December 2007

A Reminder: Get Your Holiday Contest Submissions In Before Midnight Friday!
Posted on Monday, December 31, 2007, 7:06 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (GeneralNews)
Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! While it may seem like the holidays are winding down around Sosaria, the same couldn't be further from the truth for us here at UO Stratics. We are just getting warmed up! Entries for our Holiday Contest are still coming in, but time is running out, folks! The deadline to get your screenshot submissions in for the UO Stratics "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest is fast approaching! All entries must be posted in the Official Holiday Contest Submission Thread no later than Midnight on the night of January 4th, 2008. That's just a short five days away... Don't miss out on your chance to win up to three months of free Ultima Online playtime! Oh, and don't forget, all participants who post a screenshot submission for the contest are automatically entered into a random drawing for a fabulous bonus prize - A 7th Character slot/Storage increase Combo code! Make that character you never had room for before! Cram more stuff into your bankboxes and homes! For all contest information, official rules, prize details, and entry requirements, please visit the Official Holiday Contest Announcement thread in the UO Stratics U.Hall forum. Feel free to post in the Announcement thread any questions, concerns, or even take a moment to tip your hat to those brave few who have already posted entries, but keep the Submission thread clear of anything that is not an entry into the contest. All non-entry posts made in the Submission thread will be removed! I would like to wish the Happiest of Holiday seasons to all of you from all of us at here at Stratics and may all of the resolutions you make for the new year be fulfilled. Have a wonderful and safe New Year's everyone!
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Community Hunt - Week of December 31st
Posted on Monday, December 31, 2007, 4:37 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Happy New Year! No Community Event Today Date: Tuesday, January 1st Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, January 2nd Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken White Wyrm hunt Date: Thursday, January 3rd Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, January 4th Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Community Meet Up - Week 152 Happy New Year!
Posted on Sunday, December 30, 2007, 2:51 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 152 Happy New Year! Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: Happy New Year everyone! We plan to welcome all with a little bit of ale or water for those heading off on horse back! We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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2v2 Almost Anything Goes PvP Tournament
Posted on Sunday, December 30, 2007, 2:11 PM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
This 2v2 Almost Anything Goes PvP Tournament announcement just in from Simon Francis... Get those entries in ASAP! Date: Monday, January 7th 2008 @ 7 PM PST Location: 18x18 Rooftop with several strategically placed 1-2 tile objects to run around Matches: Single Elimination, Best of 3 Fights Dexxers/Mages/Archers Welcome 8 Teams of two players - space is limited! 500k Entry Fee Per Team Rules: No Pets No Essence of Wind No Explosion/Conflagration/Melisande Potions No Poison/Fire/Paralyze Fields Allowed: Everything not mentioned above! Potions Protection Forms Petals Wands Shuriken Talismans Bolas All Specials Apples Stone Walls *Additional rules may be put in before fight date* *Prizes* Each winner will receive 1 Pure Mare Body Sash titled "Co-Champion Jan" and at least 2 million in Gold (will get bigger) each. *NOTE* Teams are not registered until both players have confirmed their ICQs with Simon Francis and have PAID. ICQ Simon Francis @ 210-378-401 to Enter!
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XV Does It Again !
Posted on Saturday, December 29, 2007, 9:09 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
XV Does It Again ! XV held their annual power scroll give away tonight. I have attended the past three but Garton informed me that this was the 5th maybe 6th time they have held this event giving back to the community. This is a great event for new players and new characters. As in the past the PS were mainly 110s but Garton claims next year they are planning on 115s if at all possible. I took a gate to the give-away provided at the Luna Bank where I was greeted by Guido on the other end. Over 300 people attended this event and our very own film maker Sammy was in attendance with camera in hand so keep an eye out for the future video * wonders what music she will put to it*. Hundreds of power scrolls were given out. Thank you XV and all the players that host events. They make Great Lakes truly great.
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Featured Location: Leiah's Rune Library Grand Re-Opening II
Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007, 7:24 PM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
This was a momentous event on Atlantic, and I was very happy I was able to be here to cover it. After a long, long time, there is a safe haven for those in Felucca that need a rune library. Leiah's Rune Library is now officially open to the public again. This historic location will now, no longer be closed to the public. There were many responsible for this special location's re-opening. Lady Molly of House Gauntlet, Lord Halister Marner of Heralds of the Awakening, Lady Andrasta of Goodman's Rune Library were some to name a few and were present. Numerous other contributors aided with their generous donations as well. I wish to thank all who helped bring this special place back to life. This is a rare gift you have given back to the community, especially those in Felucca. -Ishtar-
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2007 Ends On A Colorful Note ~ Annual Year End Article
Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007, 3:06 PM EST by Lady Lava (Catskills)
. . New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, but it was not always commemorated at this time of year. The beginning of the new year has been celebrated on different dates throughout history. In 1752 Great Britain and its colonies of America adopted the Gregorian calendar and January 1st was permanently established as New Year’s Day. As we know throughout the world, the new year is celebrated differently according to various customs and religions. For those in the US and many other countries we have the “ countdown “ just before midnight. With the new year approaching often we look back at surprising personal and public disclosures and highs/lows. Dumbledore is gay, Keith Richards snorted his dad’s ashes, Princess Diana’s last words were “ My God “, all made headlines. Then there were the feuds, George Clooney vs. Fabio, Tommy Lee vs. Kid Rock and Kim Basinger vs. Alec Baldwin were but a few. Then there are the worst and best lists. I overheard one player in the realm on Catskills last night stating KR was the worst and Magincia Invasion the best of 2007. For years now I have done a “ year end ” article for Stratics and the approach has been different each year. The first year I did a recap of the entire year’s highlighted events and most liked it but some hate mail came my way as I was not able to put everything in one article, reasonably so. Lady Lava's KR paperdoll compliments of Stratic's News Reporter Lady Martyna Z'Muir This year I am not going into the hot topic of KR, though I like the way my paper doll looks. Nor will I highlight décor like the hookah , including smoke, designed by Lord M-One, nor the locking of the longest thread on the Great Lakes boards ever by Mystra. Instead this year I will focus on color. Lord M-One's hookah design Color psychology is interesting in the real world and the realm. Isaac Newton was the first to do an in depth study of color, creating a color wheel in 1666. At this time in history, by most polls, green is the most popular color. Global warming and the calming refreshing feeling one gets from green is the stated reason why. Blue is the second most popular color but historically it is number one. Blue is never/rarely good for food however. Then again who knew green eggs and ham would be a hit. One of the questions in my long running series “Lady Lava’s Questionnaire “ that is always asked is, “What is your favorite color?”. For years I have asked this question on Great Lakes and in 2007 I started asking it of players on Catskills. I have kept tract of the answers and here are the results. The number one favorite color is Blue followed next by Red then Green, Purple, Black, Orange, Pink and White. There were a few solo colors such a yellow, grey, tan, ect. The realm has its own history of color. Our world consisted of mainly somber colors at birth and as time has gone by a color explosion has happened. The Winterland Shard really went over the top. Many older, and some newer, players truly dislike the newer brighter or neon colors and stick to basic black/grays or old school colors. I personally prefer blacks, grays, greens and dark reds however once in awhile I drag out a shocking AoS color article of clothing and have fun prancing around. I like having the option. As in real life I would not be caught dead in some of the outfits and color combinations I see in the Luna and Brit Banks but I love looking at them. I like looking at them so much that over this past year when one catches my eye and time permits I snag a screenshot of it. At this time I could like to share a few of these with you. They are from the Catskills and Great Lakes shards. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and colorful New Year.~
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2007 Ends On A Colorful Note ~ Annual Year End Article
Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007, 3:03 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, but it was not always commemorated at this time of year. The beginning of the new year has been celebrated on different dates throughout history. In 1752 Great Britain and its colonies of America adopted the Gregorian calendar and January 1st was permanently established as New Year’s Day. As we know throughout the world, the new year is celebrated differently according to various customs and religions. For those in the US and many other countries we have the “ countdown “ just before midnight. With the new year approaching often we look back at surprising personal and public disclosures and highs/lows. Dumbledore is gay, Keith Richards snorted his dad’s ashes, Princess Diana’s last words were “ My God “, all made headlines. Then there were the feuds, George Clooney vs. Fabio, Tommy Lee vs. Kid Rock and Kim Basinger vs. Alec Baldwin were but a few. Then there are the worst and best lists. I overheard one player in the realm on Catskills last night stating KR was the worst and Magincia Invasion the best of 2007. For years now I have done a “ year end ” article for Stratics and the approach has been different each year. The first year I did a recap of the entire year’s highlighted events and most liked it but some hate mail came my way as I was not able to put everything in one article, reasonably so. Lady Lava's KR paperdoll compliments of Stratic's News Reporter Lady Martyna Z'Muir This year I am not going into the hot topic of KR, though I like the way my paper doll looks. Nor will I highlight décor like the hookah , including smoke, designed by Lord M-One, nor the locking of the longest thread on the Great Lakes boards ever by Mystra. Instead this year I will focus on color. Lord M-One's hookah design Color psychology is interesting in the real world and the realm. Isaac Newton was the first to do an in depth study of color, creating a color wheel in 1666. At this time in history, by most polls, green is the most popular color. Global warming and the calming refreshing feeling one gets from green is the stated reason why. Blue is the second most popular color but historically it is number one. Blue is never/rarely good for food however. Then again who knew green eggs and ham would be a hit. One of the questions in my long running series “Lady Lava’s Questionnaire “ that is always asked is, “What is your favorite color?”. For years I have asked this question on Great Lakes and in 2007 I started asking it of players on Catskills. I have kept tract of the answers and here are the results. The number one favorite color is Blue followed next by Red then Green, Purple, Black, Orange, Pink and White. There were a few solo colors such a yellow, grey, tan, ect. The realm has its own history of color. Our world consisted of mainly somber colors at birth and as time has gone by a color explosion has happened. The Winterland Shard really went over the top. Many older, and some newer, players truly dislike the newer brighter or neon colors and stick to basic black/grays or old school colors. I personally prefer blacks, grays, greens and dark reds however once in awhile I drag out a shocking AoS color article of clothing and have fun prancing around. I like having the option. As in real life I would not be caught dead in some of the outfits and color combinations I see in the Luna and Brit Banks but I love looking at them. I like looking at them so much that over this past year when one catches my eye and time permits I snag a screenshot of it. At this time I could like to share a few of these with you. They are from the Catskills and Great Lakes shards. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and colorful New Year.~
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Oceania Olympic Games
Posted on Thursday, December 27, 2007, 5:37 PM EST by Ovrkill (Oceania)
Article Written By Cymoril Are you ready, Oceania? The first Oceania Olympic Games are due to commence on January 8th, and it's time to start training for the events to come! The Olympics will run over several weeks and as you may have surmised by the banner above, there will be eighteen events in this time. That means there should be an opportunity for almost everyone to find skills they are good at and be able to participate in one or more events. Here are the upcoming events, and the UO skill that will be helpful (though not always compulsory) in each: When you join your first event, you will represent one of the eight virtue towns. That is: Britain, Moonglow, Trinsic, Magincia, Yew, Minoc, Skara Brae or Jhelom. If you bring other characters to other events, you should represent the same town as your first chaaracter, where possible. Medals will be awarded to individuals, and a tally will be kept. Who will win the most medals? Which town will prove itself a force to be reckoned with? Who will emerge victorious in the first... Oceania Olympic Games! The Games start on Tuesday January 8th, and we'll announce the first weeks' events very soon. Stay tuned...
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Featured Location Grand Re-Opening: Leah's Rune Library!
Posted on Thursday, December 27, 2007, 8:36 AM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Thank you to Lady Molly of the House Gauntlet for sending Stratics this Historic Invitation to share with all! -Ishtar-
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UO Stratics 2007 "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest
Posted on Wednesday, December 26, 2007, 5:49 PM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Greetings, fellow Sosarians! The holidays are once again upon us and everywhere you go, you can find all the familiar sights, smells, and sounds of the season. The snow has begun to fall on the Winterland shard created just for us by the developers... the spiced aroma of baking gingerbread cookies fresh from the oven is wafting through town... and the frosty air is filled with jubilant singing in celebration of this most special time of year. The UO Stratics staff is also in the mood to celebrate with song, now entering our tenth year of bringing the Ultima Online community closer together. And what brings a community together better than a contest in which fabulous prizes are to be awarded? But wait... before we get to that... here come some caroling townsfolk, singing one of our favorite tunes! On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to meeee... an unburnt rubble treeeee! On the second day of Christmas, some PK messed with meeee... two murder counts for my unburnt rubble treeeee! On the third day of Christmas, that same red tried to fleeee... three guard whacks, two looted packs, and I found my rubble treeeee! Waitaminute... that's not how it goes! Think you can do a better homage to this timeless classic? Are you full of holiday spirit and want to share it with the rest of us? Well this is right up your alley! We here at UO Stratics would like to announce the start of our "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest! Read on for all of the official rules and prize information! UO Stratics' "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest Information For this contest, we're looking for all of those creative minds that have become such a staple of the Ultima Online community to work their magic on the traditional holiday song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by giving it an Ultima Online twist! Submit your best in-game screenshot of a reenacted verse from the original song. Get the guildmates together in a group shot for the "Ten (Dread) Lords a-leaping." Dust off your tamer and take them out to find yourself "Three French Hens"-- er, Chickens! Or, take it a step further and change one of the original verses into something with your own Ultima Online spin on it and submit a screenshot of that! Instead of "Two Turtle Doves" maybe you'd prefer "Two Ringmail Gloves" Er... Perhaps not, but you've got the idea! Participants will only be limited by their own imagination (and our Rules of Conduct! ahem) so give us your best shot. Follow the Entry Submission rules below to ensure your chance at one of our fabulous prizes! Should you have any questions, feel free to ask in this Announcement and Discussion thread. Entry Submission Guidelines & Rules Submissions will only be accepted until Midnight (12:00 AM) PST on January 4th, 2008. To submit your screenshot and be eligible for entry into the Holiday Contest, you will need to follow these simple, but important steps: 1. Take a single screenshot of your in-game rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on an official production shard, no emulators please. Make sure to crop out any unnecessary game windows, gumps, paperdolls, empty space, title bars, etc that would distract from your entry. The screenshot should be no larger than 600x600 pixels and should be in an acceptable image format such as a JPG or GIF for posting into the Submission Thread. All entries must follow Stratics' Rules of Conduct and will be subject to removal and/or disqualification for any violations. Entries with offensive language, swearing, inappropriate subject material, blatant disrespect or entries with violations of UO's Terms of Service will not be accepted. 2. Once the your submission is ready, visit the official Holiday Contest Submission thread and reply to the original post with your screenshot and a short description if needed. Your submission MUST be a reply to the original post and NOT a reply to someone else's submission, otherwise it won't be counted! This is of the utmost importance, so don't forget! 3. You are allowed only one submission per person for this contest. If you attempt to post a second submission, you will receive an error: "You may post only one entry in this thread" and your submission will not be counted. 4. If you wish to change your entry, you may do so as many times as you wish until contest submission comes to a close. To change your entry, simply delete your reply to the original post and make a new one or, instead, you can edit your original reply to replace it with your latest version. To withdraw from the contest completely, you may do so at any time by deleting your entry reply. 5. The official Holiday Contest Submission thread, aptly named, will only contain contest submissions and nothing else... any non-entry posts will be removed. Please keep all discussion, comments or questions out of there and instead post them here in this Discussion thread. Don't forget! So what can you win?! Prizes will be awarded as following: 1st place - a 90-Day Gametime Code! That's three months of free playtime! 2nd place - 60 days of play on us with two 30-Day Gametime Codes! 3rd place - a 30-Day Gametime Code, good for a month's worth of free Ultima Online! * In addition to these great prizes, one winner picked at random from all legal entries will receive a 7th Character/Bank Storage Increase Code! Even if you don't win one of the top spots, you'll still be eligible to win a fantastic prize just for entering! The winner will be selected automatically and randomly via a tool our Technology Director, Teresk (thank you!) designed just for this purpose. Winners will be sent their codes via email so please update the email address you have listed here on your UO Stratics forum account to ensure a timely delivery of your prize. Also, since the winner will be selected from the entries posted in the Submission Thread, please ensure you have followed all of the rules when posting your entry! Disclaimer and Additional Information WINNER SELECTION Once the submission period has been closed, a voting poll thread will be posted and stickied in the UO U.Hall forum and will be open until Midnight (12:00 AM PST) on January 12th, 2008. Registered members of the Stratics forums may use this thread to vote for their favorite entry. Once the voting period has ended, the five (5) most popular entries with the highest number of votes will then be passed on to the Stratics Holiday Contest Team who will ultimately decide the winners based on eligibility, creativity, quality and other related factors. First, second, and third place winners as well as the random entry winner will be decided on and posted within 48 hours of the close of voting. Winners will be notified and receive their prizes via email and the winners announced on the U.Hall forum within 72 hours of contest end. All decisions are at the discretion of the Stratics Holiday Contest Team and will be final. ELIGIBILITY Only those people who are residents of a country where such contests and giveaways are not prohibited by law and who are 13 years of age or older are eligible. Only one (1) entry is allowed per person. Any employees or staff members (moderators, reporters, administrators, etc) of StraticsCom Inc. not on the Stratics Holiday Contest team are also eligible. DISCLAIMER StraticsCom Inc. is not responsible for late, misdirected or damaged communication of any kind - including computer failure. All decisions are final. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received. By accepting the prize, winners understand that to use it, they must have an active account in good standing with EA/Mythic for Ultima Online. They also agree that StraticsCom Inc., its employees, sponsors, and affiliates shall have no liability for, and shall hold all such parties harmless against damage, loss or injury that may arise in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prizes or participation in this giveaway.
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WoW Stratics Winter Veil Giveaway!
Posted on Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 6:02 PM EST by Watchertoo (NetworkNews)
We have received this from our Network News Staff at Stratics.com: WoW Stratics Winter Veil Giveaway! Winter Veil is upon us and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a murloc.... Wait, that doesn't rhyme! So what do a murloc, Winter Veil, and WoW Stratics all have in common? Nothing really, WoW Stratics is giving away FIVE cards with redeemable codes on them for a Murloc Suit for Winter Veil this year. That's right, these are the same cards that were given away to Blizzcon 2007 attendees this past year. In addition to the Murloc Suit, each card contains a beta key for a future unannounced Blizzard game. Does it really get any better than that? I don't think so. So how do you win one of these very rare and sought after prizes? Glad you asked. Step 1: Compose a letter from your World of Warcraft character to Greatfather Winter on what he/she wants for Winter Veil this year. Step 2: Login to your forum account (or if you don't have one Register here for your free account) Step 3: Make sure on your account that your email address is recent and active - This is important if you win and want your prize! Step 4: Reply to my post (Eldorian) on this contest thread with your letter to Greatfather Winter. Note that in order to enter you MUST hit reply ONLY on the first post. If you reply to someone elses post you will not be entered. You will only be allowed to enter once. We will then randomly select the five users who meet the above criteria. On Friday December 28, 2007 we will then email those 5 winners based on their email accounts they have listed in their profile asking for their mailing address so we can send them their prize. Please add [email protected] to your safe sender list so this does not get sorted out by your spam filter. The winners once confirmed will be announced. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the forums or email [email protected] . For rules to this contest and all the legal mumbo jumbo click here.
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It's a wonderful life: Idealism in UO.

Posted on Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 1:12 PM EST by Luka Melehan (SiegePerilous)

Idealism

It's a wonderful life: Idealism in UO.

In the 1947 film, James Stewart plays a man who set aside all of his dreams to help his hometown community. We see not only the outward saintliness of such a person, but also the dredges of his discouragement, depression, hatefulness and despair. I mention this, not to belittle the greatness of idealism, but only to point out the pain that goes along with selfless love and giving. These types of individuals are few and far between. They are the Davids against the Goliaths of modern society, and most of the time, they do not win. They perservere on faith alone. Faith in the goodness of humanity and the worthiness of man.

I have read and heard many discouragements about UO's Christmas gifts and some of EA's recent decisons so close to the holiday season. As in real life, the workings of indiviuals have a far reaching effect on an entire community. Many have found UO to be home and family, and fear that the powers-that-be are not concerned with thier welfare. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps not. Time will tell.

But there is one man, who has spent a lot of his own time to make the UO communitie's holiday cheerful. Most of you will know I speak of the explosive personality of Draconi. Because of timely EA changes, there was not the manpower to create and QA festivities on each shard. There is too much chance of mistakes that would lead to irrepairable losses. But Draconi went ahead and build us a wonderous Winterland as a test shard. As a test shard, any UO player can hop in, max his skills immediately and join in on the fun, without fear of loss of hard earned gametime on his own shard. I will point out also, Draconi has spent countless of his own hours working on this...time away from friends, family, christmas shopping and other RL festivities that most of us have been enjoying.

So, step with me into this cheery Wonderland....and don't forget your sunglasses!

First off, at the Bank of Britain, you will see decorations and special dye tubs. I suppose I should say 'SPECIAL' special dye tubs, for with them you may dye anything any color on the UO color scale, including the shineys and flourescents. Close by is The Tunnel of Love, with mistletoe that grants you something special when you kiss someone. A little ways north is a giant wintery christmas wishing tree. Many folks I know of are wishing for an NPC for Aeric, but whatever your wishes for UO are, this is one way to have them heard. Next to the tree on one side is a stage with musicians, and on the other side are two moongates. One leads to the party location and the other to the snowball fight arena.

The party was..outrageous. This was where the sunglasses would have been handy, for everyone was decked out as brightly as they could stretch those special dye tubs. Many UHall folks were in attendance, as well as shard reporters. Special appearances were made by Draconi and Jeremy, but anyone who thought to use this as an interview opportunity were quickly drowned out by a number of drunk mages and singers.

Later the party moved outside where Draconi had his old Luna cannons set up, but this time the ammo was green apples. And the targets were various EA staff, accountants and developers, who shouted out humorous excuses for all thier mistakes and happenstances. A trivia contest was then held in the upstairs of the bank, by Prince Caspian, but eventually had to be moved because of griefers.

Incidently, the party may be over, but loaded cannons still await anyone who has a grief against UO or EA, so hop on over and take your best shot!

As if this all wasn't enough, there is also the snowball arena. Folks can team up and have it out! So start trash talking your neighboring shards and lets make effective use of this opportunity. And when your done, I am sure Draconi could use a thank you. He has done all of this... for you.

There is a dark and light side to the idealist. They are discouraged that so many of us do not see the world as they do, that so many are blind to the light. As such, both sides of the idealist live together in disharmony, waiting for those rare times when the world can, for one moment... touch greatness. I have had the priviledge to get to know another idealist over the course of this year. I have seen his dark and his light and I love them both. For they are the makings of Hope.

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"Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest

Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 8:48 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

ZigZag recently posted this announcement on UO.UHall. There are some very nice prizes being offered, and I am certain Baja has the talent to win some or all of the prizes. You can view entries on the UO Stratics 2007 Holiday Contest Submission Thread.

Greetings, fellow Sosarians! The holidays are once again upon us and everywhere you go, you can find all the familiar sights, smells, and sounds of the season. The snow has begun to fall on the Winterland shard created just for us by the developers... the spiced aroma of baking gingerbread cookies fresh from the oven is wafting through town... and the frosty air is filled with jubilant singing in celebration of this most special time of year. The UO Stratics staff is also in the mood to celebrate with song, now entering our tenth year of bringing the Ultima Online community closer together. And what brings a community together better than a contest in which fabulous prizes are to be awarded? But wait... before we get to that... here come some caroling townsfolk, singing one of our favorite tunes!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to meeee... an unburnt rubble treeeee!
On the second day of Christmas, some PK messed with meeee... two murder counts for my unburnt rubble treeeee!
On the third day of Christmas, that same red tried to fleeee... three guard whacks, two looted packs, and I found my rubble treeeee!

Waitaminute... that's not how it goes! Think you can do a better homage to this timeless classic? Are you full of holiday spirit and want to share it with the rest of us? Well this is right up your alley! We here at UO Stratics would like to announce the start of our "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest! Read on for all of the official rules and prize information!

UO Stratics' "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest Information

For this contest, we're looking for all of those creative minds that have become such a staple of the Ultima Online community to work their magic on the traditional holiday song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by giving it an Ultima Online twist! Submit your best in-game screenshot of a reenacted verse from the original song. Get the guildmates together in a group shot for the "Ten (Dread) Lords a-leaping." Dust off your tamer and take them out to find yourself "Three French Hens"-- er, Chickens! Or, take it a step further and change one of the original verses into something with your own Ultima Online spin on it and submit a screenshot of that! Instead of "Two Turtle Doves" maybe you'd prefer "Two Ringmail Gloves" Er... Perhaps not, but you've got the idea!

Participants will only be limited by their own imagination (and our Rules of Conduct! *ahem*) so give us your best shot. Follow the Entry Submission rules below to ensure your chance at one of our fabulous prizes! Should you have any questions, feel free to ask in this Announcement and Discussion thread.

Entry Submission Guidelines & Rules

Submissions will only be accepted until Midnight (12:00 AM) PST on January 4th, 2008. To submit your screenshot and be eligible for entry into the Holiday Contest, you will need to follow these simple, but important steps:

1. Take a single screenshot of your in-game rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on an official production shard, no emulators please. Make sure to crop out any unnecessary game windows, gumps, paperdolls, empty space, title bars, etc that would distract from your entry. The screenshot should be no larger than 600x600 pixels and should be in an acceptable image format such as a JPG or GIF for posting into the Submission Thread. All entries must follow Stratics' Rules of Conduct and will be subject to removal and/or disqualification for any violations. Entries with offensive language, swearing, inappropriate subject material, blatant disrespect or entries with violations of UO's Terms of Service will not be accepted.

2. Once the your submission is ready, visit the official Holiday Contest Submission thread and reply to the original post with your screenshot and a short description if needed. Your submission MUST be a reply to the original post and NOT a reply to someone else's submission, otherwise it won't be counted! This is of the utmost importance, so don't forget!

3. You are allowed only one submission per person for this contest. If you attempt to post a second submission, you will receive an error: "You may post only one entry in this thread" and your submission will not be counted.

4. If you wish to change your entry, you may do so as many times as you wish until contest submission comes to a close. To change your entry, simply delete your reply to the original post and make a new one or, instead, you can edit your original reply to replace it with your latest version. To withdraw from the contest completely, you may do so at any time by deleting your entry reply.

5. The official Holiday Contest Submission thread, aptly named, will only contain contest submissions and nothing else... any non-entry posts will be removed. Please keep all discussion, comments or questions out of there and instead post them here in this Discussion thread. Don't forget!

So what can you win?! Prizes will be awarded as following:

1st place - a 90-Day Gametime Code! That's three months of free playtime!
2nd place - 60 days of play on us with two 30-Day Gametime Codes!
3rd place - a 30-Day Gametime Code, good for a month's worth of free Ultima Online!

* In addition to these great prizes, one winner picked at random from all legal entries will receive a 7th Character/Bank Storage Increase Code! Even if you don't win one of the top spots, you'll still be eligible to win a fantastic prize just for entering! The winner will be selected automatically and randomly via a tool our Technology Director, Teresk (thank you!) designed just for this purpose.

Winners will be sent their codes via email so please update the email address you have listed here on your UO Stratics forum account to ensure a timely delivery of your prize. Also, since the winner will be selected from the entries posted in the Submission Thread, please ensure you have followed all of the rules when posting your entry!

Disclaimer and Additional Information

WINNER SELECTION
Once the submission period has been closed, a voting poll thread will be posted and stickied in the UO U.Hall forum and will be open until Midnight (12:00 AM PST) on January 12th, 2008. Registered members of the Stratics forums may use this thread to vote for their favorite entry. Once the voting period has ended, the five (5) most popular entries with the highest number of votes will then be passed on to the Stratics Holiday Contest Team who will ultimately decide the winners based on eligibility, creativity, quality and other related factors. First, second, and third place winners as well as the random entry winner will be decided on and posted within 48 hours of the close of voting. Winners will be notified and receive their prizes via email and the winners announced on the U.Hall forum within 72 hours of contest end. All decisions are at the discretion of the Stratics Holiday Contest Team and will be final.

ELIGIBILITY
Only those people who are residents of a country where such contests and giveaways are not prohibited by law and who are 13 years of age or older are eligible. Only one (1) entry is allowed per person. Any employees or staff members (moderators, reporters, administrators, etc) of StraticsCom Inc. not on the Stratics Holiday Contest team are also eligible.

DISCLAIMER
StraticsCom Inc. is not responsible for late, misdirected or damaged communication of any kind - including computer failure. All decisions are final. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received. By accepting the prize, winners understand that to use it, they must have an active account in good standing with EA/Mythic for Ultima Online. They also agree that StraticsCom Inc., its employees, sponsors, and affiliates shall have no liability for, and shall hold all such parties harmless against damage, loss or injury that may arise in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prizes or participation in this giveaway.

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Merry Xmas Oceania!
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 3:46 PM EST by Cymoril (Oceania)
Merry Christmas to all Oceanians! The graphic below lists all Stratics usernames that have posted on the Oceania Forum in December... Happy Holidays Everyone!
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Crafting Calculators Updated
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:53 PM EST by zigzag (CommunityNews)
The following crafting calculators have been updated to allow the input of talisman properties: Alchemy Calculator Blacksmithing Calculator Bowcrafting/Fletching Calculator Carpentry Calculator Cartography Calculator Cooking Calculator Inscription Calculator Tailoring Calculator Tinkering Calculator Special thanks to Xena for crunching the numbers, and to all who helped do the initial testing. Your assistance was very much appreciated! We've tried and tested 'till we ran out of tali's...but if any errors are found, please email UO Info or me directly.
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UO Stratics Announces "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:41 PM EST by Cymoril (Oceania)
Extracted and summarised from zigzags post on Community News... To celebrate Christmas, and join Stratics as it enters its tenth year of bringing the UO Community closer together, UO Stratics has issued a challenge! Come up with your own unique UO spin on the classic Carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas". The contest details say... For this contest, we're looking for all of those creative minds that have become such a staple of the Ultima Online community to work their magic on the traditional holiday song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by giving it an Ultima Online twist! Submit your best in-game screenshot of a reenacted verse from the original song. Get the guildmates together in a group shot for the "Ten (Dread) Lords a-leaping." Dust off your tamer and take them out to find yourself "Three French Hens"-- er, Chickens! Or, take it a step further and change one of the original verses into something with your own Ultima Online spin on it and submit a screenshot of that! Instead of "Two Turtle Doves" maybe you'd prefer "Two Ringmail Gloves" Er... Perhaps not, but you've got the idea! The contest ends at '12am on January 4th 2008', which, if I have my time conversion correct, means 7pm January 4th AEST. Prizes will be awarded as follows: 1st Place - a 90-Day Gametime Code 2nd Place - two 30-Day Gametime Codes 3rd Place - one 30-Day Gametime Code Also, one lucky (legal) entrant will randomly be selected to win a code for a 7th character Slot and increased house/bank storage. So even if your entry isn't selected as one of the best, you can still win! All prizes will be sent to your UO Stratics email so make sure it's up to date on your profile. Here are the entry submission guidelines , but also be sure to check the full post HERE, to see all the conditions of entry. 1. Take a single screenshot of your in-game rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on an official production shard, no emulators please. Make sure to crop out any unnecessary game windows, gumps, paperdolls, empty space, title bars, etc that would distract from your entry. The screenshot should be no larger than 600x600 pixels and should be in an acceptable image format such as a JPG or GIF for posting into the Submission Thread. All entries must follow Stratics' Rules of Conduct and will be subject to removal and/or disqualification for any violations. Entries with offensive language, swearing, inappropriate subject material, blatant disrespect or entries with violations of UO's Terms of Service will not be accepted. 2. Once the your submission is ready, visit the official Holiday Contest Submission thread and reply to the original post with your screenshot and a short description if needed. Your submission MUST be a reply to the original post and NOT a reply to someone else's submission, otherwise it won't be counted! This is of the utmost importance, so don't forget! 3. You are allowed only one submission per person for this contest. If you attempt to post a second submission, you will receive an error: "You may post only one entry in this thread" and your submission will not be counted. 4. If you wish to change your entry, you may do so as many times as you wish until contest submission comes to a close. To change your entry, simply delete your reply to the original post and make a new one or, instead, you can edit your original reply to replace it with your latest version. To withdraw from the contest completely, you may do so at any time by deleting your entry reply. 5. The official Holiday Contest Submission thread, aptly named, will only contain contest submissions and nothing else... any non-entry posts will be removed. Please keep all discussion, comments or questions out of there and instead post them here in this Discussion thread. Don't forget! It'd be fun to see the Oceanian entries reply to this thread so that we can all see them! Good luck to all, and let's see if Oceania can win one (or more) of the prizes! UO Oceania News Reporter
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Christmas Container Art Contest Winners

Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 12:10 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Oriana and Sara Are Pleased To Announce The
Christmas Container Art Winners

All Entrants Will Receive A Soulstone Fragment Token, A Heritage Token, And A 2007 Baja Container Art Contest Commemorative Cake by Mama

1st Place - 4-Mil. Gold, Rubble Small Palm Tree Voluptuous
2nd Place - 2.5-Mil. Gold Snake-Eyes		3rd Place - 1.5 Mil. Gold Fran Fury

The screenshots speak for the artistic talent on Baja!

We would like to thank Haagen-Dazs [UG.K], Lil Debi [S|A], Fran Fury [GOF} & Mandy of Trinsic [MTI] for their contributions to the prize fund. Your support of the Baja community is deeply appreciated!

A special Thank You to the five judges for
giving freely of your time to help determine the winners.

