Garriott to be involved in UO 2?

[Miriandel]

I just stumbled across this article and was wondering what truth it holds. Not very recent, I know...

AFAIK, Richard hasn't been very active in the gaming industry since the Tabula Rasa disaster (where it was fun reading 'General British' in global ) and I'm not sure what good he would be without, e.g., Raph Koster (aka Designer Dragon).

I heard about Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Vertues, not sure if it could eventually turn into a successfull MMORPG.

I'm posting this because, like many veterans I guess, I'd like the spirit of UO resurrected but fear the damage EQ and sequels like WoW have done to the genre are irreversible.

So, should we expect any kind of UO2 anytime soon?
Or are all UO-like games doomed like have been the EA UO2 and Wish (not sure about the title anymore)?

 

[the 4th man]

The guys been out of gaming so long, one cannot expect him to resurrect much. What he once was is gone.........it happens.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Shroud of the Avatar isn't going to be an MMOG, it's basically the spiritual successor to the Ultima series itself with a persistent online aspect added to it. You will be able to play it in either Single Player Offline mode, Single Player Online mode (you do not see any other players, but you do see player houses, get updated content, etc), Friends Only Online (you see people based on your friends list only) and Open Play Online (closest to an MMOG, but you only see people based on a weighted selection from Friends List to their friends to people on the same quest line(s) that you may be on. Most you'll see is a few tens of people, not hundreds or thousands).

It will be in one connected world with a dual scale map (hex-based overworld map in which each hex opens up into a 3d "scene" such as a town, forest, dungeon, etc) instead of shards or servers and each Hex scene will be instanced with other players selected depending on factors stated above.

The game is being done independently from any corporate overhead (which has tended to be disasterous in regards to UO sequels or even updates to UO's technology) and had a very successful Kickstarter campaign. The first "Release Test" will be in less than a month (December 12-14th and will involve testing the initial download and install, character creation, and one of the main towns in the game for housing and NPC interaction). Further expanded tests are to follow and there is still time to get in by buying in on the SotA website.

The SotA Dev Team looks to be well put together including Lords British and Blackthorn (Richard and Starr Long), Dallas Snell (from Origin, Ultima and UO), Scott Jennings (Lum the Mad for those who remember LONG ago) and quite a few others who are VERY active with the SotA community.

I've been following since the initial announcement and kickstarter and have been very excited about getting my hands on the product and testing it out.

(FYI: Wish cancelled about a decade ago and the servers ended up being sold on ebay)

(Shameless plug: If you haven't bought into SOtA and wish to, add in user ID 1277 as a referral and it will give both of us a $25 upgrade to our pledge levels)

 

[Miriandel]

Very valuable info there Dermott, thx!

And yes I remember Lum the mad, he was always fun to read

 

[Vander Nars []R[]]

Im confused at how this is suppose to be uo 2 when according to what I just read u be playing either offline or only with friends where all the open world pk action at?

 

[Taylor]

http://sota.stratics.com/

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Im confused at how this is suppose to be uo 2 when according to what I just read u be playing either offline or only with friends where all the open world pk action at?

It is HIGHLY doubtful there will be any "open world" PvP based "action" as those days are LONG GONE. Sorry, but SotA in no way will be a return to pre-UO:R UO. Current talk about PvP in SotA has been quest-based. The idea is for a player to accept a quest such as the transport of "illicit goods" which then spawns a counter-quest of a bounty on the player transporting those goods creating the PvP situation.

Being able to gank people in the midst of difficult combat or ganking a non-combat character such as a miner is not likely to be a part of SotA.

 

[DJAd]

Open Play Online (closest to an MMOG, but you only see people based on a weighted selection from Friends List to their friends to people on the same quest line(s) that you may be on. Most you'll see is a few tens of people, not hundreds or thousands).

This is what I didn't like the sound of. I want to be able to see everyone! Just like in UO.

 

[Vander Nars []R[]]

If thats what uo 2 is suppose to be he can keep that trash I perfer open world pvp.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Again, SotA /= UO2. Basically it's the start of a new series that takes place after Ultima (Prime) and has nothing to do with UO or MMOGs other than having the option for an online, persistent world.

