OldUO
Adventurer
Disclaimer: This is from my perspective and my play style when returning to Ultima Online after a 10 year break. Please do not take offense and consider this constructive criticism.
I reactivated an old account late last year, added 3 months of game time and upgraded to SA. I entered the new world of Ultima Online with a very open mind and this is why I will not be renewing my subscription.
Note: I have tried to make some suggestions below my concerns in read as requested below;
1. This game for new and returning players is almost unplayable out of the gates due to lack of support and lack of actual players on most shards. Help channels are generally empty. The advisor program seems to operate on EST time making it a hit or miss for most players elsewhere in the world. Ultimately this makes it a daunting task to most to try and complete or build a functional character in the game from scratch not knowing any of the game mechanics (what skills go with what etc etc) Most returning and new players do not know about Stratics or UOGuide (great resources) they should have these sites listed in game somewhere as the help functions in game are useless.
1a. Options for new players/returning players. Players when entering Britannia should be immediately welcomed into the game by a gump that would provide them with CURRENT information, especially on the currency system, and on where to go what to do and whom to talk to. I understand that resources are limited so there can't be someone there to hold everyone's hand, but there should be a gate or pad tat the player can take to a guild hall or player area that would help new people? The guild recruit tables were a bust and should be removed.
1b. Dead shards. Why can we not have an accurate number of active players per shard? Other than low/med/high. I would have never chosen the shard I did if I had more information on what shards were active. this would also help with new players finding shards that actually have players there willing to help.
2. The current economy in UO is out of control. If you do not receive help from other players or find a guild to join you more or less are forced to search for options to obtain gold (killing ettins or orges for 600 gold a time doesn't cut it.. so purchase with $? I don't think so) so you can either buy materials to craft armor pieces (only if you figured out how to raise crafting skills with the limited resources you may be able to obtain being a new player)
2a. I know that the economy is probably one of the hardest things to try and fix at this stage. An option would be for elder players to be able to donate gear at say a "Donation Box" which access would be given to NEW PLAYERS only on demand and at random. I understand that this takes away from the fundamentals of of the start of playing the game but it also would encourage players to venture beyond new haven. The starting amount of gold should be changed from 1000 to 100k per player.
3. The events program and EMs. |From the outside looking in it would appear the current DEV team likes to keep the masses entertained with shiny objects and story lines that are so "un" Ultima its not even funny. The games filed with hues that were never meant to be, but i guess that's evolution. In order to even try and participate you need a fully built character (to try for the items) of course you can partake in the RP but heck why not have a stab at a 150-500m item? SO that brings me back to the points above. As a returning player I lack the needed resources to acquire armors and weapons to compete.
3a. EM program and EM items.. I do not know what to recommend here as I do not have a vast knowledge with the program, but it is daunting to new players to understand why and what is the point of them if the stories are a one shot deal.. EMs should have continuing lore and be able to place the stories in an areas o people can join in at any point by reading what has gone on prior to the events.
4. Housing and IDOC systems. I was then lead on to being a IDOC hunter, an easy way maybe to score some goods! Well what the hell were they thinking with this system? House goes into decay mode.. ok I get that.. but 15 hours possibly for it to fall? WTF Broadsword who in their right minds has that much time to waste waiting for a house to fall? What happened to the good old days, couple hours at most? So you could go on with your day. Very frustrating and most of the times the IDOC cycles are in the middle of the night. I also have noticed that many people only have multiple accounts for one reason, an extra house. Why not make it possible for people to have ONE account but pay a little more monthly to have 2 or more houses? The accounts management system is a joke, might make it easier for some to reconcile this by allowing players the choice to pay more for two houses but have a single account.
4a. As much as people do not want to hear it.. some shards need to be removed. (Sonoma.. Napa.. are two that come to mind, they are nothing but baron wastelands) there should be housing options for players to have more than two per shard per account.
4b. IDOCs need to be changed back to how the systems were in the good ol' days. I understand that PLACEMENT was changed due to scripting, so that's fine but the actual fall of the house needs to be revamped. Unfortunately many people do have lives lol and can not be on the game at all times.
5. And a final point, this game, in its' current configuration, is catering to the older player base, people who have been the die-hards and have kept their accounts active for 18 years. I am not saying that this is wrong or a bad thing but if you want new players and increasing subscriptions, the team is doing it all wrong. Instead of new content and more lands and more crap they need to start improving the current systems, fixing bugs, fixing outdated lore in the game that leads on new players to no where.. so many quests that just die.. so many systems that do not work. It is very apparent that cheating, scripting and 3rd party exploits are rampant and readily available with a quick search. I would think with a "paid sub" game that they would take cheating a little more serious. They need to streamline the platform focus on doing ONE THING at a time. The games old, they don't need updated graphics but to just focus on what they have making things more fluid, making the world blend. Having the two clients really puts a damper on new players as I tried the EC but found it just horrid, I came back for nostalgia and the classic client does that.
5a. I know that expansions are a way for you to get more money and keep the lights on, but you really need to focus on the MAJOR BUGS and horrible content flaws in the game. Hire some folk to run around for a month and do every quest and see how many are dead ends come up and the major content issues that plaque the new questers of the game. Walk around the lands and see all the unnecessary crap laying around. The EMs make messes and forget to clean up.
Maybe the DEV team is just a bandage, just trying to keep that hamster on life support spinning the wheel. It may be a great idea for the team to have a quick look at some of the "freeshards" and how some of the successful ones operate. The one that I will be playing has a large active player base, true to time period lore and focuses on Ultima and the actual timelines.. not fancy EM items with ridiculous names and story lines that are a one time deal that make no sense and have to do with aliens and pieces of the professors delorean.
/rant over. Thanks to everyone who I met along the way and for the support in game.
