Ultima Online 2 FAQ
What can a skillbox do?
A skillbox can (a) give you an ability (i.e. steal something), (b) improve an ability, (c) modify your character's stats, (d) modify your character's combat rolls and (e) allow your character to use a class of items.
What happens if I choose not to spend my ankhs when I level?
Skill points remain in your pool until such time that you decide to spend them.
How are races different from each other, skill-wise?
The races will have skill trees that differ slightly from each other in terms of cost. For example, a skill box might cost a Juka two skill points, a Meer three skill points, and a Human four skill points. Also, some skill boxes might be exclusive to a race, or forbidden to a race, but these are rarer.
Hmmm, so can we assume that all warriors will be Jukan and all mages will be Meer?
No. We want to be sure that all career options are viable for all of the races. However, the definition of a 'good' mage to a Jukan will likely be vastly different than that of a Meer. Each will have different advantages and disadvantages built into the skill trees.
How does advancement work in Origin?
Players perform a wealth of activities to gain experience. As they gain experience, they gain levels. When they gain levels, they gain skill points, or ankhs, which they can then apply to the skill tree. Effectively, you use the skill points to purchase 'skill boxes' inside the skill tree from teachers who offer the skill box.
So, Origin is a level-based game?
Only on the surface. The precise limits of what your character can achieve are dictated first and foremost by how you have spent your skill points, and secondly by your character's stats.
So, can I advance without killing things?
Of course. Details to come soon.
What's to stop me from advancing in, say, cooking, by killing things?
Primarily, because it will be less efficient. The experience costs for gaining skill points grows as you advance. If you choose to spend your skill points in cooking instead of killing things, you will find that you can't kill things as fast as other players can cook. Also, teachers may have specialized demands in order to teach you the skill.
How many skillboxes are there?
At this time, well over 1000. The system is very extensible and allows for great future growth.
I'm curious about hybrid characters. Are they going to be as effective in combat as a pure mage or pure warrior?
Hybrid characters will have the advantage of versatility, but they will never be as strong at magic as a pure mage, or as strong at combat as a pure warrior.
How much control, once shipped and being played, will the Live Team have over [Origin]? For example, if players wanted more weapons, would the Live Team be able to create a new weapon?
The architecture for Origin has been designed to be as extensible as possible, and should make it easier to add new weapons, creatures, etc. How the live team will choose to spend it's time will be determined at that time, since it is based on many factors, including code stability, game balancing, player requests and the demands of the marketplace.
What operating systems is [Origin] being developed for?
Origin is being developed primarily for Windows 98 and Windows 2000.
Does that mean you won't be developing for Linux or Mac?
Not at initial launch. At this time, our research shows that neither platform appears to be a financially viable option, particularly when you consider the sheer complexity and size of the Origin client. We certainly will continue to monitor these other platforms, and reconsider them if their market share grows, but no promises.
I have heard you can fall unconscious in Origin. Is this true?
Yep, sure is! If your hit points drop below zero, you will usually fall unconscious rather than die. This gives your party members a chance to save you before that nasty dragon chews off your face. It also allows you to engage in non-lethal combat with your friends, should you wish to do so.
What about ghosts? I really like playing as a ghost in UO.
We want to go with a more intuitive approach to death which does not include ghosts.
So what happens when you die, then?
You will need to resurrect when you die, and you will have two choices where you may do this: at your point of death, or at a point you have previously chosen. You will incur an 'experience debt', which must be paid off before experience you gain goes back into your main pool. Note that you do not lose skills or abilities when you die.
Will death be handled differently in the Virtue (safe) Lands?
Death itself will be the same in the safe lands. However, we will have slightly different rules governing the circumstances under which your body can be looted, since the restriction on player-versus-player combat in the safe lands means you can not get your items back if someone steals them from you.
Body looting! But I don't want to lose my stuff!
Don't worry; you�ll be able to take measures to protect yourself in the Wild Lands. Although some of those protections are still being designed, we know you will be allowed to designate specific items as unlootable, so you can keep your favorite gear.
Will the Beta Test begin when the software reaches the true Beta stage?
No. Actually, the External Test will begin long before the software ever reaches the Beta stage. Our external testing strategy has us coordinating with external testers before the game reaches true software Beta. Thus, the Origin external test is not referred to as a "Beta Test," but instead as an "External Test."
Will the first stage of the external test be open strictly to current Ultima Online Counselors?
No. The first phase of the Origin external test will be open to folks from all over the UO community (as long as they are current subscribers in good standing), not just current UO counselors. We cannot say at this time who exactly those folks will be though. It should also be noted that the very first phases will be quite small so only a few individuals will be included.
When will the External Test start?
