by GB » Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:56 pm
Speaking as someone who never played any version of Ultima before, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this game. This is an excellent model of a fantasy game. The combat was well balanced with puzzles, the travel would not have seemed too difficult or too gratuitous even without the orb of cheating. There was an impressive amount of dialog. Getting my bearings at first was a little slow, but the action picked up quickly and when I thought I was reaching the end a couple of times a whole new, world-spanning quest would be laid before me. There was a good mix of items, treasures, symbols, weapons and generally useful and interesting things. The dungeons were just complex enough to seem vast and mysterious your first couple of times into them, but not so complicated that you really had to resort to mapping.
Spoilers below.
I was about 3/4 of the way through the game when I recalled that I picked up a ring of invisibility somewhere and started to use it. The rules for it make a lot of sense. You can't use it while on horseback, boarding a ship or mounting a horse likewise nullifies the effect. Those trapped squares in Exodus' castle were clever, but you can see them with the Mapping gem. Though it took me a while to realize what was happening. The evil floor that attacks you also makes it difficult, because you see no enemy, so you don't realize why you can't become invisible again.
Using the ring it is possible to initiate a dialog with an NPC that would be hostile if he saw you approaching. I tried this on Roscoe in the Dukes of Hazard themed town. He giggles to himself after I say goodbye, but then begins shooting at me, because, of course, talking also removes the invisibility effect.
I found a few problems in the game, the most frustrating had to do with creatures in the dungeons attacking me and somehow sending me back to boarding the ship outside Britain, with a short message telling me that the sailors recognized by blue tassel. This caused the shores near dungeons to become littered with abandoned ships and skiffs. I've detailed this in the bugs section and provided screen shots. Does anything in the dungeons execute macro 33?
The skiff in Britain, after it has disappeared leaves a blank space. Object 96 preset space skiff, should probably be set to be replaced by #6 water, instead of eliminate.
In some rooms within dungeons, particularly where previously concealed creatures appeared at some point, thus trapping me, I noticed that certain floor tiles would disappear, leaving black spaces. No problems there, just a display glitch that was probably not intended.
Early in the game I found it hard to move Iolo past insisting that I ask Gwenno why, even after I had already asked her why, and had moved quite past that part of the quest.
Late in the game I noticed that my vision was no longer restricted to a limited area while inside dungeons or on the world map at night. I went into and out of several dungeons with this condition and the limited sight range did not return until I tried using the candle of love.
I'm looking at the inner workings now, of course and am thinking about how I can use this to create something else cool. Though it will probably take some practice to get to the point where I can make an adventure as good as this. How long did this take you, anyway?
Speaking as someone who never played any version of Ultima before, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this game. This is an excellent model of a fantasy game. The combat was well balanced with puzzles, the travel would not have seemed too difficult or too gratuitous even without the orb of cheating. There was an impressive amount of dialog. Getting my bearings at first was a little slow, but the action picked up quickly and when I thought I was reaching the end a couple of times a whole new, world-spanning quest would be laid before me. There was a good mix of items, treasures, symbols, weapons and generally useful and interesting things. The dungeons were just complex enough to seem vast and mysterious your first couple of times into them, but not so complicated that you really had to resort to mapping.
Spoilers below.
I was about 3/4 of the way through the game when I recalled that I picked up a ring of invisibility somewhere and started to use it. The rules for it make a lot of sense. You can't use it while on horseback, boarding a ship or mounting a horse likewise nullifies the effect. Those trapped squares in Exodus' castle were clever, but you can see them with the Mapping gem. Though it took me a while to realize what was happening. The evil floor that attacks you also makes it difficult, because you see no enemy, so you don't realize why you can't become invisible again.
Using the ring it is possible to initiate a dialog with an NPC that would be hostile if he saw you approaching. I tried this on Roscoe in the Dukes of Hazard themed town. He giggles to himself after I say goodbye, but then begins shooting at me, because, of course, talking also removes the invisibility effect.
I found a few problems in the game, the most frustrating had to do with creatures in the dungeons attacking me and somehow sending me back to boarding the ship outside Britain, with a short message telling me that the sailors recognized by blue tassel. This caused the shores near dungeons to become littered with abandoned ships and skiffs. I've detailed this in the bugs section and provided screen shots. Does anything in the dungeons execute macro 33?
The skiff in Britain, after it has disappeared leaves a blank space. Object 96 preset space skiff, should probably be set to be replaced by #6 water, instead of eliminate.
In some rooms within dungeons, particularly where previously concealed creatures appeared at some point, thus trapping me, I noticed that certain floor tiles would disappear, leaving black spaces. No problems there, just a display glitch that was probably not intended.
Early in the game I found it hard to move Iolo past insisting that I ask Gwenno why, even after I had already asked her why, and had moved quite past that part of the quest.
Late in the game I noticed that my vision was no longer restricted to a limited area while inside dungeons or on the world map at night. I went into and out of several dungeons with this condition and the limited sight range did not return until I tried using the candle of love.
I'm looking at the inner workings now, of course and am thinking about how I can use this to create something else cool. Though it will probably take some practice to get to the point where I can make an adventure as good as this. How long did this take you, anyway?