The Reasons Why UO is good

[Kaladin]

1) The Homes. This is one thing which some other popular games will never have. The housing system has been developed so extensively over the years. No other game can touch the housing system in UO. But, that's just my personal opinion.

2) UO Isn't group based. This has it's pluses and minuses. I like the idea of being able to get "really good gear" without having to be with 24 other people.... or even having to wait 45 minutes for a chance at "average gear." And, then feel "forced" to play a dungeon every single dang day for every day of the week. There goes 1 1/2 hours every single day just to try to "keep up with everyone else." And, even if I only do 1 1/2 hours I'm still not going to come close to having "decent gear."

3) This is similar to the prior one. I can go a month without playing and still be "competitive." What do I mean by "competitive".... it means something different to every person. I don't pvp. I just like the feeling that I am competitive whether I am or not. In other games, It's pretty clear when I'm not competitive. So, I guess I like the fact that every hit or heal in the game isn't measured and spammed to everyone you know.

4) The Sandbox: The content isn't spoon fed to me. Content isn't recycled every few years and told "the story has progressed" so we're making you kill Ragnaros and Nefarian yet another time... even though you spent 100 days of real life time killing them the first time around.

5) Graphics. I like the UO graphics. It does take some time to get used to them if you haven't played in a while. But, once you get going... it really seems better.

Overall: I can have a life and still play UO. And, I don't have to schedule my life around the guild raid schedule or lose my spot on the team. I can play as little or as much of UO and still feel like I'm "in the game." I also don't have to ever go to a popular bank and see people's E-Peen. IF I want, I can just go to Fel Buc's den and see the bank or visit NPCs if I want to.

 

[SchezwanBeefy]

Um... thanks for this?

The fact is, you're used to the graphics and you've become established in a game. That is quite difficult now for new users.

 

[yars]

fact is the OP was saying something positive for once, i whole heartedly agree with them too. as for new players, ive seen them get better handouts then when i started.

 

[sablestorm]

So I guilded two more returning players this evening. Our alliance is larger and more active than I can ever remember it being. UO has gone retro and why do people enjoy retro games? Because they were good games that were fun, not because they had the latest and greatest graphics. So it is with UO and we're having more fun now than ever!

By the way Kaladin, are you on Pacific? I just saw a Kaladin run by one of my houses.

 

[Viper09]

UO just stands out among all other games. It has a lot more freedom. Heck, you don't even need to fight anything in this game. All other games I've seen revolve around PvM at the very least. This game revolves around whatever you want to do.

That and custom housing, my particular favorite part of this game

 

[Trebr Drab]

1) The Homes. This is one thing which some other popular games will never have. The housing system has been developed so extensively over the years. No other game can touch the housing system in UO. But, that's just my personal opinion.

Housing is far ahead of any other game. It's customizable and with loads of choices, and it's actually in the world instead of instanced off. I think someone will surpass it some day though. It's just too important and desirable not to expand it even beyond what UO has. Mainly in how it links to the game world (as in player built cities, PvP+M, etc.) and in full 3D, etc.

2) UO Isn't group based. This has it's pluses and minuses. I like the idea of being able to get "really good gear" without having to be with 24 other people.... or even having to wait 45 minutes for a chance at "average gear." And, then feel "forced" to play a dungeon every single dang day for every day of the week. There goes 1 1/2 hours every single day just to try to "keep up with everyone else." And, even if I only do 1 1/2 hours I'm still not going to come close to having "decent gear."

I hate even talking about "group based", et.al. I want what UO does, and that's leave it as a natural thing. It's out there, if you can't beat it solo then get help, but don't expect the game to soften it up for you on a case by case basis that feels like Momma cut the crust off for you.

3) This is similar to the prior one. I can go a month without playing and still be "competitive." What do I mean by "competitive".... it means something different to every person. I don't pvp. I just like the feeling that I am competitive whether I am or not. In other games, It's pretty clear when I'm not competitive. So, I guess I like the fact that every hit or heal in the game isn't measured and spammed to everyone you know.

Here I have to disagree. You are what you are, and if you aren't competitive, you aren't. I've posted about this often over the years and just did in Phoenix's Economy post, don't need to here too. Even flawed, UO is still better than other, all out level grind games.

4) The Sandbox: The content isn't spoon fed to me. Content isn't recycled every few years and told "the story has progressed" so we're making you kill Ragnaros and Nefarian yet another time... even though you spent 100 days of real life time killing them the first time around.

