A New Shard for a New Legacy
As many of you already know, one of our Event Moderators joined the development team as an Associate Designer. EM Dudley, aka Kyronix, was recently interviewed by UO Forums. The interview is full of some great information regarding his transition from EM to Associate Designer and what it’s like joining the Dev team. Head over to UO Forums to check it out.
As we move into the twelfth month of the year we bring you Ask and Answer number 12. It is a season for giving and your questions have the developers making plans to bring all sorts of changes to the game. Enjoy!
UO Auctions
Can anything be done about the freezing screen when you use house customising and or the packing create with EC? (Rupert Avery)
We actually discussed this over lunch for approx 20 minutes to try to figure out the best way to do this, bottom line is yes it can be redone but it is not Just a simple task. But it’s on our radar now.
UO Stratics
Dont wanna add more than a bit thanks to devs for this new hunt. It s well done, fun to make from the start till the end.
It just rings a bell to me concerning the other peerlesses. First of all why dont you change the key timers to make them the same that for Eodus ? i.e. a 1 week timer is great… gives us time enough to prepare things for guild.
I understand that it was not welcome at the beginning when all bosses were overcamped but now most peerless places are empty on a regular basis…
So if you give us a bit more time to gather sets of keys alike Exodus that would be great indeed (Lien Ragus)
So this is a valid idea, we like it and you guys will see all the keys for the peerless encounters with extended timers on them in the future.
Hello devs.
I’m trying “Elwood Quest” for several years to get a rare obsidian statue of character’s name.
And it still continues, I am being 200 defeated successively currently…
Is it completely random that a rare name’s statue appears ?
I wish there is no like an easter egg on origami paper.
Thank you.(Peil)
We agree the rarity of this is way too high, we will look into adjusting this. Right now there is a 1 in a 1000 chance to get a rare statue. We will make some changes to improve this in a future publish.
Gargoyles are still unable to use Dartboards. (not a huge issue i know), but a bigger issue is the Gargoyles inability to use +mining gloves. like the Ringmail with +5 bonus. any help on these would be appreciated.(Victim of Siege)
Could we get an option to alter Mining Gloves for a Gargoyle?
Gargoyles have become the crafter of choice with imbuing and reforging and since you need over 100 mining skill to max out salvaging…the mining gloves are somewhat necessray. (swroberts)
Blacksmith gloves of mining don’t work on mr gargoyle, any chance, down the road, we can alter these in some way??Thnx(Bullseye_of_Atl)
Due to the fact the humans and elf’s have racial bonuses, we do not see any reason that Gargoyles should not have a racial bonus also. We are going to give the gargoyles a mining racial bonus.
It was mentioned on FoF (April 10, 2009) that “the donation system for community collections needs an overhaul in general”.I’m curious if this is still being looked at/worked on. Thanks. (Whinemaker)
Actually we have made some changes to this system such as allowing you to turn in commodity deeds and bags of items to make it easier to turn in items, if you are asking for a whole new system such as different rewards, mobs etc…we have not discussed this.
Ultima Online Bibliothek
When will there be house plots greater than 18 x 18 for customization? Eg. Keeps could be converted, because they can’t be decorated on three sides and therefore much deco space is wasted. Many people have their Castles and Keeps because of the long time they are playing UO,and so they need the storage space… But there are areas, such as the ice island or Minoc, where Keeps and Castles are lined up and it looks like you are in the ghetto there… and somehow this pabulum is rather boring.
Honestly – If we could customize a house plot, wich is as big as a keep’s plot, there would of course be some of our architects there to create something really beautyful … We have such beautiful items for decoration now – why should they even gather dust in the boxes? (Mene’Tekel)
We have talked about this but its again not a task that can be done quickly. I won’t say no it will never happen but I just don’t have you a definite answer right now.
When do we tamers get new pets for taming? To be a tamer is one of the most beautiful thing UO provides – but right now you can only see tamers, who move around with their Greater Dragons… I personally encounter sadness, because we have a lot of great pets in the game!
Silversteeds for e.g. would be very nice – or you could create a mini-version of the Stygian Dragon for taming … *dreaming*
I would also find it very cool, if there would be a small chance to get Dread Horses (the better Nightmare) or Bane Dragons back to the game for taming – a lot of new players asked for them and they also want to have such an animal.
And what would be great too: Strong pets like the Cu Sidhe or the Hiryu should be able to compete with stronger monsters. The Unicorns used to be very strong too, and the small Nightmares … – if I move to Oni with these animals nowadays, they drop dead in a jiff… which is very frustrating to new players, who can finally handle such an animal. (Mene’Tekel)
We have discussed doing a pet revamp, I would rather not give specific details yet. This is something the whole team would like to do.
