Ultima 2: hotel raising stats

[Goochman]

That's brilliant, I always wondered how the water became red on that one, yet Ultima IV was fine.

 

I just loaded up Ultima 2 on Hatari. Oddly it works on the Falcon, but not under Falcon resolutions, Low res was kind of terrible, but it does work under ST High. But I think the timing is off from running it under Falcon emulation, since I'd click once and it'd mostly click twice instead. It does seem to only use 4 colors as well.

 

Time for an 'enhanced' version?

 

I'm thinking the older 8-bit versions of 2 were black and white anyway, weren't they? I know Ultima 1 was.

 

Yes, but U1 on the 8bit didnt use artifacting, it used a low resolution mode (maybe even one of the text graphic modes) - U1 was ugly and buggy - my $0.02

[leech]

I can't disagree at all with U1 being ugly. But I still played it for 24 hours straight when we first got it. Man that power brick was HOT at the end of that!

[zzip]

That's brilliant, I always wondered how the water became red on that one, yet Ultima IV was fine.

 

I just loaded up Ultima 2 on Hatari. Oddly it works on the Falcon, but not under Falcon resolutions, Low res was kind of terrible, but it does work under ST High. But I think the timing is off from running it under Falcon emulation, since I'd click once and it'd mostly click twice instead. It does seem to only use 4 colors as well.

 

Time for an 'enhanced' version?

 

I'm thinking the older 8-bit versions of 2 were black and white anyway, weren't they? I know Ultima 1 was.

 

I think Ultima 2 was actually an ST launch title. So it wouldn't surprise me that they half-assed the GEM implementation. Developers were just getting used to the system and rushing the game to market

[zzip]

 

Yes, but U1 on the 8bit didnt use artifacting, it used a low resolution mode (maybe even one of the text graphic modes) - U1 was ugly and buggy - my $0.02

 

and wasn't it written in BASIC too? Origin did release an updated U1 rewritten in ASM around '86, but I don't think that version came to Atari.

[Goochman]

 

I think Ultima 2 was actually an ST launch title. So it wouldn't surprise me that they half-assed the GEM implementation. Developers were just getting used to the system and rushing the game to market

 

I thought U2 was created by a hobbyist and Origin decided to sell it. IIRC correctly I only paid $10 for it - it was not an official port Im pretty sure. Mouse interface was terrible, its the only version I owned that I never finished.

[zzip]

 

I thought U2 was created by a hobbyist and Origin decided to sell it. IIRC correctly I only paid $10 for it - it was not an official port Im pretty sure. Mouse interface was terrible, its the only version I owned that I never finished.

 

I guess Richard Garriott was technically a hobbyist when he started the series. He got Sierra On-line to publish I and II. But he wanted more creative control so he started Origin, who published Ultima III onward-- until they were eventually absorbed by EA.

 

The ST port was an official port

Edited January 26, 2017 by zzip

[andwan0]

I play U2 on Hataroid on my phone during my long commutes to/from work. Colors look okay.

Edited January 26, 2017 by andwan0

[Android8675]

 

I thought U2 was created by a hobbyist and Origin decided to sell it. IIRC correctly I only paid $10 for it - it was not an official port Im pretty sure. Mouse interface was terrible, its the only version I owned that I never finished.

It was. The original Aklabeth (Ultima Zero) was distributed in a plastic bag at a couple local shops in Austin. (LB's home town, I think)

 

I almost want to say Richard Garrott started Origin, but that's probably not correct. Google save me! Ah yes, Richard and brother Robert started Origin Systems with dad according to Wikipedia. Their first game was U3.

 

When Origin closed in 2000 I was in Austin and through word of mouth we heard of and "all-welcome" informal gathering at Richard's castle along the Austin river. That was one crazy party. First time I've ever fired a Trebuchet loaded with watermelons at a fort that looked like a ship loaded with a bunch of drunk game devs. Fortunately, I missed the people. (Fortunately? Unfortunately? *shrug*)

[zzip]

I almost want to say Richard Garrott started Origin, but that's probably not correct. Google save me! Ah yes, Richard and brother Robert started Origin Systems with dad according to Wikipedia. Their first game was U3.

 

Another interesting bit of trivia: "dad" was an astronaut who was on board the Skylab in the 70s, Owen Garriott

[jhd]

First time I've ever fired a Trebuchet loaded with watermelons at a fort that looked like a ship loaded with a bunch of drunk game devs. Fortunately, I missed the people. (Fortunately? Unfortunately? *shrug*)

 

First time... so you have done it more than once?

