Visit UO Stratics Search our News Archive

August 2001

Horror in Moonglow!
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I was roused from my bed by a family servant. The events that occured in Moonglow this evening were horrific. This account is from one of the witnesses.

"It is always a great pleasure to serve the Lycaeum." I told my master as I gave him a small bow.

He nodded and let loose a small smile from his old face. I have served the Lycaeum for many years... I have seen much and learned much within these old walls... It pleases me to teach one of such great talent, such as yourself Tavlor...

Those words meant much coming from the man who had raised me like a father. My entire life he had been there and showed me the path of Honesty and what it meant to be a mage.

"Tavlor... Go to the store house and fetch some logs for burning... These are nearly done with." he asked of me.

"Of course, master. Let me be off at once." and with that I proceded to the back store house to fetch my gentle master some logs. Upon gathering the logs from the store house, I noticed a dark fog coming from the northen tip of Moonglow... I slowly watched this and I began to fear something evil was admist. I watched slowly from the store house and then say several figures enter the Lycaeum. I creeped in and was witnessed to a most hideous site!

These... These monsters... They were slaughtering the mages of the Lycaeum! They fell one after the other... Like nothing... Their deaths.... Brutal...

A tall gaunt man who was wearing a dark wizard hat was standing within the center of the Lycaeum... His mad laughter sent such terrible chills up my spine!

"Lord Artisem!" said one of the of the more undead looking beasts...

"Yes, Nas'Rath?" answered the man.

"We have yet to find the tomes that we seek... There are just too many books here..."

"Then sort through the useless ones. Burn whatever The Society cannot use!" replied the man, followed by more of his hideous laughter!

I was then horrified even more then I saw that those blasted creatures began the random and rampent burning of some of the Lycaeum's most popular books! It was such a horrible thing...

A blue haired witch then came about to where I was hiding... "She will discover and kill me I thought..." Then I noticed one of the slain men lying close to me... With quick actions, I was able to get his robe and hide under it. For now it seemed I was one of the fallen...

Then then gathered in front of the gaunt man... One of them let loose a howl and handed him a small chest... And then for a moment there was silience... And then that laughter... That horrible laughter...

The gaunt man then tossed to the ground something that appeared to be some sort of deed or ticket... He said something that I could barely make out but that was followed up by a devlish laughter coming from them all!


A few words were said among them and then they departed through the exit in the same blasted mist... I thought I could make out some form of ship setting sail from the distant but I could not see...

I ran out of hiding and saw total chaos... Death... Destruction... It was everywhere...

And then... I came across my master... His body was spread about his small study in several pieces...

I will never forget or forgive these monsters for destroying my life...


Tavlor
Monk of the Moonglow Lycaeum
Posted on Friday, August 31, 2001, 11:47 PM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

New Update from Garden City Festival
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I received this from the folks at Garden City.  Sounds like were having a few problems, but they seem to have it under control now.

Due to a dozen server/client issues with several G^C staff and hired personnel, some events for the Gardi Gras Festival have needed to be changed around. We do apologize for this, but the actions of the 'gods' are out of our control.

Manna Dump (the mage v. mage contest)
New Time: Saturday, September 1 6:00pm

RoXoR Joo (the 2 v. 2 contest)
New Time: Saturday, September 1 7:00pm

Mage's Poker
New Time: Saturday, September 1 8:00pm

Barding Contest (topic: Epic Battles)
New Time: Saturday, September 1 10:00pm

Again, we here at Garden City wish to invite all citizens of the shard out to join our festival.

GC Staff

But on a good note, they didn't move the Barding Contest scheduled for 10pm Friday Night.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 31, 2001, 8:22 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Vet Rewards Update - 8/31
A brand new Vet Rewards Update as of 8/31:
Veteran Rewards Update
Aug 31 2001 5:46PM CST (GMT -06:00)

Just as a quick update, we believe that the connectivity issue regarding the Veteran Rewards server has been resolved, and the fix is in the testing stages. We hope to be able to continue re-activating the system on the UO shards very soon, and will notify the players once the new schedule is determined.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 31, 2001, 7:26 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Comments from the Team: GM Ash
The latest Comments From The Team, this one from GM Ash:
A Word from GM Ash

A year ago, I put in my application to work at OSI/EA. I didn’t know what to expect. I had fond memories of the cut scenes from Wing Commander and Ultima IV from my younger days and thought about how great it would be to work for the company responsible for those games. During my years studying psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, I had no idea that I would be working on a video game after I graduated. When I discovered that I had the opportunity to work on video games as a career, I accepted. I learned that the game I would be working on was the online extension of the Ultima world, and became immediately enthralled.

Currently, I am a Game Master for Ultima Online. I am better known in game as Game Master Ash. For some background, I have been playing video games since I can remember. I started in the days of the Atari 2600 and have played through the current console and PC games. Some of the games I play when not playing Ultima Online are Counter-Strike for the PC and the Madden and NHL series for the PS2. In my extensive video game career, I am still astonished at the depth of the community that I interact with when I play Ultima Online. Every day I see something new, and something is always there to impress upon me the honorable nature of the community. Whether it is a humorous event at the Britain bank or a community festival in Yew, the community is always active in Ultima Online.

Game Masters are the front line of relations between OSI/EA and the community. It is important to give a positive impression to players, as they are what make the game so unique. Without the time and dedication that players invest into the game, UO would not be what it is today. One of the functions of Game Masters is to ensure that the community is maintained. I analogize this responsibility to a public servant in a real world society. Some of the responsibilities extend to dealing with player harassment or even removing items stuck in trees. This is the side that the community sees most of the time.

Along with the public responsibilities, Game Masters work behind the scenes to talk about Ultima Online issues and policy. When I was younger, I always joked that I would never use my Student Congress skills in real life. Then I learned that as a Game Master, one function of the job is to help debate and shape UO policy. When players make suggestions to Game Masters, they listen to what is said and bring it up in policy discussions. We present the ideas, and if we can reach a consensus, the changes are implemented. The discussions are always interesting and are very similar to policy issues that people face in the real world.

I enjoy helping the citizens of Britannia as they are a creative and brilliant community, and I look forward to seeing you all in game.

Ash
Player Relations
Ultima Online

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 31, 2001, 7:17 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

The Swinging Axe is open for business.
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<
Hail all,
I Frundle, owner and manager of Trammel's newest Tavern 'The Swinging Axe', invite you to come join us for the GRAND OPENING on Saturday Sept 1st 3pm AEST (Sydney time).

Enjoy good fun, great food and drink sooo dwarfish that you'll forget who Lord British is with all the staff at the Swinging Axe.
Unlike many other taverns the Swinging Axe makes a commitment to its
customers by promising to have staff there on a regular basis. In fact no matter if you are an orc, elf, dwarf, human or something else you can have a chat with our friendly bar staff.

**I'ld like to see a Red there!, Von :)**

So bring your gold and join us Saturday for some fun games, good food and more importantly powerful drink.

Frundle,
Owner of The Swinging Axe.
The swinging Axe is located in Caer Aquilo which is just below the Britain, Yew & Minoc Crossroads.

Sextant cords
60 17'N 53 34'E Gates will be available from Britain Bank from 2:30 till 3:30 on the grand opening day.

May the day go smoothly
Von Ravend, Stratics

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 31, 2001, 4:11 AM EDT by Von Ravend (Oceania)

Win 95 Users should upgrade their Winsock
It appears that there may be a problem running UO with Win95. On the official UO Boards here, Cynthe (Community Manager, Origin Systems)posted this here :
Windows 95 users who have not upgraded their Winsock to Winsock 2 may see an error message with the updated client. This may not be the case once the patch is reverted out (a revert patch went up today), but it will be necessary again once the patch is put back in. The error message will say: "missing winsock32.dll”

Here's how to fix it:

- Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/bin/W95ws2setup.exe

- Download file to your desktop

- Double click on W95ws2setup.exe

- Click Ok

- Winsock2 will be installed, you should restart your computer after the process finishes

Let us know here if you have any more problems. :)
.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 9:22 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Drive-By Barding at Moonglow Bank
 
This afternoon at Moonglow Bank, a dusty warrior named Auladan stepped out of a moongate and asked the crowd if any among them would like to hear a story. Akira Pyre stepped forward and said, "Yes, please." Auladan then stood by the bank and regaled a small crowd with the adventures that had overtaken him earlier in the day.

Auladan says he had never attempted a drive-by barding before, but the day just seemed ripe for a tale. It was a swashbuckling adventure, charting Auladan's battle with a fierce sea monster. I don't want to give away too much, as the tale will probably be told again at the YMCA this Friday.

As I mentioned to Auladan, if you would like to hear tales of high adventure, or low humor, or great tragedy, or if you have a story of your own to tell, the YMCA has a story-telling night every Friday. No sense in standing around banks hoping a drive-by bard will come and service you! Go get your own tales!

Those wishing to tell a story (or just listen while they get a little hooty on ale and scarf up the free pizza Dor always seems to put out) should come to YMCA on Friday at 7 PM PST. The YMCA is located at 39o 48' N - 42o 7' W in Felucca, just South of the Yew Cemetary. Hope to see you there!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 8:48 PM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

New Reporter On Legends Staff
Greetings all!

My name is Grand Mystic, and I am a new reporter for the AOL Legends News Team. My goals as a reporter are to bring the news to the citizens of Legends and to give people a say about what is going on in your world. I will be working with you all to bring thenews and events to you. I hope to be able to report to you in the most accurate and unbiased way I can.

Until then, safe travels and have a merry day!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 7:07 PM EDT by Grand Mystic (LegendsAOL)

Tournament Announcement
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We received this announcement of a tournament, to be held this Sunday.
Yet again, some 1v1 tournament fun to be had on Cats!

Here's the rules for Arena Combat:

  • Absolutely no attacking, fighting, casting of any spell, potion tossing, or any other forms of combat or disruption outside of the Arena and/or by non-participants.
  • No magical weapons, armor, or charged items of any kind (including event/quest items and yes, we will be checking).
  • No summoned or tamed pets (spectators leave your horses, ostards, llamas, etc. at home, too).
  • No hiding, stealing, or looting.
  • No poisoned weapons of any kind unless poisoned by the fighter after the fight commences.
  • No casting once you've entered the Arena for your match until the referee signals to begin.
  • No bladespirits, invisibles, gates, recalls, or energy vortexes allowed.
  • Disconnection will result in a forfeit for that fighter.
  • Fights disrupted by outsiders will be restarted.
  • At the discretion of the referee, if no clear winner is decided (read: noone dies) after a reasonable period of time, he/she will declare "No Potion Overtime". During which, the fighters may not drink [B]any[/B] potions. If this is not enough to finish the bout, then further actions may include: no healing/bandages, firefields from the Referee, GE potions, or other means at the discretion of the Referee. There is still to be NO interference from spectators or other fighters.
  • The winner will immediately step away from the corpse of the loser; let the referees ressurect.
  • Innapropriate language or behavior from any fighter or spectator will not be tolerated.
  • Spectators will remain hidden and silent during all fights.
Bring your patience. We try to run a fun event, but it's hard to get the cooperation of every factor that goes into it.

Failure to follow these rules or the instructions of the Arena Combat staff will result in disqualification and/or removal from the tower. All judgements by the Arena Combat Referees are final.

Arena Combat is held at the lovely southern tower of the August Moon in Felucca(119o 47' S, 13o 0' W just south of the Lizardman Fort).

There is no entry fee.

1st place - 50,000 gold

2nd place - 25,000 gold

3rd place - 10,000 gold

Plus one nice magical item to a random fighter or spectator just for coming out! I look forward to seeing you all there.

For more or contact information, please see:

http://www.game-master.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=1or www.game-master.net

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 7:04 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Update to Login Server Issues
The following updates were posted to FYI:
Login Server Update

Due to the issues with the login server, the latest patch will be reverted at 4:30 PM CDT. This revert will not result in lost play time. As a result of the encryption within the last client patch, players attempting to use UO Assist while playing Ultima Online may have received an error message reading "IGR time limit has been reached". Reverting the patch may temporarily resolve this issue; however, once the patch is reapplied, UO Assist will most likely not work properly until the program has been updated by its parent company.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 6:08 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Chests of Chance: Silvervale Lottery
Down on your luck? Lost your shirt in Shadowcove's Halls of Havoc? Grab a barrel, wear it, and run to gather some cotton and fleece some sheep. Once you have gold in your pocket again, and are hopefully wearing some clothes, try your chances at Silvervale's upcoming Lotto! This was sent in by Mor Kegan.
This here week we is havin’ a lottery! That be where ye buys keys, there be 100 of ‘em, ‘n tries yer luck at the chests! Each key be priced at 1000 gold. Now that do sound like a lot, but the prizes be well worth it if ye feel lucky! Send ta' me, Mor Kegan, or go ta' the Silvervale site 'n leave a message if ye wish more information or wish ta' donate a chest.

One ‘o the chests contains 100,000 gold! As ta’ the others, they is ever’ thing from a house decoratin’ kit wi’ semi-rares like herb strings, to a mib ‘r two wi’ the promise ‘o a fisherman ta’ go git ‘em, to heaven on’y knows what! Residents ‘o Silvervale contributes ta’ the boxes. The number ‘o chests will vary from week ta’ week. Keys is available from the vendor at Heartkin House tower named Michelle. He be on the roof. Yes, yes, I know that be a girl’s name! Ye kin buy the keys a’tween 8:30 and 10:00 and then head ta’ the Crimson Inn ta’ have some free ale, ‘n free food, ‘n wait fer the chests ta’ be put out at the Town Hall at 10:00.

During Crimson Inn hours, ye kin also register as a citizen ‘r find out the latest news. A newspaper’ll be available at the Crimson Inn for ye ta’ read each week. Hope ta’ see ye there!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 4:22 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Login Server Issues
Now on FYI:
We are currently experiencing difficulties with the login servers. This may affect the ability for players to log into the game. We are aware of the issue and are working as quickly as possible to resolve it. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 3:52 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Client Patch 3.0.4k (2D & 3D)
The following was just posted to FYI:
We will be releasing a client patch on Thursday, August 30th at approximately 1:30 pm CDT. This patch contains the following changes:
  • 2D Gameplay window can now be resized without restarting the client.
  • When in a party in 3D, the player's status bar will have heal/cure buttons.
  • Improvements to the "Last Shard Used" button functionality in the 3D client.
  • The character creation templates have been revamped.
  • Many crashes and other bugs have been addressed in this patch.
  • Book crash fixed
  • Players are not always put in Britain when not using Advanced creation mode. They are put in a random starting city.
  • No notoriety queries in Trammel
  • Increase in maximum number of starting stat points
The current versions should now be 3.0.4k (2D client) and 3.0.4k Build 72 (3D client).

If you have any difficulty receiving this patch, please check the following:

  • Check the "Patch" directory within your Ultima Online directory (the default location is C:\\Program Files\Ultima Online\Patch). This directory should be empty. Any files in this directory should be deleted.
  • If you are unable to connect to the patch server at all, and are using an original (Non-T2A) version of Ultima Online, you may need to update your verinfo file. For details on updating this file, please see the information posted at http://support.uo.com/tech_6.html.
  • Run a virus scan on your computer. Undetected viruses may cause conflicts with patching Ultima Online. For information on up-to-date virus detection software, please visit http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/vso/default.asp.
If after trying the above, you are still experiencing difficulty patching the Ultima Online client, please contact Technical Support at [email protected].

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 2:28 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Very Special GuL Pit Fight!
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Although I am saddened to see Beldin move on from Napa Valley after all the hard work he's done for the Guardians of Undead Lords, he sure knows how to put on an awesome going away party!
Welcome to a very special GUL pit fight. Hosted at Oc'Nivelle (Yew Forest 47o 17`N. x 34o 56`W). Designed to be a place for fighters of all play styles to come together to battle it out, the GUL Pit fights will be held every Saturday. Registration will begin at 8 pm pst fighting will begin at 9 pm. Players wishing to register must do so by 8:50, no late entries will be accepted. There will be a 32 person limit, so if you get there late your outta luck.

This Week's Pit Fight (Saturday Sept 1st) will be 1v1 single elimination.
The rules for this weeks fight will be a bit different along with the prizes.

The Prizes
Winner Takes All...
Of Beldins stuff

That's right... Beldin is departing UO and as a fair well everything on his account will go to the winner of this fight. So what exactly does that include?
  • One Large L shaped house in Felluca North of the Yew Moon Gate.
  • All the Gm weapons, Armor, Potions(several full kegs) Regs (a few thousand of each)
  • All the Gold (about 1/2 million)
  • All the random belongings one acquires playing this game for 3 years.
As a special bonus the winner of the Tournament will also have a chance to fight Yosha (Beldin's Pit Fighter)for the keys to the kingdom... Yes you heard that right, the winner of the fight will have the option to fight Yosha for Beldin's UO name and password. If the Winner defeats Yosha he will gain possession of Beldins entire account. This is an 18 month account with the following characters. (note rewards have been chosen and given away already)

Beldin
GM Magery
GM Meditation
GM Eval Int
GM Wrestling
GM Poisoning
GM Inscription
GM Hiding

Aldor
GM Magery
GM Eval Int
GM Swords
GM Tactics
GM Lumber Jacking
GM Anatomy
GM Healing

Yosha
GM Mace
GM Tactics
GM Anatomy
GM Healing
GM Parry
95 Resist
91 Magery
10 Meditation

Seca
GM Alchemy
GM Black Smithing
GM Magery
GM Eval Int
GM Wrestling
GM Mediation
65 Inscription

Vanka Hatmando
Gm Stealing
GM Hiding
GM Wrestling
95 Arms Lore
91 Magery
89 Snooping
60 Meditation
30 Animal Taming

Now for The Rules
  • Any and all magic weapons, armor and items are permitted except for blessed weapons (No blessed weapons!)
  • Pre Poisoned weapons are not only allowed but recommended
  • No casting of field spells, or summoning.
  • No pets, this includes spectators. Please stable your pets before arriving at the tower.
  • The winner of each round will be allowed to loot there fill from there defeated opponent! (So don't bring that Vanq battle axe unless you're prepared to lose it.)
  • Calling all thieves, Stealing is permitted in this fight! Since the winner loots, all you have to do to get your stuff back from a battle thief is beat him :)
  • Loss of connection during a fight will result in that fighter losing the match.
  • Tournament is single elimination
  • Any spectator inference will result in the spectator being banned and the fight starting over.
  • No one is permitted inside the fighting area except the fighters for that match and the ref.
  • Fighters may not hide or cast invisible during there fight
  • To reduce lag anyone not fighting will be asked to hide during the fight. Players who consistently do not hide will be removed from the tower.
  • No smack talking. The point is to prove what you can do... If you just "owned" someone we all will have seen it, no need to spout off about it.
  • The ref will have final say over any match, issues or complaints with the rules of GUL's Pit Fight will not be discussed until after the tournament has ended.
As you can see this is not your run of the mill tournament. For clarification on any of the rules feel free to icq me, Beldin @ 57169966.


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 2:27 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Napa Gauntlet Tournament
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This new event is sponsored by the new Seers program so I urge you all to check it out and give some luvin' to a new RP event here in Napa Valley.

It's an Old style Gauntlet Tournament In Felucca. The entrance fee is 1.5k. 1st and second place prizes vary upon number of entries. There will be free Drinks, Courtesy of the Seers of Napa.
Troubadour Radnor, member of the New UO Seers Program, arises as the morning scroll of local news bangs him awake as it hits his door.

Stumbling around for his sandals in the near darkness of early morning, he steps on the tail of his still sleeping pet, Fang, and hears a growl of discontent. Lighting the candle on his writing desk, he notices the whereabouts of his clothing strewn about the small dwelling, unable to remember how they got that way. Well, a shirt and trousers will keep the warmth next to his body in the cool of the morning.

He ambles to the door, opens it, glances around the road in front for any possible dangers, retrieves his morning scroll and closes the door, unwilling to look inviting to some ne'er-do-well that might be lurking about.

After preparing some hot tea, he settles down at his writing desk to peruse the morning news. Unrolling the scroll a bit past the news of yesterday's murders, robberies and the attempt to decrease the wealth at the local branch of the National Bank of Britain, he finds the list of upcoming events.

Hmm...Napa Gauntlet Tournament on Friday at 6pm in Felucca, a bit south of the Yew Moongate. It says the coordinates are 64, 20N 34, 10W. And then a bit of information he doesn't recognize. It says "For more information click here." His eye catches mention of his own name in the announcement.

They are requesting his presence as a reporter for their event. Trying to check his own scroll of appointments, he knocks over his tea and the news scroll falls to the floor. Fang quickly grabs it and heads for the door with tail wagging to be let out for his morning scavenging hunt and relief activities.

"No, Fang, you can't have that. It's not a bone, although it might look like one. Here, give it back to me. You're slobbering all over it."

Fang gives it up with a small bit of reluctance and dashes outside as Radnor opens the door for him.

Grabbing a dirty shirt off the floor, he makes an attempt to clean up the spilled tea, adds more to his cup and, resettling back at his writing desk, he checks his schedule for Friday evening. Nothing noted but for his lady arriving early for a weekend visit. Wondering if she'll accept the fact that work comes before pleasure, he jots in a note of the tournament. Hmm...he wonders if he'll remember to take along a sextant.

Unrolling the now wet, sticky news scroll he finds the next upcoming attraction is a request for ladies to join the local singles gathering at the Home of the Lonely Knights. Saturday is all it says, no time, no directions...how do these people expect anyone to find them? Oh, well...she wouldn't want me going to that anyway.

With that thought lingering in his head, he prepares for the rest of his day, wondering if he'll be able to take a nap in the early afternoon. Time will tell.....

New UO Seers Program

Seer Matrium &
Troubadour Radnor
ICQ 128 071 387

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 2:00 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Grim Fight Nights
Something New at Grimoire!!

Hiya everyone!

This week we are going to stray from the normal pvp battle, and do something much different at Grimoire. We will be having a polar bear fight night this Friday, August 31, at 9:00 PM Pacific Time.

Either you can bring your own polar bear, or you will be able to purchase one at Grimoire for 1000 gold. The polar bears will all fight at once, in a big bar fight. The owner of the winning bear will win 30K gold!

After the polar bear fights Jimbo will be holding dice gambling again!!

Jimbo's Dice Rules

The Dice Game is similar to the game Blackjack. Just double click the dice cup twice and add the two outcomes together. The object of the game is to get the number 21 or get as close to 21 as you can. You can either 'stand' or take a 'hit'. If you stand, you are done rolling the dice and you must wait to see if your opponents' scores are closer to 21. If you take a 'hit' you roll the dice again and add that outcome to your two previous rolls. If your score exceeds 21, you lose, if you are closer to 21 than your opponents, you win!

The anti is 700gps and 500gps a hit. If there is a tie, both players roll the dice one time and the higher roller wins.

Head on over to the Grimoire website if you have questions.
grimoire.battlevortex.com

Good luck to all the animals, and gamblers!!
Watch out, I hear this dice game is addictive!

LeeLu - Grimoire Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 1:50 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Silvervale Auction a Success!
I am going to bring a big check with me next time, and buy myself a nice orc. If there is such a thing, at least. Looking beyond the non-humie exterior, I bet they can be quite personable, although hard to understand. Unless you are fluent in their language...

The results from last night's Bachelor/Bachelorette auction were sent in by Mor Kegan, the saucy organizer of this event, a resident of the town of Silvervale.

Greetins! It be me agin, Mor Kegan!Thanks ta’ all ye kind ‘n gentle folk, the first e’er Silvervale Auction ‘o bachelors ‘n bachelorettes ‘n services were a rousin’ success! Special thanks ga’ out to Lady Morgaine, who will be decoratin’ fer Gristle the Orc ‘n arrangin’ his piles ‘o bones. Also thanks ga’ out ta’ Laike fer his fishin’ date, Preia Starle fer her fine skills at the quill ‘n her healthy biddin’, Kaylie fer her stylish ‘n dazzlin’ attire, Raval fer givin’ spice ta’ the night, Audrey Brookes fer bein’ first lady ta’ brave the storms, Molly fer steppin’ up wi’ no notice ‘n helpin’ us out greatly, Zyla fer biddin’ on every man, ‘n takin’ away Bran Mac Morn fer a date though she still don’ understand it hain’t permanent…, Davion Tamar fer bein’ brave enough ta’ offer hisself as a orc practice dummy, but who got a date wi’ me instead, ‘n ta’ Wrath fer givin’ me the chance ta’ wine ‘n dine him, ‘n lastly ta’ ole Gristle fer offerin’ himself up fer orc fer a date. Sadly na’ female orcs done showed ta’ properly appreciate ‘im. I think he be gonna scrub floors ‘r help fight in Destard. Hain’t sure which! Special thanks ta’ Whip Devilkin fer entertainin’ us all, ‘n embarrassin’ most of us (not me, o’ course!).

Now that I done got that over, I thank all ye folk who come ‘n bid! The profits goes ta’ the Silvervale buildin’ fund, ‘n ta help expand our borders. All citizens thank ye as well as me, ‘n hope ye come back ‘n visit us on our tavern nights!

We is movin’ our event night ta’ Thursdays so ye kin all go lose yer money at the Casino on Wednesdays. Well, speakin’ fer meself, I allus manage ta’ lose ever penny. Unlucky at dice, lucky at love, they says.

Look fer announcements each week about what sort ‘o goin’s on we are havin ’! We look for’ard to havin’ old friends drop by and makin’ new ones!

Ta ta!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 1:45 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Revolt in Minoc
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We received the following announcement via our friends at UOD:
Numerous miners in the leads of Minoc/Felluca laid down their job today since they are paid for their job too badly. This action was explained with the facts, that the conditions of work in Felucca through roaming robbers and assassins without a corresponding danger bonus is no more reasonable.
In addition the lead operator did not reach the destination with the wage money for 3 times in the last week.
With that the lead society threatened from insolvency, a call starts onto all noble heroes and heroines:
Help the society please, however, particularly our miners. We search for a group of noble, to elaborate gold in height of 25000 in the cave of Shame and to guarantee a secure transportation into the leads of Minoc, to pay around the lead workers that still hold position there for all the ingots they brought to daylight.
All combatants that want to participate for this purpose are asked to gather tomorrow, Friday the 31.8.1601, at 21.00 o'clock at the Eastbank Britain/Drachenfels arrive.
On, on you heroes and heroines, whether magician, tamer or warrior, of whichever guild you belongs to, gather together to save the existence of the miners !!!!
I guess the time is MEST, which would mean 19.00 GMT.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 1:20 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

UK Players Gathering 9/22/01
Thanks to Ryan for giving us a heads up about the UK Players Gathering coming up in late September:
We are having our 2nd annual player meeting this year, although there have been other meetings so far this year ours is so far the only annual event. We are having our 2nd meeting, after we had a great response from those who attended last July 2000. We have planned another, this time we are celebrating the good work that members of the volunteer groups have done for us. I know a few will be turning up so why not buy a volunteer a drink. I intend to get some important guests to attend as its now going to be an official annual event, like in the USA.

So please make it a special day and come along see some old faces and meet new ones.

Regards,
Ryan
Guild master, UKP - Europa ICQ: 31101822
E-mail: [email protected]

DATE & TIME: Saturday 22nd September 2001 at 13:00

WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS: www.ukp-europa.co.uk

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 10:44 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

Items & Artifacts Section Updated
Hail,
Over the last few weeks I, once again, have been revising and adding previously unlisted player owned quest items to the Items & Artifacts section. I would like to say that this section is now complete but that would not be true as there are always new entries and new information being found and sent in.
The aim of this section is to list and display every quest item on every shard. This is a reasonably large task but worth the effort. These old quests and the items from them make up part of the history of their respective shards. The listings here in the Items & Artifacts section allows players to read about the origins of strange items they may have come across during their travels or to view rare artifacts that they might not otherwise be able to see in game.
If you own, or have seen, a quest item on a shard you play that is missing from the listing for that shard here at Stratics, I would be grateful if you could contact me about it. Similarly if you have extra information pertaining to a quest item, or have a picture/screen shot for an item which is missing one then please email me here at [email protected].
Thank you.
Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 6:06 AM EDT by Courage (QuestandEventNews)

Visit to an Oracle
Tarne sent us this tale of a visit to the Isle of Fire.
The trip back home had proved to be most interesting indeed. It was a trip that had been a long time in the coming. Tarne had grown up on Avatar Island next to the shrine of Humility and had spent many days there praying. But with the bringing in of Sabrina and Dale and the move to Yew after his father died of old age he had not been back.

As he stepped off the boat onto his home turf he had his war hammer drawn and was at the ready. As he walked around the shrine he noticed that the isle had been cleansed of monsters and appearently had been cleansed for sometime.

"Hrmph" He said aloud as he removed his helm and strapped his hammer to his back. "I cannea believe that there be no more monsters 'ere on this isle. Sure tha deamon temple will still 'ave some." He gathered his belongings, got on his horse and headed off to the temple. As he walked through the sparse jungles of he isle it became appearant that the isl! e had indeed been cleared. The longer he rode the more comfortable he became when suddenly a huge deamon appeared before him brandishing a huge sword, a sword bigger than Tarne himself.

Being caught off guard due to the lack of enemies during his ride to the temple Tarne could not gather his belongings quickly enough as the Daemon raised the huge sword above his head and lowered it down with a force that rattled his bones and shook the earth.

Tarne fell down from his mighty steed and laid upon the earth trembling, blood flowing freely from his shattered skull and ripped skin. Barely conscious and unable to move he was unable to stop the daemon from taking the mighty hammer from him and slaughtering his horse. For many days Tarne laid there on the ground only waking for brief periods to scrounge for grubs or worms that he was able to find.

Through the days he slept and and ate and slowly regained his strength all the while dreaming... dr! eaming of a staff. A staff so powerful that it could control the undead and the weilder. That it could shake the earth and bring terror to any that would oppose it. A staff. A staff of three.

When he was finally able to get up and crawl back to his boat, almost two weeks had passed. He sailed back to the port he left from and recalled back home. But one thought stood forth in his mind where all else had gone blank.

Three. Something of three... He knew that there was only one thing to do and that was to find the Oracle. Sabrina had once talked of such a being. A being so powerful that he knew the future, past and present and lived in all times and all locations. Such a being would know what needed to be done.

After Tarne's strentgh was back up to full he recalled to Wind in hopes to find the wise Lady Arkaana Kohl. Together with the fighters of UCE and the mages of Wind he knew that all odds could be defeated. He sat outside of Wind knowing that he was! far to ignorant in the ways of magic to enter. Luckily after three days and three nights Arkaana and company came forth. They spoke of what happened and agreed to accompany Tarne to the Lighthouse to find the Oracle.

Arkaana and the other accompaning mages opened a magical gate to the Lighthouse where stood an old and withered man. A man that looked wise beyond his years yet would crumple if you touched him. As Tarne stepped forward the man stood up, looked Tarne in the eyes and said...

"Greetings Tarne Winston, Emporer of the United Clans and Greetings to ye, Arkaana Kohl of the City of Wind. I bid ye welcome. I am the Oracle. I suspect ye be here to learn about the comming of three, yes?"

As Tarne's eyes widened all he managed to get out was "Aye, M'lord..."

When the Oracle stood before them he seemed larger than life and with the strength of a thousand men yet more gentle than a woodland rabbit.

"Sit ye down and I shall tell ye what I can. Remember, though, I be a being of neutrality and even though I summoned ye all here before me I cannot divulge too much. I am here to maintain the balance and because of that I cannot disturb the balance or directly interfere. This is what I can tell ye..."

"When the three become one the ground will tremble, the power is in your hands"

As the Oracle told Tarne, Arkaana and company this information ideas and questions raced through our minds but before we could question him further he gradually faded into the darkness leaving only wisps of smoke where he once stood leaving a stunned Lady Kohl and Emporer Winston in his wake...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 2:49 AM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Fishing Council's New Statistician
The folks over at The Fishing Council of Britannia sent us this tale describing their new addition to their site - Pinkgecko the Fishin' Statistician:
The cruel sun beat upon the fisher's weather-beaten features. The line plopped as he relentlessly cast it, pursuing fish and danger and treasure. The glare from the bright blue waters had caused him an incurable squint. He was almost dozing when he heard the familiar sound of a sea serpent about to attack. He reached for his crossbow….

