Jerrith - Greetings and thank you for attending tonight's UO2HoC.
Jerrith - Tonight's chat topic is Prequel and Game Fiction and as such we will accept questions related to this topic.
Jerrith - Glamdring will be our moderator for this evening. In order to submit questions, please /msg or /query Dahlia, Jerrith, or Zorn
Jerrith changes topic to "UO2HoC - Please /msg or /query Dahlia, Jerrith, or Zorn"
Jerrith - Please /msg different question-takers at different times, in order to balance the load, and speed this process up. Do not msg anyone from Origin--these questions will be ignored.
Jerrith - Remember they may not have the opportunity to answer all of your questions. In addition, some questions may not be answered if they feel that it is not appropriate or that it has been better answered through some other question.
Jerrith - Thanks for coming, everyone. We will now begin accepting questions.
Windfeather - No, yes, maybe, 5 and yes.

Glamdring - *greatbob* To what extent are players going to be able to effect the course of the fiction? If players can't make a meangifull impact in the world, why should they care about it?
Ubiq - The best definition of Roleplaying that I ever heard is that it is 'communal storytelling'. That being said, it takes a joint effort between the players and the IGM staff to tell the story.
Ubiq - We are hard at work on developing some new techniques that will take that synergy to new heights. I believe that it is very important for players to feel like they have left their mark on the history of the world
Ubiq - But equally, I feel that a strong narrative requires OSI leadership to provide progress, direction and emphasis. Hopefully, what we will produce is a strong synergy between player stories and a well-crafted epic.

Glamdring - *Shadowspawn* What was the motivation behind creating such a strange and unusual background for this Ultima game?
Windfeather - We have a strange and unusual writer.
Ahriman - We wanted to push the boundaries of the fantasy genre. Traditionally one thinks of a European medieval setting, with knights, wizards, and dragons, what have you.
Ahriman - But "fantasy" encompasses so much more. Every culture has their fables and legends, and we wanted to draw inspiration from some of those varied cultures.
Ahriman - Also, with the advent of urban fantasy and steampunk, the boundaries of fantasy are constantly being expanded.
Ahriman - We didn't want to be left behind.
Windfeather - Dwarves with machine guns!
Ahriman - That, and I'm weird. ;)
Ubiq - When I sat down and came up with the original concept of the fiction, I really wanted to be sure that we offered new places to go and new things to see.
Ubiq - It's a big world. The players in it deserve a wild variety between one tip of it and the next.
Ubiq - I will grant that it seemed unusual at the time. However, thanks to McFarlane, Puddin and Ahriman, the vision is coming together in startling reality. I am lucky to be surrounded by great talent.

Glamdring - *Arch[EKC]* will you have to have read the entire story behind UO2 to be able to play the game? or could you just skipp the story?
Windfeather - You won't have to know anything about the fiction to enjoy UO2, though if you enjoy good stories and background information, we'll definitely make you happy in the regard because we have gone to great lengths to tie everything that happens in UO2 back to the fiction. Everything that is in the world has a reason for being there that is directly reflected in the background mythos for the game.
Windfeather - We don't believe in just throwing a bunch of buildings on the ground and a random set of monsters into a hunting zone :)
Windfeather - Did I say UO2? I meant Origin.
XenaDragon chuckles
Ahriman - Plus, the more you know about the story, the richer experience you'll have interacting with the environment.
Ahriman - You'll know whether to run or pet some of the beasties that come your way. ;)
Windfeather - Yeah, we're putting lots of things into the world that, if you know the story, you'll be able to point to them and say...
Windfeather - 'I know wht that is there!'

Glamdring - *Gamble-KBR* What amount of technology & magic seen in prequel ficion can be expected to be seen in the game?
Windfeather - t /msg ubiq Can I mention the BFGs?
Ahriman - A lot will have changed in 200 years and many things will have been lost in the Great Cataclysm.
Ahriman - Having said that, you will definitely find things in the game that you've read about in the fiction, such as some of the Meer Living Weapons.
Ahriman - Or some of the bizarre forms of armor available to the Juka.
Ahriman - Certainly the monsters, such as the madrogai and the juggernauts will be present (and god help you, too). ;)
Windfeather - Just wait until you see those monsters. McFarlane is a sick man.
Ahriman - You'll just have to explore the world and see what has survived the Cataclysm.
Mobius - Tinkers will have plenty of spiffy tech items to make.