[ Discuss This Article ]

UO Stratics 2007 "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:54 AM EST by zigzag (CommunityNews)
Greetings, fellow Sosarians! The holidays are once again upon us and everywhere you go, you can find all the familiar sights, smells, and sounds of the season. The snow has begun to fall on the Winterland shard created just for us by the developers... the spiced aroma of baking gingerbread cookies fresh from the oven is wafting through town... and the frosty air is filled with jubilant singing in celebration of this most special time of year. The UO Stratics staff is also in the mood to celebrate with song, now entering our tenth year of bringing the Ultima Online community closer together. And what brings a community together better than a contest in which fabulous prizes are to be awarded? But wait... before we get to that... here come some caroling townsfolk, singing one of our favorite tunes! On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to meeee... an unburnt rubble treeeee! On the second day of Christmas, some PK messed with meeee... two murder counts for my unburnt rubble treeeee! On the third day of Christmas, that same red tried to fleeee... three guard whacks, two looted packs, and I found my rubble treeeee! Waitaminute... that's not how it goes! Think you can do a better homage to this timeless classic? Are you full of holiday spirit and want to share it with the rest of us? Well this is right up your alley! We here at UO Stratics would like to announce the start of our "Twelve Days of Ultima" Holiday Contest! Read on for all of the official rules and prize information! *UO Stratics' "Twelve Days of Ultima"* Holiday Contest Information** For this contest, we're looking for all of those creative minds that have become such a staple of the Ultima Online community to work their magic on the traditional holiday song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by giving it an Ultima Online twist! Submit your best in-game screenshot of a reenacted verse from the original song. Get the guildmates together in a group shot for the "Ten (Dread) Lords a-leaping." Dust off your tamer and take them out to find yourself "Three French Hens"-- er, Chickens! Or, take it a step further and change one of the original verses into something with your own Ultima Online spin on it and submit a screenshot of that! Instead of "Two Turtle Doves" maybe you'd prefer "Two Ringmail Gloves" Er... Perhaps not, but you've got the idea! Participants will only be limited by their own imagination (and our Rules of Conduct! ahem) so give us your best shot. Follow the Entry Submission rules below to ensure your chance at one of our fabulous prizes! Should you have any questions, feel free to ask in this Announcement and Discussion thread. Entry Submission Guidelines & Rules Submissions will only be accepted until Midnight (12:00 AM) PST on the night of January 4th, 2008. To submit your screenshot and be eligible for entry into the Holiday Contest, you will need to follow these simple, but important steps: 1. Take a single screenshot of your in-game rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on an official production shard, no emulators please. Make sure to crop out any unnecessary game windows, gumps, paperdolls, empty space, title bars, etc that would distract from your entry. The screenshot should be no larger than 600x600 pixels and should be in an acceptable image format such as a JPG or GIF for posting into the Submission Thread. All entries must follow Stratics' Rules of Conduct and will be subject to removal and/or disqualification for any violations. Entries with offensive language, swearing, inappropriate subject material, blatant disrespect or entries with violations of UO's Terms of Service will not be accepted. 2. Once the your submission is ready, visit the official Holiday Contest Submission thread and reply to the original post with your screenshot and a short description if needed. Your submission MUST be a reply to the original post and NOT a reply to someone else's submission, otherwise it won't be counted! This is of the utmost importance, so don't forget! 3. You are allowed only one submission per person for this contest. If you attempt to post a second submission, you will receive an error: "You may post only one entry in this thread" and your submission will not be counted. 4. If you wish to change your entry, you may do so as many times as you wish until contest submission comes to a close. To change your entry, simply delete your reply to the original post and make a new one or, instead, you can edit your original reply to replace it with your latest version. To withdraw from the contest completely, you may do so at any time by deleting your entry reply. 5. The official Holiday Contest Submission thread, aptly named, will only contain contest submissions and nothing else... any non-entry posts will be removed. Please keep all discussion, comments or questions out of there and instead post them here in this Discussion thread. Don't forget! So what can you win?! Prizes will be awarded as following: 1st place - a 90-Day Gametime Code! That's three months of free playtime! 2nd place - 60 days of play on us with two 30-Day Gametime Codes! 3rd place - a 30-Day Gametime Code, good for a month's worth of free Ultima Online! * In addition to these great prizes, one winner picked at random from all legal entries will receive a 7th Character/Bank Storage Increase Code! Even if you don't win one of the top spots, you'll still be eligible to win a fantastic prize just for entering! The winner will be selected automatically and randomly via a tool our Technology Director, Teresk (thank you!) designed just for this purpose. Winners will be sent their codes via email so please update the email address you have listed here on your UO Stratics forum account to ensure a timely delivery of your prize. Also, since the winner will be selected from the entries posted in the Submission Thread, please ensure you have followed all of the rules when posting your entry! Disclaimer and Additional Information WINNER SELECTION Once the submission period has been closed, a voting poll thread will be posted and stickied in the UO U.Hall forum and will be open until Midnight (12:00 AM PST) on January 12th, 2008. Registered members of the Stratics forums may use this thread to vote for their favorite entry. Once the voting period has ended, the five (5) most popular entries with the highest number of votes will then be passed on to the Stratics Holiday Contest Team who will ultimately decide the winners based on eligibility, creativity, quality and other related factors. First, second, and third place winners as well as the random entry winner will be decided on and posted within 48 hours of the close of voting. Winners will be notified and receive their prizes via email and the winners announced on the U.Hall forum within 72 hours of contest end. All decisions are at the discretion of the Stratics Holiday Contest Team and will be final. ELIGIBILITY Only those people who are residents of a country where such contests and giveaways are not prohibited by law and who are 13 years of age or older are eligible. Only one (1) entry is allowed per person. Any employees or staff members (moderators, reporters, administrators, etc) of StraticsCom Inc. not on the Stratics Holiday Contest team are also eligible. DISCLAIMER StraticsCom Inc. is not responsible for late, misdirected or damaged communication of any kind - including computer failure. All decisions are final. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received. By accepting the prize, winners understand that to use it, they must have an active account in good standing with EA/Mythic for Ultima Online. They also agree that StraticsCom Inc., its employees, sponsors, and affiliates shall have no liability for, and shall hold all such parties harmless against damage, loss or injury that may arise in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prizes or participation in this giveaway.
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CSI: Lake Austin
Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:00 AM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
CSI: Lake Austin I was given the worst possible news one can receive on the eve of Christmas... Santa had been killed. Murdered to be specific. As a recent graduate of the Vesper Criminal School Of Education In Criminology, and an investigative reporter, I was brought in on the case. I was sent some of the physical evidence and some eye witness accounts of Santa's last 48 hours. Not what I was expecting... And it seemed Santa was not making friends. The suspect list was filled with those found on Santa's Naughty List. I started by asking around the last known location Santa was seen. This was not making my job any easier. I had not found any information bringing us closer to what happened. It was time to go back and look at the crime scene evidence. The only thing out of place was a patch of white fur and a liquid substance found to be melted snow from Dagger Isle. I went to search for more clues and was not let down. I had found part of Santa's Naughty List. It appeared to have been torn by massive claws. There was more white fur and a trail to the rumored cave of the Yeti. Inside I found all that was needed to put the pieces together and solve the case. Though he was not caught at the cave, he will not stay on the run for long. Authorities are searching as we speak. Now that the case is solved, I have the been given the task of finishing Christmas for Santa. I don't know anything about making gifts! Maybe I will just take last years gifts and put this year on them. Doubt anybody will notice...
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Community Hunt - Week of December 24th
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 3:28 PM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Merry Christmas to all! Date: Tuesday, December 25th No Community Event Today Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, December 26th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Demon Temple Hunt Date: Thursday, December 27th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, December 28th Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Christmas Container Art Contest Results
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 3:09 PM EST by Paul Harvey (LakeAustin)
Hello Fellow Sosarians, The results are in! I will let the pictures speak for themselves. First , all the entries You may not have noticed this one spells out Merry Christmas with a letter in each container. And the winning entries are. . . From left to right . .1st Lava 2nd Twister Nell and 3rd Greer The prizes . . . 1st - 1mill, Wizard's Glasses, Plant Rubble, SS Frag Token, and GOF Trophy 2nd - 1mill, Snow Globe of Mistas, SS Frag Token, GOF Trophy 3rd - 500k, 2 SS Frag Token, GOF Trophy Thanks to (GOF) Gentlemen of Fortune for holding this event. Congrats to the winners and good job to all who entered. And thanks to all who contributed prize donations. Happy Holidays to all my fellow Sosarians. This has been Paul Harvey . . . Goood Day!
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Ole Saint Nick Visits the Malas University!
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 12:37 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here, folks. Today, I took some time off from my usual wanderings of Felucca to visit the Malas University. Why would I do that, you ask? Well, because the jolly fat man himself was supposed to be there! I had to go see Ole Saint Nick! Here are some nicely rendered drawings of my trip to the University! I found a gate in New Haven! Wowzers, what good luck I had there! Here I am! I just got here! Ohh, look at that, some idiot is insulting me. I am shocked. It would make me feel bad if I valued pvp skill as a talent. Ohh well! Just wanted to take the time to show a few of Ole Saint Nick's helpers here! Give them some press too! There were more of them, these are just the ones I was able to remember! I guess I was the only one following the rules of waiting in line. I don't mean to complain, because I am not using this as a soap box to talk about how some people treat others like total crap. I am just saying, respect and rules, even on a game are things that people should strive for, right? Am I right? (/endrant) Here I am! Holy cow, I can hear him laughing now! It is pretty spiffy! Only a few more steps and I will be able to see him! HOLY COW! There he is! Victory! He is in sight now. I am totally planning my speech at this point. I am going to tell him about all the good things I have done. I was going to tell him about the blues I had rezzed in Yew. How I tried to help Noximos find his swampy. I put up with idiots who think it is amusing to insult me. (Which is pretty much anyone in Felucca sadly.) I am nice to said idiots! I mean that alone should make Saint Nick want to hook me up with some sweet gifts, right? Shazbot! I am close. Rubs his hands together I am totally ready to start in on my awesomeness. Saint Nick is gonna be wow'ed by my niceness! Who is excited? I am excited! I get RIGHT up to him. He says his first "Ho ho ho" to me. You know what happens? I freeze up! I am lost for words. What do I do? I was like Waffllez of CoW* trying to spell "the" it was so bad. Tankyou? I mean what the heck is that? I didn't even try and make it two words. I mumbled it as one word. It was embaressing. Who does that? WHO DOES THAT? So I get outside after making a fool of myself. I open my bag, and what do I see inside? Well, you can see what I saw. A rock! Cries Well, at least this guy is excited. This is the crowd that was there when I was leaving! Picture all those who went before me! Or the people who came after I had already left! Craziness! I guess that is all I get though. I can't complain to much. I am uncertain as to which Ole Nick thought I was....Naughty or Nice... Well, folks, that is it! That was my time with Ole Saint Nick and the Malas University. Thanks a billion to the good people at the univeristy for all the hard work and dedication it takes to pull an event like this off. Lets just hope UO is alive in a year so that these great folks can do it again! Hats off to you, Malas University! Merry Christmas to you! Merry Christmas to everyone!
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Lizard Wrangling for the Zoo a smash success
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 10:57 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Saturday the 22nd of Dec 2007 a small but determined group of tamers, bards and mages set out to tame as many drakes and dragons as they could in a hours time. Their objective was to raise the Britannia Royal Zoo Community Collection total as much as they possibly could in that short amount of time. The place they chose for their planned taming activities was the Temple on Fire Island. Where they knew they would find many of their desired creatures. The taming was fast paced from the start with all the tamers rushing back and forth through the gates taming these fearsome beasts in an efficient manner. One mage remained behind at the zoo assisting the tamers by constantly providing fresh gates for them to use in their mission to help the zoo. A bard also escorted the tamers to the temple to help assist them in taming the savage beasts by calming them long enough for the tamers to work their skills. While others used their magic skills to hold the Daemons at bay to give the tamers uninterrupted time to do their work. The night of taming was a great success and plans were made to do another Lizard Wrangle next Saturday at the same time, if any of you wish to help come to the Royal Zoo on Moonglow Saturday Dec 29th, 2007 at 7 PM EST at the eastern entrance. As can be seen by this chart from the 22nd of Dec 2007 provided by Tina Small, Catskills tamers have raised the shard way above all the other shards when it comes to the Community Collection for the Zoo. Keep up the great work everyone!!
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Last Obit Column for 2007. Are You In It ?
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 10:06 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Last Obit Column for 2007. Are You In It ? This is the last Obituary Column for 2007. At this time I would like to thank all that have sent screenshots in over the past year and of course those of you that gave up your lives for this series. Without your deaths it would not have lasted as long as it has. Hopefully in 2008 more Fel deaths will be sent my way. Be sure to look for my annual " year end " post in the next week in the mean time enjoy the dead and dieing. Fondly, Lady Lava ~ Anti One Autumn and Hans Cassius Vanna White Devils Reject Frogger Loose Change neptune Pab SiR Sodem Thrasher Thunder Tyrant Pab again Zaxxon
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Super Stratics Sunday - 10th Edition - The Recap

Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007, 8:44 AM EST by Mapper (Europa)

- Welcome

Welcome to the 10th Super Stratics Sunday! - This week is a pure recap!

Firstly however, tomorrow is Christmas Eve! So have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Ive choosen to have this be the last edition this year. Join us next year for a new SSS! 6th January 2008!


	- Mapper's Christmas Countdown

- The SSS Countdown

Edition One! - Mapper visits Blue Wolf Traders, Owned by Lady Alcestis.

The first edition featured 'BLUE WOLF TRADERS' Owned by Lady Alcestis you can find it 26o59'N 26o38'E in Malas. Way back in October when I visited the shop they had 77 vendors. Today I returned to count again, Today they have a staggering 101! (If counted correctly, Which could be a joke)

They have also changed the desks a little bit by adding blue flowers, Check the screenshot below.

Edition Two! - Mapper visits Zento Home & Gardens, Owned by Serafi

The 2nd edition featured 'ZENTO HOME & GARDENS' Owned by Serafi, You can find the shop East of Zento, On the map to the right.

I returned to the shop this morning to find it looking the same and still stocked up! You may wonder why I'm bothering to return to these shops? Shops close down often, So this is like a little service, just to let you know, THIS SHOP STILL LIVES!

Edition Three! - Mapper visits Barian's Mall in Yewdale and Europa Auction.

The 3rd edition, The Halloween Special. Featured 2 items, A shop of the week and an establishment of the week. Here's what I picked.

I started with Barian's Mall in Yewdale. I choose this shop because of the fact its been there so long, Unchanged, Even when AoS arrived.

I managed to grab a chat with the owner that day, here is what he had to say.

Q: First of all, How long has Barian's Mall been open?

Barian: I think we opened the Mall in early 2003, but I've had vendors (and shops) in various locations ever since vendors came in.

Q: What did you first start to sell? How many vendors were on the plot?

Barian: First thing I ever sold was amour. I used to run a Smith repair service in the Minoc Smithy. The queues were huge. I met Nilrem & Lucy of Kenton back then
The Mall had 6 or 7 vendors when it started I think.

Q: Why did you choose against changing to a custom house plot when AoS came out?

Barian: We like the Large Marble shop, and changing would be far too much work, moving all those vendors. Basically Terry Fyde won't let us !!
It's also become a tradition now I think. It's a good feeling when people come back to UO after years away and find Barian's still there. They always say they are pleasantly surprised

Q: Do you still enjoy running such an old shop?

Barian: Yes I do. Still meet people there too. It's a great feeling when someone you don't know compliments you on the shop.

Q: What are your feelings on KR and UO right now in general, Still loving UO as much as you did back at the start?

Barian: KR : I'll wait till it's finished before I touch it
UO : Yes I still love the game. I wish they would finish some of the systems i.e. Virtues, plants, BoDs. Crafting has been nerfed for so long now.

Q: Finally, Has any customer asked for something real crazy? And if so, What was that?

Barian: Many many times......craziest I can think of was for 2000 full potion kegs
We turned that one down

I returned to the shop this morning, It's looking lively still, And is even showing signs of Christmas on the doors.

----------

The Establishment of the Week in the 3rd edition went to Europa Auction, I mentioned it had 175 auctions under its belt. Well today it has 182. I managed to speak with owner Leto, Here is what he had to say.

Q: How long has the auction been running? Its nearing its 175th auction, But when did you first think up the idea?

Leto: 175 Auctions, that's about 3.5 years. It wasn't me who came up with the idea though, wasn't even anybody currently on the team for that matter!
Europa Auction was founded by Alcestis who ran that first few auctions with Bendalino. I joined sometime around the 20th auction and was the auctioneer from around the 25th till the 75th auction. After the 75th auction Alcestis left and I became the guildmaster. Amantala took over my job as auctioneer.

Q: I remember a while back your shop Two's Company, Have you ever thought about another large shop like that?

Leto: I can't say the thought of re-opening never crossed my mind but I don't have any solid plans right now. I do run a couple of vendors at Amantala's shop though. The shop is called 'Three's a Crowd' and is located directly behind the 2nd house from Umbra's West Entrance.

Q: What would you say is the oddest item you have had auctioned off?

Leto: The oddest item? Now that's a hard question!

Amantala tried to auction me off a few times! How odd that is depends on your opinion of me I guess ;-)

I don't think we auction a lot of odd items. Sometimes we do get offered strange lots though. Like a set of 100 perched parrots. Makes me wonder what the guys house looked and, more importantly, sounded like before... We declined that lot though.

The most expensive item we ever auctioned was an Obsidian Qualifier sash, for 100 million!

Q: What is the most enjoyable part about running an auction, And what is the worst?

Leto: The best part has to be the people. A lot of different people attend the auctions, from roleplayers to PvPers to merchants. It's great to be able to play with so many different people. Sometimes we have to force them but most of the time they get along just fine :-)

The worst part is the people as well... Though, I must say it's been a while since we've had any serious grievers. There's always the small incidents but usually a short run (remove thyself!) shows them the error of their ways ;-)

I visited the auction house today and its looking again very similar.

Edition Four! - Mapper visits The Swaggers Inn and Vesper Shop Bods, Yika Shop and Vesper Shop

The Establishment is up first this time, I visited The Swaggers Inn in Vesper, Owned by Anna-Maria. Here is what she had to say in our interview.

Mapper: Of course the first one is obvious. When was the tavern first started? Same location as it is now?

Anna-Maria: Well VTC first started running the Marsh Hall NPC inn in Vesper, for a few months then Garret and Yiveth came into ownership of the Swaggers Inn, in exactly the same place as it stands now (but a bit smaller!). And I think it opened in something like September 2003 (a month or two before my time)

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Mapper: I was told the house has had many different designs, Is this something that happens often? Or are you quite happy with its look now?

Anna-Maria: It's had its fair share of reworkings over the years, mostly before I was about. I'm a bit lazier so I've only changed it maybe 3 times. Personally I'm happy with the look as it is now, but I'm not active now and I just don't have the energy to go through the sheer hell of redecorating.

I'm not exaggerating that it takes several solid days' work to redecorate the Swaggers (including finding all the bloody stuff again), and several true rares (like sheet music) have been lost over the years in the depths of the Swaggers packing crate.

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Mapper: What day and time is the tavern open? And what day would you say is most busiest?

Anna-Maria: Well the tavern has always been open all day and all night, it just depends on whether any of the bar staff are there.

There have been times when VTC has been at its prime that it literally was open all day and night, with several of us roleplaying from morning till 4am - which is unfortunately not the most productive use of a day!

There's never really been a busiest day, except for a typical lull on Fridays - but the time when it is most active is 8pm onwards generally.

---

Mapper: You said you weren't very active now, But have you seen Kingdom Reborn? What do you think of it?

Anna-Maria: Oh, I think a lot of the art in Kingdom Reborn is unimpressive, but I am one of the few people who seem to be very much for it. From the few minutes I have wandered around in it with KR, Britannia feels like a very different place, and that is always a good thing. The forests feel more woody, the spells look more sparkly, and the characters move more swaggery.

I will certainly come back to try out Kingdom Reborn, but I do think that a lot of the art is clunky and unattractive - it just looks lazily done to me!

Mapper: 2d items, KR interface and landscape.. Id be happy :-)

Anna-Maria: Agreed

I revisited the Inn this afternoon, I just cant get over how lovely the decorations are!

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I visited the 3 shops at Vesper North West Bridge also, I'm pleased to let you know, All 3 are still operating.

Edition Five! - Mapper visits Shop AE

I visited Shop AE in the fifth edition. This shop used to be located in Malas and I had thought it had closed down until I found it again! This time on my door step in Zento! You can find it in the North East corner of Zento.

The shop is still standing today and it still packed to the rim with vendors and stock.

Edition Six! - Mapper visits The Trinsic Rose Tavern, Owned by Gwen Irima

In week six I visited an old favorite, The Trinsic Rose Tavern, When I found it I learnt they had moved to a bigger building. Here is an interview with owner Gwen Irima.

Mapper: How long has the tavern been around?

Gwen: Heading for the 3rd anniversary this coming January, So that would be *counts* January 2005.

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Mapper: Have you always been the owner ? Was a lady named VanQa when I last went.

Gwen: I am the player of VanQa but also the player of the new Owner Gwen Irima :P and yes I have always been the owner :)

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Mapper: What time is it open? Every night after 8pm If I remember, But are there any nights when its really busy?

Gwen: Its open on Monday and Friday from 7 to 9-10-11 pm depending on how busy it is. The busy nights change all the time. When there is a lot to do in the world it is quiet, but there is always a regular amount of guests between 4 to 10 people.

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Mapper: The taverns moved now to a tree house design and different location, What made you change?

Gwen: The reason was mostly space. It's the tavern but also the building I "live" in. Also the more space allowed me to put two rooms for rent back in for people who'd like to stay in the tavern for a few days or longer. A nice side effect of the bigger tavern area is also that I can set it up for special occasions, like a birthday party or a fancy dinner for many people.

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Mapper: Onto the game itself now, Have you tried Kingdom Reborn? Do you like it?

Gwen: Hehehe Trick Question? Do I get cookies if I answer it correctly ?

I try Kingdom Reborn on a regular basis because if they are going to force us to play it I have to know how to play it before that time comes. With making the Trinsic Rose and the other buildings in the Elven Quarter I have logged in into both clients to make sure it all looked good in both Clients. I prefer the 2d version and I think it is a big shame they are eventually going to shut that down. Kingdom Reborn looks pretty... but if I were a new customer and saw the game in the shop for the first time I would not have bought it.

---

Mapper: Final question, Do you think roleplay is as popular as it used to be? Have the number of roleplayers stayed constant?

Gwen: To me personally roleplaying is what makes Ultima Online so much fun (I started UO in 2000 and started roleplaying about a year later). The day there is no more roleplay to be had with other players is probably the day I'll stop playing myself also. The numbers of roleplayers appear to me to have dwindled (became less) a lot lately, more then in the past. But the numbers go up and down all the time so i am not worried yet. There are still enough folks around to roleplay with and perhaps once KR has officially started new ones will come..

You can still find the tavern near Trinsic Moongate, I visited it this afternoon also! Pff I'm tired of buzzing around. Here's a photo.

Edition Seven! - Mapper visits The RAA Guild Shop, Owned by Lord Ulysses

The 7th Edition brought me to a good old shop of Europa, RAA Guild Shop. Everyone MUST have furniture crafted by Lord Ulysses? Right?

Check the map below for directions.

I visited the shop this afternoon, Its looking very christmasy!

Edition Eight! - Mapper visits CD Vendor Mall, Owned by 'Someone Special' < ooo!

This is a fairly recent visit so no need to go back! Right? Well, This article is fairly long now. You'll find CD Vendors 4-5 houses from Umbra West Bridge, In the map to the right, its the big white 'en'!

Okay okay calm down! You want to know if its worth checking the shop out?

The shop is still active and what's that?! They are even gating! Get right over to the Britain Bank and get the shop out!

Edition Nine! - Mapper visits The King's Deer and Stonekeep

The King's Deer! Located in Stonekeep, This was the final tavern visited this year. It was completely different from others in the fact it was small and cozy, Forcing you to chat to someone! I managed to speak with the owner Carolyn, Here is what she had to say!

Mapper: So you run the King's Deer tavern, Which is in Stonekeep, I've always known there to be a tavern there but I remember it as a Villa. When was this changed? Were you always the owner?

Carolyn: The King's Deer has seen many changes but hasn't been a villa since at least 2005. Over the last couple of years it's seen alternative uses such as a meeting hall but is now back to being a tavern, with its most recent design taking place earlier this year.

Carolyn only took over the reigns of The King's Deer upon its recent redevelopment but the property is still and always will be Guardsmen Militia owned. In character the management always lease the property from Stonekeep.

Mapper: I visited the King's Deer this morning, I've been around a few taverns, Its certainly a small and cosy tavern, Is this a good thing? Or would you have liked it to be a little larger?

Carolyn: It needs to be small and cozy for it to work I think. Although it would be nice to have a little more space to work with, we can always expand out into the road if necessary for larger events.

The cozy feel works in its favour and whilst the militia would prefer it to be seedier and dirtier it works well enough in its current state.

Mapper: Would you say the tavern is the central location of Stonekeep in the evenings? Or is there another building most people locate?

Carolyn: The exterior of the tavern is pretty central to Stonekeep. Everyone's always stood around the outside and loitered nearby when on duty for as long as Stonekeep's been in existence, when off-duty the tavern is definitely where most activity will take place.

Mapper: Last question, A little different, Kingdom Reborn, Do you play it? What do you think of it?

Carolyn: I don't but that's more down to being stuck in my ways. I prefer the interface of 2d it's simplistic and easy to use and I'm not so willing to learn how to play UO all over again. KR's okay. To me the graphics aren't nearly as terrible as some people make out and I quite like the look of it but not enough to try and play UO through it.

Mapper: And that's all, I thank you verrrrry much! :-P

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I also managed to visit Stonekeep this year, I sadly didn't get to catch the planned interview. So it certainly needs a revisit next year!

I would like to thank all the interviewee's for agreeing their time to my sometimes badly made up questions! Id also like to thank you all for reading this new feature to Europa Stratics.

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year!

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Emporium Vendors & Events [EVE] Announces Skittering Skirmish

Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007, 9:58 PM EST by Cymoril (Oceania)

Eleanora [EVE] announces the following on the UO Oceania forum...

Date: Sunday 27th January 2008
Time: Registration of entries from 12 noon, Start 1pm.
Location: Brackenwood Village Arena (see map below)
Hail and Well Met! Ever wanted to have a pet and see if it is the strongest, the best, and a peer among it's kind?
If so then this is the EVENT for you!
As with any good event however, it will require some pre-planning and effort on your part.

EVENT DETAILS

The challenge is on to find the Oceania's BEST Skittering Hopper. Now anyone can tame one of these varmints, so there is no excuse for anyone not being able to participate! The aim is to go out into the wilds of Malas, tame yourself one of these critters, and either just bring it along on the day, or train it up to be THE strongest and most fierce-some of the hopper variety to try and grab the title of 'Oceania's Champion Skitter' along with the winner trophy and prize!
Now nearly everyone knows a tamer, so you can find one to Lore your beast to make sure you get a good'un, and you can either train it yourself by fighting it against whatever critters you think it can handle (ie chickens, frogs, other hoppers etc) until it is a ready or use your own tamer to train it up and transfer to the character who will be entering the event with it! With 0 taming skill you can still tame one of these, although sometimes it will take a 'few' attempts!
On the day, you will fight your pet against it's peers, until we are left with our overall Champion Skitter. Each fight will be to the DEATH and there will be no vetting! Your Skitter must perform without aid, other than the initial command of 'ALL KILL' !

THE PRIZES

1st - Oceania's Champion Skitter: Gold Champions Trophy, 2 mil gold, a Soulstone Fragment, a Heritage Token and another item to be decided.
2nd - Runner Up: Silver Trophy, 1 mil gold and a Heritage Token.
3rd - Third: Bronze Trophy, 500k gold and a Heritage Token.
There will also be a prize for:
Best NAMED Hopper: 500k gold and a Heritage Token

THINGS TO NOTE

Because the event is in Malas, the character entering the EVE-vent will need to be Guilded! This should NOT be a problem as you do NOT need your main characters to enter, just give your Hopper to any spare character, even a newbie char just created for the event or your crafter, who can enter and join the guild on the day. The only character requirements are to say 'all kill' and to be able to join the guild for the duration of the event.
If you wish your pet to be able to enter more than one round you will need to bond it so that it may be rezzed by our resident VET (depending on numbers this may be required, however if there are a lot of entries then once a hopper dies it is out!) So allow a week for it to bond! If you just want the one battle then there is no requirement for it to bond, although if it gets a 2nd or 3rd place, you will only have a memory of it for the rest of eternity and it will never be able to look in awe at it's placement trophy although perhaps a gravestone marker could be 'nice' too!
For those of you who are community minded, please pass the details of this event to those on our shard who do not read Stratics. There are a LOT of them. Although I will be dropping books etc between now and the event, everyone will need at least 2 weeks to prepare if they wish to bond a pet. Any help in this regard is appreciated!
So you have a month to obtain, train and bond your hopper to the character you wish to enter!
For your convenience I have extracted the following information from the Stratics Hunter's Guide so you may view the abilities of the average Hopper.

