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What Makes You Play UO?

  • Thread starter Morgana LeFay (PoV)
  • Start date
  • Watchers 6
M

Morgana LeFay (PoV)

Guest
There are several other games out there, and UO has indeed changed over the years.

I consider us all some F'ed up family, but still I wonder...what makes you stick with UO???

Keep it short...keep it clean.


For me:

The answer is simple...

I love Sosaria, no matter what they do to it.

And I love my friends.

That's about it.

What about you? What makes you stick around? Do you want for gold? Is it the promise of another age? The nostalgia that drives you?

Stratics is like a home to me as well...and to you.

So I ask, with no agenda, I promise...what keeps you coming home to Sosaria?
 
V

Vercingitorix

Guest
There is nothing else like it in the current mmo-sphere, nor is there likely ever to be anything like it. I end up doing the same things every time I log in, just as every other game I've played but I also always do something different and can change my play style or anything else on a whim.

That's what keeps me coming back.
 
M

Morgana LeFay (PoV)

Guest
There is nothing else like it in the current mmo-sphere, nor is there likely ever to be anything like it. I end up doing the same things every time I log in, just as every other game I've played but I also always do something different and can change my play style or anything else on a whim.

That's what keeps me coming back.
An Atlantic player!

Me too!

Glad to have talked to you.

If you see me in game, say hello, I would love to meet you!
 

Guido_LS

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Simply put -

I've played all the major competition, including EQ for a longer time than I have logged into UO.

For me, it just got to a point where I got tired of having to keep up with the Jones' to see the top end of things - raiding 4-5 nights a week, dealing with a**hole guild members/leaders while being stuck doing so, without the real option of taking the night off... all in the pursuit of more stuff, and being placed on a rankings list... or, to put a different way, it was like coming home from a hard days work, and then logging in for yet another long shift at work again. It stopped being fun.

UO let's me do my thing, when I want, how I want. I want a house - I have one (actually 2, one on each account, both max lockdowns, 1 being an 18x18). I want to craft all day, I craft all day. I want to hunt all day, I hunt all day. I want to hang out with people, I hang out with them as long as I want, and then I leave with no fear of repercussion. If I want to PvP, I do, and if I don't, I have the option not to (I'm in favor of the classic shard, but just this one option is what will probably keep me from playing there full time).

It's all about choice - and UO offers more of the choices I look for than anything else. The only other games that have come close were Vanguard and Horizons (now Istaria). And I haven't tried Istaria since it has come under new ownership/development.
 
M

Morgana LeFay (PoV)

Guest
Who is next?

Tell us what you love about UO! That's all I am asking...
 
T

Trevelyan

Guest
Damn you, LeFay, you beat me to the main post! :D

I had a bad night of sleep and its really early here, so I wanted to post about my thoughts I was having.. anyway truth be told I play very little now but there are two big reasons I wont quit until the doors shut:

- The Ultima name still means something; its a brand ive played the games of since I was very young when my mum was very into games
- My mum, who has never missed any time out from UO, keeps playing even when I dont log in, so I dont think I can ever really "quit"

Aside from this, there is also the big big big reason that is unique to UO, and that is strong community. Ive talked to various UO players ive met with in real life over the years of making friends and going to meets and ive had some interesting thoughts on UO and what makes it different. And to me, this is the main big "thing" of UO - the other people around you.

You can essentially breeze through other online RPGs with the level-quest-goldfarm cycle, all on your own. Rarely are other players needed and level-restricted areas and activities highlight just how independant you really can be.

But what upset me the most the other day when I was playing was how my girlfriend found it hard to understand the game when she first logged in. She worked out how to do stuff but, there were so many questions and so few answers. So this reminded me of how I used to enjoy the game and how I can no longer play it.

Online games are just not like singleplayer ones; they will always be changing. Pick up your T2A/Shattered Legacy box and look at the manual and screenshots; it is no longer that game. No matter what you do, you can never relive or replay moments you once had. And this makes me very sad, as I cannot share that with anyone else. There are so few people from back in 2000 that still play and I feel that the community I once knew and was a part of is shrinking to nothingness.

All the time, I see places disappear or people leaving. Recently, Hemisphere on Europa had his accounts "hacked", but I dont even know if that is the case as hes totally dropped out of contact. Not only did a really nice collection of rares disappear, but so did a bunch of my own stuff stored there as well as my former best friend.

