NEWS [UO.Com] Producer Update

[UO News]

General
2014 Jun 26 19:48 GMT

Greetings Everyone,

Since I have not given you guys an update lately I thought I would let everyone know what we are up to and give you some highlights as to what and when you can expect to see new and exciting things in UO! I know we stated that Publish 86 would originally be released in July but we are looking at mid August before we can publish now. Since the shutdown of the Mythic Studio, it has caused us to move the rest of our build machines from that office to the office in Herndon before we were expecting so that has caused a delay in our publish time. This is not an excuse but I wanted to let everyone know some of the things we have been dealing with to cause these delays.




Below is a brief description of the things we have been working on:

• 
  We have put in a new Trade Quest that lets you get reacquainted with the lands around Britannia and also if you are feeling a little brave you can visit Feluccia and take your wares to Slim the fence in one of the towns in Feluccia ...
  

• 
  We have added new items to turn in and new items you can obtain to clean up Britannia
  
  
• 
  We are still working with Pinco on a new UI for the EC
  

• 
  We are working with the Focus group and getting great feedback (thank you) for VvsV and should have it on TC1 within the next two weeks for everyone to take a look at it.
  

• 
  We are still working on a system for the new Advisor Program (old counselor program) , fresh new name.
  

• 
  We have revised the global loot system
  

• 
  We are working aiming for turning on Return to Britannia in August
  
  
• 
  Adding MYUO to the UO.COM Website
  
  
• 
  Anniversary items that will be turned on in September
  

I will try my best to talk to you guys once a week and give you updates on our progress and let you guys know what we are up to. We are still looking for an Engineer for the team. and we are also looking for someone to help with redesigning UO.COM. So if anyone is interested please drop me a line and let’s talk at [email protected].

Talk to everyone soon!!

Mesanna

Continue reading...

 

[James Moriarty]

Like

 

[Ender]

Well that's disappointing. Might as well delay it another month and have the new loot, RtB and anniversary stuff at the same time. Of course it'll probably be delayed again anyway.

 

[4gregu]

Thank you for the update. Can't wait to see the global loot system in action, loot has needed a revamp for far too long.

 

[hen]

It is called Felucca. Felucca. Remember it is one L of a place 2 C......

 

[hen]

I will try my best to talk to you guys once a week

Hohohoho.

 

[Cyrah]

Thank you very much for the update.

 

[Tjalle]

Well that's disappointing. Might as well delay it another month and add anniversary stuff. Of course it'll probably be delayed again anyway.

Stratics asked. Stratics received.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Thank you for the update.

Mesanna's language suggests to me that the loot update already is done (as in coded), just not yet in the game (or we'd have noticed it by now, or there would've been an announcement, or both).

Maybe I'm reading too much into how she used the past tense?

Either way let me hope it's not too late to plant a brain worm.

Given that most of the dungeons haven't been updated context-wise and given that many of the older monsters are too easy for us these days, you need to be weary of making awesome, "new-style loot" too easily available. (Kill an orc brute, get a legendary artifact with only the Luck negative!!!)

On the other hand you also need to be weary of suddenly upping the monster difficulty everyplace and taking away the few remaining options for either training new characters or for the few new players we'll have.

I have a proposed solution of sorts -- or, at least a proposed path to follow.

Leave monsters in level 1 of the dungeons and overland monsters untouched in terms of difficulty, but give them "new loot" tables that are good only for new characters.

Monsters in lower levels of the dungeons however should be beefed up considerably, and correspondingly be given better "new loot" tables. You probably could do this by re-naming, beefing up, and re-huing existing monsters. ("A Greater Orc Brute." "A Supreme Ancient Wyrm." "An Elite Bone Knight." "An Elder Lich Lord." "A Greater Lich." Etc.)

(Monsters in ML dungeons I think for the most part already are more difficult than the really old monsters so I think they'd just need the better loot tables.)

Perhaps also in the older dungeons create a boss that'll spawn randomly when a certain range of other monsters in that dungeon have been killed. (Basically the same system as the Haven Ruins boss is on now.)

This not only enables you to leave some things the same and change other things, but also follows the fantasy RPG convention that the lower levels of dungeons should in most cases be considerably harder.

-Galen's player

 

[Lady Storm]

Ender she is doing her best... EA just threw a monkey wrench in their plans by not giving them the time to move all that equipment...
You try moving a house full of stuff then unpack it all, You try that then we can talk.
Being down an Engineer might be a slowing effect too.
If you look at her letter its not her normal polished look. She did this so we knew whats cookingand why.
I give her the nod for the effort to give us a heads up. I was wondering what was cooking and there is the reason.
I await August... should be good for me... son will have football going so I will need the sound of dragons to keep me going!

