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Did you come back?

Have you returned from UO after a long absence


  • Total voters
    66

Northern Whaler

Visitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I logged in tonight on a char i havent played in awhile. I looked at the guild roster and saw that in the past 3 months there has been 4 pep logged in . There is 39 pages of members in the guild so roughly over 300 different chars ,although most people have many chars in the guild there was basicly 50 or so members. It just made me sad to think most of my friends ill never see again :(
 

DJAd

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Opened first account on 2003, sold it on eBay then opened another in 2005. Played on this for about 10 months then it sat un-used for about 6 years before re-activating just before Christmas 2012. Really enjoying the game this time around and have met some great new people. Loads of changes and lots of catching up to do still and workout.
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Been here since feb 1 2000. Just re-opened my third account, the other two was never turned off. Many friends left, but some are still around, and new friends are not hard to get. I meet returning people several in a week and completely new and former free shard players as well. You need to be in Help Chat to find them. And they reactivate and pay after trial period I can tell from their questions in the chat.
 

Leather Lucy

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I've been coming and going for years lol, my account started in '99 yet I have around 88 months showing on my paperdoll heh. Ultima is the only game I keep coming back to :). Everquest only managed to drag me back once though. I 'grew up' in Ultima and it feels like home, I love coming back and starting over (although the last time I did have the good sense to bank a few important things like soulstones, I shudder to think of all the stuff I've let drop over the years lol).

Conversationally, I still play (amongst many others) my very first character I ever made, 'Lucy Quickstitch' I had every intention of making her a Tailor/Tamer hehe, she ended up a swordswoman/healer, her name looks totally stupid (it wasn't that good in the first place lol :p). I wonder how many others still play their first character, I might make a thread sometime :).

Cheers

Lucy :)
 

old gypsy

Grand Poobah
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Patron
I began playing UO in 1998. I quickly became addicted to the point that it interfered with my real life responsibilities. I quit and came back twice in the past, and am planning a "vacation" from UO even as I type this. I won't be actually quitting, though... just seeing if I can successfully take a break while my account remains active. I have to find a balance somehow.
 

Taylor

Former Stratics CEO (2011-2014)
VIP
Alumni
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Benefactor
Guess I started in '99. Played for a couple of years, until my high school work load grew too burdensome. In 2008, after I graduated college, I returned to the game for a couple years. When I started grad school in 2010, my time in UO declined. Don't log on much anymore, but still have four accounts. Maybe I'll come back once again when I graduate in December.
 

Podolak

Crazed Zealot
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I started playing in summer of 1999 after high school, a RL friend had played since beta and occasionally tried to get me into it. Me and two other friends sat down with him one night after a bonfire and he got us all hooked. We all created accounts and played together, slowly the other three left UO permanently. I played pretty steadily until just a few months before my first son was born in 2006. I decided to cancel as I didn't want him neglected for my additions. In 2009 I was getting the itch to play again and saw a post by Pitr about "taking back" Felucca. I mostly played in Felucca but usually only light PvP. I had never been a part of any of the big Felucca guilds. In all honesty I learned quite a bit from my time with Pitr and GRI about PvP and surviving better in Felucca. Eventually our faction division teamed up with a red faction guild and I learned hey, these folks are not so bad actually. Unfortunately Pitr and I have parted ways and the alliance has disbanded, I do still play with those "ebil PeeKays" *looks accusingly at Flutter and Devin* and they are some of my closest UO friends presently.

There, somewhat of a return story I suppose.
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I started in 97 with a shared family account. I left just before trammel really came out for housing and I left because my life was busy and I went off to college. I stayed away and pretty much forgot about UO until my little sister started playing again around 5 years ago. She got me back into game around 4 years ago and I have played ever solidly ever since. My sister ended up leaving though.
 

Ludes

Babbling Loonie
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I started at the very beginning as well....
Had to leave around 2004 to focus on work.
Was able to retire in 2011 and re-activated my accounts then...
Been back just under a year now and while I don't like some of the changes, very few of them affect my playing style so I'm a little indifferent to them.

Also.. just got back in contact with the very first guy ever to join my guild, like 14 years ago.
He's back in the game now too.
 

