The One and Only Pre-UOR Thread! Update -- 3 Polls of Results

[imported_Azaroth]

Can't do anything.

You can bang your head against the wall here on Stratics if you want. They're not actively stopping people from doing that anymore. But it won't help much.

At the moment the chances of a classic shard happening, even in the face of overwhelming logic, is about 1%. As in, not going to happen.

Is that really anything new?

It was never gonna happen.

 

[imported_The-Noni-Trader]

*smiles*

As a community crafter or general community participant is the only playstyle I enjoy from UO I have no choice but to wait until they revive what once was great... or until someone ELSE makes a game that even comes close


*Continues to bang head...*

 

[Spiggs]

I guess we will just keep voicing our opinions. Taking a stand where it's needed. All in the vain hope that someone, just one person, will take notice and try to do something for us.

This is why we need to insider, IMO, so that we can at least voice our opinions to someone worthwhile.

We all know that these threads on stratics, and online petitions mean nothing to the corporation. If anything, we need to put it out on their level. It would be good to hear from 'the man' (or woman) who makes the instant yes/no decision on this. I'd like to know why it's such a non-event, personally. A simple no, and hear-say on the internet does not cut it for me. If it's cost, then let's hear it's cost, with an idea of the figure. If it's complexity, let's hear it's complexity, with some idea of how/why it's too complex.
At least if this part where EVER to happen, we could, as a community (remember this is what UO of old WAS) could come back with some sort of compromise. Just think on how many people in the community we have that want this project ... charitable contributions would be made by many for sure if it were to get us what we want.

Of course, I'm just banging my head again ... but it would be nice to hear ... and definitely a chance to move away from the "I want Pre:UOR' ; "Pre:UOR=PK Ganks" ; "Will kill UO" ; "Will revitalise UO" type threads. After what ... 4/5 years we only just now (from my reading of stratics) beginning to have serious discussions about a "classic shard" regardless of exact time. Thoughtful and credible .... that was THOUGHTFUL and CREDIBLE .... arguements are being put forth. Name calling and the like is on the wane in threads like this ... maybe it's time that our response is brought to the same level.

Well, my head hurts from all banging now

nighty night all!!

 

[imported_Azaroth]

On its current path, UO probably has two or three years left total. We've already spent more than that trying to get a shard.

Sure, it's been proven that the shard would be incredibly popular. You'd think that'd be enough. Hell, even Mythic put up a classic DOAC server.

But people at EA don't seem to understand that, to keep a EIGHT YEAR OLD GAME alive, you MAY need to put the extra effort in, even take a few small chances (OH NO! You mean we can't just blindly MILK??).

But you also have to remember that the developers there right now don't really give a [censored] about whether UO is alive in three years. Most, if not all of them, will have moved on by then, and they know that. Why complicate the time they'll spend at EA with the headache of another ruleset? Especially when you KNOW EA isn't going to be paying them any extra for their extra work.

Sweatshops are for pumping out the same thing over and over again. You know, shoes, Madden games, etc.

To be REALLY good at MMO development, you need to be a BIT of a genius. Especially if you're going to keep one alive or revive it. If you want these people, you can't make it known your company is the worst place to work in the industry, and if you actually get talented people, you can't [censored] work them 14 hours a day and choke the god damn life out of them to the point where they don't WANT to take on extra projects because it wouldn't benefit them.

Sweatshop atmospheres will NOT work for MMOs. EA is illustrating this for us very well. When UO goes down, people will analyze the reasons why. Expect EA to be at the forefront.

Why does anyone think this is going to magically reverse itself any time soon?

I'd like it to as well. The best thing that could happen to UO would be for EA to sell it. But EA isn't going to sell it, and EA isn't going to start sinking more time and money into it. So not only is the writing on the wall, but that [censored] is a train locked onto a track. It's all over but the crying.

They can't even put up a simple classic shard.

All over but the crying.

 

[Spiggs]

Hate to say this Azaroth ... but do you not sleep ?? LOL

Just adding some light humour, mate!

