My previous apologies but THIS is a must read...
I was looking for ideas to improve UO and found this pearl...
"What If... you were the creative writer of UO?
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:30 pm
I guess the next episode would have to have something to do with the Bell of Courage, since I suppose the Candle of Love part is finished (unless we're still waiting on Origin, I dunno.) Frankly, better storyline immersion would be a start, but let's begin with your questions.
What would you bring to Sosaria?
Quests that help tell the story. Right now, there are three types of quests. The old escort quests, crafting quests, and newbie quests. Plus some really great quests like the Hag, Solen and Collector. The in-game events are too disconnected from the questing system-- in fact, too disconnected from the game itself, given that the plot is sometimes only advanced on a website. Let Britannia tell the story, with BNN as the faithful chronicler to help keep people up to date, so we're not left wondering if we "figured out the sekrit woid" or what.
How would you link the Ultima Series to our UO?
Finishing (and fixing) the Virtue System would be a start. I would like to see the main characters more, and this has been happening with the introduction of Sherry the Mouse. However, since Lord British and Lord Blackthorn are no longer around, it would probably be good to take some liberties.
What would happen to the towns, dungeons...?
Invasions! Massive wave after wave invasions so that the only safe place to bank is Buccaneer's Den. All kidding aside, I think the towns need some variety. Right now, they really aren't different from one another. They sell the same stuff, at the same prices and all have the same facilities. Give me a reason to visit Serpent's Hold, et al. As for the dungeons, make sure they are true to the theme they are to represent [Wrong is a "prison", Covetous should probably be a mine gone bad, Destard should show the costs of ambition, etc.]
What would you change so that UO would be a challenge and FUN?
Armageddon, and often. Actually, I think the big thing UO needs is a reason for people to get together and do stuff. Right now, it's really a solo game with other people--like Blackjack. Make it so that it's beneficial for people to be in groups. The dungeon Doom I can't really say is a good example as you are still competing with other people to get the rare drop. Also, groups are still penalized fame/karma-wise. That needed to be fixed years ago.
Tymaron"
"What would you bring to sosaria?
Ty has a piont about making the current events effect us the players.
How would you link the ultima series to our UO?
I was never a player of the Ultima series. In fact UO is the only Ultima game I have ever played. However, I think it would be a good idea to bring in whatever they can from the Ultima series into UO and thus "Our UO".
What would happen to the towns, dungeons...?
I think it would be great if players had more control over the towns. I think that players should be able to run for government, and for a place in the tailor guilds for example. Like first you would have to claim residency to a town (and you can only claim it to one town and towns populatons can only be a certain percentage of the shards total population). Then the residents once a RL month or maybe 2 RL weeks could vote on who they want their mayor to be. Then the mayor could raise/lower taxes to do town beautification projects to his/her liking. Like flower beds could be planted outside of every shop or buildings could be rebuilt (see next suggestion). On top of that you could also work for the various guilds. Like say you join the local tailor guild. At first you will have to go out and gather leather for them. The benefit being that you get cushy discounts at tailor shops. Also after working for so long you will become eligable to be voted guildmaster of the various guilds. Some of the options you could allow would be to set the prices at the tailor shops in the town. Additionally you could offer the empoyees "insurance" like instead of the money coming out of their bank it comes out of the guild bank. Of course towns and guilds would have a treasurer and sheriff or vice guildmaster or whatever. I think this would cause people to want to bring in politics into UO thus forcing people to really interact. It would almost how factions have control over cities but without all the warring.
Also I think destoyable buildings would be great. Like everytime wrong has come down and invaded Brit Brit has looked the same. But I think an element of realism is lacking since in RL if your village was being overrun with with monsters a few walls might be knocked out.
As for Dungeons I think that if people dont go to them enough the monsters should come and overrun the nearest city. This would cause the mayor's sherif to either appiont more city guards or to lead campaigns (dungeon crawls) against the dungoen they're being overrun by. Wrong for Brit. Shame for Yew. Hedge maze for Skara. Deciet for Moonglow. Hyloth for Magincia. These are just examples. Also I think it would be cool for those with negative karma to be able to swear fealty to a dungeon similar to how others claim residency to towns. Basically you would be granted safe passage like after you do the solen quest. Then there would be certain quests you could gain from NPCs in the dungeon that would allow you to get cool artifacts/weapons/armor.
Also recaling marking and gating in and out of ilshenar would be a nice addition and would cause people to actually want to go there.
What would you change so UO would be a challenge and FUN?
I think what I listed above is a good start. However in an unrelated incident I think it would be cool to have Undead or demon masks much in the same way as orcish kin masks. Like one could be done for each type of slayer weapon. I just think it would be cool to beable to have an undead meeting in the middle of deciet or a gathering of demons in the hedge maze or hyloth. Maybe doing a quest for a certain dungeon would be a good way to gain such masks.
Dante"
"I'd add NPCs with vocabulary for each of the major roles that clearly exist in Sosaria, despite currently not being very visible - even if the vocabulary for some of them is simply "Please, I'm very busy. Go bother somebody else."
Otherwise, I'd keep on a similar path to how the stories are going now.