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Community Meet Up - Week 151 Happy Holidays!
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007, 7:50 AM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 151 Happy Holidays! Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: The meet up will happen on Christmas Eve so anyone with some time to pop in and hello to Sabina and party please feel free to do so! We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Happy Holidays!! Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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Doom Filled with the Holiday Spirit
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007, 6:38 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
On Friday, December 21st a band of intrepid adventurers set forth to spread some holiday cheer to the denizens of the Dungeon Doom. Armed with the spirit of the holidays in their hearts, snowballs in their backpacks and swords, bows and magic books in their hands they set forth to visit this foreboding home of terrifying creatures of the underworld. When the magic gate to Doom was opened everyone rushed through it to arrive on the beach near the Bell of the Dead. For this gathering of adventurers had it set in their minds that they would carry their Holiday well wishes to the meanest residents of this dank and dark place, the Gauntlet. This miniature army who had broken into small partied groups before entering Doom each took turns ringing the Bell of the Dead summoning the Ferryman Chyloth and handed him a golden skull so he would grant them passage to the Gauntlet. Once across the watery void the small parties were disbanded and everyone surged into the gauntlet only to be greeted by one of the Dark Fathers himself. While some sung to him with much holiday cheer, others engaged him in fierce combat. Yes the Dark fathers and their minions just didn’t have the holiday spirit and this force was going to beat it into them. (I don’t know how they could not of been filled with the joy of the season for an advance party had taken the time to decorate the dungeon with many festive holiday items.) The holiday spirit filled multitude then headed first the farthest eastern room and teleported into it. Where they engaged the Darknight Creepers in combat. This was a must win encounter for as they found out there was only two ways out of the room they were now locked in. That you defeat all the monsters in the room, where as the doors would unlock for you or you died and then you could leave. Quickly they dispatched the first rooms foes and moved on to the next rooms waiting opponents, the Flesh Renderers. Ripping through them they moved on yet again to the third room. In the third room they encountered the Impalers that they slaughtered quickly. They moved on to the forth room to engage the Shadow Knights in combat. Who fell quickly to this skilled force of adventurers. Moving west they then entered the fifth room where the Abyssmal Horrors awaited them. Once again they won out victorious over these foes. Here Anne Nomilly requested that they wait, as some brave volunteers would lure the Dark Fathers one at a time into their waiting hands. Single Dark Fathers were lured to the fifth room over and over to be decimated by the waiting force. Till there was none left and then it was decided to start the gauntlet over again. Many rounds were made through the gauntlet and some of the holiday spirit filled warriors even were rewarded with major artifacts for their efforts. (If you see Jerimiah congratulate him on getting a Tunic of Fire on his first ever trip into the gauntlet.) Over all, the deaths were few and those who did die were returned to life very quickly. A bond of fellowship was formed with all that went on this adventure, and everyone was filled with the spirit of the season. This was a fun night for all and a special thanks goes out to Anne Nomilly for setting this all up for the shard to enjoy.
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FIRST ANNUAL UO HALL WINTER HOLIDAY PARTY
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 7:01 PM EST by Larisa (CommunityNews)
FIRST ANNUAL UO HALL WINTER HOLIDAY PARTY 'Tis the season to celebrate, and celebrate we did, UO Style! This past Thursday, December 20th, 2007 marked UO Halls first Winter Holiday Party! And what a party! Guests started arriving at the newly decorated Yew Winery compliments of Draconi, the tables were covered with a rich variety of food and beverage. Some of our wonderful Stratics Staff and posters were in attendance along with our lovely Community Rep. Jeremy! To everyone's delight, a surprise guest made an appearance, Bob our new Community Director! Soon the winery was packed with people and the sounds of merriment. Static started off the evening with a few jokes, which were met by groans from the crowd. When asked if he should continue, Draconi answered as only Draconi could...(That's Static in the Glacial Blue standing on the stage) Once the jokes died down, Draconi invited everyone to the grape fields to have some apple-shootin' fun...mocking the Clueless Dev team with imputiny. After a round of Apple Shootin' we headed on over to the Empath Abbey where our host, Prince Caspian held a Christmas Trivia Contest. After much merriment and drinking, the night came to a close....and I joined Jeremy in the hot tub to rest my weary feet. The party was a great success, the guests were amazing and the evening went extremely well. Lets do it again next year!
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TC1 Has Atlantic Backup
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 5:55 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: TC1 Has Atlantic Backup Jeremy Dalberg 20 Dec 2007 23:43:24 We're testing some backend improvements, and loaded an Atlantic backup on TC1 to see if they worked. There are no changes y'all will see, but if you're on Atlantic, take this chance to go nuts on a test environment!
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Five on Friday - Play Guide Updates
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 5:06 PM EST by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Documentation Frenzy! In this week's Five on Friday, take a look through all of the Play Guide pages updated from FoF info. Happy holidays! December 21, 2007 Continuing the "year-end wrap up" theme, I spent the week updating pages in the Play Guide based on information dug up in the past year's Five on Fridays. A couple of caveats: I did not comprehensively fact-check and/or update every page below; I just added/corrected the info we had previously verified in FoFs. I didn't update most pages based on patch notes, although that's pretty high on my list. Some pages did get updated (for example, the Item Properties page has cap information based on the latest game changes, which were made after the Property Cap-related FoF questions) but it's the exception rather than the rule. Pages that don't exist didn't get updated. That sounds obvious, but it's actually an important distinction - for example, there's no page that discusses looting rules, so the updated FoF info about looting rules has no home at the moment. Given that I had way more to update than I had time to finish, I've shelved all new-page creation until after the holidays. Likewise, pages haven't been updated with KR or Mondain's Legacy info if they did not already have it - that will require more research time than I had this week. Note the "Updated" stamp on the bottom of the below pages: if that stamp isn't on a guide page, I make no assertions as to its accuracy. As near as I can tell, the cooking page hadn't been touched since '99 at the earliest, and gave instructions for how to cook food that brought back fond, if ancient, memories In short, this is far from a comprehensive effort, but I hope that it's at least a start, and will lead to better documentation in the future. Skills Pages The general Skill page, with details about gaining skills Alchemy - added the info about its effect on the Enhance Potions property Arms Lore - completely rewritten with its new effects Begging - added info about its effect on Karma Cooking - brought into the modern age, added a note on food, hunger, and its effects on game play Detect Hidden - added a clarification on how to gain skill Magery - added the Fast Cast property cap info Taming - added swing speed info and clarified Pack Instinct effect Veterinary - added info on speed Lumberjacking - updated list of weapons subject to the LJ damage bonus Remove Traps, - added a clarification on how to gain skill Necromancy - Fixed Cursed Weapon formula and added info about Spell Resist and Blood Oath damage, added the Fast Cast property cap info Chivalry - added the Fast Cast property cap info Bushido - added Perfection info, added details for Lightning Strike, added the Fast Cast property cap info Ninjitsu - added changes to Animal Form and Death Strike, added the Fast Cast property cap info Spellweaving - clarified Thunderstorm effects, added the Fast Cast property cap info Power Scrolls - added more info on how they drop Item Properties Item properties chart - updated with info on caps, changes, etc for quite a few properties Base properties - added a link to the Arms Lore page in the Exceptional Item section Enhancing - added info about high skill affecting success chance Luck - added a few Qs and As Champion Spawns Champ Spawn types - clarified type/reward link (or lack thereof) Altar and Skulls - clarified need to kill lesser critters Rewards - link to Scrolls of Power page was bad, fixed it Magery Spells Second Circle - clarified Protection and its effect on Fast Cast Seventh Circle - added Chain Lightning/Meteor Swarm damage formulas Combat and Equipment Equipment - added durability info to Repair section Weapons - added Swing Speed formula to the footnotes. (I know the chart itself is out of date - on my list! But you can get the necessary info from the in-game tool tips to use that formula.) Dying - Added info about being looted by a monster Stamina and Health - Removed outdated info about food Special Moves - Added info about Tactics requirements, added cap info to Crushing Blow Miscellaneous Bulk Order Deeds - ported the BOD Book info from the original design page and added info about item counts -- Keep an eye out for Snowball Wars to begin on the Winterland shard - Draconi is putting the finishing touches on them. Next week is a company-wide holiday (with the exception of the poor Customer Service folks, who we chain to their desks) so there won't be a FoF next Friday. Have a great holiday week, be safe, and play lots of UO! - Jeremy
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FoF: Documentation Frenzy!
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 3:07 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Documentation Frenzy! Jeremy Dalberg 21 Dec 2007 15:57:27 In this week's Five on Friday, take a look through all of the Play Guide pages updated from FoF info. Happy holidays! Continuing the "year-end wrapup" theme, I spent the week updating pages in the Play Guide based on information dug up in the past year's Five on Fridays. A couple of caveats: I did not comprehensively fact-check and/or update every page below; I just added/corrected the info we had previously verified in FoFs. I didn't update most pages based on patch notes, although that's pretty high on my list. Some pages did get updated (for example, the Item Properties page has cap information based on the latest game changes, which were made after the Property Cap-related FoF questions) but it's the exception rather than the rule. Pages that don't exist didn't get updated. That sounds obvious, but it's actually an important distinction - for example, there's no page that discusses looting rules, so the updated FoF info about looting rules has no home at the moment. Given that I had way more to update than I had time to finish, I've shelved all new-page creation until after the holidays. Likewise, pages haven't been updated with KR or Mondain's Legacy info if they did not already have it - that will require more research time than I had this week Note the "Updated" stamp on the bottom of the below pages: if that stamp isn't on a guide page, I make no assertions as to its accuracy. As near as I can tell, the cooking page hadn't been touched since '99 at the earliest, and gave instructions for how to cook food that brought back fond, if ancient, memories :) Skill Pages The general Skill page, with details about gaining skill. Alchemy-Added the info about it's effect on the enhanced potions property. Arms Lore-Completely re-written with it's new effects. Begging-Added info about it's effect on Karma. Cooking-Brought into the modern age, added a note on food, hunger and it's effects on gameplay. Detect Hidden-Added a clarification on how to gain skill. Magery-Added the Fast Cast Property cap info. Taming-Added swing speed info and clarified pack instinct effect. Veterinary-Added info on speed. Lumberjacking-updated list of weapons subject to the LJ damage bonus. Remove Traps-Added a clarification on how to gain skill. Necromancy-Fixed cursed weapon formula and added info about spell resist and Blood Oath damage, Added the fast cast property cap info. Chivalry-Added the Fast Cast property cap info. Bushido-Added perfection info, added details for lightning strike, added the fast cast property cap info. Ninjitsu-Added the changes to Animal form and Death Strike, Added the fast cast property cap info. Spellweaving-Clarified Thunderstorm effects, Added the fast cast property cap info. Powerscrolls-Added more info on how they drop. Item Properties Item Properties Chart-Updated with info on caps, changes, etc. for quite a few properties. Base Properties-Added a link to the Arms Lore page in the exceptional items section. Enhancing-Added info about high skill effecting success chance. Luck-Added a few Q's and A's. Champion Spawns Champ Spawn Types-Clarified type/reward link(Or lack thereof). Altar and skulls-Clarified need to kill lessor critters. Rewards-Link to scrolls of power page was bad, fixed it. Magery Spells Second Circle-Clarified Protection and it's effect on fast cast. Seventh Circle-Added chain lightning and meteor swarm damage formulas. Combat and Equipment Equipment-Added durability info to repair section. Weapons-Added Swing Speed Formula to the footnotes. (I know the chart itself is out of date-on my list! But you can get the necessary info from the in-game tooltips to use that formula) Dying-Added info about being looted by a monster. Stamina and Health-Removed outdated info about food. Special Moves-Added info about tactics requirements,added cap info to crushing blow. Miscellaneous Bulk Order Deeds-Ported the BOD book info from the original design page and added info about item counts. Keep an eye out for Snowball Wars to begin on the Winterland shard - Draconi is putting the finishing touches on them. Next week is a company-wide holiday (with the exception of the poor Customer Service folks, who we chain to their desks) so there won't be a FoF next Friday. Have a great holiday week, be safe, and play lots of UO! Jeremy
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Friday Hunt Nite - Carolling with the Dark Fathers
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 11:31 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
I have been asked to pass on this invitation to everyone on Catskills by Anne Nomilly. So here it is with some information for those of you who wish to take part. This event is open to everyone on the shard who wishes to take part. So if you never have ran the gauntlet in Doom and wish to try it come join us tonight. So here is what Anne Nomilly has to say: On Friday, December 21st, you are cordially invited to join up with other Holiday revelers at the Yew Gate in Trammel beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time to go help Deck the Halls of Doom! We'll head in promptly at 8:00 p.m. Gold skulls will be provided. Bring your gingerbread men, hot cocoa, decorations and come help us spread the Christmas Cheer to the Dark Fathers and their minions. We'll sing Christmas Carols, have snowball fights, enjoy the cheery decorations and, I'm sure, gather some lovely new apparel to help keep us warm Some general information. There will be extra supplies laid in and stocked in Nix room on a couple beetles. These will include bandages, bows, arrows, and potions. Thank you to everyone who has helped (and is helping) gather the supplies. In addition, we are going to try to have a tailor/tinker/fletcher stationed in Nix room for any emergency repairs that may need to take place. The goal is for everyone to have FUN and for no one to have to leave early because of running out of something or wearing something out. For anyone who has NEVER been to Doom, there are five rooms that must be finished, in order, before the Dark Father(s) spawn. Each room contains a boss type that must be defeated. Once that boss is defeated, the room door will open and you can proceed to the next room. The room bosses are as follows: Room 1 - *Darknight Creepers* Lowest Resist - Physical/Fire Slayer Type - Undead Room 2 - *Flesh Renderers* Lowest Resist - Fire/Cold Slayer Type - None Room 3 - *Impalers* Lowest Resist - Fire/Poison Slayer Type - Demon Room 4 - *Shadow Knights* Lowest Resist - Energy/Fire Slayer Type - Undead Room 5> - *Abyssmal Horror* Lowest Resist - Physical/Cold Slayer Type - Demon And finally, the *Dark Fathers* themselves. Their resists are all equal in intensity. Their slayer vulnerability is to a Demon Slayer. The EASIEST tactic I've seen for taking on the Dark Fathers is, when the final room is done, one or two people run down and pull up ONE Dark Father to the top of the hallway outside the fifth room. In case of trouble, you can quickly teleport INTO the room with room to run. From what I've seen, if you keep him in the hallway, but far enough up not to attract the other Dark Fathers, he tends to not spawn as much nastiness. Still quite a bit but not completely out of control. I hope to see as many of you there as can make it. It looks to be a fun fill evening, filled with thrills, laughs, good cheer and companionship. Who knows maybe some of you will even end up getting a Major Artifact.
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Britannia Royal Zoo once again at Tier 11
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 8:34 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Earlier this week The Britannia Royal Zoo located south of the city of Moonglow on the Trammel side once again reached Tier 11, and has held it steady there since then. Catskills now has the only fully stocked Zoo out of all the production shards once again with the addition of the Silver Steed to the zoo. Everyone who helped by taming so many creatures and donating gold should take pride in this achievement. Many of the other shards have even failed to produce the Crane that we have kept alive for 2 years now. (The crane just turned 2 earlier this month.) As of last week the highest-level tier by any other shard was level 6. That is a huge margin that we have over all the other shards, and shows how when the Catskills Community sets their minds to something we can accomplish it. Most of this is due to a group of dedicated Tamers who work hard to keep the zoo up. Every day, even though many of them have mastered their skill already, they are out taming or helping and encouraging new tamers to help the zoo and make a stronger community. Also do not forget that some great rewards can be earned by turning in certain type creatures through the The Moonglow Royal Zoo Cooperative Collection. You can earn titles, clothing, house decorations and some surprisingly nice sets of armor. If you are training up your Taming skills why not earn something for all your hard work by donating some creatures to the zoo. So if you have never visited the Zoo go take a tour. If you have not been there for a while stop by and stroll around the zoo, but please do drop off some gold in the donation box to keep our zoo as the very best of all the shards.
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EVE Christmas Party & Opening of Brackenwood Village
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 4:52 AM EST by Cymoril (Oceania)
EVE-vents Christmas Party & Opening of Brackenwood Village It was the night of the Christmas Party, and Brackenwood Village, and especially the Village Hall, was full of Christmas Cheer. Eleanora invited guests to the hall and began the party by welcoming guests one and all and giving us a brief rundown of the kind of fun we could expect! Guests settled in for a night of fun! Once all were settled, no time was wasted in seeing to the costume contest! Attendees were invited to the roof where judging was to take place. One by one, participants were asked to explain what they came as. Judging the costume contest. There were a lot of great costumes, but in the end, the winners were announced... 1st: Mannanan mac Lir as Santa 2nd: Tamallia as the Star the wise men followed 3rd: Queen Aglaranna as Aussie Beachtowel The winners of the Costume Contest. Next, Eleanora advised everyone there were cloaks and jester suits in the baskets on the tables, and she instructed us all to put one on. Curious but eager, we all "donned our gay apparel". Eleanora explained that these were to play a part in receiving our gifts, and that everyone had to wear a matching jester suit and cloak. Next, we were all asked to roll the lucky dealer to get a number between one and a hundred. We rolled until we all had unique numbers, again Eleanora explained this was for the gifts. After this was done, Thane led the way to the Village Tavern and Theatre, which was a short walk. In festive Jesters' suits, we made our way to the Tavern/Theatre. Arriving at the Tavern, Eleanora asked those who had poems to pass the books to her. Guests enjoyed a few drinks while the poets prepared themselves. Everyone feeling revived and slightly more "relaxed", we went upstairs to the beautifullly-decorated Theatre where some judges from the audience were selected to help (Slade McKenzie, Thunder Child and Ceres de Libera). Silence fell as audience members waited for the first poem. The poets were called up one by one, and they took the stage and entertained the crowd with their prose. The contestants were: Queen Aglaranna, Fib, Micki DeTaker, Mannanan mac Lir, Bryson Fox and Synjin. The poems were fantastic, and once all were done and the judges votes were counted, Eleanora and Thane together announced the winners: Bryson Fox in first place and Lady fib as runner up (prize: 500k). Here was the winning poem by Bryson Fox: 'Twas the night before Xmas, when all through the land, Santa was coming but the pkers made a stand, They wanted his sack and to terminate the deer, But Santa being Santa had nothing to fear. He stood proud and tall and said in a big voice. "ITS A UO CHRISTMAS and all children to bed", In the next moment, poor Santa and his deer were dead. The morale of this story is No matter who you are, you can get pkd. Guests, tickled with the entertaining poems and the fun of the night, then headed back to the hall for presents! Players were now able to choose one of the boxes that matched the jesters suit they were wearing, called up in order of the numbers rolled from earlier. Lady fib chooses her Christmas gift. Many a Merry Christmas wish was exchanged as Eleanora and EVE generously rewarded Oceanians for their support throughout the year. But the fun wasn't even over yet! We were then all invited to the Arena to participate in a fun game, which was a cutthroat variation on bagball, with up to six contestants each game. Three rounds were held, with the top two winners of each going on to the final round. All did very well, though I'm afraid "real life" intervened at this point, preventing me from seeing all of the final winners, though I understand Maelicious came in first (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong)! Eleanora explains the rules of the game. All in all, it was a fantastic night! Thankyou Eleanora, Thane, EVE and all those of Brackenwood Village who provided the venues for this awesome night! We look forward to more great fun events here! UO Oceania News Reporter
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The U.Hall Winter Party on the Winterland Test Server
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007, 1:01 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Last night (December 20th 2007) I had the pleasure of visiting the “Winterland” Test server to attend the first ever UO U.Hall Winter Party. The idea was for the people who visit U.Hall to gathering in fellowship in one place for a night of holiday cheer. It gave players a chance to meet in game people from other shards whom they only knew from posts on Stratics. The gathering took place at the Empath Abbey Winery in Yew on the Trammel side with the decorations and a gate from Britain provided by everyone’s favorite developer, Draconi {the master of Disaster and the King of indoor plumbing} Draconi took what started as a players idea for a gathering and helped make it into a special event. Listening to what the players wanted he added things on the fly to make this a memorable event. People gathering and waiting for the party to start. Also in attendance was Jeremy Dalberg our very own UO Community Coordinator and a special surprise her boss Robert (Call me Bob) Mull the Community Relations Director for all of EAMythics games. Both were very open to the public and even though asked many questions and given many requests outside their field of expertise very respectful of the players. Draconi out did himself by decorating the main room for the party with bedecked tables and chairs, a warm fireplace in the corner, a Holiday Tree with wrapped presents under it, a stage with podium, and a small band area. In the backroom He installed a spa and working restrooms. Outside snow covered the ground around the building and a sleigh with all nine of the famous reindeer in front of it sat. (Yes Rudolph was there too.) Just north between the winery and the abbey was three apple cannons aimed at clueless NPCs an gaming executive, an marketer and an developer. Clicking on the cannons caused them fire apples at these NPCs making them scream out amusing lines. Party Opening with a Bang! Players work out some of their anger with EAMythic in a fun way. Draconi and Robert sit down and take a much needed break. Jeremy enjoys the spa while having a nice discussion with some players. The party started with a few amateurs taking the stage telling jokes and singing Holiday songs. (Though sometimes they would change the words in attempts at humor.) Then Draconi joined the party with one of his well-known massive explosions. The crowd had a very good time talking to old and new friends and going outside to watch the apple cannons at work. There also was a trivia contest with some very hard questions. Over all I would say a good time was had by most everyone in attendance. So I think its best that I close this story with these parting words from Draconi last night....
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All Shards Have Been Published
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007, 6:17 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
All Shards Have Been Published Jeremy Dalberg 17 Dec 2007 11:43:31 All shards have been published with the following: - The Body Sculptor NPC in various cities will now permit all characters to change to the new Roleplay faces (Face changing only available with the KR client)
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Britain Liberated!

Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007, 12:23 AM EST by Martyna Zmuir (GreatLakes)



Image courtesy of Sagers Acatour



Image courtesy of Sagers Acatour

Early this evening, Prafectus Oona of RKR, Commander Polynikes of YM, and Mor Constabal Julius Magnus of HLI rallied the brave men and women of the Britannian Armed Forces assembled at the Yew moongate and prepared to storm Castle British. They rode swiftly through the city with no resistance, though found the few scattered citizens they came across afraid for their lives.

They marched on the Castle gates, and discovered the decaying head of Acting-Justicar Illidan lying on the drawbridge. A pitched battle lasting several hours raged in the courtyard and into the city streets - ranging as far as the North Side Inn, and the Sweet Dreams Inn.

Spells, arrows, and steel rang though the late evening as Nosfentor's forces fought to keep their ill-gotten city. Unfortunately for them, the B.A.F. greatly outnumbered them - two to one.

The Crimson Order was swiftly routed during the first engagement, leaving the B.A.F. to secure the Castle and its grounds. The following attempt by Nosfentor to retake the capitol took a little longer to rebuff, but in the end the B.A.F. was successful.

As ranks formed in front of the outer guardhouse, the three Field Marshals declared victory in their fight to liberate Britain. The Castle was locked tight against further intrusions, and the soldiers of the B.A.F. went to celebrate at their favorite tavern. Citizens of Britain are already cautiously making their way back to their homes and businesses, yet still leery of further oppression at the hands of the Crimson Order.

The High Council was elated at the outcome of the battle, and had high hopes of a similar victory in Cove. When asked about Nosfentor's recent threat regarding the abducted children should Britain be attacked, I was assured by Lord DaKaren that "The Council and the B.A.F. are taking the matter very seriously. The welfare of the kingdom's children is a top priority. May the Virtues keep them safe..." Unfortunately, the Chancellor was unavailable for comment due to late-night Cabinet sessions.

The capitol may be back in the hands of the people, but what of the hands that control the lives of their children? What suffering might they endure for the retaking of Britain? Only time will tell. Time that may very well be running out...

Martyna Z'muir, LofS

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Catskills / Great Lakes Holiday Decor Showcase
Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 9:53 PM EST by Lady Lava (Catskills)
Great Lakes / Catskills Holiday Decor Showcase ~ Lady Lava soaking her feet in spa on "Winterland" Shard Earlier this month I featured both Catskills and Great Lakes plots decorated with seasonal trim. At that time I called out for more holiday decorated plots and many replied. Some of us are more creative than others when it comes to decorating and decor or plot design for that matter. Often the element of time itself effects what we do in the realm and how. The Christmas season brings out the decorating in many that usually do not attempt it any other time of the year. That said, I try to showcase decor from the purest to what some may coin as advanced. After all it is the spirit of the season that really matters or should. Being a reporter for Great Lakes and Catskills does not stop me from traveling to other shards at all and all shards have some great holiday designs going on. As a huge fan of pack art it pleased me to see that Lake Austin is hosting a Holiday Container Contest. To learn more about this or to enter check out the link below.There are still a few days to enter. http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=7525660&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 I have also added a few " vintage " screenshots below. These are holiday designs from previous years. Not one manger scene came my way this year with the uncooked bird as the baby Jesus I am sorry to say. Enjoy and keep those decorater tools busy! Great Lakes 2007 ( Big Tree by Warron ) Catskills 2007 Catskills 2007 Vintage Catskills 2007 ( Leigh's Castle ) Great Lakes 2007 ( Lord M-One's home ) Catskills 2007 ( MOP annual Christmas give-away ) Vintage Great Lakes 2007 ( these trees were removed after this screenshot was taken because of the mega lag they created ) Vintage Great Lakes 2007 Great Lakes 2007 Vintage Great Lakes 2007 ( Santa at MOA event )
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Great Lakes / Catskills Holiday Decor Showcase
Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 9:51 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Great Lakes / Catskills Holiday Decor Showcase ~ Lady Lava soaking her feet in spa on "Winterland" Shard Earlier this month I featured both Catskills and Great Lakes plots decorated with seasonal trim. At that time I called out for more holiday decorated plots and many replied. Some of us are more creative than others when it comes to decorating and decor or plot design for that matter. Often the element of time itself effects what we do in the realm and how. The Christmas season brings out the decorating in many that usually do not attempt it any other time of the year. That said, I try to showcase decor from the purest to what some may coin as advanced. After all it is the spirit of the season that really matters or should. Being a reporter for Great Lakes and Catskills does not stop me from traveling to other shards at all and all shards have some great holiday designs going on. As a huge fan of pack art it pleased me to see that Lake Austin is hosting a Holiday Container Contest. To learn more about this or to enter check out the link below.There are still a few days to enter. http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=7525660&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 I have also added a few " vintage " screenshots below. These are holiday designs from previous years. Not one manger scene came my way this year with the uncooked bird as the baby Jesus I am sorry to say. Enjoy and keep those decorater tools busy! Great Lakes 2007 ( Big Tree by Warron ) Catskills 2007 Catskills 2007 Vintage Catskills 2007 ( Leigh's Castle ) Great Lakes 2007 ( Lord M-One's home ) Catskills 2007 ( MOP annual Christmas give-away ) Vintage Great Lakes 2007 ( these trees were removed after this screenshot was taken because of the mega lag they created ) Vintage Great Lakes 2007 Great Lakes 2007 Vintage Great Lakes 2007 ( Santa at MOA event )
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Faces of Felucca: Aeyko
Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 8:59 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here again, folks. Bringing you another in the Faces of Felucca series! Today's guest is known by a few names. Aeyko, Rohan, and Roidzinator being the main ones. Take a look at see that our friend from the Dark Side had to say! *=============================================* Erickson Yates: First and foremost! What is your character's name, and what guild tag is he sporting as of today? *Aeyko: Roidzinator, Guildmaster of UoMH, Ultima Online's Most Hated!!* Erickson Yates: Are you enjoying UO right now? *Aeyko: Always* Erickson Yates: How much of your time on UO is spent PvPing? If you do other stuff, what is it you like to do? Aeyko: When I'm online, I'm pvping. Erickson Yates: How worried should someone get if they see you out in the field? Aeyko: Depends on who they are. If I don't like them, VERY worried. Should probably run. Erickson Yates: Ever get tired of the bickering and bashing that goes on in the Felucca PvP world? Aeyko: Nah, that's what makes the pvp fun, the ill sided drama. Erickson Yates: Are you one of those that duels for a big purse? *Aeyko: Yes.* Erickson Yates: Did you win your last duel or series of duels? *Aeyko: I did.* Erickson Yates: Who was it against? Aeyko: Yum Yum of DEI Erickson Yates: Last person you beat? *Aeyko: Yum Yum and Booyaka (Chessy)* Erickson Yates: Last person you lost to? Aeyko: Morto (Only money loss) Erickson Yates: Did you pay up if you lost, or get paid if you won? Aeyko: Of course. Erickson Yates: How much are you up or down since you started dueling for gold? *Aeyko: I am up about twenty-five million gold.* Erickson Yates: Which is it you prefer to do on a given night? Duel, Yew Gate, or Champ Spawn? *Aeyko: I'd rather duel 1v1, but if there is no one on to do that, I'd prefer champ spawn raids.* Erickson Yates: I like to ask everyone this one. Any advice for the newer people out there? Those are want to pvp, but don't know how quite to get into it? Aeyko: Try to find someone who is above par to show you the ropes. I had a lot of help from close friends. And as much as I hate to admit it, being in ViP! helped me a great deal. Still don't like VIP! though. Erickson Yates: Any tips for me? I sort of suck. (And no, I can't play a mage, so that advice won't help.) Aeyko: Learn to play a mage. Erickson Yates: Anything people should know about you? Aeyko: I'm not as much of an ahole as the people on the HOT boards make me out to be . Erickson Yates: Anything you want to add for the folks out there? Aeyko: UoMH is always looking for good pvpers to take on ViP!. They are our only real competition on Atlantic. Thanks, Yates!! ============================================= =============================================** There it is, folks! We got to know another Face of Felucca a little bit more. Still waiting on some answers from a few other possible Faces! Lets hope we hear from them soon! Until then, this is Erickson Yates signing off!
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Annual Holiday Celebration at Malas University!!
Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 12:33 AM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Sunday December 23rd at 2:00pm Eastern Join Malas University and Friends in our Annual Holiday Celebration!! Santa will be stopping by and giving out gifts totaling 25+ mill. Look for a Gate to the University at Brit Bank, Luna and New Haven starting at 2pm All are welcome !! Stop by and celebrate the Holidays M^U Style!! Thanks to Malas Univeristy for posting this in the Forum! -Ishtar-
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A look at Magincia, Then and Now
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 10:38 PM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
Now that the bodies of the slain and most of the wreckage of what once was the beautiful city of Magincia have been cleared we can look back on the daemon invasion and lament on what we have lost. For what once was a tranquil haven on a pleasant tropical island is no longer there in a form that anyone who visited there before would recognize. Some people tried their very best to save the city from the destruction caused by the rampaging daemons while others tried to lure the light daemons deep into the city to collect the rubble caused by their special ability so they could keep it for their personal collections or sell to others for a large profit. The fighting for the city was heavy at times, with mighty foes such as Dark Fathers and various types of daemons pushing their way into the city in what can only be assumed as an attempt to conquer the city. Many valiant warriors gave their lives in the effort to defend the city and maybe gain new magical items or some gold for their efforts. When the final battle was done at the Magincia Moongate the island was left a burned and disfigured shadow of what it use to be when it was in its full glory. The guards manning the cannons and the healers and the banker on the docks pulled out some time before the final battle when the ruling council had decided the city proper could not be saved. . It was left empty of all life and stripped bare of anything that was thought to have any gold value. Still as they say there is always a glimmer of light in the darkest times, and in time maybe the city will recover some of its former splendor. Here you can see some pictures of this once beautiful oasis of a city from before, during and after the invasion. Magincia Docks during the invasion and after Small garden spot in town before and after the invasion Merchants Guild (Where many player weddings have taken place) Before, during and after the invasion. As you can see in these before, during and after pictures lots of plants and rubble were dragged out of the city by players. At the height of battle a large black pillar took the place of the Magincia Moongate. Then after the victory a darkened and damaged gate remained that at times send people to a new unexplored area. Where you can only remain a short time before strong magics redirect you to a safe area in Britain. . What is this new area? No one knows for sure yet, but it will be watched closely to see what secrets it may give up in the future.
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Murder and Mayhem Strike the High Council

Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 9:47 PM EST by Martyna Zmuir (GreatLakes)

Last night, the last High Council meeting before the winter break was held. Max Von Bayer, the elected Chancellor, had returned from being away and resumed his position from care of Vice Chancellor Willa. The meeting started out on a sad note, as the box that had been delivered to the Newcastle Abbey during the Holiday Get-Together was revealed to contain the chopped-up remains of Acting-Justicar Illidan. He had apparently met his fate at the hands of the Shadowlord Nosfentor. A note, soaked in Illidan’s blood, was found amongst the remains…


“Greetings Once again the High Council and the BAF were not able to protect their Justicar. Being that he is the one that dispenses Justice, we felt it was out turn to dispense Justice. Did you know that when you cut up a body, the person can still scream after you have removed his tongue? You are not safe; we can take you at any time! Here are his body parts, minus his head. I have decided to keep it as a trophy. You will be able to see it at Castle British on the wall as one of my hunting trophies. Pleasant dreams. Nosfentor”

The Britannian Armed Forces vowed to avenge the Acting-Justicar’s murder, and see to it that no one on the Council would meet this fate again. Unfortunately, Illidan is the second Justicar to have been abducted and murdered by the Crimson Order in recent months. The previous Justicar, Woodrow Call, had also been murdered in a similar fashion.

When I investigated Illidan’s abduction today, I found that it had occurred several weeks back, during the Minoc Elections when he Crimson Order disrupted the proceedings. An eye witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the Acting-Justicar ordered the Yew Militia to eject the interlopers, and was refused. When a skirmish did ensue, Illidan was quickly grabbed and whisked away. When I asked why this information hadn’t been reported, the man blanched and refused to answer any more questions. I am troubled that this had not come to light before...

As the Council moved on to the appointment of Kemmler to the position of Acting-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Drakal a member of the Royal Britannian Kilted Police rushed into the chambers. He bore an urgent message from Alec DeLeon, Commissioner of the RBKP:


“Plea for Help To: High Council Lords and Ladies of the High Council, I write to you with an urgency for the developing situation in Britain. Much of southwestern Britain has pillaged or burned. We stayed too long during the evacuation and were left with no choice but to hole up ourselves up within our National Headquarters. The local arms depot has been modified by the Dread Lady Nosfentor and she has used it to lay siege to us with cannon. With each passing week, more of our defenses weaken and it is only so long until there is a full breach. Our time is short and we plea for you to come to our aid. If it is not soon, then I am afraid none of us will escape with our lives. Regards, Alec DeLeon Commissioner of the Royal Britannian Kilted Police”

Chancellor Von Bayer quickly passed the message to Lord DaKaren, the Minister of Virtue, and then on to Lord Polynikes of the Yew Militia. Drakal was urged to remain with the B.A.F. to help them plan the retaking of Britain. Kemmler was swiftly voted into the Acting-Minister position.

The next agenda item was an amendment to the Constitution allowing the B.A.F. to be led by a Military Presidium instead of requiring the leadership of an individual GrandMarshal. It swiftly passed as well, lest the military be bogged down with bureaucracy during this time of war.

Next, the floor was opened to anyone with items needing the Council’s attention. First up was Vosh, a citizen of occupied Cove. He brought news of the family of Kellor, Cove’s Ambassador who was slain recently in Newcastle by a Shogun of the Tokuno Empire. Kellor had been slain for attempting to tell the High Council that the Crimson Order has its new Britannian subjects (read: slaves) collecting blackrock for an unknown purpose. Vosh stated that the family’s home had caught fire under suspicious circumstances, and that Kellor’s widow perished in the blaze. Kellor’s daughter is presumed to still be held by the Crimson Order in Tokuno, with the other children from Cove and Britain.

Lord Polynikes then challenged a shrouded man who had just arrived and taken a seat in the back row of the gallery, as shrouds are banned in the Chambers. The man turned out to be Kael Ashtar of the Crimson Order, sent as a messenger of Nosfentor. He produced a ‘gift’ for the Chancellor, and placed it on the podium in the center of the room before being escorted out. Inside the somewhat soggy, bloodstained box were the remains of several humans. And a note:


“High Council Britain’s rep decided to get a little too close to the High Council and started poking his nose into things he shouldn’t have. Like trying to find the children. They are our children and shall stay that way. If you come to Britain this will happen to all the children. Nosfentor”

Occupied Britain’s Ambassador, the now late Thor Zuel, had pledged to discover the whereabouts of the missing children and relay it to the Council so that the B.A.F. could rescue them. The box was quickly taken away and added to an ever-mounting pile of war crimes evidence against the Crimson Order.

The last person who wished to speak to the Council was Rex Silverwood; he wished to apply for the Justicar position. The Chancellor asked that he give Vice-Chancellor Willa his application, but Rex had left it in the saddlebags of his mount. He left to retrieve it from the stables next door, and quickly returned in a panic claiming he had been robbed. He stated that his assailant accosted him in the stairwell, and had been dressed much like a Royal Knight of Redemption. Before he could say much more, a figure dressed like a Knight stepped out of the shadows and killed Rex with a flamestrike. I used my forensics skills and determined the murderer’s name was Ramon, a warrant was later issued for his arrest.

Councilor Maelmordha of Newcastle, and later Prafectus Oona of RKR, denied knowledge of any Ramon within the ranks of the Knights. They also stringently affirmed that no one within their ranks would commit such a heinous act. Whoever this Ramon was, he was an imposter. It was stated that there had been another man dressed as the Knights, but nobody had paid him much heed. The final consensus was that these men were infiltrators sent by the Crimson Order to sow terror in the hearts of Britannia.

A search was ordered between the stables and the Council Chambers in the Civic Center for any clues relating to the crime. Akela of the Yew Militia retuned shortly thereafter with a small tome written by Rex, his application for Justicar. Unfortunately, the pages of the application had been torn out – leaving its true contents a mystery.

With much to consider, and security compromised, the Chancellor concluded the meeting. Council members were escorted home from the Civic Center by a B.A.F. detachment.

Two Justicars brutally slain and a potential applicant struck down shortly after his request to be considered for candidacy. The most dangerous position on the High Council remains unfilled. Violence and death had the floor throughout the Council meeting, the only glimmer of hope being B.A.F.’s plans to retake Britain.

Watch your backs, lock your doors, and hold your children close my friends. May the Virtues protect us in these dark times!