 

[imported_Azaroth]

I got into some pretty bad habits running IPY

 

[imported_Azaroth]

Of course, the later it gets, the angrier I get

Probably has something to do with all of the exploiters coming out at night

 

[Spiggs]

<blockquote><hr>


But you also have to remember that the developers there right now don't really give a [censored] about whether UO is alive in three years. Most, if not all of them, will have moved on by then, and they know that. Why complicate the time they'll spend at EA with the headache of another ruleset? Especially when you KNOW EA isn't going to be paying them any extra for their extra work.


[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true about the devs ... theny their hiring really is the worst. I'm an consultant and I've worked with small businesses all the way up to major international names (the sort that could could buy out most companies on their expense account!). I have still yet to come across more than 4-5 project developers who did not care.
The only one's that really are like this are either 1) CRAP 2) Dis-illusioned or 3) Burned out. Any other developer worth half their weight will care.

It's not the dev's who are to blame ... not in general at least ... there is "The Man" ... some manager somewhere, or team lead, or whatever with an "authorising" job function who is shooting this down.
As far as the sweat-shop atmosphere goes ... yeah well that is, unfortunately, part of the role nowadays. The IT industry has been hit bad recently, and jobs are at a premium. I am sure that some of the older dev's would have worked near the same ... what's the difference then ... believing the product you are working on, and making it a passion! If it's "a job" then 14 hours is one hell of a long time ... if it's "a passion" then it's just "a few hours over time".

Who believes in UO anymore ?

Does EA ?
Does Origin ?
Do the Dev's ?
Do the other team members ?

How many of them are really excited about the ENTIRE GAME ?
Not just their input, or how many smiles they get from the next patch, but the WHOLE of it!

The only people still really passionate about the game are the players, and especially us 'old schoolers' ... and THAT is EXACTLY why we turn to places like IPY!!

If EA cared, we would have a classic shard.
If the devs truely bought into it, they would lobby for it and we would have it.
If the rest of the UO team cared, we would have it.

After all these years, we, the players, still want it. The number of us though has dropped (who at least still VISIBLY want it) so it seems worse. Still 4/5 years is a SERIOUSLY long time!

So ... what's this ? We've been sold out. Nobody cares about us anymore. That is why there will not be a classic shard.
Not the conditions, not the 'lifetime' (look at some classic text MMORPGS for this), and not the fiscal aspect.

Nobody cares what we WANT, they do what they HAVE TO DO, they do what they are told to do. Okay so maybe some of the dev's or team guys are 'on our side' (for want of a better term) ... but they are the minority now.

 

[wickedness]

There is always something else that can be done.

"The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall."
- Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

12% or not, we would be those loyal to UO, and not abandon the MMORPG we love for the next everclone.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
-Samuel Adams

*Continues banging head*

 

[Spiggs]

<blockquote><hr>

There is always something else that can be done.

"The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall."
- Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

12% or not, we would be those loyal to UO, and not abandon the MMORPG we love for the next everclone.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
-Samuel Adams

*Continues banging head*

[/ QUOTE ]

But this is business ... do you have a plan and forecast handy ??

 

[wickedness]

Ok guys, you only NEED one kidney to live, so if we all sell one each on the black market we could all purchase UO... best I can think of at 4:12 am...

 

[wickedness]

I don't actually think that EA would ever sell UO, to them UO is like a stepchild chained in the basement generating child support checks, the less they have to feed and clothe the child the more profit they can keep, so why go get him some brand new clothes and school supplies when you can just keep slideing dishes of dog food under the door... well that was a rather gruesome analogy, but you get the idea...

my prediction is that over a year from now, when ML tanks and UO starts shutting down shards (yes, weep for the much sought after by players, Mugen and Origin, etc..) and all of us who check the boards and sign petitions now have long moved on, they will announce a classic shard and how it was their idea, come and get it, and 75% of us won't give a rat's ass anymore. I won't. This is the last big hurrah for a classic shard for me. And I suspect for many others, we've been doing it for too long.

However, I hope I'm wrong.

 

[imported_Azaroth]

<blockquote><hr>

This is the last big hurrah for a classic shard for me. And I suspect for many others, we've been doing it for too long.

