much as the initial hooded cloak of humility to work, so they had to take off the hood. The galleons from UOAlpha are still there in the code somewhere, but not even the original designers could get them to work with the old engine without breaking. If you ever want to see a Pirate Expansion, we have to see some sort of new client and new engine emerge.

 

[Razeial]

I agree that 2d will not hold this game forever, but KR is a piece of crap. Hot bars are a cool idea, but i like the old hotkey system. Yes we need some type of 3d graphics, but EA wants this game to be the only MMO that doesn't bog your computer down (which is what KR does ironically). It's either EA bites the big one and puts some really badass graphics down, and do huge marketing or stick to something simpler such as 2d. What ever happened to UO2? Even that looked better than KR. Whats neat about the legacy client is it is unique. And people like uniqueness.

Edit: What is also neat about UO is its timing combat system, unlike WoW, SWG, or EQ, which is turn based. The thing that keeps me around UO is the combat system, change it, and this game is dead.

 

[BadManiac]

<blockquote><hr>

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

[/ QUOTE ]Then I laugh at it very affectionately.
<blockquote><hr>

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

[/ QUOTE ]UO players thend to be more mature, and as such were around when graphics looked like a few squares and triangles in different colors. Games were fun then as well. If you want graphics, go play Crysis. UO is so much more that it's graphics are more than adequate.
We don't need better graphics, they tried that, we got KR... We need gameplay fixes, balances, contents updates. Dont' let them waste mroe valuable dev time with KR, let them work on UO instead.

 

[imported_Heartseeker]

If they don't give KR any love you will lose more players.

I don't think UO needs to lose any more.

With KR it isn't all about graphics.

The interface is real good once you learn it.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

[/ QUOTE ]

Many nationwide surveys are done with a sample of 1000 people, and are pretty accurate. Plus I for one have never met anyone in game who runs KR.

It is a failure. Maybe one day it wont be, but honestly, when it was rushed and put out in a nearly unplayable state i knew right then that it would never be accepted. First impressions were big on this one.

The game will probably die before KR becomes popular.

 

[slasherofveils]

I play KR... yes it feels like a beta client but ijustcant seem to get used to playing the legacy 2d, interface feels so... unnatural after playing wow and other games.

kr just needs the crashing problem fixed and a few other issues like the minimap and certain menus (heritage quest, aquariums, etc) fixed and people would start to grow on it, once they get over themselves of preferring death over using a new client.

but yes bug and gameplay fixes &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; graphics.

 

[Guest]

My eyes glaze over that kind of talk.

I find people like Draconi or Leurocian who know how to actually code and put things in a game to speak more sense.

Just make Draconi spokesman for UO.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

[/ QUOTE ]

What are you 10 years old?

Who was it blizzard who first made UO what 11 years ago? Since that time no other iso 2d mmo game could compare to UO. Ya there are many 3d games out there but UO isn't one of them if it was I wouldn't play it. It's not the joke of the gaming world trust me on that. However the KR 3d client is a joke and UO and the people at EA/Mythic who are developing it drove this game off a cliff. You don't hear about this game on any major sites, no MMO sites even carry anything about UO but stratics. This 3d client will be the death of UO becuase its going to kill the player base they already have and all you kids saying ya woohoo for KR its so great are going to be left on your servers and hardly see any people and will soon get bored and quit yourselfs. So totally against anything 3d with UO. And ya I would love to know what the hell is going on with this game its like G-15 classified what is going on no one ever knows what the plans are or status of the game at least I havn't in the past 8 months of coming back to UO.

 

[Guest]

Oh no doubt its got some great features (I use it pretty much primarily when crafting), but like I say I think its just too late.
Too many people saw it, hated it, wont try it again. Like it or not thats just the facts of the entertainment world.

 

[Guest]

Yeah exactly. People dont play UO for its STUNNING GRAPHICS (well, I do) or its HDR PARALAX OCCLUSION BUMP MAPPING HD-DVD SLI features. They play it for what it is, what it was, and the people that play it.

