Archive 6

There you have it. I'm curious to see how they will weave the apparition of this huge landmass and new crits into our current world without a scenario:

IanStorm: With the release of Age of Shadows fast approaching, will there be another scenario before it's release?

Evocare: The Age of Shadows release will essentially be a very substantial scenario of its own, with a ton of new content and several game systems. However, there won't be another separate scenario between now and the AoS launch. We're already going into testing for AoS, and in order to get as clean a launch as possible, it's for the best that we not try to do too much at once. ;]

Man, I should work for those psychic lines. In last week's rant about their lame update, I asked whether or not there would be new demands placed on thieves to acquire the new rares from Dungeon Doom. Well, as usual, they don't reveal much, but tease a lot.

IanStorm: What changes - if any - can we expect to the stealing skill and anything related to stealing. Any comments on Helios' statement in the recent HoC chat? Will there be stealing power scrolls?

Helios: Yes, power-scrolls for stealing will indeed be found in AOS. As for any changes to the stealing skill itself, I would say that *how* you might be stealing isn’t necessarily as crucial as *what* you might be stealing. Keep a close eye on the AOS FAQ site for details.

Really? If HOW we're stealing the item isn't necessarily crucial, then why introduce the PS scroll? Methinks that means you won't be able to steal that uber rare without 100+ skills. Folks, get ready to cripple your chars some more.

A lot of people are currently panicking because they visited that site at one point or another, for whatever reason. You will not get banned for having been there (though you might ask yourself why were you there in the first place?). You will get banned for the following reasons:

Ok let me clear up something... We do not ban people for visiting a site. If you post, communicate, or use exploits/bugs, we will make sure we do everything in our power to stop the abuse.

Maleki
Player Relations Manager)
Ultima Online

Many peeps gave all kinds of reasons to justify the fact that they have a board account with Chopper. Some of them sound fairly valid, but remember this, if you lie with dogs, expect to wake up with fleas.

Thanks to Nieves from UO Powergamers for bringing this one to my attention. Can I hear someone say ouch?!

As you all know, OSI has (finally) decided to take a stronger stance on unattended macroers, cheaters and exploiters (I hope they finally do the same about scammers, but that's another debate). And as most of you also know (or do now), AskChopper is a site where people openly discuss and exchange bugs and exploits. If you can discover a new exploit, never heard of before and share it with them, you will get a golden pass to the private boards where the juiciest bugs and exploits are exchanged. It was just a matter of time before an OSI official got himself invited to the private club and got this happy bunch banned. Well, here you have it:

*Saunters off singing*: and another one down, and another one, another one bites the dustttttaaah!

Ok, some player named Shri of Custodes Fati from the town of Spiritwood on Europa, created a game named Bagball that is some kind of a mix of rugby, football, soccer and basketball (though I would personally say handball instead of basketball). And the new Arena in Malas will allow us, among other things, to play this game. Bagball can be summarized as one team trying to make a touchdown by carrying an overweighed bag across the field. You will find all the rules of said game here.

Now, while I admire the creativity of our dear fellow Shri, and while I'm happy that his contribution to one of many potential forms of entertainment in UO is being recognized, who gives a hoot about bagball??!! I mean, ok, cool, the game does sound like fun but considering we're less than 3 weeks away from UO's largest expansion ever, and after last week's beyond lame update, isn't there MUCH MORE important matters to be discussed than bagball?! Isn't the AoS update supposed to be about NEW features? Hasn't bagball been in game for YEARS ALREADY? Come on, gimme a freaking break!

There are players who busted their chops training skills such as Item ID and Armslore. Can they know what will happen to said skill post-AoS? We know for a fact Item ID will become obsolete. Are those 100 skill points dropping to 0 or will they get another skill enhanced instead?

On the housing issue: can we finally know what the lockdowns/secures will be per dirt plot size? Will the lockdowns of existing houses be affected by the changes?