As in repeatable quests vs. UO's events? Agreed there. But I think we could go a lot farther along these lines. Still, point taken if that's what you mean.

5) Graphics. I like the UO graphics. It does take some time to get used to them if you haven't played in a while. But, once you get going... it really seems better.

Well, UO's graphics are old and not very good. But the realistic style appeals to me, as far as that goes. But this is something that could be a big boost if they improved it. And it's not just the graphics, but the animations too. This is the very first thing that hits a player's observation about a game, and it's important.
Lets add in here, customizable player wearables. I don't like at all that some games dictate to you what you wear, according to accomplishment. I like being able to choose, and change according to occasion. Again, this is something that UO can expand on and it would make the game better. Being able to be mysterious, or appear valorous, or shifty, or colorful (but not neon) can add a lot to a player's image they want to present.

Overall: I can have a life and still play UO. And, I don't have to schedule my life around the guild raid schedule or lose my spot on the team. I can play as little or as much of UO and still feel like I'm "in the game." I also don't have to ever go to a popular bank and see people's E-Peen. IF I want, I can just go to Fel Buc's den and see the bank or visit NPCs if I want to.

I'll agree with the intent of what you mean here. Despite other problems, UO is that way overall, and a far better game for it too.

Another thing. Items on the ground and world interactivity. What other games can you build a table and chairs in, place them, cook food and put it on the table, pour a drink, and sit down and feast? Yet, UO can expend this a lot too. I love making things work in games. I'd like to see working drawbridges and mechanical lifts, both in the world and for housing. Anything and everything along these lines is highly desirable to me.

Good post. Maybe some others will jump in here and tell us what they like, and would like to see expanded on or added. UO really is great in many aspects. I think that's what makes many of us get so fed up, sometimes. UO is so close, yet so far away, from that perfect game world.

 

[Kiss]

UO IS the only real MMO to offer a truely player driven user-experience.

Other things UO does better than any other MMO:

PvP. To this day the group fighting and PvP that UO offers is leagues above anything available anywhere else. Skill (although a declining necessity over the years) is still the ultimate deciding point in winning.

Template A does not always beat Template B. It's not class based, it's individual based.


A GENUINE Merchant experience. How awesome is it the first time you start your bank roll growing? Selling off that 1st valuable drop, an Ornament of the Magi, or a Tangle, and building your empire.

Housing, as previously said is HUGE. UO is an online world, it's not a game on rails. Our characters sleep in their own houses, that we control the look of, and the functionality of.



And for all of the naysayers, complaining about this and that, I mean look at the facts here.

Our Dev Team is comprised of a handful of people... to say we are understaffed isn't even the half of it. There are so many errors in the way UO is run as a business, and keep in mind this is a very profitable business model, even if subscription models are down from whatever point.

EA is making as much as possible, while giving back as little as possible in terms of helping their Dev Team complete objectives and keep their userbase as thriving as it CAN be.

With the 5-6 people we have on our dev team (not counting the IT guys or people we dont know of) look at all of the improvements. We have an active Event Moderator program again, we have had numerous system fixes, 2 new expansions (1 full expansion and the release of the new business model booster). We have Developers in game, trying to see what they can do to make things better, and keep our game moving foward.

If EA wasn't a publicly traded company, pleasing shareholders first, UO would have to be looked at differently. It doesn't make logical sense to understaff and undersupport a profitable business, when clearly there is unrest and a largely untapped market potential with new subscribers.


Support our Dev Team. Be constructive in your criticisms and ideas, and help them do a better job for US. If you don't like something, you need to clearly explain why, and what could be done to make it better.

These are 5-6 people. They have the same quantity of ideas as 5-6 people will have; they are not superhuman. The Dev team is supposed to be the brush that we paint our wonderful game with. We need to give them fully thought out ideas to help flurish into proactive community-driven improvements.

 

[Woodsman]

There is a lot of speculation about why few other games make an attempt at decent housing.

I'm not a fan of Camelot's renting scheme. Lord of the Rings Online horribly botched housing, which is sad since it had a lot of potential. The EverQuest designers actually saw the value in working on it, and I'm curious what they do with EverQuest 3. It seems like most of the EQ 3 threads with wishlists ask for more sandbox type stuff and expanded housing based on EQ 2.

Housing if done right can keep players around for a long time. There was a speech given at I think last year's Pax Lair or this year's Pax Lair that mentioned castles and housing in UO and how it helped keep people around.