Glamdring - *Eiric* Question: I have seen alot about OWO: Origin that shows a strong emergence of science fiction into the storyline. Will this next Ultima Online game still contain the strong mythical, fantastic element that makes games like UO appeal so much? Or will the techno-mix drain away some of the life, as with games like Final Fantasy. That is my worry.
Ubiq - Let's make this clear.
Ubiq - This is a FANTASY game, not a sci-fi game. Even the technological elements in it will have a very fantastic look and feel to them.
Ubiq - This game feels very different than FF, or any other game I've played or seen, personally. We're trying to make something that's uniquely fantasy and so far, I think we are succeeding.

Glamdring - *Darkon* Will blackthorn play a more active role in UO2? During UO I only seen blackthorn twice once in the beta and once in the final, will he be more part of UO2's fiction, love to see his hatred for what happened to him and such..
Windfeather - We are extending the Ultima universe...the early Ultimas had some tech elements in them, in fact. We all signed up to do fantasy when we came to this team.
Ahriman - Lord Blackthorn will be a *major* character in the game. I find him the most interesting character from the Ultima series, actually.
Ahriman - But as any mastermind worth his plans of conquest, he'll direct his minions from afar.
Ahriman - And may not directly involve himself in the day-to-day affairs of the world.
Ubiq - Philosophical, tortured, chaotic yet honorable. Plus he has a 1337 action claw!
Windfeather - Sort of like Marketing.
Ahriman - However, his presence will be felt by all the inhabitants of Sosaria. He's a wonderful mad, tragic villain and we intend to do some great stuff with him.
Ahriman - Long live the Techno-Prophet!
Ahriman - Can you tell I'm leaning towards playing a Technocrat loyal to Blackthorn? ;)

Glamdring - *RakThor-SC* I am from the Shadowclan on Siege Perilous in UO, and I was wondering if you intend to include orcs of some kind which can be played as a player race?
Ubiq - Not as an official race at launch, although we do plan on offering similar props that UO offered to allow them to be roleplayed.
Ubiq - After that, though.... *whistles innocently and looks up at the sky*

Glamdring - *Damocles* How many more prequel fiction stories can we expect? and will it end right where UWO will begin?
Ahriman - The Prequel Stories will conclude after the fourth chapter and will lead up to the moment of the Great Cataclysm.
Ahriman - However, that's just the beginning of our fiction offering to the fans.
Ahriman - Simon and Schuster will be publishing a trilogy of novels set during the first great war between the Technocrats and the Britannians.
Ahriman - That's the war that forged the current political landscape of Origin.
Ahriman - We'll also be looking at providing more fiction on the website covering other important historical events, such as the rise of the Necromancer Adranath...
Ahriman - and the attempted conquest of the Meer homeland by Blackthorn and the Technocrats.
Windfeather - Boo.
Ubiq - hiss
Ahriman - Not to mention the feature length Anime style Origin movie...
Ahriman - More details to follow soon. ;)

Glamdring - *XenaDragon* With such wonderful creatures as Meer and Juka, aren't you worried noone will want to play a plain human character ?
Ubiq - Heheh
Mobius - When looking at the three races from a balancing standpoint...
Ubiq - Well, in all of the games that have alternate races, there are no shortage of people who like to stick with good, ol stinkie humies.
Windfeather - I always play a human, so I can hate everyone else.
Mobius - we wanted to make sure that there are reasons to play all three races...
Mobius - So while the Juka and the Meer have their strengths and areas where they may excell..
Mobius - Humans likewise have their own set of benefits...
Mobius - Humans are not just some middle ground between Juka and Meer...
Mobius - They have their own unique set of bonuses/abilities.

Glamdring - *Gamble_KBR* Will the fiction that continues in the novels being released follow fiction within the game itself?
Ahriman - The novels will take place about 80 years after the Great Cataclysm, so they'll be considered part of Origin's history.
Ahriman - But they'll establish some very important events, characters, legends that will assist players in the contemporary game.

Glamdring - *Shadowspawn* Will the history of Origin be the History of UO or the History of the other Ultima games? There's a big difference.
Ubiq - The history of UO diverges from the 'Ultima Prime' timeline at the end of Ultima I. Events that happen in Ultima never reach UO, such as the arrival of the Avatar.
Ubiq - UWO:O diverges into yet another timeline in the near future of UO, so it will recognize some of the past events from UO.
Ubiq - However, cataclysms leave nasty messes, and the strongest history will be that which has happened since the cataclysm.

