Returning player with a couple of questions.

[bearsfan]

Please forgive me for my ignorance. I tried to search some on my own before bothering everyone, but I didn't seem to get very far, so I'm coming to you for some help. I'll try to limit my questions.

It has been some time since I last played, and the most recent physical game I appear to have is the 9th Anniversary, which I believe includes Mondain's Legacy. At least that's what shows when I begin to play UO. My first question is, after hours of patching, will I be able to simply purchase the High Seas booster and be up to date, or do I need to purchase Styngain Abyss to have all the most up to date content?

Secondly, can someone point me in the direction of the current skill gain system description? The last thing I remember was Guaranteed Skill Gains, but I have been unable to gain any skills since returning, which admittedly hasn't been more than an hour or so of gameplay.

Finally, is there any place to go for purchasing homes/plots? It appears as though UO Auction and Tradespot is gone, unless I'm looking in the wrong place? Or is the best thing to do is just search for a plot to place my own home? I must admit, I thought there would be more available space to place a home in Trammel after all these years, but at least in Great Lakes, there are still plenty and plenty of towers/keeps/castles around such that there is little place for a respectable plot to be placed.

Thanks for all your help in advance. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Schuyler Bain]

Ahoy Bearsfan! Welcome (back) aboard.

If you download either client from the UO site you will have everything but Styngain Abyss (SA) and the High Seas booster (HS). Both are interdependent of each other, meaning you can purchase HS and ad that content to your current game, but you will not have the SA content (new race, new lands, new skills, imbuing, etc). Likewise if you purchase SA you will have all the current content, but not the HS add-on. Both are worth it in my opinion, but SA is most likely more bang for your buck if you need to choose.

SA is the current UO release.
HS is an add-on booster (mini-content update).

For current skill info you might try here: UO Stratics *New* | Skill Guides

As for housing plots it depends on the shard you are playing on, but most have plenty of plots of 18X18 available without purchasing from another player. If you are looking for a particular location or a Castle/Keep you can try your shard specific forums: Shard Forums - Stratics Forums.


Best of luck!

 

[Basara]

The anti-macro code for skill gains was removed, so 8x8 doesn't work anymore.

You should be able to find plenty of spots on most shards to place a house. Try the hidden areas in Malas - I've noticed a lot of those are getting empty on the few shards I've got characters capable of checking.

A number of shards even have open areas in Ter Mur, and even Magincia (which is now a city of player housing with a bunch of 15x15 capable plots)