Can we get some info about Dungeon Doom? The quest system that will be implemented there? The new rare system that will also only exist in Doom. Care to specify a few things about the requirements that could be made on thieves to obtain those rares? Can it be soloed or are all quests/puzzles multiple players only?

We hear there are close to 20 new monsters, care to elaborate about them? Can we get a confirmation on the Champ spawn rumors about new boss monsters, new powerscrolls, new PS awarding system?

How about the new skills and the nerf on existing ones. We still don't know what all the necro regs are. Is battle focus complementary to meditation? Where does resist fit in all this? Is it even worth training anymore or will resist items work just as well? What are all those new weapons you promised? Can we know what skills they will require and what benefit/weaknesses each will have so we can assess what fighter class we should develop/drop/enhance? How many control slots will summoned pets/familiars/skeletal mounts take? How many times can you raise deads in a row if at all? And what of treasure hunters? T-chest loot has been nerfed beyond recognition with runic hammers. Runic sewing kits are pretty much the final blow. Care to give any of us a reason to even bother keeping that skill?

I mean, is it so damn hard to listen to your customers' question and answer them that you have to pick bagball for your featured weekly update? The shroud wasn't lame enough? I'm afraid to even think what next week's update might be about. Probably an explanation about why pre-ordering AoS from EA costs $49.95 when everyone else charges $29.95.

If like me you are impatient to try your hand at designing your house, you can download the demo free of charge by clicking this link. The file is 4M so if you don't have cable, be patient.

Please note that this is only a demo. Therefore all the features are not yet activated. You can only design the 7x7 or 12x12 plots. And only the sandstone and log walls can be used. For marble, stone, wooden and plaster walls, you will need to wait til AoS comes out. Same is true of the tiles, stairs and door types. The tool is very simple to use and quite user friendly.

The only annoyances I've found so far is the fact that each wall section (including columns) use a full tile. So if you're trying to place a column attached to a wall, you will get a gap since the column only uses one half of the tile. So while it may work on the right side of the house, on the left side it will look weird since the column happens to fall on the right half of the tile. For the rest, whenever you get weird gaps, try a different type of wall. The L-shaped wall tile generally fixes it.

I will be building a special section under Decor to post the most original houses designed by players to help each other get some ideas for our own. So if you think you made a nice design, don't hesitate to email it to me, I'll be more than happy to add it on that page.

Since a lot of posting has been going on regarding the substantial increase of unattended macroing (especially since ACS came out), GMs will be taking a stronger stance on the matter. If you tend to "forget" you were running a macro and wander off, I suggest you start remembering more often. First offense is a minimum of 72 hours suspension. You get caught often enough, it's perma-banned. A word of advice, if you're going to get caught, at least try to not to get yourself banned the day Malas opens. You can read the official warning here, and for those who aren't too sure what can get you banned, take a moment to read the official page on what constitutes an Exploit.

Woot! I'm on roll!! And another one out of the way. You can find the Swordsmanship training guide in the Skills Training section. I'll probably take a break from the other combat skill pages til next week, but whether you're a fencer, macer or archer, all of the above follow the same training pattern.

Fertbert, Server Programmer for Ultima Online, made a very informative post on the uo.com boards as to the number of houses available, sizes, lockdowns etc. etc. If you're planning on placing, you should take a moment to read this. If you have a UO.com account, please hit this link for the full discussion. Otherwise, you can read the copy of the post here.

Speaking of Malas, has anyone heard anything about a scenario? We're way past due for the one introducing the new land and expansion *pouts*.

And another one down. Finally got around to make the essay on training hiding. Also did some fine tuning on Taming.

My good friend Vita Drakonia from BODs R Us is now introducing the Skill Development services. Want one or more of characters trained from 0 to GM or Legendary? With this service, they can train a series of skill for you to 100~120 point level in a reasonable amount of time for either UO gold or rl cash. Service is offered across all Ultima Online shards.