As we went back to the steady plop, plop, plop of his life, after carefully hiding the special fishing net he found on the now-dead serpent, he began to think. Then he began to wonder. How many times does he cast the line before he gets a serpent? How many of these serpents carry special treasures such as fishing nets and treasure maps? Sometimes he receives a message in a bottle from some doomed sea-farers but whenever he goes to save them, he finds them gone, with only their worldly possessions remaining.

He began to count…

And with this counting the Fishing Council of Britannia is pleased to announce that Pinkgecko has accepted the position of Fishin' Statistician for the fleet. He knows and reports how many casts on average it takes to get a serpent, how many serpents to get a net, how many nets to get a kraken, and how many kraken to get a rope. Pink counts them all and reports to the fleet at www.thefcb.com. And you heard fishers were dull…..

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 12:08 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

Ferry Boats Provided by The Fisherman's Council of Baja
This was just received from Oceanus,
Mage Tower FCB FerryHave you ever wondered who was banging on that awful lute across the channel from your home? Ever needed a boat on hand to take out fishing or to actually sail to the mainland from Skara Brae?

If so read on….

The Fisherman’s Council of Baja is proud to announce a unique and entirely free service for the entire Shard of Baja. The Baja council, under the tutelage of fleet captains Foofisher & Lonestar, have commissioned the launch of seven ferryboats in various areas of our land.

These ferryboats can be used by any citizen of Baja and taken out on fishing expeditions, treasure hunts, or to just simply cross a small channel of water. The sides will be left unlocked and one of our Boatswains will bring the boat back to its home port if it strays too far off course.

You will be able to find the Ferryboats in the following locales across the facets:
TRAMMEL
  • Magincia Docks
  • Skara Brae Docks
  • Britain Docks
  • Moonglow Harbor Docks
FELUCCA
  • Baja Mage Tower (near Moonglow)
  • City of Avalon (western side)
  • Kingdom of Dawn (small narrow peninsula)
If you would like to find out more about the FCB, please ICQ Foofisher @ 42314161 , Lonestar @ 54512593 or visit our vendor filled Guildhouse on Trammel (N of Minoc) @ 129 59’N – 83 2’E. Alternatively you can contact us through our website @ http://www.thefcb.com.
Oceanus
Lumi Captain
Boatswain, The Baja Fleet
Thankye Oceanus!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 11:34 PM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Comments from the Team - Jex
The following was just posted to the Comments From the Team Section, Quality Assurance:
Dear Britannians~

Since this is my first post, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lindsay Collier, a.k.a. Jex OSI QA. Some of you may have seen me cruising around the test shards or may have even gotten a reply from me by sending in your exploits and bugs to uobugs.com or tcbugs.com. I really appreciate the bug and exploit submissions that you pass along to me through these emails since that is one of our main sources of information. Once you send in a mail, what we do is divvy the bugs up among a group of testers and head out! We test the issues on the test shards, and see if we can come up with accurate steps to repeat the problem successfully. We then enter all this information into a database where these issues are assigned to the various programmers and designers to fix. Once the issues have been fixed, we go back in and attempt to once again *crack* the code. From there, either the bug is marked as fixed or failed, and it’s either moved to be released to the public, or it goes back to the programmers/designers and we start all over again.

I played UO for nearly a year before I came to work here and still find time to play almost every day. So, yes, I am also anxiously awaiting the release of vet rewards on my shard. I feel that being an active player is a good way to gain information and find issues within the game. When I first started playing I couldn’t believe all the complexity that was woven into this game, and it quickly turned into what some might consider an addiction for me. However, since I have been unable to find UOAA (Ultima Online Addicts Anonymous), I figured working here would be the next best thing. ;) I was so happy when I found out that I would actually be able to work on a game I was so involved with, that I promptly quit my previous job to come and join the team here at Origin. I am really honored to be working with such a great bunch of people.

I came to Origin as an Alpha tester for Third Dawn. They needed testers as well as a girl’s point of view, and that's what I gave them. They have since decided to keep me on as a permanent team member, and I was more than happy to stay. We have since added many new faces to the QA team and have grown larger than this department has ever been. This is good for you, the player, as well since it means that more bugs will be caught before going out to the production shards, and new fixes and content will be released much quicker. HOORAY! =)

Since this is my first post, I'll keep it short and sweet. But I hope you all will come and join us at the Online Worlds FanFest (formerly known as the UO World Faire) this year, here in Austin, Texas! It promises to be bigger and better than last year and I can’t wait!!! ;) I'm looking forward to meeting everyone! And, as always, you can email me with any concerns, bugs, or exploits, or just drop a note to say "Hi!"

'Til then~

Lindsay "Jex" Collier
Quality Assurance
Ultima Online
[email protected]

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 9:05 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Do you have a whispering rose from Caitlin or know the Great gurgly Murgly?
Calling all Citizens of Europa:

Hi

I was wondering if it would be possible to enlist your help...

Recently my house collapsed (before the end of the 9 day refresh period - to which OSI say they cannot help), and I lost an item that means quite a lot to me...

The item is "a whispering rose from Caitlin" - this was given to me by the character played by the woman who later became my wife in real life, so as you can imagine, it's quite important that I retrieve it...

As I say, OSI cannot help me with this, so I was wondering if you could make some enquiries whilst on your travels....

The only lead I have at the moment is that the house that replaced mine was named Great gurgly Murgly....

I've posted a similar request on the Europa forum, and am not sure what to do next....

I am offering a reward of 100k to the person(s) who find and return this rose to me...

Please let me know whether you can help or not....and if you can please send a e-mail with whatever information you have to [email protected]

Many thanks

Phil

Come on lads! Help this man in his time of need!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 8:00 PM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

Zog Cabal Gains Allies
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

The latest news from the Zog Cabal:

As I walked down the streets of Britain, a face appeared from the shadows. I knew from experience that he was a great mage- so great, in fact, that he preferred telepathic communication to the linguistics I was used to. This mage approached me with an offer.

"Lord Volo... my organization seeks the same ends as yours."

"Tis a grim end I seek. I'm sure you must be mistaken."

"We both strive towards the apocalypse, the end of all life."

"Aye, then indeed we are brothers."

I looked this sage up and down, studying his body language and his apparel. He clearly had the look of an academy professor. He appeared nervous and looked as though he was risking his neck talking to me in public. He asked if I needed help in attaining my goals and proposed an alliance. An evil grin came across my face and, in a fit of mad laughter, I teleported us to my estate.

Over cups of warm blood ale, a deal was forged. It appeared that, just as I had been unhappy at the abbey, so this nameless person had been unhappy with his place in life. He, along with many of his followers, sought to seek something better - and much, much darker. He and 15 fellow warlocks would join my army and would become a new faction within the Zog Cabal.

Now, the Zog Cabal has steel and magic to back its threat. These unholy warriors known only as the Followers of the Apocalypse shall soon feared throughout the land.

Once our ale was finished my general, Tempest, approached and asked if he could have the honor of leading our men in battle. I readily agreed and left two men to there own. They left to seal the deal with the blood of an innocent.

My my my what a wonderful web of darkness and betrayal we weave. MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I like evil as much as the next orc, but even I grow frightened when Prelate Volo signs his messages with evil laughter.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 7:37 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Clan of Wrong Destroyed
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

Apparently there have been some grave goings on around Wrong of late. Lord Erus Pro Curo provided the following information and time line to us:

Six Weeks Ago (2nd day of the third moon of Mantilla according to the Clan's calendar) a town crier was heard shouting:

Hear ye! Hear ye! The Clan of Wrong hath been destroyed! It and all its members have been killed or scattered throughout the land! Lord Erus Pro Curo has been ousted and the Demi-God Pravus has been vanquished!

Last Week (4th day of the fifth moon of Mantilla) a missive was intercepted on its way to Lord British advisors:

Lord Erus Pro Curo has built up followers and supporters and hath established the Black Sash Clan. Located just south of Destard, his tower will apparently house this powerful force for ill. They have taken over the Dungeon and are building up stores of weapons, gold, gems, tools, and reagents.

We can only guess as to what evil plans are being made. We fear that many of our land's most treacherous murderers and thieves will flock to this new Clan. If things proceed as Erus plans, they may very well become a driving force for all manner of evil - sort of a one-stop shop for theft and murder.

I imagine that losing control of Wrong has made Lord Erus Pro Curo more determined than ever to eradicate all that is good from our lands. You can't keep a good evil warlord down.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 7:13 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Vet Rewards Schedule Update
Some updated news about the Vet Reward schedule, just posted to FYI:
Veteran Rewards Schedule Update

Since we began activating the Veteran Rewards system, we have been carefully monitoring the usage and performance of the Veteran Rewards hardware. The release has gone smoothly thus far, but we have found some connectivity issues with the rewards server. As more shards get rewards and the server is accessed more, these connectivity issues will result in packet loss, creating longer wait times for the rewards gump to appear, and for the reward selection to take place. If more shards are activated and the problem is left unfixed, it could eventually result in packet loss on the servers themselves, creating lag on the shards.

To resolve this problem before this happens, we will be temporarily halting the activation of Vet Rewards, and re-evaluating the current schedule for release. As previously scheduled, the system was successfully activated on the Pacific and Lake Superior shards today, but we were unable to activate them on Siege Perilous at this time. Shards that have previously had Vet Rewards activated will not lose the ability to choose those rewards, but the system will not be activated on any new shards until this is resolved.

The connectivity fix is receiving top priority, and we anticipate that this will be resolved soon. We will post a new schedule as soon as the problem has been resolved.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 6:57 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Hacking Information
Cynthe gave a warning about Account hacking here:
In the last few days there have been multiple reports of UO accounts being hacked. Unfortunately, this happens all the time, as hackers find more and more clever ways of getting into someone’s computer.

So why is it suddenly coming to light now? One possibility is that there are players who were unknowingly infected with sub7's or Trojans months ago, or gave a password to someone in a guild months ago, but they were not actually hacked until the hacker felt there was something worth taking on the account (like Vet Rewards, which would explain the recent outbreak). The players would have never seen any hacking activity on their account until now if their virus program did not detect a Trojan (which does happen). Even if a player changes their password, with a Trojan it would make little difference. Anything and everything stored in or done through your computer can be compromised.

Unfortunately, even if it is a player’s in-game items or characters that are affected by the hacking, it is not UO or OSI that has been hacked – it is the information on the player’s own computer that allows the hacker to log into the game as the other person. This means that any player who has been hacked has been hit with a form of computer theft/fraud, which is a crime. However, since the crime is actually committed on a machine outside of the Origin Systems network and service, the law does not allow us to press charges. Only the victim can do that, and unless that is done, the perpetrator will continue his malicious deeds.

We strongly advise that any person who has fallen victim to such activity immediately contact their local police and/or District Attorney in order to take legal action against the violator. This is explicit criminal activity, and the offender is subject to prosecution by law.

What Origin Systems can do - and does on almost a daily basis - is provide any and all information to the law enforcement entity investigating the matter. Such requests for official assistance must be made via fax at (512) 795-8014, and will be returned to the processing authority almost immediately. This gives the prosecuting police/attorney the hard data that is needed to continue the matter and serve as evidence against the alleged offender.

It is also possible for us to shut down any web sites that attempt to solicit passwords for the purpose of hacking, and we most definitely remove all offenders’ accounts from the game once caught. Again, though, if no charges are pressed, nothing has actually happened to prevent that activity from continuing.

The prosecution and conviction of individuals who choose to engage in this criminal activity is the only absolute method in bringing an end to that activity, and due to the limited nature of Internet law, it is absolutely vital that each victim report this crime to the necessary local, county, district, state, and/or federal authorities.

We simply do not have the resources or power to actually determine if every person playing our game is legally or illegally accessing those accounts (and having that power would naturally create a slew of privacy issues), but that power does lie with the law. The same falls true for the ISP and domain used in the event - while each of their services may be compromised by someone violating their Terms of Service or other similar usage agreement, they are almost invariably unable to file charges.

All players should take the time to read our document on account security at http://support.uo.com/faq_1.html . The best method one can use against hacking is to use extreme caution! This comprehensive document covers the area of account hacking, how to prevent it, and what to expect from the Internet.

More on viruses and backdoor programs:

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/warn/backorifice.html\

Also, here are some additional links to federal sites pertaining to Internet fraud:

http://www.usdoj.gov/consumerfraud.htm

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/Internet.htm

The address [email protected] is available for anyone who has been hacked, and we will help you in any way we can.


__________________
Cynthe
Community Manager
ORIGIN Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 3:53 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Yew Market Announcement
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Victor aka Gradan sent the follwing announcement to us:
Hail citizens of Britannia!
The Council of Yew invites you heartily to the Market of Yew. The Market will take place at the walls of Empath Abbey in Yew at Sunday the 2th September at 8.00 PM (GMT+1), Trammel. Sellers are always welcome. We are looking for Miners who can offer colored ingots, especially.

Also we are looking for scroll sellers and lumberjacker, alchemists who want to sell their goods.

You will get a chair, a table and a book to write your offer in. I am permanentily looking for serious Sellers, please contact me via e-mail: [email protected] .
I hope that everyone will find what he is looking for and this market takes place every week, same time, same place.

Sincerely yours,
Gradan Kalot, Council of Yew

If you have any further questions you can write to me via ICQ: 46160299.
Thank you.
Viktor Holzberger

Thanks a lot Victor!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 2:36 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Trinsic Market Review
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Once again Slagdale sent us a pidgeon with his latest review from the Trinsic market:
Ups ... almost I would have missed everything since urgent businesses detained me in another way. However, immediately before the disassembly of the market states I made it -thanks to my rapid horse- just in time and walked exhausted, however happily between the states back and forth. Until, overwhelmed from back pains and thirst, I sat down moaning at the bar.

Anselm Penchan and Anarchoron, the two industrious landlords of the tavern "To the boozing troll" had -lucky as always- placed themselves in the Meeting Hall and could fulfill my wish for refreshment also fast. And since they noted in attentive kind and manner, that - due my sharp ride- strong pains troubled me, they gave me the valuable tip, that outside at the grocer state the small lady Angua offers "Massages of all kind".



Curiously I dragged my tired body therefore again out and went under the hands of the small lady. However, not before I a completely stimulating chaperon had been called, because from where I be supposed to know what the Trinsic people would mean by the term "all kind" *grins*. And I can tell to you hardly I had get rid of my shirt, Angua started to work on every muscle of my back. Nevertheless the success was overwhelming! After the process I felt 10 years younger and I can only recommend such a massage to everyone ! Therefore I advice everyone to attend the market next tuesday *snickers*.



Greetings,
your Slagdale [ www.uoworld.de ]
PS: Since the tavern "To the boozing troll" will move shortly to a different house, there will be an opening ceremony soon!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 2:32 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Of Maps and Assassins
A member of the Brotherhood of Blood submitted this...
Entering the secluded tavern, the assassin glanced around searching for his contact. Seating himself in the rear of the building, he casually ordered a drink and settled himself in seeking any sign that would alert him to others of his ilk. His leader, the one known only as the Voice, had summoned a number of the best that the Brotherhood had to offer to perform a task of the utmost importance. Not yet sure of the details the assassin, known only as the Zealot, was ready to perform whatever his master requested. Drawing his attention back to his surroundings, the Zealot looked up just in time to catch one of the servers as he made a discrete motion with his hand that identified him as one of the Brotherhood. Standing in front of an elderly man of seeming wealth, the servant continued to wipe the table before him while the noble responded to the signal by removing his gauntlets, revealing a large ruby ring similar in style, if not size, to the one that the Zealot himself wore. Making his way to the two, the Zealot noticed another patron had also picked up on the signal. The other, a woman known to the group only as Nox, also made her way over to the table to join the others.

“May I join you for a drink, sire?” the Zealot asked as he neared the man. Knowing that he was about to be told the details of his future mission, his heart had begun to race as was common when he was in this situation.

The noble, looking up, answered with a voice that betrayed a keen intelligence “Certainly, my friend.” Noticing the ruby ring worn by both Nox and the Zealot, the noble smiled as the two arrived at his table. “Perhaps we should move to a more…umm, secluded area.” Rising from his seat, he motioned for the server to come forward, “Be a good man and bring our drinks outside for us when they are ready. We wish to discuss family matters without bothering these other fine people.”

Nodding his agreement, the server quickly moved to the rear of the tavern to prepare their drinks and join his brothers and sister in their new location. As they exited the building, a healer who was entering at the same time approached them.

“Tis a foul day out. I have hopes that the tides will bless us with better on the morrow.” The healer stated, using one of the many phrases that the Brotherhood used to identify themselves to each other.

“Aye, indeed.” The noble responded, using the correct answering phrase, “Tis surely a sign of better days to come when the moon shows upon the shore.”

Making their way to an empty building across the path from the tavern, the group entered and waited for the arrival of their last mate, the server, as he brought drinks to cover his departure from his duties.

Once all was in order and the location was ensured to be secure, the noble began to speak in more serious tones, “The Voice has need of your services for a task of a grave nature. Richter Torval, a minor noble currently in the town of Cove, has in his possession a map that is of great importance. We have been hired to retrieve this map and bring it safely from the badlands and turn it over to our leader.”

Eyeing each in turn, the noble proceeded to give them the specifics of their task and provide them with the necessary item that would take them from the relative safety of Trammel into the war torn lands of Felucca. Once he was finished, the group made its way to Cove and began to prepare for their coming actions. As they arrived, the group separated, each given a specific task in order to ensure the success of this mission. Nox, the healer and one other were given the duty of actually taking down Torval as he made his way to the town of Minoc. The Zealot and the server from the tavern were tasked with preventing any of Torval’s guards from making it back to the city and alerting anyone of the events that would be taking place.

Ricter Torval left the town of Cove along with 5 guards and passed the hidden location of the Zealot and made his way directly to the spot of the planned ambush. Waiting patiently for Torval and his guards to pass, the Zealot slowly withdrew his poisoned dagger and crept slowly behind the party. Watching from some distance, he saw the woods around the target burst to life as Nox and the healer rushed from hiding and quickly attacked his two forward guards. Panicked, Torval could do nothing as two of his men were quickly slain and two more rushed back towards the town leaving just him and one other guard to deal with the three assassins that were upon them. The fifth member of the group suddenly leapt upon Torval and drove a spear through his spine as Nox chanted the words of power that would blast his mind with a force intended to destroy him. They were successful in their attempt and Torval fell lifeless to the ground. Quickly retrieving the box that he had been carrying, Nox turned in time to see the healer cleaning his sword as he stood upon the body of the only guard that remained in the area.

Satisfied that the forward party had accomplished their goal, the Zealot and his partner rushed through the woods in search of the two fleeing guards. Splitting up, the two went in opposite directions following the screams of each. Cutting toward town itself, the Zealot quickly hid as he heard the guard making his way toward him. Stepping behind the guard as he passed to catch his breath, the Zealot silently slid his blade into the man’s back while covering his mouth to prevent any further sound from escaping. Slowly guiding the now dead guard’s body to the ground, the assassin turned and made his way back towards his partner to aid him if needed. It proved not to be necessary. As he approached the site of the ambush, he saw that the other had already returned and confirmed that his target was taken as well.

Pleased by yet another successful mission, the group made their way back to Trammel to deliver their package to the Voice. The noble met them at the same tavern and retrieved the package, paying each their share of the contract earnings. As the assassins left, the noble breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The information contained in this box could have utterly destroyed the Brotherhood itself. The map gave the location of a book that would have exposed the entire group and this hit was the only way to secure it. The Brotherhood was safe, this time, but what about the next? Already, high-ranking members of several cities had begun to fear the Brotherhood and had set up groups whose entire duty was to bring them down. How long until they succeeded?

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 12:52 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Updates at UO-Europe.com
We have some new updates over at UO-Europe.com the official site for Ultima in Europe.

With the departure of a pair of GM's, Europe is needing some more support staff. Think you can do the job? Well visit the site where they will provide a link with further information.

Also in the updates is a spotlight on two player run towns. The evil city of Naeloth and the city of Dreamstone, both based on the Felucca facet of Europa. I suggest you all go and have a look!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 12:20 PM EDT by Orangebeard (Europa)

Coronation of Prince Malicite De'Fiona
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<A new member of the aristocracy recieves his crown. Surely an event to attend.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

The Coronation of Prince Malicite De'Fiona is set to occur on Monday September 3rd. The time of this grand event shall be at 9:00PM Eastern time. The location of the event shall be the Nujel'm Palace. A Feast fit for the occassion shall be held following the ceremony. All are welcomed to attend.

Hear ye! Hear ye!
*continues down the road to give his message*
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 10:08 AM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

OPS Expedition to Ilshenar
Come join the OPS team this week and explore the wilds of Ilshenar. See Pixies, Unicorns, Succubi and other exotic creatures. Visit the site of the Champion Spawn and the Dungeons of this realm. Meet at the OPS Keep (132o32'S 26o0'E) at 5pm AEST. From there we shall proceed to a moongate and on to Ilshenar.

Nota Bene: This is a new time from our usual Sunday events in order to accommodate more people. Also remember that in order to enter Ilshenar you require the Third Dawn client.

Tobith (OPS)
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 4:05 AM EDT by Multani (Oceania)

LS News Bytes: The Good and the Huh?!
Which would you like first ladies and that rather fantastically dressed gent in the back? The good news, or the "huh?!" news?

Let's start with the good, because, I think, every once in a while Lake Superians require a little good news every once in a while...

Vet Rewards are Coming!

Yes, 'tis true. Until OSI says otherwise, vet rewards are coming to LS today, Wednesday, August 29th. I'm not making this up!

Now, if it doesn't happen, and it turns out that there's a problem with the publish, please, please, please contact [email protected]. UO Stratics is not affliated with OSI, and we cannot assist you with any issues you may have with the UO service.

For a complete list of vet rewards, please visit http://update.uo.com/design_350.html.

Now that you've recovered from the above item, let's go to the "Huh?!" news.

Power Hours Off Schedule

According to a recent news item published at UO.com, power/burst hour, which is suppossed to have been reset each night at Midnight EST for Lake Superior has been a few hours off of late. If you're looking to get your power hour in, OSI has provided the proper time to do so on Lake Superior:

Central Shards: 7:00pm EST
Great Lakes, Lake Superior
OSI has stated that they are working to resolve the time issue, although no ETA has been set for the fix.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled Lake Superior fun! Thank you, and enjoy your vet rewards and new power hour time!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 1:56 AM EDT by Beans Baxter (LakeSuperior)

The Wedding of Lord Vlad and Lady Bethany
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We have just received the following:
Greetings, Children of Darkness.

'Tis my pleasure to submit this invitation to ye, from Lord Vlad and Lady Bethany. They entreat ye to join them as they bind their unliving, undying souls in a bond of love and commitment, through the Sosarian tradition of matrimony.

Date: Thursday, August 30th
Time: 8PM PST
Location: The tower of Unholy Union
Sextant Coordinates: 124'24 S 34'39 E

The tower is located on the Felucca facet, (about six screens) due south of the Trinsic Moongate. The ceremony will be held on the rooftop.




All are welcome to join us in celebration! After their bond is forged, they would like to invite ye to a sumptuous banquet, to show their gratitude to ye, the attendees.

Please leave thy animal companions in the stables, and thy differences with each other outside the tower.
We look forward to seeing thee there!

Aeon -- ICQ 68403453

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 12:47 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

The Grand Opening of the Blackrock Casino
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<This announcement just in:
Saturday September 1
8:00 PM EST - 4 AM EST

Location:
Pacific Shard
Trammel Facet
Sextant 33' 34 North, 23' 24 East (just 1 min walk from East Brit)

Blackrock Casino is hosting its Grand Opening!

Come one come all to the best casino on Pacific. Gates will be provided to and from Britannia bank starting at 8:00 PM EST. We have two separate gambling rooms and an open bar in our newly decorated large tower. We have a staff of over 20 full-time employees including dancers, hosts, bouncers, dealers, entertainers, and bartenders. Checks will be sold on our vendors so you do not need to bring gold. Please stable mounts outside the casino and proper dress is preferred. Try your luck at our tables where all games are clearly defined and explained, and most importantly, have fun!

Sincerely,
Armani
Blackrock Casino
Sweet! Always nice to hear about a new casino :)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2001, 12:39 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

FanFest Registration Available
Posted on the FYI section of the official UO Site :
We are pleased to announce that the Online Worlds FanFest registration page is now available. We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience. You can find complete information on the FanFest as well as register for the event by visiting http://www.onlineworldsfanfest.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 10:12 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (CommunityNews)

Power Hours Off Schedule
Posted on the FYI section of the official UO Site.
Normally, the first hour that each character is played on any given day allows that character a special possibility of some bonus skill point advancements, and this time is known to many players as the “Power Hour.” The Power Hour time frame should reset each day at midnight, related to the shard’s local time. Currently, however, all North American and European shards are incorrectly resetting their respective Power Hour times based on Midnight GMT. (Please note that Power Hours are still occurring properly for all shards, albeit off-schedule.)

We are working to resolve this situation. In the meanwhile, we ask that players who enjoy managing their time around the Power Hour schedule to please refer to the chart below. This chart shows when Power Hour is currently resetting on all shards.

East Coast Shards: 7:00pm EST
AOL Legends, Atlantic, Catskills, Chesapeake

Central Shards: 7:00pm EST
Great Lakes, Lake Superior

Siege Perilous Shard: 6:00pm CST

West Coast Shards: 4:00pm PST
Baja, Napa Valley, Pacific, Sonoma

European Shards: 12:00am GMT
Europa, Drachenfels

Asian Shards: 9:00am JST/KST
Hokuto, Yamato, Asuka, Wakoku, Izumo
Arirang, Balhae
Formosa

Oceana Shard: 12:00pm EDT

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 9:08 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Europa Player Meeting
A player meeting:

Hello,
I would like to announce our website at www.ukp-europa.co.uk.We are having our 2nd annual player meeting this year, although there have been other meetings so far this year ours is so far the only annual event. We are having our 2nd meeting, after we had a great response from those who
attended last July 2000. We have planned another, this time we are celebrating the good work that
members of the volunteer groups have done for us. I know a few will beturning up so why not buy a volunteer a drink. I intend to get some important guests to attend as its now going to be an official annual event, like in the USA.

So please make it a special day and come along see some old faces and meet new ones.

Regards
Ryan
Guild master
UKP - Europa

ICQ 31101822
email [email protected]

Thanks, have fun.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 7:22 PM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

New Casino/Tavern/Shop
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<A new establishment:





I would like to announce a new casino, tavern & vendor store on the
Europa shard trammel. We are located at UOAM Coordinates 75o 56'S 30o 14'
W As the former founder of the new player team program i would like to
introduce Lord Belgarath and myself H.M Robert IV to our new venture
within the realms of britannia.



Our aim is to give all players a enjoyable time at our casino and tavern.
We will have many casino games awaiting for you and also we have 8 lotto
vendors ranging in price per chance as follows. 1k, 3k, 5k, 10k, as you
can see we cater for all budgets.



Our prizes for the lotto are listed in a book next to each lotto vendor on
the top floor of our large marble. The first 5 people through our doors
this Saturday at 8:00 PM GMT UK will be given a free 5k token which
entitles them to 5k of free bets on us. Food and drink is all free at our
tavern so come and visit us as we open our doors to the citizens of
britannia. We will be gating from the city of Britain west bank from 7:30
PM GMT UK



We will have a website very soon, If you would like to apply for a
position on our staff until our website is up and running then email me
direct at
[email protected]




Thanks, hope it goes well.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 7:19 PM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

RP Quest to begin Wednesday Night
>>> Felucca Facet News <<< 
It seems Lich Lord Vecna has been recently spotted at the YMCA (Yew Merry Center for All). Intrepid freelance Scribe Shooter Towenaar grabbed this snap as the Chained God was berating the Y's regulars for assembling without a license. Meanwhile, as I was trolling the Sonoma forums, I came across some information left by Lich Lord Vecna that explains his recent appearance at the Y. This info should be of extreme interest to RP groups and individuals interested joining the RP community.
This past Friday, Vecna and a small number of his minions descended upon the YMCA to give the establishment a final warning before his legions begin to march north from the Black Wastes (Golgothan Kingdom) laying waste to all who go against him. However, Vecna will need the power of his ancient spell book in order to create an undead legion to march ahead of the main troops. While walking over the "rabble" this Friday at the YMCA, an old dusty tome fell from his saddlebags onto the floor and was discovered by some of the hopeless attendants of the venue. The tome not only gives some history of Vecna's origins, but of his spell book, the Varorium.

I would ask that all of you who are wanting to thwart Vecna in some way to read the tome locked down in the first story of the YMCA. This Wednesday at 6pm pst there will be a scholar at the Lyceum in Moonglow Felucca named Firan Zal'Honan who will set you upon the tasks that will hopefully achieve the restoration of the Varorium and its banishment from our worlds. Do know that you alone will not be the only group searching for the Varorium. A sinister group called the Warlords are also in search of the book to aid in their conquest of destruction in our lands.

For those wishing to read the book, the YMCA is located at 39o 48' N - 42o 7' W, just to the South of the Yew Cemetary in Felucca.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 6:43 PM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

Crafting Overhaul: Answers from Vex
There is a long thread on the UO.com boards concerning the proposed changes “In Concept” started by Sannio here:
Several updates and changes will occur that will eventually affect all of Ultima Online’s crafting systems. The goals of these changes include: creating a consistent interface for all crafting skills, allowing the player to understand a greater level of detail about his crafting activities, greater CPU efficiency, and adaptability & expandability as crafting systems are modified at later dates. The following skills will be affected by these changes:

- Alchemy
- Bowcraft/Fletching
- Blacksmithy
- Carpentry
- Cartography
- Inscription
- Tailoring
- Tinkering

The specifics are listed here.

All players should feel free to comment on these proposed changes within this thread.

=========
Sannio
Online Community Coordinator, UO
Origin Systems


A lot from of questions were answered by the Designer Vex from OSI in this thread, so I will just post his responses and the quoted questions he included in this replies here:

PLAYER: I am assuming that the tinkered items (shown in shot as coloured) will retain their old-style (unhued) colouration if you use iron ingots as opposed to any other metal?
VEX: Correct -- using iron produces the "normal" item as it looks currently.

I specifically included the candelabra to get feedback on the appearance when hued. Since that isn't a "partially hued" piece of artwork, it means that the entire sprite is colored, including the candles and flame.


PLAYER: Will any other carpentry or other craftables be added along with these changes if they go through?
VEX: That is still up in the air at this point. The overhaul itself means a complete regression test for QA, and right now we might not have any spare bandwidth for any new items. However, this system will make expanding and adding on to the crafting system much easier to code and test in the future.

PLAYER: Will the metal working choices default to not having to click the color metal if you only have one color in your pack? Same with tailoring and the cloth in your pack?
VEX: So, to give more detail about metal selection: The way it works is, there is a button right above the "Exit" button, and next to that button is the name of the metal you have selected. When you click that button, a new menu page comes up with all metal types listed. You select the one you want and are returned to the main menu.

If you have, say, Verite selected, but only have iron in your backpack, then you'll get a failure message saying you don't have enough metal to make the item.

Now, tailoring is a bit different. Here are more details:

First, bolts of cloth will no longer be directly usable to tailor items. Instead, there will be a new menu option that will take all bolts of cloth in your backpack and turn them into yards of cut cloth.

Another menu choice will search your backpack for all cloth, and transform it into the same type. So, suppose you have stacks of cloth using different graphics, after using that option you'll have a single stack of one type.

Both options will of course differentiate color. So, if some of your bolts or stacks of cloth are blue and some are red, you'll end up with one single pile of each color.

You will have to cut bolts into cloth before using them to tailor, but you can use cloth of any type in any number of stacks as desired.

As far as color goes, when you attempt to create an item, the system will automatically use the color of cloth that you have the most of. So, if you have 200 yards of blue cloth and 150 of uncolored, the item will be made with the blue cloth. This way, you still don't have to target the material. Also, it should be easy enough to control the color of the resulting item just by juggling stacks of cloth in and out of your backpack.


PLAYER: Will All the crafting tools be craftable by tinkers?
VEX: Yes, and to address another question I saw, none of the components will be particularly expensive. The new tools will appear on appropriate NPC shopkeepers and be creatable by player tinkers.

