Rare Buyers Beware
Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2009, 8:54 PM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
This warning was recently posted on the login patch page: WARNING: Suspicious Items We've received multiple reports that new, supposedly "rare" items are appearing across the servers. These are not sanctioned items from the recent content patches or events, and in some cases even take on the appearance of server-birth rares. If you find these suspicious items for sale, or see them being offered, please use the in-game reporting tool to page a GM. Please enjoy your post holiday vendor shopping, but beware of deals that are too good to be true. More information on this subject can be found in Uhall here: "New "Uber Rare" Bottles, Flasks, and other "new" items."
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Ransom and Blood - Extended to Feb 7
Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2009, 7:33 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hawkeye Pike has provided some new information for his most recent quest: Additional information: Two people have solved the quest so far (I don't know how many tried). To solve the riddles, you need persistence and patience. Often, the two adventurers were thinking outside the box, while the solution was right in front of their eyes. Remember, anyone can solve the quest, you don't need an IQ of 120 to do so. Mostly, you just have to read carefully. The quest was meant to be difficult! If you're impatient, don't bother to try. I decided to give the adventurers more time to solve it: until the next Black Market on February 7th. The rewards will be quite interesting. Have fun!
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Ransom and Blood (Jan 3-17)
Posted on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 9:48 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hawkeye Pike has sent along news of yet another quest: Ransom and Blood (starting Jan. 3rd, 2009) A scavenger hunt quest with tricky riddles. Those who solve the quest can participate in a lottery on January 17th, at 9pm EST. This means, you have 2 weeks to solve the quest. IMPORTANT: Please do not give away the solution of the quest riddles, or the location of quest stations! This quest is meant as a challenge for riddle-solvers, and we don't want to spoil this challenge. It can be solved by anyone who uses his wit, and it only is most fun when you try it by yourself. - - - **[Sahra] Warning: Initial hint is somewhat gory, so I have not included it in this post. To read it, click here. **
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Dyed Swamp Dragons
Posted on Monday, January 5, 2009, 1:20 PM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Tim "Draconi" Cotten the Lead Designer for Ultima Online had this to say about the dyed Swamp dragons wandering our lands today. Notice: Anyone who dyed their swamp dragon armor deeds with the Dyes of Tokuno, and then created neon pets, will find their swampies reverted to Iron in the near future. The use of dyes in this manner is not intended. So if you were thinking about purchasing or making one, do not do it! In a few days all of them will be back to their natural color.
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Next Black Market: Jan. 3rd 2009, 8pm EST.
Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 5:36 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Next Black Market: Jan. 3rd 2009, 8pm EST. The United Pirates of Catskills announce the Black Market event for January! During this monthly recurring event, you can sell, buy, trade or auction your wares. Also, a special quest will be kicked off this time. Solve a lot of tricky riddles and win a valuable prize! Merchants will get a personal market stand where they can advertise and sell their products. Bargaining is encouraged! Merchants should enter a list of their products in one of the books locked down on the market stand (at least one day prior to the event, so people can come by and check on the items). The prices should be LOWER than the regular Luna vendor prices! If you want to sell contraband, you can simply come to the Black Market building prior to the event and enter your name and your item list into one of the (empty) books on the market stands. By doing that you have claimed the market stand and may use it exclusively during the event. Are you looking for a certain item? You can post your request on the bulletin board out front of the Black Market. Merchants can check the board beforehand and have the appropriate items ready for sale. The board will be wiped after the Black Market is over. The Black Market building is located next to our Jolly Roger Inn in TRAMMEL:
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Where is Ricardo?
Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 2:33 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Rumors abound about what happened to the famed thief Ricardo that was scheduled for execution for starting the war with the Ophidians by stealing a crown from them years ago. Many theories abound as to what really happened to him. Some claim that his sentence was unjust and he was being used as a scapegoat for the ruling council’s failings during this time of turmoil in the Kingdom. So he was executed in private so that the entire war could be forgotten as quickly as possible. Others claim he is hidden away in a jail cell shared with Avery awaiting his end. The romantic image many people have latched onto is that he escaped his captures and is even now in disguise working his trade in Trinsic under the sheriff’s nose. This reporter hearing such a tale of him being spotted in Trinsic went undercover to investigate. Word was there was a new thief’s guildmaster named Ricardo and I had to find out if it was him. Ricardo in hiding? I was very disappointed to find a man, with a haircut like a page from the royal courts, who just had the same name as the famously charming rogue. So as of now the mystery of what happened to legendary thief Ricardo is still unsolved.
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Grog Sighting
Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 1:53 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
I’m sure many of you remember a well known player named “Grog” who passed away a little over a year ago. This beloved giant of a bear of a man in real life touched many of our hearts and became a friend with anyone he encountered in the game. In what only can be considered a sign of how much he meant to the players of the game his characters name was added to the list of possible NPC names by the Dev team. So every once in a while you will see a NPC named Grog in game. This happened to me while fighting in Skara Brae last month. You see I had my tamer fighting the invasion in the city when I spotted a general. The only problem was I was torn on killing this general because he was named Grog. I finally decided to slay this general named Grog and I kept his armor and weapon out of respect for a man who was a friend to me. So when any of you spot a NPC named Grog remember a man who called Catskills his home shard and smile to yourself and remember Grogs first rule “Have Fun!”
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Catskills new EM Kasaven
Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 1:28 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Last week I dropped into the Councilors Hall, found on the North West side of the city of Britain, and had the pleasure of meeting Catskills new Event Moderator “EM Kasaven”. He was busy working on plans to redecorate the hall but took a few minutes to answer a few quick questions for you our readers. First off he is an 11 year veteran of the game and calls Atlantic his home shard. (As most of you know an EM cannot do their duties on their home shard to help prevent favoritism.) He has a few ideas as for the types of events he hopes to host, and plans on involving all playing styles in these events. He also hopes to have events that take place on all the facets of the shard. This means that all players’ types from craftsmen in Trammel to reds in Felucca will have events to take part in, and that is good news for all. EM Kasavens new duties are to run planned events in support of ongoing Mythic storylines, and to organize and run events of his own that have been approved by Mythic. Each shard have been assigned their own EMs along with some EMs called floaters who will provide extra manpower to shards that do not have 2 full time EMs assigned to them. Meaning that if EM Kasaven is running an event that requires more than one person. Then one of the floaters will join him on our shard. As of the present time all the EMs are prohibited from posting on any of the Forums although I was informed that EM Kasaven does drop into the boards, and has read all of your greetings to him. One of the big problems before was EM events that started to late in the evening for Catskills players so most players missed out on them. EM Kasaven stated that he plans on starting the new EM events around dinner time for most players. That way they will be ending at a more reasonable hour for players on the shard. He had no time table for how often we would have EM events, but promised to do his best to keep us from getting too bored. The new EM ran events are right now projected to start in the middle of January, but if you want to meet EM Kasaven before then. You may catch him at the Councilors Hall in Britain if you drop in at the right time. You will find our new EM to be a quick witted person who is friendly, and I am sure will keep us active, thrilled and enthralled once he starts his job.