[/ QUOTE ]

*mumbles something about the club while rummaging through papers in his desk*

 

[imported_Azaroth]

Haha.

Although if you're going to seriously hope for EA to sell UO, don't hold your breath. EA will never sell UO. Never, never, ever. Even if it's going under. Never. Ever.

Also, Spiggs:

It's TOTALLY out of line for me to be proclaiming who cares and who doesn't. I'm sure all of them care, probably very much. What I mean is that, beneath the surface, thinking ahead and securing the long term future of UO has never really been a goal, especially with the workload already placed on them. They already do enough, they're already busy enough. They do what is relegated to them by the leads, anything more they're probably not so interested in, and mostly because of the company they work for. Not because they don't care about UO.

Besides, to take on, champion, and see an idea through - especially when it is, obviously, opposed from somewhere high up in the company - it usually has to be SOMEONE'S idea.

Which isn't a good explanation. Take Siege for example. Runesabre championed Siege, and put in the extra hours to bring it to life.

Now what do you think would have happened if Siege would have been the idea of some players, and not an OSI employee.

I'll tell you what would've happened: Nothing.

It's the same thing here. If I worked over there, I'd write up an extensive proposal outlining the ups, downs, projected account creation over time, ways we could make extra money, what we'd need, how we'd handle the various problems, how we'd market it for maximum exposure to our target audience, etc. Then I'd outline a general one year evolution plan, leaving room for unique situations and adaption to those situations as it related to the server or servers, and I'd PUSH this across desks until my hands bled and someone finally took me seriously. It'd take a LONG time, mostly in the pushing.

Then I'd probably be asked to oversee the whole god damn thing while still tending effectively to my other duties. To put enough time into both, I might as well unfurl a sleeping bag in my office.

Get the idea?

Nobody really wants to.

Of course, I'm not speaking for anyone. I am, again, just speculating from the outside. Maybe I'm totally off base with this. If I am, good. Then we can start looking at the logic regarding a classic server. I'm okay with that too.

Edit: Wow, I think I just edited a new post into this post.

 

[MattehM]

I know if we all pertend we don't want a Pre-UOR shard we will get it!!

 

[wickedness]

lol perhaps thats true, or if WoW opens a classic shard we'll definately get it.

Devs...

UO isn't the Sims, UO isn't EQ, UO isn't WoW. Quit trying to pretend it is.

UO was a world where anything was possible, with still unsurpassed potential (despite looking like a picasso more and more with each update..).

I remember my 1st day of UO, I wandered around trinsic, exploring all the cool, yet pointless, buildings, npcs, etc, i.e. the jail.. anyway, i tamed a dog and looked at my cloth map and decided to embark on a adventure to Britain with my new trusty canine companion, 1/2 way up, a PK named Malcolm with an orc mask and heavy x bow killed me in one shot, and then my faithful pet.

As I stared at my ghost, I said "That was f**king awesome." and decided to train hard to seek my revenge.

Never before or sense have I felt such excitement with any game. UO still has this potential, it just needs to utalize it.

 

[MattehM]

I wonder if a dev has even read any of this post!

 

[Jaimes]

Signed.

I want a Pre-UO:R shard!

I also know several friends who will come back if there is one introduced.

 

[EUSpirit]

I know a load of people who would come back for any kind of Pre AOS shard.

 

[Viceroy's Smithy]

Hell I would even leave my home shard of Chesapeake to go play on a Pre-UO:R shard.

 

[Domnu]

This is [censored] ridiculous. 49 pages, and no official word on the subject. What a [censored] joke.

 

[angelus aconitum]

Yeah I would also leave my home shard any time to play on such a shard. I would start all skills from 0 with nothing in my bank box. That would be really great!

 

[Blind fury]

How is Fel on all the other shards? On Pacific it just keeps getting smaller in population, especially with shard transfers. And the PvP consists of 6 stealth archers at Yew Gate and searching T2A for half an hour to find a spawn(I usually find one).

 

[wickedness]

the bobbits and dwarves post will get more recognition than us guys.

they based their judgement off of a poorly conducted poll.

they shouldn't be trying to please CURRENT players, but those of us, such as myself and many many people i knew, that no longer play UO.

however some word from EA atleast saying that they are not going to look into the shard and here is why would be great.

