I once told Queen Zen her posts were too long (my apologies QZ). Well this is what I meant by long.
For whatever reasons, playing UO on Siege Perilous was more about the people than any other facet of game play. Sure, we had all the various player types. There were the PKs, defenders, crafters, keepers of knowledge, collectors, pirates, evil doers, knights, damsels, Dominatrix, and on and on. Yet on SP, we knew much more about each other, as people, than was my experience in any other online game.
Sure I knew some people on Atlantic before coming here, but not on the scale of SP. Here, I was welcomed by the New Guild and met to people who really cared about helping me, despite substantial risks. I was introduced to my first guild, built a home using a borrowed house placement tool and some begged gold. SP became home in a very short time and more real relationships just kept coming.
On a prodo shard we could simply buy our perfect suit and go about insured. Little risk, less reward. On SP everything had more intensity, making those who helped us or hurt us mean much more.
I made real friends on SP. Talked for hours in vent. Spoke to them on the phone. Met one who was in Las Vegas from New York on business. Shared my account logins with someone I have never met. Sitting on a Faction stronghold for 8-12 hours was nothing because we all talked the whole time.
We also grieved together. Losing a character in game has a different meaning when a real flesh and bone player dies in real life. Though I am certain that happens on other shards, I can’t fathom it affects the entire community like it does here in SP.
I loved playing here. It was so much more than the years I played on a trammel shard. I came here because I hated the idea of killing other players even more than I hated being killed. Odd right? The reason I was attracted to and stayed in SP was that the danger was shared evenly. There was no where to go when you were pissed off for being killed. You suffered through and together.
Changes made to the game over the years were likely good for UO overall, but had predominantly negative ramifications on Siege. We really didn’t need new things to learn and do because we never got bored. At least not until changes to game mechanics severely hurt the unique play here. Most of the "improvement" to SP helped solo play more than group play. Sending everyone inside their Castles to imbue and making teleporters that allow travel without risk on SP was certain to doom the shard. Saying nothing about all the rest of the changes we could write books on.
What I miss most about SP is not just the fun of the activities, but the people I got to know. As we all grow older, looking back gets more intense. Unfortunately SP is a small part of a very large player network. Our play style is not for everyone. Even people who would have loved it here, never knew they would because SP is so isolated. Unless you tried it, I mean really threw yourself in, and left all you had accomplished elsewhere, you really didn’t reap the rewards Siege offered.
The secret ingredient on SP is not secret to anyone here. People made SP what it was. I suspect remnants of old SP will glimmer occasionally until the game is switched off one day. Yet, it will never be what it was before changes favoring play on other shards voided much of the magic of the game for players on SP.
It’s sad in many ways, yet I find myself reading old communication I had with people I know from the game. While much of this reminiscing makes me smile. Some of it is downright depressing.
We couldn’t prevent change on SP, change was an inevitable part of our lack of insulation from the bigger needs of Ultima Online and the various corporate owners over time.
Some might say players would have tired and left anyway, but I do not believe that. Either way it is a moot point now.
I am not saying SP is dead. I am not playing at the moment, so it would be presumptuous of me to do so. Still, all I said above comes from the belief that the glory days are gone for good.
I may return one day and make another attempt at the game. To make that successful, I would probably have to mend relationships I shattered by the ways in which I left each time. My final run at the game was tied specifically to one of the players I have know for well over a decade. Since the likelihood of that being repaired is as close to impossible as is possible, coming back to stay a few more years is a very long shot.
To those I got to know in SP, thank you for all the enjoyment you brought to my life. Where I am wrong, point it out please. You have my best wishes for fun and fellowship on SP.
On a positive note. Of all the towers, castles, and customs I owned over a decade on SP, the one in the photo below was my favorite. I was still in New Guild, frequenting Despise gaining skills. I ran past the fresh IDOC pile on the plot at the cave entrance. Having no house placement tool and little gold, I ran to the New Guild house and luckily found someone there. The player loaned me a placement tool and enough gold to place a medium plot. Getting that coveted spot was huge for me. A couple weeks later I sold it for 10M, a whole lot back in 2005. That gold bought me a tower and provided ample funds for many months. I always regretted giving up that location. In fact, I would buy it right now if the current owner would sell.