Gorbs

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
My entire guild effectively stopped playing. I'd say half died due to Pub16. The other half died due to AoS. Our pvp enemies were leaving or gone and we didn't want to invest our time into the pvm systems.. I don't recall the timeline for games, but had played DAoC and Shadowbane concurrently with UO. I think it was 2004 that WoW came out and I quit playing UO for good. I saved some stuff in the bank, but mostly just let my tower fall. I played that until three years ago when our first child was born. At that point I could not reliably find an hour of time or more to spend in game, so I cancelled that account. A few months later I was decided to check in on UO. The trial account wasn't giving me enough instant gratification, so I decided to reactivate my old account to run around. I enjoyed being able to play for 15-20 minute stretches and ended up leaving it open. I had great hope that they would release a pre-AoS shard and perhaps lure many of my old friends back, but that did not come to pass.
 

temu

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I've had my account open since April of 1998, and I simply can't seem to stop playing, no matter how grim the fate of the game seems. Sometimes in haste I lash out and complain and whine about the state of PvP, or the huge drop in playerbase, but I still seem to be able to get out there and have some laughs at least once a week.
 

NuSair

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Started playing at the end of Beta. Played 40+ hours a week until 1999-2000. Left because all my friends had moved on/quit the game. Plus, my brothers were playing Everquest, so that is where I went. Then about 2005 I reconnected with an old friend from UO (who I ended up marrying) and came back to play UO, leaving Everquest and WoW.
 

Ron Silverbeard

Certifiable
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
It all began with Diablo 1997...met alot of cool people and joined uo with a guild called TFL...met so good friends that i decided to jump into a plane and stay for 2 weeks in chicago at my guidl leaders house ;) it was a blast (i am from central europe) started to play UO with that guild 1999...my Guildleader was Whitewolf..most of the peeps left for WoW and we changed from TFL beeing TaR...played UO and WoW as TaR members...than played as EKG member on UO and as TaR member on WoW..left both games for good 2004...used alot of english i learned playing on American shards for business...never played a game in my language btw..ever...it changed my life and life changed with UO...sweet memories...came back November 2011 after i was told to research my life if there might be something i miss i did and enjoyed in the past - BEFORE i catched my burnout....it took around 5 mins as i wrote that list of things i did 10 years ago to figure it was playing online games is what i am still interrested and miss...and it wasnt WoW i found might be worth to restart...it was UO...i feel quite better now after playing again - it's relaxing me after a hard working day...cleaning my brain...sweet memories...i wish all of my old pal's from the old UO days would be back...i miss alot of them...to bad i lost so much contacts....but i met some new friends...joined a vet guild....most of the members are my age...some even older...we have people 55+ in the guild...this is great...

Thank you UO....
 

Ron Silverbeard

Certifiable
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
I wonder how many others still play their first character, I might make a thread sometime :).
4 of my 6 chars are from 1999 - i log them on every day an play with them...had to delete one char forced by OSI (used a prominent's name from Hollywood, seems like he didnt like it...but still got his AoS sandals rofl..) The name of my first char i created i used and use in every online game i play since 1996...its all history.. ;)
 

Viper09

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I come and go often, mostly due to being too busy to play or not finding enough fun to keep me going more than a couple months. I also don't like keeping my house up with an inactive account so I've also had many different houses, plus I love customizing them different each time.
I would go to Siege but can't find the time or desire to train up from scratch. I also don't like keeping my house up with an inactive account so I've also had many different houses, plus I love customizing them different each time.
 

Flutter

Always Present
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Awards
1
I logged in tonight on a char i havent played in awhile. I looked at the guild roster and saw that in the past 3 months there has been 4 pep logged in . There is 39 pages of members in the guild so roughly over 300 different chars ,although most people have many chars in the guild there was basicly 50 or so members. It just made me sad to think most of my friends ill never see again :(
I was on!!
 

Don't Tread on Me

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
I guess I should tell my story too.... I was a fan of Ultima since I got Ultima IV for Christmas in 2nd grade (for the Commadore 64, whoo whoo!). In 97, I made an insane decision and went to the military academy for 4 years, then a year of infantry training, then a year in Korea, then a year in Iraq, and then FINALLY was able to open an account in the beginning of 2005. A couple months after I started playing, I met Milkbone in RL and transferred my main char from ATL to Chessy since he had been on Chessy since 98 or 99 or something like that. I've been playing ever since, but never had lots of bulk time to dedicate (work, marriage, children, deployments, etc) but I do what I can. Integrating myself into the pvp lifestyle has been much more fullfilling for me than pvm grinds... probably because I don't have the time to be really good at the pvm thing. Pvp just doesn't take as much time and is immediately gratifying. My wife opened an account after we got married and I got my kids accounts too for when they get older (yeah, I use em a little... but not too much honestly). I maintain a RL relationship with Milkbone mostly through this game, which is pretty cool since we haven't lived in the same place since 2007 and been through 3 or 4 deployments between the two of us since then.