We're not to the point that we feel that announcement can be made with reasonable accuracy. Rather than prematurely raise hopes, we'll hold off on that announcement for the time being. The great thing about this project is that we already have a community coordinator involved, which allows us to provide regular updates to our website regarding the status of the game.
Why did you change the name from �UO2?� It�s a sequel to Ultima Online, right?
Actually, �Ultima Worlds Online: Origin� is not a sequel to Ultima Online. It is a very different product, blending medieval, ancient and futuristic civilizations in a really cool and bizarre 3D world. The combat and motion capture technology is really outstanding, and we have monsters co-designed by Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn.
So now, you ask, why Origin?
As we searched for a name, we wanted something that:
relates to the fiction (this world is the result of a cataclysm and you're coming in near the beginning)
feels "accessible" and positive to the casual gamer and not as hard-core
maintains the branding of Ultima Online and Origin, keeping our extensive experience in MMORPG's on the forefront
What's that, you say? Isn't Origin the name of the company? Won't that be confusing?
By the time this game ships, we won't be putting the Origin (company) logo on the box. It will be our first title going out under the new EA Games logo. Keeping this new branding strategy in mind, naming the game �Origin� is a good way to keep our name out in the community. Granted, there may be some confusion at first, but change is never easy and we feel this is the best decision for the long-term.
Will everything we�ve seen mentioned about UO2 actually make it into the game?
In an online game development industry, the one thing that we can always be assured of is change. The reason for this is simple: in order to make things exciting, we aim to do things that have never been done before, which means constantly utilizing new systems and ideas. Sometimes these systems work the first time, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes totally new systems work better than those we had originally planned to use. Thus the adage of computer game design: Nothing is certain until the game ships. But in a dynamic online game like UO2, even that rule can be bent, since we can, and will, continue to add to the game after it ships.
Will UO2 employ a monthly fee?
Since UO2 will be an ongoing service and a changing, dynamic world, the revenue required to maintain and enhance it will be quite substantial. We want to deliver the very best experience to our players, and to do that, we feel that inundating the players with advertisements would be the wrong way to go. We believe that the ideal monthly fee should be sufficient to allow us to continue offering a high level of service, but low enough to provide a high level of entertainment for the price.
What is Ultima Online 2?
Ultima Online 2 is the next Persistent State World from the company that created Ultima Online. Born from the Ultima fiction, Ultima Online 2 will push the boundaries of traditional fantasy.
What is a Persistent State World?
Also referred to as a PSW, a Persistent State World is a virtual Internet world that you co-inhabit with thousands of other people simultaneously. It�s persistent in that the world exists independent of your presence, and in that your actions can permanently shape the world. The fact that you are existing with other real people from around the globe adds a level of immersion that must be experienced to be believed.
There will literally be people from around the globe playing?
Yes. Currently Ultima Online has players from every time zone in the world, and UO2 will be no different. This is one of the coolest aspects of a PSW.
What are some of the things I�ll be able to do in the game?
The possibilities are truly endless: Join an adventuring party and loot perilous dungeons.
Battle monsters, or compete and fight against fellow players.
Become a master craftsman by learning valuable trade skills such as tailoring or cooking.
Become an expert weapon smith and sell your array of deadly weapons to the highest bidder.
Master the art of magic and enlighten the minds of young apprentices.
I�m new to this type of game, will there be help provided?
Absolutely. On top of a full-time staff that is there to help you with any questions or problems, there will be a complete tutorial that will walk you through every aspect of playing UO2.
What kind of characters will I be able to play?
There are 3 distinct fantasy races in UO2, including human. Playing as one of these races, you are free to choose what class of character you want to develop through an innovative point-based role-playing system.
Will there be character classes, such as mage, fighter and thief?
UO2 will not have hard-set character classes. Players are largely free to determine their own character's path. The game is designed to allow you to share your advancement across a variety of disciplines, or to focus your advancement narrowly. For example, a player could create a fighter/mage type character, but that character would never be as good a fighter as a Grandmaster fighter or as good a mage as a Grandmaster mage.
Can I be a craftsman in UO2?
Yes! Not only can you be a craftsman, the UO2 team is working hard to ensure that players can be full-time craftsmen. They are also working to maximize the diversity of items that players create, offer greater rewards to master craftsmen, and ensure that craftsmen always have something of value to offer the more adventurous half of the population.
In what time frame is the fiction for Ultima Online 2 set?
Ultima Online 2 is set approximately 200 years after a Great Cataclysm has ripped through the world of Ultima Online. Ultima Online is set in a divergent timeline, adrift from the timeline of the standalone Ultima games, diverging at the shattering of the gem of immortality at the end of Ultima 1. The events of Ultima Online are occurring at the same time that Ultima 4 and Ultima 5 were happening in the Primary Thread.