So with such constant change and sadness that I keep experiencing from UO, with such limited fun, what makes me still play? Hope. I hope that one day I will find fun in UO again, that players I used to have fun with will come back, that communities will revive. The EM program shows me that old things can and are being brought back, although it seems that more things are going away than coming back.

I have gigabytes of screenshots on another computer but have no access right now. Stuff going back to 2001/2000. I really want to post them sometime but just to finish, these are some things that I was thinking of that I really really miss and think that a classic shard could bring back out of the (Age of) shadows and remind us made UO fun to play:

  • Armour Rating and Magic Resistance - a simple system meaning armour was armour and attacks that werent physical were reduced by magic resist.
  • GM Armor - buying a set of regularly made GM armour was sufficient for most things. In addition, you could mix and match regular armour parts and still look good, whilst maintaining a good dexterity/armour rating
  • Forge repairs - Totally destroying strong communities, repair deeds totally removed the need to rely on other players and reputations.
  • No insurance - made going to new places risky and made having friends valueable. Also meant that people didnt always wear their best stuff and did rely on buying a 2k set of GM heavy archer/full plate.
  • Lootable bones and non-instanced corpses - related to community trust and insurance; having that possibility to lose everything really made having a good friend worthwhile. You could prove your trust-worthiness by saving a players stuff when it went to bones, even if it meant waiting around for them.
  • Fishsteaks - the staple of anyone going out to a dungeon. Fishing was fun anyway with MIBS and stuff, but at least all the fishsteaks (and bread for chefs) were useful.
  • Item ID and Arms Lore - Skills that were useful and let you see the state and properties of items. Item ID or ID wands had to be used so you could see what something was, so you always grabbed magic items off bodies. One of the funnest parts was, after looting stuff, coming back and IDing it all in case you found a..
  • Supremely accurate Katana of Vanquishing - Items just seemed better this way. No numbers, percentages or fractions, a sword was a sword and it was magic or not. If it was magic, it had a very subjectively sounding name like "Accurate" or "Vanquishing" that didnt make much sense for some perhaps, but that meant you had to find out. If you werent sure, you could of course just try it out.
  • Non-custom housing - Custom houses can be nice but most look crap (sorry to anyone who might think im digging at them, but your house is probably a nice one). I hate seeing dirt plots everywhere or ugly out of style blocks. Removed something from the game I cant explain.
  • MIDI MUSIC - Just a personal one, but I think it really changes the feel of the game. The old midi music was really nice to listen to if it was on and really just reminds me of when I first played.

Theres other things I thought of and then forgot, but I miss a lot of stuff in UO. So many changes have gradually changed UO, but looking back you can probably pinpoint where many started to really change the game to one expansion: Age of Shadows. The combat, resistance, housing and item updates all in one go totally changed the game for me, and it has never been the same since. I feel a lot has been irreplacably lost and only a classic shard can bring back such things.

Long post over.
tl;dr
Ill never quit because I hope it will be fun again.
 

Farsight

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I play for the people I play with.

No other reason. If my friends left the game, I certainly wouldn't stay.
 

Wolfman1604

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The possibilities to do whatever I want!

No other game gives me the versatility.
No other game got me to stay for 11 and a half years (counting).
When I suddenly decide to start crafting I can do that (not that I ever will I think).
Fighting monsters that are a challenge.
Fighting monsters that are easy.
Fighting monsters that are impossible.
.
.
.
you name it, I love it ;)
 

Petra Fyde

Peerless Chatterbox
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I can do what I like, when I like, if I like.
I can be who I like.
I can log in just for 10 minutes to water a few plants if that's all the time I have.
I can meet people and get to know them with none of the artificial barriers society creates.
 

roninaxx

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
because unlike most games uo has no end game . I can play any char template I want or make up a new one .eg:a stealth necro cook.I play daily because there are endless possiblities just like real life.and just like life if you look for good people you'll find them
 
C

Connor_Graham

Guest
1. There's nothing else with the same amount of freedom. Leveling games get old once you finish working the first character to max level, then have to do the same thing repeatedly.

2. I can do what I want when I feel like it.

3. (and most important) Every day I log into UO I think about the friend(s) that introduced me to the game.
 
B

Beer_Cayse

Guest
UOs "sandbox" style. I can do what I want, dress as I want, no structured skill trees, design my own house or take one already built. Yada, yada, yada ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

That was easy ... next question?
 