Oh btw... If any of you have been to the asian shards , I play Hokuto.. just a few months back it was hell to find a tower spot... after EA got through with them houses and players have vanished like mad. Idk about you but when the gamer capitol of the world stops and throws its hands up you get a little uptight. Japaneese might take a vacation but they dont walk away...most times. They are walking...

 

[G.v.P]

It is called Felucca. Felucca. Remember it is one L of a place 2 C......

That irked me. But, the thought of MYUO coming back....so happy.

 

[MalagAste]

Mesanna,

Thank you very much for the much needed update. Highly appreciated. Can't wait to see what you have added to the lists of turn in's. Hoping to grab some more swag from that soon and purge more junk from my horde. As for new loot I'm hopeful. I am also hoping that this includes the Treasure loot for Fishing and T-Hunting as well since it's getting really hohum... and not really exciting.

Can't wait to see what's for the Anniversary either you know me I like swag.

Sorry to hear of the need for an Engineer...... sure wish I could help you there but my knowledge of such things is nil. Same with web stuff... I'm pretty much useless in the programing department... I'm more of an idea's person. You know me there. I'm full of idea's.... just wouldn't have the slightest clue how to implement any of them.

Anyway update is awesome! Look forward to hearing from you again soon!

Take care and hug the pup for me. ..... (suppose not a pup anymore)....

 

[RockoNV]

We all greatly appreciate the update. Thank you for giving us your e-mail. Would you be so kind as to ask support to answer e-mails or at least set up an auto-response that the e-mail was received.

As a suggestion, smaller more frequent updates would be most welcome.

 

[Ender]

We all greatly appreciate the update. Thank you for giving us your e-mail. Would you be so kind as to ask support to answer e-mails or at least set up an auto-response that the e-mail was received.

As a suggestion, smaller more frequent updates would be most welcome.

Indeed. Like, throw the loot update out by itself, or the Clean-up changes, or whatever. They don't need to be all in one update. I'd rather have it that way than two or three larger updates per year.

Really though, I'd be totally fine with the loot update being it's own, smaller patch to be released in the very near future...

 

[ioioio]

Comes a time when the "jokes" gotta stop, right?

 

[startle]

Thank you, Mesanna, for taking the time to let us know how it's going and hints of what's coming.
I'm pleased with the progress and look forward to the next publish....

 

[Goodmann]

Very nice to see this update. I think the majority of us don't mind delays especially under what recently has been going on. I do think that letting us know it is being pushed back is A++. Look forward to the pub!

 

[Merus]

General
2014 Jun 26 19:48 GMT

Greetings Everyone,

Since I have not given you guys an update lately I thought I would let everyone know what we are up to and give you some highlights as to what and when you can expect to see new and exciting things in UO! I know we stated that Publish 86 would originally be released in July but we are looking at mid August before we can publish now. Since the shutdown of the Mythic Studio, it has caused us to move the rest of our build machines from that office to the office in Herndon before we were expecting so that has caused a delay in our publish time. This is not an excuse but I wanted to let everyone know some of the things we have been dealing with to cause these delays.




Below is a brief description of the things we have been working on:

• 
  We have put in a new Trade Quest that lets you get reacquainted with the lands around Britannia and also if you are feeling a little brave you can visit Feluccia and take your wares to Slim the fence in one of the towns in Feluccia ...

• 
  We have added new items to turn in and new items you can obtain to clean up Britannia
  
  
• 
  We are still working with Pinco on a new UI for the EC

• 
  We are working with the Focus group and getting great feedback (thank you) for VvsV and should have it on TC1 within the next two weeks for everyone to take a look at it.

• 
  We are still working on a system for the new Advisor Program (old counselor program) , fresh new name.

• 
  We have revised the global loot system

• 
  We are working aiming for turning on Return to Britannia in August
  
  
• 
  Adding MYUO to the UO.COM Website
  
  
• 
  Anniversary items that will be turned on in September

I will try my best to talk to you guys once a week and give you updates on our progress and let you guys know what we are up to. We are still looking for an Engineer for the team. and we are also looking for someone to help with redesigning UO.COM. So if anyone is interested please drop me a line and let’s talk at [email protected].

Talk to everyone soon!!

Mesanna

Continue reading...

Not to be picky.... but after 17 years it is spelled Felucca... once I could by as a typo, but you miss spelled it twice in the same post...

 

[Dot_Warner]

If this delay means that RtB has a better chance of occurring when something is actually happening in game, all the better.

 

[kelmo]

Not to be picky....

Yeah?

 

[Great DC]

Fix mortal strike before that publish comes out as well dammit!

 

[Assia Penryn]

Thank you very much for the update and I know many will look forward to the more regular updates in the future.