 

[Vander Nars []R[]]

If it has nothing to do with uo, then its not uo 2. It may very well continue yhe story of ultima series but that dont make it ultima online 2 aka uo 2.

 

[Logrus]

One never knows what may be just over the horizon.

 

[Garrett.]

One never knows what may be just over the horizon.

Cats-soon-to-be-out-the-bag! I thought you guys were sworn to secrecy about the new UO?

 

[Miriandel]

If it has nothing to do with uo, then its not uo 2.

Sure, if a 458 Speziale doesn't look like a 365GTB4 Daytona, it surely isn't a Ferrarri, right?

UO is 16 years old, it needs to evolve to stay alive. UO is a spirit and that spirit, from the videos I've watched so far, is alive and kicking in SotA.

One can only hope it doesn't turn out like the former attempts at renewing UO, because so far it looks damn promising.

I'll probably be buying into this funding project (with your ref Dermott, fear not ) if I ever can figure out how to.

 

[Goldberg-Chessy]

I love playing UO and I certainly appreciate those who made it happen.

That being said, as far as gaming in general and todays UO is concerned I couldn't care less if Richard Garriot was never heard from again.

I am more then happy to sit back and chuckle at all the larping losers that consider him the Messiah

Based upon everything else he has done since UO I consider him the gaming version of Willie Mays in his last years on the Mets. It was pretty ugly

 

[Miriandel]

It's not a matter of worshipping Garriott.
It's a matter of understanding that he can make things happen.

Who else do you think can make anything different than the EQ clones?
Just look at what EA has done to the industry...
Even Blizzardn once a truly inspired company is now only milking the cashcow.

Most recent MMOs have failed hard, Warhammer, Star Trek, SWG, Conan, Vanguard, to name a few.
Only EVE is doing fine, which, incidentally, is the closest in spirit to... UO.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

The actual result of SotA still remains to be seen, but so far I'm impressed with what I"ve seen from the setup of the company (away from Big Corps), the Dev Team put together (as stated above), the communication between the team and the soon-to-be players, and the videos of the game itself. It still has yet to really prove itself though. I believe my first statement on the game here was (and remains) "Ambitious... but could be rubbish".

As for Garriott himself, I give him credit for owning up to the failures of Ultimas 8 and 9 as well as Tabula Rasa. We'll see how he does with SotA.

 

[LiquidSolidity]

I love playing UO and I certainly appreciate those who made it happen.

That being said, as far as gaming in general and todays UO is concerned I couldn't care less if Richard Garriot was never heard from again.

I am more then happy to sit back and chuckle at all the larping losers that consider him the Messiah

Based upon everything else he has done since UO I consider him the gaming version of Willie Mays in his last years on the Mets. It was pretty ugly

I have to laugh at people who criticise people who work hard and are successful. Everyone who is successful has had their share of failures. What have you achieved lately? You may have forgotten that RG, with the help of others, created the game you are playing right now. Whatever your personal thoughts on RG are, he's a battler who is attempting to make a great game that captures the Ultima spirit. Certainly more admirable than EA, who have left the world of Ultima to stagnate.

 

[NuSair]

Cats-soon-to-be-out-the-bag! I thought you guys were sworn to secrecy about the new UO?

The one thing they keep missing (that abomination they call Quest of the Avatar or whatever is a prime example) is that just slapping a name on it doesn't make it Ultima. There is a flavor and a style to the game, not the cookie cutter that everyone else is making.

Until they get that, until they take the mindset of the original makers and a few other current companies, that it is more about getting it right than saving every penny for the bottom line they won't ever make it.

I feel another rant coming on directed at the people who much like President Obama say a lot of pretty, but ultimately empty words.... think I'll just go tame some snakes, rename them and kill them instead.

 

[Lord Frodo]

I have to laugh at people who criticise people who work hard and are successful. Everyone who is successful has had their share of failures. What have you achieved lately? You may have forgotten that RG, with the help of others, created the game you are playing right now. Whatever your personal thoughts on RG are, he's a battler who is attempting to make a great game that captures the Ultima spirit. Certainly more admirable than EA, who have left the world of Ultima to stagnate.