PLAYER: And you left out Cooking, .
If Crafting is going to be overhauled, then this is the time to overhaul cooking as well.
VEX: I'm still working out the details of how to do cooking properly, but I do want to get it on the list. Sannio thinks we should introduce "a cookbook" as cooking's tool, and I wanted to use the frying pan graphic. Of course, we could do both -- all crafting skills that use tools now use multiple tools.

PLAYER: This would also be the time to make paper, books, spell books, blank maps, and blank scrolls craftable.
VEX: I'm still not sure about how many new items we can get in at this point, but these are good ideas. I am not promising anything, but I will keep this in mind.

PLAYER: Is the chance for exceptional items the TOTAL chance, or the chance to make something exceptional IF one makes the item in the first place?

In other words...
Does 50% and 5% mean
50% failures
45% success
5% exceptional

... or...

50% failures
47.5% success
2.5% exceptional
(5% chance only for success results)?
VEX: The first one. Actually we've decided to add a third line to that display:

Failure Chance: 50%
Standard: 45%
Exceptional: 5%

This should make the meaning more clear, since the percentages will add up to 100%. 50% of attempts result in failure, 45% in normal success, and 5% in an exceptional item.


PLAYER: Does the window "have" to close and re-open? Can't the window be updated dynamically? Just concerned how it will be affected with lag.
VEX: For right now, yes. For the initial release, this sytem will use what we call "generic gumps". This is how we can dynamically generate interface elements from the server without requiring a client patch. Unfortunately, generic gumps are limited in their capabilities and can't update dynamically with new content from the server. They have to close and then re-open.

Some time down the line, it is my hope that we'll be able to improve client-side support for interfaces. Ideally, it would be done exactly as you describe -- the window is persistent but updates dynamically.


PLAYER: Since all targeting is getting rid of I guess we won't be able to copy books by inscribing anymore.
VEX: Targeting is getting rid of where feasible. Book copying will continue to use the old interface, where you invoke Inscription from the Skills Window, target the book to copy, then target the destination book. You'll also have to target a container for tinker traps.

PLAYER: With regards to scrolls not stacking: I noticed that the scrolls don't stack properly when I inscribe using my faction character. When I inscribe using my mule, they stack fine.
VEX: This is a side effect of the prompt to make the scroll a faction item. It actually has to keep the scroll separate until that prompt is answered. I believe I can fix it so that if you don't imbue the item, it will be stacked with any other like items.

PLAYER: While these new changes seem long overdue, they don't include any changes that UO-Assist hasn't already done for the last year. Well, with the exception of the target metal type.
VEX: UO Assist is not an OSI product and not all players purchase it. We can't allow the existence and capabilities of UO Assist to influence how we modify the UO interface.

PLAYER: I saw the option to 'repair' for smithing but didn't notice the new repair option for bowcraft/fletching (bows, etc.) or the repair option for tailoring (clothes, leather armor). Any plans to implement one?
VEX: This is up in the air, and really depends on what the rest of the team thinks. (Thanks, Evocare, for thinking this overhaul was a good idea in the first place!!)

PLAYER: Are there any plans to incorporate secondary skills into the crafting process? Integration of Taste ID for Alchemy, Arms Lore for smithing/tailoring. Lumberjacking possibly for bowcraft/carpentry. (wood comes from somewhere)
VEX: I can't answer this right now. Calandryll has hinted at some special crafting stuff for upcoming scenarios, though. The thought is on our minds. :)

PLAYER: I see the tinkered golden goblet in the screen shot. This item is currently 'rare'. Not much of a question, but since you are destroying this rare, why not make some other rares craftable too?
VEX: Actually, that is the goblet you can tinker currently, made out of verite. It looks a bit distorted because it's at high zoom-in with the Third Dawn client.

PLAYER: The notifications window displays the success/failure instead of displaying the information in the corner. Personally, I prefer to have a viewable means to know if I crafted something or not. UO-Assist doesn't open the craft window... how am I suppossed to see this notification window?
VEX: The crafting window immediately re-opens after you make the item. So, say I hit the "make now" button next to "world map" in the Cartography menu, it makes the attempt and then immediately the window returns and notifies me whether or not I succeeded.

PLAYER: The menus take up too much of my 800x600.screen. If they can't make them smaller, making them semi transparent is probably the best way to go.
VEX: Unfortunately, we have text height limitations. We have to leave enough room for Simplified Chinese and Kanji, both of which require a certain text height. Also, for many languages, a word or phrase can be quite a bit longer than the English equivalent, meaning we have to leave extra horizontal room on the menu as well. Making the menus smaller is pretty much out -- I'm glad you like the transparency! :)

PLAYER: Thanks for starting to look at the crafting system. Been waiting a long time for these changes.
VEX: Me too. My first UO character was a tailor, and since then I've built characters around most of the other craft skills.

PLAYER: Nit: From a role playing perspective, it doesn't make sense to require materials to be in your backpack... It would presumably be sufficient to have the materials at hand in your workshop. This makes things less convenient for those adventuring crafters who have to unload everything they're carrying (and find containers that have enough lockdowns to hold it) when they want to, say, make plate chests. The "materials-must-be-in-backpack" requirement is one of the things that helps make carpentry somewhat tedious now...
VEX: I can certainly see this. The change to require everything be in the backpack was motivated more by the need to reduce the number of checks and the need for the targeting cursor. We want to make the interface easier to deal with. Requiring materials to be on your person also eliminates many special checking that needs to be done and eliminates many avenues of exploitation. By keeping the rules simple, the system is also much easier to cleanly re-code.

PLAYER: My couple of questions:
How will it work when I click to create 100 recall scrolls? Right now, I would have to wait for mana to regenerate. I am curious as to how you are handling this problem.
Hued Weapons? I dont really care either way, just curious....
VEX: To clarify, multi-make will not apply to any items you can't already make in bulk. For instance, when fletching, the system automatically makes as many arrows as possible using the available shafts and feathers in your pack. Since it already works that way, the multi-make option will continue to be available.

We have no plans to add multi-make to anything where it isn't already supported (like potion grinding or inscription). You'll still have to make them one at a time.

Incidentally, all crafting skill delays will be shortened as part of this change, probably to around 1 second. So, while the ability to use a mortar and pestle's "make last" function by targeting it instead of a reagent will go away, Alchemy will gain the Last Ten and Make Last buttons, and you won't have to wait so long for the potion to actually be ground. For making scrolls, you'll still have to wait for mana to recharge.

We did talk about having multi-make work for other things, by having the server loop through the task for you -- but that would just encourge unattended macroing. :)


PLAYER: Will Tinkering with colored ingots require the appropriate skill level for each particular color?
VEX: Yes. Your Tinkering skill will correspond to the same skill requirements used for colored metal elsewhere. So, in order to tinker Verite, you'll have to have 95.0 or more Tinkering skill, and Valorite will require 99.0 or more.

PLAYER: Vex, will the crafting tool settings be saved in the object or the character using it? Right now when a crafting tool breaks, 'make last' resets..
VEX: We're changing it so that crafting menu state is saved on the player. So, when you switch tools, your Last Ten and Make Last entries will be saved. Also, the window automatically re-opens to the same page you were on before. So, if you are in the Tinkering menu looking at the Assemblies category, when you come back to the menu one minute or one week later it will re-open to that page.

PLAYER: My only real concerns are will this new menu system aid crafters, or hinder them? I haven't crafted in a while because after I work 8 hours a day, I am not inclined to go 'work' in UO for another 1 or two hours. Most of the skills are repedative at best, and hidiously tedious at worse. That's not including what one often has to do just to get the matierials to make them with.
VEX: I think that the overall net effect will be a vast improvement. I certainly like the way it feels as I test it on my development standalone shard. Let's compare:

Before, in order to hammer out platemail, I would use my last object/wait for targeting cursor/last target macro. I'd make one item manually first to get the last target set, then sit there and hit the macro (I use F3 for that one), make the menu selection, then let the ingots be targeted and wait for the result. Now, I make the item once, then click "make last". Since I don't have to wait for the client-side last target macro to target the ingots for me, the process is slightly faster. After the attempt is made, my menu pops back up without me having to hit the macro key again, and the result of my last attempt is very visible in that window.


PLAYER: Is anything being done to ease the.. burden on crafters? I think they should be able do things fairly painlessly and enjoy a proffit. I hunt now instead of crafting, it's more fun, gets me other loot than just gold, and doesn't take as long.
VEX: Right now, there isn't much that we can do about the repetitious nature of crafting. I do want to make it more interesting, and require some actual thought. Right now, pounding out plate chests feels like playing a slot machine. There is some appeal to that (C'mon 5% chance of payout! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!), but the whole deal could definitely be much more fun and interesting.

Keep in mind, though, that part of what makes it possible to be a crafter is the barriers that keep it from being a piece of cake. As crafting gets easier, there will be more competition and therefore slimmer profit margins. For example, suppose you could grind 100 potions straight into a keg all at once? Suddenly, it takes next to no effort to produce entire kegs, kegs are being made in bulk by everyone, and the market is flooded. Those who have the patience to juggle three or four mortar and pestles at once and drag bottles onto kegs are the ones who reap the benefits of being able to run a potion vendor.

In other words, I understand that the barriers in place for crafting suck, and make the process tedious. But those barriers need to be there. The real challenge to the UO Live team is to transform those barriers in a manner that make the game more fun and makes them seem less like ugly obstacles. :)


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 5:10 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

In Concept: Crafting System Overhaul
The following was just added to the In Concept section of the official UO.com website:
Crafting Sysem Overhaul

Several updates and changes will occur that will eventually affect all of Ultima Online’s crafting systems. The goals of these changes include: creating a consistent interface for all crafting skills, allowing the player to understand a greater level of detail about his crafting activities, greater CPU efficiency, and adaptability & expandability as crafting systems are modified at later dates. The following skills will be affected by these changes:

  • Alchemy
  • Bowcraft/Fletching
  • Blacksmithy
  • Carpentry
  • Cartography
  • Inscription
  • Tailoring
  • Tinkering

The specifics are listed below.

All crafting skills will be able to be invoked by double-clicking a related tool. All tools must be equipped or in the player’s backpack in order for them to be used.

  • Bowcraft/Fletching will use “Fletcher’s Tools” (this tool will appear as the “arrow fletching” graphic).
  • Cartography will use a “Mapmaker’s Pen” (this tool will appear as the “pen and ink” graphic).
  • Inscription will use a “Scribe’s Pen” (this tool will appear as the reversed “pen and ink” graphic).

All materials must be in the player’s backpack for them to be used. No materials will need to be targeted. Instead, they are searched for in the player’s backpack whenever a crafting attempt is made.

Some item skill requirements may change slightly.

All crafting skills will use a universal menu system. This menu system will be similar in both the 2D and 3D version of the UO client.

  • The “gump” window will be 50% transparent, with a dark background and bright text.
  • The top bar of this window will show the skill name.
  • The left bar of this window will show:
    • A “Last 10” list. This list will display the 10 most recent usages of that skill, allowing quick access to those usages.
    • Up to 10 categories of items which that skill may create.
  • The main area of this window will show:
    • A selection list, one item per row.
    • Two buttons per selection:
      • “Make Now”: left-click to attempt to create the respective item immediately
      • “More Info”: left-click to bring up a “Details Window” related to the listed item.
    • The item’s name (note: the graphic for that item will not display here, but will display in the “Details Window”).
    • Up to 10 items per page, up to 10 pages per category.
  • A “Notifications” area will show information that would normally appear in the “system message” area of the gameplay window.
  • The “Buttons” area will display a subset of buttons appropriate to the skill/tool being used.
    • “Exit”: appears on all skill menus. Left-click to close the menu. (Note: any menu window may be still be closed by right-clicking that window)
    • “Make Last”: appears on all skill menus. Acts as if “Make Now” was clicked on the first item in the “Last 10” list.
    • “Metal Selection”: appears only for skills that use ingots as components for craftable items.
      • Players may choose which metal color to use. This will eliminate the need for players to specifically target materials, and eliminate the possibility of using the wrong metal type.
      • The system will only consider metals of the selected color in metal-using crafting attempts.
      • A “Details Window” will indicate if an item retains the color of the metal used.
    • “Mark Item”: appears for most skills; controls the automation of Maker’s Marks on crafted items that allow for such marks. Left-clicking this button will toggle through three options:
      • “Do Not Mark”: the Maker’s Mark will never be put on crafted items while this is selected.
      • “Always Mark”: the Maker’s Mark will always be affixed to exceptional-quality crafted items while this is selected.
      • “Prompt for Mark”: the player is prompted for a Maker’s Mark whenever an exceptional item is crafted while this is selected.
    • “Repair Item”: appears only on the Blacksmithy menu. Players may left-click this button, then target a weapon or piece of armor to attempt to repair that item.
    • “Unravel Item”: appears only for Blacksmithy (as “Smelt Item”) and Tailoring (as “Unravel Item”) menus only.
      • Allows blacksmiths to smelt weapons and armor down into ingots.
      • Allows tailors to disassemble leather armor back into cut hides.
    • Quantity Selection: appears only for items which may be crafted in bulk.
      • Turning logs into boards
      • Making arrows and crossbow bolts
      • Selections
        • “Make 1”: create only 1 of the selected item.
        • “Make 10”: create (up to) 10 of the selected item.
        • “Make 100”: create (up to) 100 of the selected item.
        • “Make All”: create as many of the selected item as available materials allow.
  • When using a craft, the crafting window will close, the creation will be attempted, and the crafting window will reopen.
    • Upon re-opening, the crafting window will display the results of the crafting attempt.
    • The window will include the details of any success or failure messages.

Players are invited to comment on these proposed changes, here.


You can also check out some Enlarged Images of the menus at the following:

Inscription Menu:

http://update.uo.com/images/con_inscription.jpg

Blacksmithing Menu:

http://update.uo.com/images/con_info_window.jpg

Tinkering Menu:

http://update.uo.com/images/con_tink_menu.jpg

Colored Tinkered Item:

http://update.uo.com/images/con_tink_stuff.jpg

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 2:27 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Quest for Thallasha Tome: Rescheduled
At the request of Deirdre Antos of Clan Antos, please note that the search mission for the Tome, tragically stolen from the Shrine of Thallasha, has been rescheduled.

She calls for the valiant warriors, mages, bards and all able bodied men and women to convene on Sunday night, September 16th at 8pm to 10pm EST, instead of September 8. All other details remain unchanged and can be found on this page.

Directions to the Shrine can be found at this location.

Idun Syn
UOS Chesapeake Reporter

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 12:28 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Impy's Passes Landmark
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<The folks at Impy's left this scroll on my door step this morning, asked me to pass it along to the public.

IMPY'S ARTIC FAIRE…
Weekly auction will be held Wednesday evening at 9pm by the Eastern Sky. 
With ANOTHER BONUS AUCTION planned for Thursday evening also at 9pm.

Impy's would like to thank all of our great customers over this past month. It has been our most successful thus far! This past week has even seen a landmark. The 10,000th customer ran thru the doors on Wednesday night. In honor of the event, Blacky was given a check for 100k by Impy's staff. He spent it very wisely that night!!

We would like to thank the folks at Garden City for donating a few mystery chests over the past few weeks and in return for their kind donation we would like to invite everyone to visit the Garden City Gardi Gras Festival this upcoming weekend (August 30th and 31st and September 1st). They have lots of events planned with some great prizes. Rumor has it they are even going to raffle off a new home!

This week at Impy's we have a very full plate. Plants and Plant DEEDS, Blue Prize Ticket, Lich and Daemon Statue, Wood Curls and Pure Garlic (yes, the same as last week and still just as unique). Vanquish weapons, including a Large Silver Battle Axe of Vanquishing. Piles of Virtue Weapons and Invulnerable Armor. Stop by Impy's this week for your chance to be the new owner of one of these fine items.

For directions and a complete list of the items up for auction please take a peek at www.impys.net. As always, Runes to Riches and the Mystery Chest games will also be played this week following the auction, so please stick around and take a chance with lady luck. Impy has asked that you please stable your pets before the auction as he is allergic to wet fur.

If you need a rune visit one of our rune vendors located through out the lands. Vendors can be found at: Star's Shoppe (out side Vesper in Trammel), next door to the RD Stables (in Felucca), on the porch of the Sandlewood Box Inn (in Felucca), Cove Merchant's Guild and Blacksmith Shoppe (located just at the front gate of Cove in Felucca), the Mystic Rose (in the wooded glen in Trammel), the Garden City Mall (located just north of Cove in Trammel), or at Krista's Ranger Station (in Felucca).

~Impy's Staff

10,000 visitors!  Wow, that is great.  A big HIP, HIP, HUZZAH for the folks out at Impy's!!!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 9:20 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Hacked Accounts
Greywolfe (Online Community Moderator) posted this reminder about hacked UO accounts here :
I'm really not the person who would know about the technical part of rolling back anything; that's not my area of expertise. I have heard of people who have had their items tracked down when they've been hacked, but I don't know the details behind that, either. I know it's small consolation when you've lost things that meant a lot to you, but the best thing you can do is follow the guidelines listed here:


In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------


If your account has been hacked, please send email to [email protected] including the account name, your real name, and a description of what happened.

Origin Systems is committed to assisting hacked account cases as much as possible. However, as neither Origin Systems nor Electronic Arts has not been technically hacked or broken into, it is not a crime which we can press charges. But we will help you as a victim in bringing those who engage in such acts to justice.

We strongly urge any individual that has been hacked to contact your local authorities and/or local District Attorney so that this person can be held responsible for their actions. Hacking is a crime, and if you have had your account legitimately hacked, you are the victim of such a crime. By filing a report, the authorities will attempt to prosecute individuals who decide to engage in this act.

When investigating the matter, the authorities will need the evidence that the hacker accessed your account. This is where we come in. When a law enforcement agency faxes the UO Account Administration department at (512) 434-6623 asking for the IP logins of the account(s), we will immediately return the proper documentation back to them, as well as any other pertinent information needed. This information can only be discussed with the proper authorities - in all other cases the information is private and will be held confidential. Please do not fax this number yourself; it is only for use by law enforcement agencies.

There are several different methods of illegally taking control over an account. However, when investigating the accounts, they consistently fall into two categories:

1) The unwilling installment of a hack utility or program.

2) The distribution of your account name and password.

It is important to know that unless your account credentials are divulged willingly, they cannot be obtained by using the Ultima Online client itself.

Hack programs come in all shapes and sizes - this is precisely why one should never accept any file from any person they do not trust 100%. Programs such as Netbus, BackOrifice, and Subseven (to name a few) allow for your machine to act as if it were a server. And all the hacker has to do is wait for you to play the game to type out your account name and password - once that is done, he now has access to your Ultima Online account (including registration information).

There are several reasons why we recommend that you do not EVER share your account or account information with anyone.

If you have an argument with a friend or family members, it can result in one person trying to "get back at" another, and thus, a "hacked" account. Even brothers, sisters, family members, and best friends have occasional drifts.

Cyber cafes often allow multiple people play the same account. This is inherently dangerous, and in actuality is only a matter of time before someone loses their property.

You are responsible for the actions of anyone playing on your account. Should you let someone on your account and they commit a Terms of Service violation, you are accountable.

Follow the same guidelines with your account that you would with your credit card information; if you wouldn't trust the person with your credit card, don't let them have your account information, either.

Please review our Security FAQ on maintaining your account security.

If your account information was gained through the use of a trojan, not only your UO files, but all of the data that resides on your computer is susceptible. Trojans also allow keystrokes to be monitored, so if you change your password before removing the program, your account could still be in jeopardy.

Once you are certain that your PC is secure, go to http://ultima-registration.com and change the password to your account. If you are unable to do so because it seems to have already been changed (usually by the hacker), try using the Forgotten Password option on the account management login page. You must enter the email address used by this account, and the current zip code on the account. If these two items do not match the existing information we have on your account, we cannot send you the password this way. It is vital for you to keep your contact information up-to-date and accurate on your account for just such an emergency.

You can call our Billing department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (888) 842-6388 (inside the continental U.S.) or (512) 434-4357 (outside the continental U.S.) to request an immediate block of your account if you suspect that your account has been hacked. You can also call Billing for assistance in retrieving your password. Be prepared to tell the Billing Representative the account name, the name of the person who created the account, the registration code from the UO CD, and the last 8 digits of the credit card currently in use on the account.

You may also contact our Billing department to reactivate your account, if the account was blocked at your request by a Game Master to protect your account from being accessed further by the hacker.

As a reminder, please remember that Origin staff will never ask you for your password for any reason. Do not give your account password to anyone for any reason.

Please do not page Game Masters with information about a suspected hacker, or to tell them who hacked your account. That information needs to be relayed to the appropriate authorities as applicable to your case. A GM can block your account for you if you feel it has been hacked, but GM's do not investigate the hacking of your personal computer or UO account and cannot tell you who has accessed your account. That information will only be released to a law enforcement agency at their request in conjunction with an official investigation



----------------------------------------------------------------------


I hope all works out well for you.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 2:55 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Treason?
Imladris sent us the following story. As with some of his previous submissions, the implications regarding the office of the Grand Inquisitor are ominous...
Lady Abingdon remained at the table long after the councilors, officials, and their innumerable attendants had left the great hall. It had been another long, tedious, meeting she had been forced to attend at the behest of her consort, the Grand Inquisitor. She glanced about the table. A few documents remained scattered thereupon, each bearing a royal seal. Many lay where the Inquisitor had been seated. He had left earlier and quite suddenly, having been summoned to meet the king who happened to be at the castle that day. A few words on a certain document caught her eye: "suspects," "Necromari," "artifacts." As if irresistably drawn to it, she picked it up and began reading it. As she placed it down on the table in front of her, a strong breeze blew through an open window, knocking a single burning candle from a chandelier right above her onto the very parchment she was reading. It burst instantly into flame. In panic, she grabbed the document and waved it about, trying desperately to extinguish it before the fire consumed it entirely. She cursed as her efforts only succeeded in showering the table with burning scraps and sparks which set fire to other documents. It was at that very moment that the Grand Inquisitor entered the room along with a number of high officials in tow.

"M..my lord!! Help me!" she cried, eyes wide with horror. Reacting faster than he, two officials rushed in and, using their cloaks, extinguished the burning documents on the table. The Inquisitor ran to her and grabbed the parchment out of her hand, threw it to the floor, and stamped out the flames with his boot. He then picked up what remained of it and turned to face her. Unnerved and embarrassed by it all, Abingdon sat down and put her hands over her face. The Inquisitor sat down beside her. "What was that about, Abby?" he asked, in a concerned tone of voice.

She pointed to the chandelier and tried to explain while he scanned the burned document. When she finished describing the tale several of the officials, quite amused by it, laughed loudly. The Inquisitor, however, remained straight-faced. "Why were ye reading this report, Abby? Ye know I alone have rights to see it. Why did ye take upon thyself such an unwarranted and unauthorized liberty?"

"Forgive me, m'lord. It was wrong of me to do so. I will never do such a thing again!"

"Ye did not address my question! Why did ye choose to read this particular document, and not one of the others?!" His tone had become much more tense.

"I don't know, sire. I suppose I was curious is all. To be honest, I wanted to know who they were that consume so much of thy time in thought and worry. I had nothing to gain by it, m'lord, I swear."

The Inquistor stood up and paced in front of her, his hand holding the parchment hidden behind him. "This... this will not do at all!" He stopped suddenly and pivoted to face her, holding the document in her face. "There is information herein vital to the security of the realm! Ye had no business touching it, much less reading it! If the information it contains fell into the wrong hands, it could mean death to my agents! Ye must have a reason for wanting to read it!"

Abingdon was visibly shaken by the accusation. "My lord! I would ne'er do a thing to compromise the safety of the realms or any of thy agents! I am the king's loyal servant!"

The Inquisitor relaxed and took a step back. "Well, ye are someone's loyal servant! Until I am satisfied I know whom that is, I am forced to limit thy contacts and movements. I hereby order thee to be placed under house arrest, confined to thy quarters," he stated flatly.

She could not have been more surprised if he had ordered her execution. "But my lord!! Surely ye do not think..."

He interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "It matters not what anyone, or even I, think. It only matters that secrets have been compromised. Ye have given me cause to question thy loyalty to me and the work I am doing!"

One of the officials, moved with compassion, tried to intervene on her behalf. "My lord, let us not be too hasty. Mayhap she was prompted to look at it by nothing more than curiosity as she maintains. I think--"

"I did not ask what ye think sir!" the Inquisitor stormed back, glaring at him and all the other officials in turn. "Nor any of thee! I will be the judge in this matter! I have other reasons for what I do, not the least of which I need explain to anyone!" Then, turning to Abingdon, "Go to thy quarters at once! I shall meet thee there shortly. Do not vainly imagine ye can escape these walls, nor try to do so, as it would only confirm my suspicions about thee."

Thoroughly humiliated and angry, with cheeks reddened by both, Abby curtsied and left the room. Several officials began sifting through the papers in an attempt to organize them.

"Go also!" the Inquisitor ordered, "I will gather them up myself," he said as he sat down at the table. Their compliance was immediate and wordless. As they departed, he looked at the melted candle which had initiated the affair. He considered how strange was fate, and a smile crossed his face.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 2:49 AM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Faction News
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This faction news is from Pat Factor,
Well it seems like the Shadowlords are making a comeback. This week they have been making a comeback as Fkn the elite guild led by Embarko have all returned to SL as they felt their true place was with their old guildies M&D.

Being newly reinforced by Fkn and other old M&D returning (Coolfear, Theodon, Neves, and Sinner) The Shadowlords were able to take control of 4 cities. Though this was not an easy task as TB being as crafty as ever raided often and raided hard. And also UMA was very active this week as their speed and experience seriously tested the skill of all the SLs guarding. With TB hitting hard at night and UMA hitting in the morning it seemed a pretty impossible task but with Archangel the leader of SL back they managed to secure their first towns in about 2 weeks but they lost a chance to dominate Baja for 3 days as COM hit early Monday morning and took back 4 sigs after SL had matured 4.

This week has been a revitalizing week for factions as the huge army of COM now have another huge army to face other than TB and it seems things are getting a lot more interesting. Personally this reporter can't wait to see all the new battles ahead for these great powerhouses.

On another note I would like to personally thank Longshot and KoRn for their incredible leadership skills. Factions has been truly interesting this week because of the tactics these great leaders have employed.

Pat Factor
The #1 Stunna
M&D
Thankye Pat Factor

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 1:34 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Mondays Contest Winners!
I was a little low on entertainment this evening, and decided I needed to do something. I scoured through some riddles and posted to the Great Lakes Forum that I'd be holding an impromptu contest at the Yew-Felucca Moongate.

There amid the constant bustle, fights and thievery, we had some great participation in the riddles. Some of the contestants were called by more pressing issues as time passed (saving one's neck often enjoys that priority), but two of them hung in there and claimed the win.

Congratulations to:
2nd place - Shadow - 10k
1st place - Agent Orange - 25k

Thanks again, I had a great time meeting you all. If you enjoyed yourself or would like to find out next time I've got an off-the-wall plan, be sure to check in on the GL Forum!

You can find the contest riddles and answers here

The Night and Amidala
Agent Orange and Shadow

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2001, 12:17 AM EDT by Amidala (GreatLakes)

Down in the Terathan Keep pt. 2
Just outside of Blackcomb the prisoner, Fang felt faint. They started to drag him by his legs through the dirt, but it became obvious that it was easier to catch flies with honey rather than vinegar.

Fang, being undead, had a severe blood dehydration problem. But hating what he had become refused to take the life juice from another soul. He would rather die first.

In fact, he sat down on the grass and refused to continue until someone started talking about a cure for his condition.


It seemed that Kamsheema did have in his possession, at one point, a scroll for bringing dead creatures back to life. He made a deal with Fang that for the return of the vampire artifacts once owned by Carafax he would attempt to use the scrolls to make Fang human again.

However, the scroll had been stolen and it was rumored that torn pieces of it were located in various areas around Britannia. Kam had tracked the locations down and offered the questors 50k for the first one to bring all the pieces back to him.

The clues to these locations were placed in four books on top of the tower. After deciphering the clues the questors then did something almost unheard of in typical UO quests. They cooperated rather than having every man for themselves. Sending small parties to the different locations they quickly rounded up the parchment pieces.

One lady was at the temple of fire and the questors had to avoid the dragons and daemons to talk with her, another man was at the lighthouse, a 3rd was an old scabby man jailed in the Nujel'm debtor's prison who had a nasty way of...relieving himself. He was obviously quite mad and had probably spent quite a number of years behind bars.

As for the fourth clue...well, the questors thought they had that one all tied up, but when they came to the tower to restore Fang's humanity...well, it didn't quite work that time.

At the top of the Blackcomb tower they put Fang into the pentagram and chanted the appropriate words...only something was wrong. It was more of a Snap, Crack, Dud.

The questors worked it out between themselves. Nobody had gone to visit the Serpent pillar. Kam had remembered that there was once a pirate maid left to sea by her husband many years ago. He was certain she had the last clue needed.

So, they all got on a boat and quickly traveled out to find this pirate maid.

This poor little ragged woman was seen fishing in the middle of nowhere. She asked if she was going to be rescued and related a tale of how her husband tricked her 20 some odd years ago and she had been living on seawater and all the fish she could catch since then.

Like the guy in the debtors prison, she seemed a bit off. As if drinking the sea water had made her a bit crazy. But the questors comforted her and escorted her back to Blackcomb where she would be taken care of.

So, just as they were to make their way back to the pentagram and speak the magic words from the scroll there was an ambush. Half a dozen brigands set upon the questors and there was a bloody battle just outside the Blackcomb tower.

It was quickly determined that these evil men were sent by the vampire hunters that Shemyazza had spoken about when he was last seen in Skara Brae before he disappeared. The 'slayers' as they were called were foul men and women with jagged, rusty weapons who worked in packs. The pirate maid screamed bloody murder and disappeared into the night. However, the questors with the help of other Black Veil members were able to fight these rogue bandits off and soon the ground was littered with bleeding dead bodies.


All that was left now was to chant the words and attempt to bring Fang back from the undead. So, they gathered around him and memorizing the words worked themselves into a frenzy.



As Fang began to glow, it was as if a dark magic was leaving his body.



And soon he was human again. His pale, white skin had changed back to the brown flesh he once had before getting entangled with Carafax. Extremely thankful he blabbed everything he knew about Shemyazza's whereabouts. It seemed the source of the evil was at the Cathedral of Fire. Fang led the questors and Black Veil there, but the structure was empty.

Fang had a feeling on the back of his neck that something was lurking just beyond the realm of perception. Something massive and terribly evil. Kamsheema rounded the men up and decided that the small force they had might not be enough if they were to be attacked. That it would be better to leave now and prepare for the battle to come.

So, they made their way to Blackcomb and deep into the midnight hour made plans on what the next step would be to recover the missing vampire artifacts...



Happily, the questors divided the 50k between whoever wanted it and walked away like true adventurers.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 8:30 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Council of Honor Meeting Recap
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<
I wish to thank everyone that came out to last night's second meeting of the Council of Honor.

Several topics were discussed and several matters were decided upon.

o The Renegade paladins in Trinsic are no longer a threat. Keeper of the Peace, Coby Drakeswind, informed the public that they were now either gone or in hiding. For now, people can safely walk the streets.

o Relief will be provided to the people of Minoc that are suffering from the affects of the terrible plague that threatens them. A party at the Keg and Anchor will be set to raise donations to the people of Minoc. More information will follow. We hope that the city of Minoc will allow the shipment of donations and needed supplies into their city.

o Talk was made and Trinsic has agreed to enter into a Trade alliance with Britain and other cities.

o The Town Militia is recruiting and those interested in joining are encouraged to contact someone with the Council of Honor for more information.


The Shadow Lord Protector, Trinsic
For more information, please visit this link.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 7:50 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

Upcoming Scenario Update
This update was found on the Official UO Boards by Calandryll (UO Designer). The update was placed on Sunday afternoon. The entire thread can be found here.
To give you all another quick update. We're finalizing testing on the first part of the scenario. Right now, we're waiting for a patch to clear QA before we can build/patch the last scenario patch. All of the content is done for the patch (there is a LOT btw ), we just have to put it together and test it. Unlike server publishes, client patches are the one aspect of working on multiple projects that do affect each other since we can't build two patches at the same time, otherwise the second patch would revert out all of the stuff in the first one.