- Housing
- Community
- Items that you can move around freely in your backpack and drop on the floor
- Crafting
- Use for decorative items

Just a few things that set UO apart from other games. Imitation of certain other games and drastic game changes (AOS COFF COFF?) are not a good move if you are trying to hang on to the players you already have.

Wait...

We are assuming they want to keep their current playerbase. Then again, with what happened to UXO and the various moves that force the developers to choose between work and personal life, you can't really be too sure that the needs of the players are that high up the list of priorities.

PS anyone from EA reading this, don't take my criticisms too badly. Im still paying for UO and i've never given a single penny to the likes of evil level-grinding Blizzard.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

[/ QUOTE ]

While art is nice, game play &gt; artwork any day.

 

[kennykilleduo]

<blockquote><hr>

My eyes glaze over that kind of talk.

I find people like Draconi or Leurocian who know how to actually code and put things in a game to speak more sense.

Just make Draconi spokesman for UO.

[/ QUOTE ]

Got my vote..

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

The majority of stratics posters you mean.....which is a small fraction.

Also, you're beloved 2D, is the joke of the gaming world.

I wouldn't brag about it, UO offers more than most games, but the art work is far beyond passe'

[/ QUOTE ]

And the artwork for KR is SO 2007. Just being fair.

 

[Surgeries]

<blockquote><hr>

Bring on KR Patchurday! /signed

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen!!

And PLEASE add Macro Functionality of UOA to KR, so I can JUST play KR!!

Pretty Please?

*Bats Lashes*

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Please stop asking for KR fixes, majority could care less.

[/ QUOTE ]

...so people don't count if they're not in the majority?

I’ve seen very few posts telling 2D players to stop asking for 2D fixes.

My impression is that KR was created so to allow the developers more possibilities which the 2D client is not capable of on it's own(e.g. the necessity of UOA/UOAM). On top of that KR would appeal a lot more, in general, to someone who has never played/seen UO than the 2D client, UI and graphically.

When UO was originally designed very little was known about the possibilities of MMOs. I know from personal experience that trying to expand on old code which had no/minimal forethought causes limitations. Designing new code with the forethought of future possibilities makes expanding a lot more efficient.

I understand that the majority* may not use or want KR, at the moment at least. However, as long as KR is still in production, I feel the people that like KR shouldn’t be asked/told to stop asking for fixes.

* = my assumption

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

If they don't give KR any love you will lose more players.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hardly, since the people running it are in the minority.

<blockquote><hr>

With KR it isn't all about graphics.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's entirely about the graphics. The graphics are why so many people whined &amp; moaned here on Stratics for a new client. For some reason they kept playing a game which they didn't like, instead of playing something else.

<blockquote><hr>

The interface is real good once you learn it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The interface is garbage and beyond generic. The PC way of saying it has a generic interface though is to call it "a more industry standard". I don't think the dev team will ever be able to live that one down.

KR and "industry standard" is what happens when your developers and programmers stop listening to their own creativity, intuitive insight, common sense, and the players...and start listening entirely to presentations at E3.

 

[Guest]

I actually like the KR client and I would play it if I could have the same macros that I've been playing with for the last 8 or 9 years. I have found that I actually move faster and lag less in KR. The thing that holds me back is not being able to tie target last and last target to the mouse wheel.

 

[imported_Spiritless]

<blockquote><hr>

Please stop asking for KR fixes, majority could [sic] care less.

[/ QUOTE ]Fully agree with this statement.

Fact of the matter is, the UO playerbase as a whole weren't complaining about the graphics of the game before KR. We play the game and accept what it is. Frankly, the 2D graphics work well for UO and have done since inception. Trevelyan kind of highlighted this in his post. The only real gripes were minor interface issues that could maybe have been solved by implementing a few new features into our existing client. It certainly didn't require an entire new client to correct the relatively minor faults.

