Returning player questions

[Jig]

Hello !

I stopped playing UO around pub25 and I am thinking about coming back and playing on atlantic. I am looking to pvp and have a few questions.

Is making some type of PVM character mandatory? Years ago you could get by just using a mage to make money here and there. With the insane prices of things, is that an option anymore? Should I be attempting to find my own items? I would be starting completely from scratch. How long can I expect it to take to farm up a pvp capable (competitive) mage suit?

What types of mages are viable in pvp? I typically played an AI mage. Is that still a thing? I see AI has a low cap on it now. What would be a standard weapon mage build? Ive seen some videos of some archer mages that looked fun.

Any other helpful info would be appreciated. Looks like the game has changed alot.

Thanks!

 

[Basara]

Good news: gold is a lot easier to get
Bad news: compared to the price of gold, PvP suits are still absurd, but there are more options for the suit building now, but you have to fight monsters to get there.

You're MUCH better off building a PvM character to get gold, and do the MANY new boss fights to get more gold and some of the parts of your suit (the new loot generation system can result in "brittle" suit pieces that can't be enhanced or POFed, but can have 5-8 properties PLUS resists in the 60-120 total range).

IF you can find a guild that does both PvP and PvM on your shard, and get in with them to go on hunts that have the new loot, you can probably get a head start toward getting back to PvPing.

As for the Templates, I'm a trammie, so I can't help there.

 

[Jig]

Are there any recommended PVM templates? Ive read ABC archers are good, but what about an SDI necro mage? Sounds more up my alley maybe. How does one even start gearing? Ive walked by vendors and items cost 10+ million.

 

[Basara]

Pretty much, fight stuff at the edge of your skill ability. The new loot system, combined with the new item property system, means that you can find a good piece of gear off anything that has items, but typically the more difficult the monster, the more loot items and the chance for a better item.

ABC archers are good. Also popular are Whammys (see below)
For melee, the most popular template is the Sampire, a Necro Bushido warrior using Vampiric Embrace and leech weapons. The Archer variant (or thrower for gargoyles), called a Whammy, uses Wraith Form instead (which requires less Necro, but spirit speak becomes more important).

For casters, combinations of Necro, Magery, or Mysticism with Spellweaving are popular, especially in the current Halloween event in Terort Skitas (the old Sorceror's Dungeon in Ilshenar). I personally run an SDI mage/mystic/weaver with 103 SDI and GM Inscription, but others use Necro instead of Mystic. The combinations result in multiple summoning (and animate) choices, multiple AoE choices, several direct damage options, and alternate forms - and getting one of the casting skill Masteries gives additional options (like summon reaper for Spellweaving)

Many of the expensive items are either loot, or reforged items. Some of them may or may not be usable by you, depending on what you've upgraded to (are you at current base of ML, upgraded to Stygian Abyss, or all the way to SA & Time of Legends?). The loot items can come off anything high-end (the Shadowguard roof and Dragon Turtle champ spawn from the Time of Legends are best, but any peerless or champ boss may have them, as might high-end creatures from the revamped Shame). Reforging uses existing runics combined with the ML Imbuing skill, used at a soulforge.

Either way, some loot has properties that are less desirable. Brittle can repaired, but not powdered or enhanced. Antique is is similar, but has limited number of repairs. Cursed just can't be blessed or enhanced. Prized has an increased insurance cost. "Heavy" isn't stated, other than being a piece that weighs 50 stones instead of its normal weight. Another property I can't remember the name of, makes the item require 125 STR (that even enhancing with materials that lower requirements can't reduce). The higher an item, the more likely one of them will be present - but in the short term, some are less bothersome from others. You should be able to loot some of these for near-term use (months of use) - that might be left behind by others - while working toward the ones that would be worth more.

I don't think I've bought anything that I'm actually using in a decade or more, and only reforged a few items.

 

[Merlin]

Hello !

I stopped playing UO around pub25 and I am thinking about coming back and playing on atlantic. I am looking to pvp and have a few questions.

Is making some type of PVM character mandatory? Years ago you could get by just using a mage to make money here and there. With the insane prices of things, is that an option anymore? Should I be attempting to find my own items? I would be starting completely from scratch. How long can I expect it to take to farm up a pvp capable (competitive) mage suit?

What types of mages are viable in pvp? I typically played an AI mage. Is that still a thing? I see AI has a low cap on it now. What would be a standard weapon mage build? Ive seen some videos of some archer mages that looked fun.

Any other helpful info would be appreciated. Looks like the game has changed alot.

Thanks!

Welcome back!

Also check out this link: A Summary for Returning Players – Ultima Online

Good luck