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[sambojin]

The basic description: A semi-MMORPG based, small group multi-player version of Ultima 4. It's a re-imagining of the series, where the virtues of Britannia are core to the game, but avatar-hood may not be the ultimate goal. IP issues (Lord British) have been side-stepped, but apparently the basic game-world is attempting to stay true to the original. Available (eventually) on the Origin digital download system, for the good or bad that entails. Single player and multi-player are accessible, with quest lines, etc, based on player decisions.

There's currently a facebook thing going on with random "virtuous" questions, relating to various scenarios, and people posting on how their characters would react. Standard hype-building fare, but still intriguing.

There is currently a beta-key offering to start playing this game. Has anyone received one, and what can you tell us about the game-play?

If there's a current thread about this, I'll close this one, but my quick search didn't offer any results. A new thread may be reasonable in any case as it's getting closer to release, and there's possible beta players out there (or will be soon).

[EuchreJack]

Satan is behind all "re-imaginings", "revivals", "updated versions", and sequels to classic games.

At best, WoW set in the Ultima 4 world.  At worst, another simple facebook game.

EDIT: Ok, I realized that was unreasonably harsh (even though I liked Ultima 4 and HATE MMORPGs [Sorry, but I prefer to game alone]), so I'll admit to being interested in hearing from anyone that grabbed a Beta key.  Thread seems worthwhile.

[Neonivek]

Satan is behind all "re-imaginings", "revivals", "updated versions", and sequels to classic games.

At best, WoW set in the Ultima 4 world.  At worst, another simple facebook game.

Actually for some games it works... VERY well

The Remakes of Kings Quest 1-3 and the remakes of Quest for Glory 1-3 are very faithful and genuinly good.

[EuchreJack]

Satan is behind all "re-imaginings", "revivals", "updated versions", and sequels to classic games.

At best, WoW set in the Ultima 4 world.  At worst, another simple facebook game.

Actually for some games it works... VERY well

The Remakes of Kings Quest 1-3 and the remakes of Quest for Glory 1-3 are very faithful and genuinly good.

That is only because I don't like those games.  If I actually liked adventure games, then they would suck.   

All kidding aside, it might be interesting, although I doubt most studios can commit to "the pursuit of Virtue" like Ultima 4 dared to do.  What, I can't just loot all those town chests?  How surprisingly revolutionary for an RPG of the time!

[Neonivek]

How surprisingly revolutionary for an RPG of the time!

It would be if games followed suit... but the only game I can think of that had complex morality be an important facet of the game was Jade Empire (which to my knowledge was under appreciated)

[EuchreJack]

How surprisingly revolutionary for an RPG of the time!

It would be if games followed suit... but the only game I can think of that had complex morality be an important facet of the game was Jade Empire (which to my knowledge was under appreciated)

Considering I've only heard the name "Jade Empire" as being that of a game and know nothing else, I'd say you're right about that.

On to more serious things, any links to articles on this game, possibly featuring screenshots?  Screenshots are fun, one can speculate a whole lot on screenshots alone.

[sambojin]

I had a big spiel written. Ultima 4 had you as the hero, but also the one that would stop the hero being the hero.
Good times for a player.........
But in the end, if you wanted to finish it, you HAD to be good. For the story and stuff.......
How much interest is there in a game like this these days? You're "meant" to be good, but you don't have to be. What is "good" is arbitarily chosen by the developers.

To me, that seems interesting.

Only if there is enough levels of good and bad offered. Who didn't steal the castle's treasurery ten times over in the original? Then be really nice to blind people?

I hope the choices are better than that........

[Catastrophic lolcats]

I'm of the opinion that anything unique to Origin is worthless, no matter how good the base game is.
I'm not exactly a massive fan of Ultima outside of Ultima Online since the series is a little before my time. I think I'll keep an eye on this and observe it mainly due to curiosity of the mechanics and the possibly hilarious ways they'll side-step copyright.

I would love to see something fresh in the MMORPG market. The current WoW-clone hotkey mash fest is one that never interested me.

[dizzyelk]

How nice, yet another piece of my childhood dug up and raped to feed the multiplayer craze.

Satan is behind all "re-imaginings", "revivals", "updated versions", and sequels to classic games.

At best, WoW set in the Ultima 4 world.  At worst, another simple facebook game.

Actually for some games it works... VERY well

The Remakes of Kings Quest 1-3 and the remakes of Quest for Glory 1-3 are very faithful and genuinly good.

The difference here is that word faithful, this doesn't sound faithful to the original. I would accept and approve of an actual re-make, but a "semi-MMORPG based, small group multi-player version... reimagining"? Do not want. It's called "Quest of the Avatar" for a reason, and I don't see it working without that whole main part of the story.