Well, was high time they did that page. A LOT of the questions people have been asking are answered there. So if you're looking to pre-order the game, or are wondering when, where, how to get the shroud and other goodies, take a second to read the FAQ.

Sorry about procrastinating so much about that one, but there it is, at last, the essay on training provoke.

I know, I know, everything is always about AoS these days, but heck, that's all there is to talk about. And considering how huge this expansion is, a lot of folks, including yours truly, is feeling overwhelmed. So here's a few quickies.

The Hooded Shroud of Shadows will be blessed. It can't take damage. I'm not sure if you can dye it, probably not. If someone gives you one and you didn't pre-order, silly them, I'm sure you can wear it.

SunSword
Producer, Ultima Online

Also, I can't find the quote anymore (sorry *bends head down in shame*) but one of the Dev Team member (I think it also was SunSword) stated that anyone that pre-orders AoS, whether at a physical store or online through EB Games or any other store affiliated to the promotion (like GameStop) WILL receive the shroud of shadows. So please save yourself the horrendous shipping fees if you live abroad. They do extend the deadline to log in with your AoS for overseas players. BTW, pre-ordering is now available in Australia EB Games physical stores. Use the store locator on their website to find the one closest to you.

Adrick gave a clear and simple answer to that one: "You will not be able to steal an insured item"

The only skill required to be a paladin is Chivalry. This is what will determine your success in using your paladin abilities. There is no skill named Paladin. Only Chivalry. However, you may want to include Battle Focus since that skill will allow you to regenerate mana and stamina quickly even though you're wearing metal armor and holding a weapon and/or shield.

The Ultima Online: Age of Shadows Prima Strategy Guide should help you navigate the trouble spots and find all the hidden secrets. It contains tips, tricks and hints if you can't be bothered trying to figure things yourself. It should also give players an interesting head start in Malas. The guide ships 7 days before the CDs. You can pre-order it here.

It won't be a vanq, since all those labels will be gone. So far, vanqs should translate as +35%. The ultimate weapon (that will be crafted once ever gazillion blue moons) will have the following properties: Hit Lightning 50%, Increased swing rate 50%, Increased weapon damage 50%, Fire damage 25%, Cold damage 25%, Poison damage 25%, Energy damage 25% and Hit Fire Area 50%

The runic sewing kits will indeed be a reward from the bulk order deed system. Although it is easier to make an item with special properties by doing so with a runic sewing kit, those people without the kits will still be able to craft such items with normal kits and imbuing them with properties afterward. As Augur pointed out, there is something of a benefit to doing it either way: the ease of using the runic kit to make a propertied item is a benefit, while having the control over what properties you want to imbue your "regular" item with over the random properties assigned with the runic is a benefit as well.

The Island located in the middle of Malas surrounded by the void cannot be travelled to and just incase anyone does manage to get there, housing will not be allowed

Hanse's Hostel is located in the South West corner of the Map, Just West of the Broken mountains on the west side of the road (right at the bend where the road turns north towards Luna)

The new faces should be activated with AoS as they are part of the new Avatar art that was promised with LBR. There are 30 new male faces and 30 new female faces that you will be able to choose from. You can already see those faces if you have LBR 3D installed on your pc. Look in the 3D art file for the files called UT256_H_Female_Faces_V2.tga and UT256_H_Male_Faces_V2.tga

The front steps will indeed always be on the south edge of the building, so no matter where (or if) you place the door the system will use the south edge to determine the legality of the plot.

and...

Access to houses (both static and customizable) will be changed in Age of Shadows. Doors can be set to a high security level, whether the house is public or private, although anyone can walk onto the house unless he or she is banned from it. If a house is set to private, it is not possible even to walk onto the steps, unless you are the owner, a co-owner or friend, or have been granted access to the house. To answer your question, then, whether a house has a door or not, or whether the doors of the house have been set to a high security level, it is possible to have a public house, enabling you to have a vendor

Greywolfe
Online Community Coordinator

Wow, after this, house fighting will reach a new low in Fel. Imagine, can't get on the guy's stairs unless you're friended or co-owned. The minute he starts losing, he just runs inside. You can't follow to finish him off. Better yet, he starts casting from inside his house. If the sides are wall-less, he just fires away at you. You can't see him (can't see inside of a house unless you stand on stairs, but he has a field day with you. Way to go OSI (not).

