Fiction for the new Shame

[GalenKnighthawke]

Will there be fiction for the new Shame?

Even if it's as simple as "the evil has intensified and we have no idea why?

-Galen's player

 

[UOPlayer4LYFE]

Can't believe anyone cares.

 

[Hunters' Moon]

Can't believe anyone cares.

There is nothing wrong with wanting some Fiction behind a change in the game. UO isn't only for the powergaming pvp'er.

 

[UOPlayer4LYFE]

There is nothing wrong with wanting some Fiction behind a change in the game. UO isn't only for the powergaming pvp'er.

Story lines are great...for single player games.

 

[Viper09]

Story lines are great...for single player games.

They are also great for multiplayer games. I think it would be great for some fiction for new Shame.

And to quote Hunters' Moon again for you:

There is nothing wrong with wanting some Fiction behind a change in the game. UO isn't only for the powergaming pvp'er.

 

[Uvtha]

Id bet my hat that there is no fiction. No fiction behind most additions that arent specific quests events in this game. We still know nothing about the champs, peerless bosses, the dungeon doom... on and on

 

[UOPlayer4LYFE]

They are also great for multiplayer games. I think it would be great for some fiction for new Shame.

And to quote Hunters' Moon again for you:

I'm sure I would take more joy in killing an earth elemental if there was fiction behind it than if there wasn't...

 

[Viper09]

I'm sure I would take more joy in killing an earth elemental if there was fiction behind it than if there wasn't...

We get it, you don't like fiction. Now go troll elsewhere and let those who do enjoy it keep enjoying it.

 

[Ludes]

Can't believe anyone cares.

I care.. and a suggested story follows:

Shame.. the dungeon of elementals. several years have gone by since Shame was visited regularly by adventure seekers of Sosaria. In these years the denizens of Shame have had a chance to grow, to the point where they have learned to read and write.. using this newly learned knowledge they expanded their understanding of the land they lived in.. as all children do.. the offspring of the denizens of Shame sought out adventure and fortune beyond the ken of their parents.. they became stronger, faster and more knowledable in lore than their parents ever imagined. They ventured beyond the bounderies of their dungeon and sought out adventure elsewhere..

Some returned from their adventures in new lands, they attempted to educate the elders of their tribes. Some elders heard their words of knowledge, they embraced change and progress. Some didn't. But the ones that could adapt to the new ways of the land prospered, they taught their kids.

Slowly a change came upon Shame. The old masters that refused to believe that the world had changed died out.. The ones that accepted change prospered.
Now a new generation rules Shame, a generation stronger, smarter and more knowledgable than the old. The ones that continued to believe the world had only two dimensions died off.. The younger crowd.. ridiculed and despised at first.. slowly saw their three dimensional world accepted as fact.
Now they rule what was once a neglected and forgotten land.. and they dare you to come get some.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Can't believe anyone cares.

I can't quite decide whether "sad" or "pathetic" is the more appropriate response. What would the mods do, I wonder, if I posted something similar in a PvP thread.

-Galen's player

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

There is nothing wrong with wanting some Fiction behind a change in the game. UO isn't only for the powergaming pvp'er.

Far from there being nothing wrong, it's specifically a positive thing. Even Cal, who famously called Trammel players "care bears" (thereby insulting the vast majority of his playerbase), recognized this when he said something like, that in the gaming industry a change needs to have a reason. The industry term he used was that content "should be grounded." It makes for a more solid game.

-Galen's player

 

[pgib]

+1 for fiction.

Make some book spawn, have town criers say something about that, bring back some soul to this game.

 

[Adora]

Nice, Ludes - you should submit that!

 

[Mirt]

Or something about how far we have strayed from the virtues and that has subsequently made Shame stronger.

 

[Ned888]

I submitted an 'Ask the Devs' about this and UO Herald in general. There is a distinct lack of fiction for the game as it moves forward....

Age of Shadows isn't even completed yet:

Ultima Online : Age of Shadows - Fiction

I'm not certain that this will be as big of a priority as the actual art and coding. Personally, I enjoy the fiction. I like to know the 'why' of what I'm playing, not just the stats. It is valuable for generating ideas and sparking the imagination.

Perhaps they should have a writing contest and give away a couple of months of game time to the winner.

 

[Cetric]

Even Cal, who famously called Trammel players "care bears"
-Galen's player

You seem to bring this up alot... it must bother you =/

 

[RavenWinterHawk]

I know I am sarcastic at times...