Love the game, may it last forever!
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I guess I should tell my story too.... I was a fan of Ultima since I got Ultima IV for Christmas in 2nd grade (for the Commadore 64, whoo whoo!). In 97, I made an insane decision and went to the military academy for 4 years, then a year of infantry training, then a year in Korea, then a year in Iraq, and then FINALLY was able to open an account in the beginning of 2005. A couple months after I started playing, I met Milkbone in RL and transferred my main char from ATL to Chessy since he had been on Chessy since 98 or 99 or something like that. I've been playing ever since, but never had lots of bulk time to dedicate (work, marriage, children, deployments, etc) but I do what I can. Integrating myself into the pvp lifestyle has been much more fullfilling for me than pvm grinds... probably because I don't have the time to be really good at the pvm thing. Pvp just doesn't take as much time and is immediately gratifying. My wife opened an account after we got married and I got my kids accounts too for when they get older (yeah, I use em a little... but not too much honestly). I maintain a RL relationship with Milkbone mostly through this game, which is pretty cool since we haven't lived in the same place since 2007 and been through 3 or 4 deployments between the two of us since then.

Love the game, may it last forever!
GOOD GOD YOUR AN OFFICER!!!!!!!!!! I take back every good thing I have said about you ;)
 

hungry4knowhow

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Been playing off and on since 1998. I quit right after Trammel came out. Came back right when AOS came out, and i play for 3-6mths and quit for a year or two, rinse/repeat since then.

Just came back again a couple weeks ago. Really hoping and wanting UO to hook me like it did in 1998. It is also the only game I repeatedly come back to. And even when I'm gone from it I still check in on it, and do my own offline thing.
 

Neutron Bomb

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I recently stopped playing after I sold my entire collection of rares to a good person. Shortly after that I received a Beta Invite to Counter-Strike: GO, so it has been consuming all of the time I have for game (Which isn't much thanks to my wife!).
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
I think the longest I've ever gone without playing is 2 months. I went two weeks awhile ago when I was without internet.... that was hell.

I started playing just when UO:R came out... I can say with absolute certainty that had I tried to play before that I would have quit and said this game Sucks..... never touched it again... but lucky for me I didn't... Anyway Willa was my first character ever and I love her still.... I don't play her nearly as much anymore since well Yew isn't what it once was and I've evolved past her somewhat... she still attends auctions every week though... Malag has become my "main" since he's far more complex and fun though both are archers. My 2 kids have grown and I've since become a Grandma in the years of playing but it's all good. The RP community has shrunk so much we no longer have any enemies to chase about or run from but I'm ever the hopeful that things will eventually pick up.... I have enjoyed most the expansions so far..... I do get somewhat frustrated when trying to figure out suits and how best to build what I want into them.... I've yet to attempt to struggle with the whole reforging idea but I'm sure eventually I'll try to tackle it.

I've had more friends than I care to count come and go..... many get caught up in WoW or LOTRO or even free shards... they continually come check on me and try to talk me into leaving but I never do... and I often will ask them... "If the game you are playing is really all that then why is it you keep coming back here and trying to get me to join you?" Truly if another game were 100% all that then they would have long forgotten little ole me... I suspect that even though their candy coated pretty boy games are all graphically magical they lack something.... true community and friendship that UO still has. Which when it gets right down to it is what keeps me here. It's not the graphics certainly, it's not so much the content, the grinding surely is NOT what keeps me here... it's not the dungeons or the DEV's... it's the community and the people... and that sense of wonder that I can be "Malag-aste Hla-ate, Knight of Lore of the Royal Knights of Virtue..... and Assistant Royal Spymaster as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the High Council of Britannia." Dark Elf former Prince..... that keeps me in UO. He still takes regular Patrols of Newcastle Township... though the town is much smaller than it once was it's still a good town.