I cannot believe they shut that one down. At least, for now. We all know how no never lasts long with OSI. But oh well, for now it will be more crippled chars on the way I guess. Here's a summary of last night's House of Commons Chat.

With AoS, mixing and matching magical items will become an art in itself that could very well determine the outcome of battle. The magic item properties system has been completely revamped: new properties, player crafted magical items,

Each armor type possess a base resistance (e.g. Leather Tunics start with 2% Physical, 4% Fire, 3% Cold, 3% Poison, and 3% Energy resistance). But using colored ingots or special leather, smiths and tailors will give them special additional properties depending on the material used.

Naturally, each upside has it's downside. So while a certain type of metal or leather armor will be efficient against fire, it may not be recommended against cold. The same thing is true of weapons: you will wish to attack an ennemy weak to cold with a weapon that deals increased cold damage.

When the crafter makes an exceptional item, it will benefit not only from improved durability but also receive 6% Resistance bonus that will be randomly distributed among the item's elemental Resistances.

With Runic Hammers or Runic Sewing Kits, crafters wil be able to give their items one or more of the additional bonus listed below. The number of properties and their intensities are determined by the level of the Runic Tool used. (e.g. a val runic hammer will likely give more bonuses than a dull runic. While you're certain to get a better item from crafting with a Runic Tool, you cannot choose which bonus properties will be applied to the item.

Existing items can also be enhanced using colored ingots or special leather with the Enhancement process. Failing an Enhancement will cost you some of your materials, but could also destroy the item. Once enhanced, the item is considered to have been made out of the special material infused into the item, so it can never be Enhanced again.

The picture above shows you some of the properties a piece of armor of weapon could possess. Note that a given item cannot possess all the possible properties: e.g. melee damage bonuses are limited to weapons. But some bonuses can be applied to all types of items. The main modifiers are as follows:

Resist Modifiers: reduce damage done by physical, fire, energy, cold, and poison attacks .
Durability Effects: One time application of the durability bonus makes objects last longer before wearing down or breaking.
Regeneration Effects: increase the wearer's natural Hit Point, Mana, or Stamina regeneration rate.
Defense Increasers: increases the wearer's chance that his opponents' swings (or arrows/bolts) will miss.
Stat/Derived Stat/Skill Bonuses: increases a player's stats (str/int/dex), derived stats (HP/Mana/Stamina), or specific skills (e.g. Anatomy)
Damage Converters: can convert part (or all) of a weapon's damage to one of the four Elemental Damage Types (cold, fire, energy, or poison), making your resistance bonuses much more valuable
Speed/Hit/Damage Effects: can increase a weapon's swing rate, chance to hit, maximum and minimum damage delt with wrestling, melee and ranged weapons.
Caster Modifiers: increase spell damage, lower casting recovery time, eliminate the Meditation penalty on some items, cast spells faster and for less mana, or lower their reagent costs, allow the caster to wield a weapon while casting, although spell casting time may increase, etc.
Hit Effects: increase weapon's range of effects such as: double damage against specific monsters, Stamina / Mana, or HP drain from the target and transferred to you, or lower the attack rate or defense rating of the target.
Hit Spell Effects: such a weapon, when hitting a target, could fire a spell effect on that target, such as Magic Arrow, Harm, Fireball, Lightning, and Dispel.
Area Damage Effects: weapons could cause area effect damage around the wielder (cold, fire, energy, poison or physical damage) only harming targets you can legally attack.
Use-based Targetable Effects: These effects contain charges of different spells, such as Heal, Greater Heal, Magic Arrow, Harm, Fireball, or Lightning that can be activated at will.
Additional Effects: Permanent Night Sight, Luck , Lower Requirements to wear an object, Reflect Physical Damage, Self Repair for items, Enhance Potions, Best Weapon Skill (uses your highest weapon skill to attack, instead of the specific skill needed for the weapon.