P

Phineas le Monge

Guest
After years of play and exploration, there are still places I haven't been and monsters I haven't died in front of yet.

It's true that community took a real hit when repair deeds came out - I miss repairing armor at the forge in Brit or Haven. But there is still some life left- there is still hope in a noble few who would rather rez ya than and count you as friend than persue gold and ubber items.

Perhaps today I will fish. Or plant some seeds. Or maybe walk into Destard like I own the place...
 

Warpig Inc

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Cheeper then golfing

Cheeper then a bass boat payment

To those that look down on gamers. 6 hours of watching TV never gets your heart racing. Taking the one extra step at Humility champ and getting 4 paragons locked onto you is a rush. I die it is OK, paragons are allowed to cheat.
 
P

Phineas le Monge

Guest
Taking the one extra step at Humility champ and getting 4 paragons locked onto you is a rush. I die it is OK, paragons are allowed to cheat.

Aye, true - or blindly stepping out of Yew gate fel...
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
There are hundreds of reasons I play UO.

Most of them involve the flexibility of the game, the ability you have to customize, own a piece of the game, build whatever you desire.

The LACK of structure.... the sandbox as it were.... is able to be formed and reformed dozens of times... You are not subject to limitations with your imagination.... it is a field of dreams... where as a role-player you have a vast canvas on which to paint your own masterpiece.... or fail.

The ability to create a character from scratch and be able to have fun and enjoy the game without working a single skill.

There just isn't anything else on the market that has the history, the community and the depth of UO and it's likely there never will be.

There is a vast and rich history and environment in which to play.... 100's and 100's of different skills, goals and things you can do...

I do not think it is possible to "do everything" ingame. (Unless of course you are someone of very NARROW vision).

Certainly there are times when one becomes "bored" but most times.... that's more because of ones own depressive state than some fault of the game.... or a lack of imagination.... or lack of vision with ones own goals set.

Many people play games to be entertained..... some.... a few who make the game so great.... play to entertain others. I like to think I'm one of the latter people.

It's those people that make UO truly great.
 
B

Bullseye_of_Atl

Guest
Why I love UO...........the sun never sets.....in all my years, there are skills I have yet to touch. There are dungeons I have never been in........I still know my first few friends.....And I play for the fun of it, when I can.
 
Z

Zyon Rockler

Guest
It evolves, it changes like we do, like an old friend or a place that once was, it will always be a part of us. It brings people that are far, near and helps to keep us in touch with each other. It touches the world and all the people who play are transcended into a world that has no bounds. The possibility that it could be around in another 10 years and the wonder of what it might become.

If we could learn to love, work together, come together in a video game, then it brings hope to the world and if we can't it teaches us the reasons.

The new interface and the action that it gives me, the feeling of how much more there could be and how exciting it is. Sometimes I feel I see something that not many have and the dream to show others. The rush of death or the ability to cheat death.
 

LordDrago

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Because if I stop, the tremors start, and it is all downhill from there. :) j/k

Because of everything everyone has said above.
The people (or most of the people :)) and the sandbox.
 

Snakeman

Grand Poobah
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Friends, non stop learning of the game (it never stops), be who & what you want to be (From a goodie too shoes to the evil dr doom), Any type of chara or mix of chara's you want to be. Mechanics of the game & YOU making the Game, WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE IT.

But by Far it's the friends you make that make it fun. :thumbup1:
 

MiNi MaGi

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
i really cant answer this question.. its just the feal of uo. no other game has this kind of feal and freedom to it.
 
K

Kallie Pigeon

Guest
It's an escape. Ok there I said it. There is reality and then there is Sosaria. In Sosaria I can do lots of different things and be lots of different characters. I like that I can chose my own end points or goals and I can take my time or rush if I so wish. Basically it all boils down to I enjoy it.
 

gunneroforgin

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I wish I knew why.
I have said this before... I will play UO untill a Gm asks me to turn out the lights and lock the door. I have had many friends who left the game. I didn't leave because they did. I just found new friends. I love the 2d system and the game mechanics. I just play PvM. I don't care for PvP( so if pvp got removed to it own game, I wouldn't care). I love the variety of things to do in this game. There is no such thing as winning UO as it is a constantly changing, growing thing.
 

Maximus Neximus

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I bartend and DJ for a living. So whenever I work, I party. On my days off I like to do anything but that. $13 a month is way cheaper than some of the alternatives I could be doing.
 

