The biggest issue, I think, is what counts as *classic*.
I am a native of Lake Superior, and have been since the day I first subscribed many years ago. Before Renaissance. And to me, it wouldn't matter which pub they attempted to re-create, because the things that made Superior classic still wouldn't be there. The people that, over the years, made that particular shard CLASSIC. And that's the key - it's not the rule set, but the people.
Dennar is gone, and I seriously doubt that he would come back. Flint Fireforge is gone, and I seriously doubt he will come back. Father Ganja is gone, and I seriously doubt he would come back. Even the vast majority of what I like to term "the honorable reds" are gone, and I seriously doubt they would come back. Dozens of dozens of others, all gone. And not because of AoS, or PK's, or shoddy PvP, but, simply, the passage of time, and the opportunities coming from life.
And even if they all came back, it still wouldn't be the same, because, quite simply, they wouldn't be on Lake Superior, but on a different server entirely. Now, I am going to make a leap of faith and say that most (all?) of the other servers also had their cast of characters that made that particular place "classic". And if they all came back? It would be to the new server, and again, the experience wouldn't be the same. Not for them, and not for those that hope they would come back. Sure, it has the potential to make a new style of classic, but it would not be the instant classic that people are hoping for.
If they want to make a retro shard, then by all means, do so. Pick a time, and plop it in to the server farm, and, other than semi-annual hardware inspections/updates, walk away from it.
Because in order for it to truly be classic, there would have to be one more person involved, and Hell will freeze over before we ever see the real Lord British again.
Amidst all the debate about what constitutes "classic" in UO terms, an excellent post.
I've played since early 1999, so was around pre-trammel. Although a late-comer by some standards, I bought the game whilst on a trip to the US and took it home to play in the UK. Incidentally, I rarely ever saw the game for sale in shops in the UK at that time, but had simply read about it online.
Up until this year, I always played on Great Lakes. I was away for a few years, intermingled with some time on "free" shards, but came back around beta-time for Stygian Abyss. Of all the many people I knew from Great Lakes, upon my return, I only met one person that I knew who played back then.
I think the most fun I had was trying to organise a joint -Y- & GOF guilds hunt at the Abyssal Infernal. It didn't go quite to plan, as it was inevitably raided. Some people took that badly, some had fun, but it was great to see two large guilds working together and giving it a go.
PvP was actually pretty good on Great Lakes, mostly because of the active factions guilds. I've never been particularly into PvP unless there's a point to it. Participating in the factions battles for the sigils, defending a base, gave it some purpose for me. I inevitably "died" more than I "won", but it was more about helping the
team achieve their objective for me.
Due to two factors, petty abuse from certain members of the guild I was in towards other players, then problems with my internet connection, I upped and moved to Europa. I joined a great bunch of people at SAOR who made moving shards much easier for me. They were certainly one of the most cohesive and friendly guilds I've seen in a long time, much of which stems from their excellent leadership by Cailleach. It almost took me back to the classic days I enjoyed so much about UO.
You might note my use of the word
"almost" there. This is certainly no detriment to the superb people of Europa or SAOR guild, but more to do with the game itself and the effects of a game that I feel is now totally item driven.
Clearly everyone has their own view on what's right or wrong with UO these days, but for me, it's simply my view that I just don't enjoy the feeling that the importance of items have paramount importance over
everything.
Most talk in-game seems to revolve around what items someone wears or uses. What items they "need". What items they "want". How they can get those items.
Yes, there's always been "items" (armour, weapons) in the game, but I seem to recall that one's skill played more importance in days gone by.
Now if you've read this far and you're not bored by my rambling thus far, I would like to point one thing out loud and clear...
Pre-Trammel for me wasn't about PvP.
It was just one part of the game. I didn't particularly go looking for it, but I knew it was around and accepted it for what it was. It even added more challenge to the game and gave it an edge, especially when I was out with a miner or crafter wandering between towns. Mostly with those sort of characters, I would simply take flight. That was often fun in itself, evading a marauding PK'er, hell-bent on my destruction. At one time, I even had a miner/warrior, who gave a few reds a surprise they weren't expecting.
I actually spent a good portion of my time crafting. I miss the simplicity of crafting from those "classic" days. Now, I see little point to a smith or a tailor, other than them playing a supporting role to the new skill of imbuing. In an item driven world, the customisable aspect of imbuing certainly makes sense. For someone who's not really "into" this item driven world, it just seems like more of a chase for items.
I was far happier in the days when GM crafted items, were not too far from the "best" loot items. This is before runics, power scrolls enabling "legendary" crafted items. Most people generally wore outfits that were matching, such as a full suit of valorite plate. I remember when they were the aspiration of a PvM warrior character, yet wasn't overly expensive or difficult to obtain.
Others have mentioned the "balance" and clear difference between armour like leather and studded, plate and mail. They all had a distinct difference based on the type of character you were using.
I've rambled enough, but suffice it to say, I would love to play a classic UO without all the "items". I would prefer a single facet in whichever format it is presented, which seems to cause the biggest divide amongst those commenting on these forums. Suffice it to say, that with a classic shard, I would hope that the mistakes of the past and knee-jerk implementations would lead to a more considered approach to the non-con PvP setup.
For me, that would entail bigger guard zones around bigger cities, where PK's and thieves can enter, but always run the risk of a player shouting "guards!" if they're spotted. There would be more provision for housing within cities and guard zones that want it, whilst also enough space for housing outside for those that aren't worried.
A "classic" for me, would be pre-AOS time-scale, though I'm not against purely "decorative" items being included, because there's some good (and bad) artwork that's been created.
There's plenty of room for factions (if correctly implemented) or Order/Chaos, with the sole intention of this encouraging team activity.
Meh... I'll probably think of more, but my "hope" would be pre-AOS "hybrid" type.
So everyone, please try to keep this thread on track. Discuss the possibilities. Reminisce about what you miss, what you don't. There's no need to flame someone for a difference of opinion. If...
just if... there's a possibility that "classic" server options can become a reality, then I feel it will be enhanced more by unity amongst those of us who like the concept, working together.
If all that EA/Mythic ever see is people bickering and sniping, then I think it's safe to assume, it won't
ever get off the ground.
