Xander - Hi all
Xander - and welcome to Ultima Online Celebrity Chat
Xander - This is a new forum wherein we'll be bringing to you "celebrities" from various shards, websites, and even OSI's offices
* Lum looks around for the celebrities *
Xander - to answer your questions about anything UO related
Xander - from opinions on pvp
Xander - to favorite features of the game
Xander - to their own newbie experiences
Xander - Lum the Mad runs a great opinion website
Xander -at lum.xrgaming.net
Xander - the way this works
Xander - is you /msg your questions to our question takers
Xander - when it is your turn, I will set voice to you
Xander - and you can ask your question and chat with Lum directly
Xander - Well, let's get this started.

Xander - Lum, why don't you tell us about yourself
Xander - and a brief history of your UO experiences
Lum - I was born a poor black child. Oh wait, wrong movie.
Lum - In real life I'm a web-based applications programmer, and in my virtual life I play far too many games.
Lum - I've played UO on and off since the beta
Lum - and have moved from PvM to roleplaying to PvP
Lum - and pretty much do all of the above now
Lum - I've played on Catskills GL and Sonoma, but am pretty much on Siege 100% now.
Lum - Oh, and there's the whole website thing. :)
Lum - I see it pretty much as a soapbox that I climb up on and mouth off from from time to time.
Lum - Anyway, that was the Story of Lum(tm).
Xander - great
Xander - now fire those questions awayfolks

Lum - Howdy, Creed
Creed - Lum do you like EQ or UO better and why?
Creed - hello
Lum - Heh
Lum - Well, it depends on the mood I'm in.
Lum - Most of the time I'm in EQ, it's pretty much like Quake... go in, kill things, get stuff, go out
Lum -UO is much more social... it's more complicated, requires a lot more cooperation and coordination with others
Lum - What's your opinion?
* Lum points at Creed *
Creed - I don't personally play EQ nor do i want to. I can go back and play diablo.
Lum - Have you ever tried EQ?
Creed - I'm addicted to UO for a year and a half. And probobally much longer
Lum - What's addicted you to UO?
Creed - PvP and the strive to dominate napa valley's PvP combat
Lum - Well, EQ is really, REALLY bad at PvP
Creed - It's mainly spiffy graphics huh?
Lum -If you are into PvP I'd recommend sticking with UO... Asheron's Call may be pretty good at it, I haven't messed with it much
Lum - It's mainly monster bashing... if you're into that, it's great. A lot of people like the PvP switch.
Lum -Thanks, Creed
Creed - Ok. Buh bye
Creed - thanks

Lum - Howdy Eternam
Eternam - hoy hoy
Eternam - my question is
Eternam - what do you think the state of uo is going? i mean you can only kill so many people...
Lum - I don't know, there's a LOT of people in UO.
Lum - But I think UO is a bit more than just killing folks.
Lum -I mean, if that was all you were into, Quake has a lot better graphics and cool weaponry.
Lum - The attraction of UO is that it's a complete world... and with that comes a great deal of complexity
Eternam - hee hee
Eternam - i guess your right... but my computer sux so im stuck playing uo till i steal err borrow a new comp
Eternam - do you think the necro patch will ever come?
Lum - The player who would excel at Quake might really be awful at UO PvP.
Lum - Sure.
Eternam - in this year?
Lum - But you have to understand, necro is a completely different magic system.
Lum - I mean, say they patched in Necro TOMORROW.
Lum - All of a sudden, you have 30 new spells.
Lum - And it turns out that one of them has a 1 second delay, or does an obscene amount of damage or something.
Lum - And everyone uses it to just lay waste to the shards.
Lum - Now IMAGINE what the COB message board would look like...
Lum - "The dev team sucks!"
Lum - "Why didn't they test necro! Why didn't they consider what would happen when they introduced those spells!"
Lum -So necro, yeah, I'd want them to spend a LOT of time on implementing it.
Lum - There's lots of other changes that need to go in, like housing maintenance to get rid of all these houses
Lum - But I would hope that necro would be on TC for MONTHS before seeing the regular shards, so that we'd get all the kinks out of it.
Eternam - but if they continually wait to get it "perfect"
Eternam - we will be old toothless men
Eternam - i say release it out now and lets see the chaos :P
Lum - Well, there's a difference between perfect and bug tested
Lum - if you played the game right after the beta
Lum - you'd know they have a history of not waiting to get it done
Lum -I think we can create quite enough chaos with the tools we have available.
Eternam - months eh? so definately not this year
Eternam - aye i remember those patch/per day months
Lum - Well the Dev team doesn't send me their project plans
Lum - but put it this way
Lum - if it WEREN'T months I'd be worried. It needs to take months.
Lum -Thanks, Eternam!