This leads me to conclude that KR certainly wasn't published for the existing playerbase. Rather, its aim was to attract new players by implementing an interface similar to other MMOs out there as well as, allegedly, better graphics. Has it succeeded? Well, I doubt the UO subscription numbers sky-rocketed based on what I've seen in game. The uptake of the client was also poor by the existing playerbase, and who can blame us? The distribution method for the client sucked first of all with many finding it very difficult to download it. EA failed to take advantage of technology such as torrents which would have made the entire process much easier. Secondly, the client itself was half finished basically when they rushed it out. EA obviously hasn't heard of the adage: "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Unfortunately, many people's first impressions of the client won't have them playing it again for a long, long time if at all. I include myself in this bracket. I've uninstalled the client long ago and sure as hell aren't going to be wasting my time and bandwidth to download it again in a hurry from what I've seen and heard.

It was a pretty naive thought that the new client could bring UO on par with the current offerings in terms of UI or interface matters. The only way to do that would be to implement UO in a proper 3D environment fully and scrap the isometric view. That, very much, constitutes an entire new game, much like UXO was. EA very much threw away the chance to make a top-draw MMO ahead of guys like Blizzard when they foolishly announced that they were scrapping that project in favor of pouring more funds into an ageing UO.

 

[imported_Robert_EAMythic]

Well, its a fair criticism that I haven't been posting like a madman. So what have I been doing?

First, please try and remember that I have to watch out over three brands (UO, DAoC and WAR) and don't have the luxury to devote myself entirely to UO. That's not an excuse or anything, just a simple fact of my life.

Second, I try and let Jeremy handle the day to day care and feeding of the community. I never liked bosses who step in and trample all over my area of expertise and steal my thunder. I try not to be that person.

Finally, we do have a lot to share and " the community needs to know what we are planning" is a drum I beat frequently. That's actually where I am spending the lion's share of my UO time. I go around to people and stress the importance of live events and how having them on a regular and consistent schedule is important to our community. We talk about bug fixes, when we can announce what is going on with the next live event and debate many other things about UO. Meetings chew up a lot of my time.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of conflicting needs between design, development, testing, marketing, etc. What this means is there are still some things we are not ready to talk about it. Yes it's April now and I'm still saying that, you did not hear me wrong.

The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

 

[pallas]

<blockquote><hr>

Well, its a fair criticism that I haven't been posting like a madman. So what have I been doing?

First, please try and remember that I have to watch out over three brands (UO, DAoC and WAR) and don't have the luxury to devote myself entirely to UO. That's not an excuse or anything, just a simple fact of my life.

Second, I try and let Jeremy handle the day to day care and feeding of the community. I never liked bosses who step in and trample all over my area of expertise and steal my thunder. I try not to be that person.

Finally, we do have a lot to share and " the community needs to know what we are planning" is a drum I beat frequently. That's actually where I am spending the lion's share of my UO time. I go around to people and stress the importance of live events and how having them on a regular and consistent schedule is important to our community. We talk about bug fixes, when we can announce what is going on with the next live event and debate many other things about UO. Meetings chew up a lot of my time.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of conflicting needs between design, development, testing, marketing, etc. What this means is there are still some things we are not ready to talk about it. Yes it's April now and I'm still saying that, you did not hear me wrong.

The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

[/ QUOTE ]

I doubt we will ever see a time you will ever be forthcoming. *shrugs* You have set your own precedent.

Kinda sad, kinda lame, but I suppose at the very least you finally posted on this thread.

 

[imported_Spiritless]

<blockquote><hr>

The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet.

[/ QUOTE ]Just a hint, but that line got old with this community a long, long time ago.

You'll have to come up with something better.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

<center> oops!

the boardies HAVE your drum !!!</center>


the code must flow


carry on

 

[imported_Cyrah]

Decent save attempt Sir.

Once more I see "we just can't talk about them " Why? Will all those game that envy UO steal your secrets?

I have run out of hope. If you care to know what that means ask.

With all due respect Sir, it has been made very clear to me what even the few UO devs think of me as a player and real person.

Not much.