But cant you just tell yourself what the fiction is. Does it matter that it comes from the Devs?

 

[Ned888]

I know I am sarcastic at times...

But cant you just tell yourself what the fiction is. Does it matter that it comes from the Devs?

Not being mean or anything here, but this is Ultima Online!!! It has it's own history and culture. It's own people and creatures; dungeons and shrines; landmarks and lost places.

Without the fiction, it could be anything at all. I don't want it to be anything at all, and I don't think others do either. We want our Ultima!

That being said, it's perfectly all right to ignore the fiction, but it needs to be in place to make the game whole.

 

[Mirt]

Not being mean or anything here, but this is Ultima Online!!! It has it's own history and culture. It's own people and creatures; dungeons and shrines; landmarks and lost places.

Without the fiction, it could be anything at all. I don't want it to be anything at all, and I don't think others do either. We want our Ultima!

That being said, it's perfectly all right to ignore the fiction, but it needs to be in place to make the game whole.

I am with you Ned

 

[Ludes]

Nice, Ludes - you should submit that!

What I should do is stay off the computer when I'm drinking.

God my head hurts today.. I hate Halloween! I hate alcohol.. I hate headaches.

 

[Ned888]

What I should do is stay off the computer when I'm drinking.

God my head hurts today.. I hate Halloween! I hate alcohol.. I hate headaches.

Then then the hair of the dog is your friend! It's a vicious cycle I know, but someone has to carry the torch!

 

[Ludes]

Then then the hair of the dog is your friend! It's a vicious cycle I know, but someone has to carry the torch!

Preachin to the choir my friend.. sippin a Bloody Mary as we speak.

Tryin to roll one but my hands are shaking a little too much.. gonna have to find my pipe.. then I'll be all better!

 

[Mirt]

Ahh vice how I miss you my old friend.

 

[Ludes]

Move to Colorado, some vices are even legal here.

And Galen, the CareBear thing wasn't Cal's .. I believe it was first invented by the author of ImaNewbie.

And UvTha, ICQ me on details so you can mail me that hat.

 

[RavenWinterHawk]

Not being mean or anything here, but this is Ultima Online!!! It has it's own history and culture. It's own people and creatures; dungeons and shrines; landmarks and lost places.

Without the fiction, it could be anything at all. I don't want it to be anything at all, and I don't think others do either. We want our Ultima!

That being said, it's perfectly all right to ignore the fiction, but it needs to be in place to make the game whole.

I dont know much about the history and it still ultima to me.


Ludes history is just as good. Besides so they post history somewhere and most of us don't see it.

I say we write are own history. What the heck.

 

[Mirt]

Many of the shards have written their own history books. You would be amazed how in depth some of the in game libraries are.

 

[Shiznit Bo'Bourbon]

Once upon a time, a troll was hanging around in Dungeon Shame. "WTF, do I even spawn here? Shouldn't I be in Despise?" the troll asked himself quizzically.

Then suddenly a glowing blue portal opened up in the ceiling over him. Out of the portal fell a cryptic scroll titled "New Item System Design Document" along with piles and piles of loot of every sort!

"Holy crap I've struck it rich!" the troll said happily as he rooted through heaps of sweet equipment. "Haha, war axe with eleven properties, I'm selling this baby in Luna!"

But then the troll's face darkened. "Cannot be repaired... brittle... 25 durability?! THIS IS CRAP!" the troll screamed angrily. "WTF is this junk even for?!" His rage was so great that he turned a deep red!

"My sprite looks bad with this hue, really bad!" the troll screamed, his rage only deepening. He grew so angry that suddenly he turned into an ogre!

"Rawr! I am a cave troll The Wall Guardian!" he shouted nonsensically. "Wait why did I choose this terrible Engrish name?!" A cave troll The Wall Guardian then looked at the Design Document scroll. It was in Japanese. "Oh that makes sense! Rawr!"