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Reader's Tales of Adventure: Battling Interred Grizzle
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008, 10:02 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello fellow Catskillians! I saw a story written by Hagrid (aka Bob_the_fart_guy), and thought "Hey... we should bring some more attention to situations where people find themselves having fun in unexpected ways!" With that thought, I bring you the first (and hopefully not last) "Reader's Tales of Adventure". It was an odd sort of day for me, with no definite plans to go after any peerless. And just glad to be on the recovering side of being quite ill. I was fully intending on simply logging in and beginning my long uphill battle with skilling up a carpenter. When I happened to cross paths with my Ole' pal Robin Hood. He was accompanied by a friend that went by the name of Galeclie. They were helping a young man with finding his way to Bedlam. I had only intended on opening a moongate for the three of them to all meet easily at the same place to go after the peerless known as: Monstrous Interred Grizzle. I had never intended on going along, but in the end I was extremely happy that I got the opportunity to go. I must say that I believe that it may have been up to two hours long to obtain the keys to even get to the Interred Grizzle, being the longest part of the adventure. Once we had the 5 keys though we picked up a few more adventurers, some by the name of Frog Sorcerer, Dr Who and a few others whose name, sadly, escapes me. At times it seemed the battle was a lost cause, with Robin Hood using the Noble Sacrifice ability to bring many back into the battle (myself included). With a steady arm he also landed many devastating blows with his crossbow. I have no problem with giving him the credit for keeping the entire event organized. With the help of all, mages, necros, tamers and archers we did finally bring the foul creature to its end. I know I wasn't much help, and as always I am seen either in a death robe or with my bear mask on. But I definitely had a blast. Thank you all who helped out tonight. -Hagrid If you have a fun adventure you'd like to tell the tale of, send it along to uocatsills@stratics.com Safe (but not so safe that it's boring) travels! - Sahra Swift
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The United Pirates' December Black Market
Posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 7:15 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, The United Pirates have once again asked that we let people know about their Black Market. The Black Market (Saturday, Dec 6th, 8pm EST) The United Pirates of Catskills announce the next Black Market event for Dec. 6th, 8 pm EST! This recurring in-game trading and auctioning event (every first Saturday of the Month) will be accompanied by entertaining elements. During this event, you can sell, buy or trade your wares! The facts: * Merchants can claim a personal market stand where they can advertise and sell their products. The merchants should enter the list of their products into the book locked down on their market stand (at least one day prior to the event, so people can come by and check on the items). * The prices should be LOWER than the regular Luna vendor prices! Bargaining is encouraged! * Are you looking for a certain item? You can post your request on the bulletin board out front of the Black Market. Merchants can check the board beforehand and have the appropriate items ready for sale. The board will be wiped after the Black Market is over. * We may hold games and duels for all participants and visitors. It will be fun! If you want to sell contraband, you can simply come to the Black Market building prior to the event and enter your name and your item list into one of the (empty) books on the market stands. By doing that you have claimed the market stand and may use it exclusively during the event. The Black Market building is located next to our Jolly Roger Inn. Map:
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Zoo Birthday Celebration Saturday 12/6
Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008, 11:46 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Jerimiah and the supporters of the Zoo are holding a event to celebrate the birthday of the Catskills crane at the zoo. Here is the information if you wish to take part. All citizens are encouraged to come join in celebrating the third birthday of the crane at the Moonglow Zoo on Saturday December 6. The Catskills crane is the oldest crane in all of UO and this achievement is worthy of recognition. At 8pm on Saturday December 6th we will gather at the eastern entrance to the zoo to organize for a Tamers Challenge. Once begun, participants will have one hour to donate as many points to the zoo as possible including donations of gold. Participants will be awarded prizes at the conclusion of the competition. After the competition, refreshments will be provided for everyone to enjoy the beauty of the greatest zoo in all of UO. Tamers of all abilities are welcome to compete and citizens of all professions are welcome to come cheer on the participants or just join in the festivities. If you want to inquire for more information on this event please follow this link the Stratics Catskills Forum:Zoo Birthday Celebration Saturday 12/6