[Android8675]

 

First time... so you have done it more than once?

Well I'm still alive. I haven't seen a working Trebuchet near a watermelon patch since I left Austin... I think it won't be the last time. I doubt the targets will be as rich as they were that night.

 

Richard had this half scale village along the Austin river, thing looked like one of the towns in Ultima, only half size. I got pretty plastered. I wish I had been brave enough to actually explore more of his home. I hear he has secret passages all over the place.

 

I was able to sneak in a try of this port they opened, I heard murmers of 1800 something. I pretty much just got in a wave and a smile before I bowed out. Too much star dust in the eyes.

[+nurmix]

Back in 1983/1984 I played several of the games, but not all in order...

 

Ultima III Exodus was my first. That was initially played on a friend's Atari 800, then I 'borrowed' it and completed it with another friend (Jim) on my 800 XL. Great memories of that - I still have all the notes and graph paper maps we drew. Jim was killed in 1987 (drunk driver hit him on his motorcycle), so U3 has special meaning to me.

 

I played Ultima II on my 800XL shortly after Jim and I completed U3. And at some point the two of us completed Ultima 1 on his stepdad's Apple II Plus.

 

Years later (early '90s) I completed Ultima IV on my NES.

 

I picked up Ultima 5 and 6 for my ST in the mid-nineties, but only started 5 (never finished it), and checked out 6, but didn't get around to it either.

 

In the early 2,000s, I decided to fill the holes in my collection, and picked up what I was missing, including 7, 8, 9 (CIB) for PC off eBay.

 

I still have my original Atari 8-bit 'big box' Ultima II, as well as my friend's Ultima III (never gave it back!)

 

I recently took my STE out of storage, and got it all up and running with hard drive. My goal is to take on 5 soon, and 6 after that. If I complete those, I'll move to 7, 8, 9 on the PC.

 

It's been a long time, but having supported the Kickstarter for Shroud Of The Avatar, I'm feeling the urge to get back to Sosaria / Britannia now...

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Edited April 23, 2017 by nurmix

[pixelmischief]

Ultima IV is the only in the series I played seriously. The game really made an enormous impression on me. I was badly in need of a much simpler and well-ordered moral system in my own life at that time and the system offered by QoA really resonated with me; becoming a foundation for the way I thought about morality and spirituality moving forward. It would be nearly impossible for me to overstate what the game has meant to me these many years.

[+SoulBuster]

I am not sure which ones I finished. I bought a set for the PC that includes Ultima 0-8 plus Serpent's Isle. It did not include the Ulitma Underworlds, I had those already anyway. It also did not include Worlds of Ultima games based on the Ultima VI game engine, these I do not have.

[+nurmix]

I am not sure which ones I finished. I bought a set for the PC that includes Ultima 0-8 plus Serpent's Isle. It did not include the Ulitma Underworlds, I had those already anyway. It also did not include Worlds of Ultima games based on the Ultima VI game engine, these I do not have.

I have that same combo box set for the PC. It was picking that up that made me want to get the full CIB games I didn't have; with the cloth maps, books and usually some sort of trinket thrown in. The presentation and lore is a big part of the cool factor with Ultima games.

 

I have a combo box set of the two Underworld games, although I've never played them. I figure I'll get to them if and after I finish 9. I don't have any of the Worlds Of Ultima stuff either.

 

But, as far as the 'main' Ultima games go, the only one I don't have CIB is Ultima I - sort of... I put together a homebrew box, with the correct artwork, as well as copies of everything that would have been included. To buy a CIB version today on eBay is gonna cost you BIG money.

 

Maybe I'll post some pix of my stuff later.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[+nurmix]

Ultima IV is the only in the series I played seriously. The game really made an enormous impression on me. I was badly in need of a much simpler and well-ordered moral system in my own life at that time and the system offered by QoA really resonated with me; becoming a foundation for the way I thought about morality and spirituality moving forward. It would be nearly impossible for me to overstate what the game has meant to me these many years.

It was a very innovative game that really made you think about all your choices and the consequences of them.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

[Tempest]

I have them all boxed except for VI. Of course my I-III are the trilogy box set, not the individual ones.

[+DarkLord]

Ultima IV is the only in the series I played seriously. The game really made an enormous impression on me. I was badly in need of a much simpler and well-ordered moral system in my own life at that time and the system offered by QoA really resonated with me; becoming a foundation for the way I thought about morality and spirituality moving forward. It would be nearly impossible for me to overstate what the game has meant to me these many years.