Jerrith - *Videric* We know Blackthorn and British, But who are these character we seen pictures of: Adhranath, Moriah and Dasha for instance? Is Ahriman a character in the game as well (as his name is mentioned in Britannia Prequel story)
Windfeather - And you know how those darned parallel universes work...they have parallels.
Ahriman - Adranath is introduced in the Meer prequel fiction (he's the leader of the Anjuric Lore Council), but after the Cataclysm, he'll be a very different creature indeed.
Ahriman - Moriah will be the Regent of Britannia. The Origin anime film will give some insight into how she came to power.
Ahriman - Dasha is the leader of the Meer Shadow Hunters, warriors dedicated to eradicating necromancy.
Ahriman - She'll also feature in the Origin anime film.
Ahriman - And yes, Ahriman will be a character in Origin. He's the scholar who has collected many of the ancient legends explaining how the world came to be.
Ahriman - If you meet him, be nice to him, you never know what crucial knowledge he might give you. ;)

Glamdring - *C_AP* Will there be any fiction concerning volunteer robed staff?
Ubiq - We've talked about it but haven't decided anything firm yet. The big problem is that counselors often solve OOC problems. Does it really make sense to give them in-context characters?
Ubiq - Feel free to discuss this on the boards, we haven't decided yet.

Glamdring - *Naomi_Sunrider* Will seers still exist in UO2? If so, how will seer run storylines integrate wih the common backstory?
Ubiq - That is entirely up to Tyrant, who is in charge of the breadth and depth of the seer program. I will say that our stories will be far vaster and more epic than can be told without the help of player storytellers.

Glamdring - *SimonMoon* Will the history/fiction be part of the game, or just some nice additions in the background? Like theres a fire in the northern woods and it REALLY burns...
Windfeather - Most definitely. We have taken, and will continue to take, strong looks at the fiction and deliberately placing things into the world that are inspired by it.
Windfeather - We want everything to be locked together in a coherent work of art, rather than having 'some fiction' because people think we need it, and then just making a couple of token references to it in actual game play.
Windfeather - We Create Worlds, after all :)

Glamdring - *Witchy-trainer* I noticed in the demo-movie, there was quite a bit of martial arts...is there any back plot to this new advent in fighting ability?
Ahriman - The Meer have a warrior caste that has been practicing these ancient arts for centuries. They styles are flowing and smooth.
Ahriman - The Juka developed their own harder styles in the future.
Ahriman - What would a martial culture be without cool martial arts?
Windfeather - Snatch this ankh from my hand, Grasshopper.

Glamdring - *Damocles* Another question: If Meer are from the past, and Juka are from the future, how does each come into existence? That is, do Meers become extinct in the past or evolve into Humans? And do Humans evovle into Juka? Or is it that they are from different 'dimensions' all together?
Ahriman - Stay tuned to the Prequel Fiction, many of your questions will be answered. :)
Ahriman - And I think you'll find our efforts to tie in Ultima history will make for a very cool story.
Windfeather - We've been having a lot of fun doing that :)
Ahriman - Ever wondered where Exodus came from? Read the next installment of the Juka fiction.
Ahriman - Doh, I gave it away!!!
Windfeather - Bwahaha.

Glamdring - *Orangebeard* Will there be good creatures as well as evil creatures? Or will we be forced to 'play good?'
Windfeather - There are good creatures, evil creatures, and inbetween creatures. There ill be plenty of things to draw from in the fiction for playing a wide range of character types...
Ahriman - You forgot grumpy creatures.
Windfeather - However, the design team is pretty solid on (hat's Ubiq)
Ahriman - Yep, Ubiq is grumpy. ;)
Windfeather - Pretty sold on making sure 'evil' play is 'evil in context' play.
Windfeather - Sold = Solid.

Glamdring - *Videric* Are Wisps and Gargoyles tied in to the story?
Ubiq - Yes.
Windfeather - You just say that because you are wearing a Shadowbane T-shirt.

Glamdring - *Tylo* Since the shards joined back together, how will you explain the different shards that people will be playing on?
Ahriman - Who said the shards joined back together? ;)

Glamdring - *Whol* What kind of currency do the Juka and Meer use?
Ahriman - Rice balls and smoked grubs.
Windfeather - Our currency is a single one, though the things available in various parts of the world vary greatly. Different currencies = realistic, but also = a pain in the rear in actual game play.

Glamdring - *DarkBlade* I'd like to know if, like in Everquest, there will be racial interactions, like if you're a Meer, how will a Juka NPC react to you?
Ubiq - As a design team, we're pretty opposed to races hating you just because of your race. Players don't play along, and you end up with people acting contrary to your story.
Windfeather - Like Joe, the Smiling Necromancer.
Ubiq - Instead, we are putting multiple factions in each race. Players will get to choose the subculture of the race that they prefer, and play along with that.
Ahriman - He meant, "thaumaturgist."
Windfeather - Did I say Necromancer? I meant Baker.
Ubiq - he meant flaming kitten juggler.

