This is a Long Shot - But, let's see if we can

[Blargety]

Long ago, there was a clan of Orcs on Siege Perilous known as the Shadowclan. Since that time, much has happened, both in Ultima Online, Siege Perilous, and the real world. There have been many changes to the game that have made some things difficult to do, like role playing a clan of Orcs who don't use magical items, but still manage to wage war against the rest of the tupid hummies on the Shard.

Over the past few days and weeks, I've been recalling a lot of the time that I spent on Catskills in the Shadowclan, and remembering watching a friend of mine run around on Siege Perilous when it was clompin' time. I am proposing that we make an attempt, once again, to revive the once great and powerful Orc clan of Siege Perilous.

I am posting this screenshot in the Siege Perilous Scribbulz section of their message boards today. They aren't as active as they once were, and in order for them to play modern Ultima Online with us, there will have to be some adjustments made to their style of play, but I believe that some of those things can happen while creating and maintaining a conducive environment to that style of play.

I know previous attempts to re-create an orc clan, or revitalize the old one in the past have been attempted, and have failed. That said, I can't guarantee that we'll have success here today in 2018 either, but we can at least give it an honest shot.

 

[Blind Otto]

Hoowah! Meeb jul clan, und mizz dem pug. Bud meeb in lotsa clans alreddy, nub got times fer nudder clan.
Still, meeb fink lat got bubhosh ideez, fer dumhed uruk. Seej ged lutu lat's ideez!

 

[SpyderBite]

I voted "No" because Orcs serve other purposes than just being attacked or defended. They are useful.

 

[Max Blackoak]

there were some severe changes that drove orcs off in the past, however with imbuing at least the itemization part can be dealt with. so if the orcs make a return they should teach their makrs 120 imbuing and they would be able to play like they used to again. crosshealing dexxers still work for PvM and the orc templates can do ok in PvP if they have the numbers...


If you can get them to attempt a come back I will be happy to help out with advice on training imbuing and how to make their gear

 

[kelmo]

I will help in any way that I can.

One of the more memorable days in old Iantown was when we discovered a handful of Orcs had found the village swimming hole...

 

[Sparviero]

We'll help you in any way we can too

 

[Blargety]

Max, totally get what you’re saying. I believe that in order for an Orc Clan to be revitalized, with or without the help of the old Shadowclan, some serious changes would need to be made by the players in order to actually enjoy a modern UO experience.

The game has certainly evolved and changed to a point of where not having mounts, using only base crafted items, not utilizing the bank system, and ignoring player housing would sap a lot of the possibilities and fun out of the current game for any potential players. As the game evolves so too must the players in order to maintain a good//fun experience.

Part of the fun of Shadowclan was having all of the Orcs located in a central area, that central area being the Yew Orc Fort. Currently, all of the available infrastructure for housing is absolutely eaten up by the previous Shadowclan players, who will probably hold onto those memories until the end of Ultima itself, and I don’t blame Xulg for holding onto that at all. Other options are also consumed, IE the available land near the Orc Cave, and the Large Abandoned Orc Fort in Malas. (all consumed by off-shard land hoarders from my observations.)

There are some options where players could potentially build their own Orc encampment in Malas, but that would require some interest. Gear changes could be made through creative role-play, especially with the advent or discovery of Mojoko Makrs imbuing Orc Crafted equipment. (After

 

[Max Blackoak]

not using mounts is not a problem at all since dismounting was introduced as a special move and as long as you have at the very least hiding (preferably also stealth) on your template which was mandatory for SC orcs anyways. if they would allow ninjitsu they'd absolutely be doing alright in PvP on foot(even if it's only 50 nijitsu for smoke bombs). I remember many of them had poisoning too which is one of the best PvP skills for melee dexxers

using crafted items is not a problem, it rather is what I would recommend anyways since they're 99% dexxers and it's easier to imbue the right dexxer mod combinations on items than trying to find them as loot.

not using the bank system wouldn't make or break their experience to be honest as long as they have a house where they can stash the most important supplies.