As soon as this patch is released, we'll build the scenario patch and then we'll have a pretty clear idea when the scenario will start.
Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 7:02 PM EDT by Pierre (QuestandEventNews)

Orc Scenario: Good or Bad?
Did you take part in part in the last Orc Scenario? Now that its coming to a close, we here at Stories and Secrets want to know what you thought of it. Come to the Chronicles forum and vote at the poll we have setup. Share your thoughts, ideas, and let us know what you think!
Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 6:01 PM EDT by Pierre (QuestandEventNews)

Garden City Gardi Gras Update
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I found this official 'flyer' about the Garden City Festival on my door step this mornings...

Hip, Hip, Hoozah!
The Garden City would like to invite all the citizens of the lands to participate in the Gardi Gras Festival scheduled for August 30, 31 and September 1.
Featuring events for the young to old, mage to warrior and even a few thing for a poet and artist. Take a peek at the schedule of events; that can be found at the Garden City Message Board.
^Garden City Staff (GCS)

I also found this bulletin about a house raffle they are planning on having...

Garden City will raffle off a new home. Starting at 4pm by the Eastern Sky, Saturday, September 1, the back room of the Garden City Hall will be open to the public to purchase runes for the amount of 1000 gold per rune. This means even the youngest of the of Brit Citizens may be able to purchase one chance.
Then at 7:30pm by the Eastern Sky, Nemo will herself recall to the spot of the home to be given away. As soon as she has recalled out of the City Hall, those holding runes are invited to recall from their rune to see if they find her. If they do, they win the house! She will immediately title it over to the new home owner.
There will be no limit as to how many runes may be purchased by a single citizen. And holding the winning rune is subject to verification by handing Nemo the rune used to recall from.
^Garden City Staff (GCS)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 5:45 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

RD's has Good Week
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<
I would like to thank all the players that submitted items and the players that purchased items is the Auction. The Auction was a great success, as we had over 2.9 million is sales on Tuesday night. 

The next Red Devil Auction will take place on August 28th Tuesday at 8:30 pm CST/9:30 pm EST. We will be taking submissions on Monday the 27th at the same time, and one hour before the Auction starts on Tuesday night. 

As Always the GLV Guild will be handling all aspects of the Auction, and the Burning Heart Guild will be handling the Guard Duty. 

If you wish to submit an item bring a bag and place the item inside the bag with a book, type in your name your icq what the item is and your min. bid you would like to start with. The Red Devil Auction Tower is located in Felucca, a 5 minute walk from the East side of Brit, and the coordinates are as follows; 34o43N/44o51E. Come on by and have a good time and see old friends and and start new friends. 
Rattler {GLV}

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 5:22 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Grim Fight results
Greetings friends and enemies of Grimoire!

Many thanks to all the folks who came out to support Grimoire's 3 vs. 3 sponsored and guest hosted by the guild, The Resistance, ^Rv!! Here are the results:

1st place, the only place for this event, goes to Johnny Kilroy, Damien, and Darklust! The prize pot was donated back to Grimoire, compliments of this 1st place team.

Huge thanks go out to the Grimoire staff and to the ^Rv guild for making the event run so well! Thank you LeeLu, Josh, Lost, Jimbo, Vindicator, Damien, Gravis, Zoltar, and last but not least, Warmonger for refing the event and keeping things together.

For pictures of this event and the Grimoire forum, please look here: Grim

I hope everyone had a good time, and cya next week =)
Baby-Grimoire Staff


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 4:11 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Lots of new stuff at OoC
This guy has so many updates I can't keep up with him!
The newest comic, Wide Load (working title anyway), has been posted and is available for consumption.

Saturday's comic is all online and read to be laughed at.. or with.. something. As of now it is untitled, I'll work on fixing that.

Thought I'd take a few seconds to let everyone know that I've make a major upgrade to the website. The message board has been revamped (more features coming), the comic display has been vastly improved, and I've added a guestbook so go sign it!! (please :)

It is however not completely finished, I will be adding some art work on the other pages as soon as its done.

New comic coming wednesday!

http://www.outofcharacter.com

-Arakasi

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 4:07 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

UO2Pid: 1year old - contest time!
This parchment was found stuck to a pair of clown shoes hanging up near the circus right next to the Hedge Maze.
Ah, one year old. You remember that guys, don't you? A weird party with weird people you're supposed to like, and all you did was cry cause you didn't want to wear that stupid bib with the lion on it holding the big "1" on it. Or something like that.

Well, anyway, we're not doing that. What are we doing? We're holding a contest. Lucky you huh? So what's the contest? YOU, the reader, gets to write our next comic. Yes, thats right, you, the readers. So what do you need to do? Well, the full details can be found at the link below, but the most imprtant thing to remember... MAKE ME LAUGH! We're not looking for Shakespear here, but we're also not looking for Adam Sandler level stuff here either. So come on, you've read the comics, you've probably thought you could do better, so lets see you prove that!

http://thexyg.home.att.net/contestrules1.htm

Don't know what UO2Pid is? Then read up on it and THEN enter!

http://thexyg.home.att.net/uo2pid.htm

We're waiting for your entries, and you have til September 30th to enter, so take your time, come up with your best work, and hope you'll win.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 4:00 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

New at Zeromus
This parchment was found on a ghost ship sailing somewhere around Buc's Den.
Hi! Homepage updated with a new toon and a event report. I hope they're worth checking out.

http://zeromus.uoboard.net

- Zeromus

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 3:53 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Yew Market
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<From Slagdale came the following short review of the Yew market this sunday:
The Yew market that is held every sunday near the Empath Abbey is still in high popularity! As each time and in a commendable manner Schleicher as a co-organisator of this event had prepared something and organized a paperchase around Yew! The participants did not only have to able to ride fast in this chase, but they had also to be able to solve some hard puzzles.



This charming and very friendly lady was the one that used the favor of the hour and showed everyone that she had her pretty head not only for combing her hair. Full of happiness and joy she received the winning price of 5000 gold and all congratulated her cordially on that.

So if you don't have to go slaugthering monsters or ambush lonely hikers on Felucca on a sunday evening, I can only recommend this market to you. The organizers always put a lot of effort into it and the resonance of the visitors was each time quite positive.

Best Regards,
Slagdale [ http://www.uoworld.de ]
Thank you Slagdale!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 3:27 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Election Results from Skara Brae
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This sent in by Bellfloret:
New Council Members are Elected

On Saturday, August 25th, the Fourth Election of Town Council was held
in the Town Hall of Skara Brae, Felucca. There was a huge turnout,
and a total of 45 citizens were registered, voting for their new
leaders. After the poll was closed, the registrar, Erik Strongbow,
counted ballots in another room and announced the results to the public. The new offices are as listed below:

Steward --- Engval
Chancellor of Gentry --- Zed
Chancellor of Commons --- Chessentra Xeran
Chancellor of Judiciary --- Jackalblade
Consul-General --- Christoff

Among five positions, only the office for Judiciary had more than one
candidate, and it was reported to be a close race. Jackalblade won 22
votes and George won 17.

There will be an inaugural reception in two weeks to welcome the new
council to their positions. The details of the reception will be
announced by Lord Steward at a later date.

Bellfloret
Reporter
The Skara Brae Chimera
[email protected]


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 3:19 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Introducing Helios
The new team comment is up, introducing Helios. Here is what he has to say:
Hi. I'm Helios. Well, my name in the real world (whenever I get a chance to go there) is Kai Steinmann. I started playing UO about three years ago and never stopped. So what's with the name? Helios was one of the Titans in Greek Mythology. I'm a pretty big guy, so I figured it fit me pretty well. Plus, I really like the Titans on Titan Island. :-) Ah yes... the Titans... (insert memories of provoking and running from Titans for hours on end here).

While I used to put in 40 hours a week of gaming, these days I focus on helping to improve upon a world that we all enjoy. I do still play UO every day, just not for eight hours like I used to. :-) Being in game is an excellent way to get feedback from players that don't visit the boards. I think player feedback is one of the best things a game development team can have as one of their tools for progressing a game in the right direction.

I started with Origin as a Game Master and eventually moved into Design, which is what I'm doing now. That gives me the unique advantage of seeing our game from many angles: as a player, a support representative, and now as a member of the Development team.

I spend a lot of time on the boards reading suggestions, complaints, and compliments players leave for the Dev team. I know that at times it seems your words fall on deaf ears, but be assured that all of us read the boards A LOT. We may not be able to answer every person that writes a note, but more than likely someone will read it. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to register on our boards (http://boards.uo.com) and speak up about what's on your mind. Tell us why you want something, and how it would improve the game for you. Keep the feedback coming. :-)

What am I working on these days? Recently, I have been working on a wide range of localization changes as well as some ideas for animal lore (which you guys liked for the most part - woohoo!). We're always trying our best to improve the localization process to be as unobtrusive to the game's ambiance as possible. There’s always room for more improvement, but at this point, some of the localization changes we’re making now are so transparent that you can't even distinguish them in game. You’ve got to love those programmer types.

So I suppose that's it for me this time around. Don't be a stranger and drop me a note sometime. It's always nice to hear from everyone. I look forward to meeting many of you at the Fan Fest this year.

'Til then.
Cheers!

- Kai "Helios" Steinmann
- Designer, Ultima Online Live
- [email protected]

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 2:52 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

GateCentral joins the Shattered Crystal Network
The following announcement from Markee Dragon was just sent to us:
I am pleased to announce that GateCentral has joined the Shattered Crystal Network as our first international site. GateCentral offers Ultima Online news in 7 languages.

They are a young team of UO-players who run GateCentral. It is their mission to collect as much news, information and data as possible. Their greatest interest is to be present in several languages and offer their service to as many readers as possible. The most frequented languages are English, German and Swedish.

They have a strong history that goes back to late 1999 when they founded the clan of the 'Merchants on Tour' on Drachenfels. A clan needs a webpage - today it is a must *g* - and therefore they started with a smaller version of their current page. The clan developed well and they found many friends in the community; therefore they made a big step forward early 2001 by joining the GateCentral-Network. Many new possibilities appeared that they did not have in the past.

They offer an uptodate-news-section with daily news, a question&answer-database, a big rares-section, many essays tables and stories, a download-section, an update-section, a live shard status, a forum, .. etc. This page makes so much fun that they increase their sections nearly every week - They are currently working right now on a house-decoration section.

Readers are obviously very pleased with their services because the hit-rate is increasing. It is their intention to serve the UO-community and give back some of the fun they have gotten through UO. If you are interested in joining their team please contact Raknar.

- Raknar
GateCentral

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:50 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

MMORPG Guild Engines announces UO Guild Engine
This information dropped into our mailbox from Roland:
MMORPG Guild Engines is proud to announce the opening of the UO Guild Engine. An easy to use engine for creating that perfect Guild Presence.

Currently we are only doing Ultima Online pages but that may change in the future. Our fees are reasonable and payable in UO Gold. Currently they run 125,000 gold for 3 months with an initial 25,000 gold setup fee. Custom logos start at 150,000 gold.

Stop by and have a look. http://www.truefx.com/guilds

or ICQ one of the developers, Trisha Marie @ 10816412 or Roland @ 1561464
Thanks Roland for this announcement.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:36 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Evocare Interview about PvP
Siege Perilous War, an online community covering the Siege Perilous Shard did an interview with Evocare, the Lead Designer for Ultima Online.
As you might have guessed from the headline, this interview covers everything about Player-versus-Players, from the current system to future ideas, recent changes to the system like precasting and so on.

Head this way for the interview.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:29 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Monnglow-SHN Alliance Anulled
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Hmm.

*a parchment poster adorns the wall of the realm's banks declaring the news*

*************************
We the people of Moonglow hereby do, with full intent and purpose, publically announce the anulling of the Alliance between the peoples of Moonglow Town Council and The Sosarian Human Nation. We do so in our right, within the confines of the resolution of the treaty and its passing in both nations' governments respectively.

Under section d of the ammended treaty of affiliation between the two nations, The Sosarian Human Nation is found in violation and contempt of, with willful defiance of efforts to resolve between the two nations a lasting compromise.

Section d states:
"The competent leadership of Moonglow and Buccaneer's Den realise that each power has it's own goals and methods. As such both parties agree to never work to undermine the actions of the other."
Due to actions involving ideologies of The Sosarian Human Nation against non-human and non-human affiliated organizations, the government of the Moonglow Town Council has had its reputation as a nation in Virtuous standing jeapordized in the courts of foreign nations and collective associations of the Light. Due to this undermining of the goals and methodologies of those actions, The Moonglow Town Council finds the peoples of The Sosarian Human Nation in violation of the agreement/s.

The Court of Truth was consulted in the matter of the dissolution of the Treaty between the two nations involved. Thrawn of Yew, Sage of Justice and Court of Truth Judge in good standing ruled the alliance between the nations as null and void, dissolving the diplomatic status in favor of the peoples of Moonglow. Attached to this notice is an artists rendering of the verdict as it occured.


*************************

Mayor GreyPawn is quoted as giving the following short speech in front of the Moonglow Town Councilchambers this afternoon...

This is an outrage! That SHN would purposefully and willingly betray an alliance that promised their peoples progress unheard of in years. The violation the SHN perpetrated upon my peoples will not go unpunished. Never in the history of Moonglow have we been so gullied into a diplomatic agreement with jackanapes and scoundrels such as these. And to think, we trusted in their honor!
Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:15 PM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

Vet Rewards Release Schedule
Now on FYI - the release schedule for the Veterean Rewards:
After monitoring the Veteran Rewards on the Napa Valley shard over the weekend, we have determined a tentative release schedule for the system on the rest of the production shards. We are targeting to activate the Veteran Rewards system on each shard at some point during the day designated below, which means that players should not expect the system to be active immediately following their scheduled morning maintenance. Please note that this schedule is subject to change, and may be extended should any unforeseen issues arise with the rewards system.

All dates listed are Central Daylight Time.
  • Monday, August 27th: Chesapeake and Sonoma
  • Tuesday, August 28th: Yamoto and Atlantic
  • Wednesday, August 29th: Pacific, Lake Superior and Siege Perilous
  • Thursday, August 30th: Baja, Catskills, Izumo and Wakoku
  • Friday, August 31st: All remaining shards

For more information about the Veteran Rewards System, see these links:

Latest official Rewards announcement
Veteran Rewards FAQ
Details on the Reward choices

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:05 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

UO Casino Opens Doors
Sunist from UO-Casino sent us the following announcement:
Hear Ye Hear Ye !

This is a great day for the lands of Britainia !
After Eons of time, we've finally managed to get the Casino web site up and running !

The concept is simple : it works like a real Casino, but you gamble with the gold you have collected on your shard !

Come and play our games like the popular Seven Up and Down, the Dragon's Nest or buy tickets for our monthly lottery draws !

New games and events are added often...

Do not miss it !

We made "Demos" of our games availeble for you to see how this great casino works !

Have Fun, Roll the dices, and if the luck is on your side... Get Rich !

To visit the site : http://www.uo-casino.com

(For now we're opening on Europa the 1st september 2001. Other shards will follow next)
So if you dare to spent some bucks and hope for Lady Luck to shine on you, head on to the casino.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 11:57 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

The Sea Trance!
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Members of my Vistani were speaking with a few of the citizens of Scoundrel's Cove when they recieved this bulletin. Putting this warning out to the citizens of Sosaria is the least I could do.

Ahoy Ahoy Landlubber'ph!



I be Captain Yblarbo Eugene Jankph, Dread Pirate of d'e AAR guild. AAR be a guild of Pirateph, d'at are phtachioned on d'e nor'f beach of Magincia Iland. I come to you wif a warning to avoid phailin' in d'e oceanph of Atlantic. D'ere be a naphty epidemic going around, called, D'e Phea Trance, which iph bepht dephcribed in medical termph aph a Coma.

D'e Phea Trance" is highly contagiouph, but nobody knowph how yet - but d'e phymptomph are quite clear. Mageph will phtand on d'ere boat and repeatedly capht "Earfquake" over and over wif a glazed look in d'ere eyeph. Bardph will pluck d'ere inphtrumentph, even after d'ere fingerph are black and blue. People alpho get philly looking when d'ey be phtuck trying to hide over and over on d'ere boat, hiding...from nudin'! (well maybe me?) O'der fipherman, well, d'ey be frowin' d'ere fiphin' lineph in d'e water even after all fiph in d'e area be on d'ere boat. The godph take no pity on thophe people d'at be phtuck in d'e trance - it's rumored d'at their living bodies are taken to unphpeakable places, never to be pheen again! Well, d'at where me and my fellow pirateph come in!


Mageph will phtand on d'ere boat and repeatedly capht
"Earfquake" over and over wif a glazed look in d'ere eyeph.



D'e Phea Trance" be quite horrible, and many of uph in AAR underphtand a Coma be worf d'an deaf itphelf. Therefor, any pirateph in AAR d'at find citizenph of Britiania phtuck in a Trance will have d'ere phpirit releaphed to the phpiritworld, pho d'at d'ey can break free of d'iph Trance, and the godph of d'e phea won't take vengance upon d'em! We are phorry d'at d'ere be no real cure for "D'e Phea Trance", however we d'ink deaf be better than spendin' d'e remainin' of your life in a trance.

To accumulate fundph for rephearch about d'iph epidemic, all AAR memberph will keep any earfly pophephionph d'at d'ey can loot of d'e boatph or corpheph of d'e infected. Now I know what ye be d'inkin, if we be phuch nice people and tryin' to control d'iph epidemic, why would phome of uph be branded "Murdererph". We'll d'at be phimple. Even d'ough we be tryin' to protect d'e infected from the wraf of d'e phea godph, d'e godph alpho frown upon murderin' d'ephe phame people! D'e godph are quite confuphed at timeph, but we can't hold d'at againpht d'em, now can we?


To accumulate fundph for rephearch about d'iph epidemic, all AAR memberph
will keep any earfly pophephionph d'at d'ey can loot of d'e boatph or
corpheph of d'e infected.



Good luck phailin' to all of you, and be careful when you go phailing, for if we meet you and you have the phlightepht phymptonph of D'e Phea Trance, we mupht do our job and quarantine your infected landlubbin' phelf.

* Note, Yblarbo Janks had half his tongue bitten out by his childhood sweetheart, Tune Breath, and is quite difficult to understand due to this incident. Please, if you know a good Tinker that can make him a prosthetic tongue, contact someone in AAR immediately -- most members are getting fed up trying to understand him.

Pirates of Scoundrels' Cove Website, where you can get more AAR information

Pirates of Scoundrels Cove Forum

Dread Pirate Captain Yblarbo Janks' Webpage
Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 11:22 AM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

Dig Up Those Treasure Chests!
I recieved this offer from Dragons, the Guildmaster of the Syndicate, as a public announcement to the public of Sosaria. As far as public resources go, this is rather generous. Should you use it, offer them a thank you for thier efforts.

With the recent patch a number of very cool changes have been made to Cartography and to Treasure Maps! TMap hunters roam the world with reknewed energy this week solving maps in record numbers to reach the prized goal of GM Cartography!

To help you reach that goal, check out the Syndicates Treasure Map Rune Library This is the oldest and most complete Treasure Map runes collection on Atlantic. It is located in both Trammel and Felucca and has a very easy to use website interface.

1) Decode your map
2) Visit the webpage and click on the TMap Runes Link
3) Click on the maps and locate the spot where your map is located.
4) Find the rune name/number for your map
5) Visit the Arx Draconis Felucca library or the Arx Draconis Trammel
6) Castle library and locate the book with your rune
7) Recall off that rune and you are located immediately next to your spot
8) Dig and up pops your chest!

The Tmap runes is a huge time saver and open to all!! Checkout the site and enjoy the runes!! Good luck on GMing Cartography!
Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 10:53 AM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

A Thrilling Final Battle Closes Sunday's Fight Night
>>> Felucca Facet News <<< 
This week at Fight Night at the Oasis, KMSEMPERFI and his guildmate, DisplaceR battled it out for the grand prize. It was obvious that the two knew each other well, and witty banter was exchanged as quickly as the blows.

DisplaceR was aware that in the final fights of the evening, the No Heal Rule does not go into effect for a full fifteen minutes. About five minutes into the fight he called out, "In ten minutes you're a dead name," mistyping the word 'man' in the heat of battle.  "What's a dead name?" said smitten with love from the sidelines.  "Him," quipped DisplaceR, grinning and dodging yet another arrow.

The two advanced and retreated, sometimes one seemed likely to win, sometimes the other. This went on for a full twelve minutes, and then DisplaceR made his first mistake. As KMSEMPERFI was meditating, DisplaceR ran lightly to the wall where KMSEMPERFI's beloved, Coni Angel, was watching the fight. He threw Coni several salutes and bows. KMSEMPERFI went into full male battle alert, and stepped up the fury of his attacks. Within a few minutes it was all over.

DisplaceR took home 30K and the respect of everyone who watched him fight. The Unbeatable KMSEMPERFI claimed 60K and his fourth first place victory. Third Place and 10K went to Monk of B^G.   "Well," said Monk, "Now I have a third place title and a second place title. Two down, one to go." Speaking as a rares collector, I know the importance of getting a full set. Best of luck to you Monk!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 9:33 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

New Casino (website) on Europa
A message from a new Casino:
 
Hear Ye Hear Ye !
 
This is a great day for the lands of Britainia !
After Eons of time, we've finally managed to get the Casino web site up and running !
 
The concept is simple : it works like a real Casino, but you gamble with the gold you have collected on your shard !
 
Come and play our games like the popular Seven Up and Down, the Dragon's Nest or buy tickets for our monthly lottery draws !
 
New games and events are added often...
 
Do not miss it !
 
We made "Demos" of our games availeble for you to see how this great casino works !
 
Have Fun, Roll the dices, and if the luck is on your side... Get Rich !
 
To visit the site : http://www.uo-casino.com
 
(For now we're opening on Europa the 1st september 2001. Other shards will follow next)

Ive personally checked this out and it is very good, i surgest everyone tries it. I hope it gets enough people to support it! Good Luck!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 7:57 AM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

New Bagball Update
Another bagball report from Spiritwood:

Greetings friends,

Last night the most recent fixture in the all-new Britannia Bagball League was held, a friendly match between the Spiritwood United team and the visitors from the Moonglow Mongbats.

Set for a 9 pm kick off, the visitors from Moonglow arrived in fair
Spiritwood in plenty of time to help prepare the pitch. The goals were set up, the mid field line sketched out and the Yellow Bag filled to the brim with old logs rendering it Waaayyyy too heavy to carry. After a brief annoyance from some visiting hooligans, the teams were set and play began!

From the outset, it was clear that the Spiritwood United team was facing a superior foe. Moonglow defenders held their ground well, and the bag was carried hither and thither, players puffing with exertion, with no points scored either way. But soon the superior experience of the Spiritwood team showed and they soon had their first points on the board. But it was not long before the Mongbats of Moonglow found their form and things intensified noticeably.

First one, then two and finally three points came Moonglow*s way,
leaving them but one short of the Spiritwood total.With their form improving all the time, the Moonglow team looked set to equalise in the last moments, causing our team from Spiritwood to look a bit nervous and buckle down. With the last moments of play, Moonglow moved the bag aggressively upfield towards the Spiritwood net, but the defence held, and with but seconds to go, Spiritwood United*s training came through for them and they scored! Final score, Spiritwood United Five, Moonglow Mongbats Four.

Time was called and then, miraculously, the field was covered with free drinks for all! A gift from the Gods, proving that even the all mighty enjoy a good match!



Soon the friendly pre-season matches will come to an end and play for the championship of all Britannia will begin in earnest.

If you think you would like to form a team and join in the fun, take a look at : http://run.to/bagball

There you will find the basic rules, although there will be some
modifications before the official league begins. (The site is not fully active, but the Forum is functioning, so if you are interested, leave your name, the name of your team and an ICQ number there, and we shall contact you. We hope to move the site soon and make it fully active).

Stay tuned Sports Fans, Bagball has come to Britannia!

Shri, Proconsul Custodes Fati

Town of Spiritwood



Thank thee kind for the update.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 3:01 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Pawper Confronts His Guild
Here is the last chapter of the story! I read it this evening, hiding from the world. But I have a feeling that there will be more to this in the days to come.
The air was hot and dank from the swell of people packed into the guildhall. The Princess perched on her throne, obviously uncomfortable with leading the discussion at hand. She looked at the other nobles in the room but all avoided her querying glance. Even her old friend Shakespeare looked away from her gaze.

“He just doesn’t seem to understand that this is Felucca,” Apocalypse was standing at the head of the great table addressing the membership. “He has spent the past few weeks touring the countryside seeking the old alliances. He just doesn’t listen when we tell him that those old alliances are either gone or are just warring shells of their former glory.” Apocalypse paused while the members murmured amongst themselves. “Most importantly, he refuses to take those of us who would follow him to the gentry lands of Trammel!”

“He won’t go there,” Drusus’Asky stood to reply. “You know him as well as anybody, Apoc. This is his home and he won’t leave it.”

“I won’t leave Felucca either,” Myrddraal’s lanky body seemed to unfold as he stood beside the table. “My own home is here as well.” Myrddraal turned to look behind him. “And would you lay off that lute playing? It’s noisy enough in here!”

“Sorry.” Banshee put his lute into his pack. However, the little bard could not help but make one more strum as the instrument was put away. He grinned evilly at Myrddraal.

The crowd silenced as the Princess stood. “You all know my husband is an honorable man and lives to serve his guild. We all know how times have changed and how difficult it must be for him to come to grips with the way things are. This talk is getting us nowhere. What do you propose?” She sat again and waited patiently while the members looked at each other as though expecting the others to speak.

Fletcher and Meldron both stood as if they had drilled for this. “This is a new time,” Fletcher began. “The Felucca ways are different ways. We can no longer be a part of Felucca and stick to Trammel beliefs. We have all seen the carnage from the warring guilds, the warring factions and the murderers roaming the countryside unhindered. We have all seen the increase in thieves and brigands in our once fair land.” Fletcher paused as the crowd noise increased. “Okay! Okay! We all know I married one of those thieves so there’s no use in pretending it is a secret! Many are the times I have had to resurrect her because of her pilfering ways. But I would not change her nor will I leave the guild unless asked to.”

Draken stood and the crowd hushed as if the air had been sucked from the room. “I am a wanted murderer,” Draken said. “Yet Pawper has not asked that I leave the guild yet. He has only asked that I not display the guild colors until I have served my time. If he is not making me leave, Fletcher, I sincerely doubt he will ask it of you.” Draken sank back into his chair. “Besides,” he added with a smirk, “nobody makes bows as well crafted as yours.”

“Nobody is leaving!” a voice boomed from the darkened doorway. Prince Pawper strode into the room and took his place at his golden throne. He affectionately squeezed the Princess’ proffered hands before resuming, this time more softly. “I mean that nobody is leaving unless they wish to,” he added.

“But first, please hear what I have to say. Then you may make up your own minds. I have traveled the width and breadth of Felucca. I have seen the bloodshed. I have seen the vacant towns and honest merchants scurrying around like sewer rats. I have seen places where I played as a child but now cannot safely tread for fear of swarms of monsters or cold-blooded killers – or both.

“I have met with the gentry of Felucca trying to survive in a world torn asunder. I have even visited with the happy, fattened peoples in Trammel to see if I could live a life there. I cannot!

“Our guild must grow and adapt to reflect our times and our situation. Somewhere in the place between the gentry in their towns and the thieves at the moon gates and the timid people diving for the safety of their homes is a place for a new type of guild - a guild that is decidedly Felucca but not just a haven for people who wish to slaughter one another for sport. I have decided that the United Sosarian Brotherhood will be that guild! We will befriend the gentry…and the thieves…and all of the factions…and all of the warring houses. Also, we will provide a haven for merchants and craftsmen; murderers and monster slayers; mages and assassins - even visitors from Trammel.

“We must follow the lead of our own bowyer and declare that all USB residences on Felucca will be places of sanctuary and friendship for anybody wishing to rest from their toils. All that we will ask is that no killing or stealing takes place inside our homes.

“Perhaps others will follow our lead. Perhaps not. But Felucca must live and thrive – rising above the squabbles and the battles and the bickering and the petty nuisances who roam everywhere. And Felucca must grow on its own terms, with its own rules, with its own citizens. We will even have warriors to defend these principles, if we must.

“We will make our presence known with a contest - one that could only be held here in Felucca. I am not talking about anything so simple or easy as dueling or a pony race. I envision a contest so grand that it encompasses the whole of our land. A contest that all may play but only one will win. A contest with prizes so astounding that even faction members will drop their battles to participate in it. A contest that could only be inspired by a guild such as ours.”

Pawper slumped into his throne and looked one by one at his friends – his guild mates. “I’ve had my say. Now you decide, do you stay or do you leave?”

The party lasted through the night and on into the following day. Prince Pawper shook the hand of his last bleary-eyed departing guest and watched Husq trod off towards his home. An odd voice behind him said, “Now you see it, don’t you?”

Pawper spun and stared at the man on his steps. Dressed in black and red, the man wore the insignia of the sextant and the dagger.

“I am Augustus of the Army of Thieves,” the man said. Pawper stepped back and clutched his pack. “Now we can talk. I listened to your meeting last night. You may think you can change Felucca but we thieves rule here. We will welcome your hospitality and perhaps a few items you have no more use for. But your road will be long before you can convince us to change.” Augustus paused. “However, to start you on that road, I return this - your bow - and this - your bag of reagents. Don’t expect me or any other thief to ever return anything again.”

Then as suddenly as he had arrived, Augustus was gone. Also gone was Pawper’s quiver of arrows. Pawper stifled a grin and shook his head in jest. Thieves!

Thieves!

**(Coming Soon – The Felucca Contest!)**

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 1:16 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Uo Seer Program Seeking Donations
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Radnor the Troubadour posted the following message to Tradespot regarding the new Uo Seer Program
Yes, the new UO Seers and Troubadours will soon be here. We are gathering on all shards, preparing quests and events for all the players to enjoy. See the link below for our new web site. And, we also have a forum on Stratics at http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/guilds/uo/all/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=genuoseer

But, since we are a "truly" volunteer group, not supported by OSI, not given special powers or the ability to do as we wish, we need some help from the citizens of our fair land. We are seeking donations of all sorts, but one of the first and most important is a dwelling in which to store our items, have our meetings and prepare our events. Some of our events will be held in this donated structure, or at least a stopping point on the road to solving quests. Therefore, the larger the structure, the better.

Please note that we, the individual seer or troubador, does not perform on his or her own home shard. We need to create characters as needed and many of us have no slots open on our home shards. Therefore, as you know, we are born with only 1000 gold pieces, hardly enough to think about buying anything other than training in some extra skills we'll need and a few fish steaks.

Please remember, the dwelling is the most important at this point, but we won't turn down any items we could use for our events and quests, such as rares, gold, silver and special weapons for prizes, a guild stone, books, clothing, scrolls, reagents, full spell books, rune books, empty containers such as chests for our dwelling, anything you can think of.

Please contact me via ICQ or email if you can help with any of the above. I will meet you at the West Brit Bank in Trammel. My ICQ number is 128071387 and my email address is [email protected].

Thank you in advance for any support you can offer.

Sincerely, Troubador Radnor Baja Shard The UO Seer Website
Thankye Radnor!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2001, 12:25 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Adrick about Siege Changes
This time Adrick comments a lot about changes to Siege Perilious and I guess a lot of players might want to read this update here:
We had a dialogue about this - there were arguments on both sides.

1/3 gold for reds is a penalty for being red or a reward for being blue.

Weve removed the restrictions of reds going to town, weve removed guard wacking people who heal reds in town. There have to be differences between reds and blues on siege or everyone will be red.

95% of apx 30-40 players of siege. I have several emails in my box from siege players saying they like the changes including the 1/3 loot for reds.

This is a penalty being added to compensate for some nice things we did for reds.

All things considered the monsters are dropping the exact same loot they always have for reds they are just dropping 3x as much for blues (spending power wise) which is all that really matters.

It not fair to say we dont care what you think - when factions came out the reds on siege were in an uproar threatening to boycot factions because they couldnt participate - so now they can fully participate. We then heard the response its not fair when we go to town as a red we will get ganked and no one can heal us or get guard wacked - strange considering the oppositte is true outside of town in the dungeons. I suggested making the change to allow reds to be healed in town to make it completely fair to them.