I commend you for posting as it will most likely not be pretty. But then you knew that.

Wish you well Sir.

 

[imported_Cyrah]

I honor thee Fayled!

 

[Piotr]

<blockquote><hr>

Second, I try and let Jeremy handle the day to day care and feeding of the community.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uhm... we're like fish in a fish tank... or something?

Rob, thanks for the entlightening post though and now, go beat that drum really hard!

 

[Arcus]

<blockquote><hr>



The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

[/ QUOTE ]


I see Mythic now flies under EA's rules of "shhh dont say anything"

 

[kennykilleduo]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>



The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

[/ QUOTE ]


I see Mythic now flies under EA's rules of "shhh dont say anything"

[/ QUOTE ]

My thought also , but he said this:

<blockquote><hr>

I want to continue and extend the reputation EA Mythic has built for integrity, honesty and quality in community and customer support.

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[angelus aconitum]

<blockquote><hr>

Yeah exactly. People dont play UO for its STUNNING GRAPHICS (well, I do) or its HDR PARALAX OCCLUSION BUMP MAPPING HD-DVD SLI features. They play it for what it is, what it was, and the people that play it.

- Housing
- Community
- Items that you can move around freely in your backpack and drop on the floor
- Crafting
- Use for decorative items

Just a few things that set UO apart from other games. Imitation of certain other games and drastic game changes (AOS COFF COFF?) are not a good move if you are trying to hang on to the players you already have.

Wait...

We are assuming they want to keep their current playerbase. Then again, with what happened to UXO and the various moves that force the developers to choose between work and personal life, you can't really be too sure that the needs of the players are that high up the list of priorities.

PS anyone from EA reading this, don't take my criticisms too badly. Im still paying for UO and i've never given a single penny to the likes of evil level-grinding Blizzard.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what I think ! And I play UO because of the 2d grafics. I never wanted anything else than these grafics ... exactly these 2d grafics, because this is the grafic I want to see ..... and nothing else.
I gave and still give KR a chance and play it from time to time, but the normal gameplay is totally crap. I can't put anything where I want it to drop .... and the macros are a joke ..... and so much more. Even in this phase I would not even let it be a beta. KR is not UO anymore to me, because UO for me is UO 2d and that will never change.

And it's good to hear that they are doing things, even if we heard that every year over and over again.

 

[Repowski]

I would be totally down with KR if the graphics were the same as the 2d client. That is to say... I would use the new interface, but not the gameplay images. I've seen screens, I've seen demos.... I would never look back to this game if I was forced to play with KR's graphics.

 

[Guest]

At least you posted something. I give you credit for that.

The team is actively doing things. Whether that is your work or their's is hard to tell. We all know the few who get things done do a lot on their own time.

A critique if I may, don't mention the word marketing when you post here. That might be in reference to Warhammer or possibly even DAoC but we all know the stance on UO advertising. We saw it once with the poor timing of an unready client and at no other time since you have been around have we seen it. Bad word, Rob, bad word.

 

[angelus aconitum]

<blockquote><hr>

I would be totally down with KR if the graphics were the same as the 2d client. That is to say... I would use the new interface, but not the gameplay images. I've seen screens, I've seen demos.... I would never look back to this game if I was forced to play with KR's graphics.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to agree that some things look better in KR, maybe trees, a very few housing items and some monsters, but most things look better in 2d. At least to me.
Movement, UI, ridables, wearables, weapons and many many things more look awful in KR.

 

[lysarius]

<blockquote><hr>

What this means is there are still some things we are not ready to talk about it. Yes it's April now and I'm still saying that, you did not hear me wrong.