 

[Damon Blackblade]

<blockquote><hr>

however some word from EA atleast saying that they are not going to look into the shard and here is why would be great.

[/ QUOTE ]Ha, this is EA. Why would they tell you either:

No...which would cause you and many others hanging on to quit...thusly causing them to lose revenue...

or...

Yes...which would require them to spend money...which we know they don't like to do...

...When all they have to do is nothing and throw ethics to the winds by not doing or saying anything...which keeps most hanging onto the chance that they'll make a pre:uor shard...which keeps these players giving them money...money for nothing...

 

[Guest]

Signed.

i know if they made it possible to play on a pre-uor or pre-pub 16, i would definately come back, although pre-uor is preferred. Although i have not played since pub 16, that was the last straw, with either of these options available i would reopen my account.

I know years ago, before EA messed up UO bad, all my friends played UO. Although non of us have played it for years, i know that they all would go back to UO. The only thing that drove them away in the first place was their "improvements". Also considering the stats in the poles, i do not see how EA could be hurt, the numbers stand heavily for YES.

Although i do think that some of the ideas of the new stuff would have to be brought in, else these new servers will never have any progress, although it still would be a lot of fun

 

[Guest]

I am stilling holding on to that hope that one day I will go to stratics and see
NEWS:EA announces Classic Shard!

My dreams are slowly fading thou.

 

[KaneK89]

I just want pure T2A goodness. Khaldun, house looting, stealing, an adventure aroudn every corner. When Khaldun was up there with Hythloth being the hardest dungeons in the game. Disarm thieves! GM Armor and weps! No runebooks! No followers! Super strong EVs! Atrophy! Vanq, Power, Force, Might, Ruin, Defence, Guarding, Fortification, Invulnerability! No more NEON! NONE OF THIS I HAVE MORE MONEY AND BETTER ITEMS SO I WIN! BARDING PLAYERS! BARDING AND CARTOGRAPHY NOT DIFFICULTY BASED! DRAGONS WITH 1100 HP! THE OLD DAEMON, AND AW GRAPHICS!! HALLIES!! KATANAS!! DEADLY POISON LIVING UP TO ITS NAME!! AUTO RES WHERE YOU ARE BY SACRIFICING SKILLS!! I WANT OLD UO BACK!! NO SAMMIES NO PALLIES NO NECROS AND NO NINJAS!! GIVE ME OLD UO OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!(maybe a little too extreme?)

 

[Guest]

can't Forget weapon specails... :/

 

[Domnu]

Khaldun: Not in the game until after Rennaisance Publish.

Disarm thieves: Not in the game until after Rennaisance Publish.

Special hits: Not in the game until after Rennaisance Publish.

All the rest of it: Totally.

 

[Guest]

Nearly at 1000 posts in this thread. I'm always an optimist (why I have still one UO account still open), so I go on the philosophy "no news is good news".

I would like to see this happen so much I would gladly delete my 6yrs worth of stuff on euro if they said it would make it happen.

 

[moXer]

I've decided to sacrifice a lamb tonight in hopes EA will respond with an answer soon enough! Even if it was a "no this is not planned" i would be happy.....

 

[wickedness]

if nothing else, BBQ at your place!

 

[Guest]

EA is good at copying stuff from other games into UO, so perhaps they'll copy DAoC which is setting up a "classic" server after an unpopular expansion lost them a lot of players.

We can only hope

 

[anythingonce]

<blockquote><hr>

"no news is good news".


[/ QUOTE ]

they've stated repeatedly that there will not be a Pre-Ren shard. or a UO Classic shard for that matter.

 

[Guest]

They have also recently stated that it keeps coming up in meetings and there are some devs that want to bring it back.

 

[xVicex]

The last "statement" I have seen saying they don't intend to was from 2001 by someone who doesn't even work for the company anymore.

 

[EUSpirit]

Can I have a link to any of these statements plz ?!