If we didnt care what the playerbase wanted there wouldnt be these boards and there wouldnt be any changes coming to siege.

"roleplayer reds and because it will cause those reds to stop PVM, and concentrate on killing blues" - why isnt this happening now? shops charge 3x for everything after the change there wont be any difference in spending power. I could see this argument if prices werent dropping.

Had we put some penalty in for reds and all reds were 95% for it it wouldnt be a penalty - the fact that there are reds disliking this change indicate to us that it is indeed a penalty and a reward for non reds.

- Adrick

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 26, 2001, 6:41 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Ultima 7 Remake Interview
I had the chance to talk with some guys responsible for the Ultima 7 remake using the Dungeon Siege engine.
I guess this is quite interesting for all Ultima Fans out there and you may want to visit their homepage The Complete Ultima 7 before reading the Interview. The Team here is currently working to do a remake for Black Gate and Serpent Isle altogether. And now for the interview:
Nyustul: Hi Teich, Nurch
Nurch21: Hello Nurch, Teich
Nyustul: ;-)

TeichDragon: Hello to you both :-)
TeichDragon: OK, since you are going to remake Ultima 7 (The Black Gate AND Serpent Isle) my first question:
TeichDragon: How many people are currently working on this, and what are their jobs?
Nyustul: We currently have a bare bones crew of five.
Nurch21: yeah, we assume that our number will grow as the game nears launch
Nyustul: Dr Bim, our comedic programmer and concept artist.
Nyustul: Nurch, Level Design and PR
Nyustul: Scott, a 3D Artist
Nyustul: Me
Nyustul: and Baalzzamon, another 3D artist

TeichDragon: With all the other mods (Ultima Remakes) currently in production for Dungeon Siege I guess thats an answer for you too. Why Dungeon Siege?
Nurch21: Well, actually
Nurch21: it is not only Dungeon Siege
Nurch21: Neverwinter Nights has caught my fancy
Nurch21: That game is very revolutionary in MANY ways
Nurch21: given the fact that their armor is almost life like
Nurch21: they have some very intricate details such as reflective armor, where you can see objects in the
Nurch21: reflection of the armor and sword
Nurch21: But the only problem with Neverwinter Nights is that their tilesets do not include a winter one.
Nurch21: That is planned for a later Patch update But right now, Dungeon Siege
Nurch21: has a very beautiful engine very immersive and quite powerful
Nyustul: I think no matter how much Neverwinter nights can be better, we are going with Dungeon Siege.
Nurch21: Dungeon Siege has many aspects that Neverwinter Nights does not
Nurch21: Dungeon Siege's editor is MUCH more user friendly
Nurch21: Plus has much more options

TeichDragon: As stated on your website you are looking to redo Black Gate and Serpent Isle too. Will that be two mods
TeichDragon: or one-in-all ?
Nurch21: all in one

TeichDragon: So you would be able to actually go forth between Britannia and Serpent Isle in it?
Nurch21: that is what Nyustul can answer
Nyustul: No, but you have to travel to the Serpent Isle.
Nyustul: Thats a nice little quest that was left out :-)
Nyustul: We still haven't decided how to solve the underworld problem though.
Nyustul: The original plot will still be there.
Nyustul: But we add some, and fool with the original a bit so you cant just blow through it.
Nyustul: Ultima Underworld II takes place between U7 and SI.
Nyustul: It may be a six months later message.
Nyustul: That way, we don't need to screw around with any of that.

TeichDragon: Another question - why did you choose Ultima 7 and SI to work on?
Nyustul: Well, I had plans to do this a year ago, but, no crew or fitting engine.
Nyustul: Ultima VII is in many peoples eyes, the best of the series.
Nyustul: I've been with it for years. I know every hack and program, and practically every person.
Nyustul: And, there are some things I want to fix.

TeichDragon: One question directly linked to it. With Ron Windeyer's patch to play the original game under windows,
TeichDragon: and Exult bearing the possibility to play it in other environments, why do you feel a remake is still
TeichDragon: worth the time?
Nyustul: I got tired of Ultima VII playing it through DOS about a year ago when I started contemplating.
Nyustul: IT is definately worth the time.
Nyustul: I have no doubt in my mind the Ultima community would love to see a remake.
Nyustul: Somone has already made another 3D map for U7 and SI.
Nyustul: I think the game is called Planet Mars... I'm not certain.
Nyustul: Maybe Project Mars...

TeichDragon: How do you feel about the other DS/NWN remakes currently going on, and are you in contact with them?
Nurch21: we are in contact with the other DS Modders
Nurch21: NWN has no modders
Nurch21: I may be the only one
Nurch21: as the saying goes "There can be only one!"
Nyustul: well, I keep in contact with the others.
Nyustul: U6 and U5 don't feel to comfortable.

TeichDragon: Are you planning to incorporate the same magic spells as in the original games? They differed from BG
TeichDragon: to SI, how will you handle this?
Nyustul: well
Nyustul: The way we handle this is simple.
Nyustul: You loose your spellbook in the first part.
Nyustul: err second part (SI)
Nyustul: That way when you go to SI you get a new spellbook.
Nyustul: thas how simple it is.

TeichDragon: Black Gate and Serpent Isle had a lot of scripted events, will they show as well.. prerendered
TeichDragon: Cutscenes or will you use the DS engine here?
Nyustul: Most will be handled in the editor.
Nyustul: We will have a few special cutscenes.
Nyustul: IE Alagners death in U7, or the false Wall of Lights scene in SI.

TeichDragon: Black gate had a nice way of travelling will this be incorporated as well?
Nyustul: definately
Nyustul: hopefully we will be working with U6 to create some code for the Magic Carpet (in their case, balloon)

TeichDragon: A lot of the plot from SI took part in dungeons, how will you handle this graphically? Will the
TeichDragon: dungeons get different "themes"?
Nyustul: Well, every dungeon was different.
Nyustul: SI is challanging since we have no tile in existance like the ones on the walls.
Nyustul: Scott, one of our 3D guys is working on that.

TeichDragon: Will all magic weapons make it into the game, and will they all have a distinct look/graphic/effect?
Nurch21: yes
Nurch21: I will make sure of it
Nyustul: Thats not my area of expertise. :-)
Nurch21: Yeah, that is my part
Nurch21: I am going to stick in some cool designs in there
Nurch21: not going to hold back either

TeichDragon: So we might see some graphics in the future on the webpage?
Nyustul: thats highly probable.
Nyustul: But, we don't want to give to much away.

TeichDragon: Something about music.
TeichDragon: You already have two pieces available on you website. How much music will the game have? I guess every
TeichDragon: sound in MP3 will take a lot of space for download when the game reaches final status?
Nyustul: yes
Nyustul: Well, every piece in the original will be there.
Nyustul: ***I'm looking for a good composer.*** COUGH COUGH HINT HINT :-)
Nyustul: We are going to encode the MP3's at a low bitrate.
Nyustul: I'm hoping below 30mb
Nyustul: in comparison right now on my site I use 192kbit encoding, we might use 96 or 112.
Nurch21: Just want to note that, I have been in contact with Jeremy Soule. The content of Dungeon Siege's
Nurch21: music is all classical

TeichDragon: Are you using only original sound, or will you use new ones and to what amount if you do?
Nyustul: Well, the music from the original will be much better sounding.
Nyustul: If I can find a ***good composer*** I will have some good new tunes.

TeichDragon: A lot in Black Gate was not exactly virtous, there were many ways how to get better equipment by
TeichDragon: stealing. will this be the same?
Nyustul: Ultima VII... virtues? ;-) Seriously, this has yet to be decided.
Nyustul: The guards system wasn't exactly perfect.
Nyustul: It probably will be more similar to U8.

TeichDragon: You said the cut scenes will be mostly made using the DS engine. Please tell our readers
TeichDragon: more about that...
Nyustul: I think the best way to explain this is the later Final Fantasy games.
Nyustul: Many of the cutscenes were just handled in-game.
Nyustul: Some were pre-rendered cutscenes.
Nyustul: It depends how important it is.

TeichDragon: So you are already working on the pre-rendered ones?
Nyustul: Plans.
Nyustul: I need to talk with Scott more.
Nyustul: I want to start work on them soon.
Nyustul: Yet again, I need to make sure that everything looks similar in the cutscenes as ingame.

TeichDragon: Will you put in some references to older (or newer) Ultimas) that were not quite correct in the original
TeichDragon: game or even more references?
Nyustul: Yes.
Nyustul: The imbalance needs to be explained more thoroughly
Nyustul: Just, adding more content.
Nyustul: Thats the big goal around here "Ultima VII, more."

TeichDragon: Something about legal issues: U1 has permission from Richard Garriot to remake the game, Exult still..
TeichDragon: needs the original files. When I interviewed the Lazarus project, they said EA's legal department...
TeichDragon: never called back. Any fears in that direction ?
Nurch21: Yeah
Nurch21: Richard Garriot
Nurch21: Does not own his own rights anymore
Nurch21: EA bought them all out
Nurch21: U1 does not have any formal permission
Nurch21: If they did not talk to EA
Nyustul: /* leaves this to PR */
Nurch21: now even HE cannot make an Ultima Series without EA's permission
Nurch21: Now
Nurch21: I have been in contact with EA
Nurch21: for a while now
Nurch21: even called em up on their 1800 number
Nurch21: which didnt get me that far
Nyustul: :/
Nurch21: But the only response that got me
Nurch21: was that
Nurch21: they would think about it
Nurch21: in America, that means: Duh...get lost
Nurch21: Now
Nurch21: the other Modders have also been in contact with them

Nurch21: Well you see
Nurch21: what was told to me
Nurch21: on the phone was
Nurch21: It WOULD hurt sales
Nurch21: because
Nurch21: People will see a better FREE version
Nurch21: of the game
Nurch21: Now
Nurch21: even if the MOD is non-profit
Nurch21: they would still lose sales

Nurch21: Anyways
Nurch21: as for legal issues
Nurch21: I strongly advise more and more modders help us
Nurch21: in our fight to LEGALLY make the mods
Nurch21: otherwise
Nurch21: as was told to me
Nurch21: they would prosecute us to the very limits
Nurch21: This is something serious

TeichDragon: With all the activities going on for Ultima and the Ultima remakes, how do you feel right now
TeichDragon: about the Ultima Community??
TeichDragon: Do you feel the Ultima community got more active since the remakes started?
TeichDragon: and that they drew closer together?
Nurch21: OH HELL YEAH!
Nurch21: Definantly
Nurch21: because we get to see our games, with better graphics
Nurch21: with a world we can be immersed in
Nurch21: and actually feel the world
Nyustul: Now we have the true fans.
Nyustul: Not the Ultima IXers.

TeichDragon: How much interaction will you going to see in the remake? ....
TeichDragon: I guess "Ultima isn't about baking bread!" is not right for you?
Nurch21: Ultima isnt about baking bread
Nurch21: that is very true
Nurch21: It is about Saving the girl and killing the dragon
Nyustul: We want to maintain a high level of interaction.
Nyustul: But, maybe not everything.
Nyustul: IE, you might not be able to sit in a chair.
Nurch21: yes you can...DS has that emote in there
Nyustul: It was just an example :P

TeichDragon: Like baking bread, NPC schedules, weather changes???
Nyustul: Baking Bread, no
Nyustul: The other two, probably.

TeichDragon: Will the weather have a real impact? You might need that for SI...
Nyustul: well, SI is interesting.
Nyustul: Weather will be controlled in SI.
Nyustul: We'll have all the thunder all over the place.
Nyustul: Like the original.

TeichDragon: Nice, ok last question and a free comment
TeichDragon: Are people from your group actually playing Ultima Online and what are your thoughts about it?
Nyustul: My brothers a big player on Baja
Nyustul: I don't see him anymore though.
Nyustul: Go Shadowlords Baja :-)
TeichDragon: *grins* *makes a note to forward this to the Baja Manager *
Nyustul: He is probably the best thief in Baja RoofTopSniper
Nyustul: I think UO is good.]
Nyustul: It keeps the Ultima community alive.
Nyustul: But, I would have loved to se OWO.

TeichDragon: OK thanks to you both, this was very much fun!
Nurch21: Thank you Teich
Nurch21: I'll keep in contact with you
Nurch21: about further development
Nyustul: Maybe as we approch the release, we'll have a more indepth chat.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 26, 2001, 4:04 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Traveling Merchants to Visit Trammel Yew
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Elghinn Tagnik and Tess inform us that traveling merchants from the city of Satamarin will be holding a market at the Court of Truth in Trammel Yew at 8:00 PM EDT this Wednesday. In addition to the sale of general items, there will be a treasure map raffle and an auction.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 26, 2001, 1:39 AM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Lord Bub and Lady Killaua to be Married!
I just received the following wedding announcement:
On Friday August 31st, The people of Sonoma are invited to attend the wedding of Lord Bub and Lady Killaua of SoJ.

Follow this link for location and travel arrangements.

http://members.home.net/alienthing1/invitation.htm

We look forward to your attendance. All are welcome to come help us celebrate this special day!

Please stable horses before attending. After the ceremony, everyone is invited to the Saints of Justice guildhouse for conversation and celebration. Gates will be provided for those interested from the ceremony.

A most wonderous event indeed. Best wishes and congratulations!
--Sage Arthur

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 10:34 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

Besieged!
A call to arms has been issued by Deirdre Antos of Clan Antos. All able bodied men and women are encouraged to answer this, as the fate of Sosaria rests in your hands. Who can tell what will befall our lands if this situation is not resolved soon! May fate smile upon you.
Clan Antos, Guardians of the Shrine of Thallasha, besieged by the horde of savage warriors, lizard men and rat men, continue in their attempts to carry forth Thallasha's work.

But now, an even worse fate has befallen them. A precious tome from Thallasha's great Wisdom of The Oracle has been stolen from its place within Her Temple. Such knowledge is meant to be shared among the people of Sosaria but now... in what hands does it lie?

Deirdre Antos, Matriarch of Clan Antos, High Priestess to the Shrine of Thallasha, sends out her cry to the people of Sosaria to recover this precious tome. This precious tome that provides them with Thallasha's words... so invaluable to those seeking.

On the eve' of September 8th at 9pm EST, they will be standing watch over the Shrine. Any warriors, bards, mages, bondsmen or healers that make the dangerous trek, by sea or land, to The Shrine and Oracle of Thallasha, will be rewarded for their efforts. And to the one who finds the tome? Great rewards come to those who persevere in their journeys...

The bondsmen sworn to serve the Nemeton, will be standing by to render the materials gathered from the savages and their co-conspirators into finished goods, Healers will render aid to the fallen. The larder of The Nemeton will be shared in hospitality and The Oracle, Thallasha's Wisdom itself, will be forever standing to provide for those who seek.

The Nemeton del Mere Sanctum is found on the dangerous Peninsula south of the dungeon of Destard. It has been speculated by poets that to the birds in flight, it must appear as the 'right fin of the tail of the whale' or 'the boot of the ranger'.

To reach it by land, one must travel southward from Destard, down through the Peninsula inhabited by the lizards, giant serpents and savages, to the temple found along the southeastern coast. By sea, one must travel southward along the mainland coast near Yew which will eventually bring ye to the Peninsula. Circling around the southeastern side, ye will approach the cove of the Nemeton. The sextant coordinates of 118°33'South, 8°13' West will bring ye to the landing in front of The Nemeton's door.

May Valor assist ye in your travels to the Nemeton, the lights on the pillars guide your way and the scent of rosemary and juniper hanging o'er the door heal and refresh your spirit.

Clan Antos, [NMS]
The Nemeton del Mere Sanctum

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 10:14 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Veteran Rewards Info Page
A new page on Veteran Rewards has been added to the site. You can find it in the menu under 'miscellaneous'.

Enjoy!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 7:41 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

Mysterious Encounter in Dragon's Watch
Today I am just staying home to read. No point in me bumbling around Britannia, when all I want to do is to find out how this story goes on. What surprises and twists does our friend Shakespeare have in store for us? Read on!
The sound of a single horse’s hooves ringing on the cobblestone pavement and the whispering wind made Pawper shiver involuntarily. This was Aryslan! Where were the bustling crowds of hearty craftspeople hawking their wares? Where was the laughter and camaraderie of the knights and wizards of the Sapphire Rose?

The only signs of humanity Pawper had seen since entering Aryslan were a band of brigands that he had quickly dispatched and one lone resident dashing into a small house. The resident did not answer the locked door despite Pawper’s attempts to show he was an honest visitor.

Oberon Pass was little different than Aryslan, harboring more trolls than people these days. Even the Monks were scarce to be seen - although one, the Monks’ master DogMeat, whispered of a new town of nobles seemingly thriving in Felucca. Pawper thanked the holy warrior and spurred his horse toward Vesper.

Dragon’s Watch was a little more active than the other towns he had visited. Although Pawper did not recognize any of the faces, he recognized guild colors from long ago. He bowed to two warriors from the Iron Brigade but they hurried past, deeply involved in conversation. Pawper only caught a few words of the knights’ discussion - something about thieves.

Two mages from FDA were no friendlier, seemingly ignoring his salutation as they walked from a house into the tower next door. “There are noble-born here, right enough,” Pawper grumbled in a breath, “but they sure aren’t friendly to strangers.”

Finally, Pawper saw a face from his past. It was the guild master of the Army of the Dragon, John McBain. “John!” Pawper called and strode toward the other man.

“Do I know you?” McBain peered from beneath a golden helm and stepped back with a hand atop his sword hilt.

“I am Pawper of the Brotherhood, old friend. We fought in the undergrounds of this land long ago with our brethren. I have returned.” Pawper extended his hand.

“Hmmm. I do not recall you,” McBain said, choosing to keep his own hand on his sword. “But I know of the Brotherhood. They are friends of thieves and villains! If you are with them, then you are not a friend of mine!”

“Nay, old friend,” Pawper lowered his hand. “USB is still a noble guild and will remain so!”

“I have been to your ‘sanctuary’ by the Brit Gate,” McBain held his stance. “It is a place for thieves to hide – nothing more.” McBain paused then smiled. “However, since you are noble, you are welcome in Dragon’s Watch. Please feel free to look around and make yourself at home. We welcome all nobles in this great city of ours!”

Long after the clumsy reunion, Pawper strode through the streets of Dragon’s Watch. It was almost like the old days in Dragon’s Watch. Almost. Pawper felt himself breathing easier.

“I see you met the mayor,” a man’s voice whispered from the shadows between two great houses. “Swell guy, isn’t he?”

Pawper swung and raised his crossbow. “Who are you?” he challenged. “Show yourself!”

“Not yet, friend. Not yet. But we will talk soon.”

Pawper grabbed into the shadow but caught only a black cloak. Lying on the ground were a sextant and a dagger. There were no other signs of the mysterious stranger.

Disconcerted by this conversation, Pawper retrieved his horse and rode back to Vesper. Perhaps they should relocate to Dragon’s Watch. Perhaps as a neighbor, the old guilds would soon recognize that USB is part of their noble community. Perhaps…

Yet an odd voice whispered in the shadows of his thoughts. An odd voice that suggested that perhaps this wasn’t the old days and there is no turning back. An odd voice that kept repeating “Not yet. Not yet.”

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 7:09 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

A tale of two Dwarves...
As Dain was wandering out of the vale humming to himself our view of him does one of those really expensive 'pull back to above the clouds' shots all the good films have. After a second or two for us to admire the way the director has set everything up our view once again begins to descend through the clouds, spiralling down at dizzying speed towards the entrance to Dungeon Destard. Then in one of those really fancy quick swerves most directors would give their right arm to get right first time we are rushing through the entrance towards a rapidly approaching figure dressed all in purple.

“AAAAARGGHHHHHHH!!!!!” Said Garr Longaxe, as another dragon sized fireball found its mark.

As he pounded down the passageway his life flashed, once again, before his eyes... being chased by eight dragons always had this effect on him...queue the ‘wibbly wobbly’ dream sequence effect...

Garr had always been proud to be a Dwarf, its just that he was a little different from the rest of his Kin. He really hated mining, but most of his family could cope with that...after all Uncle Rex had been a carpenter…no mining there. He really like to play music and sing…well all Dwarves sang...its just Garr sang quite tunefully and while he was sober. He found it quite hard to grow a beard…now this was odd, but great grandma Thorina had lost her beard in shock after getting the words to the ‘Gold’ song wrong once. He was slightly taller than your average Dwarf as well, but he didn’t see anything wrong with being six feet tall...except when he was in the four foot tunnels. But worst of all, and the thing that caused him to leave his home caves for the big wide world...was his total and utter lack of interest in gold...a grievous sin for a dwarf...he much preferred singing .

Cutting back to reality, we see a smoking purple missile fly out of the entrance to Destard and land in a heap, swearing to itself. Sitting up and patting out the worst of the flames, Garr mumbled to himself….

“That’s the last time I try and do an on the job interview with the Bards of Destard. Nice bloomin’ title shame about my lute falling out of tune like that.”

He stood up and winced as his scorched skin protested.

“Right! Now where’s me bloomin’ rune for the Angry Mongbat...there must be some good tales going round there.”

Checking his purse for enough coin to enable him to ‘forget’ the burns at the Angry Mongbat, Garr chanted the words of power that would take him to one of his, many, favourite watering holes……his ‘mum and dad’ had never told him that he was the only dwarf that had ever mastered magic...but then he had never asked...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 6:47 PM EDT by Moulie (Europa)

Miss Moonglow 1999 to Marry
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<This was sent in by Meri,
On September the 1st Meri the 1999 Miss Moonglow in the Miss Baja contest will be wed to Majik Man. The public is invited to this joyus event to be held at 8pm pacific time at the Moonglow Lyceum on the trammel facet of the shard.

A reception will be directly following the ceremony. All are welcomed to watch the former pagent beauty say goodbye to the single life!
Thank ye Meri

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 11:51 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Another Q&A for The Moonglow Council
Another four questions for The Moonglow Council:

This is the second part in a loose sequence with the intention to introduce the people holding positions in the Moonglow City Council.
The goal is, that you better get to know them and can thus directly address the correct person, if you want a problem solved in Moonglow.

Today: Sauron - the new vice mayor of Moonglow.

Q: Can you give us a short biography of yourself?
A:
I was born in Britain 24years ago. My mother and father had said to me that I should learn how to be a swordsman. I tried the ways of swordsmanship but could not master them, and eventually got bored of this. I always had a fasination with the study of magic and since being young wanted to learn to be a mage. I gave up the ways of being a swordsman and started to learn magic. Although the road was long (and an expensive one too) I eventually grandmastered the art of magic which I was extremly proud of. I then moved to a remote area, with its closest establishment being Yew. There I practiced more magic,improving what I had learnt. Eventually growing tired of living in a remote area, I moved to just outside Moonglow city, which I currently live now.

Q: You have just recently been elected as vice mayor of Moonglow. What does a vice mayor do in the Council?
A:
The vice mayor supports the mayor in what he does. If the mayor is currently not present at a meeting, then the vice mayor takes over and chairs the meeting.

Q: Many people don't exactly know what a City Council can achieve or do. Could you shortly tell us what - in general - is possible and what not?
A:
A city council trys to improve and help the city it is in. It might try to do this by events and projects for the people. It is also a place where people can go to say their ideas and vote on how their city is run. Afterall, the council works for its citizens. But it is not possible to reach a vote that pleases everyone, so votes must be made by the council on a whole to see which the best option is.

Q: What are your visions for Moonglow's future?
A:
My visions for Moonglows futures are a city with more events, and 'going ons'. Events for people to gather and talk to one another and to have fun. 'Going on's to attract attention to our town and to improve the working together of the people in our town.

Many thanks for this interview!

If you want further information about the Moonglow City Council please head to the skypage:
http://stop.at/moonglow

Yoldran,
-Town Crier of Moonglow.

Thanks to Yoldran for the update!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 11:43 AM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

Adrick Comments on PvP
Some players complained that Adrick and other Designers were looking at PvP as the heart of Ultima Online. Adrick did a longer answer about those fears on the UO.com-boards:
Well here goes

"What I do find disheartening about PvP play however is the continual placement of it above all other systems, designers such as Adrick view PvP as the core of the game, they neglect to imagine a game that is a pleasure to play because every system within it creates a more palatable playing experience for the player."

Honestly since Ive joined this team - over 15 months ago the only major system for pvp I worked on was the faction system. When I first got on the team we were given the faction system (myself and Evo) and asked to make this thing work as it was part of Ren. We looked at it and noticed that 99% of it was for hard core pvpers. We spent most of our time engineering the faction system to work better for merchants and alike. I have on occasion made changes to the game for pvpers - looting changes, bug fixes etc. Also we as a team brought back precasting along with some other minor tweaks. Bringing back precasting is no where near the magnitude of putting in a new system like townstones etc - tweaking an existing system requires little in the way of development time. I would guess that a fair estimate of my time spent on pvp has been less than 10%.

"Adrick has never disguised his feelings towards his favourite part of the game, nor for that matter have I...the difference between us however is that I am a player and he is a developer who has the power and capacity to influence and create change. One such change was the way that localization was initially implemented in systems such as fishing. You fish up an item : a big fish is a product of that method of introducing localization to the game, a method that has received not one positive response from the customer and which many who enjoy the entire game as a role-playing experience detest with insatiable loathing because of the impact that it has had in the visual representation of the IC world."

My favorite part of the game as a player and my favorite part of the game as a designer are not the same. My favorite part of the game as a designer is fixing bugs and seeing players enjoy the game as a result of what I have done. Most of the things of late have been the removal of exploits...

The localization changes to UO were to bring the product to more customers - It wasn't easy to take a game that wasn't meant to be localized and make it so - looking back I agree it could have been handled better in many areas and I do apologize for the communication break down :(

Right now my primary focus as a designer is to fix bugs - i don't pick and choose bugs I fix and I enjoy fixing them all. Why do I enjoy it? because as a player it was the single most frustrating experience for me playing a game.

This entire team is committed to improving many aspects of the game - We have an entire team led by Cal working on ongoing content. Unfortunately everything everybody wants cant get done -

That being said we do value pvp as an important part of ultima online. No single element is THE most important - in fact its a combination of everything that what I believe makes the game so great.


We don't like to make promises about what is not certain or close to completion but there are some things in the work I think you will enjoy. We do ask for feedback and we do listen - we cant listen to everyone all the time because so often people have opposing views and priorities.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 9:10 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

FanFest Registration Starting Next Week!
Now on FYI:
We are still working to complete the official Online Worlds FanFest 2001 website, along with the registration page, Host application page and session schedules, and anticipate that it will go live early next week. In order to ensure that people still have plenty of time for the early registration price, we will be extending the early registration schedule.

Thank you for your patience, and we'll have plenty of FanFest details available next week!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 8:48 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

The Skara Brae Elections
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This report from retiring Lady Sam of the Gentry:
Council Elections Saturday Evening
9 to 11 pm Pacific Time
Skara Brae Town Hall, Felucca

In the community's efforts over the years, the council elections have been a mainstay of life on the Pacific Shard. This year is no different. The Skara Brae community is based around its citizens and the guilds that support it. Voting is open to all of the lands, and requires only your commitment to support the community.

Voting will take place in the Town Hall in Skara Brae between 9 and 11 pm, with one close race for the position of Chancellor of the Judiciary, a lot rides on this election.

Hope to see you all at the balloting.

Sam, Lady Chancellor of the Gentry (retiring)
Good luck all!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 3:54 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

PvP Tourney: Win a House!
An out of breath courier delivered this scroll to me! The news are urgent, as the tourney itself is only hours away. Good luck to all the participants. Teknos is the author.
Still room in our PvP tourney! Several have entered for the opportunity to win, but there's still room left.

A small wooden house in Fel adjacent to Vesper cemetary is the prize. 15k is the entry fee.

The rules are open, magic weaps are allowed, all types of people are allowed, even reds...however, no pets and no mounts.

The arena location will be a remote isle to which participants and spectators will be gated from the cemetary road in Vesper, Fel.

No looting will be allowed and interference will NOT be tolerated. Armed guards will be on hand to insure that participants who are red are not attacked and losing parties will not be looted. However, no guarantees can be made, so, carry valuables at your own risk.

15k will be collected at the gate point on Saturday. Spectators are encouraged to watch. Tournament starts at 8pm on Saturday and will run until all rounds are complete, tournament style. The winner walks away with a nice new home. Q me at 69082982 for any other questions or to get your name added to the list.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 25, 2001, 12:45 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

House Decorating Contest Winners!
The following we just sent in from Pluffy:
The West Coast Innovations House Decorating Contest has closed, and the eight finalists have been announced. Each of the 8 finalists (2 from each of the eligible shard: Baja, Napa Valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) will take home 100K. After a panel of celebrity judges has a chance to review the finalists, a Grand Prize Winner will be announced. The Grand Prize Winner will take home a total of 500K in prizes. If you want to see the winning entries (and the other entries too!) you can go to http://people.atl.mediaone.net/pluffy/InnWinners.htm for a peek!

Thanks,
Pluffy and UO Realtor

Looks like there are some very talented house decorators out there. The creativity and artistic ability of these people truly amazes me! I would like to congratulate everyone who entered, I am very impressed.
--Sage Arthur

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 7:47 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

"Creating An Event" by Sannio
The following was just posted to the Comments from the Team section of the official UO.com website:
Creating an Event: Development

Some of us have already created, or plan to try our hand at creating, events for other players in Ultima Online. This article is a checklist of sorts, collecting some information which might be as helpful for those of you who are just starting out, as those who are seasoned event creators. In fact, this is the first of a series of four articles: “Development,” “Preparation,” “Management,” and “Aftermath.”

By the way, when I mention “event,” I mean a whole variety of in-game activities, the type which require players to create, manage, and support. An event could be a contest, a tournament, a ceremony, a quest, or many other player-sponsored activities.

The idea: What kind of event do you want to have? Sometimes the hardest part of the creation process is deciding what you want to do. It’s often good to first consider your interests, your skills, the amount of resources, and the people who can help you. Here’s a list of some common event themes:
  • Adventuring & Hunts: Wilderness hunt, dungeon crawl, treasure hunt, fishing net hunt, adventuring quest
  • Large Battles: Guild war, faction battle, Hero/Evil battle
  • Fight nights, tournaments, and duels: Basic one-on-one duels, two-on-two fights, massive “last man standing” brawl, pets only, summoned creatures only, magery only, no-magic, anything goes
  • Races: Foot race, horse/mount, boat, drunken
  • Games & Contests: Board games, trivia contests, riddle contests, gambling, raffles, lotteries, auctions, scavenger hunts, skill use races (ex. chopping wood, cooking, crafting, etc.)
  • Ceremonies & social gatherings: Guild ceremony, swearing-in, grand opening, birthday party, wedding, singles night, theatrical play, storytelling, poetry night, afternoon tea
  • Education: New player introduction, skill training seminar, shrine pilgrimage.
If you’re still not sure what to do, there’s nothing wrong with asking others for ideas. Contact friends, guildmates, or even other players who have done previous events which you’ve admired, and ask for their input. Some good contact methods to use are e-mail, ICQ, IRC, or message boards.

As suggestions come in, don’t be opposed to revising your idea based on the comments of others. Your helpers may have some great suggestions to improve your event, or they might point out some concepts that may not work as you thought they might.

Determine your resources: As your event idea develops, keep in mind available resources. Make a list of everything you think you may need to have in-game at the time of the event, and make sure you have everything prepared far before the event is to happen. This list will probably change several times as you develop your event.

Gather wood, food supplies, ingots, weapons, reagents, communication crystals, and any props you might need. If there’s to be special prizes, like rare items, large amounts of gold, or special rewards, make sure to have them available at event time. Consider even setting a budget for your event.

Consider your audience: Not every event will be geared toward every player or character type. Will your event be invitation only, such as for your friends & guildmates, or will you have it open to everyone? Are murderer characters (“Reds”) allowed to participate? Will both combatants and non-combatants be able to participate? These details will be important to note in any announcements and rules statements.

Determine & document the details: Once you have your event’s concept set, write out everything you’d like to do. Write out all the rules for your contest or tournament, and try to state them as simply as possible. If you’re making a quest, make sure you have the entire plot planned out, especially the ending(s).