Glamdring - *XenaDragon* How much of the 'old' Ultima lore will we see back in OWO:O ?
Ahriman - We have made a great effort to tie in classic pieces from the old Ultima games. Afterall, the world's are the same although not identical.
Windfeather - A heckuva lot :)
Ahriman - You will see plenty of "homages" to the classic Ultima games.
Ahriman - And some stuff that has been worked quite integrally into the fiction.
Ahriman - Keep reading that Prequel Fiction, folks.
Ubiq - We periodically go through passes of the whole world we call 'Ultimization' passes. It matters a lot to me that this is an Ultima in flesh and spirit.
Windfeather - And we'll go through more. The story keeps expanding every week as we come up with something new, and the world feels more and more alive and "Ultima" the more we work with it.

Glamdring - *Mephistopheles-of-CoS* When are you going to post more stories!!! I loved them :)
Usul - The next episode of the Juka fiction should go up this Friday.
Ahriman - Yay!!!
Ahriman - My favorite so far, btw. :)

Glamdring - *deVoca* anyone want to squash the rumor that meerlings are merely evolved mongbats?
Ahriman - That's ridiculous, they're evolved gerbils.
Ubiq - That is completely untrue.
Windfeather - I am not a crook.
Ubiq - It's the opposite, mongbats evolved from meerlings.
Ahriman - Can't you see the resemblance?
Ahriman - Oh, is that what happened?

Glamdring - *Neo_Orion* Will we as players be able to affect the landscape also is the landscape dynamic (meaning you can change it with out 100mb patches)
Ubiq - We have the ability to edit the landscape, yes. We will not give that ability to the players. I have nightmares about flat, barren plains and mountains with holes punched through them like swiss cheese =)
Windfeather - And dirty words carved into mountains.
Rainman chuckles
Ubiq - We trust all of YOU guys - it's those OTHER players *grin*
Usul puts away is can of spray paint
Ahriman - Behold, the infamous mountain of... what does that say!?

Glamdring - *Pharcyde* Are you planning on trying to 'seperate' the different races so that they wont all get together and will have there own ways of life and wont talk or socialize with the other races sort of like orc roleplayers in uo?
Windfeather - We won't be typecasting any race as 'evil' or forcing you to live or start anywhere (though each race will have its own home city, of course)...
Windfeather - Any kind of inter-player conflict should arise from differing political or religious beliefs (or good old vanilla antisocial tendencies).

Glamdring - *Jackitos* Will any of the Avatars companions be left alive?
Windfeather - Only Moe.
Ahriman - Nope. They will have helped create the current realm of New Britannaia, however.
Ahriman - But they will be truly most sincerely dead.
Windfeather - However, some were asking about things you can interact with in the world...we want to remember those fine heroes :)

Glamdring - *Weazel* what if any influence did Richard Garriot have on the uo2 fiction?
Ahriman - I consulted him about the organization of New Britannia.
Ahriman - Every time I made a big change to the Ultima fiction, I got his approval.
Ubiq - Richard Garriott's greatest contribution to the fiction of UO2 was to strongly encourage me and the design team to break out of standard fantasy realms and try to create soemthing even more amazing and fantastical.
Ahriman - Ayep.
Ahriman - He gave us his blessing and encouraged us every step of the way.
Ubiq - I owe the execution of the UWO:O fiction to Ahriman and our amazing art staff, but I owe Richard strongly for the permission and courage to try something new.
Ahriman - He's still my hero. I mean that.
Mobius - And he threw great parties to keep up team morale. :)
Ahriman - Great parties.

Rainman - Better than the G.O.D. booth?
Windfeather - Wow, tough call.
Ubiq - Richard's got one of the smartest, most creative, craziest minds in the industry. I respect that deeply, and I love having worked with him at least once in my career. =)
Ahriman - Well, the booth babes were about on par.
Ahriman - But Richard had better liquor.
Ahriman - Much better.
Ubiq - There was no thunderdome at the GOD booth.
Windfeather - It's been a real pleasure working in 'His world' all right, and I too am proud to have had the chance to add to it and take it to new frontiers.
Ahriman - Amen, brother.

Glamdring - Well folks, that does it for our very first House of Commons chat with the dev team from Ultima Worlds Online: Origin. I would like to thank Ahriman, Mobius, Ubiq, Usul and Windfeather for agreeing to join us tonight.
Glamdring - A log of this chat will be posted shortly on Stratics
Ubiq - Last minute plug: people, please keep posting your thoughts on the boards. Your ideas do make a great impact on the future of UWO:O
Ahriman - Yeah, and send more chocolates!
XenaDragon thwaps Ahriman
Ahriman - Sorry...
Dahlia - Hey.. we don't know him..
Dahlia - He just hangs out here..
Ahriman - I think she likes me.
Ahriman winks at Dahlia.
Dahlia grins