In what time frame is the prequel fiction for Ultima Online 2 set?
The prequel fiction for Ultima Online 2 chronicles the events that lead up to the Great Cataclysm.
This means that the events of Ultima 2 through 9 have never happened in UO's Britannia, although people from Ultimas 2 through 9 (Blackthorn, Minax, Dupre, etc) are affecting the course of UO's history, albeit in different ways from the standalone games. For example, Lord Blackthorn was never corrupted by the Shadowlords, and thus has a friendly, yet adversarial, relationship with British in Ultima Online.
Does Ultima Online 2 happen in Britannia?
Yes. But a lot can change in 200 years.
Blackthorn wasn't evil in Ultima Online! How could you make him evil in UO2!?!
Who says he's evil? Perhaps he is merely misunderstood.
Will there still be good old fashioned swords and sorcery in UO2?
Absolutely! Ultima Online 2 will strive to offer the best melee combat system seen in a PSW yet, combined with spells of earth-shattering power. New schools of magic and combat will emerge, taking the high fantasy of Ultima to unforeseen heights.
Will UO2 use UO's magic system?
To some degree. UO2's magic system will be broken up into a series of magic schools. Players will have the option of mixing and matching schools, or focusing on one school to master it. Most of the spells from UO will be making a comeback, but we plan to include many more in order to populate the schools of magic. Expect to see many new and interesting spells in UO2.
Will UO2 employ a use-based skill system?
No. To prevent the gaining of skills from becoming tedious and repetitive, skill points will be earned in multiple ways, which can then be spent on the skills in which you want to advance.
So abilities won�t gain with usage?
Not directly. Indirectly, usage will result in successful advancement, which will result in more skill points, which will allow advancement of abilities.
Can you be a multiple grandmaster?
Yes - in most things. Some skills, such as flaming kitten juggling, would be relatively easy to grandmaster, since that particular skill tree, if it actually existed, would be quite stumpy and shrublike. Other skills, such as the advanced combat and magery skills require an incredible level of dedication to simply SINGLE GM them. Attempts to get a second GM on the side for these will be very, very difficult, and will be limited to either (a) aforementioned shrub-like trees and (b) other skills that share common prerequisites (i.e. a mage might be able to pick up a second school of magic, or a martial artist might learn axe-fighting).
What are the differences from the first UO?
The differences are many, all of which would be beyond the scope of this initial FAQ to clarify. One of the major differences is that it is 3D, whereas UO is 2D. UO2 also has a very different feature set, which will be detailed in future FAQs.
What will happen with Ultima Online when UO2 ships?
Ultima Online will continue on as it has for the past 2 years, with more support and work than ever before. The next major advancements to the world of Ultima Online are currently in the works, which you can read more about by clicking here.
I�m an Ultima Online player right now and I have some questions about this game, where should I go?
On the Ultima Online website, we�ve provided an additional set of questions that are likely to be asked by current UO players. Please feel free to peruse this additional FAQ by clicking here.
How will Player Killing be controlled?
Player killing will be limited through the use of Player vs. Player zones. This will give players a chance to develop their characters and adventure without risk, and yet still give the adrenaline rush of player-vs-player combat once they have determined they are ready to face higher risks for greater rewards.
So there won't be a Player-Killing switch?
No, there will not be a 'PK switch', in the manner that other massively multiplayer games have adopted.
Will I be forced to group in UO2?
UO2 will be balanced to allow for single-player adventuring, although players may find that this is less efficient in terms of advancement. Ultima Online 2 is a multiplayer game first, and our designers consider it important to emphasize multiplay. As a result, players who adventure together will often find that they are a more effective adventuring team than the sum of their parts. There will also be parts of the game that are specifically geared towards groups of adventurers.
So I won't be able to kill the largest monster in the game on my own?
If we've done our job correctly, he will crush you like a grape.
Will UO2 feature permanent death?
No. UO2 will not feature permanent death, as in "When you die, your character is destroyed and you must start anew". Among other issues, such permanent punishments are not well suited to an Internet game - what if your ISP were to go down while you're in the middle of the dragon's den?
What will the viewpoint of the camera be?
We are experimenting with a number of camera angles right now, trying to find the best camera viewpoint for allowing strategic combat, while still providing for maximum world immersion. We are currently leaning heavily in favor of a 3rd-person over the shoulder camera, much like Ascension. We've found that it offers the best of both worlds.
We hope to be able to offer additional camera modes as well, and are working hard to accomodate additional viewpoints, but we have no definite plans to support these viewpoints at this time.
I have heard that Ultima Online 2 will use 'motion capture' for its animation. What is that?