For whatever reasons, playing UO on Siege Perilous was more about the people than any other facet of game play. Sure, we had all the various player types. There were the PKs, defenders, crafters, keepers of knowledge, collectors, pirates, evil doers, knights, damsels, Dominatrix, and on and on. Yet on SP, we knew much more about each other, as people, than was my experience in any other online game.
Sure I knew some people on Atlantic before coming here, but not on the scale of SP. Here, I was welcomed by the New Guild and met to people who really cared about helping me, despite substantial risks. I was introduced to my first guild, built a home using a borrowed house placement tool and some begged gold. SP became home in a very short time and more real relationships just kept coming.
On a prodo shard we could simply buy our perfect suit and go about insured. Little risk, less reward. On SP everything had more intensity, making those who helped us or hurt us mean much more.
I made real friends on SP. Talked for hours in vent. Spoke to them on the phone. Met one who was in Las Vegas from New York on business. Shared my account logins with someone I have never met. Sitting on a Faction stronghold for 8-12 hours was nothing because we all talked the whole time.
We also grieved together. Losing a character in game has a different meaning when a real flesh and bone player dies in real life. Though I am certain that happens on other shards, I can’t fathom it affects the entire community like it does here in SP.
I loved playing here. It was so much more than the years I played on a trammel shard. I came here because I hated the idea of killing other players even more than I hated being killed. Odd right? The reason I was attracted to and stayed in SP was that the danger was shared evenly. There was no where to go when you were pissed off for being killed. You suffered through and together.
Changes made to the game over the years were likely good for UO overall, but had predominantly negative ramifications on Siege. We really didn’t need new things to learn and do because we never got bored. At least not until changes to game mechanics severely hurt the unique play here. Most of the "improvement" to SP helped solo play more than group play. Sending everyone inside their Castles to imbue and making teleporters that allow travel without risk on SP was certain to doom the shard. Saying nothing about all the rest of the changes we could write books on.
What I miss most about SP is not just the fun of the activities, but the people I got to know. As we all grow older, looking back gets more intense. Unfortunately SP is a small part of a very large player network. Our play style is not for everyone. Even people who would have loved it here, never knew they would because SP is so isolated. Unless you tried it, I mean really threw yourself in, and left all you had accomplished elsewhere, you really didn’t reap the rewards Siege offered.
The secret ingredient on SP is not secret to anyone here. People made SP what it was. I suspect remnants of old SP will glimmer occasionally until the game is switched off one day. Yet, it will never be what it was before changes favoring play on other shards voided much of the magic of the game for players on SP.
It’s sad in many ways, yet I find myself reading old communication I had with people I know from the game. While much of this reminiscing makes me smile. Some of it is downright depressing.
We couldn’t prevent change on SP, change was an inevitable part of our lack of insulation from the bigger needs of Ultima Online and the various corporate owners over time.
Some might say players would have tired and left anyway, but I do not believe that. Either way it is a moot point now.
I am not saying SP is dead. I am not playing at the moment, so it would be presumptuous of me to do so. Still, all I said above comes from the belief that the glory days are gone for good.
I may return one day and make another attempt at the game. To make that successful, I would probably have to mend relationships I shattered by the ways in which I left each time. My final run at the game was tied specifically to one of the players I have know for well over a decade. Since the likelihood of that being repaired is as close to impossible as is possible, coming back to stay a few more years is a very long shot.
To those I got to know in SP, thank you for all the enjoyment you brought to my life. Where I am wrong, point it out please. You have my best wishes for fun and fellowship on SP.
On a positive note. Of all the towers, castles, and customs I owned over a decade on SP, the one in the photo below was my favorite. I was still in New Guild, frequenting Despise gaining skills. I ran past the fresh IDOC pile on the plot at the cave entrance. Having no house placement tool and little gold, I ran to the New Guild house and luckily found someone there. The player loaned me a placement tool and enough gold to place a medium plot. Getting that coveted spot was huge for me. A couple weeks later I sold it for 10M, a whole lot back in 2005. That gold bought me a tower and provided ample funds for many months. I always regretted giving up that location. In fact, I would buy it right now if the current owner would sell.
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