 

[MissEcho]

Well that's disappointing. Might as well delay it another month and have the new loot, RtB and anniversary stuff at the same time. Of course it'll probably be delayed again anyway.

Still waiting for my prize from the LAST ANNIVERSARY to be given. My prize was the construction of the Cultural Centre in New Magincia having won the design competition. Construction started around Nov last year, a maximum hour or so effort, then nothing, the place has stood abandoned and unfinished since then in Mesanna's name on Atlantic. No idea why devs ever offer this sort of competition prize when every single time they do it is months or even years to actually issue the prize (shades of wbb again). I asked the person who emailed me re the win to follow it up, however, nothing has progressed. I guess I will have to email Mesanna myself, which I seriously didn't want to do as the last 2 emails I have sent on other issues went unanswered, unactioned and/or unacknowledged.

I know the devs have had issues with the company etc etc, but at the end of the day NONE of us have had a reduction in our subscription fees to account for the continuous degrading of services provided. The lack of expansions (generally not even on the horizon any more to go by what the devs have stated), lack of customer support that gets worse each year, delay after delay with bug fixes etc etc. If they reduced the cost for subscription you could reasonably expect to accept a reduction in services provided, however this is not is what has happened. Each year we get slugged the same amount while the services and expectation of services are lowered and lowered and lowered.

Please don't come back at me with they are doing their best etc etc etc, I know as individuals they probably are, however, they are a business, and as a business it should not be your or my worry about what goes on behind the scenes. If you signed up for and are paying for a product you should GET the product. In any other field if you offer a service and don't provide it then customers would ask for a refund. Sadly, they know a lot of players are technically 'addicted' or have invested so many hours into UO that they will hang on for grim death and be milked for as long as they can be.

 

[Tina Small]

Thank you for the update. Can you tell us at this point if you plan to copy any particular existing shard (houses and characters) when you release VvV on Test Center in a couple of weeks, or will it be a perfectly clean slate? And once VvV goes live there, do you expect us to be able to character copy to that shard without any problems? Also, are there any plans to do a special test shard with VvV for the Siege/Mugen ruleset?

Edited to add: If you're going to use an existing shard for testing VvV, what will happen to existing characters in factions on that test center copy of the shard? Also, since Kyronix mentioned a while back that guilds would be the basis for the "sides" in VvV, if you copy an existing shard and its characters, will guilds that are in an alliance be able to join VvV or will they need to drop out of any alliance to which they currently belong? If yes, this might be a significant problem for PvP guilds that have active characters who want to help participate in testing but the guild leaders/warlord characters in the guild are inactive and can't do anything about dropping alliances. Also, what happens if a guild on the test shard is actively warring another guild?

Sorry for these questions, but I'm sure there are other people who would like to be as prepared as possible for participating in testing these and would like to get these issues out of the way before hand if they can.

 

[FrejaSP]

Thanks for the update, we will wait a little more, I'm sure it is worth waiting for.
Keep up your good work

 

[Viper09]

Great update. I look forward to seeing this publish. Waited this long, a little more is definitely not the end of the world...at least it wasn't when I last checked

 

[Petra Fyde]

Remember it is one L of a place 2 C......

now I wonder where you heard that little mnemonic?

It's been noticed before that spelling is not one of Mesanna's strong points. In view of her many other stirling qualities can we not cut her a little slack over that minor flaw?

 

[whiterabbit]

MEEES HOPES GOBAL LOOT UPDATE, INCLUDES SOS'S AND T MAPS STUFFS

 

[FrejaSP]

Me too, update to global loot, if done right may get life back around towns and player Towns. Alot crafters and others don't like to have to go to dungeons to get their resources, special not on a shard like Siege.
I want my red skin back, the last years, that had been noone in the forest and at mining caves so I ended up as blue, as my RP don't work well in dungeons.
I also hope it will make it easier for our crafters on Siege to gathering resources for their crafting, we have way to few shops.
The vendor seach had been great for Siege.

 

[whiterabbit]

now I wonder where you heard that little mnemonic?

It's been noticed before that spelling is not one of Mesanna's strong points. In view of her many other stirling qualities can we not cut her a little slack over that minor flaw?

speelin? woosss neeedz it

 

[Spiritless]

lol, producer can't even spell one of the facet names. gg.

Revised loot system is probably the biggest thing there. Right now loot is mostly pointless.

 

[Merus]

lol, producer can't even spell one of the facet names. gg.

Revised loot system is probably the biggest thing there. Right now loot is mostly pointless.

New loot system will be great, but I think I am most looking forward to the return of MYUO.

 

[MalagAste]

now I wonder where you heard that little mnemonic?