Try not to rely heavily on the event’s backstory in order to run your event. There may be a number of people who aren’t familiar with the event’s history, and may become frustrated at any amount of required knowledge.

Allow people to be either active participants or sideline bystanders. Some people may just want to watch, and others will not want to participate at all, so don’t try to force them. If you feel you won’t have enough active participants on your intended date, consider rescheduling the event for some later time.

Define the “victory conditions” for your event. A tournament might simply be “to the death.” A quest might need certain goals met in order to be completed.

Quests could, and perhaps should, be developed with both positive and negative results in mind, and the respective rewards or penalties which might ensue. If you’re prepared to deal a variety of tangents, these “event killers” could become your “event enhancers,” and can lead into improvements for your next event. Consider what would happen if it never occurred to anyone that your imprisoned guildmaster could be rescued. What if the players in your quest actually killed your leader? It might not be what you had in mind, but they are certainly viable possibilities.

A given event might be one night only, lasting one hour. Or, it might be a series of 4 events, each one 2 or 3 hours in length. Consider sometimes splitting up your events, with each part of the event series having a clear ending all of its own. A tournament could have nightly winners, with a final “grand champion” at the end of the series. Each “chapter” of a quest could have a “stand-alone” feel, played out as a short story all their own, which is great for players who can’t attend all the related events in that series.

You may need other people to read your notes, so try to make sure to keep them brief, readable and accessible. If possible, post them on a web site, or distribute them to your new helpers as a text (.txt) file.

What will the rules be? An informal ceremony might have simple rules: “No fighting, stealing, or harassing.” A quest might ask everyone to give fair warning before every fight (“I’ll let you keep your head for 100 gold,” or “Halt or die!”), helping to confirm one’s place in the event. A battle might restrict anyone who died to remain in deathrobes while they recovered their own loot, but did not allow them to return into the fight. A tournament in Felucca might have duelists “go grey” by targeting a mutually agreed upon player-target before starting any combat.

Whatever rules you choose, try to take exceptional care that everyone participating in your event knows them. Pointing people to a Web page where the rules are listed is a great start, but think about also handing out in-game books with those same rules, and perhaps even having an “event crier” announcing those same rules between bouts or periodically during a hunt or quest.

Choose your helpers: You may need to pick some other players to help you create your event, and it’s important to consider their schedule, personality, and their characters’ abilities.
  • Schedule: Be flexible; adjust your schedule as necessary. Some of your helpers may not be able to assist you on certain days, and this detail may be critical later on if your event becomes a regular happening. In fact, many events find success in occurring on a regular basis - daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly. It helps your audience to know that they can count on showing up at your house, for instance, every Sunday night at 8pm Central Time and be involved in some form of entertainment.
  • Personality: Your friends may be eager to help you out, and while some of them may be great “people persons,” others may have short fuses. The harsh fact is that events can be tough to develop & manage, and sometimes it might be in your best interests to suggest a certain friend might have more fun as a participant than as staff. ;)
  • Characters’ Abilities: Find out how your helpers’ characters can contribute to the event. Can someone resurrect fallen duelists? Will someone be able to Gate people to your location? Do you have a great “speaker” to be an MC at a contest? Who is tough enough to be the adversary in your quest? You’ll need actors for quests, announcers for “fight nights,” ministers for weddings, dealers for gambling events, etc., and it’s important to pick the right people for the right jobs.
Choose your location: The location(s) can be very important toward the success of your event. Details to consider here are guard zones, players’ houses, old world or “lost lands” of the Second Age, and which facet (Felucca, Trammel, or Ilshenar).

Is your location easily accessible, or will people need to Recall or Gate, use a boat, or will it require Third Dawn? Keep in mind the space you’ll need for your event. An afternoon tea party with four people might do well in a small house, but 20 people trying to duel each other in that same house will grow very frustrating, very fast.

If your house is the location of the event, it’s good to also have a vendor selling runes Marked to your front steps, and even books with your Web site’s address and some brief details about your event. It also doesn’t hurt your public image to give away some of those things as you travel.

I’ll go over some tips for the “Preparation” stage of your event in my next Team Comment, and I’ll try to keep it shorter next time. :]

Keith "Sannio" Quinn
Online Community Coordinator
Ultima Online

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 7:41 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Free Smith at CMG
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Heather from the Cove Merchants Guild sent me a scroll today letting me know about a wonderful event they have planned over at the CMG Smith Shoppe. Seems that at 8pm by the Central Sky on Saturday, August 25th, the smiths at CMG will be holding a "free smith night". If you bring a weapon, they will repair it. If you bring ingots, they will smith them for you. If you just pop in, they will hand you armor or weapons. All of this, for FREE! For those that aren't sure where to find CMG: simply travel to Cove in Felucca, step out the front gate, you are in the CMG front lawn.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 6:54 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Log of Chat with Markee Dragon has been posted
With apologies for the delay; The complete log of the Twenty-eighth UO Celebrity chat with Markee Dragon has been posted, and is available from the UO House of Commons web site.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 6:17 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (CommunityNews)

Consorting with Thieves
It was dusk, that time in the evening when the ice turns blue and the torches grow brighter on Ice Island. I was preparing my evening meal when a furtive knock on my door was followed by the crunching sound of someone running in the snow. As I opened the door, a thick scroll fell softly against my feet, already damp from the driving rain. I smoothed it out and set it by the fireplace, to dry the pages and save the ink from becoming one big blue stain. On its first page, it said its author was a gentleman by the name of Shakespeare of the United Sosarian Brotherhood. I snuggled up under the covers with some extra blankets and I settled in for what promised to be a good read.
Pawper smiled as he leaned back on his golden throne, carefully waxing a bowstring worn loose after a long hunt through Deceit. It had been a long time since he had last been in the company of good friends, battling the horrific monsters of the Sosarian dungeons. In fact, it had been a long time since he had done anything in this wondrous land.

Time had wrought many changes on Sosaria during Pawper’s absence. Shakespeare had patiently explained those changes soon after Pawper’s return. “The land magically split, my liege,” Shakespeare recounted. “The nobles and gentry migrated en masse to the lands now called Trammel. Tis a peaceful if dull existence there, nary troubled by the villains, brigands and soldiers roaming this now dead land named Felucca.”

In his turn, Pawper could not explain to his lieutenant where he had been these long years. The awful truth was that Pawper did not know. It seemed he had gone to sleep in his house at Oberon Pass one night only to awaken years later at his guild’s headquarters on Dagger Isle. What had happened during those intervening years? Time had wrought changes on Pawper, as well. His full mass of steely gray hair was now shockingly white and showed signs of receding.

“Why dost thou look so glum, m’love?” The Princess seemed to glide into the room as if her delicate feet supported wings instead of a pair of shapely legs. “Art still troubled by thy disappearance?”

Prince Pawper set down his hunting bow and stood to grasp the firm hands of his beautiful wife. Either time or a missing husband had rendered her silken hair the same shade of white as his. But neither had taken away from a countenance that was as lovely to look upon as the day they’d met. “Aye, in truth, I’ve missed many strange things and marvelous adventures and know not why. But more than that, years of your kisses and embrace were stolen from me! I fear I shall never recover those years.”

“Then let us make up for lost time, m’love.” The Princess sighed softly and tiptoed to press her warm lips to his.

“Excuse me, m’lord. I wish to speak with you.” Dinsdale hovered at the door, his thin scribe’s hands stained blue with ink and green with the putrid liquid that he kept locked up in his safe box. The odd little man’s glance darted to and fro like some rodent seeking escape from a pack of dire wolves before lighting on the couple. “My apologies for disturbing you,” Dinsdale rasped in his most annoying voice.

“We will continue this later,” the Princess promised as she extricated herself and left the room.

Pawper refrained himself from berating his scribe for staring at the Princess during her departure. He could scarcely blame the man for being enthralled with her. Besides, despite his oddities, Dinsdale had remained loyal to the Prince and the Brotherhood when almost all others had left during Pawper’s absence. And the little scribe kept the books and the vault impeccably neat.

“Speak up, Dinsdale,” Pawper said as he retook his seat upon the throne. “What is so urgent that you need disturb the lady and me?”

“Tis about Fletcher, the bowyer.” Dinsdale seemed to creep as he moved subserviently toward the Prince. “Tis more about Fletcher’s wife.”

“Raffles? What of her? She seems a lovely woman and has certainly done much to improve Fletcher’s disposition. You of all people should recall what a rambunctious fellow he was before my…um…absence. Why, I remember when Fletcher and that Meldron fellow rearranged your weapon and armory lockers. As I recall, when the house was attacked the next day, all you could find was some female armor and a very nice purple fancy dress. I still think we won the day because those poor attackers could scarce keep on their mounts from the laughing at the sight of you in that attire brandishing your only available weapon - a Cleaver of Ruin!”

Dinsdale briefly glared at the Prince before averting his gaze once again. “I know that!” he whined. “It isn’t about her personality that I am here to speak, m’lord. It is more about her…character.

“You see, I had a chance to visit with Fletcher and her this morn in their tower by the Britain Moongate.” Dinsdale spoke more quickly, as if he’d lose his nerve before completing his tale. “She was a gracious hostess to myself and many of the patrons visiting their shop there. But soon after I arrived, I would have sworn I saw her lift some gold right out of this one bloke’s purse.

“Then later, I saw her conversing deeply with that villain Augustus. I know you have been away, m’lord, so you may not know that this Augustus fellow is reputed to be the leader of the vicious Army of Thieves! What are we going to do about this?!” Dinsdale almost shrieked out his question.

“Do? I know not! I will have a talk with Fletcher this evening. In the meantime, you are to discuss your thoughts with no one. Is that understood?”

“Perfectly, m’lord.” Dinsdale glanced around quickly then scurried from the room.

Thieves! Thieves were like bad weather. Best to be avoided or at least endured if avoidance was impossible. At least a murderer could be dealt with man-to-man. But thieves! Thieves would cut your purse or steal your favorite bow and then be gone before an honest man could react. Thieves!

“It is no wonder the nobles fled to Trammel where thievery is nigh impossible,” Pawper muttered. But this place of Felucca had long been home and Pawper would not flee like a frightened child. “I will talk to Fletcher this evening,” he repeated to the empty room. His brow furrowed.

Thieves.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 2:38 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

A Thief Revealed
Completely absorbed by this tale of honour and thievery, I spent the whole day walking around lost in thought. My apologies to all the trolls, ettins and harpies whose growls I ignored as I walked around the woods. I just couldn't wait to get home and read some more! Here is the second chapter of this story, also written by Shakespeare of the United Sosarian Brotherhood.
“The nerve of that guy!” Fletcher the bowyer flung his flagon of ale at the wall. The mug shattered, staining the wall and knocking a painting askew. “He comes into my house…all high and mighty…and he dares to accuse my wife of being a thief! Why, I should have just axed him where he stood!” Fletcher’s strong right hand tightened on his battle-axe.

“But, Fletcher honey, you’re forgetting a couple of things,” Raffles smiled as she straightened the painting and bent over to pick up pieces of the broken flagon. “First, Pawper is your chosen liege and master of the Brotherhood. Second, and most importantly, I am a thief! You know that, silly man!”

“Aye,” Fletcher sighed and relaxed into his green orc-head throne, “You’ve never kept your profession a secret from me. Although your craft was obvious right away from the way you stole my heart.”

“Keke! Mootamba loves dis place!” Raffles’ guild mate Mootamba bounced into the room, her dark face flush with excitement. “Keke! See all my friends outside?”

Through the window, Fletcher saw several soldiers from the faction wars milling around the front door of his tower. From the glares he received and the way they brandished their weapons, Fletcher doubted they were actually paying a mere social call. “I guess I should go see what they want,” Fletcher sighed. These visits from angry mobs were becoming all too common at his peaceful shop.

“Be careful out there,” a voice boomed from a dark corner. The Murderer Draken smiled, “they’re not all as friendly as I am.” Suddenly, both Draken and Mootamba seemed to vanish, as if into thin air.

Fletcher stepped outside into the din of angry voices. “Let us have the thief!” “Is this a shop or a thief hide-out?!” “Murderer! I saw a murderer in there!” “Bring them out! Bring them out!”

Fletcher grasped the sturdy handle of his axe, took a deep breath and smiled at the angry crowd. “See the sign?” he yelled over the clamorous chant of ‘Bring them out! Bring them out!’ “This is a USB Peace Sanctuary,” he continued. “Anybody and everybody is welcome here!”

“Then we’ll go in and get them ourselves,” growled one young soldier. He spurred his horse at Fletcher and the door. The bowyer stood his ground.

“Just one thing, young man,” Fletcher said. “All sanctuaries have rules. There will be no starting a fight or stealing inside these walls! Ever!”

“We’ll see about that.” The soldier urged his horse forward, knocking Fletcher aside. The door opened and the sound of steel rang out as Mootamba defended herself against the brash youth.

Fletcher drew on the tower’s magical powers and the soldier appeared beside the steps, somewhat sliced up and looking a bit relieved. Fletcher glared at the youth. “I told you – this is a Sanctuary! Anybody is welcome but nobody may steal or kill inside these walls. You got that, boy?”

“Minax! Minax!” The call came from the back of the crowd. Apparently, a warring faction soldier had appeared at the Moongate. As quickly as it had formed, the mob turned to attack the newcomer. Even the brash youngster was drawn to the appeal of a bloodbath and left the tower steps.

Fletcher shrugged and turned to reenter his tower. The door flung open and Mootamba dashed past him, following the troops. She turned and grinned widely. “Keke! I love dese guys! Dey not too bright!” She ran off into the trees toward the glow of the Moongate.

Fletcher shook his head, returning to thoughts of Pawper’s visit. The Prince was almost a relic, having been away for so long. He acted like a Trammelite! This was Felucca. The old ways were gone! This was a new time and the guild must change! Fletcher grabbed a quill and scroll and hastily scratched out a note. If Pawper wouldn’t change the guild, then the members must change it for him!

Terock the warrior glanced at the scroll tacked to the guild house door. It was unusual for the guild to hold a meeting on such short notice. But even more unusual was that the meeting had been called by one of the craftsmen - Fletcher the bowyer.

Terock wrinkled his brow, shifting his massive helm slightly. “Hmmm,” he mumbled, “I will attend this meeting. But first there are things to kill and Husq Varna and Apocalypse are waiting for me!” Thoughts crept into his head of a field of dead Ophidians trampled under the hooves of USB war-horses. Terock smiled and galloped off.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 2:25 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

GuL Pit fights!!!
Want to have some fun in the most unbelievable way? Tired of the same old boring fight nights? Well, then head on over to the new town of Oc'Nivelle! GuL is puttin' on a show that you don't want to miss!
Howdy,

Welcome to the GUL pit fights. Hosted at Oc'Nivelle (Yew Forest 47o 17`N. x 34o 56`W) Designed to be a place for fighters of all play styles to come together to battle it out, the GUL Pit fights will be held every Saturday.

Registration will begin at 8 pm pst fighting will begin at 9 pm. Players wishing to register must do so by 8:50, no late entries will be accepted.

This Weeks Pit Fight (Saturday August 25th) will be 2v2 single elimination.

Prizes
  • 1st place - 250,000 gold pieces
  • 2nd place - 150,000 gold pieces
  • 3rd place - 50,000 gold pieces
There is no entrance fee
Sponsored by GUL

Guardians of the Undead Lords Pit Fighting rules
  • No magic weapons, no magic armor, no charged magic items.
  • Pre-poisoned weapons are not allowed. Fighters with the poisoning skill may poison there blades once the fight has started.
  • No casting of field spells, or summoning.
  • No pets, this includes spectators. Please stable your pets before arriving at the tower.
  • No looting.
  • No stealing
  • Loss of connection during a fight will result in that fighter losing the match.
  • Tournaments are single elimination (the exception being fighters who lose in the semi-finals will be asked to stay and fight for 3rd place)
  • All fighters are subject to snooping by the Oc'Nivelle staff.
  • Any spectator inference will result in the spectator being banned and the fight starting over.
  • No one is permitted inside the fighting area except the fighters for that match and the ref.
  • Fighters may not hide or cast invisible during there fight
  • To reduce lag anyone not fighting will be asked to hide during the fight. Players who consistently do not hide will be removed from the tower.
  • No smack talking. The point is to prove what you can do... If you just "owned" someone we all will have seen it, no need to spout off about it.
  • The ref will have final say over any match, issues or complaints with the rules of GUL's Pit Fight will not be discussed until after the tournament has ended.

For questions please visit
www.game-master.net


Thanks A Bunch
Beldin icq 57169966

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 2:23 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Rune Library and Shop
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<News from Lady Nyte:

I would once again like to announce the opening of a new vendor shop on the
Europa Shard-Trammel. This is a beautiful large marble with about 30 vendors
as well as one of the best rune libraries in Trammel.
The shop is called Moonglow Rune Library.

Also along with this is another very lovely small marble vendor shop called
Ventures Unlimited. They are located not to far down the road from the Skar
docks.  They have been open for a while but just recently redecorated and
added some new vendors.

To see pictures of both theses shops as well as their locations and what
they have to offer you can go here:

http://linux.telnett.no/~doomworld/

Lady Nyte Doombringer-Europa Shard

Thanks, good luck with the shop.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 11:12 AM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

Garden City Festival Update
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I awoke early this morn, to find a note tacked to my door: "Please join me for breakfast, I would like to speak with you of our festival. ~Nemonis of Garden City". Taking the note and stuffing it into my pack, I headed out for the journey from my home to Garden City.

Stepping into the City Hall I found Nemonis seated at the pub, ordering a late breakfast. She asked me to join her, which I did, and we began to speak right away. Seemed she had been up most of the evening with her staff putting the finishing touches on the event schedule. She spoke on and on of the fortunetellers, gypsies and barmaids that had been hired to entertain the guests, also that the entire city will allow open trading (just like at West Brit Bank). And spoke at great length of the combat competitions they were planning on hosting. As well as quite a few non-combat events, geared for citizens of all ages.

We talked well into the day. Speaking of the city and the members. Conversing of the festival and what it would mean to the city. She then confirmed the rumor I had heard. She was planning to hold a lottery, for a HOUSE. Loading up several vendors full of runes marked all over. The winning rune, will have a house right in front of it, where Nemonis will be standing with the keys. For 1000 gold per chance, even the youngest of the citizens could buy at least one rune.

Our visit ended with her handing me a list of events and times. As well as ties to her virtual scroll that has rules and descriptions on it for the events and prizes that will be offered for the various events and competitions.

List of Events are as follows:

Thursday August 30th 

4:00 pm EST
    Opening Ceremonies
    Open Market Begins
    The Pub and the StarLight Café Open
6:00 pm EST
    Registration for ALL events begins
    Registration for Room Décor Contest
    Fortunetellers and gypsies will be roaming
8:00 pm EST
    Registration for ALL events continues
10:00 pm EST
    Dart Contest in the Pub
12:00 mid EST
    Chicken Fights
2:00 am EST
    Treasure Hunting Booth
    The Pub and the StarLight Café Close


Friday August 31st

4:00 pm EST
    Grecko Wrestling Contest 
    Dart Contest in the Pub
6:00 pm EST
    "Manna Dump" Contest
    Treasure Hunting Booth
    The Pub and the StarLight Café open
8:00 pm EST
    Art in a Box Contest
    Winner of Decorating Contest Announced
10:00 pm EST
    Barding/Story Contest, Topic: Love
    GM Smith Repairs and Bring Your Own Ore Smithing
    12:00 mid EST
    Floor Show by Jack in the Café
2:00 am EST
    Drunken Llama Hunt
    The Pub and the StarLight Café close


Saturday September 1st 

10:00 am EST
    Breakfast with the Mayor Nemonis
    GM Smith Repairs and Bring Your Own Ore Smithing
    The Pub and the StarLight Café open
12:00 noon EST
    "r0x0r J00" Contest
    Dart Contest in the Pub
2:00 pm EST
    Mages' Poker 
    Treasure Hunting Booth
4:00 pm EST
    Home Lottery opens
6:00 pm EST
    Barding/Story Contest, Topic: Epic Battles
8:00 pm EST
    Closing Party Starts
    Home Lottery Winner Announced

Links to Garden City are here.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2001, 2:33 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Fish, anyone?
I eagerly sat at my table, a nice smoked fish awaiting my stomach was on my plate. I was just about to dig in when I noticed a piece of parchment hanging out of its mouth. Now, how I managed to not notice it, I will never know. Here is what I found conatined in the note:

Britannia's favorite public slaughter happens again this Sunday at 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. CST). The stinky fun-loving fishers of the Fishing Council of Britannia (FCB) will donate special fishing nets worth tens of thousands of gold for the amusement of the citizenry.

The fishers of the FCB bring their fish nets to the Trammel Maginica docks. We cast them onto the sea, 2, 3, or even 4 at time. As any proper fisher knows, but many landlubbers do not, each net spawns sea serpents, water elementals, and even the deadly kraken (who sometimes carry ropes or SOS bottles as loot). 'Tis great fun--many of the citizens die, but there is a friendly healer at the end of the dock who will quickly resurrect the victims. We will provide gates from Britain Main Bank.

The land-lubbers soon learn how tough a fisher must be---this is not a job for the weak or faint-hearted, but the rewards are great.

Gem

Hmm... I dare think now how this note happened to be in this fish..

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 11:13 PM EDT by Gregor Villous (GreatLakes)

RolePlayed Evil - Interview with The Night, GM Assassin

I had the opportunity to interview one of the greatest, and most famous, true Assassins in UO. Please follow the link below to enjoy what turned out to be a fantastic, in-depth look at RolePlayed Evil in our world.

Here are a few spoilers:

"I have never met another true Assassin like myself. I believe I am unique, and I am sure my techniques are..."

Ah, "contracts"--a most difficult proposition..."

"With my abilities, I can kill most anyone in 4 seconds flat..."

Full Interview with The Night, Grandmaster Assassin

The Night and Amidala

A huge thanks to The Night, for all his time and thoughts!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 9:46 PM EDT by Amidala (GreatLakes)

Vet Rewards Issues
Following Cynthe's remarks about Network Issues affecting Vet Rewards,released initially on Napa Valley Shard (see Report below), the following post was made on the FYI Section of the official UO website :
Due to widespread network issues, the Veteran Rewards server was unable to communicate with the Napa Valley shard for much of this afternoon. We have resolved this issue, and will be bringing the Napa Valley shard back up with the Rewards system active in just a few minutes.

Due to the high number of accounts simultaneously logging in and checking their account age, the server may become backed up, and the gump may take up to 5-10 minutes to appear. We anticipate this time will shorten considerably once the initial rush is past. Players are being asked to please wait patiently for the gump, rather than log in and out repeatedly.

IMPORTANT: Rewards are chosen per account, not per character, and are not transferable between shards once chosen. Do not accept a reward on the Napa Valley shard if you do not play on that shard regularly.

Players logging into UO should receive the following patch message :
The Veteran Rewards System is now active on the Napa Valley shard.

Due to the high number of accounts simultaneously logging in and checking
their account age, the server may become backed up, causing the rewards
gump to take up to 5-10 minutes to appear. Players are being asked to
please wait patiently for the gump rather than log in and out repeatedly.

IMPORTANT: Rewards are allocated per account, not per character, and are not transferable between shards once chosen. Please do not accept a reward on the Napa Valley shard if you do not play on that shard regularly

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 9:38 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

To Die With Honor
On occasion I like to post stories given to me from people in Napa Valley. This was takes place just at the beginning of the orc invasion a month or so ago. Check out that super awesome picture at the bottom. :)
He stared out the window into the swamp, his age now showing heavy in his gray hair. So many things had changed in the world of late he thought to himself.

Just a year ago he was living in his house nestled among the trees in the old world of Felucca. His son had moved him to Trammel fearing for his health and life. The murderers and Dread Lords did not bother him. He had earned their respect in combat.

But enough was enough. He latched up his last buckle on his breast plate, grabbed his shield and steel, opened his spellbook and flipping through the pages found what he was looking for: Kal Ort Por.

With the dangers of the new breed of Orcs and the race of Savages he couldn’t contain himself anymore and recalled to Minoc. Finding himself at the bank and decided to head north to the Warriors Guild Hall.

As he traveled thoughts of past battles raced through his mind. The war against the Imperium and the invasions of Trinsic were vivid in his mind. He had enjoyed the world untamed.

The sound of someone teleporting brought him quickly out of his thoughts, before he could react he found an arrow embedded deep in his arm. He quickly brought up his shield and with a small movement of his hand he cast a poison spell. Then, grabbing his sword he struck a swift blow. This new green Orc lay at his feet.

'They don’t seem to be all that tough' he spoke aloud.

He then saw the approaching Orc Lord and turned to face his next foe. When an explosion rocked the earth in front of him he was sent flying through the air. With his armor badly damaged he saw the red orc and his cohorts drawing near. Knowing there was no time for a spell of protection he grabbed hard steel and held his shield high.

Climbing to his feet he charged into the group of orcs....



Some say the battle raged on for hours.
Rumors say for days,

But what we do know is in the end CC Rider fell to the Orc horde while defending the city of Minoc.

This is a sad day for some for we have lost but another true hero.

Sept 1997 – July 2001

Fare Thee Well My Friend And Comrade

SilverIce GM Fisherman

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 9:16 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Grim Fight Nights
3 vs. 3 Sponsored and Hosted by the guild Resistance:
Friday, August 24, 2001 @ (9 PM PST, 10 PM MST, 11 PM Central, Midnight EST)

Registration
Registration is going to be much different this week. You will need to pre-register at either Grimoire's Message Board
http://grimoire.battlevortex.com/ or
The Resistance's Message Board
http://www.reviewsnrants.com/napa/

You MUST pre-register for this event!!!!

NO ENTRY FEE,

We will only be awarding a first place prize this week.
1st = 250k gold

Smack talking/trash talking, and whining will not be tolerated . If you choose to talk trash and or whine about a match you will be removed from Grimoire. If you make a habit of it you will be banned, and you will lose the right to participate for the rest of the evening.


Rules:
· No charged magic items, clothing, or jewelry. No magic armor and weapons allowed.
· No pre-poisoned weapons. They may be poisoned during the battle.
· No use of summoning spells, offensive field spells, blade spirits, energy vortex, recall nor gate.
· No pets. You are not allowed to use any pet in any way at Grimoire.
· No Stealing.
· Looting is not allowed in any consensual battle at Grimoire.
· Fighters are not allowed to resurrect their partners, or opponents.
· The only pre-casting allowed (casting done before the match countdown) is Magic Trap, Reactive Armor, and Magic Reflection.

Disclaimers:
· All contestants are subject to snooping by Grimoire Staff to ensure everyone is participating fairly.
· The Event Coordinator's decision on all matches is final and will not be disputed during the event.
· Anyone who disrupts the flow of the event for any reason will be banned until after the event.
· In the event that a contestant loses connection during the event, the Event Coordinator will make a decision as to the possibility of a rematch. That decision stands and may not be disputed. Any disputes will be handled after the event.
· A connection loss during combat events where the roof is sealed off, will result in an automatic forfeit.
· The Event Coordinator reserves the right to adjust these rules at any time without notice.


We must have a minimum of 4 teams to start this event!

This event takes place in the Grande Grimoire Battle Arena. Once you have entered the Grande Grimoire Battle Arena, all Contestants are bound by the Rules of the Battle Arena. Failure to follow these rules may end in your death or bannishment from the village.

Contestants and Spectators must observe and obey all the Village Laws. Failure to do so can end in your death or banishment from the village.

For calendar of events, rules, maps and community message board, please visit Grimoire

Hope to see you there!
LeeLu - Grimoire Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 8:53 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Network Issues & Vet Rewards
We just got word about the following network issues over at OSI, which is possibly also affecting implementation of Vet Rewards:
We are currently experiencing network issues, which are causing our boards to run slowly, and we are looking into the possibility that the same problem could be responsible for the difficulties we are experiencing with the vet rewards system on Napa Valley.

Essentially, before the vet rewards system can begin to function on a shard, the shard needs to receive a reply from the vet rewards machine letting it know that it's ready and connected. The shard is not receiving that reply. This is not a problem we experienced on Test Center, and we're working to fix it as soon as possible. However, if it is a result of the same issue that's causing the boards slowdown, then we have no recourse but to wait until that issue with the network is resolved.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will keep you notified as to our progress.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 3:28 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

And so the tale begins.......
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Checking his bag for the last time, the short, broad shouldered and hooded figure smiled from behind his plaited beard which cascaded from his face like a waterfall from the mountainside. Each plait signified an event in his life and each one had a meaning. To him his beard was a mark of honor and respect and many memories were stored within it, memories that would be treasured for as long as he should live.

Shouldering the backpack and picking up his Axe, the figure moved to the door and slowly twisted the handle, glad that he had oiled it just four hours previously lest he wake the sleeping household. Without a sound the door swung inward and the figure stepped into the moonlight, eyes alert and Axe at the ready in case of ambush. Then the clouds blanketed out the moonlight once more and he relaxed.

Shutting the door as carefully as he had opened it, the figure allowed his eyes to grow accustomed to the night and started to walk northwards, passing many buildings and landmarks he had come to know and cherish over the last eight months. Reaching the main road he looked both ways before deciding his course. He turned for one last time to look down the valley he had called home for so long and smiled again. This place would never be forgotten but his job here was done and it was time for new adventures.

Turning north-east, he began the long walk to Minoc, his heart both sad and happy. Feeling the haft of his Axe he began to slowly hum the words of an old dwarven travelling song as his boots trod upon the quiet lonely road. Deep down inside he was sure the land still had heroes and he would find them and tell of their deeds so that hope would spring eternal amongst the citizens of this fair land.

Suddenly the clouds parted and a single shaft of moonlight lit the road ahead, a sight that caused the old Dwarf to stop humming and gaze at his surroundings. Now confident he had indeed chosen the right way to travel, the figure strode forward, his short legs adapting to the pace of the warrior so that many leagues could be covered each day.

The stories and tales were there to be witnessed and the old Dwarf knew that if he could tell them to all who would listen then history could never died, all he had to do was find these new tales. Then in turn he could add more plaits to his beard in honor of those who embraced the virtues and store these memories so he could tell more stories when times were hard of the heroes of this land to renew hope.

Starting to hum again, Dain smiled and walked on with a new purpose in his stride......

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 1:13 PM EDT by Dain (Europa)

KMSEMPERFI Wins Third Fight Night Victory
>>> Felucca Facet News <<< 
Setting himself up as the man to beat, KMSEMPERFI walked away with his third First Place Victory in last Sunday's Fight Night at the Oasis. KMSEMPERFI has what one might call a non-traditional PvP template, but it certainly seems to be working for him. He uses a Mage/Archer combo to blast and plunk his way to victory.

As well the standard 60K first prize, every time KMSEMPERFI wins, he lowers the number of people eligible to compete for the Million GP grand Prize at the end of the season. Only first place winners are eligible to compete in the Final Fight Off.

Jinx took home the second place prize of 30K, and the 10K third place prize went to newcomer Black Lurker.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 12:42 PM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

Silvervale Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction!
When I saw my little sister Freya checking herself vainly in the mirror, I knew something was afoot. The fact that she was admiring her reflection was nothing new. What made me suspicious was her rehearsing a speech about her macing skills, or lack thereof, while she was applying rouge! When she left, I went through the things in her rooms and found this scroll, which she may have been hiding from me to avoid publicity for this event and the resulting competition. The scroll has been sent by Mor Kegan of Silvervale.
Me name is Mor Kegan, and I is here ta' tell ye 'bout a upcomin' event! At the city 'o Silvervale on the 29th o' August, we is gonna be holdin' a special kind 'o auction! If yer a single lad or lassie, or ye jist needs some help wi' buildin' yer house or killin' a few beasties, this be yer cup 'a tea! Folks what is gonna be involved kin volunteer a date wi' their lovely 'r handsome selves, or they kin volunteer work skills. Fer instance, ye could work fer two hours makin' gm furniture fer a house, or ye could e'en make arrows fer two hours, 'n chop wood.

Now I knows ye are excited, cause yers truly, Mor Kegan, be up on the block, 'n a date wi' me is what most men dreams of! Course... some says it be more 'o a nightmare... but that be another story. I kin also steals some nice semi-rares for ye if ye dinnae mind pickin' the stuff of me body if'n I is spotted. Been dead more'n alive some nights... y'know?