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Army of Shadows Invades
Posted on Friday, November 28, 2008, 3:00 PM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Here is a news story written by Catskills newest Shard Reporter "Norrar". I hope all of you enjoy it. he originally posted it on the Catskills forums board back on the 13th of November, and it took me this long to get it here for everyone else to enjoy. If you do see him in game congratulate on his new position and tell him to get back to work writing more stories for all of you to enjoy. Recently traveling into the city of Yew; perhaps one of the most tranquil cities available, I was met with a most terrible sight. Demons of all sorts, burning trees and various homes! I could not stand for such a thing, and by the number of defenders around, nor could they. I walked to a strange fellow clad in black armor, tapping him on the shoulder lightly. “Pardon me sir, but what seems to be going on here?” I asked between dodging a demons energy blast. The man turned, looked me up and down before threatening me with a kryss! I have endured many trials, but that was just plain rude of him. “Uhh….easy there buddy…” I stammered, “Just wanted to kno-…” Was all I got out before an arrow took him in the eye. Cursing my luck, and losing perhaps a valuable interview, I walked on, avoiding the carnage and demons. Noting with interest groups of humans fighting each other. I watched one group fight another, noting once again the strange armor. Eventually as the last one fell, I walked up to a mage in bright orange robes, shielding my eyes as I spoke to him. “Say there, can you tell me what’s happening?” The mage looked me over before snorting with disgust, “These damn rebels are trying to retake our lands!” “Rebels?” I said puzzled. The mage nodded briskly, “Aye rebels, allied themselves with demons and the like it seems also.” He grinned shakily, “Though I bet ye can tell that on your own!” “Oh aye I can, terrible thing to…” The mage pulled me over to a safe location before continuing. “Your not aware of whats been happening?” Flustered I answered crisply, “Well no, I just got back you see…my kitsun-…” The mage cut me off. “well than lad, you’ve got a lot to learn then! This damn rebel army is invading our cities! Each one is different, some have dragons or Ophidians or even slime! As each city is invaded, a rush of brave adventurers rushes in to turn back the tide. Bodies fall and pile up, the once pristine streets run awash in blood, and the sounds of battle ring out across the air. It’s a terrible yet wonderful thing.” I coughed lightly as I wrote furiously, “Terrible yet wonderful?” “Aye, that destruction is terrible, yet it seems to pay well!” “Ah…I see…” The mage slapped me on my back, “Good luck to ye, I have more to kill and so little time!” “Thank…you…” I yelled as he ran off. Sighing I turned and ducked between buildings, taking notes off what was happening. Suddenly, a colossal explosion ripped through the city, knocking me to the ground. Muttering, I picked myself up and turned, only to be staring into the eyes of a deep red, yet beautiful dragon. “Oh…” I said calmly, “Hello.” It seemed puzzled at my statement, but quickly regained itself and sent a mass of fire at me from its mouth. Yelling in terror I abruptly turned and ran, finding myself flying suddenly as the explosion threw me. Crashing through a shop window, I landed on one of the healers beds. “Oh, well that was convenient.” Watching as soldiers and adventurers rushed the beast; I noted with awe its strength, unleashing magic I had rarely if ever seen. It took what seemed an age, before it finally fell with a burst of flame as jewels and gold rained from the sky. Feeling I had perhaps pushed my luck thus far, I hurriedly sped back to the relative safety of my home, sighing with relief as I crawled into my chair. Be wary friends! So far brave citizens have been raising arms against this so called, “Army of Shadows” in countless battles. Thus far, there seems to be no sign of them breaking off in their attacks
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Jolly Roger Challenge: Nov 8, 9pm EST
Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 3:29 PM EST by Lord Franklin (Catskills)
