SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
ArsTechnica has a very interesting video (with transcript) that features Richard Garriot, co-creator of Ultima Online, discussing the virtual ecology of the game and how it went pear shaped as soon as the game was released.
When creating Ultima Online, Richard Garriott had grand dreams. He and Starr Long planned on implementing a virtual ecology into their massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It was an ambitious system, one that would have cows that graze and predators that eat herbivores. However, once the game went live a small problem had arisen...
Source: http://video.arstechnica.com/watch/war-stories-ultima-online-the-virtual-ecology [Ed-Requires ecmascript]
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
War Stories | Ultima Online: The Virtual Ecology
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 11 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
There will be big changes for you but you will be happy.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by stretch611 on Wednesday December 27 2017, @03:19PM
... So no video and no transcript... and ARS is looking to lose more people like me...
But the reason for the post...
Does the article only mention Ultima Online???
I ask because in computer years, Ultima Online is ancient news with Richard Garriot. After he left EA, (after selling Origin to them a long time ago), He started Shroud of the Avatar [shroudoftheavatar.com]. My assumption is that if it does not mention Shroud of the Avatar, it will be more of a fluff piece for EA. (which wouldn't surprise me.)
Richard Garriot no longer has rights to the name Ultima, which is why it was renamed, but this is the spiritual successor. Tracy Hickman, the man that invented the Dragonlance campaign for TSR/Wizards as well as many sci-fi-Fantasy books (including, but not just a bunch of DragonLance books) is also involved in the project.
It is a MMO, but you have to buy the software, then can play for free... but there is a cash shop, which has the same outrageous prices as most MMOs. Their real money grab is housing... with prices that if you have to ask, don't bother.
Technically, as I said, it is a MMO, but... you can play solo mode locally... or you can play with just a small group of friends online... or you can play full MMO online. That way you can play while avoiding the caustic environment that most MMOs degrade into. However, the characters and items in local mode can not be used online in an attempt to avoid hacks.
I've have considered buying it... it does support Linux... But I do not know anyone who plays it, and the $40 asking price is a bit of faith without knowing how much grinding is required and only a 52% rating on steam.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P