For a fee per item, you can insure your equipment so that upon death, all of your insured items remain with your ghost. Each time you die, you will need to renew the insurance on your items. Stackable items will not be able to be insured. You can auto-insure items upond death with the context menu so you don't have to do this every time you get rezzed. Naturally, you will need to have sufficient funds in your bank.

And as expected, in 2D, it's a rehued death shroud. But heck, it's better than nothing. The 3D avatars have also greatly improved, finally! Now I wish I knew whether or not we can dye the darn shrouds.

When no means yes but not now (rant)

Over the past couple of years, OSI has changed its mind more times than a model changes outfits during a fashion show (and I used that analogy to remain polite). We're at the point where it becomes harder and harder to rely on anything they say because you know that sooner or later, when it suits their purpose, that no will become yes.

I realize AoS is OSI's biggest expansion pack ever, but jees! At the rate they're throwing goodies left and right for early settling and pre-ordering, EA almost sounds desperate for cash. This time, on top of all the other stuff you will receive for early ordering, if you're one of the first 100 person to purchase AoS online from either Electronics Boutique, GameStop or Amazon.com, you will receive as a bonus, a signed litograph by legendary fantasy artist Brom who created both the box and print ad artwork for AoS.

For more details on this other promotion, head over to GameSpy. You can also read more about the artist and see some of his work on his official website.

I don't know about you guys, but while I won't spit on any extras they throw my way, all of this needless spending is making me more nervous than anything else. They already had me with the necromancer, Malas, and the housing tool. The more candies to they throw in to sweeten the package, the more I fear we'll be getting a bitter raw deal. I actually wish they would keep all that money to hire more programmers to fix the current bugs.

Now, lets hop over to GameSpot for a short movie on AoS. The particle effects are pretty cool and 3D looks much better. But considering the quality of the video, I'll still wait til I have the real thing in hand to make up my mind. You'll have to put up with a short add from one of GameSpot's sponsors before the AoS movie starts. Grab the popcorns and enjoy!

One of the very legitimate concerns raised by us, non-American folks, was whether or not we would get shafted over housing placement once AoS goes live. Well, there's both a good and a bad news. The good news is that all European and Asian shards will be able to benefit from all the promotions. Meaning that the February 28th deadline to login with an AoS upgraded account to receive the bless deeds and shrouds will be pushed further for those shards so that the players have time to receive their CDs.

As far as the house placement issue goes, the same will also be true. Malas will not be activated on those shards until the expansion has finally be made available to the player base overseas.

The bad news is, if you are overseas but playing an American shard, they will not delay the opening of Malas til you can get in. You can read all the details on the FYI.

If you were planning on pre-ordering a gazillion AoS CDs to get a truckload of Bless Deeds and make a bundle reselling them, think again. Evocare took a moment to clear up some obvious misunderstanding regarding those rewards:

In order to ease some of the anguish regarding item bless deeds and the early setter's program, I'd like to give a little more detail regarding these bless deeds.

These deeds are "personal bless deeds", meaning the deed will only work for the actual character that received the deed, and any item blessed using that deed will only be blessed for that character (note: this is for that particular character, items blessed by one character on your account will not be blessed for another character on your account).

Therefore, each character will be able to benefit from one blessed item from this promotion, no more. Essentially, it'll alleviate the cost of "insurance" under the new insurance system for one item. I hope this eases (somewhat?) the natural concerns over characters running around will full sets of blessed items.

Evocare
Lead Designer - Ultima Online

So please keep this in mind. Once AoS comes out, you can bet your last shirt that some con artists will be running around WBB trying to sell off their mule's bless deeds or the ones they got off the free 30-day account. Those deeds will be useless to you so do not bother wasting your gold on them.