Motion capture is a means of capturing animation data by attaching sensors to an actor, having him (or her) perform the desired move, and capturing that data. This data can then be applied to a 3D model. The end result is animation that is incredibly fluid and lifelike.
The UO2 art team has captured hundreds of motions, a good deal of which are combat motions. To ensure that these motions would have maximum visual impact, the UO2 team hired an outstanding actor named Bruce Fontaine to capture these motions. Bruce has acted in over 20 action and martial arts films with the likes of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hong, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Will other animals (i.e. dragons) use motion capture?
No. Dragons are notoriously hard to find in real life, and even harder to attach the little sensors to.
Will the map be seamless like UO or segmented into 'zones'?
UO2's map loading system, in this respect, will seem very similar to Ultima Online's. The vast majority of the world is designed to be seamless, except for dungeons, which are designed to be in a different 'zone'.
Will UO2 feature night and day?
UO2 will feature a full day-night cycle. As of this writing, one day in UO2 is equivalent to 2 hours of real-time.
Will UO2 take advantage of a shard based system?
UO2 will have mirrored worlds, or shards, similar to Ultima Online. Each shard will have the same geography and backstory, but as players bring their own communities, history and color to the world, each shard will begin to grow a distinct personality.
Will characters have unique names in UO2?
Characters will have unique names in UO2. This should reduce exploits, make long-distance communication easier, and reduce customer service concerns overall.
Will food and drink be necessary in UO2?
Food, drink, and rest will not be necessary to survive in Ultima Online 2 in that you will not die simply from hunger. However, the UO2 design team feels that incorporating elements of food and rest helps enhance the gameplay, and so you can expect to see some benefits from being well-fed and well-rested.
How much can I customize my character (with different clothing, etc)?
Our goal is to match the level of customization evident in Ultima Online, with the ability to mix and match different hair styles, skin tones and to have multiple layers of clothing of different hues. This is a lofty goal and an incredible technical challenge, but we think we can get close to it, if not achieve it.
What about UO2 is going to make it great?
In the most general terms, UO2 is going to be great because it is being developed by one of the most experienced teams in the industry. More specifically, it will set a new standard in graphics and gameplay. Using the latest in 3D technology, UO2 will provide the most immersive and amazing environments to date. The UO2 team boasts unprecedented online game design experience, and so UO2 will provide a cutting-edge massively multiplayer environment, including features that have yet to be seen in online gaming.
What is Todd McFarlane's role on the project?
Todd McFarlane is acting as a creative consultant to the project, lending his unique creative touch to many aspects of the project, with a focus on some of UO2's creatures, characters, and clothing designs. His company, McFarlane Toys, is planning a line of action figures based on the joint McFarlane-Origin creative effort. The chief creative vision for UO2�s look is being driven by Origin's own Andy Hoyos.
Is there going to be any external testing?
There will be a series of external tests starting in the near future. The testing positions available in the 1st phases of these tests will be open exclusively to current Ultima Online players. Please be sure to sign up on the mailing list and check back here often to stay updated.
How malleable is UO2's design? How much does our input matter?
The UO2 design team has mapped out virtually every aspect of the game's design to a great degree of complexity, but these systems will undoubtely be tuned and adjusted as they come online. While the schedule to ship UO2 is tight, the online nature of the game means that an idea that can't be included by the day of launch could still help to improve the game after it has gone live.
We heartily recommend that you make your thoughts, ideas, and dreams known on the message boards. At times, the design team will solicit opinions on a variety of topics. Feel free to share your opinions, and help shape the direction of Ultima Online 2.
Is UO2 going to reuse any U9 or UO code?
There are currently no plans to use code from U9 or UO in UO2. All the teams at Origin share learning, and the UO2 team is no exception, but due to the vast differences between the graphic demands and other technical needs of the UO2 design, neither UO or U9 offer many reuse opportunities for this endeavor.
What is the Ultima Online 2 Unofficial Question of the Week?
We want to put out the best game possible, and as a result, we welcome brainstorms and ideas from you, the fans. To facilitate this, once a week (barring crunch or other dev team time sinks), the UO2 team is choosing a fan 'dev' board with a healthy amount of traffic, and posting a question to invite responses from the fans. Players are strongly encouraged to offer their ideas and make their opinions known. Needless to say, there is no way that we can commit to using all (or any) of the ideas, but so far, this has been very successful in helping us to understand the interests and desires of our future playerbase!
If I have a fan site featuring information released by Origin, do I need to mark it as copyrighted?
Whether you are using only information released by Origin or using the UO2 logo on your site, you should include the following on your page: "Origin, Ultima Online 2, and the Ultima Online 2 logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Game content and materials copyright 2000 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved."
Origin, Ultima Online 2, and the Ultima Online 2 logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Game content and materials copyright 2000 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved.
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