tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post5126773244692225808..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: The Black Gate: Won!CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-12965043857298780742023-07-09T21:41:04.338-04:002023-07-09T21:41:04.338-04:00This is the kind of thing I've done many times...This is the kind of thing I've done many times while playing RPGs, and these little "surplaying" narratives are priceless!SeleukosNikatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02368353259855754635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-41544244832436946692023-03-13T15:59:25.237-04:002023-03-13T15:59:25.237-04:00Coming in to say that this was an incredibly enter...Coming in to say that this was an incredibly entertaining post. Makes me wish Ultima Online was a single player game. Then I could just do whatever I wanted.Zack Macomberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18077050078436768492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-71807398243538513812023-01-25T20:27:24.664-05:002023-01-25T20:27:24.664-05:00Man after a three plus year hiatus I finally found...Man after a three plus year hiatus I finally found this blog again and catching up and this is not only one of the best blog posts, but one of the best short stories ever. Great job addict!Chadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58950230096313311492021-03-29T06:44:24.663-04:002021-03-29T06:44:24.663-04:00My hypothesis is that the true Shamino died long a...My hypothesis is that the true Shamino died long ago and Lord British replaced him with a magical clone of himself ("Clone" is a spell available to the player since Ultima 5).<br /><br />All the remaining Companions are Earth natives, also including Sentri and Chuckles (both from Ultima 2).Abacoshttps://strategywiki.org/wiki/User:Abacosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17034339887451309082021-03-29T06:36:03.549-04:002021-03-29T06:36:03.549-04:00>> "There are no answers," he says...>> <i>"There are no answers," he says. "Only questions." Then he demands I leave his shop. If you weren't dead, I'd kill you.</i><br /><br />The answer to those questions is <b>42</b>, as any fan of <i>"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"</i> knows. The novel series being quite long, you should at least watch the movie (the ending is different).Abacoshttps://strategywiki.org/wiki/User:Abacosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-40921189347055056852021-01-10T15:46:13.059-05:002021-01-10T15:46:13.059-05:00But... how much gold and XP does the Avatar gain f...But... how much gold and XP does the Avatar gain for murderhoboing Brittania?<br /><br />Lord British does nothing because he already tried, TWICE, to be active and it caused more problems than it solved.<br /><br />In Ultima 4, he starts the Quest of the Avatar because...? Brittania hadn't had any problems then, but British's attempt to elevate the people to his own level resulted in the gargoyle war in Ultima 6.<br /><br />In Ultima 5, he tries to solve the underworld monster problem, the result is people died horribly and he left a power vacuum for Blackthorn to take.<br /><br />I guess by Ultima 6 Lord British resigned to slowly drinking himself to death.kuniqsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87971797498593755192020-11-17T15:23:31.413-05:002020-11-17T15:23:31.413-05:00I appreciate the feedback. I'm glad this one i...I appreciate the feedback. I'm glad this one is still holds up after its initial shock.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82114542392248783262020-11-15T17:09:20.362-05:002020-11-15T17:09:20.362-05:00Cue Arcanum. I always did think that the conspicuo...Cue Arcanum. I always did think that the conspicuous geographical similarity of its world and Britannia was no coincidence.Iseweinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755411457833492660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-55570380240667298562020-11-13T22:54:41.365-05:002020-11-13T22:54:41.365-05:00So...
I've been moderately sick and feverish ...So...<br /><br />I've been moderately sick and feverish for the past couple of weeks and have found myself doing some soul searching in my downtime. In my mind, it's a big deal - but outside of there it's all just dust in the wind, so I won't bore the room with further details...<br /><br />But!<br /><br />This post was a truly weird, quasi-religious shock for me. Maybe it's the science fiction talking, but the lines between the realities of a guy recounting his game play, while the commentators swirl around, tangentially hyperlinking ideas, criticisms and asides about the nature of the work (We agree it's flawed, but how flawed, and why?), came home to roost in an explosion of minor epiphany for me with this entry.<br /><br />Long story short, I feel like I just came out the other side of a work of art I didn't know I was experiencing as I experienced it. <br /><br />Maybe that's part of the "Answer."<br /><br />Regardless, it was a very well done thing and I appreciate you doing it Chet. You said you weren't sure of your approach in some comments early; you should have never doubted it.<br /><br />Thank you!asciigodhttp://asciigod.