It's the sense of calm of having fun with friends, long conversations in Vent over what is and isn't good on pizza... excitement with comrades over watching the latest Movie... Talk of the forums here on Stratics... and conversations with DEV's both in and out of Game.... feeling that you can help the community and build a better game... a sense at least from the current DEV's that they are listening.. though I'd like them to speak more... It's coming home after a long day of work and just randomly killing to kill... adventuring and saving the lands from evil with the EM's.... being able to immerse myself in Designing a new home for someone... Helping to create and shape a new town hall.... or someones New Craft Hall or Inn.... or Tavern. Seeing what's up for auction each week... Giving a few folk a headache in Gen Chat ... board warrioring...
 

Don't Tread on Me

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
I am playing Baja now too. I wasn't a Ranger I was a LRSD tell him if he wants we can do it there :devil:
I wasn't LRSD but I was ranger... but I don't play baja. But if he comes to chessy.... RLTW!

Milkbone wasn't a ranger... but he was LRSD. I'm sure he'd be down too. :)

HA HA! And people wonder why we are friends.... pooooooop
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I wasn't LRSD but I was ranger... but I don't play baja. But if he comes to chessy.... RLTW!

Milkbone wasn't a ranger... but he was LRSD. I'm sure he'd be down too. :)

HA HA! And people wonder why we are friends.... pooooooop
That does explain it all who was Milkbone with?
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Damn too bad I was 313th LRSD. So 82nd figured I might have known him and not realized.
 

garillo

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
My big brother bought me a copy of UO and paid for my first account. I was 12 at the time. Picked it up in time to be here for the Great Lakes server birth. I ran around a lot with a thief, named Teepo, just learning the basics. My buddy Miner then introduced me to pvp and the loves of being a mage. I moved onto a gm nox/mage disarm wrestle thief I made which became my first red. Started rolling with BC on Great Lakes soon after they were started and had a lot of fun. Played until my junior year of high school, then had to concentrate on college so I dropped UO. I just came back 8 months ago but the game has changed too much for my liking. I can't bring myself to stick with the outdated business model, or what it has become because of the playstyles that were catered to. Games like Diablo III, Super Monday Night Combat, and the incoming Guild Wars 2 just seem to smack UO right out of my mind.

Will have to say the best thing about UO has been the people I've met. Most left while I was gone, but since I've been back I've lucked out on surrounding myself with a solid group of people.
 

Amber Witch

Babbling Loonie
Governor
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Okay you 'old' military chest beaters, is it time to start your own thread to recruit for a guild? I'd love to see it happen. Come on! One of you do it!
 

Lord Nabin

High Council Sage - Greater Sosaria
Professional
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Glorious Lord
When you all are at the DLI Give me a shout and I will tip a glass with you. I have several friends currently in the Rangers. A good bunch by my vote. A warm thank you to all of you who are or have served :)


Oh and my answer was "No, Never Left" But I am awaiting your Return
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Okay you 'old' military chest beaters, is it time to start your own thread to recruit for a guild? I'd love to see it happen. Come on! One of you do it!
Are you sure you want us to do that? Next thing you know we will be dressing alike and talking in jargon that nobody else understands :p. Not to mention the smoking and carring on that happens if you get more then one airborne soldier in a 20 mile area. That being said maybe its time for an airborne night on Chesy. Even if most of them are officers I can probably get them to learn. What do you think Milk and Nogo?
 
B

Blueice_99

Guest
I started in 1999, couldn't start at beginning due to being stationed in Iceland. I quit the game in 2006, it just kept getting to WoW like and I really do and still do miss the original way gear was identified and the fact that you had to id it before you knew what you had. I liked and hated AoS for what they did. Hated it due to all my top gear being made less useable than newly made GM gear, back then GM made gear was only 2nd tier and could never be better and Indestructible Invulnerablity, yet after they nerfed all the old gear it was! I loved the house customizing that it brought about.

Not a lot of people playing anymore which is nice since it let me get a few things I could only dream about back then... (like placing a castle) .

Think my daughter (at the time 8) loved this game most as she used to have a legion of pets following her all over (sheep, horses, rabbits, etc) she would be tickled pink taming and selling people horses.
 