UO Japan
I have a small stone keep. I’d like to lock my items down in my courtyard. Please make a special door which allows players to access its courtyard. I would purchase the door even if it was sold at Origin store.（Nickname:rararin）
A keep is a bit different than the castle, the “courtyards are not accessible it would require us putting in teleporters in and out of those small areas. Can it be done yes it can. We will review this for a future publish.
I’d like to see skill/stats of my stabled pets. The Pet Brokers in Magincia have “LORE” option. Is it possible to add the option to the Animal trainers?（Nickname eli）
Using some of the code that is already in the game we can make this possible.
If a character used 2 tokens of personal attendants, one of them became completely meaningless. Could you change the attendant to be tied to an account instead of a character?（Nickname eli）
Yes it can be tied to an account, we will look into this for a future publish.
When will the double NPC spawn be fixed? The Asuka shard still has double NPCs. Can you delete these extra NPCs for us? (Nickname: Quinn)
It will be done by the time these questions are posted.
Update 3:15 pm EST: The shards are back online
Greetings!
We will be bringing the shards offline tomorrow, Thursday November 29th, at 2:00 pm EST (19:00 GMT) for essential maintenance.
At this time we anticipate that the shards will be back online no later than 4:00 pm EST (21:00 GMT).
Please be sure to check the Herald for updates regarding this downtime.
Written by members of the community
Issue 10
The town guard is looking for information regarding the recent disinternment of a local man’s body from the Yew cemetary. Jethro Mctavish had been buried three days prior, and there is no indication that the corpse had been defiled in any way. However, locals are convinced that the responsible party was looking for McTavish’s coveted fried turkey recipe which he swore that he’d take to the grave with him. No additional leads have been pursued so far in the case.
Fervent bowyer, Yohan Yorguson embarked upon the task of reconstructing the fabled triple crossbow; following the original design of the celebrated Iolo Fitzowen. Yorguson was very tight-lipped about how he had acquired the long-lost plans, but stated that he had paid a pretty penny for them. With a small crowd assembled, Yorguson offered a demonstration of the weapon which would allow the marksman to strike three targets simultaneously. Future development of the weapon has been put on hold until further testing can be done. There is no further news on the medical condition of two innocent bystanders who were injured during the test.
Their time with us was brief, but now they are somewhat gone. Shall we ever see their like again? Majestic and proud, the mammoth mutant turkeys shared our lives for that short but exciting time, where it was not unheard of to wake up in the morning and look out the window, to spy a large curious eye gazing back at oneself. Alas, it was not to last. Surely, there were differences between our two species, and who can blame these poor creatures whenever they tried to eat us. After all, we look like tasty corn to them. Perhaps it was for the best for both species that the Mystical Herders led them off to the Hidden Valley of the Mammoth Turkeys, where they can roam free and call out to each other in the swirling mists of that magical place. Maybe, they will return, some day…
This year it appears that no kitchen tables will go empty following an initiative by Britannia’s armsmen and warriors to provide foodstuffs to fill the land’s larders. Logicians feel confident that the cornicopias will will be sufficient to supply insane amounts of never-ending food to meet the needs of the people this thanksgiving season with plenty left over for turkey sadwiches, casseroles and soup leading up to Christmas. Already, Britannia’s brave warriors are shlepping through the bogs fighting off hoards of plague beasts and lizardmen to secure the needed cranberries to accompany the Thanksgiving repast. Belt buckles are already being loosened and tailors are rubbing their hands together greedily in anticipation of the upcoming gorge-fest. Meanwhile, the captain of the guard is familiarizing his men with the new lightning staffs that will be replacing their usual halberds. The new devices will be employed on Black Friday to control the unruly shopping mob the following day, where store owners will bait competitive shoppers with an artificial scarcity of limited trinkets and gee-gaws that will be fought over with tooth and nail. The town guard will then be called in to subdue the feral crowd. The guards’ eyes twinkle, looking upon the new toys with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. And by sugarplums, we mean shoppers; and by dancing, we mean limbs flailing from electric shocks. Everyone looks forward to a memorable Thanksgiving holiday.