If'n ye wishes ta' volunteer ta' be put up on ta block, just let me know... by leavin' a message at silvervale.chessienet.com on the Messageboard! If'n ye jist wish ta join us fer the auction, I shall see ye there! Bring yer horde 'o gold, cause these lads 'n lassies will nae go cheap! All profits will be split atween the Silvervale Buildin' Fund 'n the partipi... the parstipa... the volunteers!

The auction starts at nine eastern sun time, but ye kin meet us afore 'at from 8 to 9 at the roof garden at Heartkin if'n ye wants ta check out the WARES. Notice I done pronounced that careful like. Ye cannae ask any lad 'r lassie ta' do what they dinnae want ta, so's once ye ha' the date, yer own yer own.

We has a great lineup and after the auction, ye is all invited by Lady Morgaine, herself gonna be auctionin' off her decoratin' skills, 'n Panzram, who we hain't sure what he be doin' bein' as he be engaged ta' Lady Morgaine 'n a King in Waitin' though I hain't exactly sure what he be waitin' fer wi' that fine lady. Oh...invited to Casino Night at Shadowcove! Fergot that. Hope ta' see ye all there now!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 11:53 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

New Europa Reporters Added
I am very proud to announce that we added not one, not two but three new reporters. All three have been contributing to this news section in the past and they will be introducing themselves in more detail in the coming days, but I will reveal you their names here and now.

Dain is a great storyteller and regular poster on the Europa Forum.

Moulie is a moderator on the Europa Forum and a wellknown face at several ingame Taverns.

Orangebeard (aka OB) is also a moderator on the Europa Forum and a wellknown trader on the Europa shard.

Like all the Europa reporters they can be reached at [email protected]

I wish them all the best of luck in their new job and if you want to add your wishes use the link at the bottom.

Kofu
News Team Manager

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 7:26 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

West Coast Innovations Finalists
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<This was received from Pluffy,
The West Coast Innovations House Decorating Contest has closed, and the eight finalists have been announced. Each of the 8 finalists (2 from each of the eligible shard: Baja, Napa Valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) will take home 100K.

After a panel of celebrity judges has a chance to review the finalists, a Grand Prize Winner will be announced. The Grand Prize Winner will take home a total of 500K in prizes. If you want to see the winning entries (and the other entries too!) you can go to http://people.atl.mediaone.net/pluffy/InnWinners.htm for a peek!

Thanks,
Pluffy and UO Realtor
Thankye Pluffy! Thanks, Pluffy and UO Realtor

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 3:45 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Graphics Artists Wanted
We are looking for a handful of graphic artists to help us with some major new projects here at Stratics. If you are skilled in graphic design (3D design a major plus) and might be interested in joining a team of artists who will be involved in a number of different projects here at Stratics, please let me know! These positions are voluntary and we’ll of course be proving 100% credit to each artist who works on each project. So if you’d like to build up your portfolio, this is a great way to do it! Our entire network is going to be redesigned; you might just be able to add your signature to it.

Please contact me and include any previous design work you’ve done and experience you have. Not everyone will be selected, so please ensure you list as much information as possible. Thanks!

Jhariden,
Stratics Community Coordinator

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 2:54 AM EDT by Xena Dragon (CommunityNews)

Finalists Announced in the West Coast Innovations Contest
This pigeon in from Pluffy:
The West Coast Innovations House Decorating Contest has closed, and the eight finalists have been announced. Each of the 8 finalists (2 from each of the eligible shards: Baja, Napa Valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) will take home 100K. After a panel of celebrity judges has a chance to review the finalists, a Grand Prize Winner will be announced.

The Grand Prize Winner will take home a total of 500K in prizes. If you want to see the winning entries (and the other entries too!) you can go to http://people.atl.mediaone.net/pluffy/InnWinners.htm for a peek!

Thanks,
Pluffy and UO Realtor
Thanks for the info :)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 12:14 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Frost Merchant Shoppe & Tavern Lottery
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Another pigeon from the Frost Merchant flew our way today:
The Frost Merchant Shoppe and Tavern Lottery

Win Cash Prizes!

20k entry fee

1 in 40 chance to win

100k top prize!

All proceeds go to future lotteries with even larger pay outs!

Head to Trammel Compassion Shrine Desert at 69 N 39 E. Inside, you will find a vendor named Orson. He holds all the entry bags. Each holds one key and one box, all locked of course. You pay 20k for the entry. You open the chest. If you win, you get 100k, that simple. Lottery ends when we have a winner.

Once it ends, all money paid into the vendor will be collected and a new lottery will start up again. If all does good, we could have them with 1 million gold prizes. Just think, enough times, you could win money enough to BUY that tower you wanted :)

Sponsored by the Frost Merchant

Disclaimer: Not everyone wins. odds of winning are 40:1 of correctly picking the right chest. All proceeds go into the Frost Shoppe Fund to pay for future lotteries. If you do not win, do not be discouraged, try again, or wish for luck the next time.

We are doomed! Wait a minute, nope, false alarm, I found the coffee!
Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2001, 12:03 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Atlantic Shard Revert and Bugged Map Ownership
Posted on the FYI section of the official UO Site :
Due to a faction stone issue that happened late yesterday, the Atlantic shard experienced a revert early this morning (August 22nd). To ensure that players do not lose their homes due to having refreshed them before the revert, we have refreshed all houses on the Atlantic shard one time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused

In response to this query on the official UO Boards :
Someone hired me to do a level three map. He handed it to me and I double clicked it. It woudln't let me see it. It had been decoded by someone else. I have 99.5 cartography, I should have been able to dig that previously decoded level three map under the new rules but it would not allow me to see the map.

Cynthe (Community Manager, Origin Systems) replied here
There is a bug with this right now - basically, the map is checking back to the person who originally decoded it instead of the person who is holding it. This means that as long as the person who decoded it is still in the area, it will work fine, but if the person is not online or in a different area server, then the map may not work.

It's a known issue, and we'll be putting a fix for it in with one of the publishes coming soon.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 11:57 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Vet Rewards FAQ
Following the announcement of the release of Vet Rewards (initially on Napa Valley Shard), Cynthe (Community Manager, Origin Systems) added a Vet Rewards FAQ here
Why only Napa Valley?
We wanted to start with one shard to make sure that the hardware withstands the initial response, and Napa was a good choice due to its population size and distribution of players. We will monitor it for several days, and once we’re certain that it’s operating as it should, we’ll announce a schedule for activating the system on the other shards.

When will the other shards get rewards?
We will monitor the system closely on the Napa Valley shard the rest of this week, and once we’re certain that it’s operating as it should, we’ll announce a schedule for activating the system on the other shards.

How many rewards will I get?
Originally, each player received two reward choices once they reached their one year status, and one reward choice for every year after that. As a way to say thank you to our veteran players for their patience as we completed the system, we will be giving out an extra reward choice to all players. This means that when the system is activated, one year veterans - who would previously have been allotted two rewards - will now be eligible for three. Two year veterans will receive four, and three year veterans will be eligible for five. All players will receive this extra reward choice once they reach their one-year status. Essentially, a player can calculate the number of reward choices they are eligible to receive by adding two to the number of years they have been playing on their account.

Why are you giving out extra rewards?
We feel that our players have shown a good deal of patience as we complete the system, considering that we initially launched the system last year before taking it back down to resolve several major issues. We feel that an extra reward is a good way to say thank you for the patience of our veteran players.

Will I still get the extra reward if I already chose my rewards the first time?
All rewards that have been chosen so far will be counted in the totals, meaning that players who selected extra rewards previously will not be eligible to choose new rewards, and will not receive the extra reward choice (since they already received extra rewards when the system was first released). Players who have chosen fewer rewards than what they are currently eligible for will be allowed to choose new rewards until they have reached the total number they are currently eligible to receive (this being three choices for one-year veterans, four choices for two-year veterans, and five choices for three-year veterans). Players will not be able to choose new rewards until they are eligible for a greater number of rewards than they have already chosen. For example, a three-year veteran is currently eligible to choose five rewards. If a player has already chosen seven, then that player will not be eligible to choose another reward until they have reached their six-year veteran status, when they would be eligible for eight total reward choices.

Will I still get the extra reward if I reach one-year status after the initial release of the system?
Yes, all players will receive this extra reward choice once they reach their one-year status.

If I took extra rewards previously, can I get more next year?
All rewards that have been chosen so far will be counted in the totals, meaning that players will not be allowed to choose new rewards until they are eligible to receive more than they have already taken. For example, a three-year veteran is currently eligible to choose five rewards. If a player has already chosen seven, then that player will not be eligible to choose another reward until they have reached their six-year veteran status, when they would be eligible for eight total reward choices.

Can I choose rewards on different shards?
Rewards are allocated per account, but they do not have to be selected on the same shard. Rewards will not be transferable between shards once chosen, though, and will count towards your total, so be sure to select them on a shard you regularly play.

Are rewards given on a per character basis?
Rewards are allocated per account, not per character or per shard, so be sure to choose rewards on your regular playing shard, and not on a separate shard. Rewards will not be transferable between shards once chosen.

My account was hacked, or my rewards were stolen/disappeared. Can I choose new ones?
The database records how many rewards were taken by each account, and these are the numbers we must go by. The total number of rewards available is determined by how many rewards that account has accepted in the past, not how many is in their possession at the time.

I bought this account, and there were no rewards on it! Can I still choose rewards?
Buyers are responsible for verifying that what they are buying is what is advertised. The number of rewards taken on an account will not be wiped when an account is transferred, so it is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the rewards chosen are either still in the character’s inventory, or that the previous owner did not choose all the rewards they were eligible to receive. The total number of rewards available is determined by how many rewards that account has accepted in the past, not how many is in their possession at the time.

How do I figure out my account age?
For information on the Veteran Rewards system, determining account age, and a detailed listing of the rewards that will be available for one, two, and three-year veterans, see http://update.uo.com/design_350.html. If your account age listed is incorrect, please contact [email protected].

My account's almost 4 years old. Are there four year rewards?
There will be four-year rewards, but they are not yet complete. Any player whose account reaches four years in account age before the four-year rewards are complete must remember not to use all of their reward choices on first, second or third-year choices. We will see that this information is readily available before UO’s fourth birthday, to avoid players using their four-year reward choices before the four-year rewards are ready.

Do I have to choose all my rewards at once, or will I be given an option to choose more the next time I log in?
You do not have to choose them all at once. The gump will reappear each time you log in, on all shards, until you have chosen the number of rewards you are eligible to receive.

Will the rewards gump appear every time I log in?
Yes, the gump will reappear each time you log in, on all shards, until you have chosen the number of rewards you are eligible to receive.

Do I have to choose a first, second, and third year choice, or can I choose between the three levels however I want?
Players can choose from any level that they are eligible to receive. One-year veterans can choose only from the one-year rewards. Two-year veterans may choose from all one-year rewards, all two-year rewards, or a couple of each. Three-year veterans can choose from any level.

Are different levels of rewards worth more in reward choices?
No. For example, a two-year veteran may choose four one-year rewards or four two-year rewards. The level of reward chosen does not affect the total number of choices available.

Will rewards taken on Test Center after the system is activated count toward the total number of rewards available?
No. If rewards are chosen on a Test Shard, they will not count toward your final total of rewards chosen.

Where can I get information on the reward choices?
For more information on the Veteran Rewards system, as well as a detailed listing of the rewards that will be available for one, two, and three-year veterans, see http://update.uo.com/design_350.html.

My account age is wrong, or I can’t choose rewards. Who do I contact?
For questions regarding Veteran Rewards and determination of account age, please see the Knowledge Base at http://support.uo.com/, or mail [email protected].


__________________
Cynthe
Community Manager
ORIGIN Systems


UPDATED : A reminder about vet rewards from Sannio (UO Community Coordinator) was posted here :
Do NOT take any reward on Napa Valley if you really want rewards on Baja, not even "just to see."

If you take a reward on Napa Valley, that counts as one of your total rewards. You will not be able to transfer it between shards.

Only claim a reward while playing on the specific shard which you want to use it.

I can't caution people enough about this. :]

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 9:12 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Vet Rewards! Vet Rewards!
I'm happy to announce the following incredible news, straight from UO.com:
Veteran Rewards Update

After resolving a multitude of code and hardware-related issues, we will be activating the Veteran Rewards system on the Napa Valley shard on Thursday, August 23rd at 12:00 PM CDT. We will monitor the system closely on the Napa Valley shard the rest of this week, and will begin activating the Rewards system on the remaining shards once we are certain the system is operating as it should. We're extremely grateful to our veteran players for the patience they have shown as we complete the Veteran Rewards system, and as a way to say thank you, we'd like to offer an extra reward choice to all players on all shards who are currently eligible for a Veteran Reward. This means that when the system is activated, one year veterans - who would previously have been allotted two rewards - will now be eligible for three. Two year veterans will receive four, and three year veterans will be eligible for five. All players will receive this extra reward choice once they reach their one-year status.

All rewards that have been chosen to date will be counted in the totals, meaning that players who have chosen more than their allotted share previously will not be eligible to choose new rewards, and will not receive the extra reward choice (since they already received extra rewards when the system was first released). Players who have chosen fewer rewards than what they are currently eligible for will be allowed to choose new rewards until they have reached the total number they are currently eligible to receive. This will apply until the player is eligible for a greater number of rewards than they have already chosen. For example, a three-year veteran is currently eligible to choose five rewards. If a player has already chosen seven, then that player will not be eligible to choose another reward until they have reached their six-year veteran status, when they would be eligible for eight total reward choices.

IMPORTANT: Rewards are allocated per account, not per character or per shard, so be sure to choose rewards on your regular playing shard, and not on a separate shard. Rewards will not be transferable between shards once chosen.

For more information on the Veteran Rewards system, as well as a detailed listing of the rewards that will be available for one, two, and three-year veterans, see http://update.uo.com/design_350.html. For questions regarding Veteran Rewards and determination of account age, please see the Knowledge Base at http://support.uo.com/, or mail [email protected].

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 7:28 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

The Sosarian Human Nation Joins the Moonglow Alliance
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ah, politics... Nothing is quite as interesting as watching common men setting themselves up as nobles and utilizing the power foolishly given to them by the "voting public". This is why we have no elections in my native homeland. One rules by bloodline and by right. *sighs*

In any case, it would appear that GreyPawn, the mayor of Moonglow, is once again bolstering his position within the political climate of the Regency Era.

An interesting move by the noble mayor. His skill with bureaucracy will take him far within the Royal Courts. It is almost enough to make me wonder if he is a bastard child of a wandering Ne'Sveti. *chuckles*

The Buccaneer's Den Pact

We the people of Moonglow and Buccaneer's Den have agreed in recognizing that the question of Moonglow-Buccaneer's Den relations is of most importance to the two powers and Sosaria as a whole.

We regard the agreement signed below as symbolic of the desire for our two peoples to work together for the common good. The People of Moonglow and Buccaneer's Den have agreed to the following:

a) The council of Moonglow will defend the isle of Buccaneer's Den from all signs of external threats.

b) The isles of Moonglow and Buccaneers Den will open travel and trade to each other as well as defend their waters together as partners.

c) The state of Moonglow recognizes the state of Buccaneer's Den as an equal. The Sosarian Human Nation will run it's land under a Humanis government and the people of Moonglow will follow the laws set down by the Humanis upon the soil of Buccaneer's Den.

d) The competent leadership of Moonglow and Buccaneer's Den realise that each power has it's own goals and methods. As such both parties agree to never work to undermine the actions of the other.

e) The Sosarian Human Nation is from the signing of this pact forward a member of the Moonglow Alliance and will be signed on as an original member of said alliance.

f) The Sosarian Human Nation does not recognise the lands controlled by members of the non-human population. Actions taken against such peoples will not be considered a breach of article d no matter of the relation said peoples hold with Moonglow.

Amended by Moonglow:

1. All economic transactions between the sovereign nations will occur under the perview of the Moonglow Town Council and its vassals.
2. Moonglow and Nujel'm reserve the right to establish a functional embassy within the Sosarian Human Nation at such time as the Moonglow Alliance deems appropriate.
3. Additions to the Moonglow Alliance will occur at the discretion of the Moonglow Town Council.
4. Current states of ideals, methodologies, cultures, and laws will remain mutually independant, with the single exception of: slavery as a practice,worked upon humans and non-humans alike, is strictly denied

*signed in blue ink smudged with flecks of gold*
GreyPawn,
Mayor of Moonglow
The Moonglow Town Council

*signed and stamped in brown ink*
Khay'Thall
Arch Humanis of the Sosarian Human Nation
Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 5:38 PM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

Power Hour Timer Problems
Cynthe replied to some angry player about the fact that there might be some issues with the power hour. Some players seem to get no power hour at all while other players noticed that the burst hour ended before they were online for that amount of time.
Cynthe made the following comment here about the problem:
We are aware that there is a problem causing power hour to reset at the wrong time, and we are looking into it right now.

Thanks!

__________________
Cynthe
Community Manager
ORIGIN Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 2:53 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

City of Truth Vendor Mall Grand Opening!
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<The Frost Merchant was kind enough to send a pigeon this way:
The City of Truth Vendor Mall Grande Opening is on 8/26/01 at Noon PST. Located East of the Hedge Maze in Trammel, Pacific.

We still need the following vendor slots filled:
1 Misc.
1 Rares
1 Magic Armor/Wpns
3 Supplies
2 Furnishing
4 Clothing

If you can fill these slots, contact me ASAP.

There will be a treasure chest for some lucky SOB :) So Far in it is demon bone gloves, power swords, gold, rares, globes, fishing items, tons of stuff!

We will have better security there to keep others from looting and stealing.

Last one I did had over 300 ppl show up and 3 lucky individuals made aways with nearly 2 million in prizes.

So if you wish to make tons of money this weekend, get your vendors in the shoppe ASAP.

Locate East of the Hedge Maze in Trammel. the City of Truth is sponsored by the Defendors of Truth Guild, Pacific Community Center Guild, The Frost Merchant Shoppe and Tavern (re-opening soon), and the Vampyre Nation.

ICQ the Frost Merchant at 11963580 for getting yourself a vendor spot, or to visit the shoppe. All vendors will be fully stocked Saturday before this. Especially all the mibs, t-maps, vanqs, invulns, rares, expensive items, and tons of regs after regs.
Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 2:33 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Down in the Terathan Keep pt. 1
This, my friends, is the second night for the Vampire Quest. If you have no idea what that means then I suggest you head here to see what all the fuss is about.


After Fang evaded the clutches of Black Veil (a rival vampire guild) they sent out their feelers to the former questors working for Carafax. The search for the missing artifacts was still on, but as of yet nothing had been found.

With Shemyazza in hiding the remaining possibility for knowledge of his whereabouts had been his fellow thief, Fang.

Sundown at Blackcomb just south of Yew the King and Queen of Black Veil, Kamsheema and Isabella, gathered the questors up. They had a few things to say.



Going through the portal that Isabella created the questors then found themselves in the infamous Star Room. Taking tentative steps, the ground looked tenuous at best. As if one would fall through the cosmos at any second.

Their destination, as they now found out, was the ominous Terathan Keep. A murky hell where foul creatures dwelled that were a cross between humans and black widows.

Terror mounted as they passed through the teleportation chamber and on to a long, stone pier-like structure in the middle of a gigantic cavern. Immediately the Terathans set upon them.

Fighting their way forward, the questors had remembered something about cocoons in a prior riddle. So, they headed down a long corridor that took them further inside the keep.

About half way down a man was seen briefly darting from shadow to shadow. This was Fang.

Charging forth, the questors searching all over for him, but this stealthy creature was gone. No wonder Black Veil hadn’t been able to catch him previously.

But soon, as them combed the hallway the questors surrounded him and boxed the scoundrel in. As the miserable dog pleaded for his life they carted him off to Blackcomb to interrogate him further.



To be continued...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 2:28 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Grand Masquerade Ball in Shadowcove
Get your creative juices flowing...who will win? A ballerina? A bear? Or dress up as a chicken! Your imagination will get a good workout on this one, sent in by the Grand Herald of Shadowcove.
'ere ye 'ere ye!!

*Thumps his staff against the stone floor*

By order of Queen Morgaine, 'er august Majesty of Shadowcove, a Masquerade Ball is to be 'eld at Shadowcove Castle this Friday, the 24th of August at 9 P.M. by the Eastern moon! All are welcome to attend. There will be a 100k prize for the best costume and a 50k prize for the runner up both chosen by the Queen 'erself!

Don ye yer finest millinery and come as yer favorite character from literature, 'istory or come as a known personage of the kingdom or of the outlands. There will be dancing and entertainment so come one come all!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 1:26 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Second Mythndale Flea Market
Join the fine folks of Mythndale for another evening of fun and shopping! This was sent in by Crystal Rose.
The first one was such a success we are going to try to have one every month -- so if you didn't find that perfect painting for your house or the just-right weapon or you couldn't sell all those trinkets and wares last time, join the fun on August 25th and barter, trade, and haggle to your heart's content.

Saturday, August 25, 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. EST
Mythndale Tavern inside and on front lawn

Bargains & sales galore. Lots of merchants, craftsmen, and others selling their wares. Come to browse, shop, or just have a good time.

FREE: food & drink, furniture and leather dying, armor and weapons repair

NOTE: All Crafters, merchants are welcome to set up early, (7:30 p.m. est). Reservation is not required, but let us know ahead of time if you need special equipment (i.e. forge\anvil), or if you'd like your wares mentioned in the posts on Mythndale Town Hall before the flea market. Also feel free to give out runes to your regular vendor location and/or player-run establishments. To contact us visit our tavern and leave a message with one of the staff members or write to Crystal Rose with "Flea Market" in the subject. A packhorse is recommended if you plan to carry a lot of raw materials and/or items.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 12:04 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Oceania Capture the Flag Comp
Received this recently, i'd recomend signing up asap as it's going to be good.

A new group has recently been founded by Silent Bob (The man who ran the TDA Fight Nights and OTS Auctions) and Loki to run Oceania "Capture the Flag" tournaments.

This premise of the tournament is fairly simple. You win the round by killing your opponents, defending your flag and capturing theirs.

For more details on the Oceania CTF competition and how to enter, please visit their website at http://opvp.gamer.net.nz

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 7:48 AM EDT by Multani (Oceania)

Story: The Forgotten Isle
Ug Hummies!

We recently received this tale of adventure from Steelfang:

There was a strangeness upon the sea as Steelfang ordered the mainsail furled and anchor dropped. The Viking ship glided into the small cove of the uncharted island. The men had felt it too. They needed water and food. The storm of three days past had damaged all their supplies, and it also had blown them off course. The plundering of Avernia would have to wait for now.

As they headed inland, a silence lay over the woods on the border of the small cove. Presently, they came upon a small spring and surrounded by some fruit trees. Steelfang sent some men back with the water and food - enough to get them back home.

Steelfang and the other men continued to scout the island as a possible place to harbor their ships of war.

As they broke through the forest they saw a small tower on a hill. The men were startled, for no legends mentioned such a building on any island. As they searched the tower, they found nothing worthwhile, only the strange looking statues inside the tower. Steelfang told his men to set camp and broach the wine barrel.

It was just before dawn when Steelfang awoke to the sound of something moving around the base of the tower. He heard a gurgled cry:

"The statues! The statues! They are alive!"

Steelfang and his sailors fought like men about to perish. A single sunbeam broke through the trees and, if by luck or magic, the statues froze where they were standing.

As Steelfang and the remainder of his men (seven out of sixteen) boarded the ship, they swore to never return to this forgotten isle.

We thank Steelfang for his latest tale of battle and horror!

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 5:52 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Zog Cabal Appears on Legends
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

This could be a major story. According to an anonymous source, the Zog Cabal has appeared on Legends. The following accounts, which I received on a dead pigeon hurled through my front window, provides details:

As I walked the halls of the Dungeon Blood amidst the horror all around me, I wasn't afraid. I was a Brother of the Ebon Hand. I was the "fuer grisa ost drauka," the bringer of death. But something just didn't feel right- not right at all.

"Dirth! Dirth, where are you boy?"

The young man scuttled out of a corridor and greeted me.

"Yes master Tempest is there something I can do for you."

"Where is the prelate?"

"Why, sir, he is still locked in his quarters."

"This has gone on long enough. He's been in there for days; the men grow weary of waiting. They desire war. Get out of my way boy!"

I was furious. I in no way wanted the role of leadership that Volo had placed upon my shoulders. Angrily, I marched into the Prelate's quarters. I was greeted with a blood-curdling scream.

"ROOTS...BLOODY ROOTS."

Mine heart damn near shattered at the sound.

"Prelate, are you ok?"

"ROOTS...BLOODY ROOTS"

As I approached my master, I noticed he wasn't ok. He... he... was floating in the air, blood oozing from all his visible orifices. Normally it would have made even me stagger, but then he looked at me.... his eyes were as black as a lich's heart with no whites at all. Yet, somehow I knew he was staring at me.

His lips parted with a smile that a mouse might see on the face of a cat just before it pounced. I had never been so afraid in my life. He vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared an instant later floating upside down face to face with me. I froze in pure fear.

"I've have a vision... Tempest. The gods have spoken to me and say we must return to our roots."

"And what would those be, sir?"

"You see, our brotherhood has existed for centuries, Tempest.... just not under the same name. Long ago, we were hunted like dogs and the only way to save ourselves was to hide and make all traces of ourselves disappear. When we did this we became the Brotherhood of the Ebon hand. Now the time has come to show the world our roots... To show they just what pure evil actually is!"

"If you don't mind me asking, sir just what were we and what will we become again?"

"Why, the Zog Cabal, of course. Who else?"

The account broke off there, save for a note that the Dungeon Blood in Ileshnar is now run by the Zog Cabal. Dark tidings for Sosaria, perhaps!

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 5:11 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Trinsic Council of Honor Asks for Assistance!
While reading the notes from my latest batch of incoming pigeons today I received an Interesting one from Queen Sihiri of Trinsic

The warrior reined in his ebony steed and leapt gracefully from the saddle. In one of his gloved hands he held a large scroll, and in the other, a hammer. The west Britain bank was fairly busy as usual, but he sifted through the customers easily and strode purposefully to the bulletin board. Working quickly, he unrolled the parchment and tacked it firmly to the board. He stepped back to survey the results and read over the message to be certain it was legible:

Hail Good Britannians! Let it hereby be known that Trinsic is now recruiting additional members for its Esteemed Council of Honor! The following Council positions are currently available:

  • Supreme Chancellor
  • Honorable Vice-Chancellor
  • Royal Communications Attache
  • Lord General of the Trinsic Militia
  • General of the Trinsic Royal Guards
  • Royal Secretary of Trinsic.

Queen Sihiri invites anyone interested in joining the Council to send her a pigeon, or to visit the library for further details.

The warrior nodded to himself, satisfied that the post was positioned well on the board. He hurried back to his mount and jumped into the saddle, careful not to damage the other similar scrolls nestled in his saddlebag. With a brief glance toward the sun to gauge the time before nightfall, he spurred his steed in the direction of Vesper.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 4:19 AM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

Sign-ups for the BoF PvP Tourney
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This announcement just in:
BoF will be hosting a PvP tourney at the BoF Tower, Felucca. The Tournament will be held on September 8th at 8:00pm, PST. The entrance cut off will be on September 1st at 8:00pm, PST. Entry fee will be 5K per head.

This tourney will be a winner take all contest - no runner-ups. So, come and show your skills for the 100K pot. If many people enter this tourney then the pot will of course be increased. The matches will be held similar to the "old school" type of duels. No potion or trapped pouches. If during your match you make a potion or trapped pouche then you can use them but prior to matches these will not be allowed.

All weapons will be provided for you prior to your match. Also, all weapons will be GM quality. You may wear whatever armor you wish. There will be No looting at all. If you violate any rules then you will be banned from the tourney and all of your expenditures will be forfeited to the tourney. The BoF Tower will be a faction safe house. There will be no fighting anywhere near the tower. If you fight you will be banned. This tourney, if all goes well, will be a monthly event so if you miss out don't worry, there will be another one.

Directions to the BoF tower:

The tower is located NW of the Destard Dungeon. From the entrance to the Dungeon head west around the mountain to you see the tower -- you can't miss it! If coming from Skara Brae then cross to the mainland and head S by SE until you reach the mountain and you'll find the Large Tower there.

To sign-up:

Sign up by Icq'ing me at 124445505 and giving me the name of the char fighting, the type of char fighting and their ICQ number. Or, you can email me at [email protected] with the same information.
Thanks for the announcement :D

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 2:35 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

UOLoop, UO3D Titles, Change in Regent Use, Suggestions for Avoiding Scams and Power Hour Concerns.
Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) commented on the official UO Boards here on the illegality of the UOLoop Program :
For now, UO Loop is still considered illegal because it is not an approved program listed on our UO Pro page. Until it receives official approval, it should be considered illegal, and players should not use it. I've forwarded along the main thread on this issue to QA as well as the Live Team, so they can see your feedback.

The Live team could always choose to approve it at a later date. However, at this time it is still an illegal program.

Keep in mind that it would be almost impossible to test every single utility or program that players put out. Every main program might have several variations, and those could always be changing. If the Live team were focused on evaluating these programs, they would have less time to add new content and fix existing coding issues. It's a tradeoff, and evaluating all of these programs is not high on the priority list


On UO3D Titles, in response to this query this thread here , (query edited by me) :
1) Those hero points get devided when you are in Party?

2) Do you loose hero points when dying? ...
PS: i am not planning to do the Vermin Spawn!!, i do like a challenge:)

FieryIce (UO Programmer) replied :
1) It doesn't use the party system at all. The top attackers get the points. The top attackers are considered the same top attackers as in looting rights top attackers. (The only difference is party members aren't considered.) And all "top attackers" get the same number of points per kill.

2) No. "Hero Points" only decay over time.

PS: Consider this. If the Vermin Spawn is so easy, then perhaps you should try it as it would make sense that summoning it's Champion would be easier... :) (And the Champion for the Vermin group is not easy...)

On a seperate post here , Sannio (UO Community Coordinator) confirmed the following changes to regents used by several spells :
A small addition was made to the "Latest Updates" article called "Combat Damage Changes," at http://update.uo.com/design_346.html. That article now notes new reagent costs for the following four spells:

- Magic Arrow: 1 Sulfurous Ash
- Fireball: 1 Black Pearl
- Lightning: 1 Mandrake Root, 1 Sulfurous Ash
- Explosion: 1 Bloodmoss, 1 Mandrake Root

This was reported also on Stratics General News earlier (see below).

Canyon also made this post (based on GM Carbon's suggestions) on how to avoid getting scammed here :
GM Carbon contacted me the other day, and wanted to offer some suggestions to our customers on how to avoid being scammed. His comments are very useful, and I suggest that everyone take them to heart. Carbon, thanks for providing this information. -Canyon

At some point in time in UO someone is going to try and scam you. I'm willing to guarantee it. Here are a few tips that might just help prevent that scammer from being successful.

One thing that applies to all types of deals, and might make the difference in them succeeding is their name. Write down their name exactly as it is spelled and capitalized. Also note guild titles, notoriety titles, clothing etc etc. Anything that identifies them as an individual. "His name was Steve something!" doesn't really give you much hope. Don't rely too much on journals as they scroll off pretty fast.

** House Transfers.
Your best friend when buying a house is the sextant. When the house deed appears in the trade window it is going to have sextant coordinates on it. These coordinates are for the very center of the house. So before you trade, stand in the center of the house and write down these coords for comparison. There is no reason why you can't get inside the house if they are the real owner. While standing in front of the house ready to trade have the house owner change the house sign to a name you pick. If you're confident of your sextant coords this isn't vital, but never hurts.

** Pet Transfers.
Ok, so JoeScammer is selling you a mare. Have the seller rename the mare to a name you pick, lets say Mary. Then standing in a clear area right before the trade have him say "Mary follow me". This should clarify that the mare you have in sight is the only pet he is transferring to you. Please feed your new pet right away. Did you write down JoeScammer's name first?

**Ground Trades.
You spent a month mining up 10k ingots and now that you're about to sell them you're going to save 60 seconds by just dropping them on the ground instead of trading them in a few smaller trades. As soon as your half the trade involves setting something on the ground you are essentially throwing your items away. It'll take you 1 extra minute to do 3 smaller trades for those ingots, but don't you think that minute is worth actually getting the gold? The secure trade window is there for this very reason, use it.

