Ryandor.com

http://www.uo.com/uokr/kingdomreborn.shtml
http://www.uo.com/uokr/UOKR/UOKR.html

Looks like OSI is finally doing something right, looks pretty damned sweet. And its just a replacement for the UO client, not a full new game, which makes it all the more sweeter for us.

Have to wonder how moddable it is though, will they re-do mul structures, add new stuff, etc? Will it be easier to do new animations, will it be harder to do new tiles/items?

And I wonder what new packets/features the client will bring. Since it looks like a total rewrite, lets hope for easy map access (Amount and Size) :P

It also raises the question, will OSI put a TOS on the installer this time, making it actually illegal for us to use with a free server.

(Most likely not, they've had ample chance with AOS, SE, ML which used new installers, etc).

Sure, it doesnt help OSI out any in the actual gameplay department, but for it might help bring more people back to playing UO and freeshards. We might see the population increase due to it looking more modern.

As much as this looks AWSOME if its not a 3d client which it looks like its not. I just hope that we don't have to rebuild ALL of the freeshard tools like, Map making programs, Server programs, whats really going to be a kick in the ass is all the custom artwork will be useless...sorry i guess im just pessemistic that way

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Shadow of the Void
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It looks like they're still 2D graphics, just better quality.

I want that song playing in the background!!

-Goldrush
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Yeah, I think I heard someone on Stratics say it was just 2D Sprites and not proper 3D.

In that case, hopefully they'll just keep all the old MUL formats and all our tools will work.

Yeah, Custom artwork will be useless, however new custom artwork might be far easier to create (Eg, Via 3D modelling, Depending on whether it is 3D or not)

i really hope they keep the mul format...the only thing that will need reworking is probably RunUO or other servers.

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Shadow of the Void
http://24.147.205.228/mxBB/index.php

I had to agree to the TOS when I installed Ultima Online a few days ago. Also, the Bnetd case sets precedence against the emulation communities in general. Technically, you can only emulate the original Ultima Online (pre-T2A) without violating the TOS, but with the DMCA, you can be fried either way if EA wanted to. As soon as you install any expansion, however, you are in clear violation of their TOS. Granted, you do not NEED to install any expansion to get most of the content, as you could simply install the original game and patch it all the way to receive a lot of the content. EA has not been very active about it (unlike Blizzard), but I stopped doing everything in relation to emulation of UO as a result, for two reasons: it is not worth being sued about, and I do not have enough interest even if it was.

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Web: http://www.sydius.net

Blizzard... sitting in a russian Blizzard community every day. Respect to them.
Well, i seems that just left youself to wait for it... hope there will be only Visual difference. I could make custom art for that new graph model (surely it will be even easier that to adjust it to current low-quality model, geezzzz), but if they change the code or a system it's probably will require to get new soft to customize it.

So be it, as it should be.

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"Be calm and silent, as Darkness care not of passions and lies. Be patient and cold, as Darkness exists out of borders of time and emotions. Just be yourself, as You are in the Darkness and Darkness is inside of you."
-Dark Ones Doctrine, 2001y (c)-

One thing to think about: new formats mean something new to be reverse-engineered. Unlike the original UO file formats, these ones will have to be reverse-engineered *AFTER* the DMCA was passed into law. Something to think about for those of us in the USA.

Xuri can pretty much ignore all of this, the bastard lives in a country with sane copyright laws (or so I hear).

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

LIES!

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Shadow of the Void
http://24.147.205.228/mxBB/index.php

While thinking about that, recall that DCMA does not prevent reverse engineering for interoperability. It prevents reverse engineering for the sole purpose of circumventing copy protection. This concept has been tested an upheld in court (It was attempted as protection by Stanly on stopping others from making garage door openers for their products), and I believe there are other cases concerning printer cartidriges.

To enjoy a flower one but has to gaze upon it...

Stop digging at the roots!!! Enjoy what you have or "may" come.

(Ok my turn )
Think about it...if they changed the graphics on the client they would still need the same format "unless!" they changed the server code. If they change the server code then your hosed and we would all be back to square one in the EMU community. If they did not then the files would work the same and from the looks of it I would say that is the case.

Now stop picking at it or it will never heal and all the peddles will fall off.

Dev

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"So...if crazy people don't know their crazy...does that mean your only sane if your know your crazy?"

Dev: You come up with some of the funniest, and cleverist (is that a word?) quotes.

Thanks, I needed a smile this morning.

-Goldrush (CMS)
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Right, but since then there has been the Battle.net case which went the other way, and was MUCH more similar.