If you waited to the last minute to buy a turkey and are tempted to obtain one through a back alley deal, be certain that the person you are dealing with is a certified poultry handler. Certain little things like tattoos can tip you off that the individual you are dealing with is not entirely on the level. Sure, poultry dealers wear gloves, aprons, and have blood all over them, but so do other unsavory types as well. Any legitimate poultry dealer should be well versed in a number of poultry related songs. Ask him to share one of his favorite poultry ditties. If he can’t think of one, get out of there quickly. Just remember these tips, and play it safe this Turkey Day.
by Anora Knowles
A bacon did rest in it’s glory upon yon shelf..
Thusly a person emerged from the room down the hall and approached the glorious bacon, upon yon shelf, and did yawn heartily as they didst reach for the bacon. At this time, it is unknown what the glorious bacon upon yon shelf didst think about as it faced utter oblivion in the bowels of a random person from a room down the hall; but we can safely assume it was considering it’s totality in the universe. Things had come full circle. Perhaps this is the fate all things face.
Perhaps it is the fate of all glorious bacons in the realm. Perhaps this is all a dream we cannot wake from until we have tasted the glorious bacon for ourselves. But perhaps we look deep inside and blame fate for the way things have become.
The End
The Mongbat-February
You will find yourself on the pursuit of a very powerful artifact and your journey will take you to an old crone of very few words who will bargain for information in exchange for a wrinkle cream made from the extract of a unique orchid that grows in the shade in the bogs in the Fens of the Dead. Hopefully, this useful tip will save you a lot of time.
The Phoenix-March
They are counting on you to be the one who will bring the turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner this year, and it will be dry and overcooked. You will apologize and everyone will comfort you and tell you not to concern yourself over it. But, inside they will never forgive you for ruining Thanksgiving.
The Sea Dragon-April
Keep Uncle Jim away from the liquor this year. You know you can’t even give him one little glass, because he gets all crazy and something is going to get broken again.
The Hermit-May
A wonderful economic opportunity awaits you just beyond the Felucca Yew moongate. Just be certain to bring something or several things of great value with you to demonstrate your inherent worth.
The Llama-June
You should be more discerning in showing kindness to particular individuals. If you give a tasty apple to a hag, she’ll probably put poison in it, and pass it onto someone else.
The Ancient Wyrm-July
It is virtuous to resist temptation whenever it presents itself. But, really…who puts a turkey on their porch to cool off? They’re just begging for someone to take it, and better you than some stranger. Right?
The Anvil-August
Lord British awaits you in the underworld. Remember to bring with you the sandalwood box, obtained by opening the secret panel revealed by playing the first 18 notes of Stones on the harpsichord.
The Weaver-September
The “kind” mentor that has taken you in since your parent’s unfortunate deaths and is training you to unlock your latent power so that you may open a secret chamber so that he may obtain a powerful artifact that will make him immortal and unlimited in power is using you. Hopefully, this warning will save you about 20 years of rigorous training ending in a burned-out shell of a world. If not, oh well…
The Wisp-October
You are a carefree spirit, and live on the wind. You have great hair and you smell like fresh baked cookies.
The Unicorn-November
Sometimes helping people has unforeseen consequences and you have to show judgment when ministering assistance to others. You can teach a hungry, blind man to fish, but if you give him a boat, you’ll probably never see him again.
The Wanderer-December
You cannot eat your cake and keep it at the same time, unless you’re the time lord, in which case you can go back in time before you ate the cake then take it for safe keeping. But, wouldn’t that prevent your past self from being able to eat the cake in this first place? Maybe, going back in time and carrying out such an act would disrupt the time stream resulting in an alternate time line where you would be enjoying delicious cake in a world inhabited by 15 foot tall bat people. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?
(If you would like to help write stories for the yew times. Email them to yewtimes@hotmail.com)
The following fixes were applied with yesterday’s scheduled maintenance:
The UO Team would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. The team will be out of the office from November 21st thru November 25th but will be keeping an eye open for any issues that may come up.
In addition to the normal set of Ask and Answer questions this week, there is also an interview! UO Forums did a very informative interview with the Ultima Online producer, Bonnie (Mesanna) Armstrong. There are questions that range from a typical day in the studio to future plans for Ultima Online, so be sure to check it out.
UO Auctions
Question: The new 15yr Robes are a fantastic addition and reward for players being creative. i’d like to see this bcome more than just a 15yr event. have you ever considered holding art based competitions as well as writing? it’d be nice to see this sort of reward for submitting UO fan art too. (Treasure Seeker)
Mesanna: After speaking with our Artist Onifrk he stated jpg, png or 3d files would be acceptable to do something like this. I really like the idea of this but there will NEVER be another contest like decorating banks.