With an infinite amount of spare time to add story though... I'd probably add lots of organizations throughout UO whose nature is very similar to organizations that have shown up in the Ultima series. Wandering gypsies that tell fortunes. Wandering thieves pretending to be wandering gypsys that tell fortunes... etc.
I'd also make it so that there are more factions than just good karma, bad karma, ophidian, and terrathan when it comes to NPCs. I want to see wandering fighters attacking ogres. I want to see lizardmen and ratmen fight over territory. I want to see two orc tribes fight over control of a fort. I want to see evil mages controlling elementals, attacking eachother. I want to see players earn different groups trust by fighting a common foe, and refusing to fight against that group.
I wouldn't do much as far as an encompassing storyline for the world as add more feeling of life to different areas in the world, and make it all very reactive to players.
Some gypsy might lose a bracelet, for example, and want that bracelet back. After she loses it, she'll ask random players to help find it. Once one person finds the bracelet, they other players will be informed that the bracelet was found, and they no longer need to look.
Illandril"
"What would happen to the towns, dungeons...?
1. Factions would control the guard zone of towns they control... guards on if CoM/TB has the town, guards off if Minax or SL control that town...
2. One champion of Anti-Virtue on each and every dungeon, if they all are killed within a time limit a UnHoly Champion would then spawn on a random dungeon and again a time limit to kill it... (this should be enough to give an artefact, so that might be the right reward...)
3. Trammel Champ spawns giving scrolls of alacrity...
4. Tokuno Artefacts on a specific hour of the day (60 minutes), different every day, covering the 23 hours 45minutes of game play and being random so we disrupt the scripters...
5. Warlords/undead generals/orc leaders... roaming ilshenar... looking for portals into Trammel/Felluca... providing battles that would last hours...
6. Guilds providing quests so folk would go up in rank... mages/thieves/warriors/... (we all played oblivion?)...
7. Town mayors providing quests to promote their towns... find rogues, escorts(done)...
8. Heralds explaining the current uo context, plot...
9. Activate the spawns inside the dungeons... labyrinth, etc... (reward with alacrity scrolls again...)
10. Activate the Trammel Harrower...
What would you change so UO would be a challenge and FUN?
1. create recipe books with bodbook filters
2. create recipe seeds with bodbook filters
3. create armories with filter that would sort weapon/armor/jewlery pieces by type/lrc/lmc... (same way we have bodbooks)... instead of players sorting it all item per item... we want to have fun, we dont want to waste hours looking for a piece of equipment...
4. every character logging out and timing out in felluca instantly moved to the nearest town (like the help stuck option)... this will destroy the ghost cams(?)
5. check all prices on all items so folk dont get 300 gold for 6 leather items... balance the prices so there is no merchant exploit...
6. this is the major one... detailed information on skills/spells/attacks/everything... we already pay for the game... should we have to pay for a uo guide?
7. prevent players from...
a) walking the dog and when they get home, they found out they placed a keep before any of the other idocers...
b) sitting in the elven town/sanctuary doing quests for hours while reading a book/watching a movie/going out...
c) curing/healing/dismounting instantly...
8. allow town changes if a price/quest is fulfilled...
Pitr"
"Quote:
What would you bring to sosaria?
Seed Catalogues based on the BoD Books
Armor/weapon Catalogues based on the BoD Books
Quote:
How would you link the ultima series to our UO?
I don't have a clue what the lore behind the UO series was so linking it seems pointless.
Quote:
What would happen to the towns, dungeons...?
Revamp the merchant system items so they are on par with crafted/world drops, have quests with crafter npc's for items that would allow players to be well geared for pvm. Revamp mobs to be huntable with the gear from the item revamp. Towns with supplies and training to outfit an adventurer in the local dungeons.
Quote:
What would you change so UO would be a challenge and FUN?
A quest engine that would allow for more npc/pc interaction. Give the npc's in game a purpose for existing.
Sage Aurora"
"I would put the roleplay back into this massive roleplaying game. Can the silly events and weave stories that encompass all towns and encourage the involvement of the players. Bring the towns back to life through the use of player driven plots. Rent store space in the towns or hold large outdoor faires.
Perhaps bring back a king and court that would hold gala events and tournaments where iviitations were sent out each week to a different group of folks. Seems to me Castle Brittish is a rather lonely place without someone to rule over the lands.
I suppose I would look for any and all ways to give UO the look and feel of a real rhelm including allowing guilds to have a stable master or hitching post at their guild hall.
Aedon"
"Reverse the clock and bring things back pre-trammel. Some people think because of items and such but more for RP sense. When there was no Tram, you were scared. Your character knew there was threat to walk in the woods alone. If you played a crafter, you needed protection. You needed warriors and guards, whether for hire or part of your guild or player town's army. There was no room for a tailor to walk up to a vampire or undead (un HL) and smart off to them for lack of fear. It was a cold, harsh world and a way better background for Rp, IMO.
I also love Illshanar. Unfortunatly, it's seldom used. But it's a great area for RP with its colorful and interesting cities and landscapes. With the good old "gold" monsters running about now, it makes it hard to wander around and RP or hold events there. So I'd scrape the paragons outside of dungeons and try to plan some more events there.
Sister Annorath"
Sorry about the BIG post... but I found this and I wanted to share!