Rob--LoD - ok ok first of all, id like to say im your #1 fan
Rob--LoD - in fact, I want to have your children
*Lum issues a fan raffle ticket*
Lum - That would be biologically impossible.
Rob--LoD - Oh...well...um I dont really have a uo question, I just have a request
Lum - For one thing, my wife would MAKE it biologically impossible.
Rob--LoD - I want to be your "hunk of joy"
Lum - Sorry, the position's taken. However, you can join the Posse.
Lum - Thanks, Rob!

rumple - My question is what do you think about DD leaving the UO and what will its impact on uo be?
Lum - Howdy Rumple
rumple - hello!!!
Lum - I think it will be a HUGE impact. DD made the game what it is.
Lum - I haven't talked much to Sunsword and Toad... Toad seemed OK from what I saw of him this weekend (which wasn't much)
Lum - But DD was really a visionary. He saw UO as a social experiment.
Lum - I disagree with a lot of what he implemented; I think we all have
Lum - But he really had a coherent view of what a player-driven online world could be.
Lum - I hope the current dev team follows in his footsteps, and wish him good luck on the Project That Must Not Be Named :)
rumple - some people seem to think that they are just in it for the money and then go home what are your thoughts on this?
Lum - I'm sure some are. But I don't think the guys on the dev team are. They put in too many hours.
rumple - thank you
Lum - I mean, DD LIVED on the web... posting on Usenet, the dev board, email lists, etc... Calandryll's gaining on his record.
Lum - Thanks, Rumple!

Lum - OK
ghyde - HI Lum!
Lum - Howdy
ghyde - Welcome from a down-under player, and my first question is how did you get the name Lum the Mad?
Lum - It was from an artifact in the original D and D books (the ones from Tactical Studies Rules)
Lum - Eldritch Wizardry I think. Pipe Organ of Lum the Mad or something. I picked it because it sounded cool.
ghyde - OK - describe your first day at UO when you had installed it and got it running.
ghyde - How did it look/feel to you?
Lum - those were not the same days!
Lum - installed it one day, finally got it running another day :)
ghyde - heh
Lum -My original impression from the beta was running through Trinsic and hearing smattering of conversation while running by
Lum - I had no idea what they were talking about, but it really seemed like a living city, that I had just arrived in
Lum - I thought that was just too cool for words. You don't get that in a single player game.
Lum - Luckily they weren't speaking dewdish :)
ghyde - Last question, do you think there is any real reason for a so-called PvP switch?
Lum - Sure. In fact I'll go further.
Lum - I don't think any game that comes out from now on will NOT have a PvP switch.
Lum - It will be required by the market.
Lum - The challenge for designers will be to make PvP worthwhile while still allowing those with no interest in it to be protected.
ghyde - Do you see this newbie protection as some form of switch, like a test of the player population, then?
Lum - I think it could be.
Lum - I know DD had a philisophical objection to a PvP switch. I don't know how the current dev team feels. I would hope that there would be a LOT of consultation with the players before it went any further, though.
Lum - Thanks, ghyde!
ghyde - Thanks

Lum - Howdy DeFrae
DeFrae_Dragon_NV - Hi Lum ;) You seem like another guy hooked on UO, and I can say I was here from yhe first days of the one city alpha test...
Lum - Heh, you got me beat :)
DeFrae_Dragon_NV - My question is, how long do oyu think this can go on for? I
Lum - Well, as long as it makes a profit.
DeFrae_Dragon_NV - I'm still hooked, and no end in sight
Lum - Right now UO is really unique. It has a community of over 100,000 people. Most of whom are hard core addicts.
DeFrae_Dragon_NV - Obviously... but that could be a very long time...
Lum - And it's possible that UO could go on for years and years. I don't think OSI is going to pull the plug any time soon.
Lum - I think the real test will be when UO2 comes out.
Lum - If there is still a core of UO players after that, then it's going to be around for a VERY long time.
Lum - Thanks, Defrae!
DeFrae_Dragon_NV - I agree, could last even past OSI supporting it...
Lum - Well, they'd need to make the servers open source for that, and I don't see that happening any time soon. They only mildly tolerate the shard emulators.