Hail all! This announcement just arrived at my tower, carried by a strange parrot wearing an eye-patch. It amazes me all the creative ways you folks get your news to me! Tournament: Jolly Roger Challenge (November 8th, 9pm EST) All citizens of Britannia, be it fighters, mages or spectators, are invited to come to the Jolly Roger Inn for a big fighting tournament! This exciting contest will take place in our arena next to the Jolly Roger Inn. Here you can prove your real skill and tactics, as special equipment is not allowed! The rules are: * Ye cannot use own equipment! Armor, weapons and shields of GM quality will be provided. It is up to yer fighting abilities and tactics! * Jewelry, talismans, special spellbooks, quivers and other items improving yer fighting abilities are not allowed! * Bring your Ninjitsu, Bushido, Chivalry, Necromancy and Magery spellbooks! No magery spellbooks with magic properties. * Ye can bring any kind and number of potions, bandages, arrows, darts, bolts and reagents ye like. Mounts and pets are not allowed! * Spellweavers are not allowed to have an arcane focus. * Leaving the fighting area before the winner of a duel is determined, is not allowed. * You're out of the tournament if you lose TWO fights. * Any kind of fighting tactics are allowed! Whatever abilities yer skills offer, may be used in the duel. The prize: Each contestant pays an entry fee of 10,000 gold pieces (bank check). The winner takes it all! (If someone can't afford that much, rich participants will help out.) Hint: Area effect attacks (like explosion and conflagration potions or area effect spells) only damage fighters from enemy guilds, not opponents of your own guild. A map to the Jolly Rancher Inn can be found here: http://www.aschulze.net/ultima/pirates/images/map_up.jpg Good luck to all who participate! Peaceful Journeys, Lord Franklin
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Stranded (October 18th, 5pm EST)
Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008, 7:17 AM EDT by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, I received this not from Hawkeye Pike: After a heavy storm, Hawkeye Pike and his crew stranded in the southern Britannian Sea, in Felucca. Most of their items were washed overboard and lost. A few worthless pieces of clothing, hats, some cheap weapons of town-vendor quality and a heap of bandages are all that was left. Equipped in such manner, they start their expedition and enter the Lost Lands. An exciting and challenging adventure begins. The survivers of the shipwreck have to face the dangers of Felucca in search of new wealth and better equipment. Monsters will be slain, dungeons will be explored, old equipment will be replaced by better items step by step. How far will the group of castaways get? Which dungeons and places will they dare to venture? This journey does not have a specific ending. The participants will continue their expedition as long as they have fun doing it. We want to explore how much fun you can have in Britannia without using artifacts, valuable equipment or gold. Anyone can join in at any time. Please don't bring any equipment, except clothing, bandages and a weapon from an NPC vendor. You're all invited to join! Meeting place is the Jolly Roger Inn.
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The Catskills Black Market
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 9:12 AM EDT by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, I got the following information from Hawkeye Pike: The Catskills Black Market October 4th, 8pm EST Recurring trading-event, scheduled for each first Saturday of the month at 8pm EST. Next Black Market: October 4th 2008, 8pm EST The United Pirates of Catskills are happy to announce the Black Market event! This recurring in-game trading and auctioning event will be accompanied by entertaining elements. During this event, you can sell, buy, trade or auction your wares! In between the bargains, duels bets and games will be held for entertainment. The facts: * Merchants will get a personal market stand where they can advertise and sell their products. Bargaining is encouraged! Merchants should have a list of their products locked down on their market stand (at least one day prior to the event, so people can come by and check on the items). The prices should be LOWER than the regular Luna vendor prices! * Are you looking for a certain item? You can post your request on the bulletin board out front of the Black Market. Merchants can check the board beforehand and have the appropriate items ready for sale. The board will be wiped after the Black Market is over. * We will hold games and duels where everybody can place bets and everybody can participate. It will be fun! Merchants who want to sell items, please contact Hawkeye Pike a few days prior to the Black Market to take care of the lockdowns. ICQ: 7041294 The Black Market will take place in the building called "Black Market" at the following location in TRAMMEL:
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Friday Nights Hunts have returned!
Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2008, 12:04 AM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
As we near the fall season of the year, with the foliage changing colors and the air outside getting cooler an old Catskills tradition has been reborn. Last week a few members of the SCB Guild(Senior Citizens of Britannia) invited everyone on the shard to join them in the rebirth of the “Friday Night Hunt”. An weekly event that was known for gathering players together for a fun evening of camaraderie and high adventure. Friday Night Hunt Group Sept 12th 2008 These hunts were once a high point of many players week because the organizers would plan excursions to places that many players have never been to before, or that were too challenging for a small party to attempt. The Friday Night Hunts gave players a chance to try new things and learn some of the tricks to survive these areas from veterans who had mastered them before. The previous organizers ran events such as Champion spawns, Naked dungeon crawls, Caroling in Doom and also actions to support the ongoing live storylines. Like clearing all the cities during the Ophidian war or helping players complete the “Candle of Love” quest. The spokesperson for the Old Friday Night Hunts was the queen of death herself Anne Nomilly of the O*S guild (Order of the Shield). Who used her leadership skills to keep everything running smoothly while entertaining everyone with her charming friendly humor. Unfortunately real life caught up with Anne and she did not have the time she use to organize these events, and the Hunts slowly faded away for a while. (Anne joined for the second of the new Friday Night Hunts and appeared to enjoy herself very much. Though for those of you who know Anne she did not die for a change.) The new representatives for the Friday Night Hunts are BarefootPrincess and Ally Oops who hope to make this a fun night for anyone who wishes to take part. Both of these Ladies are well known long time players on the shard and very community minded. They encourage you to come join them if you want something fun to do on a Friday night. The Catskills Forum should have posted where they plan the next hunt to be at, and as normal everyone will gather at the Trammel side Yew Moongate at 8 PM EST. There everyone will divide into parties, be given any items they may need and a Focus should be offered to those of you who are spell weavers. So if you are new to the shard or just bored and have nothing to do come join the Hunt and make new friends, and have fun, you will not be disappointed.
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Catskills Pirate Conspiracy - A Scavenger Hunt
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 12:14 PM EDT by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, Here's some news from Hawkeye Pike: Catskills Pirate Conspiracy - A Scavenger Hunt (Aug. 30th, 9pm EST) The Pirate Conspiracy is a series of events for all players, guilded or not. These events will consist of scavenger hunts, riddles, adventures and in some cases limited fighting. Some events will require geographic knowledge, some a keen mind, courage, or a moderate fighting skill. Few of the events will also be quite dangerous and challenging. Background: During a guild meeting at the Lion's Den in New Haven, the treasurer of the Gentle Rest Inn guild named Hefeustus was lured under false pretenses to a room next door. There he was knocked out and kidnapped by an infiltrator and by Hawkeye Pike, Captain of the United Pirates. Rumor has it that the pirates are trying to pressure the hiding-place of the huge guild treasure out of him. Hawkeye Pike has written down the secret wherabouts of the hostage on a piece of paper. For safety reasons, this document has been split up and distributed on a series of books hidden all over Britannia. To find out the location of the captured treasurer, you have to possess all books. You have the opportunity to achieve that during these events. Once all books have been discovered, it is up to the adventurers to decrypt the message and find the kidnapped treasurer. (All discovered books will be put on display in public for everyone to read.) The First Event: Retrieving the First Secret Book The first book has already been stolen from the pirates and been hidden somewhere in Britannia. The object is, to follow the clues in this scavenger hunt, solve riddles, and find that book. The one who finds the book first, will be rewarded with a valuable artifact! The quest will start in the Jolly Roger Inn in Trammel on August 30th at 9 pm EST (map see below), where you will receive the first hint. Anybody can participate, no special equipment or preparation is required. Here's a map to the Jolly Roger:
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Duped items and how to avoid them
Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 7:58 AM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
