Ultima Online

Ultima Online is an fantasy-themed MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) played all around the world. Game servers are called shards. The game was launched in 1997 by Origin Systems. Nowadays it is owned by Electronic Arts. Like in other games, play is mostly about getting the best character.

 Game play 
The game continues with game mechanisms from the original single player game Ultima. It was designed as a kind of social and economic experiment.

 Skills 
Skill are measured in percent. The game has about 50 kinds of them. Magery, Necromancy, Alchemy, Mining... The highest amount of skill is 100%, but with special items it can be raised to 120%.

 Statistics 
Basic player statistics are strength, intelligence and dexterity.

 Craft system 
Ultima Online has a huge craft system. Players can make various things from weapons to whole ships.

 Datadiscs 
 Ultima Online: Second Age (1998)
 Ultima Online: Renaissance (2000) – world split into two copies, Felucca and Trammel
 Ultima Online: Third Dawn (2001)
 Ultima Online: Lord Blackthorn's Revenge (2002)
 Ultima Online: Age of Shadows (2003)
 Ultima Online: Samurai Empire (2004) – samurai theme
 Ultima Online: Mondain's Legacy (2005) – new race Elves
 Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn (2007)
 Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss (2009) – new race Gargoyles

Datadiscs mostly add new monsters, items and maps.

 OSI shards 
OSI (Origin Systems Inc., now part of EA) is the name for official servers (shards). These servers have run more than 10 years.

 Pacific
 Atlantic
 Great Lakes

 Shard emulation 
Ultima Online files can be easily modified. This ability gives a free hand to many projects. To run your shard, you need a server emulator. The EA games tolerates other projects.
 RunUO
 Sphere
 POL

 Curiosities 
 Since the Renaissance, the world is split into two copies, Felucca and Trammel. The Trammel world did not allow player vs. player and was focused on fighting with monsters. The Felucca world allows player vs. player, and that makes the world darker.
 The game client use images only, there aren't any 3D models. For example, each character has about 500 images.
 Each character has graphics only in four directions. Another four are gotten by mirroring.
 Graphic and other files can be easily edited. This ability is an advantage for non-official projects.

 System requirements 
 Windows 95 and newer
 32 MB of RAM memory
 DirectX 5 or higher
 internet connection 32kbit/s or greater

 References 
http://www.uo.com
http://www.gamesites200.com/ultimaonline/ 
http://www.runuo.com 
http://uo2.stratics.com/

Category:1997 video games
Category:Electronic Arts video games
Category:Linux games
Category:Massively multiplayer online role-playing games
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Windows games