 

[Warpig Inc]

Evil mages used Shame as a dumping ground. All those failed mixtures and experiments. Toxic mutations crossed with magic where even the puddles come to life as Mud Elementals. Where even their belongings have become corrupted. And what will happen once it is filled. How long will the effect last? Where will they start dumping their vile waste next. How high will the oceans of Sosaria rise with the tears of the lands many tamers if Destard is their next target. Greater Dragons born without wings. Horse size Drakes that only master one elemental aspect of the magics. (this tamers dream of one slot tames that we could mix a team of 5s strengths for a hunt, 2 w/fire 3 w/poison) The Depths would breed a demon that escapes the depths of Destard venturing the land spreading the evil that was tossed aside. Travels to the Dark Father's home infecting his stomping ground. Tumors are cut from the dead and offered at the growing Cult of Sosaria on alters of healing. The more that is offered seems to stem the tide of evil's population. The effort seems to be a grain of sand on a long beach at the current pace............

 

[Shiznit Bo'Bourbon]

Pff, I like mine best. ^_^

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

You seem to bring this up alot... it must bother you =/

Yes.

But if you look at how I use it, it bothering me is very rarely why I use it.

My purpose in this particular thread was pretty clear, I thought?

In case it wasn't....To show that a Producer who was clearly not RP friendly still recognized the importance of fiction.

Remember, it wasn't me posting in some PvP thread "I can't believe anyone cares." I guess I should start doing that?

Because numerically not a lot of folks care about PvP. You can tell because if more people did, they wouldn't have to keep offering incentives for folks to do it. People would do it because they wanted to.

-Galen's player

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Regardless of his personal opinions, there was a distinct lack of professionalism in calling a significant portion of your player base a term used in a derisive manner. Just as it would be every bit as unprofessional for a producer to call all PvPers cheaters and immature pottymouths. It's a portion that should have been edited (not to mention that whatever those plans were, they didn't exactly happen... unless you're counting the idea of "events" which boiled down to "stupidly overpowered insta-kill mobs").

Fiction in an online game is a tricky thing because there is a significant player base that doesn't care about any type of storyline, motivation, or whatever, they just want to see "Get 10 widgets, return to <name>", any other information is unnecessary and simply "filler".

It WOULD be nice to see something that ties in the latest changes, maybe ingame books that cover Shame and a quick story-blurb on UOHerald for the arenas (either the new King (must be introduced) demanded them, or the lack of a leader led to their creation by an enterprising group of people).

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

For arenas: We have them established that Geoffrey from Ultima lore exists in UO.

He established them or some rich and virtuous fellow established them in tribute to him.

-Galen's player

...

Regardless of his personal opinions, there was a distinct lack of professionalism in calling a significant portion of your player base a term used in a derisive manner. Just as it would be every bit as unprofessional for a producer to call all PvPers cheaters and immature pottymouths. It's a portion that should have been edited (not to mention that whatever those plans were, they didn't exactly happen... unless you're counting the idea of "events" which boiled down to "stupidly overpowered insta-kill mobs").

Fiction in an online game is a tricky thing because there is a significant player base that doesn't care about any type of storyline, motivation, or whatever, they just want to see "Get 10 widgets, return to <name>", any other information is unnecessary and simply "filler".

It WOULD be nice to see something that ties in the latest changes, maybe ingame books that cover Shame and a quick story-blurb on UOHerald for the arenas (either the new King (must be introduced) demanded them, or the lack of a leader led to their creation by an enterprising group of people).

 

[Wenchkin]

Cal isn't producer now, so I think it's time to let that one go. I'm surprised anyone even remembered it, as errors of judgement go I don't think that even registers on the scale. A lot of professional people have said and done much worse after long wonderful careers. All of them would have been glad their slip up was as minor as "carebears" heh. Producers are humans, like all professionals.

If there isn't fiction and you want some, why not write a bit? Personally I'd blame the new monsters on those Shame mages... they've been gathered in Shame all these years, don't tell me they didn't come up with some evil ideas in all that time Maybe years ago people had blocked up part of Shame to lock away terrible monsters...the mages enchanted normal earth eles to make them stronger, then commanded them to move all the rubble and let said beasties get out. Alternatively I'd blame it on the liches from the graveyard just up the road from the orc fort... Or even blame the orcs and some wierd mining accident. They do have bombers after all... Lots of possible options that would work really.

Ok, no great fiction there perhaps, but I don't know any RPer who can't come up with a story of some sort...If you feel strongly enough that fiction is needed for Shame, I'd get the pen and paper out and have fun with it. In game if something new appeared, the RPers I hung out with would all come up with our own ideas about them. The official fiction wasn't as crazy as some of the daft ideas our chars came up with lol. It was still fun when we all sat discussing things like solen popping up and a local alchemist got blamed for making supersized insects...

Wenchy

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Cal isn't producer now, so I think it's time to let that one go.