 

Fully agreed here. I can still remember reading one of the reviews on it, where the author

seriously doubted average players ever finishing it. I'm happy to say I did and if you played

it and didn't, you owe it to yourself to go back and try again.

 

Can't say enough good things about it....

[zzip]

I finished III and IV. I thought IV was great, but I never got into V when it came out. Is it worth going back and playing V + VI in 2017, or have they aged badly?

[+SoulBuster]

I have a combo box set of the two Underworld games, although I've never played them. I figure I'll get to them if and after I finish 9. I don't have any of the Worlds Of Ultima stuff either.

 

They are worth the time spent. I finished both of them, but I have to admit, near the end of the second one, I had to use a walk through. In my opinion, nearly impossible to finish without help.

[+DarkLord]

I finished III and IV. I thought IV was great, but I never got into V when it came out. Is it worth going back and playing V + VI in 2017, or have they aged badly?

 

Absolutely! IV will always have a special place in my heart (heck, they all do!) but V's story is bigger, the graphics are better and there are some

powerful moments in the game. Oh, if you can get the complete boxed set with all the "goodies" inside, be sure and do so. The story about what

happens to Lord British's party on their expedition to the UW is just awesome.

[Tillek]

I finished Ultima I recently as part of my "Ultimate Quest" to finish all those games from my childhood. I'll be starting U2 as soon as I find my original disks (that I got instead of a Happy 1050 for my birthday) I was going to try it on the C128 (since I misplaced the Atari 8-bit disks) I recently got, but I don't know what people were thinking when they said the Commodore version had better graphics. I did win U3 back in the day... kinda (we couldn't find the life of the Serpent, no matter how much we tried, at that location we just got one of the Marks we already had, so we sector editored our way past the serpent). Ultima IV we got far on, but then either my little brother or dad won it and that kinda took the wind out of it. It will be fun playing III and IV on the AtariMax cartridges.

[+nurmix]

...(we couldn't find the life of the Serpent, no matter how much we tried, at that location we just got one of the Marks we already had, so we sector editored our way past the serpent).

You couldn't get past the serpent, or just couldn't find it? If you eventually got to it, you had to Yell "evocare" to pass... I don't remember how we found that out back then, though - whether it was written somewhere or some non-player character told us.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Edited April 26, 2017 by nurmix

[Tillek]

You couldn't get past the serpent, or just couldn't find it? If you eventually got to it, you had to Yell "evocare" to pass... I don't remember how we found that out back then, though - whether it was written somewhere or some non-player character told us.

 

 

 

Sent from my Keyboard Component using Jack's Conversational Intelli-talk cassette

Well, I meant to say "we couldn't find the MARK" of the Serpent. Basically, there were 4 Marks that did different things. You found them in dungeons and when you touched the flaming whatnot, it gave you the appropriate mark (I know you know this, this is for those who may not remember or played it).

 

In my version, for whatever reason, when you went to the dungeon on the quest to get the Mark of the Serpent, when you touched the thingie.... you got a duplicate of another Mark (I want to say Kings).

 

Now this might have been because we once stumbled on one accidently and got it before the quest, or ... well... who knows. I'm a software engineer... I don't question how bugs happen just like I don't question the mechanics of breathing.

 

So without the Mark of the Serpent, you can shout Evocare all day long and nothing happens.

 

So after we went and got hint guides (not as easy back in those days... no "google" or web) and confirmed that we were indeed in the right place and getting the wrong thing, we just went to the nose of the serpent, saved, edited our x/y position by a few squares and continued on.

 

I still have those original disks, and I'm tempted to see if the problem crops up again... (But I also have the Atarimax cartridge version of III and IV so I'll probably be playing those just to compare the experience and to prevent any urge to "cheat by copying the save disk").

 

If only Atarimax had done Autoduel and the rest of the Ultima series.

[+DarkLord]

There were several "glitches" that were known in a couple of the versions.

 

I remember in the ST version of Ultima III, you could kill a sea going monster

between the land and an island offshore, then leave the chest that dropped,

and use that as a bridge to go back and forth to the island.

 

I used to create "safe zones" with the chests, blocking entrances to hidden

places as well as encircling towns like Dawn, or just making a square fort

since the monsters couldn't cross the chests.

 

Also, you could sometimes create a male human ranger that would have

increased stats limits from another class.

 

Dang, makes me want to go back and play some more!