The rebuttal to that is World of Warcraft, and I think they have decided to ignore housing partly because they obviously don't need it, and partly because they do a lot to encourage you from hanging around on one level or hanging on to older goods. They do not want you getting attached to items.

We got real lucky with UO and how housing turned out. Serious housing like what we have adds a lot of complexity to an MMO, and it's not surprsing that few new MMOs want to even toy with it.

 

[virtualhabitat]

I like the graphics. I don't care for a first person viewpoint or even three dimensional views. I know there are those that disagree, but even with surround sound and powerful graphics, I feel like I am deaf and blind when looking at a game in first person. In the real world I have all five senses operating, digital worlds only hobble my senses.

I like the sandbox nature of UO. Too often I have played games where I can't go off and explore an area because of some invisible wall keeping me inside the gaming zone. I too like the intricate minutia UO has. Details -especially the insignificant ones, add depth to the UO Universe.

 

[AzSel]

I can have a life and still play UO. And, I don't have to schedule my life around the guild raid schedule or lose my spot on the team. I can play as little or as much of UO and still feel like I'm "in the game."

This one is good. UO is the only MMO I can play, I have kids and dont play a whole much. I still feel "at home" when I log in for the first time in a week, or a month.

 

[NorCal]

There is a lot of speculation about why few other games make an attempt at decent housing.

Housing if done right can keep players around for a long time. There was a speech given at I think last year's Pax Lair or this year's Pax Lair that mentioned castles and housing in UO and how it helped keep people around.

The rebuttal to that is World of Warcraft, and I think they have decided to ignore housing partly because they obviously don't need it, and partly because they do a lot to encourage you from hanging around on one level or hanging on to older goods. They do not want you getting attached to items.

I think housing keeps UO alive and kicking, but having played WoW one of the main reasons given for the lack of housing was to keep cities populated. Last May I re-activated because of all the classic shard talk. One thing I really noticed was when I played before from 98-04 that towns were populated. People even had their favorite or home town. I loved Minoc and Vesper. Those were my towns. The only time I went to Brit was if I was looking for something and wanted to see if anyone was selling it or get repairs at Brit Forge.

I always loved my home in UO, but when I came back I was sad to see these places ghost towns. There needs to be a balance between being able to do everything at home and visiting towns to interact or socialize. Another thing that saddens me about UO brought up by the OP was not needing to group. I used to group with friends just to go kill earth elys for protection against PKs, but after Tram came out I found myself playing more and more solo to maximize my earnings. This is when I began to lose interst in UO, but AoS was what really drove me to quit. AoS took a lot of the sand out of the box for me.

It's an MMO, not a single player game. There should be mobs you can't solo, that offer enough rewards to get people to group or what is the point of an MMO. Towns should be populated and not just Luna, which is a glorified outdoor mall.

 

[Woodsman]

I think housing keeps UO alive and kicking, but having played WoW one of the main reasons given for the lack of housing was to keep cities populated.

They give that reason, but honestly - people are going to go to the auction houses and mailboxes. It's been a few months since I played WoW, but that is almost always where I saw most people congregating. If they had housing in WoW, as long as it didn't have auction or mailbox capabilities, the cities would still have the same amount of activity they currently have.

If you put similar functionality in UO - the messaging and auction houses, and you put them in say 3-4 of the old cities, and throw in Buccaneer's Den as a neutral ground, you'd see a major increase in activity in those cities and Buccaneer's Den.

 

[Kiss]

In response to NorCal, in regards to Mobs shouldn't be soloable :

The sampire NEEDS to be nerfed. I'm sure a large portion of players disagree. But the power of Vampiric Embrace in a PvM melee situation is far overpowered.

Harrowers used to strike fear in even a moderately large group of players, requiring planning, and timing. PK's to guard the dungeons, etc.

Nowadays, you can login your sampire (if you're really uber a disco samp) and take the harrower out yourself. Front to back, a-z, all forms, and tenticles.

What was hard to do with 8 people unless very organized, is now a cakewalk for one guy's Imbued suit.


Take a step back, playerbase, and developers and look at what this single form (Vampiric Embrace) has done to the game.



It's not balanced, there is NO checks in place for this, if I was going to seriously look at the econemy, and the playstyle in general, I'd look at Vampiric Embrace washing and I'm sure we'd see improvements all around.



Moving onto WoW. WoW is what Blizzard wanted it to be, the gaming equivalent of virtual crack. Nothing you do has meaning. Your stuff will be outdated in 1 year. Deal with it, buy the next $40 expansion and try to 30 man raid. NOW. 12 HOURS A DAY. GO.