GreywolfUK

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
There are several other games out there, and UO has indeed changed over the years.

I consider us all some F'ed up family, but still I wonder...what makes you stick with UO???

Keep it short...keep it clean.


For me:

The answer is simple...

I love Sosaria, no matter what they do to it.

And I love my friends.

That's about it.

What about you? What makes you stick around? Do you want for gold? Is it the promise of another age? The nostalgia that drives you?

Stratics is like a home to me as well...and to you.

So I ask, with no agenda, I promise...what keeps you coming home to Sosaria?
Simply put, there is and never will be another game like UO, nothing has or will have the depth of play that UO has, nothing has even come close, and I have tried them all.

I have always said, play UO for 6 months and it will own your soul, I have played for so long, have tried to quit so many times, I have now given up trying to quit. last time I quit was end Aug 2009, I lasted until xmas day.

I do miss a lot of the old pre AoS stuff, like server wars, Order/Chaos, my crafter, standing at brit smithy plying his trade, DEATH GATING, yes I am guilty, both of doing and getting caught by it, but god was it so much fun. Most of all I miss my old friends, those that could not/would not make the transition from skill based UO to item based UO, and sadly those that are no longer with us.
 
V

Vaelix

Guest
PvP...

Even Hack ridden full of Exploits lame UO PvP is still better than PvP on Any MMO on the market right now.
 
V

Venus_AUPK

Guest
The freedom of the game and classless PvP.

Theres nothing better than working out a new unique template, training it, building a suit, perfecting it. Then taking it out into the field n killing people with it.

Also only in UO can 2-3 really skilled players kill 6-7+ zerg newbies. Any other mmo its all about numbers or who has the best class for pvp

PS. NO LEVELS!
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
It is by far the best game I have ever played. 12 yrs and still find new things to do. Started playing Ultima on a C64 and when UO online came out my son got me hooked.
 

Lightning 1

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
What about you? What makes you stick around? Do you want for gold? Is it the promise of another age? The nostalgia that drives you?

---
I'll have to get back to you on that, as soon as I finish learning how to imbue, and get done hunting for some ingredients. Oh, and complete that hunt with "Angel". Oh yeah, and I have to Meet Chargar to get my new armor finished, but probably after I redesign the guest house on my roof. Hmm... Surely I'm forgetting something.

God I miss the young ladies I got to know so well. And now I have the elf ! I am so happy I finally realized how much I want her near.
She is a legendary stealther and master thief however. I need to keep my eyes open.
:eyes:
 
G

georgemarvin2001

Guest
1. UO is a sandbox. Other games might have a "tamer template". In UO, I can make a stealth tamer, a bard tamer, or even a blacksmith tamer. I can wear what I want, do what I want. There isn't any preset "when you're at level 70 you do this" deal.
2. Quests are optional. UO doesn't push a whole load of stupid quests that you have to complete to "level up". For that matter, you don't have to "level up"
3. My house. I don't know why other online games haven't figured out that we have a home in UO, a place to hang our hats and show off our hard-earned pieces of pixel candy.
4. I can do what I want. There isn't any series of dungeons for each level. If you're a brand new character, you can go anywhere that a 12 year veteran can. You might not survive for over a second, but nothing is stopping you.
5. There used to be consequences for your actions. I know it has been 7 years now since this one has been true, but one of the big things I liked about UO was the fact that, when you died, you might lose all your stuff. You had to watch out for scammers and thieves. If you went to a dungeon to hunt by yourself, you would be in danger from PKs. You could become a murderer or a thief, but if you died as a murderer, you suffered permanent stat loss.

And the biggie: UO is a whole online WORLD, not just a battleground. It used to be a rich fantasy life in a medieval setting, where players would organize everything from the weddings of characters to jousting tournaments. Brit bank used to be reminiscent of the old open-market bazaars. There would be beggars and entertainers, tamers with horses, bears and dragons for sale. Treasure hunters selling magic weapons. Stealthy pickpockets hidden in the shadows, just waiting on unsuspecting tourists. Gamblers rolling dice. UO today is just a shadow of its former self, but it still has the feel of more than just a PvPM battle. In fact, in the old days, some players just sat at the bank or crafted all the time. There were whole ways of life that didn't even involve fighting at all. UO isn't just a place to fight. It is a place to explore, people to socialize with, a whole, rich fantasy life.
 
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