Ultima Online Bibliothek
When will I get my ridable Great Hart? Tameable, plase, and chance to find a white one, please. (Pcuvush)
Mesanna: Ridable Hart, probably not but a special spawned hued one is a possibility in the future.
Once there was the idea to add pixies as a playable race – there was a poll, if I remember correctly, dwarves and orcs as other options. Has this been shelved, or is there still a chance to add them? (Pcuvush)
Mesanna: Right now a new playable race is not on the plans. I am not saying we will never do one again but have a lot of other things in front of it right now.
UO Stratics
I roleplay as an orc on Europa (Xug’Klerg) and he wants to know if he will ever fully become an orc? We would both like this…(Velvathos)
Kyronix: Adding additional playable races is an extraordinary task that requires a lot of development time due to the far reaching impact of such an addition. Consider how different gargoyles are than humans/elves and how they have their own equipment, skills, etc. So to do it right would take a great effort that may not benefit the entire player base as effectively as focusing elsewhere. There are currently a number of ways that players can roleplay other races (Which I’m sure you are already utilizing) so enhancing that ability would be more feasible than a full blown additional playable race.
UOForums
Since the addition of the Raised Garden Beds into the game, the need for fertile dirt has increased. However as best I can tell, the spawn rate has not. I love my raised beds, especially when I can plant them all with the fertile dirt, I just don’t like buying it in Ter Mur. Is there anyway we can get some more dirt? OR reduce the number of dirt piles it takes to grow each plant? (Kahlan)
Kyronix: This is a reasonable request and will consider it when adding it future loot drops to various areas.
Can you tell me how iron beetles are supposed to work? I thought they mined ore but when I bring mine out, it does not mine or do anything really. I’ve stood alongside mountains, inside caves (Where you can mine the floor), and still, it does nothing. The owner is a GM Miner. (Thumper)
Misk: The Iron Beetles likes to dig up and eat ore so it tries to mine when it is in an appropriate area. They will attempt to mine in the immediate area at random intervals (maximum of 5 minutes). Sometimes they don’t like the taste of the ore that they dig up and simply leave it on the ground instead of consuming it. When the beetle eats ore, its body hue changes to the ore color that it has eaten. The Iron Beetle can only mine near valid mining tiles and the mining skill of the owner does not affect the types of ore that the beetle will dig up.
We have staged Publish 79 to be released on Sunday evening, 11/18 during Maintenance for the European servers and Monday morning, 11/19 during Maintenance for the US servers. Please note we are turning housing decay back on when this publish goes live.
For your reading pleasure, here are the completed notes:
Those loyal still to Minax and Mondain’s creation work fervently to rebuild the mechanical demon, in hopes of once again summoning Exodus into Britannia.
Exposed the following functions to LUA for Enhanced Client Custom UI:
PlaySoundByID()
Plays a game sound.
Parameters
type (int) The type of sound: ambient = 0, action =1 id (int) The id of the sound file to play x (int) The x coordinate of the target location. y (int) The y coordinate of the target location. z (int) The z coordinate of the target location. Returns
Nil No return value Example:
PlaySoundByID( 1, 23, WindowData.PlayerLocation.x, WindowData.PlayerLocation.y, WindowData.PlayerLocation.z)
GetDistanceFromPlayer()
Returns the distance in tiles from the target to the player
Parameters
Id (int) The id of the target used to measure distance Returns
distance (number) The numbers of tiles from the player Example
local distanceFromPlayer = GetDistanceFromPlaye(WindowData.CurrentTarget.TargetId)
GetTerrainType
Returns the terrain type id on the given coordinates
Parameters
x (int) The x coordinate of the target location. y (int) The y coordinate of the target location. Z (int) The z coordinate of the target location. Returns
type (number) The terrain type id of the tile at the given location. Example
local terrainType = GetTerrainType(WindowData.PlayerLocation.x, WindowData.PlayerLocation.y, WindowData.PlayerLocation.z)
Once again, Ultima Online has made it to the top! Time recently posted a list of the 100 greatest video games of ALL-TIME and Ultima Online made the list. We are honored to be listed with so many great games and are truly proud of Ultima Online being “The Best of the Best”.
Greetings everyone,
I wanted to give everyone a heads up that after further review of the reward items for the House decorating contest, I have changed the reward from a Snowman to a hued Reindeer with the text, “Winner of the 2012 Holiday House Decorating Contest”. The reason for the change was due to the fact the snowman was not fitting for such a contest as only the hat and scarf could be hued.