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-55680339722828740202020-10-15T08:48:17.183-04:002020-10-15T08:48:17.183-04:00That's for sure and was so even before this en...That's for sure and was so even before this entry :-)captaingroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02137919363946007943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-27614985855552746012020-08-22T05:51:42.413-04:002020-08-22T05:51:42.413-04:00For me Serpent Isle was the better Ultima 7 as it ...For me Serpent Isle was the better Ultima 7 as it got rid of this retcon baggage by happening in another world. But I prefer story to open worlds - and I like adventure games. So SI did fit well for me. I also liked most of the story of Ultima 8. As I enjoyed more bleak and gritty worlds the older I grew. U9 was for me the final let down though. I still think that the general plot and background of the Ultimas is very good as it touches some painful subjects and allows thinking about them on a more personal level - the one big opportunity for video games. It just saddens me that the resulting games cannot fulfill the promises of the ideas and themes of the story ideas.<br /><br />I also love this entry very much - and it shows that Chet is really moved by this game. No one can suffer as much as a real fan that sees the gap between potential and delivered result.Discobutcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11779788258464817270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-40666426495938290672020-08-22T05:35:18.097-04:002020-08-22T05:35:18.097-04:00Actually the Divinity Original Sin games do this p...Actually the Divinity Original Sin games do this perfectly (in my opinion). They make sure that you can have most of the environment interaction and use of spells like telekinesis is there, but they make sure you cannot crash the story with it. I mean they wanted to do a spiritual successor of Ultima 7 - without it's issues. But of course they had an example in Ultima 7 and could use this for inspiration on what to do and what not...Discobutcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11779788258464817270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1247252002821895882020-08-09T00:12:32.622-04:002020-08-09T00:12:32.622-04:00I just had an idea: a subreddit called /r/thouhast...I just had an idea: a subreddit called /r/thouhastlostaneighth. People post news articles and videos that show other people acting in ways contrary to one of the <i>Ultima</i> virtues. The only titles allowed are the names of the virtues that have been violated.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-38726871843717984222020-08-08T23:39:15.725-04:002020-08-08T23:39:15.725-04:00When NPCs in the series say that a Britannian year...When NPCs in the series say that a Britannian year is equivalent to 10 Earth years, I don't think they mean that a Britannian year is only 36.5 days. That would be crazy. Their intellect wouldn't possibly be able to keep up with physical growth. Full-grown adults wouldn't have had time to learn to talk, let alone read. Clearly what they mean is that time passes differentially in the two respective universes, and that people from Earth who visit Britannia are still tethered to Earth's clock, not that they have biological differences that slow down aging.<br /><br />I could be wrong, but if I am, I don't want to know it. My Avatar just left the ruins of the Black Gate and went to celebrate by making out with a two-year-old.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-85446936145863374182020-08-08T06:42:32.852-04:002020-08-08T06:42:32.852-04:00I look at it like this. A Britannian year is 1/10 ...I look at it like this. A Britannian year is 1/10 as long as an Earth year, but the people age 10 times quicker (give or take). So a typical Britannian would still live to be about 80 Britannian years, though a Britannian year is comparable to about one Earth month. Whereas the Avatar, Lord British, Sentri and a few others probably, as well as all the companions could live around 800 Britannian years (except Shamino, who obviously bathes in the blood of virgins he acquires from that unicorn - a very spiritual experience for a ranger - hey, it's not like any of us have ever seen his house).<br /><br />This also explains why 200 years seem like only 20 years, though not much has changed in the way of technology. It takes time for scientists and engineers to learn enough to be able to achieve anything, but regardless of the sum total of scientific knowledge, by that time they're too old to get much done. Plus Britannia has magic, making tech advancement much less incentivized. So 200 years on Brittania would have even less technological advance than the corresponding 20 years on Earth.Judd9noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-12898024195925114472020-08-07T12:50:11.719-04:002020-08-07T12:50:11.719-04:00So, I've long held a view that Ultima 9 is act...So, I've long held a view that Ultima 9 is actually a sequel to the "bad" end of Ultima 7. It solves almost all of the problems created by Ultima 9's plot. <br /><br />The Serpent Isle artifacts and references are because of Gwenno returning with them. The Pagan references are from invading forces. The Tapestry of Ages was created by Lord British as propaganda to convince people the Avatar hadn't abandoned them, but no one really cares.<br /><br />And it explains why you're essentially having to become the Avatar all over again. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16128715469329454246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-5221897397202468652020-08-06T16:19:58.727-04:002020-08-06T16:19:58.727-04:00Brittania as Democratic Kampuchea, with Dead Kenne...Brittania as Democratic Kampuchea, with Dead Kennedy's music playing over and over. JJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-90039891187353937012020-08-05T14:44:47.093-04:002020-08-05T14:44:47.093-04:00I guess my argument was less "the developers ...I guess my argument was less "the developers should have fixed this" and more "a player who has a Telekinesis spell in a game with such a spell should assume that any accessible door with it is fair game", contra Kus's argument above. To paraphrase the old saying, if a game gives you a hammer, it seems to weird to suggest that you should think you're breaking the game when you use it to pound in a nail.Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02820538967423341664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-89005134255657538232020-08-05T06:57:30.480-04:002020-08-05T06:57:30.480-04:00Really, assuming that U7 takes place 200 years aft...Really, assuming that U7 takes place 200 years after U6 leads to more in-game contradictions than assuming that it doesn't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-75697269289953958142020-08-05T06:54:05.324-04:002020-08-05T06:54:05.324-04:00It is a fair assumption for a map designer that th...It is a fair assumption for a map designer that the telekinesis spell requires line of sight. An incorrect assumption, for sure, but not unreasonable.<br /><br />Oversights happen. The internet is great at hindsight and nitpicks, but most players in the nineties would never notice something like this one unless they already knew were it was.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-52433928300814520712020-08-05T04:14:21.476-04:002020-08-05T04:14:21.476-04:00Good point about Shamino being native. If you real...Good point about Shamino being native. If you really wanted to, you could argue that he belongs to the 2nd group of slow-aging people in Britannia: magic users.<br /><br />But it's not really convincing since the ones who do not age quickly are full mages not other classes with a sprinkle of magic. And full mage seems to be neatly defined by becoming insane in Ultima 7 due to the ether waves.<br /><br />Which of the companions are able to use magic or not is inconsistent between the games as well. Amusingly the Ultima 5 Book of Lore has Shamino cast a healing spell while in the game he can't use magic at all.Erikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00947258450306994754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81649491946285723002020-08-04T21:48:25.668-04:002020-08-04T21:48:25.668-04:00You’ll get no argument from me on that one. Other ...You’ll get no argument from me on that one. Other than a handful of big games like GTA Online, WoW, FFXIV, or the latest Call of Duty, most online games are ghost towns within a month or two after release. I also really dislike the whole games as a service model that companies have been pushing for the past 19-15 years.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09134367262707250301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-68166929628013382632020-08-04T19:10:05.324-04:002020-08-04T19:10:05.324-04:00Sure, I understand the idea behind it. And I did e...Sure, I understand the idea behind it. And I did enjoy some Ultima Online over a decade ago. But most MMOs turn into a grindfest where you have to play regularly if you want to keep up with your friends, and that's just tedious. And MMOs are by their very nature temporary games. You can return to a single player game 30 years later and experience all the content you experienced all those years ago, with nothing missing. An MMO of that age is unlikely to have many players or even official servers anymore, so the best you can hope for is private servers with small active communities a tenth of the size of the original population, or in the worst case exploring a game designed for multiplayer on your lonesome. The original intended experience of 100 players interacting at the same time is gone forever and won't come back. JarlFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139422412722665286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-62542100034468941552020-08-04T18:08:08.454-04:002020-08-04T18:08:08.454-04:00JarlFrank, I get that, I'm not too into games ...JarlFrank, I get that, I'm not too into games tethered to online play, but I can see why it would appeal to Garriott. He was proud of his work on Ultima Online, and to him, having a bunch of human players sharing one world and performing different roles in keeping that online world running is his idea of what role-playing is all about.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09134367262707250301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-12842903830319413662020-08-04T17:46:30.714-04:002020-08-04T17:46:30.714-04:00That only works if the content is already there in...That only works if the content is already there in a finished state. The reality is that a lot of people are working on an engine, a lot of people are working on content, (hopefully) some people are fixing bugs and crashes (if the damn thing runs at all), and its all happening at the same time. That's why it's important to have a stable version that is tested, fixed, tested again, for a few iterations. The game really would habe needed more tests and a couple of rewrites, but with an ambitious project and budget being limited, its easy to see why this didn't happen.<br /><br />But that doesn't mean you can't critizise the game for these shortcomings.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07270991090065636515noreply@blogger.com