4 ms·

Garriott, and more specifically, the Ultimas, are the sole reasons I became a programmer. I first played Ultima 5 on a monochrome C64 monitor. Seeing the techn

Garriott, and more specifically, the Ultimas, are the sole reasons I became a programmer. I first played Ultima 5 on a monochrome C64 monitor. Seeing the technological leaps up until the 8th sequel was mind-blowing to a younger me. There was something there that sadly will never be replicated. The lack of an internet connection meant there was nothing available other than a box, a manual, and a map to feed the imagination. I was even further disconnected from the world given I grew up in the countryside where neighbors were scarce. I remember me and my brothers all huddling around the screen on rainy days, the four of us trying to assume the identities of the default party members - it literally felt like looking into a portal to another world.

chaverma 9y ago
I had a similar experience. I wouldn't say it directly led to my career (but certainly influenced) as a software engineer, but it did shape the way I view the world. Ultima IV: The Quest of the Avatar taught me about an alternative set of ethics. While too simple for real use, it was aspirational enough to get me thinking about alternatives to what I'd been taught. Ultima VI: The False Prophet led me to acknowledge good and evil typically are informed by individual (or group) point of view. Ultima VII: The Black Gate taught me to look at religion critically, to see that beyond the surface message there are often other messages that go unnoticed. There's no question that Garriott tapped into something deep inside me that is still coming out to this day.
mentos 9y ago
It was an emulator for Ultima Online called RunUO that ignited my passion for game development. The ability to alter a few lines of code and see that reflected in the game was so damn exciting. Happy to say 15 years later working on my latest game in UE4 that feeling still endures. Thank you Richard Garriott and the RunUO team ;)

chaverma 9y ago

I had a similar experience. I wouldn't say it directly led to my career (but certainly influenced) as a software engineer, but it did shape the way I view the world. Ultima IV: The Quest of the Avatar taught me about an alternative set of ethics. While too simple for real use, it was aspirational enough to get me thinking about alternatives to what I'd been taught. Ultima VI: The False Prophet led me to acknowledge good and evil typically are informed by individual (or group) point of view. Ultima VII: The Black Gate taught me to look at religion critically, to see that beyond the surface message there are often other messages that go unnoticed. There's no question that Garriott tapped into something deep inside me that is still coming out to this day.

mentos 9y ago

It was an emulator for Ultima Online called RunUO that ignited my passion for game development. The ability to alter a few lines of code and see that reflected in the game was so damn exciting. Happy to say 15 years later working on my latest game in UE4 that feeling still endures. Thank you Richard Garriott and the RunUO team ;)