The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

[/ QUOTE ] This is NOT GOOD NEWS. You lost me as a customer in January because of weeks.. no months... no YEARS of this line. I have been keeping up with UO so I can decide whether or not I want to reactivate before my house decays. The score so far is:

Jeremy: Doing the best job I have ever seen her (or any of the other UO community reps) do responding to the boards (A+)

Live Events: Draconni Rules (A+)

Bug Fixes: Leurocian is doing an awesome jobing fixing bugs and improving systems that have needed attention for YEARs (A+)

Leadership from Management: So pathetic I cant even give it a score because there is NO LEADERSHIP to be seen. How long does it take to decide whether or not you are going to release SA? How long does it take to decide what the long range plan is regarding KR/2d?

The management of UO is letting their team and their customers down. Either they dont care or they are too busy working on WAR? Meanwhile I have discovered that Lord of the Rings Online has:
- great content
- unbelieveable graphics
- regular HUGE updates
- Great community (and tools built into the software to make communication easy)
- Clear notice of future plans
- Same price as my UO subscription was....

I Played UO for 10 YEARS and part of me would love to come back... but your management needs to put up or just admit the game is now officially a zombie.

 

[Guest]

You know, I keep reading all these threads here on U.Hall claiming that no one (or almost no one) uses the Kingdom Reborn client, and that it has been universally rejected by the player-base. If that were so, then there wouldn't be a debate, would there?

<blockquote><hr>

Fact of the matter is, the UO playerbase as a whole weren't complaining about the graphics of the game before KR. We play the game and accept what it is. Frankly, the 2D graphics work well for UO and have done since inception. Trevelyan kind of highlighted this in his post. The only real gripes were minor interface issues that could maybe have been solved by implementing a few new features into our existing client. It certainly didn't require an entire new client to correct the relatively minor faults.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a matter of fact, I remember many people claiming that it would be Ultima Online's aged graphics and faltering client that were going to be its downfall, going all the way back to Lord Blackthornes Revenge.

Kingdom Reborn was not created to be some flashy new client that would attract the masses in droves. That is probably one of the most ignorant and prevalent myths here on Stratics. If the developers had that intention, they would have developed something far more ambitious than Kingdom Reborn, and would have dumped the isometric view a long time ago. Instead, it is Ultima Online's failing engine and broken client that led to the creation of Kingdom Reborn. The developers have said it many times before - that our current client is so old, that it would require a massive restructuring of the engine to add some of the stuff that we want - but many people come up with their own pre-concieved notions and decide for themselves what the developers meant.

The Ultima Online engine is nearly fifteen years old now, having been the patchwork adaptation of one of the Ultima single-player game engines (VII or VIII, I believe). As far back as UOAlpha, there were additions to the game that they had hoped to include but could not without breaking the client (full galleons with cannons were included in alpha, but were taken out because not even the original developers could figure out how to get them to function without breaking; we could have had all the halmarks of a pirate expansion at launch if the current engine had cooperated). The original designers intended Ultima Online to last for three years, and should it be successful they would replace it with Ultima Online 2. Had it not been for the fallout between Electronic Arts and Richard Garriot, that would have been the case.

Until a new engine is implemented, we will never see a pirate expansion, we will never see the tile-based system removed, we will never see weekly updates and monthy additions (the legacy client is just too hard to update on a regular basis), we will never see hooded cloaks (the Cloak of Humility breaking was one of the reasons behind finally working on a new client), and we will never see siege warfare. These all require a new engine.

I love our legacy client just as much as everyone else; there is certainly a special touch that just cannot be replicated, and that is why I have always suggested that the legacy graphics be ported onto the Kingdom Reborn client. We can manage to keep the legacy client, but in a form that allows for the developers to move away from the legacy engine that prevents them from adding some of the in-game additions we would all love to see.

Its not graphics that are the issue, its the code and structure that our legacy client is built upon.

 

[Guest]

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The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet.

[/ QUOTE ]Just a hint, but that line got old with this community a long, long time ago.

You'll have to come up with something better.

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[Guest]

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The good news is, we are doing things, we just can’t talk about them....yet. I will go back to beating my drum now.

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Nothing personal, but you're working for an online game not the military.

 

[Der Rock]

Hi, may i ask one question to you here?

How long will be the "free game" time we get as a bonus if we buy and play WAR?

thx.