A quick Google search returns something called "Ultima Forever" , which bills itself as a "multiplatform" (being on PC and iCrap iPad doesn't bode well in my book) action RPG that has been "lovingly restored" and "faithful to the original" (according to this article) which is proven by removing the original's 8 classes pertaining to the 8 virtues and giving you the option of 2, where you get to dungeon crawl with friends! Um, except the original wasn't about dungeon crawling more than you needed to to get the stones and raise the codex. And who the hell is this "Lady British" that took over when Lord British "went to the stars"? In all the games there has NEVER been a "Lady British", and the only person to rise to power was the usurper Lord Blackthorn when Lord British was missing in the underworld.

Oh! And there's this... "players will be able to customize their character with hats, armor and a variety of personalized gear — but also offer purchases for 'convenience.' 'We'll let we'll let you speed up to your friend's level,' she [lead designer Kate Flack] said and pay for consumables like health potions, should players seek to bypass the grind." Yay! Hats! That'll make up for stripping out what the game is about, and turning it into another inane NPC quest game.

But, that's just how it sounds to me.

[Neonivek]

I had a big spiel written. Ultima 4 had you as the hero, but also the one that would stop the hero being the hero.
Good times for a player.........
But in the end, if you wanted to finish it, you HAD to be good. For the story and stuff.......
How much interest is there in a game like this these days? You're "meant" to be good, but you don't have to be. What is "good" is arbitarily chosen by the developers.

To me, that seems interesting.

Only if there is enough levels of good and bad offered. Who didn't steal the castle's treasurery ten times over in the original? Then be really nice to blind people?

I hope the choices are better than that........

This is because the entire point of the game is that you are on a spiritual quest to become the paragon of goodness. To champion a new way of thinking, a new religion, onto a twice threatened country.

Also yeah it could never catch on. The idea of goodness as a genuin champion of goodness is entirely lost upon gaming.

Just look at games that currently use "Morality choices" as a buying point. Bioshock has you chose between violently murdering children or curing them. Mass Effect has you chose between being arbitrarily nice and being a psychopathic jerk. MANY games with alignment systems actually don't matter (Some games play out EXACTLY the same devilishly evil as they do angelically good)

Heck Dragon Age a game with a rather sizable world with social stigma and morality... completely ignores it. You can cast blood magic infront of everyone and they don't care. Align yourself with evil constantly and it will never stab you in the back.

I always play good when I play games because that is what my playing style is. I want to be the good character... but lately I've been so worn out from the fact that it matters so little in games that even I was just like "Yeah lets just be a jerk" and when that happens it means that these stories start to be games once more.

I actually disagree with my brother in that games secretly make good the better option and evil the worse. In that it is the wrong thing to be looking at. The problem is that they arn't real choices.

[ChairmanPoo]

Yeah. Ultima games pretty much oriented you towards "good". But then again you were supposed to be good. And you got immediate advantages from evil, despite the penalties, so you could go that way at times.

Planescape: Torment does it pretty well, IMO better than Ultima. Both paths have ups and downs, and both carry a steep prize

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I particularily liked the endgame for evils because there is a certain poetic quality in Vhailor the mercykiller going after you for your misdeeds.

[sambojin]

I used to love Ultima 4, I played it to death on my Sega (which I still think was the best version of it). I'll admit that this one has me slightly worried. They released a map of Britain, which is apparently "the first city you'll find" in this version. Does that mean we can't faff about on the world map at all? Does it mean I'll only see Britain once, and never return in later game? Is it just a way of saying "here's a map to drool over, it's the first one"?

It sounded suspiciously linear from the way it was written. I know that Ultima 4 wasn't exactly non-linear, but this new one might be taking a step in the wrong direction. It's suprising how many games do, now that we've got uber-processors, great graphics, massive storage, and years of knowledge of what makes games good. They get simpler than the originals.......

I hope it isn't like what it sounded like.

[somebody]

who the hell is this "Lady British" that took over when Lord British "went to the stars"? In all the games there has NEVER been a "Lady British"

Richard Garriott refused to let EA use Lord British so EA made Lady British.

[sambojin]

I'd love to see where they go with the story actually. Was British getting a bit of poontang the whole time? Did he knock up one of his servants and legitimize the bastard? Did he do what we'd all do and nip back to earth, find a super-model and explain to her that you are indeed king of another realm, virtually immortal, and rich as hell?

They probably won't say anything due to the IP stuff, but it could be a bit of a laugh to fill in the backstory of Lady British a bit

[EuchreJack]

I'd love to see where they go with the story actually. Was British getting a bit of poontang the whole time? Did he knock up one of his servants and legitimize the bastard? Did he do what we'd all do and nip back to earth, find a super-model and explain to her that you are indeed king of another realm, virtually immortal, and rich as hell?

They probably won't say anything due to the IP stuff, but it could be a bit of a laugh to fill in the backstory of Lady British a bit

If you wanted it to reflect reality, the backstory of Lady British is: "The Kingdom of EA couldn't afford to keep Lord British on the payroll, so they hired his idiot cousin instead."