Martyna Z'muir, LofS

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A Heartfelt Thank You & Santa Makes Two More Appearances This Week
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 5:14 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Lava Love! I hope you had fun at our Xmas CD&D! Did you get some goodies from Santa?? I wanted to let you know that a lot of people made this event possible and if you would be so kind as to give them a shout out! Thanks to a lot of great people: Our own Malikae donated the 8th Anniversary token! Whipstitch of the Damn! Dead Again guild donated the Tokuno dye, Horselord, Prosperity Swords, Ethy Horse & Shadowdancer Leggings. Funds to buy the rest of the items came from Pratt and Monty! I had fun shopping for it! I donated the best prize: The Ice Green Parrot! Thank you Santa for coming to our event! Melian helped make goody bags & baskets and helped Santa too! Thanks, Mel! Demi, William, Natasha and even that Walter all helped make it a great event! Thanks to you, too, Lava, for coming to our events and posting them on Stratics. We really appreciate it! Most of all, heartfelt thanks to our wonderful patrons who come and support Majestic Madness! Santa will be at the Weds & Thurs auctions this week!! Majestic Madness should be back in rare form Jan 7th. I will keep you posted!!!! Vanna White, Drop-Dead Gorgeous Game Show Hostess Vanna Dearest, I loved the Christmas chorus line in your postcard that I just had to use it not once, not twice but three times ! Xmas CD&D was a blast last night but I did not make it up to see the big guy. I think I was kinda naughty this year so I just waved, lol. Santa making appearances at both auctions this week at MOA is good news for the shard and MOA regular patrons. Sorry to say I cannot attend either as my new beau has plans for me both nights and one is a work Christmas party. The co-workers are meeting me for the first time and it will take hours to get ready not to mention the outfit choice. My best to you, your family and loved ones Vanna for this holiday season and a Happy New Year to all. Fondly, Lava
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Updated: Arms Lore Skill Page
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 2:52 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Updated: Arms Lore Skill Page Jeremy Dalberg 18 Dec 2007 15:21:20 Long overdue, the Playguide page on Arms Lore has been updated with the new functionality of the skill. Enjoy!
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Diary of a Bar Maid - Rebecca's Story
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 8:41 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)
Been some days, since I last wrote a bit in my diary. I feel a little better, than last time I wrote in my diary. Guess it's when your sad - Your true friends appear and bless Marcus, his been there for me all the time. Trying to tell me, that I aint a bad person - Considering what I did towards Hedlyn. But for some reason, I still miss Hedlyn or maybe, it's just the thought of beeing alone, that scares the living shite out of me! After we broke up, I rarely see him anymore - and I assume he moved on. I hope the girl that gets him, will be better to him, than I ever was. I decided, that I wanted a day of so I could spend a little time with Sioned. Before she woke up, I had placed the Christmas stockings at the kamin in the house and left a candy cane and a emeral- bracelet in it for her. I even placed a little piece of coal in my own. So my Angel woke up. And she was a biiiig smile - As soon as she spotted her stocking, she could barely wait and I watched her when she digged into her stocking and found the candy cane and her new bracelet. Bless her. It don't take much to satisfy that lil' lass. I think, she loved the bracelet, because it was in her favorite colour of metal. She looked at my stocking and asked if I had checked mine. I shoke my head and digged my hand down and pulled out the coal. If Hedlyn had seen her face, he would have bursted out laughing! Sioned opend her eyes wide open and outbursted "Oi! Becca - Yer been bad! Santa only gives coals for the naugthy ones!" Oh, Sioned my little Angel - If you just knew how bad, I've been - Hurting your Daddy's feelings so much, that he wanted his freedom. I still struggle with myself - In a way, I wanna confess and tell her, why her Daddy aint so much arround Vesper.. But again, I'm also scared, than I'll end up pushing her way, since she loves her Daddy so much. I know, I would - If someone had treated my Dad, as I treated hers. I have alot of small presents for her tugged away on a safe place, where she won't find them. I wonder, what she will say for her next little present. I placed it earlier this eve. Sioned came and asked me earlier, if she could go and play with a lass named Emma. If someone ever can say no to Sio - I will be shocked, that little Angel so wraps me around her piggy finger - And truth be told, I don't mind it. It puts a smile on my lips in these annoying and lonely times. So when Sioned was playing with Emma - I went out trying to gather something special for her. It took me quiet a while, but now I have it and I plan it should be some of her presents for Christmas. Gawd, I need a hobby - Who, beeing sane will slay that many Soles..and then collect 10.000 doubloons and not to mention all the gems. I wanna bet - 100 doubloons, that Tom will be impressed next time he see Bandit - My tame Racoon. Some years ago - Tom were the one to find him, munching happily on some meat in the kitchen at the Swaggers. It took me quiet a while to convince him, not to kill Bandit. Tom keept claiming, it was a true pest and should be killed. I somehow managed, with alot of pouting and begging to change his mind and today - Bandit is a grown racoon. I teached him well. His very fond of things - Hell, the lil' one even brings me nightshade, doubloons, gems, jewels - Whatever he can get his hands on from Customers pockets, when he charms his way into theire hearts... An excerpt from the Diary Of a Barmaid found here : http://www.f4g.net/forum/showthread.php?p=54689
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Uo Assist Recent Changes And Those To Come
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 7:33 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
< Uo Assist Recent Changes And Those To Come Pending Approval From OSI Added 'Use Item Type & color' and 'Target Item Type & Color' to the macro system. These check both type and color of the item to make sure it finds a match. The first is helpful for using the special fish and the second is helpful for different crafting skills like blacksmith, tailor ... (Delayed until OSI approves) Option to prevent dismounting during combat (must be in combat mode) (OSI rejected - giving up on:) New skill agent for smelting. Splits ores in your pack to a single piece then smelts it. (OSI rejected - appealing) Planned for Next Update Elven quivers are now seen as containers so items in them are counted. More target relative changes for publish 20 Dec 16, 2007 Fixed problem with logging out (but not closing UO) and back in. A new version of UOAssist.dll has been posted. More info on the Updates page. Remember if you are running Vista you probably will need to start UOAssist by right clicking on it and selecting 'Run as Administrator'. This way UOAssist will have the permissions needed to update itself. Dec 8, 2007 Updated for data stream changes. EA made changes to the initial handshaking to the login servers. While UOAssist still worked it couldn't determine the account name or server name correctly (used for saving settings). A new version of UOAssist.dll has been posted. More info on the Updates page. If you are running Vista make sure you right click on UOAssist and select 'Run as administrator. Some of you are wondering why it took so long. The day the UO patch was posted I did my normal startup and patch UO then login to see if I got the data stream error. I didn't which I thought that is odd because the version of the client did change and 99% of the time that means the encryption key changed. But I brushed it off since I didn't get an error(mistake 1). Over the holiday I got a few emails saying they were getting the data stream error so I calculated what the key should be and posted the information on the update server so all would get it. I also tried UO again myself with the new data and still got no error so I figured all was well(mistake 2). I replied to some of the people that emailed about the data stream error but I got mixed results. Some said the error was gone and others said they still had problems. Since I wasn't getting the error I figured the people having problems were having problems getting updates or saving the updated data. Due to UOAssist not putting up the data stream error I had not actually run a debug version or looked at the data stream. After emailing back and forth a few times trying to track down what I figured just a few peoples 'updating' problems things didn't seem 'right' enough that I took a look at the data stream and found EA had made changes to the key (as expected during a client update) and also the initial handshaking down with the login server (unexpected and confused UOAssist enough that it didn't report errors for me). NOTE: UOAssist will be back to saving settings in the 'normal' directory structure again. So if you created new macros or changed settings you may have to do it again, sorry for the confusion.
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Newcastle Decks The Halls With Holiday Cheer

Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 10:41 PM EST by Martyna Zmuir (GreatLakes)

While winter snows may not have fallen on Newcastle Township, festive cheer and excitement abounded throughout their Holiday Get-Together. Prafectus Oona and the Royal Knights of Redemption decked the Newcastle Municipal Hall for the occasion, as it was the hub of the evening’s activities.

Partygoers arrived early and proceeded to enjoy the platters of food and friendly conversation. Soon the revelers were asked to assemble in the Municipal Hall’s meeting room where they received plump gift bags from Arzakon Smash and Oona. The gifts had been generously donated from various RKR members, as well as Rachel of CFC, and Sammy Acatour.

Everyone was soon gathered on the roof off the Hall to watch the battle competition hosted by Arzkaon. Lady Lava covered the fights in her earlier article, ‘Newcastle Township Drips in Holiday Red Blood’. Unfortunately, I was a bit overwhelmed by the action and my eyes glazed over several times. One bout that I was able to devote my attention to was the swiftest of the night; Lyric of YM soundly trounced Cao Qaolian of ToM in mere seconds!



Image courtesy of Malag-aste

A brief break in the combat allowed people to travel to the Wild Rose Inn and Café and collect the large piles of gold and artifacts glittered amongst the grasses and trees. When asked how much had been spread on the forest floor for this event, Malag-aste would only say that it was "quite a bit..."

Packs laden with gold, the merrymakers returned to the Municipal Hall for the remainder of the battles. Awards for the best dressed were given out to Arrow of Yew, Ghost, and Chaotic Barbie. Their red and green attire reflected the holiday spirit. Congratulations! Congratulations also go to Lyric of YM for her skill in archery; she is a definite asset to the Britannian Armed Forces!

The only things to mar the night’s celebrations was a young-looking wolf that growled angrily and nipped at the party-goers, and the rumor of a grisly box being discovered in the Newcastle Abbey. The contents of the box were purported to be the headless remains of an important official, left at the Abbey by someone in the Crimson Order on behalf of Nosfentor. (I will bring you updates on these stories as they unfold.)

Martyna Z'muir, LofS

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Santa Makes His Yearly Appearance & Gives Gifts
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 10:21 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Santa Makes His Yearly Appearance & Gives Gifts Tonight was the special Christmas holiday night event at the MOA Ice Castle run by the Monday Night Madness Crew. Like last weeks game it was Chests of Doom and Delights but with bigger items in the chests and more deaths !!! Oh yes I have never seen Vanna die this much before. This weeks event had a total holiday twist from the decor to trivia questions to a surprise arrival of the big guy himself .... Santa. I rarely miss a CD&D night at the castle and my thoughts were to attend tonight, kick back and enjoy. When the announcement was made that Santa planned to stop by there was a element of excitement in the air. Stinky Twinkie was so beside herself she could barely sit still. This holiday event was extremely well attended and the red and green holiday attire surrounded me in all directions. Before Santa arrived MOA staff member Melian was handing out very generous holiday checks to all the patrons. I bet this set old man Pratt back a bit. On the subject of old men.... Santa arrived at the end of the event with a bag full to goodies for all. Santa looked a little thinner this year but as jolly as ever. Santa and MOA were not the only generous ones at this event. The planned event allowed patrons to gift other patrons and private holiday exchanges were also going on during the game. On a personal note I would like to thank Lady Trenity for the much appreciated gift. For the next few mondays the Monday Night Madness Crew will take a well deserved break but will return next year. I have no doubt Vanna White will keep us updated and informed ahead of time when game night restarts again. THANK YOU MOA AND SANTA !
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Faces of Felucca: Noximos
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 9:11 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here, folks. Now, I know what you are all thinking, "Erickson, where has your lazy butt been?" Well, folks, sadly I don't have an excuse other than laziness. It is sad, I know, but alas, I cannot change that fact. I figured it was time I tossed you all some Felucca knowledge, so here is what I have for you tonight. Take a gander, and enjoy the ride! ================================================= Erickson Yates: Lets start easy. What guild, if any, are you in these days? *Noximos: VIP! Duhhh!* Erickson Yates: Are you an active player? Or one of those once a week type of guys? Noximos: I try to play at least one hour a day. Erickson Yates: Should random blues in Felucca be worried when they see you? Noximos: Not at all, unless they wear an opposing tag. Erickson Yates: I want a serious answer here, not the HOT board ego stuff. How good of a pvp'er are you? Would you rank yourself in say, the top ten on Atlantic? *Noximos: I would say I'm top ten, yes, but PVP greats come & go. When someone moves on, someone moves up.* Erickson Yates: There are always duels that happen for big money. Have you taken part in any of those? Noximos: I have before. Erickson Yates: Follow up to the last question: Were you a winner, winner, chicken dinner? Or did you have to pay the man his gold? Noximos: Neither of us were honest parties.. Erickson Yates: Any pet peeves about the way pvp'ers are seen by the general public? Noximos: I'm not that big of a scum bag! Erickson Yates: Last person you beat one on one? Noximos: Hrrrm... Gabrielle. Erickson Yates: Last person who beat you one on one? Noximos: Jerry Austin, bro! Erickson Yates: Who gives you the biggest challenge in a one on one fight? *Noximos: See above.* Erickson Yates: Anything you do to get pumped up for a big fight? Noximos: Kick small forest animals, you know, the normal stuff. Erickson Yates: Which would you rather rock? A one on one duel, a Despise Bridge battle, or a Yew Gate free for all? *Noximos: I'd prefer a fight at Damwin, to be honest, but out of those, Despise.* Erickson Yates: What do you do on UO when you aren't out owning up Felucca? Noximos: I'm always in Felucca, pvm'ing or pvp'ing! Erickson Yates: What does the random Trammie out there need to know they are missing by not coming to Felucca? And I don't want to hear anything about killing them. Give them a real reason to come to Felucca! Noximos: We're not a bunch of bullies, if you die, don't immediatly snap and call us a-holes, we're sweet guys with feelings too! Erickson Yates: The Stormreaver Orc Clan Runt Shack fell recently. You were a decent enough guy to let the three rp'ers there get the books from the Clan. Any reason why? Or are you not as big of a jerk as people think? Noximos: I loved the Stormreaver clan, I would've also loved to put the books on display in my own home, but it's on an island...so I gave it to an old friend, one I knew would appreciate the books as much as I would! Erickson Yates: This one is for the pvp'ers out there. Calamity: Serious contender? Or a total joke? Noximos: He's a very good pvp'er. His head is the size of a boulder, but aside from that he's a good player. Erickson Yates: Best Felucca guild out there besides VIP? Be serious now. Noximos: UoMH, but as I said before, greats come and go. Erickson Yates: Is it true that you are my bodyguard when we both are rocking Yew Gate at the same time? Noximos: Of course darling! Erickson Yates: Final Question! Anything the people need to know about Noximos that wasn't already covered? Noximos: I'm a closet roleplayer, not seriously, but everyone says I'm one of the most in-character pk's left! :] Also, my AOS Sandals are part of Atlantic history, being locked down in the Treasure trove mall! *=================================================* ================================================= Well, folks, that is it for now. I know what you are thinking. "Why another VIP interview? Are they your buddies?" The answer to that is a simple no. VIP just seems to be more willing to talk to me. What can I do? There are rumors about them leaving the shard. Lets hope that doesn't happen. I also hear rumors of Noxi here selling an account. Lets hope he has more than one, shall we? Anyway, this is Erickson Yates, signing off! Good night!
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Meet the faces and races of KR
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 6:10 PM EST by Katlene (Oceania)
I visited the Body Sculptor in Britain and went through all the options with 3 characters, A human female, male and an elf female. Although they will look different with different hair and facial growth, this will give you a rough idea. So without further adieu, introducing the new faces and skins in Kingdom Reborn!
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MOP's Christmas Gift-Away: More Popular Than The Luna Bank!
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 5:31 PM EST by Lord Franklin (Catskills)
Ho ho ho, Catskills! As over 200 of you know, MOP's Christmas Gift-Away was last night, and I had the honor of covering the event for Stratics! My twin was there as well, as some of you ladies mentioned to me afterward. All I can say is that you know what you are getting yourselves mixed up with! The MOP event was to begin at 7:30pm EST, with 240 boxes locked down on two floors of one of their houses in Luna. Arriving around 7:15, I used my press credentials to get to the front of the line so I could have my pixies paint these pictures for you. The line began at the front door of the house, and, well, these pictures do it justice better than I can. There are very few times when there is an event this popular! The chance at an artifact or even one million gold brought people out in droves. As I made my way down the line, I asked people what they hoped to get from the MOP giveaway. GioVanni said, "I'll be happy with anything!" which summed up most of the answers I got. The folks at the back of the line seemed to be a little rowdier than those in the front. As I made notes in my reporter's journal, I saw my twin rush by, headed for the front of the house. "What? Where does he think he's going? What about the line?" I asked no one in particular. "Make way! Make way for your King! Yes, yes, you're all wonderful minions! Hello there!" the 'other' Lord Franklin said as he casually strolled up onto the porch and into the house. Buck handed him a key, and as far as I could tell he was the very first person to receive one. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "OK, let's do it!" said Buck, and the crowd surged forth into the house. As I was patiently waiting in line to get a key, I missed out on some of the activity in the house. Fortunately, reporting to you all appeals to my twin's vanity, so here is what he had to say about the chaos inside: --- Yes, dear brother, I love to take up where you're unable and enlighten the unwashed peasants of the shard! It is hard for me to believe they have attention spans long enough to read one of your stories that goes on and on, however. Buck was rapidly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people running through the door. I felt as though I should take pity on him and try to distract at least half the crowd by offering the lovely ladies kisses under the mistletoe while they waited for keys. I gave out so many smooches that I bruised my lips! Fortunately, there were plenty of young lasses there to kiss them and make them better. One lady of note, Shinigao, held my attention for quite awhile. The chaos! I loved it! People were pushing, shoving, cutting in line... everything that makes the holidays great! --- Yes, well, perhaps having him report is not such a great idea after all. He does tend to ramble on. At any rate, the crowd thinned out as people began to search for their presents and I was able to enter the house, get a key, and visit the two floors with the hundreds of boxes. Antoinette, Buck's wife, was on the roof, letting people know there were boxes down on the third floor as well. Some of you may remember that she won one of the top prizes in HOT's house decorating contest, and the MOP house looked fantastic this night as well. There were shouts of joy and thank-yous aplenty as people found their boxes and discovered their gifts. I was happy to see the residents of Catskills taking the time to stop and let Buck and Antoinette know how much fun they had and how much they appreciated the presents. After the event wound down, I managed to get Buck and Antoinette together for a picture so you all could see exactly who gave you your presents last night! Thank you both, and thanks to the rest of MOP as well, for hosting one of the most exciting nights on Catskills! Peaceful Journeys, Lord Franklin
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All Shards to be Published
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007, 10:21 AM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: All shards have been published Jeremy Dalberg 17 Dec 2007 11:43:31 The Body Sculptor NPC in various cities will now permit all characters to change to the new Roleplay faces (Face changing only available with the KR client) "
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Community Meet Up - Week 150
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 4:12 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 150 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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221st Assembly of the 7th High Council - Note Back To Magincia
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 4:11 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
*221st Assembly of the 7th High Council* Date: Monday, December 17, 2007 Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Location: Magincia Parliament Buildings, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: An announcement by Lord Jackson Discussion about the Magincia invasion An announcment by Lord Buzz Aldridge Lord Buzz Aldridge Chancellor of Virtue, High Council of Britannia
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Community Hunts - week of Dec. 17
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 4:05 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Moonglow Zoo Community Collections Night Date: Tuesday, December 18 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, December 19 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Rune Beettle wrastlin'! Date: Thursday, December 20 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken A Change in Plans! Hythloth Revenge! Date: Friday, December 21 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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The U.Hall Winter Holiday Party!
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 3:00 PM EST by Piotr (CommunityNews)
The U.Hall Winter Holiday Party! Greetings fellow U.Hall'ers, Come join us on Winterland for some ingame celebration of the Holiday season! Thursday, December 20, 2007 On the Winterland Test Server 9.00pm EST until ? Empath Abbey Winery, Trammel Gifts, events and general goodwill towards your fellow men/elves. As it will be on a Test Center shard, you are encouraged to create a toon that approximates your main on your home shard. Come join us!
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Santa Sighted At UG.K's Gravewater Shores Last Night!

Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 1:44 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Oriana Attends
Underground Knights Holiday Festivities

T'was a glorious night for the UG.K Festivities!

Upon arrival I was greeted by several merry folk, being pelted from above with snowballs from the early arrivals.

Following the directions of our hostess, Shadow, I went upstairs to view the Living Nativity Scene as we waited for the others to join us.

Looking around at the splendid holiday attire that many had donned, I felt a bit underdressed.

Saint Nicholas had arrived, and was talking with the crowd, discussing naughty and nice, and some seemed surprised! He was a jolly old elf, laughing out loud on many occasion. Several snowballs were seen to go flying ... both at and from Santa!

As Shadow greeted her guests, we were entertained by A Caroler, who had also been seen Luna earlier in the evening.

He blessed us with a song as the snow was thrown about

Shadow then joined us soon only to be pelted by snow.

Santa chuckled, and Shadow directed us to head outside.

Once outside, we all went to play with the snow, being struck many times and landing a few, too. We played and cavorted amongst Santa's reindeer, that stood so proud amongst the crowd. Our Caroler joined us much to our joy. And Santa gave out candies and toys.

Soon Shadow exclaimed it was time for the hunt, fun for all of the scavenger sort. We all lined up, gathered our lists and soon ran off to be the first. One by one, we all did appear and returned our bounty to Shadow, that dear.

Oriana [TAO] was first, Malebelle [S#C] was next, followed by SheHitMeFirst [UTB], then chocalot[S|A] came, and so did Zackares [BRPA]. And we waited and waited for that final one by Rotep [F^W] and friends.

Prizes were given, thank you's were said, and SheHitMeFirst flirted with Saint Nick. All in all quite a lot of fun. And Merry Christmas rang out amongst everyone.

Thank you, UG.K, for the Festivities, and for all you do for Baja!!

Merry Christmas To Everyone!!!
Oriana

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Doom Doom Doom * Part Two * OBITS
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 8:59 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
DOOM OBITS ~ PART TWO 12 / 16 / 07 MOONGLUM Satin Scruffy Hampster Sodem Spudtrina Tessa Two corpses of Titus Lartius Typhoon Fango Bones of ZEEK
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* Special Doom Edition * ~ OBIT COLUMN
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007, 8:37 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
OBIT COLUMN ~ 12 / 16 / 07 With Doom being a very popular spot the past few weeks the screenshots from that location have poured in so I present a special two part Doom Edition this week. Edda Flossy Gautama Sakyamun Huntman Marguerite Moon
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Newcastle Township Drips in Holiday Red Blood
Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007, 8:54 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Tonight was the holiday event hosted by the Royal Knights of Redemption and it took place in the township of Newcastle. The extremely talented Great Lakes reporter, Lady Martyna Z'muir and I spoke the other day about this event. She informed me that Rachel of CFC and Sammy Acatour made large donations to this holiday event and we thank them as does RKR. Lady Martyna for those that follow know she is a RPer and her articles reflect that. We both attended the event and I covered the fights aspect of the event. You will hear more reporting on this holiday affair from Martyna in the near future. Arriving early in Newcastle I was greeted by the charming and lovely Oona and Arzakon Smash. Oona gave me a tour of the event areas before the crowds arrived. The fights took place on the rooftop and many guilds were present for the bloodshed including, CFC, Evolution, DA, XzX, SK, GGs, YM, BL, YA, OEA, NCT, W-R, ENVY, G-V, HCI, Tok, WHH and of course RKR. It took some doing getting the YM members away from the checker board tables and up to the roof, giggle. Before ( and during ) the offical fights is was all about snowball fights. I am not sure who started it but I have a feeling it was Sagers Acatour. Chaotic Barbie, Sagers Acatour and Lady Lava in snowball fight* Waiting for the offical fights to start I looked around the rooftop arena to see many in holiday outfits. Lady Temple of Yew, Lord Arrow of Yew, Lady Mother Nature, Ghost and Chaotic Barbie were red and green stand outs. The fights were very good at this event with much blood shed. After the first two fights were done there was a gold drop at the Wild Rose Inn and Cafe and I just had to check it out. I returned with bits of gold in my hair to see Leviathan loose to Akela. Below are a few snapshots of the battles. On several occasions more than the two fighters in the ring bite the dust, either by accident or on purpose. Sailor Jupiter The Championship Round started with Lyric and Garret. It was nothing more less than spectacular with Lyric winning. They both put on a good fight and a good show! Third place went to Akela with a purse of 100k Second place went to Garrett with a purse of 200k First place went to Lyric with a purse of 400k and bragging rights.
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Happy Birthday to One of Our Own!
Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007, 4:21 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
I know this isn't excactly news to everyone, but I figure I would let it be known to all! December 16th is Ishtar's Birthday! We all need to wish her a happy birthday! I figured, where else to do it from? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISHTAR! YAY YAY! I promise to bring you Felucca news again soon. I swear.
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A Christmas Caroler At Luna Bank

Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007, 3:43 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

A Caroler Sighted At Luna Bank

Christmas Spirit is in the air. Today there is A Caroler at Luna Bank, entertaining all who enter. He paused from his singing long enough to tell me he has 27 Christmas songs for our enjoyment:

1. Jingle Bells
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
5. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
6. Away in a Manger
7. O Little Town of Bethlehem
8. Silent Night
9. The First Noel
10. Here Comes Santa Claus
11. O Christmas Tree
12. Winter Wonderland
13. Silver Bells
14. O Come All Ye Faithful
15. Joy to the World
16. Little Drummer Boy
17. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
18. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
19. Up On the Housetop
20. Twelve Days of Christmas
21. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
22. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
23. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
24. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
25. Deck the Halls
26. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
27. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Be sure to stop by Luna Bank and share the holiday spirit!