Recently many players were banned from Ultima Online for having Duped items in their possession . Now for those of you who do not know Duped is a shortening of the word duplicated. So duped items are exact copies of in game items that have been produced through illegal ways. In recent history the game has been flooded with Duped items, from gold and checks to runic tools, artifacts and rare event items. Because these items are mass produced they are being sold to players at a lower cost than you would normally see most of the time (Though some do sell them for normal prices to avoid being caught by EA/Mythic). A large part of these items are getting spread to the general public through in game vendors and some of the online sites who sell them for real cash. EA/Mythic frowns on the production of such items and will take action against anyone found producing or having them in their possession. Duping is a form of cheating and ruins the game in many ways and will not be tolerated. The players that were recently caught with duped items had their accounts banned and their houses removed from the game. Is duping and duped items worth risking your account on? Here is what Jeremy Dalberg (UO Community Coordinator) had to say about the recent bannings: 04 Aug 2008 13:25:35 Over the weekend, a number of accounts associated with creating and trading duped items have been banned. We take all forms of cheating extremely seriously, especially cheats that affect the in game economy and devalue the hard work of honest players. We will never stop investigating and solving these issues, and appreciate very much those of you who contribute to the fight against cheating. There is no reason to panic and fear for your account if you have recently purchased items from a vendor in game. Most of the people banned had a multitude of duped items in their possession, and as Jeremy has stated in an Stratics post most casual players will never have that many duped items on their accounts. So if you may of purchased one or two duped items by accident chances are no major action will be taken against your account, besides the items in question being deleted from your account if you are found with them. Although it is just smarter to avoid purchasing these items all together if you can. Here is some helpful tips to help avoid these items: 1. If a vendor has large amounts of a item that you know to be rare in game. Best bet is to be cautious of it. 2. If a price on a item is too good to be true. It may be a duped item. 3. Try to purchase items from people you know and trust if you can. 4. Be wary of online sites that offer almost every item in game on every shard. (Yes most of these are honest sellers but some are not. Also remember that gold and checks can be duped!) 5. If a in game seller always has a highly sought after item on his vendor (He may be only putting a single duped copy of a item out at a time. So soon as he sells one he may replace it right away with a new duped one.) 6. If an player is selling items in person at a bank. No matter what his story for selling it is, always ask yourself if it could be duped. 7. If you are selling a item yourself always remember that gold and checks can be duped too! So the guy who purchased your item may be passing duped items to you that way. Being caught with these can get you banned too. 8. Never hold items in your house, boat or bank box for anyone you do not know very well. 9. If you do IDoC (in Danger of Collapse)houses always remember if you find a chest or bag full of a multitude of the same rare item, it may have been Duped, and you can be banned for having it in your possession. 10. If you run a vendor house and rent out vendor spots to others. be aware of what they are selling. Having a vendor who is selling dupes at your house can get your account banned too. Thank you for your time and I hope this answered many questions that you may have.
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Pirates Battle In New Haven!
Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008, 5:57 PM EDT by Lord Franklin (Catskills)
PLEASE NOTE: Those wily pirates have changed the date for this event! Due to an unexpected accident, the Pirate Conspiracy event has to be rescheduled to June 29th, 8 pm EST. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. -- Hello Catskills, I've received the following report from Hawkeye Pike, Captain of the United Pirates Guild. While it makes an interesting read, whether you can trust the word of a Pirate is up to you to decide! The Pirate Conspiracy The Pirate Conspiracy is an ongoing event series organized by the Catskills roleplaying community. An incident on June 21st 2008 kicked off a new storyline, bringing a lot of fun and interaction for the involved guilds and players. These events will introduce the background of the conflict between unsavory folk (pirates) and the honorable society of Britannia. All Catskills roleplaying guilds are invited to join in! Background Information: The United Pirates have been haunting the streets of New Haven, demanding a "security tax" from honest citizens. They claimed that New Haven now was under pirate law, and that their presence would ensure the safety for both inhabitants and visitors. Anyone who refused to pay the security tax to the amount of 500 gold coins, was asked to leave New Haven or was attacked and chased through the streets. Honorable and brave fighters have tried to resist, and sometimes even won battles