Please tell us what other project besides Ultima RG has been sucessful at.

 

[Uvtha]

Who else do you think can make anything different than the EQ clones?

Well... I think that there are a lot of people. They just aren't millionaires with gamer name recognition.

Honestly outside of Ultima, he really hasn't done much. The only game post Ultima 7 that he has designed was Tabula Rasa, and while I'm sure he had a lot of input, that includes UO and SotA.

I will absolutely affirm that he was a gaming pioneer and visionary, but hardly all that he touches turns to gaming gold. We will have to see how the person he hired to design SotA turns out.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Starr Long (Blackthorne/Darkstarr) is Executive Producer and Chris Spears is Tech Director.

The SotA Dev Team rundown with bios is here: http://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?page_id=26862

 

[LiquidSolidity]

Please tell us what other project besides Ultima RG has been sucessful at.

You may want to do a Google search as I think you might not actually know who he is?

 

[Uvtha]

You may want to do a Google search as I think you might not actually know who he is?

Ultima series. Tabula Rasa. SotA. Those are the only video game projects he has been directly involved in, unless I forgot something.

 

[Zosimus]

Here is the thing....

Why would anybody want to fund a project now on Kickstarter when the US Securities and Exchange Commission may possibly put regulations on it as early as Feb 2014. Others may disagree, but I think they should regulate it because you should be considered an investor and have shares rather than a dona-tor and watch the company make millions off your and others donations and charge you to play their game lol.

RG has created a wonderful game from the looks of it so far. What he has done in the past has had it's ups and downs. That has no bearing on SoTA success or failure. That is up to the consumer.

Most recent MMOs have failed hard, Warhammer, Star Trek, SWG, Conan, Vanguard, to name a few.
Only EVE is doing fine, which, incidentally, is the closest in spirit to... UO.

Oh btw, Warhammer wasn't a failure. The licensing agreement with Game Workshop came to an end.

Age Of Conan is still up and running.

Vanguard is still up and running atm at the last time I checked.

Really what is a failure or failed hard when it comes to a MMO? Some can classify UO in the same category. In truth these games gave plenty to a gaming communities all around the world, made money while doing it. In the end it's a business decision when it comes to a games demise like SWG. Did it fail? It made money at one time. Business is business. I guess even if a game makes a profit and doesn't last it's a fail by your defintion. I guess making millions isn't enough to call it a success.

 

[Uvtha]

Why would anybody want to fund a project now on Kickstarter when the US Securities and Exchange Commission may possibly put regulations on it as early as Feb 2014. Others may disagree, but I think they should regulate it because you should be considered an investor and have shares rather than a dona-tor and watch the company make millions off your and others donations and charge you to play their game lol.

I personally prefer the benefactor system over an investor system. And the proposed regulations wouldn't do away with the benefactor system, it would just put in place a way to offer securities for backing if you wanted to.

I have donated to a fair share of kickstarter projects (I wish I had more to give), and I do so because I want to see good people, making good things, doing work they love without someone telling them what, when, or how. I think a lot of great stuff has been wrecked or at least diminished by the people holding the purse strings. To me it's just supporting the arts... and hey if I get a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, or a Veronica Mars movie... that's a great bonus.

I think it's cool if people want to offer securities. Just another method to help smaller groups. Though from what I've read only people who are really prepared will go that route, as it will cost a good bit to get it set up.

 

[DJAd]

Ultima series. Tabula Rasa. SotA. Those are the only video game projects he has been directly involved in, unless I forgot something.

There was also that "ultimate collector" Facebook game. I might have the name wrong as I never played it myself.

 

[Uvtha]

There was also that "ultimate collector" Facebook game. I might have the name wrong as I never played it myself.

Yup that's right. I don't play the facebook games. Forgot about that.

 

[Zosimus]

I personally prefer the benefactor system over an investor system. And the proposed regulations wouldn't do away with the benefactor system, it would just put in place a way to offer securities for backing if you wanted to.