It's mind numbing though, it's a game on rails.



If we could get a good Quality Assurance team, or a word from the Developers on how they'd prefer QA issues brought to their attention, I'm sure we can offer many proactive solutions to current issues in UO.



Dread Mare
----------
A rideable pet with 575-640 HP , no slayer type. 50+ Damage Fireball spells, casts high level magery, mellee's for 30.


Does anyone see a gaping balance issue here? It can not be killed. You can not deal 575 to 640 damage with no slayer type in a PvP situation, with pet and owner attacking you.

Fix: It needs a slayer type. That's ALL it needs. It's strong, aggressive, and mountable when in duress. A slayer type balances the field a bit, at least then when someone dismounts their dread mare that shoots 50-60 damage fireballs, and goes to dismount you with their heavy crossbow, you can take shots at the mare and make a difference.

 

[MalagAste]

I love UO for the Sandbox that it is and for the housing. No other game even comes close to competing with UO when it comes to those two things.

I HATE the grind.... I don't want to be in a "party" or Group to play... I don't want to spend 20 min trying to get a party together or be asked to join a "link" or anything to play. If I want to go out and explore the world on my own then that's what I want to do.

In UO you can mix and match skills and clothes and armor to your own desires and needs. In many other games if you are this race and that profession then at this level you wear this armor and at that level you get this ... and on and on and it's like..... where is my individuality?? Where is the creativity.

Take the pic the other day of the group on Atl all dressed up as superheros'..... where else could you do that?

UO is what you make it. I guess some folk lack the ingenuity or creativity to come up with things on their own... but hey that's why we have so many things to do.... and that's why we have guilds.

I may complain about things from time to time but that's only because I have a deep love for the game and I want to see it improved. I'd like to see it shine. I want others to look at it not in frustration but in awe and with wonder.

I hope to be playing still 13 years from now.

 

[SchezwanBeefy]

Housing, no. Nothing can compete.
UO PVP is actually not that great. I participated in PVP, I know many others, and currently we are playing other games PVP centered that are much better.
Sandbox, not necessarily true. I suggest looking at RIFT, which boasts on its sandbox and has much larger PVP groups. And probably bigger subscription numbers considering it has beautiful graphics, many many world wide servers and the monthly fee is $9.00 instead of $13.00.

UO is great. It just isn't what it once was, unfortunately.

 

[Kiss]

Rift is just a flash in the pan game, it's also BRAND new. I think most people believed LOTRO was an innovative concept and would last, at the time.

 

[Gilmour]

1) The Homes. This is one thing which some other popular games will never have. The housing system has been developed so extensively over the years. No other game can touch the housing system in UO. But, that's just my personal opinion.

2) UO Isn't group based. This has it's pluses and minuses. I like the idea of being able to get "really good gear" without having to be with 24 other people.... or even having to wait 45 minutes for a chance at "average gear." And, then feel "forced" to play a dungeon every single dang day for every day of the week. There goes 1 1/2 hours every single day just to try to "keep up with everyone else." And, even if I only do 1 1/2 hours I'm still not going to come close to having "decent gear."

3) This is similar to the prior one. I can go a month without playing and still be "competitive." What do I mean by "competitive".... it means something different to every person. I don't pvp. I just like the feeling that I am competitive whether I am or not. In other games, It's pretty clear when I'm not competitive. So, I guess I like the fact that every hit or heal in the game isn't measured and spammed to everyone you know.

4) The Sandbox: The content isn't spoon fed to me. Content isn't recycled every few years and told "the story has progressed" so we're making you kill Ragnaros and Nefarian yet another time... even though you spent 100 days of real life time killing them the first time around.

5) Graphics. I like the UO graphics. It does take some time to get used to them if you haven't played in a while. But, once you get going... it really seems better.

Overall: I can have a life and still play UO. And, I don't have to schedule my life around the guild raid schedule or lose my spot on the team. I can play as little or as much of UO and still feel like I'm "in the game." I also don't have to ever go to a popular bank and see people's E-Peen. IF I want, I can just go to Fel Buc's den and see the bank or visit NPCs if I want to.

i might just quote you on that as the content of our site dedicated to promoting ultima expands (Ultima Online, The Legend of Massively Mutiplayer)

 

[Eyes of Origin]

I have friends who played the Rift beta... they liked the graphics, but its just another WoW type game... which stopped them from actually paying for it on its release.