Classic shard debate. Update me.

[Clx-]

Firstly, well done to those of you that have continued to fight for a classic shard over the years. I gave up posting here to that end and quit the game early 2008 and haven't been back to stratics or anything related to UO until today. I certainly won't be reactivating any accounts in 'current' UO.

Secondly, what's the state of play regarding any developments? From the threads I've just read on the front page I see that nothing has been set in stone as of yet. Do we have any information at all? What's this shard of the dead thing I see on stratics front page?

Clx - Still desperate to relive 'old' UO.
Pacific 98-99
Siege 99-01
Europa 01-04
Drachenfels 04-08

 

[Lord Chaos]

No news at all about the classic shard and its unlikely it will see the light any time soon.

The shard of the dead was a free for all PvP shard with no insurance which was ruined by insta kill weapons.

 

[Vlaude]

The last official word from the producer was this:

I was asked recently if UO is playing it safe. I consider this a good question.

The classic shard is a risky endeavor. What does a classic shard mean? It’s one facet … and then what? What updates to the game content and fixes carry forward? Item properties? Artifacts? Custom housing? Ninjistu? A classic shard, by definition would contain nothing from Samurai Empire or Mondain’s Legacy. There would be no artifacts, and only classic housing.

A classic shard is a business decision, not a decision to draw only former players who have gone on to other MMOs. It needs to draw along with the hype, an audience truly interested in understanding that before there were games on rails, there was a game built on skill and the thrill of a game with consequence.

Naked corpse runs anyone?

The classic shard is not about a UO revolution, it’s about a UO evolution. Are we playing it safe taking our time? Somewhat. Yes. Is the classic shard a risk we are willing to take? If the right business model is behind the concept, yes. That’s my job to figure out and evangelize. No petition or surveys will “just” bring a classic shard to UO. There have been too many business and design decisions made on the “good intent” of the player population. The classic shard will not be that kind of decision.
It must not only make sense for the population at the time, it also needs to be a concerted effort with the support of the community beyond current subscribers … and any others who are reading this letter beyond fan forums and sites.

So where are we on a decision? I made a statement in March that we would have an answer before the end of the year. It’s still summer, and we have goals to meet before September, so we are not focused on implementing a solution or design docs right now.

However, I do a have a focus team dedicated to evaluating the options and features. The first steps will be a survey on key features and interest, should we decide to move forward.

Source: Producer's Update - 8/13/10 | Mythic Entertainment | Ultima Online

Almost everything after that has been a mire of speculations, guesses, and circular debates with very little else said by the devs or producer.

 

[Clx-]

Thanks, Vlaude. So it's the same empty promises. I got slightly excited for a while thinking they might actually do something this time.

 

[HD2300]

I made a statement in March that we would have an answer before the end of the year.

"Before the end of the year" doesnt necessarily mean before the end of this year. It could mean before the end of the year 2011. Ho Ho Ho.