I have donated to a fair share of kickstarter projects (I wish I had more to give), and I do so because I want to see good people, making good things, doing work they love without someone telling them what, when, or how. I think a lot of great stuff has been wrecked or at least diminished by the people holding the purse strings. To me it's just supporting the arts... and hey if I get a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, or a Veronica Mars movie... that's a great bonus.

I think it's cool if people want to offer securities. Just another method to help smaller groups. Though from what I've read only people who are really prepared will go that route, as it will cost a good bit to get it set up.

The concerns over regulations by the government I can truly understand but it also protects both the investor and the the invested because of scams.

For the ones who may not understand how Kickstarter works is basically if I had a project that needed funds and I asked for one million dollars in 30 days and I didn't make the mark of one million I receive nothing. Then again I receive one million in the allotted time and then I don't produce my product I can almost walk away if I can prove I made an effort with out having to refund anything. Classic example of some fraud on Kickstarter

http://mmofallout.com/not-so-massive-holmes-kickstarter-suspended-for-fraud/

http://evilasahobby.com/2013/07/28/...-to-kickstarter-and-the-transference-of-risk/


Firefly MMO was also caught up in issues of fraud stories and they had recieved 450% over what they asked for. I still not sure what happened with it but I heard it went more from a MMO to social mobile app direction. So to me did the people that donated the money know that was the true direction the game was heading or were they misdirected to thinking it was going to be a MMO?


Kickstarter isn't perfect. It's a risk. I believe in raising money for the arts and have seen and heard many of great things done by Kickstarter projects.


To get back on the path of the topic at hand, if there would ever be a UO2, I highly doubt anybody would see RG at the helm of the project. He is focused more on social games than MMO's.

 

[Uvtha]

Kickstarter isn't perfect. It's a risk. I believe in raising money for the arts and have seen and heard many of great things done by Kickstarter projects.

Yeah that is true for sure. I know of a few projects that seemed to just evaporate.

 

[Cogniac]

Am I the only one that noticed that the article referenced by the OP is from December, 2011?

 

[cazador]

Ultima series. Tabula Rasa. SotA. Those are the only video game projects he has been directly involved in, unless I forgot something.

Lineage I and II..not big in the US..but had "millions" of Asian players..I was just never for the whole "Asian MMO" scene


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Uvtha]

Lineage I and II..not big in the US..but had "millions" of Asian players..I was just never for the whole "Asian MMO" scene


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not development/design wise. NCsoft started an office in america which eventually purchased Garriots company destination games, which seems to have been purchased because of Garriott and his US gaming contacts. His only involvement with the lineage series as far as I could tell was marketing and using his name recognition to try and draw in american players. The only project that team worked on directly was tabula rasa, unless I misunderstand the situation.

 

[The Zog historian]

Firefly MMO was also caught up in issues of fraud stories and they had recieved 450% over what they asked for. I still not sure what happened with it but I heard it went more from a MMO to social mobile app direction. So to me did the people that donated the money know that was the true direction the game was heading or were they misdirected to thinking it was going to be a MMO?

Kickstarter isn't perfect. It's a risk. I believe in raising money for the arts and have seen and heard many of great things done by Kickstarter projects.

All I can really say in this matter is that when the SEC or FINRA starts regulating, they don't do it lightly. If anyone thinks UO Powers That Be have done things with a heavy hand, or overused the nerf stick, they should look at what federal regulators do.

It'll be a shame if Kickstarter is set back. When there are clear cases of fraud (inevitable), there are already plenty of laws on the books to prosecute the cases.

 

[calibek]

...
(FYI: Wish cancelled about a decade ago and the servers ended up being sold on ebay)

I remember Beta Testing Wish and loving it. When I found out it was closing I wept for days :'(

As far as SOtA, I read the magic information and combat and the premise sounds REALLY good. If they manage to pull it off I'll definitely be a part of it. Though that is a MAJOR IF.

 

[Miriandel]

Am I the only one that noticed that the article referenced by the OP is from December, 2011?

Yeah, I said the article wasn't exactly new but without it I wouldn't have heard about SotA, which I'm pretty excited about atm, I only hope not to be disappointed

 

[Petra Fyde]

Might I suggest that you read our Shroud of the Avatar forums where you will find far more information than in UO's Uhall.