Nope.

Why should I?

Would Fellies forget it if he'd, to use Dermott's analogy, called them "potty mouths?"

No, they wouldn't.

If I have to be the only Trammie with a memory, I'm ok with that.

I'm surprised anyone even remembered it,

See above.

It's especially important given the minor attempt to rehabilitate Cal in historical memory that's been going on.

Funny thing is at the time of his reign I was criticized for being too kind to him.

At the time, however, I merely recognized his virtues and his faults; most others only his faults, so I stood out.

And now, I merely recognize his virtues and his faults; most others only his virtues (ever notice how UO players are often nostalgic to a dangerous degree?), so now I stand out.

-Galen's player

 

[Wenchkin]

Nope.

Why should I?

Because he isn't the boss now, and past is...past. Human beings don't always say the right things. You can hold a grudge for ages over something, or you can say to yourself this isn't worth dragging out for a long time.

Would Fellies forget it if he'd, to use Dermott's analogy, called them "potty mouths?"

No, they wouldn't.

If I have to be the only Trammie with a memory, I'm ok with that.

I'm not sure you'd be much of a Fellie if you were insulted by language like that. Unless you've muted the brats, switched off global chat and you don't get out much. I hear worse from little kids running past the house It's just not language that's actually insulting unless you're looking to get all insulted over something.

Make a generalisation in the direction of Fel and some of us will say "hey we're not all like that" right back, but I won't bring up what you said months or years ago. I don't commit it to memory. I'll remember if someone reminds me, but it's not something I actively think back on.

It's especially important given the minor attempt to rehabilitate Cal in historical memory that's been going on.

Funny thing is at the time of his reign I was criticized for being too kind to him.

At the time, however, I merely recognized his virtues and his faults; most others only his faults, so I stood out.

And now, I merely recognize his virtues and his faults; most others only his virtues (ever notice how UO players are often nostalgic to a dangerous degree?), so now I stand out.

-Galen's player

I'm not saying you stand out at all. I'm just suggesting that when someone is no longer in the job and they said something a while ago... sometimes it's worth just saying "people are imperfect" and moving on and either forgiving or just accepting what they said in the past. There's a big bad old world out there with wars, poverty and all sorts of nasty stuff in it, and we're digging up past about a computer game producer who called folks carebears... I just can't imagine keeping that in my mind with more important things going on around me, that's all. It just doesn't strike me as being as important as all that.

Wenchy

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

Being told bad insults by another player is wholy different than getting it by the Devs.

Isn't a "sheep statue" also an insult ? People whined about the graph and now they plug it as a vet reward... I'm honestly surprised people aren't revolted.

We've already deducted the "mud pie" was a direct insult to my companion character.

All the siege insulting as well, not even one reward available for siege ? Not even a word about it ?

And please bear with me here ; those who play siege and remember the EM tease we got (read : insult), we clearly remember a little story about Sara Dale outrunning earth elementals in SHAME, NAKED. Oh Messana and the GM tought it was so fun...

No Shame ?!

New loot system that will probably kill Siege crafting community, no shame ?

No fiction... not even a single LINE, EM events are clearly designed to hand out items... I just HOPE... *I HOPE* there is at least one EM on one shard who actually cares about Ultima being Ultima...

and not this Neon blessed festival ... ugh...

A trammy with memory makes me a little happier... whats wrong with Cal being imperfect is that since 10 years, theres hardly been a dev or producer that actually performed according to EA's own job descriptions... exept maybe Draconi ? but even if he was passioned and great, he did only half of it.

We know its not a conspiracy, but we also know that other less complex games that require less attention has producers that would get fired if they did not fill their Job.

Why is our department treated this way ?

 

[Warpig Inc]

All they need to do is start 5 story lines with 5 different paragraphs with threads here. Then we add three lines of the running story line generated by players here. They sift through the BS and what is cool and come up with a storyline for a future event. Possible ideals for game addition that are balancing and cool for all.

 

[Ahuaeyjnkxs]

Thats another thing Cal was supposed to do...

he even created a sticky to get people to submit their own fiction.

Well I admit I didn't do it, because they kind of had already told me they didn't want my "true ultima lore" (their own words) so I felt like it would be a waste of time to participate.

Well it fell into the dust, thats whats so convenient about saying "oh well this guy is gone, so the guy replacing him should just trash people's efforts, cause its the past ; not the same guy sorry.

So convenient...