Xander - this next question will be cut and paste
Xander - the "questioner" is not responding
Xander - Here is a question for you, Why do you insist on belittleing and rediculeing the volenteers that spend their own time trying to make UO a better place, and break out with conspiracy theroy after Conspiracy theory on your www page?
Lum - Good question. I'll deal with the last part first.
Lum - I don't really deal in conspiracy theories. There's no conspiracy to ruin UO, the dev team doesn't sit in a dark room plotting over how to screw over reds.
Lum - I think there have been some mistakes made in UO... BIG mistakes.
Lum - But human beings are involved in the process, and that happens.
Lum - As for my constantly mocking volunteers. Yes, I have some pretty strong opinions about the support program. And judging from my email, I'm by far from alone.
Lum - I posted on the web site why I think the volunteer program has problems. As I said, human beings are involved.
Lum - Many, many good folks are involved in the support program, including some of my closest friends.
Lum - But that doesn't make it any less tempting for those who are corrupted by even the limited bit of power that comes from that program.
Lum - And I think it's our responsibility - yours, you guys, the ones with opinions, to keep them honest, and not to stand for elitism and powertripping and other forms of abuse.
Lum - I think OSI is very aware of the problems that have existed in this program in the past, and are trying to deal with them.
Lum - We really are dealing with terra incognita... no one has ever run an online game with over 100,000 people. And the counselor program was an experiment to make it more accessible
Lum - Sometimes it works. Sometimes it fails. Sometimes it fails BADLY.
Lum - As for my belittlement and ridiculing. Some people NEED to be ridiculed.
Lum - If I ever ridicule anyone who doesn't deserve it, I'm sorry. I don't think it's happened yet.
Lum - I'll finish by describing a meeting I had this weekend.
Lum - An older woman came and sat right in front of me during lunch... very meek, very softly voiced, I could barely understand her.
Lum - Turns out she was an SRC, and apparently I had written a story about her in the past and brought her "publicity" that she wanted to "thank" me for.
Lum - I won't name her, and to be honest, I have no idea what story she was talking about.
Lum - But it's hard to remember that behind all these names and wild stories and vicious rumors, there is always an actual human being hiding behind there somewhere.
Lum - It's something for me to remember, and it's something for you smurfs and SRCs to remember as well, when you sit in IRC and talk about your calls.
Lum - That's all. /rant off. :)

Lum - Howdy Myschyf
Myschyf - howdy
Myschyf - that was nice Lum
Myschyf - you never fail to surprise me
Lum - I scare myself.
* Myschyf laughs *
Lum - 10 bonus points if you can name the reference.
Myschyf - sorry no
Lum - heh.
Myschyf - and it would be?
Lum - Thomas Dolby, "The Flat Earth". Your question?
Myschyf - ahh
Myschyf - going back to pvp switches
Myschyf - you said you thought they might become a market 'requirement'
Lum - They are.
Myschyf - from what i've seen of EQ it hasn't worked all that well
Lum - I don't know of a mass market MMRPG in production that doesn't have one.
Myschyf - hmmm
Myschyf - AC?
Myschyf - ME?
Lum - EQ has problems, but I don't think the pvp switch is one of them.
Lum - AC and ME both have pvp switches.
Lum - The problem with EQ is twofold
Lum - The world is too small (thus the zonecamping which is the main player vs player complaint)
Lum - and there is nothing players can do about each other if they get on their nerves.
Myschyf - well exactly
Lum - Now in UO if someone gets on your nerves you ebolt em.
Lum - I think designers need to come up with something short of instant death for dealing with someone who's a pest.
Lum - I think player justice can coexist with a pvp switch.
Myschyf - so you think mass market is prepared to expend resources on babysitting rather than allowing players to work out their own problems?
Lum - And I'm told ME doesn't have a pvp switch, which combined with permanent death is going to make ME VERY unpopular. :(
Myschyf - Well I didn't think it did
Lum - Yes, I think the babysitting is required, unfortunately.
Lum - People are basically broken.
Myschyf - but I didn't want to contradict you cause yer the celebrity and stuff
Lum - heh.
Lum - There are a great many people who live for causing others grief
Lum - in game and out.
Myschyf - Yeah I know but I think games with a pvp switch
Lum - Now, people are not going to pay money for the privilege of being griefed.
Lum - That's market reality.
Myschyf - will live a shorter lifespan than those without
Lum - Do you play EQ often?
Myschyf - I don't play eq at all
Myschyf - took a look at it once
Myschyf - hated it
Myschyf - never went back
Lum - OK. When I'm on EQ and the subject of UO comes up
Lum - everyone who playes EQ regularly HATES UO. I mean HATES it. And 99 % of the time it's because there is no pk switch.
Lum - There are quite a few people who play EQ.
Lum - Now, EQ has a LOT of problems. And I don't see EQ lasting too terribly long.
Myschyf - Just as many playing UO that don't mind not having a switch
Lum - But it isn't because of the pvp switch.
Lum - Well, I think a lot of people in UO would love a pvp switch.
Myschyf - and every other game I've played
Myschyf - that allowed pvp
Myschyf - has lasted many many years
Lum - Rallos Zek was almost always the least popular server in EQ
Myschyf - and I've played a lot of online games
Lum - (Rallos Zek was the +pvp server)
Lum - How would YOU solve the problem of grief PKers?
Myschyf - Yeah but is that because EQ just generally sucks
Myschyf - well I'd do what OSI has done
Myschyf - and maybe take it a bit further
Myschyf - make rampant pking tough to do
Myschyf - not impossible
Lum - Well what OSI has done is made a very soft and lax PK switch.
Lum - It is POSSIBLE to make a career of PKing innocents, but it is difficult.
Myschyf - well ok if you want to view it that way
Lum - And I guarantee you, as time goes on, it will be more and more difficult.
Myschyf - yes and it should be difficult
Myschyf - but
Myschyf - if you are just generally going on your merry way
Myschyf - and you get bothered
Myschyf - you should be allowed to settle your differences
Myschyf - w/o a babysitter's interference
Lum - What if you don't want to?
Lum - Take my wife. She has NO desire to EVER engage in PvP. She's a merchant.
Myschyf - mmmmmmmm
Lum - Now, she's not an idiot. She doesn't wander into dungeons.
Myschyf - Well I played a merchant for a long time
Myschyf - as you probably know
Lum - But every so often someone willtry to kill her for her 50 logs or whatever.
Myschyf - But I have to say that if you do play a game w/o a switch
Myschyf - then you have to accept that there is a price to pay forfreedom
Myschyf - Taking the example of EQ again, you do play it their wayor not at all
Lum - True, and it's the designer'sjob to minize that price.
Myschyf - and a LOT of people don't like that
Lum - er minimize
Myschyf - aye
Lum - a lot of people do, they aredoing a booming business.
Myschyf - as OSI has done -- they've minimized the price
Myschyf - yea but I don't really see UO doing that much less of abusiness
Lum - Well we need to give everyoneelse a chance... thanks, Myschyf!
Myschyf - LOL ok
Myschyf - cya

