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I have been playing some form of Ultima Online since launch in September of 1997. I was in my mid-twenties and was not a husband or a father at that time, but now, 24 years later, I am both of those things and still playing UO. My adult kids are almost the age I was when I started playing and now they play with their Ol’ man.
I still maintain a paid account with EA/Broadsword, but I have enjoyed many “Free Shards” over the years. I still play on 4 with varying levels of regularity. Each one brings unique experiences i.e. custom content, legacy feels, larger and engaged player base, smaller and dedicated player base, Role Play heavy, PVM focus, PVP focus, near-current content, etc. At this stage in my life I still enjoy the sandbox environment and freedom to play however I feel like playing on any given day. I still discover new things in UO after all these years and that is due in part to free shards and the talented people who run them. I enjoy building custom houses, creating characters based on other franchises I enjoy and bound to the limits (or not) of a particular shard. I enjoy visiting old places made new, new places never seen before and best of all, meeting new people who still find joy in playing Ultima Online.
Kudos to the Stratics team for showing some support for the freeshard community. You have always been a great resource for the UO player base and a great place to hang out over the years. I still think back to the old Automatic Breakfast Machine (ABM) posts in the UHall all those years ago. I was even a moderator for the UO Players Corner for a bit. Good times, good times.
If you have never tried a Free Shard, I highly recommend it. You likely won’t love everything about any given shard, but you will likely find one that scratches an itch or two i.e. High Seas content, Support for
work time Gargoyles (or not) or brand-new systems that enhance a certain game play you already enjoy.