I hope that the OSI version lives forever... and that maybe someone jumps on board and takes the helm and steers it into the right direction.
I reactivated an old account late last year, added 3 months of game time and upgraded to SA. I entered the new world of Ultima Online with a very open mind and this is why I will not be renewing my subscription.
Note: I have tried to make some suggestions below my concerns in read as requested below;
1. This game for new and returning players is almost unplayable out of the gates due to lack of support and lack of actual players on most shards. Help channels are generally empty. The advisor program seems to operate on EST time making it a hit or miss for most players elsewhere in the world. Ultimately this makes it a daunting task to most to try and complete or build a functional character in the game from scratch not knowing any of the game mechanics (what skills go with what etc etc) Most returning and new players do not know about Stratics or UOGuide (great resources) they should have these sites listed in game somewhere as the help functions in game are useless.
1a. Options for new players/returning players. Players when entering Britannia should be immediately welcomed into the game by a gump that would provide them with CURRENT information, especially on the currency system, and on where to go what to do and whom to talk to. I understand that resources are limited so there can't be someone there to hold everyone's hand, but there should be a gate or pad tat the player can take to a guild hall or player area that would help new people? The guild recruit tables were a bust and should be removed.
1b. Dead shards. Why can we not have an accurate number of active players per shard? Other than low/med/high. I would have never chosen the shard I did if I had more information on what shards were active. this would also help with new players finding shards that actually have players there willing to help.
2. The current economy in UO is out of control. If you do not receive help from other players or find a guild to join you more or less are forced to search for options to obtain gold (killing ettins or orges for 600 gold a time doesn't cut it.. so purchase with $? I don't think so) so you can either buy materials to craft armor pieces (only if you figured out how to raise crafting skills with the limited resources you may be able to obtain being a new player)
2a. I know that the economy is probably one of the hardest things to try and fix at this stage. An option would be for elder players to be able to donate gear at say a "Donation Box" which access would be given to NEW PLAYERS only on demand and at random. I understand that this takes away from the fundamentals of of the start of playing the game but it also would encourage players to venture beyond new haven. The starting amount of gold should be changed from 1000 to 100k per player.
3. The events program and EMs. |From the outside looking in it would appear the current DEV team likes to keep the masses entertained with shiny objects and story lines that are so "un" Ultima its not even funny. The games filed with hues that were never meant to be, but i guess that's evolution. In order to even try and participate you need a fully built character (to try for the items) of course you can partake in the RP but heck why not have a stab at a 150-500m item? SO that brings me back to the points above. As a returning player I lack the needed resources to acquire armors and weapons to compete.
3a. EM program and EM items.. I do not know what to recommend here as I do not have a vast knowledge with the program, but it is daunting to new players to understand why and what is the point of them if the stories are a one shot deal.. EMs should have continuing lore and be able to place the stories in an areas o people can join in at any point by reading what has gone on prior to the events.
4. Housing and IDOC systems. I was then lead on to being a IDOC hunter, an easy way maybe to score some goods! Well what the hell were they thinking with this system? House goes into decay mode.. ok I get that.. but 15 hours possibly for it to fall? WTF Broadsword who in their right minds has that much time to waste waiting for a house to fall? What happened to the good old days, couple hours at most? So you could go on with your day. Very frustrating and most of the times the IDOC cycles are in the middle of the night. I also have noticed that many people only have multiple accounts for one reason, an extra house. Why not make it possible for people to have ONE account but pay a little more monthly to have 2 or more houses? The accounts management system is a joke, might make it easier for some to reconcile this by allowing players the choice to pay more for two houses but have a single account.
4a. As much as people do not want to hear it.. some shards need to be removed. (Sonoma.. Napa.. are two that come to mind, they are nothing but baron wastelands) there should be housing options for players to have more than two per shard per account.
4b. IDOCs need to be changed back to how the systems were in the good ol' days. I understand that PLACEMENT was changed due to scripting, so that's fine but the actual fall of the house needs to be revamped. Unfortunately many people do have lives lol and can not be on the game at all times.
5. And a final point, this game, in its' current configuration, is catering to the older player base, people who have been the die-hards and have kept their accounts active for 18 years. I am not saying that this is wrong or a bad thing but if you want new players and increasing subscriptions, the team is doing it all wrong. Instead of new content and more lands and more crap they need to start improving the current systems, fixing bugs, fixing outdated lore in the game that leads on new players to no where.. so many quests that just die.. so many systems that do not work. It is very apparent that cheating, scripting and 3rd party exploits are rampant and readily available with a quick search. I would think with a "paid sub" game that they would take cheating a little more serious. They need to streamline the platform focus on doing ONE THING at a time. The games old, they don't need updated graphics but to just focus on what they have making things more fluid, making the world blend. Having the two clients really puts a damper on new players as I tried the EC but found it just horrid, I came back for nostalgia and the classic client does that.
5a. I know that expansions are a way for you to get more money and keep the lights on, but you really need to focus on the MAJOR BUGS and horrible content flaws in the game. Hire some folk to run around for a month and do every quest and see how many are dead ends come up and the major content issues that plaque the new questers of the game. Walk around the lands and see all the unnecessary crap laying around. The EMs make messes and forget to clean up.
Maybe the DEV team is just a bandage, just trying to keep that hamster on life support spinning the wheel. It may be a great idea for the team to have a quick look at some of the "freeshards" and how some of the successful ones operate. The one that I will be playing has a large active player base, true to time period lore and focuses on Ultima and the actual timelines.. not fancy EM items with ridiculous names and story lines that are a one time deal that make no sense and have to do with aliens and pieces of the professors delorean.
/rant over. Thanks to everyone who I met along the way and for the support in game.
I hope that the OSI version lives forever... and that maybe someone jumps on board and takes the helm and steers it into the right direction.
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