There is absolutely no reason for the EA servers to use files in the same format as those the client uses, unless they are too lazy to throw in a simple converter. I am not saying they do not, but that is beside the point -- they do not need to (and I would wager that they do not) store the graphics on the server at all, except for the flags (IE, can you walk through it or not).

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Well if you think about it there is really no reason to change...if their using nothing more than updated graphics with perhaps a new engine driving them then the format would not need to be changed.

Think how few times anything has changed in 9 years. Other than doing away with the old double sided critters and switching to flip code then adding a few support files (various .muls) and finally the veradata there has really been little in the way of format change.

If in the off chance they do produce a new engine then yes it could all be 100% different but that takes years not months unless they purchase someone elses like a lot of the newer (lazy) companies do.

As for the graphics, they have always been on the client side as it would be pointless to have them on the server end, this I know for a fact. Unless all that lag comes from some dumbass playing PK from the server farm at the office (which they have done).

Here is a very novel idea...lets just wait and see what happens...Hmm...think of how much less stress that would breed. Oh wait, we're talking about my favorite hobby, nevermind!

Dev

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"So...if crazy people don't know their crazy...does that mean your only sane if your know your crazy?"

They said it is a complete rewrite of the engine.

As for using a third-party engine, I see nothing wrong with that -- it just means more efficiency and less bugs. In fact, I would go so far as to say they would be silly not to use a third-party engine if it is 3D (I cannot tell yet).

If it is 2D, then it would not take so long to do from scratch -- a tile engine over a heightmap is not especially hard, and who knows how long they have already been working on it (they do have screen shots, after all). They said they have been working on it for some time now, and they just bought out another company that (and this is just the impression I get) get to help with it.

I just hope they don't cancel it one day before release.

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

You also have to take into account the fact that EA is known for being in a perpetual crunch... they could probably write a good 2D engine in month, given the hours they force on people. Buggy, yes, but that is also to expected given their record.

Me, I'll take the bugs, so long as the graphics are that much prettier.

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

Well lets all face it. Someday UO "IS" going to either radically change into a 3D game like all the rest or it is going to fade into distant memory.

It's amazing that it has lasted this long if you really think about it. How many other isometric games do you know where the people have stayed with it for 9 years?

The graphics in the new update everyone is ranting about do look nice even if they remind me of an enhanced version of Fallout but I don't think updated isometric graphics is the answer to what UO needs to last another 10 years. All of the updates so far have brought people back for a few months then they die off again so its still missing "something"... (Perhaps some American, english speaking GM's who know what your talking about would be a nice start)

Graphics are nice but will that be the answer we all seek? I don't think so.

Dev

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"So...if crazy people don't know their crazy...does that mean your only sane if your know your crazy?"

If they introduce Norwegian speaking GMs I'll buy another account. ;P

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-= Ho Eyo He Hum =-

Their niche market right now is low-end systems... you can play UO on anything, even an old crappy laptop.

UO is also a good casual game at this point -- there is no need to play it for 50 hours a week.

The biggest downside to UO, to me, is not the graphics, but the economy. Inflation is incredible... I played 10 days and somehow amassed over 20 million gold coins without even fighting (just buying/selling crap).

I blame dupers and poor design.

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

Inflation should be coming back down.

If you haven't read the news already, OSI/EA removed over 15 "BILLION" in illegal checks from the game. (Yes that would put one hell of a dent in the national dept but they couldn't find anyone able to pry the pixels off the screen and carry them to the exchange).

Personally I haven't played in months but still have both accounts active and have had for the last 9 years (So I get the PhAt LoOtZ player rewards)

The part that bores me is the players their self, bank campers, gate campers, Spawn hogs etc. It has turned into another EQ and it will get much worse now that Mythic has been purchased by EA. (Didn't see that coming).

Yes there are a lot of nice players still left in UO but they are as rare as finding a 4 leaf clover in a hog pen. I have remained friends with a handful for the last 6 years.

Dev

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"So...if crazy people don't know their crazy...does that mean your only sane if your know your crazy?"

I thought it was 15 TRILLIAN. The significance being that, 1 million = $1 on eBay, so they removed about $15 million worth of money.

It is not going down, though.

From 50k to 20 million in two weeks should not be possible without cheating, and I certainly didn't cheat.

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

Actually your right, 15 Trillion. My bad



Dev

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"So...if crazy people don't know their crazy...does that mean your only sane if your know your crazy?"

it will be this game

and SPore

that i will purchase this year.

I'm excited

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Woot New Sig!!

Who doesn't want Spore?!

SPORE!

WOOT!

I almost forgot about Spore... but gah, I can't wait for it.

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Blog: http://www.sydius.org
Web: http://www.sydius.net

I can

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-= Ho Eyo He Hum =-