 

[moXer]

I think a lot of people who don't want to play on a classic shard are afraid it would become too popular. Let's face it, if the shard took off like most people expect it to, EA would force the developers to focus on those people; if not a lot, at least a little bit. Now you have a group of people who have been given eveything they wanted on a silver platter(ridable dogs anyone?!) getting less attention than they did pre-classic shard. Wouldn't this make you upset?

What I don't think they realize is that without some sort of boom UO is going to continue to lose accounts and at some point their precious game will die.

Selfishness is the only thing preventing the whole community from embracing a pre-ren shard; however I think a lack of funds stops EA from doing it. Not that it would be a big investment, more so that it would require someone to either work overtime to do it or stop working on the current expansion.

 

[EUSpirit]

<blockquote><hr>

I think a lot of people who don't want to play on a classic shard are afraid it would become too popular. Let's face it, if the shard took off like most people expect it to, EA would force the developers to focus on those people; if not a lot, at least a little bit. Now you have a group of people who have been given eveything they wanted on a silver platter(ridable dogs anyone?!) getting less attention than they did pre-classic shard. Wouldn't this make you upset?


[/ QUOTE ]

We don't want the developers to focus on the classic shard ! Just bug fixes will do fine, they can continue expanding the current UO and allow us to play the tried and tested classic shard.

 

[imported_Azaroth]

Spot on. Good post.

 

[Panzer]

Im there if and old shard comes out. And I know most of my guildmates who are in WoW atm, would come in a heartbeat. We all still talk about how no game comes close to UO before UOR was released.

Its odd, my guild formed in 1998 from UO. And 80% of the people still in it, where from way back then ). And we still yet have found a game that holds our interests like the great old days in UO did.

 

[Viceroy's Smithy]

<blockquote><hr>

EA is good at copying stuff from other games into UO, so perhaps they'll copy DAoC which is setting up a "classic" server after an unpopular expansion lost them a lot of players.

We can only hope

[/ QUOTE ]

Well first of all its a shame that Ultima Online couldn't have been the first to do this. Secondly I betcha anything they will probably observe and see how much of a success it is with DAoC before making a final determination on it for Ultima Online. This will give them some type of indication of what the market is like in this area of uncharted waters.

 

[EUSpirit]

<blockquote><hr>

Well first of all its a same that Ultima Online couldn't have been the first to do this. Secondly I betcha anything they will probably observe and see how much of a success it is with DAoC before making a final determination on it for Ultima Online. This will give them some type of indication of what the market is like in this area of uncharted waters.

[/ QUOTE ]


Good call, hopefully this is the case &amp; they haven't dismissed the idea already. If only they would have the common courtesy to give us an official response on our chances of a classic shard..

 

[Viceroy's Smithy]

Well if I remember correctly from the UO Town Hall Meeting for Washington D.C., I think I remember Binky asking for a show of hands of those for and opposed to a Pre-UO:R shard. If my assumption is correct, I think one person in the audience was in opposition to the creation of a Pre-UO:R shard as you could hear the laughter in response to his or her opposition to it. You can hear the question on the recording at 2hrs 5mins and 40secs or 125:40 minutes as heard here : http://www.uo.com/downloads/Townhall-WashingtonDC.mp3

 

[m3rch]

i know its a post res but

i reckon you guys should try out acropolis on uo gateway
its a great uo:r shard

come on guys what have you got to loose

 

[Zeitgeist]

<blockquote><hr>

You can hear the question on the recording at 2hrs 5mins and 40secs or 125:40 minutes as heard here : http://www.uo.com/downloads/Townhall-WashingtonDC.mp3

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you may have the time wrong, I don't see it at that time, but I do remember it being asked. One of the women developers said some rude comment after it, who was that?

 

[Viceroy's Smithy]

I think the times are correct, and I also think it might of been Wilki instead of Binky asking for the show of hands but then again its hard to tell for certain.

 

[NunuSpider]

Just in case this hasn't been bumped yet, I'm bumping it.

 

[UORadio.com]

Hehehe this is a really old thread and glad to see its still accessible.

I think it would be cool if somehow this thread could be merged in with the sticked thread currently on the UHall front page.