It's been noticed before that spelling is not one of Mesanna's strong points. In view of her many other stirling qualities can we not cut her a little slack over that minor flaw?

Spelling has never been my thing either... I also can't punctuate... so far be it from me to criticize someone else on that front. I do use spell check though and I try really hard to add "special" names from UO to it... and make sure they are spelled right when I do.

Mesanna has many wonderful qualities. I just wish there were more than one of her.

What I wouldn't give for the power to go around and "clean up" my shard. Remove the 100's of items that are left floating all over it... on the land, on the seas and everywhere. The ability to put the tiles in where they are missing... corner posts long forgotten.

And I don't know what I'd give for Yew to have a dock... like it always should have... and a bridge to the far farm so I don't have to run all the way around the bay to get there. I would build it if I could. And a proper tree for the Elves. Ah to dream.

 

[Uriah Heep]

And I don't know what I'd give for Yew to have a dock... like it always should have... and a bridge to the far farm so I don't have to run all the way around the bay to get there. I would build it if I could. And a proper tree for the Elves. Ah to dream.

I don't play Atlantic very much anymore, but in the deep dark recesses of my mind, Atlantic Felucca Yew had a ferry to the farm, like the one for Skara, just step on it and say "cross"

Never did understand why that didnt exist on all shards.

 

[Fingers]

We all ...

Hold on just a sec there pilgrim.

 

[Fingers]

You try moving a house full of stuff then unpack it all, You try that then we can talk.

Of course, Im not Ender, but, being ex-military I moved 7 times in 13 years.
Lets talk !!! HEHE

 

[Fingers]

Yeah?

Every right to be. If Felucca was new Id give her a pass, but its old enough to draw social security, and should be respected enough to not spell it wrong.....twice! If your going to do it, why not do it right?
2 quid!

 

[Fingers]

stirling.....

As Sheldon would ask/say......sarcasm?

 

[Tazar]

I don't play Atlantic very much anymore, but in the deep dark recesses of my mind, Atlantic Felucca Yew had a ferry to the farm, like the one for Skara, just step on it and say "cross"

Never did understand why that didnt exist on all shards.

Nothing like that on Atlantic that I am aware of. It does sound like a good idea though.

 

[Fingers]

What I wouldn't give for the power to .......

That list would be a very very very long one IMO.
Hehe, would be fun tho.

 

[Smoot]

now I wonder where you heard that little mnemonic?

It's been noticed before that spelling is not one of Mesanna's strong points. In view of her many other stirling qualities can we not cut her a little slack over that minor flaw?

Messana can spell just fine : )

 

[Viper09]

Sheesh, one little misspelling through a single, additonal "L," something that I still see lots of players doing, and suddenly it's as if this is the worst abomination in grammar ever.

 

[Petra Fyde]

As Sheldon would ask/say......sarcasm?

hehe, oops. My spelling is obviously not that hot either. Sterling?

 

[Merus]

Sheesh, one little misspelling through a single, additonal "L," something that I still see lots of players doing, and suddenly it's as if this is the worst abomination in grammar ever.

There is also no "i" in Felucca...

 

[RockoNV]

Hold on just a sec there pilgrim.

True..........my bad. The update is a bit overdue. The devs might think that the meet and greet serves as an update as well.

 

[RockoNV]

Messana can spell just fine : )

Unless the word is Felucca.

 

[Viper09]

Can we make a new rule banning grammar nazis in this forum?

 

[Merus]

Can we make a new rule banning grammar nazis in this forum?

Come on, this is a producer update posted on the front page of UO.com. Getting the spelling of the original facet of the game correct isn't too much to expect. I could go along if it was just a typo, but it obviously wasn't because they spelled it wrong multiple times. Little things like this erode confidence in the game developers... If you don't even play enough to know the correct spelling of a facet, what else are you missing?

Don't mind that little hole in the bottom of the boat, don't those new sails look pretty....

 

[Uriah Heep]

Nothing like that on Atlantic that I am aware of. It does sound like a good idea though.

Okay, yall made me do it...logged in on Atlantic, and yes it is there and working fine =)

 

[Smoot]

Come on, this is a producer update posted on the front page of UO.com. Getting the spelling of the original facet of the game correct isn't too much to expect. I could go along if it was just a typo, but it obviously wasn't because they spelled it wrong multiple times. Little things like this erode confidence in the game developers... If you don't even play enough to know the correct spelling of a facet, what else are you missing?

Don't mind that little hole in the bottom of the boat, don't those new sails look pretty....

I would agree, however UO isnt exactly a "real" game. complaining about spelling from official sites / releases for a game like UO is like going to a yard sale and complaining that something is slightly damaged or worn.