JacktR asked me an interesting question: Would Ultima Online survive if it were released today? I am of course talking about a next generation UO. Not a re-release, but a new game, with 3d graphics, pixel shader 3.0 vista directx10 support and all that jazz. What it would retain, however, is the game play which made UO so different. Open-ended game play. The capability to do anything, anywhere. A game which let the players create the economy, not the NPC’s. Player housing, a feature that seems perhaps trivial to todays MMO gamer, but a truly captivating thing to have experienced in Ultima Online. That unsettling feeling that the world around you was huge, unknown and dangerous, but that you and your loot were safe in your dwelling, probably. Massive Multi player Online Role playing games have seen enormous changes from these early days of UO. For a number of reasons I believe this change was inevitable, primarily due to how these games are marketed and who they are being marketed to. Considering also the unforgiving game design of Ultima Online in comparison to the more casual approach of today’s successful MMO’s. In todays market Ultima Online would have a hard time fitting in amongst the giant powerhouses that are World of Warcraft and Everquest.


Marketing plays a significant role in how MMO’s are designed since a games chance of success is greater when targeted for a larger audience. This means a developer will probably choose the safer, already established formula when deciding what elements go into a games design. When you look at the upcoming releases which are undoubtedly influenced by our lord and savior World of Warcraft, its unlikely to expect any diversity. For a developer to take a chance and create something different, would be economical suicide. How do you promote a game which goes against such successful niches set by the industry giants? Unfortunately you don’t. Proving this is Richard Garriott’s latest creation: Tabula Rasa. The man who fathered Ultima Online sees the futility of rebirth in the MMO world, and so has stuck to the beaten trail himself. Granted Tabula Rasa has taken a new approach in not only the lore department but also the combat, the core game mechanics remain true to the dominant MMO criteria.


So what happened to Ultima Online? There are two types of players in this world, those who play Street Fighter, and those who play Animal Crossing. Simply put, people are different. Some players find the competitiveness of Counter-Strike and Halo appealing, seeking glory or bragging rights by being the best of the best. The other type of player finds this constant battle exhausting, and finds much more reward from other tasks like leveling, crafting, solving complex puzzle scenarios or simply exploring. Of course there is a middle ground, those who enjoy a little from column A and a little from column B. However the majority it seems, tends to be players from Column B. This explains the downfall of UO. Yes you could craft, skill-up (level) and definitely explore in UO, but the heart of the game was in its player cohesion. Players were forced to exist together, friendly or otherwise. This resulted in an incredible community which was extremely rewarding, especially for those who sought conflict. However for the casual gamer, the world was harsh to say the least. The outcry was large enough that it forced the design team to make some changes. Enter Trammel. Trammel was a design implementation which actually cut game servers in two. One half of the server was FFA PVP, as it always had been, and the other new half was Restricted PVP. Trammel was the first real warning sign that things were changing. Gamers were now divided. The competitive bunch stayed on one side of the line, the casual gamers on the other. Players from Column A realized all of a sudden their world was shrinking, dramatically.


So the future seems dark for those of us waiting to relive the glory days. Would UO survive if it were released today? Not likely. In fact No. The games today lack any sense of pure player vs player combat. Those that have tried to introduce a true pvp world have failed miserably, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, etc. The new one to probably let us down is on its way and due out 2008. Until then we can continue to waste our time.

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