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FoF: Year In Review
Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007, 5:01 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Year In Review December 14, 2007 This is the first full year of Five on Fridays, so this week (and maybe next week, depending) I'll be doing wrap-up/status updates. This week we'll look at all the bugs and game play issues on my "list" from the Five on Friday, and see what we've fixed, what we've missed, and what's still waiting. FoF #42, Jan. 5 The PvP Project: For the most part, still undone. The PvP balance pass was an important thing to do, but we definitely have not addressed reasons to PvP, and we definitely still intend to. Low Level Content: Done, insofar as adding content is ever "done." We've got New Haven and all the quests there, plus new rewards for hunting in the legacy dungeons. Meditation being broken: Fixed! -- FoF #45, Jan. 26 Ethy Mount Stamina: We've addressed the issue that was causing dismounting/remounting to affect stamina regen rates. -- FoF #49, Feb. 23 Search tool on uoherald.com: Still pending. Bob, my new boss, has a strong website background, so I'm going to nag him about it until his ears fall off. -- FoF #56, Apr. 13 Berserker's Maul: Still bugged. Low on the priority list, I'm afraid, as it's purely a display issue. Haven't forgotten it, though! Ophidian item turn-in: Draconi still has plans for these - it's gotten pushed back at least three times by now in favor of events with more explosions still on the list! -- FoF #59, May 4 Resist Spells: The change to make it easier to gain Resist at lower levels has been published. Blessed Seige-ruleset items: 7th anni combat items have been unblessed, and magic clothing has been unblessed (and made unblessable.) I can't think offhand of any other blessed item issues - although I trust the Seige community will remind me if we've missed one. Khaldun Puzzle Boxes: Fixed! I think this may have been the oldest bug we fixed this year -- FoF #62, May 25 Healing "slip" bug: The fix for excessive slippage did go in. Cure potions failing more with high Enhance Pots: Fixed! Ugly roads in 2D: Some of them have been made less ugly, making them all pretty will be a great way to train up new worldbuilders Serpent Arrow: Still deeply weird, still on the list. -- FoF #63, June 1 Changing your face in KR: In! The Body Sculptors that hang around various cities can change your face to any of the available KR ones, and the newest "roleplaying" faces will be available to everyone shortly. -- FoF #64, June 8 2D Going Away: The answer is still no 2D will be around for quite a while. -- FoF #66, June 22 Partial Hueing in KR: In! -- FoF #67, June 29 Windowed mode in KR: In! -- FoF #68, HoC Chat PvP Balance: Balance is never done, but we took a good initial swing at it. Skinnable windows: in, plus lots of other moddable goodies. Elf Circlet Options: Still on the list Stacking Issues in KR: Fixed! Music on the Website: Got back-burnered, I'll follow up after the new year. Female Paperdoll: Much, much hotter KR Chat customization: While changing fonts isn't in, you can definitely change colors for different types of chat. Working further on the Virtues: Still on the back burner. I think everyone wants to do it, but it just hasn't made it up the list. -- FoF #69, July 13 AoE effects and durability: Still silly, still on the list. -- FoF #70, July 20 Repeating Crossbow: Still wrong, but as it's a display issue, it's hanging out in the corner with the Berserker's Maul Double Dragon Scales in Fel: Leurocian fixed this to make it consistent across resources, so now the dragons in Fel are, in fact, extra-scaly. -- FoF #71, July 27 Lower Weight: Still on my list to look at, as I at least can't think of a single case where it's worth spending the property slot on. KR Crafting Interface: Now with extra coolness! -- FoF #73, Aug. 10 Randomized resources: Various ideas for tweaking are still on the table, although we have no firm schedules or anything. Spirit of Totem: Still unrepairable, definitely still on the list. Commas in checks: The fix is still pending, although I gather that various crafty players have modded KR to display checks with commas -- FoF #74, Aug. 17 Lumberjacking vs. mining: Still on the list for some analysis, although we may or may not decide to change them. -- FoF #76, Aug. 31 Lesser Hiryu bonding: Bug has been fixed. Spirit Speak Page: See, this is why I did this - I'd clean forgotten about that. The page is correct now, though -- FoF #79, Sept. 28 Doom Stealable lockdown bug: Fixed. (Finally!) -- FoF #85, Nov. 9 Large Iron BOD bug: This is waiting for the team to settle in to Virginia to be tested and published, so y'all won't see it until January at the earliest (along with the other BOD system tweaks that Wilki put together.) Begging/Karma bug: Fixed! -- FoF #86, Nov. 16 Vendor Storage Chart: On my own personal list. -- FoF #87, Nov. 30 Frenzied Whirlwind: Like the BOD tweaks, this you'll see in a post-move publish. -- FoF #88, Dec. 7 Bags of Sending: There was actually a bug with the calculation that was making weights divisible by 10 take one extra charge. We've fixed that, and you should see it post-move. -- We got a lot done this year, although there's clearly a lot left to do. What do y'all think of this as a yearly article? The FoF covers a lot of ground, and I don't like the idea of making vague promises that only get forgotten. - Jeremy
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Focus on Factions: Danno of Atlantic
Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007, 3:20 PM EST by Watchertoo (CommunityNews)
Hi everyone … Sorry to be gone for so long but a new job has kept me very busy. Here is the next in the series of faction articles. I hope you enjoy it. Focus on Factions: Danno of Atlantic What is your UO name? Danno How long have you played UO? 8 years What do you consider your home shard? Atlantic What keeps you playing UO? Challenges What do you think of the new templates, soul stones, insurance, etc.? Changes are always good Have they helped or hurt? Both…hurt the past players and helped the new players. In with the old out with the new. What is your favorite type of character? Mage I guess, I am known for changing my templates quite a bit How did you start playing Factions? Bored one day so I tried it out What faction do you belong to and why? I did Shadow Lords for a year and Council of Mages for 3 years What do you think killed factions? People wanting reward for risk What do you think we can do to revive factions on your shard? Have the main spawn guilds create their own perspective faction guilds. What is the purpose of factions? War , Fights, Mass Chaos, Destruction, A hell of a lot of fun! Why do you want to control the towns and how do you gain that control? Towns give easy regs at cheap prices which in return can give you bulk resources to sell for profit. to gain control you defeat your rivals for a solid ten hours Once you steal a sigil, how long do you have to get it back to base? About 30min to an hour I would guess. How long do you have to hold it in your base before you can control a town? 10 hours How long do you control a town before the sigil can be re-stolen? 3 days or so? How do you gain control of a faction? Have a bad to the bone guild with a core group What would you change or add to factions? (and why?) Add dungeon and instanced areas for factions only. New creatures to tame for factions only. Interact more with towns . More player control then before to give it a reward for controlling towns. Bring the good vs evil system to production shards or something like it. We need a reward system as well. Turn in such as the library system. New bases as well . Both TB and COM bases inside of towns affect red factioneers from cross healing in the town fights. We need a lot to be adjusted however the small steps are what’s important to fix the broken issues at first. We hope you enjoyed this interview with Danno of Atlantic. Thanks Danno! Thanks for your patience everyone! I will try to get more articles posted soon ... Watchertoo
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Skills & Professions Series: The Mule (Crafter)
Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007, 2:42 PM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
As promised, I am doing a series of articles on different professions in Sosaria. In this piece I wanted to cover mules. The people that take it upon themselves to become crafters and skilled artisans in the realm, now face some new challenges. Yet, without them, the decorators and interior designers in this land, would lack the quality goods to perfect their craft. Not to mention warriors would be in the market of replacing armor and weapons constantly. With all this in mind I set about to answer four questions, first on my list is this: What is the hardest part about these professions? I got some great responses, here are the ones that really stood out, "it would be that to make the higher end items, first I have to invest time (Large amounts) and resources (Large amounts) into just getting a recipe. Then I have to log on my warrior or magic man and go around collecting resources that fall once in a great while off of the body of a monster. I am not complaining, I am just saying it is the hardest part to me. ", from Jim Dowden. This answer from Greyskull is something I have experienced on my crafter, "Most mule characters really cant defend themselves. I trained my pack beetle up enough to be able to defend itself against the occasional ettin or troll or the occasional orc. So actually gathering the mats in hard to reach places can be a pain." My second question, I posed to people was this: What would you like to see changed/improved? Here I got some really interesting answers. Killian Ond, in his charming self explained this, "I don't understand why I can't use stone working to make statues. Really nice statues, that is. Big, and maybe a little customizable, too. What's the deal with these vases and these cute little itty bitty figurines? Feh. They're nothing more than paperweights. My talent is wasted. Wasted!" I agree, that would be very awesome! A lot of crafters also wanted the BOD system to either go away or be tweaked, as there is a lot of frustration to get good ones. The other great idea was to get runic tinkering kits. Lord Jeeves, recommended a weapon craftable by tailors, like an equipable whip. Now, that for all those evil chars, may be fun! Third on my list was this question: What are the pros/cons of these professions? A lot of people for this question gave me similar replies, but here goes, "Pros... well carpentry and stone working can help in decorations. alchemists and poison makers can probably always find work. Cons...many moons ago when they hosed up the blacksmiths all we were good for now are repair deeds. Make the blacksmiths able to make armor worth using. I don't mean gear that you get +70 in all resistances off a pair of chain mail gloves, but at least make it somewhat comparable to something you may get out of Doom or a champ spawn. They could make it so people would need different ores to produce different results such as smithing dull copper with gold to make a shield for example that would have some magical properties. make it random so it would be worth smithing again.", from Greyskull. The biggest pro is not having to rely on others to repair your armor. The main con I heard was since the inventions of the repair deeds, people have lost the social aspect of hanging in Britain at the forge to make some coin and have some laughs. My final question was this: Did the randomization of ore/wood spawn impact you and how? Some people for this one, liked the change, while others thought it made being a crafter much, much harder. I can sympathize with this answer, "Well, the cost of Stone furniture is going to go up a lot. Now if someone wants colored stone furniture, it could take a week of mining to get enough to do the job, but then you still have high failure rates at the colored stones.", from Thomas Hunter. The people that also had rune libraries of ore and wood, were most definitely affected as now those books are pretty much useless. It is a shame some of these changed needed to be made because of folks ruining it for the honest people out there. Stay on the lookout for the next in this series... -Ishtar-
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FoF: Year in Review
Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007, 2:25 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Year in Review Jeremy Dalberg 14 Dec 2007 16:52:29 This is the first full year of Five on Fridays, so this week (and maybe next week, depending) I'll be doing wrap-up/status updates. This week we'll look at all the bugs and gameplay issues on my "list" from the Five on Friday, and see what we've fixed, what we've missed, and what's still waiting. FoF #42, Jan. 5 The PvP Project: For the most part, still undone. The PvP balance pass was an important thing to do, but we definitely have not addressed reasons to PvP, and we definitely still intend to. Low Level Content: Done, insofar as adding content is ever "done." We've got New Haven and all the quests there, plus new rewards for hunting in the legacy dungeons. Meditation being broken: Fixed! FoF #45, Jan. 26 Ethy Mount Stamina: We've addressed the issue that was causing dismounting/remounting to affect stamina regen rates. FoF #49, Feb. 23 Search tool on uoherald.com: Still pending. Bob, my new boss, has a strong website background, so I'm going to nag him about it until his ears fall off. :) FoF #56, Apr. 13 Berserker's Maul: Still bugged. Low on the priority list, I'm afraid, as it's purely a display issue. Haven't forgotten it, though! Ophidian item turn-in: Draconi still has plans for these - it's gotten pushed back at least three times by now in favor of events with more explosions :P Still on the list! FoF #59, may 4 Resist Spells: The change to make it easier to gain Resist at lower levels has been published. Blessed Seige-ruleset items: 7th anni combat items have been unblessed, and magic clothing has been unblessed (and made unblessable.) I can't think offhand of any other blessed item issues - although I trust the Seige community will remind me if we've missed one. Khaldun Puzzle Boxes: Fixed! I think this may have been the oldest bug we fixed this year :P FoF #62, May 25 Healing "slip" bug: The fix for excessive slippage did go in. Cure potions failing more with high Enhance Pots: Fixed! Ugly roads in 2D: Some of them have been made less ugly, making them all pretty will be a great way to train up new worldbuilders :P Serpent Arrow: Still deeply weird, still on the list. FoF #63, June 1 Changing your face in KR: In! The Body Sculptors that hang around various cities can change your face to any of the available KR ones, and the newest "roleplaying" faces will be available to everyone shortly. FoF #64, June 8 2D Going Away: The answer is still no :) 2D will be around for quite a while. FoF #66, June 22 Partial Hueing in KR: In! FoF #67, June 29 Windowed mode in KR: In! FoF #68, HoC Chat PvP Balance: Balance is never done, but we took a good initial swing at it. Skinnable windows: in, plus lots of other moddable goodies Elf Circlet Options: Still on the list Stacking Issues in KR: Fixed! Music on the Website: Got back-burnered, I'll follow up after the new year. Female Paperdoll: Much, much hotter :P KR Chat customization: While changing fonts isn't in, you can definitely change colors for different types of chat. Working further on the Virtues: Still on the back burner. I think everyone wants to do it, but it just hasn't made it up the list. FoF #69, July 13 AoE effects and durability: Still silly, still on the list. FoF #70, July 20 Repeating Crossbow: Still wrong, but as it's a display issue, it's hanging out in the corner with the Berserker's Maul Double Dragon Scales in Fel: Leurocian fixed this to make it consistent across resources, so now the dragons in Fel are, in fact, extra-scaly. FoF #71, July 27 Lower Weight: Still on my list to look at, as I at least can't think of a single case where it's worth spending the property slot on. KR Crafting Interface: Now with extra coolness! FoF #473, Aug. 10 Randomized resources: Various ideas for tweaking are still on the table, although we have no firm schedules or anything. Spirit of Totem: Still unrepairable, definitely still on the list. Commas in checks: The fix is still pending, although I gather that various crafty players have modded KR to display checks with commas :P FoF #74, Aug. 17 Lumberjacking vs. mining: Still on the list for some analysis, although we may or may not decide to change them. FoF #76, Aug. 31 Lesser Hiryu bonding: Bug has been fixed. Spirit Speak Page: See, this is why I did this - I'd clean forgotten about that. The page is correct now, though :P FoF #79, Sept. 28 Doom Stealable lockdown bug: Fixed. (Finally!) FoF #85, Nov. 9 Large Iron BOD bug: This is waiting for the team to settle in to Virginia to be tested and published, so y'all won't see it until January at the earliest (along with the other BOD system tweaks that Wilki put together.) Begging/Karma bug: Fixed! FoF #86, Nov. 16 Vendor Storage Chart: On my own personal list. FoF #87, Nov. 30 Frenzied Whirlwind: Like the BOD tweaks, this you'll see in a post-move publish. FoF #88, Dec. 7 Bags of Sending: There was actually a bug with the calculation that was making weights divisible by 10 take one extra charge. We've fixed that, and you should see it post-move. We got a lot done this year, although there's clearly a lot left to do. What do y'all think of this as a yearly article? The FoF covers a lot of ground, and I don't like the idea of making vague promises that only get forgotten. Jeremy
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Pratt and Monty Penniless ? Christmas Card From Vanna
Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007, 7:37 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Merry Christmas, Lava! ... ... Have I got awesome news for you! This Monday, Dec. 17th at 8PM Central time, Majestic Madness presents: Christmas Chests of Doom & Delight! Let me tell you, I pulled out all the stops and left Pratt penniless. Every prize in the 24 chests is worth over 350K--many value at a million or more in value! There's Shadow Dancer Leggings, Pendant of the Magi, The Horselord, Swords of Prosperity, Fire Tokuno Dye, Ethy Horsie and more! I suspect the trading will be fierce! In addition, every box has a bonus bag or check that the contestant can give to someone in the crowd--a special someone or a new friend! After all, Christmas is the season of giving!! There may be a little elf there giving away checks & bags randomly to the crowd! So be sure to come and bring all your friends!! Oh but the bad news is that Majestic Madness will be closed Dec 24th and Dec 31st for the holidays. But we'll be back in 2008 with more fun, games and awesome prizes! (I have to give Pratt and Monty time to refill their bank boxes!) ~~~Vanna White, Drop-Dead Gorgeous Game Show Hostess Vanna Love, My At-A-Glance planner tells me I am free that night so I will be there with bells on and look forward to it. Ta ta , Lava
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Atlantic Trade Board Contest!
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 9:10 PM EST by Mithaniel Razil (Atlantic)
Recieved via E-mail. Good luck to those who enter! --------------------------------------------------------- It is time for another Atlantic Tradeboard contest. This time the grand prize will be a coveted Rift Pillar. Only 16 of these spawned per shard during the Magincia Invasion final. Estimated value is 25 million gold! Second place will get a rubble Open Book (5-10 million), third wins a daemon blood splatter (1 million gold). To enter the contest you simply post a listing on the Atlantic Tradeboard between December 15 2007 until January 15 2008. You can enter multiple times by posting multiple listings. However each user is only eligible to win one prize. For full contest rules click here. For a FAQ about the Atlantic Tradeboard click here.
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Visit Santa at the Red and Blue Mini-Mall! Details Inside!
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 8:33 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! This news isn't from Felucca, but I thought I would let you see it anyway! Looks like the people at the Red & Blue Mini-Mall want to wish us all a Merry Christmas by bringing Santa to Sosaria! Details below, folks! =========================================== Come one… come all… The historic Red & Purple Mini Mall announces our annual “Santa Event” for 2007. All the good little boys and girls, both human and elf, are invited to visit with good ole Father Christmas as he visits once again our happy mall. The event starts at 1pm MST (3pm EST) Saturday the 15th. May want to leave the pets in the stable however we will have a small area to keep them while you visit. Everyone always has a lot of fun so come and enjoy. The new Red & Purple Mini Mall is located just North-East of the Yew Cemetery in the first clearing in the woods. You will also find a rune for our establishment in the official Goodman rune Library under Tram shops. Also, a rune is easily found at the steps of “Kraken’s Gate Mall of the Red & Purple” just N/E of the Yew Moongate. All are welcome, but remember… he knows when you’ve been naughty. Merry Christmas from the staff of the Red & Purple & a wonderful New Year! =========================================== Picture here from last here! Take a gander! =========================================== See ya around, folks!
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TC 1 Has Been Updated
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 8:11 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: TC1 Has Been Updated Jeremy Dalberg 12 Dec 2007 18:39:31 "All players can use the Body Scuptor to change their faces and bodies to the new Roleplaying styles(visible in the KR client only)"
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Morphus Markone Creates A Great Lakes Design Wonder
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 6:05 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Great Lakes Design Wonder ~ Stopping by the MOA auction house early in the evening to pick up a few checks I was asked by the cashier Mel if I had seen the huge fruit basket. Informing her I had not she told me it was a must see and she kindly provided a rune. Recalling to the marked location I delighted in what I saw on the roof of the Markone Manor Rune Library. It was indeed a HUGE fruit basket. Moving all around the plot and within the plot I quickly learned it only looked like a fruit basket in the overhead map. Very creative indeed! I always liked the spider design that could be found on the roofs of the once active player run Spider City not to mention other rooftop collages found in the realm. While in the library I checked out a few books, very helpful for sure. Not only helpful books but pleasant decor as well often featuring fruit baskets. Back in the day we had very few items to decorate with, nothing like the plethora we have now, and fruit baskets were highly prized and found in most homes. To see this wonder in person the cords are 16o 21'N, 46o 41'W
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2nd Annual MOP "Christmas Gift-Away" Sunday, Dec. 16
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 3:24 PM EST by Lord Franklin (Catskills)
Hello again, Catskills! My good friends in the MOP Guild, Buck and Antoinette, are hosting another Christmas event this year. For those of you who missed out last year, they gave out a HUGE number of valuable presents to the Catskills community. All you have to do is stop by! Here's this year's info from Buck: When: Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007 Place: MOP Guild House and Vendor Mall, North Side of Luna, inside the walls, sextant coordinates 99.51.N x 22.55W - The Big White Building with "MOP" on the roof. Time: 7:30 PM EST. If anyone has any questions, they can contact Buck or Antoinette at ICQ 100760226 or they can PM through this board. This is our way of saying "Thank you" to our wonderful shard of Catskills. Details: We will be handing out keys to the approximately 220 people that come by (not sure of the exact box count as we are still setting up, but it will be at least that many if not more). Each key will open one of the locked boxes located in the house. There will be approximately 50+ mil worth of gold and prizes given away, some of which includes (10) 1 million gold checks, (20) 500K checks, (100) 100K checks, (100) 50K checks, 1 Darkwood Suit, 1 Pair of Stitcher's Mittens, 2 Pendants of the Magi, 1 barbed kit, 1 clothing bless deed, (3) + 30 Ash Hammers, Staffs of Pyros, Vorpal Blades, and various Doom uncursed artifact 11 arties. Wow! Take a look at all those goodies! If you'd like to take home a gift from Buck and Antoinette, make sure you stop by their guild house Sunday night and pick up a key. Peaceful Journeys, Lord Franklin
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Story Night at the Road to Hope Tavern 7P Central
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 8:19 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
Story Night at the Road to Hope Tavern Saturday December 15 at 7P Central n Saturday December 15 (Third Saturday of the month). Come share some laughs and enjoy stories, poems, history, anecdotes and jokes after a long day of fighting, shopping, peerless or discovery. This is a great way for all players new and old, Origin and across the shards to come together, drink, eat and be merry. The tavern also hosts a wrestling pit, dice pit and dart boards for additional drunken recreation following the stories. The Road to Hope Tavern is located in the player town of Icelyn at 97 deg 50 min North and 14 deg 37 min East. (Just south of the Icelyn Rune Library). In the past we have had some extraordinary storytellers from across the shards and from Origin. Come and experience something special.
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Five On Friday (BOS/Weird Messages/Healing Pets/Items And KR/Winterland
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 8:03 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
FoF: The QA Team's Special Requests December 7, 2007 Today's FoF is a collection of issues that have been coming up in bug reports, and QA wanted to clarify them for everyone. "Why do the Bags of Sending use so many charges?" (Note: This is not the same as last week's question. This is about the actual charge-usage calculations) The actual patch note for this is as follows: - Bags of sending now use 1 charge per 10 stones of weight, rounded up. (15 stones would use 2 charges, for example) This means that if the item is between 1-10 stones, it uses 1 charge. 11-20 it uses 2, 21-30 it uses 3, etc. We haven't seen any inaccuracies with this formula so far, so we're reasonably confident that it actually works that way. If anyone sees anything different than the above calculation, let us know! -- "Why am I getting weird, random system messages? Was I hacked?" This was introduced quite a while ago, but it appears that people have forgotten about it, so here's a refresher. I'm not sure it's all that reassuring, but at least you haven't been hacked. For quite a while, intrepid explorers have been discovering a mysterious substance called "blackrock." There has been considerable interest in this substance, and it has been noted as having unusual, often disturbing effects. One of the effects noted by folk working in close contact with the substance has been a propensity to hear voices, even receive instructions, from thin air. No one yet knows if this is a curable condition, or if it is merely an early symptom of a deeper affliction... -- "Why can I not heal my large pet in KR?" We've found an issue with healing range with certain pets in KR - right now, you have to stand on top of a dragon to heal it successfully. We will be expanding the range for large pets so tamers don't get stepped on quite as often. -- "Why can't I use all the items in UO when I'm playing KR?" This seems to be a point of confusion on several levels - the client you use is not tied to your account at all, so you don't have any extra expansion packs in KR that you wouldn't have in 2D. If you don't have the Mondain's Legacy expansion pack, for example, you won't be able to use ML-only recipes or weapons, and you won't be able to make an elf - no matter which client you use. The trial code on the KR page only offers AoS content, by the way - SE items and lands and ML items and lands won't be available. -- "Are we getting snow this year?" Not like last year - this year, we're doing things a little differently. Very soon (tomorrow, probably) you will see Test Center 1 take on a new identity - Winterland. In Winterland, there are a number of entertainments for all to enjoy: A fully decorated Britain with decked out halls Snow has fallen, and the rivers are iced over Warm fires to gather around A giant holiday tree Unlimited charges fireworks wands for all, for 2D and KR A small fair in Magincia featuring a variety of games A "hit the bell with the hammer" tower Shoot the dartboard Find the coin under the cup Team-based snowball wars Gate leads to waiting area from the West Britain Bank A dynamic arena creates randomized battlegrounds Up to 32 players per game Games last 15 minutes Points are awarded and scores are kept for top players -- The Invasion of Magincia is nearly over! There is very little time left to save what can be saved... at 8pm PST, Magincia's fate will be sealed. Hurry, valiant defenders! -- It's that time of year again where I gather blackmail info for my coworkers at the holiday party, so enjoy your weekend! - Jeremy
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Grab a partner and sign up now for Saturday's 2v2 PvP Tournament!
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 12:33 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
This 2v2 Mage PvP Tournament announcement just in from Simon Francis... December 15th, 2007 - Saturday @ 7 PM PST Matches: Single Elimination, Best of 3 Fights 8 Teams of two mages 250k Entry Fee Per Team Rules: No Summons/Pets No Essence of Wind/Thunderstorm No Mortal Blow No Orange Petals No Infectious Strike/Deadly Poison No leaving duel area No Explosion/Conflagration/Melisande Potions No Fields Allowed: All weapon special moves not mentioned above Cure/Heal/Refresh/Strength/Agility Potions Allowed Protection Allowed Necromancy/Chivalry Allowed Apples Allowed Casting Invisibility Spell Additional rules may be put in before fight date *Prizes* Each winner will receive 5 million in Gold & Invulnerability Blue Body Sash titled "Co-Champion Dec" as seen below: To Sign Up: Send an ICQ to 210-378-401 (Simon Francis) with the names of the characters you and your partner will be competing on. You are only officially signed up when you have paid. -Simon Francis This sounds like a lot of fun with the heated competition we have on Pacific, so get those entries in quick folks. Spots won't take very long to be filled! Oh and uhh, sorry dexxers. This one's for the mages and you will be required to have magery on the template to compete. -Sheridan
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Lets Meet Damien De Cyr
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 5:16 PM EST by Paul Harvey (LakeAustin)
Hello Fellow Sosarians, Some may know him, some may not. Lets give a warm welcome to Damien De Cyr. 1. What is your name and what's your profession? Damien de Cyr/Chiv Mage 2. How long have you been living in Sorsaria and what drew you to the our world? 10 years playing the game and I'd have to say it looked like fun so I bought it 3. What was your best and/or worst experience in your (uo) life? Best experience in the game would be when I got married back when the gm's offered it and you got rings and a certificate. 3a.Who did you marry and does she still play? Tequila rose...and no and she does not play 4. Who helped you throughout your journeys and life through Sorsaria? Who were your major influences? Friends and guildmates.. 5. Is there something about you nobody knows? Of course who in Sorsaria doesnt have there own lil secrets ;) 6. Are you member of a guild? Which one? Guildmaster of Guild -62- 6a. How long have you been Guild Leader of -62- and how long have you been a member? been the gm for bout 3 weeks and a member for bout 2 months 7. What is your favorite thing to do in Sorsaria? Spawns with the guild and PvP 8. Do you live in Trammel or Felucca, or both. Felucca... Trammel kinda scares me.. 9. What are your plans for the future? Not really any plans just to keep doing what I'm doin 10. What would be your greatest (UO) wish. For UO to revert back to the old days pre age of shadows 11. Which country are you from (RL)? United States Thank you Damien for the your time and letting us get to know you a little better. This has been Paul Harvey. . . Goood Day!
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Chaotic Barbie Needs To Get Her Xmas Outfit & It Snows at MOA
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, 10:08 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. It was another entertaining night at Ice Castle with Chests of Doom & Delight on the menu. I arrived early, as often the more spicy stuff is said or happens before the event even begins. I walked right in to girl talk between MOA staff members Melian and Demitria. The conversation went from adorable pets, present and past, to husbands not answering their cell phones.....yep girl talk. Vanna White arrives at Ice Castle with Nip and Fluppy Squirrel following her The girl talk really fired up when Miss Vanna White arrived, as it often does. We correspond weekly via postcards or emails. To my shock she asked if it was true that and old partner and Lava were no longer an item. She was concerned about my new rl guy friend and I assured her there was no men-age a trois going on, lol. I also clued her in that I have not played with that person for more than a year and that he was only a in-game friend. Vanna did remind me she is blonde and her memory is not always the best. After we all laughed and poked fun at each other we moved onto important issues like new hair products and holiday clothes. On the subject of holiday clothes.....during this event MOA Member Malikae sat to my right and Chaotic Barbie sat to my left. Some of the patrons dressed in holiday colors which prompted Chaotic Barbie to express her need to get a holiday outfit together. Both of these fine ladies made some very very amusing comments during the game. Zephyrus came clothed in the most traditional color combo for the season but it was Stinky Twinkie that really caught my eye. The name alone cannot be ignored,lol. Stinky also acted up trying to peek in all the gift boxes, tearing wrapping paper, shaking boxes and undoing bows. Lady Mother Nature was the most scantily clad patron. Her outfit was accented with a studded bustier by Hearts Desire. That girl must have been cold as it was snowing during the entire event. Before I got a chance to talk with her Lady Mother Nature departed stating she had homework to do, leaving many men ( and some women ) disappointed as that girl really knows how to work a bustier. The game started late and painfully slow. Poolie stated many people were in Doom and others commented that people are Christmas shopping. In thirty minutes time though the place was hopping and the bantor was wild, flying from one end of the castle to the other. Lord M-One who has been featured many times in the Obituary Column was in attendance for the first time. I met him myself for the very first time last week and he showed up to razz old Lady Lava and others. He is quite the character. Of course there were many great items in the chests as there always are. I was one of the first players up this month and my box was filled with rubble. It did not stay in my hands long. It first went to Malvagito. Then from Malvagito to Djdave. Then from Djdave to Martin of XV. Of course Vanna died as she always does at this event, over and over and over again. It seems like Malikae enjoys Vanna dieing more than anyone. Everyone seemed to be in the holiday spirit and Vanna made an announcement that next week on monday, games night will be a "Christmas Event". Same time, same place with gates provided. After Monday Night Madness several people gated me to thier plots decorated for Christmas. I have a handful already for future holiday articles in the next few weeks. Merry, Merry Merry
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Faces of Felucca: Paithan the Elf...?
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, 12:02 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! A birdie told me recently that a lot of people don't like the Felucca outlook on things! They think these reports are a waste of time! Oh well to that! I will continue to march on and work hard to bring the news of Felucca to those who wish to read it! Tonight, I went to Felucca to hunt down a man known as Paithan the Elf, but as you will find out, Paithan does not live anymore. In his place, is another man! One some of you might have heard of. I know I have. When I say heard of him, I mean he has taken my insurance gold! Huzzah to that, am I right? Am I right? Seriously though, folks, read on. You will learn that some of these guys aren't as bad as you might think. Some of them are actually pretty decent. I give you now, Paithan the Elf! ================================================== Erickson Yates: Lets start easy. What guild, if any, are you in these days? Paithan the Elf: I am in the most fun guild to be in, VIP! The people are great and the fights we have are fun. Erickson Yates: Obviously you are Paithan The Elf, but is there another name we might know you as? Gotta remember, not all Stratics readers are in the know of who is who in the Felucca world. *Paithan the Elf: I rarely ever play Paithan anymore. I log on him from time to time to duel other people, but for the most part I am known as the Nefarious Jerry Austin. Erickson Yates: Jerry Austin! One of my personal favorites! Saw you and Jim kill Ice-Rocker at the gate the other afternoon. Did it feel as good as it looked? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Even though it was a gank, sometimes you have to gank those you know will just run away from the fight chugging until they can get a recall off. But yes, killing those with big egos on the boards is probably my favorite thing to do it UO. =) Erickson Yates: Should random blues in Felucca be worried when they see you? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Not always, usually random blues if they look like noobs. I will kill one time (probably end up rezing them) and then letting them go about their business. If you wear any number of tags, you will probably stay dead though. Erickson Yates: I want a serious answer here, not the HOT board ego stuff. How good of a pvp'er are you?Would you rank yourself in say, the top ten on Atlantic? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: I am a very good dueler and very effective in the field. Yes, I'd imagine I'm in the top 10 on Atlantic, but you'd have to ask other people to really know. (or watch me fight) Erickson Yates: There are always duels that happen for big money. Have you taken part in any of those? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Yes, but only with two people. I dueled Calamity for a series, and I won his Ornament of the Magician. We dueled for another series, and I won his Hat of the Magi. However, we went for one last series of fights. We dueled for Crimson Cinctures, and he won. Sadly, I only had one Crimson, so I was able to trade Calamity his Hat of the Magi back for my Crimson. (That still puts me up one Ornament though.) Also, I dueled Gabrielle one day, and I lost repeated series that put me down 30 million gold and an Ornament. I also dueled Gab the other day for 10 million gold in a best of three fight. We ended up going two series worth, and I was able to win four straight matches. Gab is currently the only one up on gold on me, but then again I dont think he'll be dueling me for items or gold for a long time. Erickson Yates: Serious question here. When you kill someone, is there trash talking, or do you let the fact that their screen is gray do the talking for you? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Depends who they are. If they are someone that trash talks me or just a big talker in general, I sit around and trash talk them. I don't trash talk noobs though.* Erickson Yates: Any pet peeves about the way pvp'ers are seen by the general public? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Probably when people think that dueling is the same as field fighting. They are two different things. There is a guy called "Hacker" who is probably one of the best duelists on the shard. However, his field fighting skills are medicore at BEST. So remember, kids, field fighting and dueling are not the same. Erickson Yates: Last person you beat one on one? *Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: No idea.* Erickson Yates: Last person who beat you one on one? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: It rarely happens, so I do not know. Winks Erickson Yates: Who gives you the biggest challenge in a one on one fight? *Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Muffin Mcnasty, he's the best Necromancer to fight. Fighting him will help you to become more adept at PvP.* Erickson Yates: Anything you do to get pumped up for a big fight? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: I put on the song "We Ready!" real loud to get me going. Just kidding, no I don't do anything to get pumped. Erickson Yates: Which would you rather rock? A one on one duel, a Despise Bridge battle, or a Yew Gate free for all? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: I wish one on one field fight was an option because those are the most fun to me. Duels are okay, but it is basically all spells under 4th circle, so it gets tedious rather quickly. Duels are essentially trying to get your opponent caught it poison cycles. So, for those options I'd say a Yew Gate FFA because then your putting the Bluebies in their proper place. The most fun fights are group fights at Destard or something along those lines. Erickson Yates: What do you do on UO when you aren't out owning up Felucca? *Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Log out.* Erickson Yates: Some see it as bad. Others see it as a chance for blues to "even" the odds, and be more willing to come to Felucca. So where do you stand on the new Doom Gauntlet Artifact drop system? Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: I love it. I've always been very poor, now if something were to happen that I lose an artifact or something, it will be easy to replace. I honestly wish they came out with it years ago, maybe I would have been 4/6 like all the other posers and noobs. Erickson Yates: Final question! Anything that we need to know about the man that is Paithan/Jerry Austin? *Paithan the Elf/Jerry Austin: Just know that when you see the Orange Terror on your screen, you better start runnin! Also, I'm sweet and not as mean as most people think.* *===========================================================* Here are a few battle shots of our good friend Paithan/Jerry. Check them out. I can attest to the man's sweetness! He is a pretty decent guy from the time I was around him. Who knows, maybe if you are nice enough, he will duel you for free. Give you a chanec to see what you are made of! Just make sure if you want to duel him,tell him Erickson sent ya! Or he might send you home in a gray robe! Then again, you will most likely end up wearing that robe anyway! Huzzah! This is Erickson Yates signing off, folks! Let your kills be few, and your bank box filled with other's insurance gold!
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Duke Hast Mich sights Julius Dryden

Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, 9:16 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

The following message just arrived from Duke Hast Mich [F^]:

While doing a random sweep of the country side, the Fangs of Fenrir Battle Mage Duke Hast Mich stumbled across none other than Julius Dryden holed up in the tomb in Cove Cemetery. After a brief attempt at getting some kind of response from the old man, Duke was only able to get him to say that "the old man (Archimedes) will be falling asleep any minute now." After his being blown under the platform and then apparently out again sometime later, Julius disappeared altogether from Magincia. To those that care to know he seems safe and whole and quite a bit toughened up from his argument with Archimedes. His chosen company is questionable, but the liches don't seem to mind his presence.

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Yew Revolution Update - by Hedlyn [warning contains mild violence]

Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, 2:51 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)

CASUALTIES MOUNT AS 'FREE YEW' BARELY HOLDS!

The Guardsmen Militia's second venture to the palisade walls of Free Yew was, last night, only just repelled as escalated violence brought heavy casualties to both sides. The Militia, lead by Srg. Garren Vance arrived at an unmanned segment of Free Yew's palisade and broke their way through. Worried civilians withdrew to alert the local Volunteers, as Vance and his company set about to reclaim the taken neighborhood. Setting about a command point, the guardsman's force split into patrols and initial rebel attacks were easily beaten back by the alert professionals.

As Baron D'Gar joined the defensive at Free Yew's boarder, it became increasingly clear as the violence rumbled on that the rebels would not relent and slowly guardsmen casualties began to mount. With the militia defense pulled well out of shape, the rebels peppered the broken guardsmen and small pockets of Volunteers began to ambush and set upon smaller, lost units of straggling guardsmen. Pulled out of shape and faster taking losses, the Militia were eventually forced to withdraw - but not before setting fear and pain a shudder through the rioting community of 'Free Yew.'

The Volunteers pursued through Yewtown and as far as Stonekeep before returning to rebuild their battered palisade and contemplate their own frailty. For now, Free Yew holds again - though the Volunteers must fast be looking for outside aide if their stand is to last

VOLUNTEERS OVERWHELMED AS FREE YEW FALLS!

Free Yew's defending Volunteers were last night outnumbered and overwhelmed by the might of the Guardsmen as the juvenile "state" was annexed promptly back into the lands of Lord D'Gar. The resistance was poorly supplied and lacked the training of their professional counterparts as the militia closed in on the palisade gate. It's third defense, it was a lucky time for the Guardsmen as they poured through the walls and beat back the rebel assistance. Vesperians from the rebel state's militia were out to enforce the Free Yew Volunteers, but they too were disbursed by the steel engine that brought bombs and bows through the gate.

A secondary force, stationed desperately outside the 'Town Hall' of Free Yew was then assaulted. Led by Hedlyn ap Rhyn, named leader of the FYV, the weakened defenders were quickly brought down by Captain Dart's guardsmen and it is believed the Volunteer's commander was dragged back to Stonekeep in chains for a likely execution.

Sympathisers of celt and Britannian birth alike scattered from the palisade as the occupying force set about bringing down the walls and this reporter, along with the rest of his town, awaits to see if this should be the end of the uprising - or merely another dose of fuel piled onto an ever growing fire.

HATRED RISES AS YEWTOWN TENSION MOUNTS!

Reports of brutality have buzzed noisily about the Yewish rumourmill since the collapse of "Free Yew" this Wednesday past. Increasing counts of violence have been reported as angry militants have continued their desperate campaign from an unknown location. Returning "underground", local Volunteers have harried the militia for several nights with vengeance raids and the Guardsmen have offered no hesitance in reacting in kind.

A trend set by the local militia as they left mark of their dominance upon the body of the Volunteer's escaped leader, the popular celtic figure has been spotted by eyewitnesses baring the scars and bruises of interrogation since his escape from the citadel.

Raiding bands of Volunteers are believed to have taken prisoners of their own, Waywatcher Young and Besieger Lumbard amongst those snatched from the garrison walls and whilst it is believed Young has since returned to his post, the senior besieger is still missing. "We shall return their savagery with that of our own", a Volunteer spokesman told this reporter. Though the beaten-back rebels must go some length to match the barbarism of their besieger counterparts, as one Corporal Stormberg reportedly arrested an elder gentleman from the streets of Yew this day past for the crime, a witness reports, of simply "being a celt." The second such of these incidents, it is believed the man - identified as one Kyle O'Rourke - a humble ratcatcher, parted Stonekeep with one finger less and many a broken rib for his "crime.

BUTCHERED BRITANNIAN BEHEADED BY YEW MILITIA!

Amidst militia attempts to demonise uprising rebels in Yewtown as supremacist celts, a shocking revelation today rocked our northern province. A woman of Britannian birth, a member of the local Volunteers, was today executed for - not only treason - but desertion. A former militia recruit known only to this reporter as 'Delta' was beheaded in Stonekeep near the tenth hour of this night. It is believed a failed attempt on the life of First Markswoman Ffion Derwyn saw the insurgent arrested and chained within the citadel cells.

Little is known of the deceased besides her ties with paramilitary rebels the 'Free Yew Volunteers'. As internal conflict and drama resonated this evening, loudly throughout the mighty Stonekeep garrison, reports of arrests within the besieger division add fresh curiosity to the day's events. A relief force of Vesperians and Volunteers amassed outside the citadel walls, but their lacking firepower failed to breach the stone walls of the great Yewish keep, despite inflicting losses on the defending guards.

The fight rumbled about Yew, though it is believed the rescuers turned up moments too late to stop the execution. Vesper suffered numerous casualties and the Volunteers were driven back to an unknown location, disbursing rapidly between the treeline once news of the execution reached the battlefield.

Militia cruelty took a vile turn, within the conflict, as one repugnant footman was believed to be seen branding the head of the executed rebel as a weapon in the fray. Reports of such militia savagery will surely sicken even the staunchest loyalists of our community, as Yewman strikes Yewman a deeply gutting, psychological blow.

Please send me your pictures stories and reports for inclusion in the News pages!

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The Book of Sin - Kaelyn's Tale and Muldran's Tale

Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, 1:35 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)

The Book of Sin – Kaelyn’s Story

We were called today to meet at the Skara Brae Community Center and talk about the danger of an object called the ‘Book of Sin’.

I took Brynhild and Ataman with me and together with Gwen and Stewan we headed to Skara where others like Muldran, Lady Flame, Lord Mhor and Faenwen were waiting.

A man came in then and introduced himself as Eric the Red and told us of the dangers of the book. A creature called Shadow was also searching for the book to complete a spell and Eric claims Shadow also would be willing to kill for possession of the book.

We would need to find a spirit and then tell it a gargoyle syllable and the spirit would then hand us the book.
He hinted that it might be in Ilshenar in a dungeon of Blood and Gwen recognised the name and lead us through the spirituality gate and then east to the entrance of that dungeon.

We headed in, it was pitch black and I had troubles finding my way in there. Got some strange potion and could see a little better and together we searched the first corridors but nay found anything except imps.

In the second corridor we found an elemental in the colour of blood and managed to kill it after a struggle and also stumbled over a strange looking man.

We questioned him and found out that it was Shadow, the man that searched too for these books too. He was accompanied by Vierna, Lady Jade and a few others and I left Brynhild with him and told her to kill him if he made any troubles.

While Muldran talked with Shadow and the others we others headed off in another corridor and defeated a golden demon but still nay sign of any spirit.

So we headed deeper into the cavern, the wizards keeping the magical creatures off us and us helping to kill them.

We killed more of those blood elementals and also some golden ones before we reached then end of the cave.
There a demon in a women’s body assaulted us, but we managed to defeat it and saw that she had been guarding the spirit we were looking for.

Assuming that Gwen was most fluent in Gargoyle we let her say the word and the spirit accepting it showed her where the book was hidden.

I took the book then and we headed back to the entrance where we found Muldran still talking with Vierna and Brynhild guarding Shadow.

*sketch shows the return from the lair*

Shadow used the excitement of our return to flee, but his group stayed and accompanied us to Skara.

There Eric asked that the book should be handed over to him, but I refused as I nay was sure of his intentions. How did we know he was nay as crazy as this Shadow person? I also thought it unwise to hand such a powerful item over to a crazy mage like Muldran and so I decided that his Grace would be the best person to keep such an artefact.

*sketch shows us in Skara again*

reluctantly all agreed and I promised them that if his Grace agreed they could study the book under the watchful eye of a guard.

We asked Eric to keep us informed and made our way back to Trinsic where I put the book in a safe place until I can hand it over to his Grace.

The Book of Sin – Muldran’s Story

Eric's note had arrived shortly after the one from the Shadow. Of course, the idea of sending a spy to the Umbran meeting didn't occur to Muldran, so he set of for Skara Brae, arriving there first. As he poured over the notes and scrolls, others filed into the room; some familiar, some not so.

Eric arrived, and spoke to the gathered people, letting them know a small bit more about the Books of Sin, and that someone else was after them. He informed the gathered people that the Books were dangerous artefacts, and were scattered throughout the world, and then sent away even further; to a ghostly plane only accessible at certain times.

Turning to Muldran, Eric asked him to reveal the word of power that would be needed to access the Book - and Muldran had help from Callum and Stewan - to decode the writing from the journal - and they came up with the word 'infama'. Eric had gone into a sort of trance,and as he concentrated, started to fade from site, leaving a little pattern of blood on the floor.