Don't Tread on Me

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
Are you sure you want us to do that? Next thing you know we will be dressing alike and talking in jargon that nobody else understands :p. Not to mention the smoking and carring on that happens if you get more then one airborne soldier in a 20 mile area. That being said maybe its time for an airborne night on Chesy. Even if most of them are officers I can probably get them to learn. What do you think Milk and Nogo?
Don't you worry my friend... I have left all officer status behind what... uh, year and a half ago now and am firmly in the civilian world. As for Mr. Milkbone, he is an NCO through and through and through again. Retirement looms, but the NCO stays forever! Now Lord Drago... I'm pretty sure he out-ranks us all.

I love seeing everyone's stories! Thanks for posting!!!
 

Mirt

Certifiable
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Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I am pretty sure your right. Drago is a Pointer if memory serves. That being said what do you think about us just taking over fel for a few nights. I think we have the skills to do it and I know we are tactically sound enough.
 

Don't Tread on Me

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
I am pretty sure your right. Drago is a Pointer if memory serves. That being said what do you think about us just taking over fel for a few nights. I think we have the skills to do it and I know we are tactically sound enough.
not sure we have the numbers to take LD on head to head if they pull the 15+ they can on chessy. and, i'm not sure how we can find a night sober enough to do such a thing. ha ha ha, i'm down though, you know it's true.
 

Mirt

Certifiable
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Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Great lets see how many other former and current we have and maybe we will be able to xerg it up one night. I know that Wat is retired Navy so I guess I could ask him. To bad there are just not enough paratrooper geeks.
 

sativa green

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
left UO around 2005 and came back in 2011. played for about a year and go back to where i felt i left off, but got bored with lack of playerbase and additional gameplay. done everything there is to do and definitely don't want to grind as there is plenty of other games with better content to do that in. sitting with 200m and a fel yew gate house but got extremely bored with the current pvp and even tried to go on siege where i developed 3 complete characters. again, lack of playerbase there just made me not want to login anymore. still waiting for an update to make me login again, but i dont see it happening. until then, i'll just keep my account active for hopeful additions, playerbase increase, and to keep my stuff i've collected in the past year.
 

Amber Witch

Babbling Loonie
Governor
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Are you sure you want us to do that? Next thing you know we will be dressing alike and talking in jargon that nobody else understands :p. Not to mention the smoking and carring on that happens if you get more then one airborne soldier in a 20 mile area. That being said maybe its time for an airborne night on Chesy. Even if most of them are officers I can probably get them to learn. What do you think Milk and Nogo?
Yeck yeah! And you 'girls' always dress alike and carry on! :stir: The 'Old Goat' doesn't have a char on Chessy other than a newbie and he doesn't have time these days to train up a char. hmmm.. Maybe with a little help (wait a sec.. reality check.. a lot of help) I can train up a char for him. Have you all figured out what templates you have and what you would need to complement the troop?
 

Petra Fyde

Peerless Chatterbox
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I can't come back, because I've never left - always something to engage my attention, not bored, not neglecting my kids, they've left home. Not neglecting my hubby, he's right here with me.
Entertainment on tap 24/7 cheaper than a night out, more engrossing than most tv programs, more convivial companions than can be found in the local pub. What more could I want?
 

Mirt

Certifiable
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Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Yeck yeah! And you 'girls' always dress alike and carry on! :stir: The 'Old Goat' doesn't have a char on Chessy other than a newbie and he doesn't have time these days to train up a char. hmmm.. Maybe with a little help (wait a sec.. reality check.. a lot of help) I can train up a char for him. Have you all figured out what templates you have and what you would need to complement the troop?
We haven't yet but that is possible. I am also on Baja so I can work with him there. I dobut that Milk and Nogo can be lured but who knows if we set up a beer on a string... :pint: that has worked for/on me before!
 

Surgeries

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
My wife and I have played since Aug 1997, and we nearly left before they came out with Trammel. I hadn't played for six months when I heard they were coming out with a way to play that wouldn't have to involve non-consensual PvP. I did not like how they gave us a "Choice" (mirrored land mass etc) but had it not been for the Choice, we definitely would have left.

We have been here ever since, and have three accounts we keep active. I haven't been able to play much lately due to RL demands, but I still get on at least weekly.
 

sirion

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I "left" the forum when it changed to this new one, partly because the design was totally BLACK. But yesterday I came back, and guess what. Within 12hrs, it changed back to WHITE! YAY for the eyes :)

But I am also almost ready to quit the game due to the game development has been very slow for the past couple years.
 
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