Weeeooeo - Greetings great Lum
Lum - Howdy, long Wee name.
Weeeooeo - You've heard of uo assist I presume?
Lum - I was one of the first folks toregister, I think.
Weeeooeo - Then I presume you've also heard of uo extreme
Lum - I have. I take great joy inslaying people who try to auto-recall away from me.
Weeeooeo - how come extreme isnt legal to use?
Weeeooeo - or it is?
Lum - Because UOExtreme is a cheatutility.
Weeeooeo - Some say that assist is better than extreme
Weeeooeo - it is more integrated
Lum - It's a much better program. Butit doesn't let you cheat.
Lum - UOE allows thieves to keep yourbackpack open when they stealth off so they can steal from you at their leisure.
Lum - UOE allows you to run fasterthan anyone else.
Weeeooeo - ahh I se
Lum - UOE used to allow you to seepeople who were hidden.
Weeeooeo - ok
Weeeooeo - I understand
Lum - Thanks, Weeeooeo!
Weeeooeo - wait
Lum - ok
Weeeooeo - What does perma gray mean?
Lum - It means you are always gray tothat person and a legal target for being attacked. You get that way from stealing fromthem.
Lum - I think. I'm sure someone willcorrect me if I'm wrong.
Weeeooeo - I also want to ask if my karma affect the game in anyway
Lum - Ya know, you may want to askcounselors these questions in game :)
Lum - I'm far from an authority on thegame system
Lum - I just yell about it a lot.
Weeeooeo - Since I went glorious It felt like my spells dont fizllemuch
Lum - I'm sure if you hang around inchannel after the chat someone will answer ya.
Lum - Thanks, Weeeooeo!
Xander - all karma covers is how npcstreat you

rumple - what did u think of chuck tigres comments from uo marketon his "addiction" and uo "ruining his life"?
rumple - Do you like the over 25 rule and do you think it
rumple - is a good thing
Lum - OK
Lum - 2 questions, I'll tkae thesecond one first because it's easier.
Lum - I think it's pretty arbitrary. Iknow if I were 24 I'd be pretty insulted.
Lum - I know they are trying to makecounselors more mature but I don't think that was the right way to do it. I think theyshould worry more about who they make counselors then just setting global draconian rulesthat don't apply to those who are already counselors.
Lum - As for the first question, Ithink we all could see a bit of ourselves in what he said.
Lum - I know I did. I have anaddictive personality myself. I've been addicted to more things than I care to tell you.
Lum - But UO isn't necessarily an evilthing. It's just a thing.
Lum - If you use UO to excess, well,stop. :)
Lum - But it's a symptom, it's not aproblem. The problem is the person behind the addiction, and the solution is in dealingwith what causes you to be addicted in the first place.
Milamber - so you dont think an agelimit is a good thing at all
Lum - I have an article about thissubject half written, I need to finish it.
Lum - I think the age limit was amistake. I think 21 would have been adequate for their purposes.
Milamber - had to but in sorry
rumple - thanks
Lum - Thanks, rumple...

Xander - This winds down our UOCC
Xander - I'd like to thank everyone for stopping by
Xander - this channel is a 24/7channel
Xander - feel free to drop by at anytime for help
Xander - hints
Xander - or just chat
Xander - thanks again