Another clue? To the location where the book was hidden? Flame called out about the Blood Dungeon, and Gwen said she could lead the group to the place quickly, through the Spirituality Gate of Ilshenar.

The group soon found themselves in the Blood Dungeon, and elected to stay together, and start searching the area. They needed to locate a ghost, and bring it through to the 'real world' and then give it the word to help release the book.

After a short while, they located a spirit, and performed a resurrection ritual. However, the ghost - now materialised - seemed quite reluctant to give them answers, and chose to verbally fence with them. Until it said that it wasn't the one they were looking for, and revealed itself as the Shadow; the being Eric said had been looking for the Books, to use in foul ways.

At that point in time, the group were attacked by numerous dark beasts - and in the battle, realised others were fighting alongside them. Muldran recognised Jade and several others from the House of Tremere. Muldran realised that they must have been lead to the place by the Shadow, and Kaelyn quickly took Gwen and the others to continue the search.

Muldran was then distracted by Vierna, who blocked his way, and spoke with him about the coming disasters - and the need for Chaos to overwhelm all. Muldran was still unsure about what Vierna had done in Magincia, but wasn't taking any chances. As they verbally fenced - talking about Chaos, Balance, and Order - Mul heard Brynhild talking with the Shadow, and speaking about her time in Trinsic... The Shadow told her there were many, many more Trinsics than the two she knew, and went on to let her know that he too was a man of Honor - and surely she should trust him with the book...

Muldran was worried that a magical battle would take place between Vierna and himself - and without all his magical learning at his disposal, he was unsure how he'd win. But just then, he tried a brief cantrip to distract Vierna, throwing a small sapphire to the ground. Which proceeded to do nothing. However, it did distract Hildy, who looked round - and the Shadow vanished.

At that moment, there was a great noise in the corridor, and the group marched back, with Kaelyn triumphantly announcing that they had secured the Book of Shame.

The two groups faced off in the entrance hall - but the Skara Brae group outnumbered those who had helped the Shadow, and Muldran sent the others on ahead. Jade's companion Muldoon stepped forward with his sword in hand, but Jade stayed his hand for some reason. All the while, Vierna looked on, that strange smirk pulling at the corner of mouth.

As the group left, Muldran once more faced Vierna, and the two exchanged further words. Muldran felt a cold feeling come over him; as he spoke with Vierna, it was almost like he'd had this conversation before, with someone else, a long time ago...

Gwen, Flame and the guards came back into the Dungeon after they had not seen Muldran for a few moments, and escorted him out, casting glances at Vierna. Muldran was a bit stunned, trying to wrack his memory about why Vierna's words should seem so familiar. And Vierna? Well, she seemed to glory in Muldran's confusion.

Vierna (stage), Jade (right)
Flame, Gwen, NPC, Kaelyn, Muldoon
Clara(left), Amel (far right)
Muldran, Katherine (sitting)
Mord Mhor (sitting), Eric
Gath, Faenwen (both sitting)
Kadul, Brynhild, Ataman

Back in Skara Brae, the groups met up with Eric. Kaelyn asked Eric why they should hand the book to him - how should they trust him over the Shadow. Eric asked about handing the books into Muldran's keeping instead; the important thing was keeping them safe.

Almost immediately both Vierna and Jade, as well as Kaelyn and Gwen suggested that with Muldran's past track record, that probably wasn't too wise. With people on both sides of the fence suggesting that Muldran wasn't the safest person to hand the things to - and with Tim and Callum both out of the way - there were no other Courtiers suitable to hold the Book, so it was suggested that Kaelyn keep the book safe.

Muldran was still discomforted by his encounter with Vierna, so he chose that moment to slip away quietly. But it seems that the forces of Good had been successful - one of the Books was now in their possession!

Please send in your reports on your events, hunts and adventures!

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Newcastle Township Holiday Get-Together
Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 8:03 PM EST by Martyna Zmuir (GreatLakes)
From the desk of Prafectus Oona Abhail, of the Royal Knights of Redemption: On Saturday, December 15th at 9 EST, Newcastle Township will be holding Holiday Get-Together for our friends throughout the Realm. Warrior/Mage/Archery Battles First Prize 200k Gold Purse Second 100k Gold Purse Third 50k Gold Purse And of course bragging rights for the next few months! Give back to the Community Project Come on, you all remember being a Noob.. I ask all that come to place in a gift box a gift for the Noobs in New Haven and Brit. Within each box will be a greeting from the RP community, and runs to RP locations. There will also be: Trivia....Caroling.... and DRESS in your HOLIDAY best. Special prize for the best dressed! Come and enjoy in the Season.... ~ Prafectus Oona *Martyna’s Note:* Newcastle Township is located surrounding the Royal Knights of Redemption’s castle at 9538’N 2725’E. This event will take place around the Castle, and the Newcastle Royal Gardens out front. There will be RKR Knights and Squires providing gates from Britain and Luna for convenience. 12-13-07 UPDATE: Due to the great generosity of Rachel and Chicken Fight Club, all the competition purses have been upped considerably, and other supirise prizes will be awarded throughout the event!
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Community Meet Up - Week 149 - Back to Skara Brae!
Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 8:01 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 149 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We welcome everyone back to the Skara Brae Community Center after almost a month of battling in Magincia. We hope the time away has not hindered meet ups and that we can once again gather as a community in a peaceful setting. We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator as well as other timely announcements for the community. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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Community Hunts - week of Dec. 10
Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 7:58 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Britain Library Community Collections Date: Tuesday, December 11 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, December 12 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Blood Dungeon crawl Date: Thursday, December 13 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, December 14 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Deck The Halls... Of Doom... Dec. 21
Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 3:31 PM EST by Lord Franklin (Catskills)
Hello, Catskills! Earlier tonight, as I sorted through the remains of Magincia that I'd managed to recover, looking for any clue as to why the city had to be decimated, I heard a knock at my front door. It was actually more of a scraping sound than a knock, but I knew someone was trying to get my attention. I put my Maginician dirt and the half of a log I had been studying back in their places, threw my robe on, and went to see who was there. Well, my friends, it was not a person at all. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find a huge great hart standing there. The animal's antlers were gigantic! They were also... fuzzy. Yes, oddly enough, the thing had been scraping my door with its huge, velvety antlers. It was dark outside the tower, but the deer seemed to be giving off a faint red glow. I've seen a lot of strange things lately, but a glowing deer? In the middle of the jungle? As I looked closer, I was stunned to see that it was, in fact, the deer's nose that was glowing red. The deer seemed calm, though, despite the red nose. "That's a relief," I thought. At least it wasn't a transparent blackrock-infected great hart intent on chasing me wildly through my home and mauling me. I could have handled it, of course, but the nasty blood stains and disposing of the carcass... such a hassle, even if you can see through the corpse. But, as I said, this was a calm deer. It bleated softly, and rolled its eyes upward. If my nose were red like that, I'd be cross-eyed looking at it all the time, but it must have been used to it. I followed its gaze upward to its antlers, where I saw a small scrap of parchment tied. "Anne!" I exclaimed, realizing that, yet again, she'd found a way to get me a message that was completely out of the ordinary. I untied the note, fed the deer a carrot (I keep them by the door for the gypsies who wander by, begging for food), patted him on his head, and shut the door. Here is what Anne had to say... This year has been completely NUTS with me travelling for work a lot more than any one person should have to. Because of that, I haven't been able to run the Friday Hunt Nites. However, the Hunt Nite Crew has, for the past two years, spread some Christmas cheer to the darkest corner of our lands and it just wouldn't feel like Christmas in Sosaria to me if we didn't continue this fine tradition! On Friday, December 21st, you are cordially invited to join up with other Holiday revellers at the Yew Gate in Trammel beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time to go help Deck the Halls of Doom! We'll head in promptly at 8:00 p.m. Gold skulls will be provided. Bring your gingerbread men, hot cocoa, decorations and come help us spread the Christmas Cheer to the Dark Fathers and their minions. We'll sing Christmas Carols, have snowball fights, enjoy the cheery decorations and, I'm sure, gather some lovely new apparel to help keep us warm (does anyone know if you can dye death robes?). Hopefully, if we sing well enough, our efforts will be rewarded with some shiny new toys from Santa! Anne says she will provide more details as they become available. I wonder if she'll send a snow angel to deliver those! This is a great Catskills holiday tradition, and I'm glad it will be continuing this year. If you're in the neighborhood on the 21st, make sure you don't miss this party! Peaceful Journeys, Lord Franklin
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Over 15-Million In Prizes On The Line! The Finale Of The Best Shot In The Realm This Sunday!

Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 10:36 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

The 2007 season of the "Best Shot in the Realm" event has reached its end. It is now time for the Best of the Best to compete in the 2007 BSR Tournament of Champions, and for the 2007 Grand Champion archer to be crowned!

The Best Shot In The Realm Tournament of Champions will be held Sunday, December, 16, 2007, at the Skara Brae Fairegrounds, starting at 4 pm PST.

This much heralded and prestigious event will pit the 2007 monthly winners and last year's defending Grand Champion head-to-head to determine who truly is THE Best Shot in the Realm! Who will be our 2007 Grand Champion?!?

The winner will take home the largest prize in the history of the event! A purse of FIFTEEN MILLION gold and other prizes such as the Hunter’s Headdress, Dryad’s bow and a 120 Archery Power Scroll (all three prizes graciously donated by Aerowyne Faeryn [S|A]) awaits the 2007 BSR Grand Champion! The lone winner will not only take home the huge prize, but will be crowned our Grand Champion and will earn a guaranteed seat in the 2008 ToC finale!

As the season winds to its end, it is time to take a moment and reflect back on all that has transpired in yet another successful season of the BSR yet, and to see who has earned a seat in this illustrious event ...

Lil Debi [S|A]
2006 BSR Grand Champion
November 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Jaun'ty [RoC]
February 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Taylor [S|A]
March 2007 Best Shot In The Realm
June 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Lord Areodante [CTDM]
April 2007 Best Shot In The Realm
October 2007 Best Shot In the Realm

Kathryn [S|A]
May 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Rufus [UG.K]
July 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Lord Steve Austin [BLS]
August 2007 Best Shot In The Realm
September 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

Chango [MTI]
December 2007 Best Shot In The Realm

And so it stands, Archers and friends! This Sunday it will all be decided, and we will crown the 2007 Grand Champion of the "Best Shot in the Realm"! Once again, shooting in the event will be: Lil Debi, Jaun’ty, Taylor, Aerodante, Kathryn, Rufus, Steve Austin and Chango.

And what a talented field it is! WOW! I simply cannot wait to see these expert Archers face off head-to-head! One can only imagine how high the level of shooting will be at the Fairegrounds this Sunday! The event will kick off Sunday, December 16^th, with the BSR meet and greet and the S|A Feast at the Skara Brae Fairegrounds at 4:00pm PST (5 MST, 6 CST, 7 EST).

Over FIFTEEN MILLION in gold, the prestige and honor of the title of Grand Champion, and a guaranteed seat in next year's finale are on the line! Come one ... Come all this weekend, Citizens of Baja, and be part of the finale of the 2007 season of the "Best Shot in the Realm"!

LET US GIVE THESE EXPERT ARCHERS THE ROARING CROWD THAT THEY SO DESERVE!!!

See you there!

Once again, The Society of Archers, Baja Chapter, would like to thank everyone for your continued support of the Best Shot In The Realm.

[email protected]
S|A Website
S|A Forum

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Chango [MTI] Wins December Best Shot In The Realm Title

Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 9:27 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

The December Best Shot In The Realm had a starting field of 35 competitors. The high score in the first round was Ardis [$420] with a 200. Sharp was the first archer to be eliminated from the tournament, and was awarded a consolation prize that consisted of a gift box containing a Christmas tree, 100 orange petals, 1,000 arrows, a soulstone fragment token, 250 enhanced bandages PLUS 50,000 gold, and a book a nice message written by chocalot.

33 archers managed to score high enough to make it to the second round. The winds shifted, and the buttes turned icy cold. Ardis and some others were eliminated! With scores of 200, Lord Aragon and Paul were the leaders of this round.

Amazingly, 27 archers remained for the third round of competition! Both Aragon and Paul held steady, shooting the required 150 in this round. Elurannia [BRPA], Shamus [SC], Taylor [S|A] and Sean Brega [S|A] all had their sights set on winning the championship, and ended the third round with 200’s.

16 shooters remained for the Robin Hood Round. Again, the weather and the buttes seemed to be against the archers. No one scored the perfect 200 to win the fourth round. Bob [UG.K] held the high score of 150.

The finalists for the Robin Hood Round again lined up. The spectators were cheering their favorites. It was still anyone's meet, until Chango [MTI] took his turn at the butte! The crowd roared when he achieved the perfect 200! Archer after archer tried to tie Chango's score, but all fell short. The outcome of the final round was:

Frigin Azim [BoH], 150
Franticwarrior LSN], 110
Chango [MTI], 200
Lord Aragorn, 110
Lord Arlon [afk], 110
Steve Austin [BLS], 150
Hunter [LSN], 150
Elurannia [BRPA], 110
Lord HOWARD HILL [UG.K], 110
Angel of Death, 150
Paul, 70
Bob [UG.K], 150
Shamus [SC], 150
chocalot [S|A], 150
Taylor [S|A], 150
Sean Brega [S|A], 110

And, so it was over! Chango walked away with the December Best Shot In The Realm title, 5.5 million gold PLUS a seat in the BSR Tournament of Champions to be held December 16.

[email protected]
S|A Website
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Chelsee Lynn of B*R Headlines OBITS 12/ 09/ 07
Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 8:14 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
OBIT COLUMN ~ 12 / 09 / 07 Miss Chelsee Lynn has not graced the pages of the Obituary Column for a very long time. It is not that she has been away, or not dieing for that matter. It is she has just not been caught on film. Welcome back my dear ! Sorry for the " unlady-like pose". ;) June blanc De blanc Flame June again Kaluminatti Lord Tenchu11 Lynnea Dawn Sass Zul'Zorander
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Super Stratics Saturday (9th) - Europa Style - Winter Special 3

Posted on Sunday, December 9, 2007, 6:51 AM EST by Mapper (Europa)

- Welcome

Welcome to the 9th Super Stratics Sunday! - For those who didn't read last weeks, Sunday is the new Saturday!

In this weeks edition we visit two establishments! A real famous Role-playing guild town and the tavern inside this town! These will be the final establishments visited this 'season'. Next weeks 10th edition I will recap all 9 shops and 5 establishments visited between the 13th October and 9th December.

At the bottom of the article Ill link you to a Stratics page where you can read all 1-9 Super Stratics Saturdays & Sundays. This isn't the end either! We're back 22nd Dec with the 11th episode!

So, let's get started!

- A 2D/KR walk around of the King's Deer Bar and Restaurant, Includes an interview with the owner, Carolyn Lawrence!
- A short walk around of Stonekeep.
- The normal, This weeks news, Next weeks events and Screenshot Sunday
- A peak at the new 'Winterland' test centre.
- Links to Europa Stratics pages


	- Mapper's Christmas Countdown

- Establishment of the Week - The King's Deer - Bar and Restaurant

This weeks 1st establishment is the 'King's Deer - Bar and Restaurant'. Located in Stonekeep.

The tavern itself is located right against the main road, The building a wonderful stone and plaster home. Location of Stonekeep? Check out their map located at their website by clicking here.

Their website can be found at: http://www.guvadan.net/guardsmen/

I managed to speak to the owner, Carolyn Lawrence, but before I tell you what we she had to say, Lets take a walk around the tavern.

The main tavern floor.

The 2nd floor.

The outside view of the tavern.

The main tavern floor.

The 2nd floor.

I managed to speak with the owner, here is what she had to say.

Mapper: So you run the King's Deer tavern, Which is in Stonekeep, I've always known there to be a tavern there but I remember it as a Villa. When was this changed? Were you always the owner?

Carolyn: The King's Deer has seen many changes but hasn't been a villa since at least 2005. Over the last couple of years it's seen alternative uses such as a meeting hall but is now back to being a tavern, with its most recent design taking place earlier this year.

Carolyn only took over the reigns of The King's Deer upon its recent redevelopment but the property is still and always will be Guardsmen Militia owned. In character the management always lease the property from Stonekeep.

Mapper: I visited the King's Deer this morning, I've been around a few taverns, Its certainly a small and cosy tavern, Is this a good thing? Or would you have liked it to be a little larger?

Carolyn: It needs to be small and cozy for it to work I think. Although it would be nice to have a little more space to work with, we can always expand out into the road if necessary for larger events.

The cozy feel works in its favour and whilst the militia would prefer it to be seedier and dirtier it works well enough in its current state.

Mapper: Would you say the tavern is the central location of Stonekeep in the evenings? Or is there another building most people locate?

Carolyn: The exterior of the tavern is pretty central to Stonekeep. Everyone's always stood around the outside and loitered nearby when on duty for as long as Stonekeep's been in existence, when off-duty the tavern is definitely where most activity will take place.

Mapper: Last question, A little different, Kingdom Reborn, Do you play it? What do you think of it?

Carolyn: I don't but that's more down to being stuck in my ways. I prefer the interface of 2d it's simplistic and easy to use and I'm not so willing to learn how to play UO all over again. KR's okay. To me the graphics aren't nearly as terrible as some people make out and I quite like the look of it but not enough to try and play UO through it.

Mapper: And that's all, I thank you verrrrry much! :-P

A big thank you to Carolyn for taking time to answer my questions, Please do check out the tavern, Pop round in the evening! Ill bet you you'll find activity!

- Establishment of the Week - The Guardsmen Militia and their home 'Stonekeep'.

The original plan this week was 'The King's Deer' but I thought about it and seeing as its the last episode before the recap. I thought id do 'Stonekeep' also.

Stonekeep, Located near Yew in Trammel is a role-playing guild town. The guild being 'The Guardsmen Militia'. They have many houses throughout the area and most can be identified with the house sign looking like these > .

Stonekeep can be entered from a road coming from Yew, A screenshot below shows their man made road.

Entrance to Stonekeep.

Along the road you will see buildings liking off, For example the Church. Seen below.

Stonekeep Church

At the end of the barrel road you will meet up to a mud road which is Stonekeep. The tavern can be seen below.

The Stonekeep main road.

Near the tavern you will find the Stone Citadel. As seen below. This building is NOT open to civilians.

The Stone Citadel.

Like I mentioned in the King Deer article, Their website can be found at http://www.guvadan.net/guardsmen/ with a handmade map on their website found here.

To end this article I managed to dig around and find some old photos of a battle between the Guardsmen Militia & Baronship of Cove and a few guilds of Trinsic. I was there at the time as a guard in the Duchy of Trinsic. The guardsmen in the metal at the front are from Guardsman Militia, The brown uniforms are Baronship of cove. Here are the photos:

Here is another fight photo.

- This Weeks News

WINTERLAND! Yes that's right, In the Five On Friday found here, We were told the following:

Very soon (tomorrow, probably) you will see Test Center 1 take on a new identity - Winterland. In Winterland, there are a number of entertainments for all to enjoy:

A fully decorated Britain with decked out halls
- Snow has fallen, and the rivers are iced over
- Warm fires to gather around
- A giant holiday tree
Unlimited charges fireworks wands for all, for 2D and KR
A small fair in Magincia featuring a variety of games
- A "hit the bell with the hammer" tower
- Shoot the dartboard
- Find the coin under the cup
Team-based snowball wars
- Gate leads to waiting area from the West Britain Bank
- A dynamic arena creates randomized battlegrounds
- Up to 32 players per game
- Games last 15 minutes
- Points are awarded and scores are kept for top players

In other news, We also have a new Director of Community, Welcome Bob! Read the full story here.

- Next Weeks Events

Next week we have the usual events of Leto's Auction and Lottery, Check below for full details.

Leto's Auction, Wednesday 12th of December at 7pm, 181st Edition. Location at their website, www.europa-auction.com
Leto's Lottery, Wednesday 12th of December, After the auction at 8:30pm, 17th Edition!. Check out their website for details, link above.

- Test Centre - Winter Wonderland Previews

Check out the test center called 'Winterland' to see what's coming on real shards soon!


	- Super Stratics Saturday's & Sunday's - THE LINK Want to read all the previous SSS's but can't find them in the forums? CLICK HERE to see the archive.

- Screenshot Sunday

Coming to Europa soon! WINTER WONDER LAND!!

Join us next week for the 10th SSS where we will recap all the previous interviews, establishments and shops!