Housing near the orc fort is a problem. the two small houses directly next to it don't belong to SC orcs (their makr hut has fallen a long time ago), the only SC house I know of is the cursed keep 2 screens north of the fort. The owner can be reached via the Shadowclan boards. I would really try to convince SC to come back with a couple of people just because it's more fun. Here's a link to their forums in case you didn't have that already: The Shadowclan Dark Moot :: Index

 

[GarthGrey]

While I can certainly appreciate the history and the RP aspect of this, I can't quite wrap my mind around how a group of players can leave a game for years, and I've been on Siege since 09 and dont remember orcs, and yet still keep their accounts current and houses intact.

 

[Blargety]

I’ve been reaching out to old Shadowclan members through various discord’s, but I’m afraid I no longer have access to the e-mail I used to register on th

not using mounts is not a problem at all since dismounting was introduced as a special move and as long as you have at the very least hiding (preferably also stealth) on your template which was mandatory for SC orcs anyways. if they would allow ninjitsu they'd absolutely be doing alright in PvP on foot(even if it's only 50 nijitsu for smoke bombs). I remember many of them had poisoning too which is one of the best PvP skills for melee dexxers

using crafted items is not a problem, it rather is what I would recommend anyways since they're 99% dexxers and it's easier to imbue the right dexxer mod combinations on items than trying to find them as loot.

not using the bank system wouldn't make or break their experience to be honest as long as they have a house where they can stash the most important supplies.

Housing near the orc fort is a problem. the two small houses directly next to it don't belong to SC orcs (their makr hut has fallen a long time ago), the only SC house I know of is the cursed keep 2 screens north of the fort. The owner can be reached via the Shadowclan boards. I would really try to convince SC to come back with a couple of people just because it's more fun. Here's a link to their forums in case you didn't have that already: The Shadowclan Dark Moot :: Index

I've done what I can to reach out to old Shdowclan members. Gone through some back channel discord servers to locate them, added a few old Uruks to ICQ, stuff like that. Most of them, that are still playing UO at least, are doing some in the back channels and don't have any interest in abandoning those back channel means of playing the game, so there is just one more hiccup. Getting back on the message boards has been seriously problematic. New account registration appears to be turned off there, and finding whatever e-mail address I used back in high school to register is an almost impossible task right now. (Stemming from a time when changing your e-mail every week to something new and more edgy was a cool kid thing to do.)

I'm definitely not quite ready to surrender in the search for new Uruks though. In the coming weeks I may take up a side project and create a new webpage that will allow me to found a brand new Orc clan. I know Siege would really appreciate having someone that they can love to hate back on the server, especially if that comes in the form of a group of people that they can both love and hate at the same time. In the event that I'm able to pull this off, I'm hoping to attract at least 10 individuals to the group in order to establish a base of operations in one of the many swaths of empty land in Luna. The roleplay aspect will probably look similar to the Shadowclan, but with a few key differences that will allow for more flexible game play so that the players can both be Orcs, and enjoy the modern Ultima Online experience at the same time. I'll keep everyone here updated on that in the coming weeks.

Max I'd love it if you messaged me over ICQ so we can discuss potential builds for potential orcs. I know that the Blackoak family tree has something of a tie to the Orcs from the past, and it'd be a great help if you would sit down with me to discuss some aspects of the game that I either may not understand due to inexperience, or might not think of while I'm creating the back-end, offline infrastructure for such a clan to even exist. If anyone here already has their ears perked at this, and is interested in becoming an Orc, feel free to message me as well so we can discuss the possibilities, back-story, and foundation of a new clan. My ICQ number is 702053547.

 

[Blargety]

While I can certainly appreciate the history and the RP aspect of this, I can't quite wrap my mind around how a group of players can leave a game for years, and I've been on Siege since 09 and dont remember orcs, and yet still keep their accounts current and houses intact.

I think it's the nostalgia. and honestly the hope by Xul that some day the Shadowclan may return. I certainly don't blame him for it. The Orcs on Siege Perilous were much more hardcore than the Orcs on Catskills, and because of that I am certain that their experience was a major part of their life that they aren't willing to give up.

 

[SpyderBite]

While I can certainly appreciate the history and the RP aspect of this, I can't quite wrap my mind around how a group of players can leave a game for years, and I've been on Siege since 09 and dont remember orcs, and yet still keep their accounts current and houses intact.

Circa 2000-2006.. Orcs on Siege were a big presence on Siege. Of course, during that period, as RP slowly diminished, so did the Orc population. As did the Knights, Vampires, Pirates & Tax Collectors. I'm sure somebody has a great collection pics from that era.