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Ultima Online is the only MMO that felt like a true virtual world and not just a grindy RPG game played with a lot of people. It occurred at a unique time in hi

by xwdv 4y ago

Ultima Online is the only MMO that felt like a true virtual world and not just a grindy RPG game played with a lot of people. It occurred at a unique time in history that is unlikely to be replicated again. You could build the same game but players have largely moved on from this style of MMO. A shame.

Alex3917 4y ago
> It occurred at a unique time in history that is unlikely to be replicated again. You could build the same game but players have largely moved on from this style of MMO. I don't necessarily personally disagree with this, but this counter argument is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4j-5YFKK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4j-5YFKK4
- zinckiwi 4y ago
  I largely agree with the perspective of that video. Specifically thinking of the difference between EQ and WoW, I do think there's one objective difference though: downtime. It wasn't uncommon to spend minutes recovering from a fight, or wait 20+ minutes between spawns if you were camping a particular spot. At the time we moaned about it, so WoW came along, and "solved" the complaint. In hindsight, the downtime was the best part of the game. Chatting with strangers in a pickup group. Gambling. Friendly duels. Dumb feats of strength. Mutual grumbling about waiting for the boat. My fondest memories were all the things around the gameplay, but that doesn't make the game irrelevant. It was an excuse and a reason, but also a setting. The combination was intoxicating.
  - toast0 4y ago
    > In hindsight, the downtime was the best part of the game. There's a lot of this in baseball spectation as well, maybe american football too. The game is there to bring you together and hang out.
nhinck2 4y ago
Yeah UO only worked because it was basically the only game in town. The sheep were playing alongside the wolves. Once there was more choice in the market the more casually and cooperatively minded players self-selected into games catered to them. Everyone who wants 'the next UO' has got to realise it's never going to happen.
- nrb 4y ago
  > Yeah UO only worked because it was basically the only game in town. As someone who was deeply involved with UO for a number of years, this explains a lot of it I think. Once there was a choice of optional PvP in UO itself the players OVERWHELMINGLY voted against non-consent PvP by fleeing to Trammel. That said, even after Renaissance the game and community itself was still in good shape before they caught the WoW bug and destroyed what they built trying to capture that audience.
munk-a 4y ago
I would strongly strongly suggest investigating MUDs if that's your bag. They're non-graphical so they can be built and maintained by small numbers of people with low programming skills and they tend to be almost entirely about community experiences. I'll just leave http://www.middle-earth.us/ http://www.middle-earth.us/ here because it's where I met my now SO and it's an absolutely wonderful community - but there are hundreds of them out there. They do take a serious time commitment though, since they're all about building up that interesting social world.

by xwdv 4y ago

Alex3917 4y ago

> It occurred at a unique time in history that is unlikely to be replicated again. You could build the same game but players have largely moved on from this style of MMO. I don't necessarily personally disagree with this, but this counter argument is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4j-5YFKK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4j-5YFKK4

zinckiwi 4y ago
I largely agree with the perspective of that video. Specifically thinking of the difference between EQ and WoW, I do think there's one objective difference though: downtime. It wasn't uncommon to spend minutes recovering from a fight, or wait 20+ minutes between spawns if you were camping a particular spot. At the time we moaned about it, so WoW came along, and "solved" the complaint. In hindsight, the downtime was the best part of the game. Chatting with strangers in a pickup group. Gambling. Friendly duels. Dumb feats of strength. Mutual grumbling about waiting for the boat. My fondest memories were all the things around the gameplay, but that doesn't make the game irrelevant. It was an excuse and a reason, but also a setting. The combination was intoxicating.
- toast0 4y ago
  > In hindsight, the downtime was the best part of the game. There's a lot of this in baseball spectation as well, maybe american football too. The game is there to bring you together and hang out.

nhinck2 4y ago

Yeah UO only worked because it was basically the only game in town. The sheep were playing alongside the wolves. Once there was more choice in the market the more casually and cooperatively minded players self-selected into games catered to them. Everyone who wants 'the next UO' has got to realise it's never going to happen.

nrb 4y ago
> Yeah UO only worked because it was basically the only game in town. As someone who was deeply involved with UO for a number of years, this explains a lot of it I think. Once there was a choice of optional PvP in UO itself the players OVERWHELMINGLY voted against non-consent PvP by fleeing to Trammel. That said, even after Renaissance the game and community itself was still in good shape before they caught the WoW bug and destroyed what they built trying to capture that audience.

munk-a 4y ago

I would strongly strongly suggest investigating MUDs if that's your bag. They're non-graphical so they can be built and maintained by small numbers of people with low programming skills and they tend to be almost entirely about community experiences. I'll just leave http://www.middle-earth.us/ http://www.middle-earth.us/ here because it's where I met my now SO and it's an absolutely wonderful community - but there are hundreds of them out there. They do take a serious time commitment though, since they're all about building up that interesting social world.