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Valyn Finally Acquires A Full Storage Plot
Posted on Saturday, December 8, 2007, 8:27 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Valyn Finally Acquires A Full Storage Plot Keeping in the genre of my articles this week I am featuring the holiday decorated plot owned by Valyn. Valyn going by many different character names including Darius the tailor recently acquired her/his first full storage plot. For all designers this is a dream come true. Cuttings ones teeth on a small plot can be a great challenge and learning experience preparing one for the dream large plot. For many a 18 x 18 is a fantasy, I know it was for me but any large plot gives more freedom and options in design and decor. In the spirit of the holiday Valyn has dedicated this newly acquired plot to the season of winter and Santa. With all floors decorated we acknowledge her time and talents here. To visit this plot in the realm the cords are 79o 11'S, 34o 1'E
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Mysterious Developments Overnight in Magincia
Posted on Saturday, December 8, 2007, 11:55 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Good morning, citizens of Pacific. It would appear that there have been some interesting developments overnight concerning the damaged moongate near what remains of the city of Magincia on both facets. Reports flooded in late last night from sources in Trammel and Felucca claiming that the state of the moongate had somehow been altered and that, while behaving unpredictably and erratically at best, it was functioning once again. We sent one of our reporters to the Felucca facet to investigate, and he brings that story to you now. Feralis? "Thank you, Sheridan and greetings, Pacific... As reported, it would indeed appear as if the moongate in Magincia has undergone some sort of transformation overnight and is beginning to show signs of recovery after the devastating attacks sustained during the demon invasion. Many feared that, in the wake of the final battle with the Rift Guardians, the moongate's magics had been weakened so far that it would never recover. There may now be a glimmer of hope that all is not lost... "When I first arrived on the scene, the surrounding forest was eerily quiet. The townsfolk were keeping their distance, perhaps engrossed in their own tasks of beginning the rebuilding process of the city... or perhaps fearing a rift would reopen and the invasion would once again commence. On approaching the blackened clearing and noting that the remains of the Rift Guardians' stone pillars seemed untouched, my gaze rested on the moongate itself. As the initial field reports had mentioned, the moongate was now a different color. Gone was the ominous and even angry maroon hue from two nights ago, now replaced by a more soothing indigo blue." "It wasn't quite the cheery glow we are all accustomed to, but it was a start. I approached the moongate closer and reached my hand towards the portal. We had not been able to pass into the portal at all following the victory against the demons, so I was quite surprised when I felt the warm tingle of the moongate's magic as my hand passed through. The magic was weak, but I could feel that it was gaining strength. Holding my breath, I took a hesitant step and then plunged into the portal. I was unable to see a clear destination at first so I attempted to concentrate on the moongate at Skara Brae. Immediately, I grew dizzy and disoriented which lasted for several moments as swirls of light and color flashed in my swimming vision. Suddenly, and without ceremony, I felt myself ejected from the portal and thrown to the ground. I stood to brush myself off and, expecting to open my eyes upon the devastated Magincia landscape, imagine my shock when instead I was greeted by the familiar forests of Yew!" I stared around wide-eyed for a minute or two before collecting my composure and recalling back to the docks at Trinsic. Something was nagging me at the very back of my mind. I simply had to go back... As the ferry slowly made its way back towards Magincia, I began to remember snippets of what I had seen inside the moongate. I recalled seeing fleeting glimpses of each town's gate among the swirling chaos. Yet... there was something else in the lights and colors, but I could only vaguely make it out. It was a room. Or not quite, but a pocket of space somewhere... with glittering tiles on the floors and empty, inky blackness surrounding it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before but I had to be sure it wasn't just my imagination. "Before long, once again I stood before the moongate, holding my breath... only this time, with the image of that mysterious room centered in the forefront of my mind. The magics of the moongate seemed stronger now and the chaos was far less disorienting. I concentrated with all my will on that cold void... the swirling lights dimmed, flickered and faded out completely. I had made it through!" "I fell forward on my knees in shock. The void was hauntingly beautiful, yet the magical energy here was oppressive, almost suffocating... my eyes began to water and just before I lost consciousness, some other force expelled me from that ethereal void and dumped me at the Chamber of Virtue in the City of Britain!" "I was shaken to my core... and, having enough of being jostled around from city to city decided to retire for a much needed nap. I urge all of you who decide to investigate this phenomenon yourself, be careful. The moongate seems to be well on its way to recovering, yet it is still unpredictable in where it sends you! Should you find yourself in that ethereal void, perhaps you will fare better than I. A cousin of mine (with a much more stout constitution than I, I might add) managed to revisit the void several times in an attempt to study it and discovered he could clear his mind enough to mark a rune for each of us. I will carry this rune with me should anyone else wish to visit the place without having to take a whirl on the moongate roulette. Just flag myself, Feralis Soulbane or my dear cousin, Kendrik Soulbane down should you see us and we'll be happy to provide you with a gate. A note of warning, if I may... I do not know if both our Trammel and Felucca facets lead to the same room in space or if there is a seperate one for each, but our runes bear distinct Feluccan markings. Be prepared should you take our gate to the void... there may be unpleasantries awaiting you on the other side once word begins to spread... "Oh, and one more thing... Should anyone discover anything that may be of importance or stumble upon some tidbit of information that might aid us in understanding the purpose of the void, let Sheridan know via the winds (ICQ or forums PM) and he will surely spread the word to the rest of Pacific. A thousand heads surely are far greater than one! Fairest of travels to you all..." As Feralis said, send any info you would like to have shared with the rest of Pacific, along with any artistic renditions you might have captured to me via the winds. Best of luck everyone! -Sheridan
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Faces of Felucca: Link
Posted on Saturday, December 8, 2007, 11:12 AM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here again, folks. I bet you are getting tired of me at this point! I've one two quick interviews with a couple of pretty cool guilds in VIP and LGN, but what about the people who wander Felucca that aren't the guild master of a guild? With that thought process churning in my head, I decided to bring in another little segment that I like to call, "Faces of Felucca". I will be bringing you interviews with some of the more well known players that wander through Felucca! After I go through all of those, I will toss some of the lessor known guys into the fire! It will be great. I hope you all enjoy it. Our first Face of Felucca is the great Link! Want to know a bit more about Link? Read below and discover! ==================================================== Erickson Yates: Lets start easy. What guild, if any, are you rocking these days? Link: Since late 2002 I have been a member of and only of HOT Guild. Come to think of it, I must have already past my 5th anniversary a couple months ago. Erickson Yates: Should random blues in Felucca be worried when they see you? Link: Not really. I don't kill mindlessly unless I am on my PK. Erickson Yates: I want a serious answer here, not the HOT board ego stuff. How good of a pvp'er are you? Would you rank yourself in say, the top ten on Atlantic? Link: Despite what some others will claim, I am a very good PVPer. But not the best and have ever claimed to be. I'm definitely not in the top 10. If I had to guess I would say better than 90-95% of all players. Erickson Yates: There are always duels that happen for big money. Have you taken part in any of those? Link: Most of the people who are involved in such duels are either plain out better than me or use cheap tactics which are incompatible with my play style. I have never switched over to the post-AOS style of weaken-weaken-weaken dueling. Erickson Yates: Any pet peeves about the way pvp'ers are seen by the general public? Link: Not really. A developer interview recently revealed that 25% of people play UO solely to PVP, so I believe that the "general public" (over 50% of players) are actually PVPers. But most people don't realize that. Erickson Yates: Last person you beat one on one? Last person who beat you one on one? Link: I just got back to playing UO regularly with the Magincia Invasion. There really hasn't been a lot of 1 on 1 action in that area. Erickson Yates: Who gives you the biggest challenge in a one on one fight? Link: I have a difficult time handling warriors or tank mages with deadly poison. Erickson Yates: Which would you rather rock? A one on one duel, a Despise Bridge battle, or a Yew Gate free for all? Link: A Despise bridge battle. Group PVP is a lot more interesting for me, which is why I wish dearly the developers would spend time on a group PVP system like Factions. Dueling is fine to see who is the better, but Yew gate is just a test to see who can gank the best. Erickson Yates: What do you do on UO when you aren't out owning up Felucca? Link: Just about anything. Right now I am working on organizing all my rubble and perhaps reopening my Tokono museum. Erickson Yates: Obviously you run around as Link in Sosaria, but is there a name that people that are regulars on Stratics might know you as? Link: Perhaps they have seen someone on Stratics that goes by the name "JC the Builder". That is I. JC was a character I built years ago and thought was going to be my main. But then I made a mage named Link and suddenly he was the character I played the most. Furthermore, JC are my initials and the builder part came about because UO disallows the use of carpenter in your name. Erickson Yates: Would that not make you head of the UOGuide.com team then? Link: I suppose it would. Erickson Yates: Any inside tips you want to share with us from the guide? Help out the poor people of the shard? Link: UOGuide is turning into a fantastic resource for UO players on many subjects. There are now over 1,500 pages of information and it is still growing. The best tip I can give is to go check it out if you have not already and if you know about something in UO not on the site, please consider making a contribution. Erickson Yates: For anyone not in the know, what is it you do for the H0T guild? Link: I am one of the council members. We deal with everyday issues such as recruitment, mitigating disputes among members and finding storage for our huge piles of gold. Normal stuff. Erickson Yates: Are you an active player? Or do you rock it part-time? Link: I am rather active at the moment. As I already mentioned, the Maginica Invasion really got me interested in playing again. Before that I have hardly logged in since May of this year. Erickson Yates: Anything you want to add? Want the people to know? Link: There has been a lot of debate and rumors about whether I am a man or woman. All I have to say is I've run out of time to answer anymore questions. =================================================== No pictures of our good friend Link this time, ladies and gentlemen! Next up on the list is Paithan the Elf of the Very Important Players! Think you deserve to be one of the Faces of Felucca? Well, hunt me down at Yew Gate and state your case! With that, I bid you all a good day. This is Erickson Yates, and all I have lefto say is: Let your deaths be few, and bank be filled with other's insurance gold!
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The Fate Of Two Cities
Posted on Saturday, December 8, 2007, 8:38 AM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
The Fate Of Two Cities By Chango The final battle for Magincia brought out the best and worst of our shard. Motivations varied from person to person as well as desired results. With powerful Guardians of the Rift on both Facets, we would need to pool our talents and team up for the defense of Magincia. Trammel In the Tram Facet, the Guardians were being dealt with while others took care of the Berserkers that protected the Guardians. These beast were having little problem with the defenders. Teamwork would prevail though. With most putting aside their lust for treasures in order to care for each other and put a final end to the invading force. The death count continued to climb, but the end was in site so the fighters marched on. The final guardian was defeated and what was left of the island was saved. The moongate remains damaged at this time and an investigation will begin soon, but the defenders did well in saving this City from death. There were scraps of black rock thrown everywhere from these Guardians. This same loot was sought after by those with motivations other than saving Magincia. Others thought it best to share this exotic and mostly unknown stone with others. Barney Rubble saw to it that stones were passed around for others to keep. I think more then our City was saved this day. At least in the Tram Facet... Felucca On the Felucca Facet, the fight was a much different fight from both sides. Deals were made from the invaders, to certain followers of the dark paths to protect the island from defenders. Four of the Rift Guardians were destroyed, but the remaining four had more then enough help. Two defenders made it through to attempt ending the invasion. Man's Goddess [VaMp] Masta Blasta were doing well against a Guardian until the twang of a bow was heard. Phoenix [-62-] could not finish his task of stopping the defenders so his arrows fell on me. Death seems to embrace me everywhere I go like an old friend. Though death did not discourage these defenders, the hindrance prevented damage dealt to the Guardians. With no unity or larger assembly of defenders, the Fel city of Magincia was doomed. A voice was heard in the land... "End It" was all it said. And with that the Guardians vanished leaving nothing behind but a dead moongate. The landscape is removed of all plant and tree life showing the truth of our fair city being lost. Maybe in time we will be able to make this right, but for now, it is lost. With the dead moongate and docks destroyed, the only way to reach the island on the Fel Facet is by sailing. As soon as information on the Trammel moongate and Black Rift Sphere is brought to light, we will update you as well. Thanks to all who made this event fun and showed this shard can work together while doing it. Special thanks to Paul Harvey for pics and updates while fighting the battle.
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Phosphorescence Spreads Some Red and Green Holiday Cheer At Brit Bank
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 8:51 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Holiday colors are showing up at the Brit Bank .~ Phosphorescence handing out red and green designer made clothing at the Brit Bank spreading some holiday cheer That stalwart location of gathering, the Brit Bank, was very busy this evening even though Doom seemed to be overcrowded with hungry warriors, tamers and mages eager for the motherlode of arti's. As a Luna resident I rarely bank in Brit but once or twice a month I journey to see what there is to see there. What prices for which items are going for these days and more importantly, are the regular banksitters still a sittin. To my delight my eye caught a more than usual amount of red and green on characters. Ahhhhh....the holidays are indeed upon us. Phosphorescence, recently featured in Lady Lava's Questionnaire, was not only handing out red and green clothing made by herself but also decorating with it, bringing even more holiday color to the environment. In the spirit of the season she has good wishes for all. In the short period of time at this center of commerce, gossip and flirtation I ran into several old friends including Spanky. He has been missing from the Obituary Column of late and I inquired why to learn both school and work has kept him away. Below are a few of the bankers in seasonal color from this evenings visit. I always have a weakness for jewel tones and that red, green and purple combination that Farrah has on in the screenshot above. Not that I wear it often but it is always a treat to my eyes either in the realm or in art. I will never forget that red, green and purple outfit Princess Diana wore to India getting amazing amounts of press on purpose to annoy the Prince. Several more holiday decorated plots have come my way for a future article today. Please keep them coming.
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Common Area Etiquette
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 8:45 PM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
I decided to venture to Delucia to look for some of my guild mates. I could not but be amazed at the were multitude of candelabras in the road. Now if a crafter did it, great, people need to work skill however there is a way to do so and not block entrances of public buildings such as banks. For example, dumping them in bags that can be easily thrown away. I consider this rude and said something to the person dropping the candelabras and was told to "go to the side." Needless to say I was not pleased by this response and minutes later the person did clear a path to the bank door, however the things are still all over the road and common area. I wondered how many recall spots he blocked. I know this may not be a violation of the terms of service but is discourteous to fellow players. In the future though this may be amusing to some, it is not to others. Albeit this is my opinion, but I do know it does irritate other players. Out of respect to other players, please do not do such things. -Ishtar-
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FoF: The QA Team's Special Requests
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 4:57 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: The QA Team's Special Requests Jeremy Dalberg 07 Dec 2007 19:43:05 Today's FoF is a collection of issues that have been coming up in bug reports, and QA wanted to clarify them for everyone. "Why do the Bags of Sending use so many charges?" (Note: This is not the same as Last weeks Question This is about the actual charge-usage calculations) The actual patch note for this is as follows: Bags of sending now use 1 charge per 10 stones of weight, rounded up. (15 stones would use 2 charges, for example) This means that if the item is between 1-10 stones, it uses 1 charge. 11-20 it uses 2, 21-30 it uses 3, etc. We haven't seen any inaccuracies with this formula so far, so we're reasonably confident that it actually works that way. If anyone sees anything different than the above calculation, let us know! "Why am I getting weird, random system messages? Was I hacked?" This was introduced quite a while ago, but it appears that people have forgotten about it, so here's a refresher. I'm not sure it's all that reassuring, but at least you haven't been hacked :) For quite a while, intrepid explorers have been discovering a mysterious substance called "blackrock." There has been considerable interest in this substance, and it has been noted as having unusual , often disturbing effects. One of the effects noted by folk working in close contact with the substance has been a propensity to hear voices, even receive instructions, from thin air. No one yet knows if this is a curable condition, or if it is merely an early symptom of a deeper affliction... "Why can I not heal my large pet in KR?" We've found an issue with healing range with certain pets in KR - right now, you have to stand on top of a dragon to heal it successfully. We will be expanding the range for large pets so tamers don't get stepped on quite as often :P "Why can't I use all the items in UO when I'm playing KR?" This seems to be a point of confusion on several levels - the client you use is not tied to your account at all, so you don't have any extra expansion packs in KR that you wouldn't have in 2D. If you don't have the Mondain's Legacy expansion pack, for example, you won't be able to use ML-only recipes or weapons, and you won't be able to make an elf - no matter which client you use. The trial code on the KR page only offers AoS content, by the way - SE items and lands and ML items and lands won't be available. "Are we getting snow this year?" Not like last year - this year, we're doing things a little differently. Very soon (tomorrow, probably) you will see Test Center 1 take on a new identity - Winterland. In Winterland, there are a number of entertainments for all to enjoy: A fully decorated Britain with decked out halls Snow has fallen, and the rivers are iced over Warm fires to gather around A giant holiday tree Unlimited charges fireworks wands for all, for 2D and KR A small fair in Magincia featuring a variety of games A "hit the bell with the hammer" tower Shoot the dartboard Find the coin under the cup Team-based snowball wars Gate leads to waiting area from the West Britain Bank A dynamic arena creates randomized battlegrounds Up to 32 players per game Games last 15 minutes Points are awarded and scores are kept for top players The Invasion of Magincia is nearly over! There is very little time left to save what can be saved... at 8pm PST, Magincia's fate will be sealed. Hurry, valiant defenders! It's that time of year again where I gather blackmail info for my coworkers at the holiday party, so enjoy your weekend! Jeremy
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Legolas and the New Blood of Yew: Triad Legion
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 2:17 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Good day, folks! Erickson Yates here, your friendly Jester of the night! Been a while since anyone has heard from me, so I thought that I would check in and report some of the things I have discovered! On many of my recent trips through the red gate to the dark lands, I have noticed an ever growing amount of ladies and gentlemen sporting the guild title "LGN", which means Triad Legion. Well, I decided that I wanted to be snoopy, so I went out on my way to hunt down some information about these folks! What I discovered was simple. They were led by a man named Legolas. After much hard work and detective work, I found this Legolas fellow and a few of his mates, and I had a little sit down with them! This is what transpired! *==========================================* Erickson Yates: You were once Legion of War, now you are Triad Legion. Why the change? Legolas:Well for one, L^W was an allied guild with TNF; however, when we decided to end our alliance with TNF, it was decided that I would lead the guild and Nightmare would be my right hand man. We wanted something fresh, new, and not tied in with TNF. Erickson Yates: A lot of the guilds out there in Felucca have certain requirements to join, or they only allow in those they feel worthy to join. So if someone new to PvP came to you, would they be able to join? Legolas: Absolutely they could join us with no problems. I am trying to get more people actively playing this game again and having fun doing it. If I run this guild with too much force the members become unhappy. This is a pvp guild, but we are working on alliances with a few select tram guilds as well because all of my members don't like to just pvp and with more people we can do more things Erickson Yates: So you are willing to help teach those new to Felucca community how to best approach pvping? *Legolas: Actually, we have people that are willing to help train anyone new to player versus player. We can also help them get set up so that they may compete.* Erickson Yates: Felucca is a place where respect has to be earned. Do you think the other guilds that we consider regulars to Felucca respect your guild? Legolas: At the moment, I don't think we are at that level yet; however, a lot of Felucca people have been waiting on me to leave TNF and form my own guild for months now. Since we've been gone from TNF we've had a good number of alliance requests. Not many know the guild yet, but a lot of people know the characters that are in it and they know me. Erickson Yates: Triad Legion is pretty new to the scene. Do you guys think you have the staying power to compete with the big boys and girls that currently populate the PvP scene? *Legolas: Yes, I do. We have a good base group of chars that have been pvping for a good while now. We've been through Felucca when we have everyone on and killed everything in our path. Erickson Yates: What can Triad Legion bring to the table that the other guilds, lets say LNR, VIP, or even DEI, cannot offer to people? Legolas: That question is very easy. We are a Felucca guild of honor. We do not have scammers or hackers or disloyal people. We stand together and we have fun together as a group not as a select few barking orders to do something. Those of us in Triad Legion are friends from way back that have stuck together and will remain together. Erickson Yates: Are you guys an all around Felucca guild? (Such as, champs, Yew Gate, raiding, etc.) Legolas: We will be soon. We havent finished moving some of our chars or people from other guilds into this one yet. On top of that there are a good many people that will be joining us soon so as soon as our numbers are up a little more yes we will be doing everything. We have the ability and knowledge of this game to do it now but we are waiting until our numbers are up to be safer about it and we are making a lot of friends in Felucca guilds to back us on it Erickson Yates: Lets say that I am a guy at the Big Brit Bank who is interested in getting into a pvp guild. Convince me to join the Triad Legion using your best sales pitch. Legolas: I don't do sales pitches to be honest. I believe the guild speaks for itself. However, if I were to say something to you, this is what it would be: If you are looking for a pvp guild full of friends to go out and have fun and enjoy this game to its fullest and always have people to help you and teach you. Then come and join us, and lets have some fun together Erickson Yates: How does one go about getting a hold of you to join up? You guys rocking a web site or anything along those lines? Legolas: You can visit our forums at:* *www.createforum.com/legionofwar* You can also always find someone from LGN in Felucca Yew or around Trammel at the banks. You can also contact me over ICQ at 453430343. Erickson Yates: Anything else we need to know or that you want to add? Legolas: I've been in this game for a long time now, and I'm seeing people leaving guilds or leaving the game because they are bored or their isn't doing enough for them to stay entertained. This is something we are trying to stop. We started this guild to have fun. We are looking for other guilds to ally with in Felucca and Trammel so that there are always people on to play this game. We want people to have a good time no matter which play style you prefer. We are also looking for people that want to help others no matter what the case. We want people that are willing to teach others about this game and everything thats transpires within. If we have more people playing together, we will all be having fun, and maybe, just MAYBE, people who have long since quit will come back and partake in our fun and excitement. *==========================================* *==========================================* Well, folks, that is all I have for today! I will go back to work getting information! Until then, let your deaths be few, and bank be filled with other's insurance gold!
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C.D. & D. Coming Up
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 7:10 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Happy Holidays to you Miss Vanna, I have marked monday in my "At A Glance" book and will indeed be there to see the castle decked out in all the holiday trimmings. To answer your question if I have been a good girl this year. Well........ as you know my dear I have a new man in my life so I would say naughty-good, lol. Maybe just good. I must say good as I am hoping Santa slips a little something from Tiffany's under my tree. Cartier and Prada would not be bad either. Ta ta for now. See you monday. Fondly, Lava
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Dead Eyes Diary - Magincia Rift Gate
Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007, 12:50 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)
A Page in the Diary of Dead Eye the Pirate Arrrrrrrrrrrrr! Shiver me timbers! So whats an old salty sea-dog supposed to be doin to earn some coin these days? That’s what oi be thinking to meself so oi thinks well mebbe oi can go ter Magincia in Felucca and turn me hand to spoiyin and makes me some cash to boiy me a new ship loike. Oim sure that them feluccans are ready fer a deal one way or another so old Dead Eye will go ter see. Well blow me! What ifn the city aint in ruins! Blowed apart loike! I meets up with some nice folk from a guild called Wraiths and Woy who is troyin to save this city! Mebbe oi can help loike. Well then what this deamin jumps me and knocks me cold! These is the noice people oi saw there em was Jason, Gandalf [he seemed familiar loike with em beard and wizardy hat loike] They wus foightin hard and winnin the battle it seemed to me killin all sorts of big nasty fings – rift guardians em was called and demin bearzerkairs or summat. Then them murderin banjo boys turned up from NDK – Apache always lookin cool and some ovvers whos names I didn’t catch. Well it was all goin well and them was foightin and ragin when em NDK spotted me and oi took a few dirt naps! Foinally oi was takin me weary bones back to a tavern fer a few jugs o cider when oi happen across Nazgul eatin soil himself! I drew a pickture and here it be! Apologies my uojourn.txt wasn't working last night otherwise I would have mentioned more characters by name - please let me know if you were there last night and how things turned out!
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Origin Clears Magicina-Felluca Facet
Posted on Thursday, December 6, 2007, 10:17 PM EST by Larisa (Origin)
After tirelessly fighting throughout the day, D/Cyn finally cleared Fel Magincia, taking down the last Rift Guardian just before midnight central time. Congradulations Origin! Magincia has been saved....or has it? Tomorrow we'll find out how Origin fared in the battle of Magincia....peace be with you Originals.
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Guild Spotlight: Leather Neck Raiders (LNR)
Posted on Thursday, December 6, 2007, 11:05 AM EST by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Due to popular demand, I thought it would be great to learn about one of the Felucca based guilds that is well known on the Shard. So with my trusty paper and quill, I ventured to Felucca to find Obsidian Knight and ask him some questions about his guild. He was more than happy to answer them for me and tell me about the Leather Neck Raiders (LNR: Can you tell me a little bit about what your guild does? The Leather Neck Raiders are a Felucca based guild who enjoy everything that Ultima Online has to offer. We love doing dungeon crawls and Trammel quests, but our primary focus is on the champ spawn and pvp aspects of the game. Our guild unites both of these types of players and creates an atmosphere that anyone can enjoy themselves, and have fun in. What do you think is the most appealing thing about LNR? The most appealing feature of the Leather Neck Raiders would have to be our willingness to bring in new members and show them the ropes. What I mean by that is, a lot of your Felucca based guilds only recruit those players that they will be assured to get a win with. Most guilds only go after people who have played the game a long time and for someone who they will not have to tutor, or teach how to play. We pride ourselves in helping create players who will play a productive role in the Ultima Online community even after they learn from us and possibly leave our guild. I know your guild has over 200 members, how do you manage a guild that size? We manage a guild over 200 members and we have for quite some time now. This could only be possible with strong and intelligent leadership. The people I have put in place to help me run the guild are the most intelligent and knowledgeable individuals to ever play Ultima Online. Not only are they themselves successful UO players but they have all succeeded in real life as well. Our administration is hands down the smartest group assembled to run a guild in the game. What do you look for in a recruit? All the Leather Neck Raiders are looking for in a recruit is honesty. You can be the most seasoned veteran or a guy who just bought the game, and it makes no difference to us. Honesty and I guess you could add a little sense of humor and you can go a long way in the Leather Neck Raiders. A lot of guilds come and go, what do you thin is the reason that you have lasted for so many years? Our longevity again can be directly attributed to the intellect of the individuals who founded LNR, and to the ones put in place by me to help run LNR now. The only thing that I can think of to compare it to, would be the founding fathers of the United States. You have to have some vision and some foresight to make any establishment last for a long period of time. In the Leather Neck Raiders we have that vision. I know a lot of your members are primarily based in Felucca, how does that impact LNR? Most of our members are Felucca based, that is true. This helps provide us with the red characters that we need to compete in Felucca at the champ spawns and in a pvp setting. We raid spawns being done by other guilds. In order to do this and to defend our own champ spawns, you have to have a sufficient amount of the red player killer type characters. They can't live in Trammel that's for sure. What makes LNR different from other large guilds that do a lot in Felucca? Most of your other so called Felucca based guilds are not really Felucca based guilds at all. They are ran by Trammies who are more or less Trammel based players. They only come to Felucca on special occasions like a guild preplanned champ spawn or pvp event. There are very few, if any, Felucca based guilds in existence on Atlantic. The only one that I can think of was actually started by former LNR members trying to make a name for themselves. That is probably the only reason that they are still around, because of what they learned from us while in LNR as far as structure is concerned. How have the changes with templates and armor affected your players? As with any good guild if you want to survive in Ultima Online then you have to learn to adapt. No one does this better than the Leather Neck Raiders. New templates come out, new items surface, and bam! there is LNR at the forefront, adapting and dominating. Where do you think the future of your guild is headed? The sky is the limit with the Leather Neck Raiders. LNR will be around long after the game cease's to exist. Ultima Online may only last a few more years. Who knows? But the friendships and camaraderie in LNR will last a lifetime. We have some exciting things planned for the guild in 2008. I think all of our members, and members to be, will be glad they are in the Leather Neck Raiders, that's for sure! What else would you like people to know about LNR? I would like for everyone to know that the Leather Neck Raiders care about you, and we care about you having fun. Not everyone in today's hustle and bustle world has the time to sit down and enjoy some online gaming. When you do, you do not want to feel like you've just wasted 30 minutes or a few hours of your time, doing nothing. If you aren't having fun in Ultima Online, or in whatever else you do to try and relax, then check out the Leather Neck Raiders. We have made so many people think that their lives are more worth while. You will never want to leave the Leather Neck Raiders. If you do you will be a happier, smarter, more educated, contributing member of society. The Leather Neck Raiders are Ultima Online. You can visit us at www.lnrguild.com. Have a wonderful day and God Bless! Thank you Obsidian Knight for taking the time to let me pick your brain. You were a great host, and I enjoyed the tour you gave me and the introductions to some of your guys!
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Stratics Forum Avatars have gotten BIGGER
Posted on Thursday, December 6, 2007, 7:58 AM EST by Joshua Rowan (NetworkNews)
In case you haven't noticed...Stratics Forum Avatars have gotten BIGGER. That's right. We've increased the file dimensions for avatars to 100x100. Be sure to check it out and upgrade your avatars today! Enjoy! ~~Kayhynn Stratics PR Coordinator.
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Magincia Rejoices as Trammel and Felucca Invasion Forces Vanquished
Posted on Thursday, December 6, 2007, 2:46 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Magincia Rejoices as Trammel and Felucca Invasion Forces Vanquished The citizens of Pacific might get their first restful night of sleep in over a month thanks to the efforts of both the Royal Britannian Guard in Trammel and the Empire of the Fallen Lords in Felucca as the endless waves of invading demons on both facets were brought to an abrupt and violent end Tuesday morning. The brutal month-long standoff between the defenders of Magincia and the marauding demon army had been continually escalating in intensity before finally reaching a late night climax when the mysterious dark rift towers at the moongate on both facets simultaneously detonated without warning. Citizens as far away as Jhelom and Vesper reported seeing a brilliant flash of light in the sky coming from the general direction of Magincia and those who were yet closer described a deafening explosion, one which hurled gigantic chunks of the ruined pillar across the nearby landscape for eager collectors to make a mad dash for. Some concerned citizens and Defenders that were present during the battles have even begun to speculate that the chunks of pillars are blackrock, but nothing has yet to be confimed at this time. It was confirmed that at various points of the evening's battles, small pieces of blackrock turned up near the moongate. One thing is for certain, however... we find blackrock yet again at the heart of a frightening cataclysmic event. In response to the startling phenomenon, Sosarian forces assembled quickly and battled into the wee hours of the morning in both Trammel and Felucca. Cheers were raised as the Defenders stormed the island to greet head-on whatever the newest threat to their beloved homeland might be. We caught up with a local Magincian artist on the Felucca facet who made some stunningly beautiful renditions of what he witnessed that night and told us, in captions, of his harrowing experience. "I couldn't believe my eyes as I debarked from the Trinsic ferry and stealthily headed down the docks towards town. There before me, standing boldly at the edge of the forest, was one of the daemon army's generals, or at least something that looked like one. Something was wrong with this one. And it took but a moment more to realize why... the berserker had succumbed to blackrock infection! I moved away quickly, further into the city to escape only to encounter yet another!" "The entire city lay ominously quiet, completely empty of any presence that was not sporting a Fallen Lords banner. As I quietly made my way towards the moongate, I found myself face to face with not only the most lethal and powerful combination of demons I have ever encountered in my long lifetime, but also a tightly bunched group of Fallen Lords embroiled in battle." "The murderous group was only a short distance from the now corrupted moongate. The lifeless portal was surrounded by eight Rifts, all of which were crackling and glowing with supernatural energy, each one protected by its own Guardian and curtain of magical flames. The unholy fires seemed to empower the Rift Guardians with the ability to summon fearsome daemon berserkers to their aid! These berserkers moved with blinding speed and struck with deadly force, often killing with but a single blow! It was most terrifying, I assure you!" "After what seemed like hours, the vastly overwhelming numbers of daemon berserkers finally began to thin out and allowed the Fallen Lords to focus on a single Guardian at a time. With the playing field leveled by words of power that extinguished the flames, it was only a matter of time before the defenders gained some ground and managed to dismantle and seal the Rifts one-by-one by defeating their hellish Guardians. As each General was felled, his Rift would expire in a flash of energy and light, spewing bits of blackrock in all directions before finally winking out of existence. At long last, the final Guardian was slain, his Rift permanently sealed off and the hardfought battle for control of Magincia in Felucca was over. One final surge of pure light energy destroyed what was left of the Rift platform and again grievously altered the magical moongate. No longer was it corrupted nor shadowy grey, but instead wavered bleakly and damaged severely. We fear that it is quite possibly beyond repair. I'd never seen anything like it!" While it was human and elven perserverance, teamwork, and willpower that ultimately won the day for both Trammel and Felucca, it is the city itself and her streets in which they so bravely and so desperately battled that bears the scars of these fights... scars that may never heal. I would ask that citizens and Defenders alike give thanks to all who fought to release Magincia from the demonic horde's invasion and to take a moment to remember those that perhaps did not make it.
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Great Lakes / Catskills Holiday Decor
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 9:25 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Catskills / Great Lakes Holiday Decor Less than twenty four hours after I posted an article about holiday trees and holiday decor (on Catskills and Great Lakes Shards) the links, PMs and emails started flowing in. As a reporter for both shards certain topics apply to both and on several occasions I have posted the same article on both shard News, changing just a few lines or screenshots. Holiday decorating has been popular on all shards since the birth of our realms. Today I feature submissions from both Catskills and Great Lakes from the 2007 season. My plans are to publish at least one more, maybe two articles before months end featuring the seasons decor. I have a handful of vintage images from years gone by that will also be featured. All decoraters know it takes time and/or talent to trim plots for holidays and I have always felt it was nice to reward these efforts with a little coverage on the News. If you have a new or vintage screenshot please send it my way. If your skills or time are limited PM me (or reply to this post) with the name of the plot and directions. Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all ! Catskills MOA Ice Castle / Great Lakes MOA Ice Castle / Great Lakes MOP Guild House and Vendor Mall / Catskills lady michelle's of Great Lakes MOP Guild East Luna Shop / Catskills W-R Library / Great Lakes Catskills MOA Auction House / Great Lakes
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Catskills / Great Lakes Holiday Decor
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 9:23 PM EST by Lady Lava (Catskills)
Catskills / Great Lakes Holiday Decor Less than twenty four hours after I posted an article about holiday trees and holiday decor (on Catskills and Great Lakes Shards) the links, PMs and emails started flowing in. As a reporter for both shards certain topics apply to both and on several occasions I have posted the same article on both shard News, changing just a few lines or screenshots. Holiday decorating has been popular on all shards since the birth of our realms. Today I feature submissions from both Catskills and Great Lakes from the 2007 season. My plans are to publish at least one more, maybe two articles before months end featuring the seasons decor. I have a handful of vintage images from years gone by that will also be featured. All decoraters know it takes time and/or talent to trim plots for holidays and I have always felt it was nice to reward these efforts with a little coverage on the News. If you have a new or vintage screenshot please send it my way. If your skills or time are limited PM me (or reply to this post) with the name of the plot and directions. Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all ! Catskills MOA Ice Castle / Great Lakes MOA Ice Castle / Great Lakes MOP Guild House and Vendor Mall / Catskills lady michelle's of Great Lakes MOP Guild East Luna Shop / Catskills W-R Library / Great Lakes Catskills MOA Auction House / Great Lakes
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The Final Rift Guardian Falls!
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 8:38 PM EST by Halister Marner (Atlantic)
rom what looked like a daunting task that no force in Felucca would undertake, the blackrock infected Rift Guardian stood resistant to every effort to dislodge it from Magincia's corrupted moongate. However, tonight was the exception, here is the news from JC the Builder: At 10:25PM Eastern on December 5 the final Rift Guardian in Magincia Felucca was defeated with a thunderous explosion. The HOT Guild valiantly fought the infected blackrock creature for over an hour. In the final moments, they were assaulted by Divide Et Impera, but like the guardian they too fell to our superior might. The Atlantic community can rest easy tonight knowing that no demon master will have a foothold on our shard. Link Council Member of HOT Guild www.hot-guild.com Congratulations to HOT for clearing this menace, and congratulations to Atlantic for stopping the deamon invasion of Magincia, even if it did cost us dearly... Imprimatur ~ Halister Marner ~
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Christmas Container Art Contest
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 3:47 PM EST by Paul Harvey (LakeAustin)
Hello fellow Sosarians, Do you have a talent of decorating? Do you have some containers that are balnd and need some holiday cheer? Then this is what you've been waiting for. The Gentlemen of Fortune are proud to sponsor the Lake Austin Christmas container art contest! Rules: 1. You may use any in-game container to hold your art design. We will be displaying your art at the GOF Tavern for all to see. Every effort will be made to return the containers and artwork after the judging. 2. Designs may be created using any item in the game, just be sure to use a Christmas theme. 3. One entry per person. 4. Place a book with your character name and contact information in the container. Prizes: There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Thus far, we have 2 million gold in the prize fund. Once we have all the contributions to the prize fund (gold and/or other items), we will be able to announce how it will be divided between the winners. How to Submit Your Entry: You may pm either myself (Fran Fury) or Chango here or by icq 331-276-368 You may also see either of us in game. Deadline For Entries: Midnight (Eastern time), Saturday, December 22, 2007 Winners to be announced before Christmas. NOTE: Screenshots of the entries will be posted on Stratics, and we will be using the 2D legacy client for judging and screenies. Good luck and happy designing. This has been Paul Harvey . . . Good Day
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UOForums Interviews Admiral Ruffie Windjammer!
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 2:26 PM EST by Watchertoo (CommunityNews)
We have received this from our friends at UOForums UOForums Interviews Admiral Ruffie Windjammer! The great admiral from The Turbulent Waters was kind enough to answer our users questions. 1) What do you think could be added to the fishing experience to make it more interesting? Quite frankly, a lot. Fishing has been developed by various members of the team over the years as both a resource-gathering and a treasure hunting skill. I think both aspects could be greatly expanded on. As Gem of the FCB has been requesting for years, it's time to change up the pre-chest shipwreck loot. It's been nine years since that stuff was introduced and it has become depressingly common. Other suggestions have come and gone over the years, including fishing up chests of resources instead of treasure (bulk resources are shipped, too, after all). Something needs to be done to give regular fishers something rare and valuable to sell - the fabled fishing nets Leurocian gave us a few years ago were a good start, as the high-end artifacts (ghost ship anchor, sea horse statuettes) that they lead to are still good and rare. 2) How do you feel about the treasure you receive after a long day of fishing? (Is it fair? Do we deserve more loot?) Again, it's a very old system, and while it can add up to some profit for the persistant fisher, let's face it - what's in those chests is mostly smeltable junk. It's not fair or consistant with other ways to make gold in the game, and while I don't think fishers deserve more loot, I think they deserve more variety in the loot they get, so something really, truly, awesome comes up once in a great while (through the SOS chests, not just the fabled nets). 3) What type of fishing monsters would you like to see? By fishing monsters, I assume you mean sea monsters? I've long been a proponent of that one. There have been over 200 new land and dungeon based monsters added to the game in the last 10 years, but only three for the sea - the deep sea serpent, the kraken, and the leviathan. What's been proposed over the years by myself and others include NPC pirate ships, NPC ghost pirate ships, sirens spawning on temporary islands that lure your tillerman off course, elder dolphins that cast powerful magic and spawn sometimes when you cast a net or fish, jellyfish (using the slime graphic), sea turtles (Hanse once pushed for them), seahorses (supposed to be a part of UO:Third Dawn), the three Tokuno sea monsters that got nixed during the development of the Samurai Empire expansion, and a sea-based champion spawn that occurs at random spots in the ocean. There's a lot of potential there for new sea monsters, we just need a dev team willing to create them. More of the interview can be found on our forums here. Adam UOForums.com
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A Doomed Tale
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 6:46 AM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
A Doomed Tale *By Chango Von Doom* As if putting on a ship race for the shard was not enough, the NIA Alliance hosted a Doom run this Monday. I hadn't been down to the Doom Dungeon in forever so I jumped on board to experience the fun. Most of us are already familiar with the layout, but I really enjoy this dungeon. First, we needed to cross over to the Gauntlet side of the dungeon, and the only way over... IS MORE COWBELL!!! Oh sure, he claims to want a gold skull, but what brings him over in the first place? MORE COW BELL!!! Once on the other side, we headed through the rooms leading to the Dark Father showdowns. Here are some pictures of the different bosses we challenged. And yes, yours truly "tried" to fight along side with my wrestling skills. My death pics didn't turn out so well... I have to be honest, I was too caught up in hiding, staying alive, and trying to heal others in the group to get a run down of best ways to handle each boss. Regardless of what their weaknesses are, this group showed excellent teamwork in finishing them off. And anybody who has been to the Magincia invasion is well aware of what the Dark Fathers can do. I would like to once again thank the NIA alliance for hosting hunts, runs, and races for the shard. I for one appreciate your efforts and I am sure many others on the shard do as well.
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Magincia, Felucca, Baja Saved

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 9:49 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Magincia, Felucca

Early this evening, I received a message from WildStar informing me that SI and a few others were at the Magincia Fel battling with the Rift Guardians. As soon as I could, I headed over to see for myself. When I arrived, three Rift Guardians and a lot of Daemon Berserkers remained.

The guardians and berserkers tried to hold back those fighting to save Magincia, but underestimated the group's determination to save our historic island city. When Lord Jei [SI] spotted me checking out the situation, he and his group graciously invited me to join in the fight.

Somewhere around 8 p.m. PST, the final Rift Guardian was killed, and the remaining berserkers where those trapped underground. Thanks to SI for their dedication to several hours of continuous battle, Baja's Magincia, Felucca has been saved.

Screenshot taken by Longbow Takedown [SI].

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Classic or Modern ? Luna Shoppe Decorates for Christmas
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:57 PM EST by Lady Lava (Catskills)
. Holidays trees are starting to pop up all over the realm echoing real life as they always do. Christmas trees can be dated back to the 7th century in Germany. As we know Germany is known still today for fine Christmas ornaments and decor. The triangular shape of the Fir Tree was said to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity. Today Macy's and other fine departments stores ( not to mention florists ) still use the upside down tree as store display every few years as a feature. This year the square wreath seems to be all the rage. The first "decorated" tree was in Latvia, in 1510. In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provide everything anyone could need to decorate a home for the holidays from top to bottom. The Christmas Tree first came to England with the Georgian Kings who came from Germany. In 1846, the popular Royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were shown in high profile articles/photographs infront of an elaborate decorated tree. This encoraged Americans to jump on the bandwagon full force. The American Christmas tree has gone from early English style to Victorian, 50's silver metal, 70's earth tones to everything possible. From candles to electric lights. Then there is the choice.....real, flocked or artifical tree ? We in the realm have two, Classic or Modern. Unless of course you get truly creative and make one from items. My favorite of all times was a Christmas Tree Jade made of all crystals two years ago. It glowed! * Modern style holiday tree / D/R Southside Shoppe * If you are like me and you have been in this game for years you probably have many tree deeds. Last year I counted and I had over 300 and gave most away to new players in the holiday spirit. The remaining 35 I set up in my lower level today to demonstrate the Classic style tree. If you or anyone you know has set up a holiday/seasonal display and would like it featured in the News please contact via PM or reply to this article. Tis the season and it would be nice to share design/decor ideas. * Owner of D/R Southside Shoppe in Luna goes tree crazy ! *
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Origin Saves Magincia-Trammel
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:56 PM EST by Larisa (Origin)
Origin Saves Magincia-Trammel Facet With just two days to reign victorious against the onslaught of Deamons that invaded the prideful city of Magincia, Origin citizens rallied together to kill the beasts once and for all. Grouping together for the final assault, the brave citizens fight Rift Deamons and Deamon Berserkers with unending vigor, taking down one...by horrible one. Many deaths insued, not only of the vile creatures that invaded our city, but of the brave citizens that fought to defeat them. When the last remaining Rift Deamon fell to the cheers of the tired crowd, we all stood for a moment in silent victory, cheering as we lay waste to the terrible beasts that erupted from the corrupted moongate, yet saddened as we walked tired and sore through the remains of the once beautiful city. Though victorious in a sense....our minds rest uneasy as we gingerly step over the rubble and debris that was once Magincia. We praise each other on a job well done....yet our minds are filled with grief as the pride of this place ruled us into destroying it's beautiful buildings to satisfy our desire for worldly possessions. So Magincia has been saved...at least in our memories.....though the reality of it is much more grim. Thank you, Origin, for doing your part. Rest easy, and be well.
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A Tree For The Holidays ~ Classic or Modern ?
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:36 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Holidays trees are starting to pop up all over the realm echoing real life as they always do. Christmas trees can be dated back to the 7th century in Germany. As we know Germany is known still today for fine Christmas ornaments and decor. The triangular shape of the Fir Tree was said to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity. Today Macy's and other fine departments stores ( not to mention florists ) still use the upside down tree as store display every few years as a feature. This year the square wreath seems to be all the rage. The first "decorated" tree was in Latvia, in 1510. In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provide everything anyone could need to decorate a home for the holidays from top to bottom. The Christmas Tree first came to England with the Georgian Kings who came from Germany. In 1846, the popular Royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were shown in high profile articles/photographs infront of an elaborate decorated tree. This encoraged Americans to jump on the bandwagon full force. The American Christmas tree has gone from early English style to Victorian, 50's silver metal, 70's earth tones to everything possible. From candles to electric lights. Then there is the choice.....real, flocked or artifical tree ? We in the realm have two, Classic or Modern. Unless of course you get truly creative and make one from items. My favorite of all time was a Christmas Tree Jade made of all crystals two years ago. It glowed! * Modern style holiday tree / Temple of Zento 2007 * If you are like me and you have been in this game for years you probably have many tree deeds. Last year I counted and I had over 300 and gave most away to new players in the holiday spirit. The remaining 35 I set up in my lower level today to demonstrate the Classic style tree. If you or anyone you know has set up a holiday/seasonal display and would like it featured in the News please contact via PM or reply to this article. Tis the season and it would be nice to share design/decor ideas. * rooftop of MOA Auction House *
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UG.K's Holiday Festivities

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:07 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Underground Knights Plans Holiday Festivities

Come join us December 15th, 11pm EST (8 PST, 9 MST, 10 CST) , at Gravewater Shores for our Christmas Events. UG.K and the staff of Gravewater will be holding a evening of events for the Holidays, and everyone is invited to participate.

Events:

Living Nativity
About two thousand years ago, in the town of Nazareth, there lived a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter. One day an angel appeared before her and told her she had been chosen to have a special baby. The baby would be God's son, and she must call him Jesus ......

We will have a "Living Nativity" at our Theatre of the Knights. There will be a book on display to tell the story of the nativity. Please come join us to experience this wonderful display.

Snow Ball Fight
Just for fun! BYOS -- Bring Your Own Snow. But, if you do not have any, we will have some to give out, so no worries.

Scavenger Hunt
The Scavenger Hunt will consist of 20 items the first person or team to return with the correct item will win the grand prize of 2 million gold, 2nd place 500k and 3rd place 250k. All teams will receive a book with a list of items in a bag. There will be an hour time limit on the Hunt and the first person or team to return with all the correct items will win the grand prize!

Tour of Gravewater
We invite you all to go on a tour of our city to see the Christmas decorations in all of our establishments

The festivities will begin at 11pm EST, with gates opening at Luna Bank starting at 10:45pm. The gates will open to Gravewater Stables for anyone that has brought a mount and would like to "stable" their pets in our stables. If not, please leave your animals in the stable in town. Animals are no longer allowed in our establishments they
always seem to leave a mess behind. *smiles*
We will then move on to the "Theatre of the Knights" for the viewing of the Nativity. After the viewing anyone that does not have snow will be able to receive some from a designated "snow ball maker". The snow ball fights and the tour of the city will go on at the same time. Anyone interested in the tour can follow one of our "tour guides" while others will be running around with their snow. After our first tour is finished bags for the Scavenger Hunt will be handed out. Once all bags are handed out, we will tell you when to GO! And the timer will start at that point.