against the pirate intruders. But still the evil folk were present in this once peaceful town, prowling its streets and threatening passers-by. During a guild meeting in the Lion's Den in New Haven on June 21st 2008, the treasurer of a big guild, who is named Hefeustus, was lured under false pretenses to a room next door. There he was knocked out and kidnapped by an infiltrator, while Hawkeye Pike, Captain of the United Pirates guild, was seen blocking the door with chests, thus enabling the escape of the traitor. Nobody knows the real reason for this hostile action. The Torm's Fury and Purple Guardians of Honor guilds declared all pirate folk outlaws in New Haven, who would be punished and chased away from this town without warning. Ever since, heavy war has been raging in the streets of New Haven. Hefeustus has been missing ever since. Everyone is advised to be extra careful when entering the town of New Haven. Upcoming Event: June 27th, 9 pm EST: Due to the current situation in New Haven, the United Pirates will hold an emergency session on June 27th at 9 pm EST. At this meeting, they will discuss about the next steps to be taken against landlubbers, as well as the matters concerning a certain hostage. The location of the meeting place will be communicated to the crew members on the day of the meeting in a secret way. The hiding place of a certain hostage has been written down in an encrypted document. This document has been distributed on a series of books. To find out the location, you have to possess all books. These books will be handed out to trustworthy pirates for safekeeping. The first book will be handed out in this meeting. (Note: The book always has to be carried in the backpack by that pirate, and it must not be insured.) It is up to the enemies of the pirates to find means to retrieve this first book. Also, the concerning pirate will carry a valuable artifact weapon called "Pirate Slayer". This weapon may be looted from the pirate and belongs to the guild that defeats him. Outlook: The story will continue with more exciting events during the next weeks. These events will cover roleplaying, adventuring, riddles and fighting (PVP). There will be challenges for each type of player, be it roleplayers or fighters, good or evil, experienced or new players. Every roleplaying guild is invited to participate! The public Rules of Engagement (RoE) are applying to all involved guilds (they basically prohibit looting and player griefing). Thanks for the information, Captain. Seems like something is always attacking Haven, doesn't it? Peaceful Journeys, Lord Franklin
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Chaos Erupts In Britain!
Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 6:19 PM EDT by Blackrock_Frank (Catskills)
That headline got your attention, eh? Now we're talking! After quite a long break (due to imps in the works), here's the latest news. Massive numbers of citizens are flocking to Onoe the Soldier at Castle Britain. They are going there and placing green tickets in a chest. Wondering if this was a lottery I had not been notified of, I asked Onoe what was going on. "It's time to clean up the Kingdom," Onoe said with a sigh, "and it is my duty to sit here and give out rewards for those who turn in these tickets." Onoe allowed me to look through the items, and he had quite a number on hand. There was everything from replicas of Sherry the Mouse to trees to fine pieces of armor and the most magnificent set of jewelry I had ever seen. "Someone would be incredibly lucky to have those pieces," I said as the ring sparkled. "Yes, I'm sure they're all wonderful, but can I share a secret with you?" he asked. "Of course," I replied, "I won't put it in print." "My posterior really hurts!" said Onoe. "I've been sitting here for weeks, day in and day out. It's exciting to see the happy faces when the folks receive their rewards, but I could really use a gypsy massage right about now." "If I get a nice gypsy lady to come visit you, will you tell me where those tickets come from?" I asked. "Sure!" he exclaimed, and a smile finally came to his face. "Check with Yonns. Behind the bank." "Great. That gypsy will be on her way shortly. You'll know when you see her, she'll be the one wearing the..." I darted out the door. As if I'd pay a gypsy to give a guard a back rub. Heh. Thinking Onoe had an appropriate name, I made my way down to the bank where a small crowd was throwing items at a man who obviously was overwhelmed. He had turned himself away from the crowd, staring at a wall, trying to avoid the throng. "Hey there, are you Yonns?" I shouted. "Let me guess, you want some tickets," he replied. "Sure, if you're giving them away," I answered. "You have to trade something for them, fool!" "How about I not wither you where you stand? How's that for a trade?" "Um..." he said, sizing me up. As always, my opponent backed down when overwhelmed with my confidence, charm, and mandrake cologne. "What I mean is, you're supposed to help clean up the Kingdom by giving me items that you don't want. I'll give you a ticket if you don't kill me, but if you want more you'll have to bring me things." Accepting a ticket that was marked for 100 points, I looked