Time Line of Events
10:45pm EST (7:45 PST, 8:45 MST, 9:45 CST) - Gates from Luna Bank will be opened, and everyone will be meeting at Gravewater Stables. From the Stables there will be gates to the Theatre.
11:00pm EST (8 PST, 9 MST, 10 CST) - View the Living Nativity
11:20pm EST (8:20 PST, 9:20 MST, 10:20 CST) - Snow Ball Fights and Tour of the City will begin
11:50pm EST (8:50 PST, 9:50 MST, 10:50 CST) - Bags will be given out for the Scavenger Hunt
12:00am EST (9 PST, 10 MST, 11 CST) - Time to start Scavenger Hunt
1:00am EST ( 10pm PST, 11pm MST, Midnight CST) - Everyone will return to the Theatre of the Knights and Scavenger Hunt bags should all be handed in by this time so we may award the prizes

Thank you, and Hope to see you all there,
Lady Shadow
"Gravewater Governess"

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From our Friends at UO Guide
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 3:42 PM EST by Larisa (CommunityNews)
From our Friends at UOGuide Greetings all. UOGuide has been chugging along for the past year quite steadily. Just last week we added our 1,500th page of information. That is a lot of data! UOGuide is now the 2nd largest UO information site for English speaking players. There are two new sections I think many people will be interested in. Doom - With the new Gauntlet changes many people are rushing back, some for the first time in years (such as myself). Perhaps some will need a refresher was to which slayer is used on each monster. Rubble - The newest item craze in UO. Players are spending hundreds of millions of gold to acquire this stuff. Find out how much of each item exists and the estimated worth. This section will be updated more in the coming weeks so keep checking back. UOGuide is constantly being updated and is looking for new contributors all the time. JC the Builder UOGuide
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From our Friends at UOGuide
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 2:39 PM EST by Larisa (QuestandEventNews)
From our Friends at UOGuide Greetings all. UOGuide has been chugging along for the past year quite steadily. Just last week we added our 1,500th page of information. That is a lot of data! UOGuide is now the 2nd largest UO information site for English speaking players. There are two new sections I think many people will be interested in. Doom - With the new Gauntlet changes many people are rushing back, some for the first time in years (such as myself). Perhaps some will need a refresher was to which slayer is used on each monster. Rubble - The newest item craze in UO. Players are spending hundreds of millions of gold to acquire this stuff. Find out how much of each item exists and the estimated worth. This section will be updated more in the coming weeks so keep checking back. UOGuide is constantly being updated and is looking for new contributors all the time. JC the Builder UOGuide
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Greetings From the New Director of Community
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 1:33 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Greetings From the New Director of Community Jeremy Dalberg 04 Dec 2007 15:54:23 Greetings All, I’m Robert Mull, the new Community Relations Director for EA Mythic. I oversee the work our team of Community Coordinators do for Warhammer Online (James Nichols), Dark Age of Camelot (Missy Hatch and Joanne Laroche) and Ultima Online (Jeremy Dalberg). They are a great team and I am lucky to have inherited them. As a gamer who got his start in MMOs with the Ultima Online beta, being allowed to support the same community that made that game so enjoyable to me is a real pleasure and I feel like I have come full circle. Since then a decade has passed and I have played countless MMOs. A few of these became part of my daily routine for years as I worked to found guilds, build cities, run player-events, engage in pvp conflicts, roleplay, and be an active member of the gaming community. While the games have changed over the years, the real draw for me has always been the people. A strong well-supported community makes good games great. Prior to coming to EA Mythic, I worked at Wizards of the Coast supporting brands such as Avalon Hill, Axis & Allies, Dreamblade, Duel Masters and other products. I learned many lessons there that I have brought with me to EA Mythic, but first and foremost is that you have to be honest and open with your community. In the coming months you will be hearing much more from me. I want to continue and extend the reputation EA Mythic has built for integrity, honesty and quality in community and customer support. Our job here is to be the voice of the community inside EA Mythic and the voice of the people working hard at EA Mythic to the community. The Community Relations team is a feedback loop and our goal is making the community better, day by day. I, for one, take that job very seriously and enjoy it immensely. I look forward to talking to you all on the boards and at Road Trips, conventions and other public events. Bob
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Battle of the Rift
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 10:35 AM EST by Martyna Zmuir (GreatLakes)
Late last night, the demonic incursion of the Isle of Magincia came to a head. Where the now corrupted moongate stands, eight beings of great strength and fortitude surrounded the mound. These 'Rift Guardians' as they were called, shielded themselves in peculiar grey flames which seemed to allow them to summon enraged berserker daemons to drive back the isle's defenders. A mage of Master skill, or greater, could douse the flames for a time by speaking the arcane words: An Sanct Flam. As individual Guardians fell, strange black stones littered the area they occupied. I was also informed by the Minister of Virtue, Lord DaKaren, that each Guardian left behind 'a piece of blackrock' in lieu of a corpse. He seemed completely unsurprised that blackrock played a part in the final conflict, remarking that "We had better get used to blackrock being used in unfortunate ways..." Since each appearance of the stone in our history has led to death and destruction, I fear he may be correct. Before he rode off, I asked if the High Council had any knowledge of where the original rift had led. An unconvincing shrug was the only reply I received. Once all the Guardians had been defeated by the mere handful of stalwart defenders, the seemingly damaged moongate became deep crimson in color. The defenders soon turned their attentions to ridding the Isle of any stray berserkers, and tending to the wounded. I found Lady Silverbrook returning the recently departed to life. She was pleased that the assault on Magincia was over, but urged caution in the days ahead, "Lest we be caught unaware during any celebratory festivities." The Lady also wished to acknowledge the heroic efforts of Nazdog, Ghost, Chronic, Enigma, NightStriker, Xevei, and Malchior. The decimated Magincian landscape should give us all pause, for the sin of Pride has cost our fair Britannia greatly. The citizens of Magincia have paid the price with their lives, their homes, and ultimately, their city. This invasion has dealt our land a blow unlike any in the past, we would be wise to learn our lesson well and not stray from the Path of the Virtues again. Martyna Z'muir, LofS
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Battle to "Save" Magincia
Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 7:23 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, I come with some not so good news, but with some hope. Magincia is all but destroyed, but the island at least has a hope of rebuilding itself, if the Moongate can be reclaimed and stabilized. Reports indicate that the Moongate is surrounded by eight "blackrock beasts", much like the ones found in the Terrathan keep. They are surrounded by a energy field much like those that were in the Keep, so I suspect the words of power "An Sanct Flam" will help dissipate their protective barriers. I have not been able to get close enough myself yet to try, however, nor have I heard reports of others succeeding. Focus your attacks on the same beast as other hunters are fighting, and try to take them out one at a time. They'll likely pull daemon berserkers in to assist them when they get threatened, and having eight blackrock beasts each drawing in daemon berserker's is not a fight we can likely win before the Moongate completely destabilizes. I fear that if we do not save Magincia, other cities will be next, and eventually we will not be strong enough to fight back. To those who cannot, or will not fight, stay safe. To the rest of you, good luck on the battlefield. Sahra Swift
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Magincia Invasion: Special Bulletin!

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 5:44 AM EST by Cymoril (Oceania)

Magincia Invasion: Special Bulletin!

It's a proud day for Oceania as a challenging stage of the battle for Magincia, Trammel comes to a dramatic end.
Oceanians came out in force to defeat the final stage of the invasion that has plagued this once-peaceful city, and defeat it they did! I was fortunate to be there for this historic event, so here are some details of what I witnessed.

Oceanians enjoy a moment of peace and pose for a picture.

It was no easy feat. The once-functioning Moongate was surrounded by huge vortex-like entities called Rift Guardians. These gathered around the gate as adventurers tried to dispel their eerie grey flames by screaming the words "An Sanct Flam" with unwavering concentration. Guardians were defeated, one by one, as tireless Oceanians battled for peace.

Daemon Berserkers were also keeping the brave adventurers very busy, though thankfully, Magincia was now devoid of the other abyss creatures that had been defiling the island town.

An eruption of some magnitude marked the demise of the final Rift Guardian.

Finally the Rift Guardians were all defeated. One sole Berserker remains behind, watching from underground. He seems unable (or unwilling) to start a fight. Perhaps he has seen what happened to his kin when they tried to take on Oceanian's bravest citizens.

Is this the end of the invasion? Only time will tell, but for now, Magincia remains a peaceful, if severely damaged, city.

Some of the brave souls responsible for killing the Rift Guardians

UO Oceania News Reporter

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Magincian Update - by Tabbitha

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 5:14 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)

The invasion has reached it's final stage. An octet of Rift Guardians have appeared in front of the much smaller, energetic moongate. They defend themselves with barrages of magic and can summon Daemon Berserkers when threatened.

They are surrounded in part by barrier flames that can only be removed by creative use of spellwords.

Meanwhile, my humblest apologies for the delay. This should have occurred automatically already, and I'm now enabling them manually, shard by shard. This should take approximately another 15 minutes. Do not worry, I have not been hit by a truck (that happened last year), and the show will go on!

Due to the delay, the event finale will be extended until Friday. If the Rift Guardians are not defeated by then, that shard/facet's Magincia is lost.

Oh, and hey! It turns out I'm staying with UO after all

Tim "Draconi" Cotten - UO Designer - EA Mythic

Screenshots too !!

~~~~

Dermott of LS ; NMA congratulated Draconi

...

Good to see you staying, though by this point, what is there left of Magincia to save? The players have done more to destroy the city than the daemons could imagine

Thanks! I'm glad too!

As for what's left to save?

Hmm... I think, from now on, a Britannian city will be seen as more than its walls, roofs and thoroughfares. True, Magincia's people may be gone - some slaughtered, even more scattered, but your actions now will determine this island's fate for generations.

The Fall of Magincia. Magincia no Metsubou.

Will Magincia rise again, an exemplar of Virtue? Or will it lie in the dust, haunted by its past?

Tim "Draconi" Cotten - UO Designer - EA Mythic

Thanks to Tabbitha from UOforums for this

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The Books of Sin - by Muldran Skully

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 1:07 AM EST by callum_fitzhugh (Europa)

The Court gathered promptly at 8pm, and found their way to the Shadow Order building. Banging the lock a few times, in order to dislodge the ice crystals that had formed, Muldran struggled to pull the door open, letting Tim, Decardo, Cherry and Callum inside.

The dusty hallway of statues attracted people's attentions for a few moments, and Cherry cast a glamour to whip up and remove the dust from the place, depositing it just outside the door - and just missing Goober of the Duchy of Trinsic, who had heard that something was planned this evening. Decardo did, for a moment, suggest that he wanted to speak to Goober later, but then said that he should attend the gathering anyway.

In the main hall, Decardo laid out what was known about the Books of Sin; and recapped what we'd heard from Eric the Red some time ago. With the additional research from Cherry and Decardo we had a firm lead on one of the books. Well, firm was a matter of opinion, since it seemed that one of the Books was last heard of in the possession of a Council Member in Moonglow - and when he started acting erratically, the Council had him 'removed'.

It appeared that this unfortunately man was called Mandor, and now wandered as a ghost through the town of Moonglow.

The group immediately headed for the town; deciding on the Lycaeum as a likely first place to find a book-obsessed shade. While there, Muldran started ranting about seeing a ghost - and, of course, people ignored him as he ran off, following the thing. He leapt round the Hedge Maze chasing the thing down, and emerged back at the Lycaeum covered in twigs. He was just about to be told off by Decardo when the ghost appeared once more.

With Cherry's ability to commune with things-moved-on, the Court identified that this was indeed Mandor. After a few discussions about him having 'too much to do' the Court persuaded him that the book itself - as evil as it was - needed to be recovered, since others were trying to track it down. Others who might attempt to use it and fall to Mandor's fate. The ghost agreed to help them recover it.

It lead them to the telescope, where it studied the skies for a short while. Through Cherry's translation, it was discovered that in one weeks time, a portal would open to the Ghost Plane, which was where the book had been placed by Mandor's colleagues on the council. However, in order to access this plane at that time, the Court would also need to know the correct words of Power.

Tim hummed his chant that contained the Words of Virtue, but these were not the right ones. The ghost told Cherry that the Words of Power that unlocked the way to the Books were in his Journal, which was stored in the facet of Ilshenar, in the Serpentine Valley. The ghost then slowly faded away.

Leaving Callum behind to rest his weary bones, the group travelled to Ilshenar, and had a few fraught encounters with Juka on the way to the city of Mistas. Once there, they marvelled at the murals on the ground, and lamented the loss of such a historic place. Would there ever come a day when people could settle in Mistas once more? Goober was also particular irate, after seeing how the Dragoons there mistreated their swamp dragons.

Carrying on through to the valley, the group encountered the Golden Guardian of the peaceful place. At the same time, the effects of Decardo's Sidhe armour were becoming more apparent; he seemed much calmer, and even managed to joke at one point; a particular flare that nearly made Muldran drop his bow in amazement. Tim also continued to surprise the group by employing his magical ability to shroud himself in whisps of air, and fade from site.

Once in the valley, the group searched the area, conversing with the pixies, wisps and centaurs. Eventually, in some kind of hallowed library, they discovered a book - Mandor's Journal - and found within its pages Mandor's descent into madness, describing how he had the Book of Covetous.

The final page of the book had words of power relating to the other books, each named after the anti-virtues - although the page was smudged and torn before the word of power for Covetous was written. Still, Muldran frowned and looked at the words. He'd heard similar language construction before, and he swore he'd seen those words somewhere else. Perhaps he could work out the missing words - or they may even have been stored in a Library somewhere in the land.

Returning to Rhovanion, the group stored the Journal in the Magi Tower, and then departed the area, to continue their quest.

__________________

Muldran Skully - Shadow Court (SCT)

Written by Mudran Skully of The Shadow Court - please send me your adventure stories for inclusion!

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Rubble, rubble

Posted on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 12:47 AM EST by BlindOtto (SiegePerilous)

Rubble, rubble, with apologies to David Bowie

*sings*
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

They've got Magincia in a whirl
We're not sure if more rubble will fall
A daemon rez-killed me tonight
Hey Siege, lets go killing tonight
You looted me, balrons killed us all
We hate 'zerks, the spotty swine,
We've got arties, mine all mine,
We want more and we want it fast,
The next invaders are here at last,
A bard died trying to play them a song,
So come a-slaying Siege, they won't be here long.

Rubble, rubble... well, that's enough of that!

(With profound apologies to the two David Bowie fans lurking at the back over there)

Blind Otto reporting!

Well, the past few days it was begining to appear that we had routed the invaders.
The light daemons were growing weaker, as were their darker brothers.
It had been a long time since any berzerkers had been seen, and imp corpses were as common as rubble.
Had we won? Had they given up? Could we all go back to killing each other outside Luna?

Thankfully, not.

This morning, the hardy adventurers picking through the rubbble that was once the proud town of Magincia found the moongate protected by some strange energy beings.
Magincia Moongate

These "rift guardians" resembled energy vortexes, but energy vortexes did very little to harm them!
I stood and listened to the battle for a while, and found all manner of attacks failing.
My own fairly well trained hiryu died in the time it took me to cover the three steps to where it had gone to attack one of the creatures.
Mages fell left, right and center. Bards struggled to calm the creatures, and the berzerkers they summoned.
Very little worked. Utterly fatigued, I withdrew, to regain my strength, and heal my hiryu, cursing the foul hellspawn that chased me all the way to the Magincian docks!

Then I sent my loyal scribe in. After all, what good is it to have lackys if ye make no use of them?

Beatrice Quill here!

Lackey?!? LACKEY?!?!?! See how many waffles YOU get for breakfast this morning, bub!

Ahem. Yes. Right. *mutters* Lackey my bright blue... anyway...

As Blind Otto said, the defenders of the gate were impressive.
The berzerkers, however, were not as hardy. I came across Lord Kush, Lady AEowyn, and others, who had successfully slain one such creature near the Council of Mages base.
Dead Zerk

Where the vaunted council was, and why they had let their island home be overrun, was anyone's guess, but I hear they recently turned over managment to an incompetant Scotsman, which could explain matters somewhat.

Heading back up to the gate, I found some members of TnT, Red, and a few others desperately trying to overcome the rift's guardians.

Nothing seemed to work. A barrage of about 10 energy vortexes barely scratched the beasts, and they utterly ignored the fields of poison and flame that I poured on them.

I suspect a warrior or a paladin may do better, but my magery was fairly useless.
I did find, however, that speaking words learned during the Orphidian invasion, namely "An Sanct Flam", dispelled the flame fields that the guardians had around them.
Nasty stuff - leaping black flames, giving off who knows what kind of energy. Still, running up to it and shouting those words seemed to do the trick!
Once the flames were out, the guardians seemed a LITTLE less invulnerable, and even began to teleport to the spot where I stood, now and then.
I died. A lot. These things will not fall easily.

It does seem that some new treasures and souveniers are to be had - Red was very kind, and gave me one such item, which is now taking up the middle of my upper floor, until I can decide where to put it!
Dead Zerk

Anyway, back to the blind one, unless someone's 'accidentally' pushed him out the window again, or something.
*mutters* I'll give you lackey - wait until the next time I wash the flagstones at the top of the stairs! *mutters*

Blind Otto here again!

Ahem. Yes. Did I say 'lackey'? I meant 'greatly valued confidant, friend, and trusted ally'! In an obscure orcish dialect that not even Mo'gluk has heard of, that sounds a lot like 'Lackey'. Is anyone actually believing this? No? Oh well then...
I am sure we will hear from the expert fighters out in the field before too long, saying that the invasion is routed!
In the meantime, anyone who wants to stand around on the Trinsic docks selling potions, bandages, reagents, and other such items will probably make a fair profit!
Be safe, and avoid hugging berzerkers!

(no, really. It's south-trinsic orcish. They're all extinct now, or I'd take you there. Really. OW!

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News Flash - Rift Guardians Invade Magincia!!!
Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007, 9:32 PM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
What is to happen to our land????
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Magincia Moongate Changes From Large Rift To Corrupted Moongate

Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007, 7:39 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Magincia Moongate, Trammel, Monday Evening

Monday evening, I received word from WildStar [DWN] that there were changes to the Magincia Moongates. The large rifts are gone, and corrupted moongates have reappeared. WildStar further reported that the flashes of lightning are not visible around the moongate on the Felucca facet, and that the spawn on both facets does not appear to have increased, decreased or changed in type.

Thank you, WildStar, not only for keeping us posted on current changes, but for your help throughout the Magincia Invasion, be it helping with healing and supplies or an encouraging word and a bless as we entered the dock area.

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Calm Before The Storm?
Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007, 4:30 PM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
Calm Before The Storm? *Invasion Update By Chango* As with all conflicts, there is a mental war that is waged along with the physical war. There are stories circulating of a final attack in Magincia that will be lead by the Commanders of this evil Army. Nothing is known about the powers behind this invasion. What to expect is anybodies guess. We do know what has been seen already. Both of these beasts showed a great power that leveled the city and destroyed its people. Without any knowledge of what to expect, rebuilding is not even an option as defenses proved no match for the Light and Void Demons. How much more powerful are their leaders then? There are signs that this final wave is near, a dark sphere in the center of the town. This new rift is unlike the corrupted moongate, but just as chilling. Getting too close brings a very uneasy feeling. I am hoping above all hope that we can once again put aside our own desires and stand side by side to repel this final assault. And let us be ready for whatever is thrown at us.
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Going Once, Going Twice...
Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007, 12:36 PM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
Going once, going twice… I received a note from the staff of the H.O.T. Auctions with this great news: There will be a great variety of items. Rubble wall pieces, display case, plants and much more. Other items include Cursed and Non-Cursed Event Artifacts such as the Vorpal Blade. And for those of you who complain about my not wearing pants, I hear they have a pair of rubble pants that you could buy for me. And for those who do purchase items, there may be a gift in your bag. wink So bring your check book and get ready for some great items to be bid on. See you there! Thanks to the Leia and the staff of H.O.T.
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Yew Gate: A Week in Review!
Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 10:39 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, JUMP! Erickson Yates here, folks! Just wanted to pop in and let you know how things were going out on the Felucca front! (That was for you, Chao!) Things started out simple enough. Watching people did here and there, the usual. Who am I to argue, right? Well, then people started to drop like flies! Here are just a few of the poor souls who got to taste the dirt this week! Bad night for this guy it seems. Rikki always seems to be dead. Wait, how did this one get in there?!?! Coughs Nothing to see here, folks. NOTHING I SAID! Lets just say Mohagrus was winning... Never let it be said that 1vs1 is the worst guild in the world. Well, this guy said it. Did I mention I had a body guard early on? Lets just say he was protecting me from the evil reds that were out there! His name was...Noximos. He saved me from 1v1 a number of times! Don't I look safe here? I felt safe. Speaking of body guards...I was saved by a man I would call a legend! His name...Dead Eye Dan! There I was, stuck in a cross field of energy! I am being attacked from all angles! There are ten, no! Fifteen of them attacking me! It was left and right, left and right. I must have blacked out, because next thing I knew, I was still alive, and there were bodies EVERYWHERE! Dead Eye Dan himself had saved me from the danger. Needless to say my screen shot program was broken, so I wasn't able to get any good shots of the ensuing slaughter by Dan, but you can take my word for it...right? Here is a picture of the hero who saved me. In return for his bravery, I offered to let him make a statement that I will post here now. He said: "Captain Anarchy and I hereby challenge any and all comers to battle! However, we will not be using our weapons, nor will we be using harmful spells! Instead, we shall battle with summon pets. We are the undefeated champions of the animal versus animal summoning tournament! You cannot defeat us! VICTORY IS OURS!" I could not argue with him, because I myself would lose that battle to him and his comrade. Remember folks, if you see Dead Eye Dan, Captain Anarchy, or St. Christopher, make sure to challenge them to an animal on animal fight! Winner will take all! GOOD LUCK! That is all for this week! Keep an eye out for another guild interview coming shortly! Until then though, I wish you good kill counts and lots of insurance collected!
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Magincia Moongate

Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 11:34 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Magincia Moongate

As of 11:30 a.m., Sunday, December 2, there does not appear to be much going on in Magincia. I encountered three brave souls fighting the 'normal' daemon and undead spawn, and all informed me they had not observed anything unusual. And, all were hoping the next stage of the invasion would start soon.

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220th Assembly of the 7th High Council - Note Different Location
Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 8:58 AM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
*220th Assembly of the 7th High Council* Date: Monday, December 3, 2007 Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Location: The Keg and Anchor, Trinsic, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: Discussion about the Magincia invasion. Lord Buzz Aldridge Chancellor of Virtue, High Council of Britannia
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~ OBITUARY COLUMN ~ 12 / 02 / 07
Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 8:41 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
OBIT COLUMN ~ 12/ 02/ 07 Demondread Demondread again Frosty Halpo MANDALAY mountaindew in Haven NightStriker Randjmusic Saijin Spartucus Symbolia Travis Highblade Tyranos Una Carapledes Walking Tall ( hardly, lol ) Walking Tall and Titus Lartius
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Community Meet Up - Week 148
Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 8:18 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 148 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Different Location this week: Trinsic Docks Meeting Agenda: This will be a short meet n greet as there is an invasion looming in Magincia. Feel free to gather and donate supplies towards the defense. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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Super Stratics Sunday - Europa Style - Winter 2nd Edition

Posted on Sunday, December 2, 2007, 6:33 AM EST by Mapper (Europa)

- Welcome

Welcome to the 8th Super Stratics Sunday! SUNDAY?! What happened? Well this is a December change only, All the SSS's will be on Sunday. It allows me to do a New Year's Eve post, Or Hogmany for us Scots! No other real reason. :P

- A 2d/KR walk around of the CD Vendor Mall, Just outside Umbra!
- A Magincia Battle Update
- This weeks news, Next weeks events and Screenshot Sunday!


	- Mapper's Christmas Countdown

- Establishment of the Week

This weeks establishment is another 'Umbra Road' shop. You'll find it 4-5 houses from the Umbra West Bridge. What one could it be you wonder? Well its the white house on the map to the right! Still no idea? It's CD VENDOR MALL. And no, As far as I could look, They do not sell compact discs. It may however stand for Commodity Deed.

I'm not going to list what they sell as I really want you to check them out! Add them to your vendor runebook.

The shop floor, Or floors are easily accessible from the public road.

The shop floor in KR.

If you walk through the rune book shelf you come to a load more!

- Magincia Battle Update

So what's going on in Magincia after this long? The Britannia News Network has a story up for read here.

"The battle for Magincia seems to have reached a stalemate. Most of the city is shattered, and looting has been regrettably prevalent, but the stalwart defenders of the city continue to push back the invading hordes."

Apon arriving at the docks the devastation is clear.

A full shot of the chaos.

- This Weeks News

This weeks news is fairly depressing! Tissues 25gp each.

Fond Farewells for Developers of Ultima Online this week. Read the Five on Friday here to see who's leaving and who's staying.

- Next Weeks Events

Next week we have the usual events of Leto's Auction and Lottery, Check below for full details.

Leto's Auction, Wednesday 5th of December at 7pm, 180th Edition. Location at their website, www.europa-auction.com
Leto's Lottery, Wednesday 5th of December, After the auction at 8:30pm, 16th Edition!. Check out their website for details, link above.


	- Screenshot Sunday Magincia seriously needs your help!

[ Discuss This Article ]

Ships Sailing Sosarian Seas…
Posted on Saturday, December 1, 2007, 3:51 PM EST by Chango Pelon (LakeAustin)
Ships Sailing Sosarian Seas… *By Chango* A call was put out enticing those who enjoy the salty air and sounds of the sea to put their skills to the test. The NIA Alliance hosted a Boat Race Around World. I headed out to get with the organizer of the event, Ginny of CTTA, to ask some questions before the start time. Q) You have hosted events for the shard before, what prompted you to take to the seas for this event? A) It was a discussion at work actually. I was talking with one of my contractors about a team building meeting they had just had. They had to build boats out of a bunch of random things and race them. A boat race sounded like a fun idea - even a virtual one. Although...it would be more fun if we had working cannons. ;) Blast each others boats. Would be a blast Q) I understand you and some friends did a test run on the course. On a difficulty scale of Chango to 10, Chango being so easy a caveman can do it and 10 being most difficult, what would you rate it as? A) For a decent sailor, probably around a 4. It's a fairly easy course to run - unless we throw in some obstacles - the trick is running it the fastest. If you're at all directionally challenged though, you'll end up like poor Mora lost out at sea. Q) In your opinion, what would the shards overall nautical experience be. a)Lord of the seas, b)Can get around fairly well, c)Need another on board to help, or d)What is a ship? A) I'd have to go with What is a ship? for the shard overall. We were sailing around for hours last night and didn't see a single ship! Q) Next one is slightly off topic, but who do you think would win in a fight between a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a Taco? A) I'm betting the Taco would fight dirty and squirt hot sauce in the Grilled Cheese Sandwich's eyes. Shouldn't be too hard to win after that. Q) Finally, besides yourself, who else should we thank for preparing and running this great event for the shard? A) Stryder and Lessa of TDA - both helped with the planning and donated some nice things for the prizes. Hopefully both will get to be there today. After our conversation, I headed to the Brit Docks to see the sailors before the Admiral showed up. The crowd slowly gathered at the docs for pre race information and event support. Ginny [CTTA] and Stryder [TDA] were their as event staff. Meet the sailors! Morgana [CTTA] Leia [HOT] Chango Pelon [GOF] Amarath [N**K] Geran [UMP] The Ship Captains were given a book along with verbal rules. A starting coordinate would be given and the ships need to make their way to the location where another ship would be anchored. This ship had the next set of coordinates. The Captains needed to get both the coordinates and the name of the anchored vessels. There were five anchored ships to navigate to, the last giving the coordinates to the finish line. The sailors made their way literaly across the world. With some difficulties to overcome, most made it back safely. One sailor had to abandon ship and be rescued, but worry not, Morgana is doing well. The third place prize went to Leia. Second place prize went to Geran. And the first place prize was awarded to Chango Pelon. $$That is a check for 1 million gold$$ The prizes were amazing for this event. Both event hosts and participants enjoyed themselves. A fun time was had by all. Some even stayed around to lure some dangerous white beasts from the depths of the seas. But that is for another time. I would like to thank all involved for making this a great shard event and I do hope you organize more in the near future.
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FoF: Fond Farewells (Frenzied Whirlwind/BOS/Spawn Rate/Magincia/Devs)
Posted on Saturday, December 1, 2007, 11:23 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Fond Farewells Jeremy Dalberg November 30, 2007 "Why is the weapon special Frenzied Whirlwind so much worse than regular Whirlwind? Is it bugged?" It's not bugged - it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do, which is 3-5 Physical damage, twice (which goes up against Physical resist, which is why people are only seeing 1-2 damage.) However, for the mana cost, that seemed... slightly silly, so Wilki gave it a substantial boost (to 20-50 for two ticks) which should make it actually useful. (You should see this change in the next publish, usual caveats about QA applying.) -- "Why was the Bag of Sending nerfed?" The short answer is, to curb inflation. The longer answer involves some metaphors, so bear with me a moment. UO's economy was designed on the "faucet/sink" model. Imagine a faucet that pours gold into the world. Now imagine various drains - "gold sinks" - that the gold flows away into. The goal of the system is for the level of gold in the world to remain approximately even, and that's done by adjusting the rate of the flow in and the size of the drains out. In UO, the "faucets" are the various NPCs that give players gold - monsters you can loot, escorts or quests that give gold as a reward, etc. The drains are any NPC or system that takes gold away from players - the insurance system is a big one, as are player vendor fees. (Player-to-player trades are NOT sinks - moving the gold around within the world doesn't change the overall amount of money in it.) The Bags of Sending were increasing the rate of flow of gold from monster loot - that faucet was pretty much cranked as wide as it would go. This has been overwhelming the drains and increasing the amount of money in the world, which lowers the actual value of gold - this is what economists mean by "inflation." Changing the Bags of Sending to make farming for gold less profitable will slow down that flow and hopefully slow down the rate of inflation - which will raise prices in the short run but lower them substantially in the long run, as the drains pull money out of the world and the actual value of gold goes up. Now, MMO economics are far from an exact science, and the system will no doubt require further tweaking, but this is a step in the right direction. -- "Why did you slow down the spawn rate in Felucca?" First of all, let me apologize for not putting this in the patch notes - it was one of the ones that slipped by us. We actually didn't change the spawn rates themselves - what we did is fix a bug that was causing champ spawns to accelerate the spawn on the entire subserver. This was causing spawns that were much (up to 8x!) faster than intended, in any area that had a champ spawn. -- "What's the current state of the Magincia invasion?" The invasion is building to a final peak - the rifts that were once moongates will begin to throw off huge bursts of power, and finally the incredibly powerful beings commanding the invading forces will appear. The defenders will have one last shot to defeat them and save the city, and it won't be easy. The final battle will begin in the next 24 hours, and you'll only have two days to achieve victory, or else Magincia will be lost. Sharpen your swords, repair your armor, and gather your wits, because the last battle for Magincia is upon us! -- "I hear some of my favorite devs aren't moving - what's going on?" I'm going to miss CatHat something awful, myself - and I'm just as broken up that we're losing Wilki too. But I'm consoled by the fact that I still have TheGrimmOmen and Leurocian to keep me company, and the Master of Disaster hasn't run out of things to blow up yet. We're losing some great people, no doubt about it - but we're keeping some great ones, too, and I have every confidence that UO will come out of this move stronger and better than before. What does this mean for you, in practical terms? A couple of things: The next six weeks or so are going to be fairly slow, patch-wise. This is less for personnel reasons than because we have to back up, box up, and ship all the computers involved with making a patch clear across the country. We have quite a few lovely quality-of-life changes in the can, but you may or may not see them until January. This does NOT mean you won't be getting your holiday gifts! Expect those to be given out between December 15th and January 15th. We will be hiring - if you're interested in getting into the games industry, or if you're in it and want to be involved in UO, keep an eye our for job postings. I'll keep y'all updated when I have more specific details. Other names of devs you might recognize who are staying on the project - SupreemEA the Master of Code and Prince of UI, Mesanna the Infinitely Wise, Stormwind the Ancient and Undying, and Serado, Lord of the Bugs. The Five on Friday will be a little different for a while - see the next post for details. -- The Five on Friday is going to be mutated for a while - here's the scoop: Since the developers who help me research all y'all's questions are moving across the country over the next several weeks, the Five on Friday is going to change a bit. Some weeks I may do questions like always, some weeks it may be new documents added to the website, or historical tidbits that I've dug up, or whatever I can come up with to keep y'all entertained and informed. Suggestions for things you'd like to see that do NOT require someone to go digging through the game code are more than welcome at the usual place. The FoF should return to its regular pattern mid-January-ish. -- It's been a long, frantic week, but the end still came too fast. Ave atque vale, my departing friends. Don't be strangers now, y'hear? - Jeremy
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BNN: Magincia Still Not Safe, Mages Warn
Posted on Saturday, December 1, 2007, 6:46 AM EST by Daine (Origin)
Magincia Still Not Safe, Mages Warn Sherry the Mouse Nov 30 2007 4:25PM The battle for Magincia seems to have reached a stalemate. Most of the city is shattered, and looting has been regrettably prevalent, but the stalwart defenders of the city continue to push back the invading hordes. However, all is not well, say the leading researchers of the Mage Council. "The moongates have been warped into a form they were never intended to hold. The etheric disturbance is tremendous, and we fear that it will get worse before it gets better," warns the Mage Council's spokesman. The Royal Guard has ordered all nonessential personnel off of the island, and is maintaining a minimal force to secure the city. "Daemons - even big daemons - my men can handle," says Sir Brendan of the Royal Guard, officer in charge of Magincia's defenses. "But once the mages start talking 'unstable planar rift' this and 'etheric resonance crisis' that, I get my people out of the area before they get blown clear off the map." Bringing you the latest from Magincia, this is Sherry the Mouse, reporting.
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December 2007

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and colorful New Year.~

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and colorful New Year.~

Are you ready, Oceania?

Oceania Olympic Games!

Merry Christmas to all Oceanians!

EVENT DETAILS

THE PRIZES

THINGS TO NOTE

EVE-vents Christmas Party & Opening of Brackenwood Village

DOOM OBITS ~ PART TWO12 / 16 / 07

OBIT COLUMN ~ 12 / 16 / 07

Story Night at the Road to Hope Tavern Saturday December 15 at 7P Central

OBIT COLUMN ~ 12 / 09 / 07

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all !

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all !

Magincia Invasion: Special Bulletin!

OBIT COLUMN ~ 12/ 02/ 07

DOOM OBITS ~ PART TWO
12 / 16 / 07

Story Night at the Road to Hope Tavern
Saturday December 15 at 7P Central