**Blacksmith repairs
This one is a matter of good judgement in picking a smith. Watch for smiths that are already repairing other players armour, or that has tagged items with their name on them, or titles. Really though there is no sure way to avoid picking a scammer to repair your items. Luckily though you wrote down their name, right?

**Paging tips
Ok, so after all your precautions you still got scammed. Page for a GM right away, not later. Do not tell the scammer you paged. Include the scammers name in the page and that it was a "such and such" scam. Use your message space wisely. Things like, "he suxxors" might be better used conveying info on the scam.

**Out of Guard Zone
If someone opens a gate to take you to a house they are giving you for free, and they actually do, you are the first I've heard of. Do not carry rare items to trade, or valuables other than checks or newbified/blessed items, out of guard protection. If you are trading rares for a house agree on a gold amount and trade the rares for a check for that amount, then carry that check to the house.

**Secure Trade Windows
Take the time in the window to make sure you're getting what you expect. Use an ID wand or the item ID skill, look at what you're getting. Most the time there is no reason why an item needs to be in a bag. Many scams can be alleviated by looking at how the item highlights under the cursor.

Detect hidden skill, not the spell, works 100% of the time in your house, or a house you are co-owned/friended to. This is regardless of skill. If you are unlocking an item, or stocking vendors or something similar use detect hidden. Make a macro for it so it is nice and easy to do. Let me restate this: Detect hidden SKILL works 100% of the time in your house or a house you are co-owned/friended to, even at 0.0 skill.

If the other trader is not willing to do simple things such as rename the pet, or let you in the house: drop the deal. There are a million houses and pets and this person is probably hoping to scam you.

ICQ logs, screenshots and similar out of game evidence will not help with your scam. These things are too easily falsified or inaccurate. Don't rely on them to be your saving evidence if the deal turns out to be a scam.

Most websites that are used for buying/selling UO items have a system in place for reporting scammers. Make use of that if you intend to be even a somewhat active trader.

Finally, I see both on UO Stratics Boards and the official UO Boards, players expressing concern that the Power Hour system may not be working properly. Canyon commented on this issue on the official UO Boards here:
I don't know. I've heard enough complaints and concerns to think something is going on. But I haven't seen anything officially stating there is a problem. We're still looking into it.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, 12:45 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Raiders Attack Sandlewood
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This news flash was just sent by messenger to my door step...

In the later hours of the evening a small party of pirates began raiding the Sandlewoodbox Tavern! They began asking questions as to the location of the Temple of Mondain and then finally demanding to know its location or the tavern would be burnt. When the patrons of the great tavern asked why they would seek the Temple of Mondain they replied "We wants what's theys lookin fer." They also made mention that it is worth a lot of gold to them and they want this relic.
Upon the refusal to divulge the location and many attempts to Swede these raiders they attacked many of the patrons including the Cult of the Black Dragon which was an unwise move as they were forced back and slaughtered. However I can see that interest in this quest of the Temple of Mondain's has been and still is growing. What could they be after that has new groups of people so invested they would risk the lives of their people to attain it?
I can only imagine they are looking for the same relic that was mentioned by the traveling bard a few days prior and that whatever this item is it must hold great value. There is mounting stress that other groups and more raiders will continue to make attacks until this relic has surfaced.
It is however very clear that those within the Temple of Mondain are up to something as their leader Mordain and many of its members have not been seen since the publication of the traveling bard. Other members of the Temple have been seen in various spots and when asked what they are up to their reply is always the same..."Soon we shall hear the voice of Mondain."
I fear for what lay ahead.

-Faithful Patron of Sandlewoodbox

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 10:58 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Festival Being Planned in the Garden City
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<While out and about these past two days I had heard rumors of a festival. The Sisters of Enchantment had mentioned to me that they were going to be scrying and running a bar for this event. After questioning them a bit more they informed me it was to be held in the main buildings of Garden City.
"Ah, Garden City", I thought. This was a community I had recently spent some time in. So I turned my travels back to the city of flowers and friendship and found it quite a bustle. Nemonis, the mayor, was there. We chatted for quite some time. She explained the cities mission of introducing the young of the land into the 'ways' of not only survival, but also 'social ability'. In an attempt to teach the young in the ways of the land, a festival was being planned. Included in this would be contest of war and speech, several random give aways and the chance for some lucky member of the shard to win a home in a lottery. With the Sisters of Enchantment providing the staff for the two bars located at the city and the Pirates of Destiny offering several open times for treasure map hunts. The staff at UOS will be hosting a few different barding contests, and several merchants will be offering free armor and arms repairs along with a 'bring your own ingot' smithing booth. Several fighting competitions are being planned as well.
All in all this festival sounds like it will prove to have something for all ages, young and old. Nemonis is asking that all visitors to the city during the festival follow the rules (as posted on their website in the next few days at www.uogc.net). And also wished to let everyone know that all are welcomed to attend and that a full list of events will be available in the next few days as well at their 'virtual scroll'.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 10:29 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Factions Update
In the last week and a half the balance of power has shifted dramatically in factions, many from across the land have come to join the dark cause of the Shadow Lords casting that shadow across all felucca securing all towns and sending the True Brits into retreat. While most of the battles are being fought between the True Brits and the Shadow Lords, Minax and the Council of Mages have both been forced to take a back seat in the game of controlling towns due to a pure lack of numbers. For now they are plain stuck in the middle occasionally allying themselves with other factions to get a piece of the bigger action.

Good to be back

Can't we all just get along? No, no i guess we can't......

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 8:56 PM EDT by Dengar (LegendsAOL)

A White Wedding!
Since I'm going to give away the bride you know this will be a swinging event!
Please join Moo and The Old Man as they exchange vows on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2001.

The wedding will be held at Nujelm Palace at 6pm PST with a reception to follow at the M^F castle.

All are welcome.
Proper attire is required.

Thank you.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 8:09 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Server Changes - Port 5000
The following was just posted to FYI:
In the past, the Ultima Online servers have utilized port 5000 for connections. Because some ISPs have begun blocking that port, some players have been experiencing difficulty connecting to Ultima Online. To resolve this issue, we will be discontinuing the use of port 5000, and will continue to accept connections on ports 5001-5010.

These changes will be applied to the Test Center 4 shard this afternoon (August 21st, CDT). Barring any unexpected issues, the port changes will be added to the Siege Perilous shard on August 22nd CDT, to be active following its next scheduled maintenance period. Once we are certain the changes are working properly, they will be enabled on all remaining shards. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 7:37 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Famous Houses of Britannia Opens Today
I'm very happy to announce yet another fine addition to the UO Stratics web site. Famous Houses of Britannia is a showcase of some of the best decorated houses in Britannia on all shards. Currently showcasing hundreds of houses, decorated by the best. Many many thanks go to Jared for creating this excellent collection.

But wait, there is more. A part of Famous Houses of Britannia is dedicated to the actual decorating of a house. Learn the tricks of the trade, build your own filing cabinets or even a piano. See some fine examples of some of the finest decorations.

When you are done looking, and you have an idea for a decoration yourself, or you want to show off your own decorated house, drop us a line a [email protected]

Enjoy!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 5:39 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

UOBuy Launched
Devalin sent us the following about the launch of UOBuy:
UOBuy.com is launched today, a new uo trade site coded from scratch specifically for uo.

Includes alot of new features:

Buyout bids - you can specify a buyout price on auctions that will close the auction straight away.

Reserve prices - reserve prices are hidden but icons will indicate when the reserver is set or exceeded.

Min Rating bids - prevent users with negative ratings bidding on your prized castle, you can set minimum ratings the user must have.

Wanted Listings - you can list items you are actually looking for, and a prize range you will pay.

Selling Listings - if you dont like auctions you can also post items for sale at a fixed price, you can even specify a quantity so you dont have to keep listing items when you have more than one to sell.

And alot more

Including our opening competition to win a $30 amazon.com voucher.

Check us out :)
Thanks Devalin for that info!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 4:38 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Of Dwarves, Detectives, and Dangerous Designs
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Freelance reporter Erik Valstrom sent in this recent interview with Constable Watts of Edinburgh.
Finding a certain dwarf in Sosaria is not as easy as it might seem, or at least it was not for me. I had known for a long time what great miners dwarves are and that one of their particular haunts is Minoc and its mines, so I began my search there. Finding several of these short but brawny fellows at work in the mines, I inquired about one named Watts. To my surprise they all knew him, from the least to the greatest, and I had a most difficult time tearing myself away from them for the stories they told of his latest military exploits in his subterranean homeland. Difficult, I say, not simply because the stories were rather lengthy and detailed but because they were true epics of heroism. One of those I spoke to, named Galbin Glowbeard, told me that Watts could oft be found in the Minoc tavern drinking and conversing with his friends. Oddly enough, that very tavern is a favorite haunt of mine as well. So, for about a few days thereafter I remained in Minoc, visiting the tavern a bit more than usual, in hopes of catching him there. It was not long until he and I met.

Actually, we had met before, long ago. I knew him from the days when Scaramandine the Elder was working his dark designs against the citizens and defenders of Edinburgh, among other places. We had spoken briefly on occasion, in Edinburgh, and I found him to be quite friendly, courteous, and amazingly sociable among humans, at least for a dwarf. So when I entered the tavern and saw one garbed in a full suit of gold plate armor sitting alone at a table, surrounded by a loud mob of drunken humans, I knew it could only be him. I went over and offered a greeting. He recognized me instantly and saluted me characteristically, "Lali-ho Erik! Long time no see!" Smiling and pointing to the bench at his table, he invited me to join him. "Have a seat--drinks on me this time." Then he turned and spoke to a serving girl standing idly nearby, "Barmaid! Two ales here please!" I sat down across from him unable to recall if I had ever bought him a drink, and doubting that I ever had.

"So, what can I help ye with friend?" he asked as he took the bottles of ale the serving girl handed to him, tipping her generously after the transaction. He then handed me one of the bottles and I poured half of it into one of the clean cups she thoughtfully provided for us both before she left. We held up our mugs, gave a toast, and both took deep draughts from them.

"I have been told by an acquaintance, as I dare not call him friend, that ye have been deputized--made a constable by the Grand Inquisitor. Is this true?"

A slight but perceptible blush crossed the dwarf's kindly face. He nodded, quite modestly.

"Well, ye have my utmost congratulations! For once it seems the old man did something right!" I smiled, testing him to see what reaction I got from such a comment. He returned the smile and it made me far more comfortable with him than I might have been. "Might I ask thee a few questions? Ye need not answer what ye are not permitted to, of course."

He nodded again but I noted his mirthful expression vanished. Undeterred, I proceeded with my interview, preparing myself with journal, pen, and inkwell, to record our dialogue. "Constable, what is thy impression of the Grand Inquisitor? Do ye fully trust him?"

He did not hesitate to answer, but replied confidently, "Well, at first I did not--no. He seemed almost fanatical about things that have been taking place. And, though he has reason to be concerned, to me he seemed as if he ate, breathed, and slept, "Necromari." Now, though, things have changed. He seems as though he is just very worried for the land. Besides that, the man is hard at work on this case and has few people to help him that he trusts fully. He has put most of the weight on me and my friends."

I was a bit surprised by his answer. Everything I had seen, heard of, or personally experienced that the Inquisitor had done, seemed, at the very least, harsh, and at worst, ruthlessly cruel. Perhaps there was a side of him I had missed entirely. I continued with my questioning. "He made ye a constable. How did this come about? Why did he single thee out for such work?"

"The Grand Inquisitor needed trustworthy help. He knew of our dealings with the Necromari (that is, the battles against them--Erik) and such likes from what happened months ago." He paused a moment and chuckled, "Come to think of it--it's been years! Well anyways, he summoned Lord F'nor and the Mists of Avalon--Mona and Esme, a lady named Deminatza, and myself. He sent us to look over an incident in Minoc and to arrest the person behind it. In order to do that someone had to be deputized. I took on this role in order to help the investigation." He took a sip of his ale.

"I see. Whom does the Grand Inquisitor seem to be after, specifically? Any names? And what crimes have they committed that ye know of?"

Watts stroked his beard. "The Inquisitor was in charge of the investigation of the murder of Jaryd Nevarre, brother to Martel Nevarre whom I believe ye met months back. Well, that was only the beginning of it. As we found out, there were deeper meanings to this. It seems, Erik, that the Necromari are back and perhaps more dangerous than before. Of course as much as I would like to answer more on this question, I must keep some secrecy--for any and all may read the papers!" He gave a brief smile. "Just know that the Necromari are up and running again so be very careful."

My thoughts turned to the Elder. "Is Scaramandine alive, and if so, how is it possible? Where is he now and what are his goals? I have heard that he is undead--a vampyre, like he once was."

Watts took a drink and stared at his mug for a moment. "Scaramandine is very much alive. As ye know, the battle with Scaramandine the Elder ended with him being cast into the abyss. Eventually, however, he was brought back to Sosaria by unknown forces. We believe the cataclysm of the falling of the gods had something to do with it for on that very day he was cast down to us. As for thy other questions, his goals and where abouts, not even I know. It may be better that way, for he is being hunted by many. As for him being vampyre--Scar is cursed to say the least. He is regaining his former powers and yet at the same time it is effecting his mind. But that's all I will say on that matter," he concluded, taking another swig of ale.

So it was true--Scaramandine had returned from the netherworld. I couldn't repress a slight grin in thinking how foolish I had been to have derided Baron Nocturnis' vow that he would. Scaramandine was a powerful, or at least a very lucky man. I was curious about the incident in Minoc he spoke about, and wondered if the city had become a focal point for Necromari activities. I knew they had been interested in ruling Minoc generations ago, but why now? I asked about that. The answer was so very simple. "Gold of course," Watts explained. "The Necromari are hiring any and all who will do what they wish, and they are paying them very well. Gold is no object to them. And since Minoc is Britannia's main gold supply, what better way to gain gold then to steal it?" He grinned, and I knew he was jesting, for he could never do such a thing himself.

"Has anyone been identified as a leader of the Necromari in Minoc? If so, whom?"

"A former member of the Necromari has told us of a man named Kain who holds power among them. Perhaps he is the leader in Minoc. We do not have a description, but we know he is one to be feared--a madman for sure, so says our informant."

I did not press the constable further. I finished my ale, and feeling a bit light-headed, hastily jotted down the rest of his words in my journal. "Thank ye for yer time and answers. If there is anything else ye would like to comment about on this situation, please say on before I go, please," I said, rising from the table.

"Just one thing Erik. Let the people know to be wary of those whom they deal with now and whom they choose to help. The Necromari can be anyone--from lowly beggar to thy best friend! They are a dangerous group and if anyone has suspicions about anyone, they should alert the local guards, though even they too may be under their influence." Watts finished his ale, wiped his mouth, and stood also. "Be careful Erik. I hope to see ye again soon."

We shook hands and left the tavern together, parting ways once out the door.

I saw Watts again a few days later and he told me his informant, an ex-Necromari, had been slain and his head placed on the very table we sat at in the tavern, as a warning to all those, like him, who dared cross or oppose them.

Erik Valstrom

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 4:07 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

High Justice of Trammel Yew Resigns
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Gorion, the High Justice of Trammel Yew, has resigned his position. He will be succeeded by Isrena Mareslayer, who already serves as the city's judge. He sent the following letter commenting on his resignation.
Last night, I decided to step down as the High Justice of Yew, and pass the title, and its duties onto the judge, Isrena, so that I might return to my hometown of Trinsic. Some were confused why I have decided to leave Yew, so I have decided to take this opportunity to let the people of Yew, and all those interested know of my reasons for leaving.

I first arrived in Yew well over a year ago, to help defend it from Keeonean and Ventryn's attacks. Since then I stood on the Yew town council, been the Yew representative to the Grand Council, had the difficult task of being the High Justice, and finally last night I witnessed in Yew, that peace, no matter how delicate and brief is most certainly possible, even between humans in Orcs.

I have witnessed much, and done much in Yew, and it has been a privilege to serve the city and it's people for such a long time, but I believe, that after tonight, I have helped the City of Justice as much as possible. I hope to return to my hometown of Trinsic now, where I might be able to relax for a bit after these many months of politics and work.

So, in the end, it has been an honor to serve Yew and its people, and I hope that its people will realize how great a symbol the Festival of Lights was for the potential for peace and will embrace it. I move on now, as I have done before in the past, and wish the people of Yew the greatest of luck in the months and years ahead of them, for it is their future they will mold, and I believe it shall be inspirational.

Gorion
Former High Justice of Yew

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 4:01 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Jobs at EA Origin
Canyon posted at the UO.com-boards that OSI is looking for European GMs:
If you are interested in applying for a job as a European GM, please visit here. We should also have something posted on the UO Boards in the next few days.

Please don't PM me with questions on this. All available information is at the site.

Because I was curious I looked further, and found that EA Origin is also looking for a new 3D Artist - UO and an Online Customer Support Mgr, well at least according to the EA Site. I guess this means the 3D-Client is still improved and also the customer support is still enhanced, so that we might see a lot of surprises in the upcoming months.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 3:14 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

The Lords of Britannia
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<News from the Felucca battlefields:


A new era has begun in the "factions wars" & throughout Felucca with the arrival of the Lords of Britannia !

Lord British has rewarded those who stayed to defend Felucca with the deeds to noble titles and lands for all of Britannia. Our new Regent Takichira the 1st now rules as head of state with the Commanding Lord of the army Steve Brown leading our military.

However rebel forces are disputing & challenging the individual lords & ladies & these titles are now being fought over in addition to the war for control of the cities.

This has meant that we are fighting new battles in new locations all over Britannia ,defending the titles & our lands in the name of the virtues.

we call on all citizens to join us !!

Mordreth Duke of Trinsic


Further info -

The LoB system is open for all players and offers players a chance to roleplay & or fight in a continous scenerio with events created and driven by the factions wars.

In order to have the right to challenge & become a noble you must be in a faction.

However non faction players are welcome to take part in the events such as the royal audiences at court,coronations,council meetings and ceremonies and will be given civil , judicial and ecclesiastical titles & positions. [these form the royal court]

You may also interact & role-play with the nobles as you encounter them by simply addressing them with their formal titles. [no need for ooc either ]

For further information on how LoB works,the current noble and the civil titles available and to apply for a position or title please see the LoB site.

http://www.sosaria.8m.com/lob.html


Indeed a challenge, I hope enough people will live to claim a title and a piece of land. We will be following this closely.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 2:35 PM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Markee Dragon Announces UO Items Database
The following announcement from Markee Dragon was sent to us:
I'm sure that everyone at one time or another has wanted to buy, sell or trade something in the game but you really didn't know what the item was worth. Or better yet you want to make sure that you are not being scammed.
Well now I introduce to you The UO Items Database. We have been slaving over this database for the past few months entering items and estimating their value.
With over 800 items currently listed it's a great resource for anything that can be bought, sold or traded.

Since the Database is still new there are still items to be added. We currently list everything from Animals to Food to Weapons and Armor with much more stuff to come. Please join us for the grand opening of The UO Items Database.

Markee Dragon
MarkeeDragon.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 2:26 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Impy's Business Growing
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Sounds like the folks out at Impy's have been very busy these past few weeks.  Double auctions every week, and a new event scheduled to start in the next few weeks.  Definitely a spot with some action.

IMPY'S ARTIC FAIRE…
Weekly auction will be held Wednesday evening at 9pm by the Eastern Sky. 
With ANOTHER BONUS AUCTION planned for Thursday evening also at 9pm.

This past week has been fast and furious out on Ice Isle. Impy's hosted TWO auctions with attendance for both well over 200 folks through out both nights. On top of all the great rares, weapons and armor auctioned this week, we auctioned off one of the staff! Divinity was auctioned off to give a private tour and cruise. Velmont was the winning bidder and can be congratulated this week on Wednesday night, since he will be an honorary Impy Staff member for the night.

Ancient Root? No. But we do have Pure Garlic up for auction this week! And a GREEN TENT DEED. Between the two auctions this week, a full set of Ranger Armor and Daemon Bone will be auctioned off. As well as a Skeleton Statue (three year reward), a Bucket, a Plant DEED and several Potted Plants. We also have quite a few 'adventure' items: sos bottles and treasure maps. A pile of virtue and vanquish weapons, with an equal pile of armor rounds out the auction plans for the week.

For directions and a complete list of the items up for auction please take a peek at www.impys.net. As always, Runes to Riches and the Mystery Chest games will also be played this week following the auction, so please stick around and take a chance with lady luck. Impy has asked that you please stable your pets before the auction as he is allergic to wet fur.

If you need a rune visit one of our rune vendors located through out the lands. Vendors can be found at: Star's Shoppe (out side Vesper in Trammel), next door to the RD Stables (in Felucca), on the porch of the Sandlewood Box Inn (in Felucca), Cove Merchant's Guild and Blacksmith Shoppe (located just at the front gate of Cove in Felucca), the Mystic Rose (in the wooded glen in Trammel), the Garden City Mall (located just north of Cove in Trammel), or at Krista's Ranger Station (in Felucca).

~Impy's Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 9:03 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Chicken Summoning
>>> Trammel Facet News <<< A event from ROI:
 

Event:  Chicken Summoning!

Date: August 23, 2001, Thursday
Time:  10pm GMT, 5pm EST
Place: ROI Guildhouse, UOAM Coordinates - (Trammel) 60-28-S, 34-22-W near skara brae & in Spiritwood Trammel Facet
Host:  Realm Of Immortality, Europa Trammel Guild
 
ROI will host a "chicken summoning" contest on August 23rd.  Entry fee will be 2000gps PER person!  You will be allowed 10 summon spells to cast as many chickens as possible!   First Place will be a FULL SET of Ranger Armor AND a Christmas bell! WELL worth the 2k entrance fee!!  Registration will begin 30 mins prior to event start.  Summon Creature scrolls will ALSO be available for non-mages wanting to give it a go!  We hope to see much participation in this event!   

Thanks

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2001, 5:46 AM EDT by Marshall Drakan (Europa)

OPS Summoning Contest Results
The contest was held at the Thieves Guild in Buccaneers Den. The
contestants met in the back room and prepared themselves mentally for the task before them. Who of them would be the one to be most in communion with the mystical planes of summoning? Who would be first to summon the creature they needed?

The contestants were:

Carnage vs Keryn Griston
Kendra vs Eli-Beth
Autumn vs Seth Darkmoor
Kerlin Melody vs Khamob
Diablo vs Black Hawk

Tura waited in the ante-chamber to see with whom she would compete in the Diablo/Black Hawk round.

Let the summoning begin!



The first rounds went to:

Carnage, Eli-Beth, Seth Darkmoor, Khamob and Diablo

Tura then competed against Diablo to advance to the next round.



The heat was on during the second round. Only mere seconds separated the times between summonings. The mystical menagerie continued to show favours to Tura, Seth and Khamob.

The three remaining contestants then moved out into the main room for the final round. Tension was thick as they awaited signs of the beast they would have to summon to win. An Alligator appeared by my side. The contestants studied the form briefly, so as better to communicate to the summoning planes the one creature they needed to win.

Ah!! No gator here.



At last, after many a creature only vaguely resembling an alligator had appeared and been dismissed, Khamob succeeded! Tura followed closely on his heels in producing the correct beast to claim 2nd prize.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you:

Khamob, The Supreme Summoner of Oceania, Master of the Mystical Bestiary




Thank you to every one of the contestants and to all who came and supported their favourites for making this a most enjoyable and successful contest.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 10:54 PM EDT by Chainsaw Knight (Oceania)

Cynthe Comments on the Boards
Recently posted on Comments From The Team :
About 6 weeks ago I was busier than I think I’d ever been in my life, trying to juggle three positions, and probably accomplishing about 30-40% of each, even working most nights from home after I left the office. But it’s a different story now, as Sannio and Kerowyn are both settling in very well here in the OCR department. Sannio’s demeanor on the boards is good-natured and friendly, and he’s still meeting with the folks here to learn all the facets of UO’s development so he can answer more questions and dig into the concerns of the players. Kerowyn is tackling the necessary UO.com updates, has been re-establishing regular contact with our fansites (as a side note, any fansite operators who would like to be on our fansite update list should contact [email protected]), and taken on a multitude of tasks related to the planning of the Online Worlds FanFest.

The department is running more smoothly every day, but one area that has still been a real challenge has been board moderation. When Sannio came into the picture, I felt he should be as positive as possible in his interactions with our community, so I didn’t think it was a good idea to have him come in and immediately take on the role of disciplinarian. (Since I’m already seen as a disciplinarian of sorts, I figured it was all right to have a few people continue to curse my name if necessary *chuckle*). Kerowyn has had way too much on her plate to have time to read all the board posts, so that’s been left up to me and our contractors. Until now, that is… and I am absolutely thrilled to introduce a new position into the OCR fold here at Origin: that of Online Community Moderator! Our contracted board moderators have done an incredible job of helping the boards to run smoothly, and I have asked one of them, Greywolfe, to work here as a full-time board community moderator, starting today.

Greywolfe has been one of our most active board moderators since the official UO boards opened, and I feel this addition will be an incredible asset to our community. Sannio will still be the main contact point for information and the person who collects the feedback, but Greywolfe will be responsible for enforcing board guidelines, and will also be helping folks find their passwords and solve other board-related problems.

This is a great time to discuss a few other changes to the boards as well… several issues seem to keep popping up on the boards, including things like the endless Trammel vs. Felucca debates, and posters including huge signature files on their posts. The board guidelines that were there before were a basic set of guidelines, but they were too ambiguous in places, not stressing things like exactly how big was too big when it came to signature files, and not discussing why endless Trammel/Felucca debates were not helpful to the board atmosphere. So the board guidelines at the top of each main forum have been expanded to be a lot more specific in what’s cool on the boards and what’s not, and should serve to make our vision for the boards much more clear. You can read them here. They’re pretty long, but I highly recommend that anyone posting on our boards take a couple minutes to read through those and be familiar with them if possible (which will certainly make Greywolfe’s new job easier!).

So welcome Greywolfe into the office and the department, and I look forward to seeing the UO boards develop into a closer and more cohesive community than ever (of course, we don’t expect all the feedback to be praise, but I’d like to see the signal-to-noise ratio improve, and I think we’re on the way to accomplishing that). :-)

Cynthe
Community Manager
Origin Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 10:08 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Grimoire Fight Night Results
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
This just in via carrier pigeon:

Hiya everyone!

We had a nice turnout for the Grimoire Bar Brawl sponsored by sir black . Incase you couldn't make it we have a few pictures from the fights over at: the Grimoire website.

In the end Flip took home the 20K prize for the night.

After nearly all the fighters went home for the evening, Jimbo broke out the dice and gambling table!! I think they wanted to win Flips prize gold, but Flip had lady luck with him Friday night, and was able to keep some.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Grimoire to watch and participate in the fight, and thank you to all the wonderful people who help us out at Grimoire each week!! Thank you Josh, Lost, Lord Fear, Arch Bishop Horshack, Fiona Pentell, and Jimbo.

I hope everyone had fun, and that you can make it next week! See you at the fights!

LeeLu - Grimoire Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 7:47 PM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

Adventure in the Black Tower
Ug Hummies!

Steelfang recently sent us the following tale of adventure and treachery. Enjoy!

The stench of death and decay was abundent in the abandoned tower as the armored warrior rode into the courtyard. He had a feeling he was being watched and he knew he was being followed, though his pursuers were about an hour or so behind him. He wondered what else was watching.

He ordered his horse to stay and sat down to wait for his shadow to show up. He opened his pack and took out the crumbling stygian scroll. He had paid dearly for it - though it had been almost a month, his wounds had barely healed. He had stolen the Book of the Dead from the Slayer of Souls as payment for the scroll, purchased from the evil mage, Lord Kulder, whom he suspected was following him now.

He struggled to read the scroll, since his knowledge of the stygian tongue was, at best, passable. Never-the-less, he had figured out that the doorway was just inside the tower and the full moon would reveal the lock. The key itself almost cost his life - it had been in a chest guarded by dead mages in Khaldun.

He heard a sound and said, "You may come and sit by the fire, Lord Kulder, and tell me why you have followed me."

Kulder smiled as he walked out of the shadows and sat across from the warrior, Steelfang, announcing "There is one more thing I need and it is with what you seek..."

"And what is it I seek mage?

Kulder shifted in his seat, "You seek the Sword of Justice. Me, I seek the Staff of Skellos."

As they sat and waited for the moon to rise, they spoke of thier past. Kulder told of being left on the doorstep of the mage tower in Britain. He looked at Steelfang and said, "You are not from this land. I can tell."

Steelfang looked up at the stars and said, "No. I'm not from this land."

He saw that the moon was up.

"It is time."

They entered the tower. As they paused before the ironbound oak door, a moonbeam shone through a small slit in the wall exposing a small circle. Steelfang pulled a ring from his pack and inserted it into the circle the oak door. It swung silently open.

"Ahh," said Kulder, "The ring of Radlohm the Thief. I wondered if you had it."

As they steped inside the doorway, Steelfang heard words of power. Swiftly, he pulled his Viking sword of power.

"Hold," Kulder shouted, "it is only a night sight spell."

Steelfang noded his head and muttered, "I suppose some magic has it's use," as Kulder chanted "in lor." The room brightened and they made their way to the center of the tower. The floor was strewn with strange bones.

Suddenly, Kulder felt a sharp point in his side. Steelfang smiled, "This dagger was steeped in the poison from the pools of Khaldun. If there is any treachery, you will feel the whole blade."

On a stand, there was a plain looking broadsword and staff. Kulder handed the sword to Steelfang and took the staff for himself. As they parted ways, Kulder spoke grimly, "we shall meet again soon."

We thank Steelfang for this account of his adventure.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 7:38 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Publish Update - East and West Coast Shards
Now on FYI:
The items that were listed in Testing for the Next Update and published to the Baja shard last week (treasure map changes, tutorial/Haven changes, and combat changes), were published to all remaining shards on Sunday, August 19th. This publish became active on the East and West Coast shards following their Monday morning maintenance period, and will become active on the European and Asian shards following their scheduled Tuesday morning maintenance period. These changes have now been added to Latest Game Updates.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 5:18 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Liberation of Ocllo and Vesper
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail, After recieving much news that has been disturbing of late finally someone has sent in some good news...I hope.

The time has come to liberate these towns. We must eradicate these savages, and drive them from the city gates. And so, I would like to set up an AOL event for the evenings of Tuesday (Vesper) and Thursday (Ocllo) this week (August 21 and 23) at 7:30PM Central Time.

Come prepared to crush these savages so that they never return. On Tuesday, all those interested in helped shall meet at the Felucca Vesper moongate, where we shall organise our attack. We will not rest until either we are wiped out, or the savages are wiped out.

On Thursday, we shall free Ocllo. We will meet at the newly liberated Vesper bank, where mages will provide gates to various areas of Ocllo into which teams will deploy. Again, we shall not rest until every savage is eradicated.

The only way to defeat them is in a concerted effort. Once this is done, they will know that they cannot just take over our towns.

Finally someone is willing to stand up to these savages and try to retake part of Sosaria that has been lost to them. I wish them luck in this endeavour.

Fair thee well where ever thee may fair...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 4:46 PM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

New OoC Comic
The sites just been updated with the newest comic: And
the Winner Is...

As always you can find that little morsal and many others at www.outofcharacter.com

Enjoy!

-Arakasi

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 3:32 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

New at ImAcat
08/20/2001

*** NEW UDPATE at http://www.iamacat.t2u.com (Europe) and http://www.iamacat.net (USA) ***

*** SOON *** new mirror high speed at Iamacat.org (not operationnal yet!)

OYE! OYE!

Brand new episodes of the Adventures of Zog the Helper are available.

- EP20 - What I want for Xmas
- EP21 - I Sux in 3D (make your own opinion on that one...)
- EP2x - SPECIAL EVENT (8/19/2001) Angel and Phanta Wedding The Movie - performed by Godot -

Enjoy :)

Iamacat
Webmaster Iamacat.net

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 3:17 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

The very last ABT
For fans of As Britannia Turns and redlow.net, the very last ABT is up at my site. I'd like to thank the loyal readers of ABT for their support and words of encouragement. For those who have never read an ABT, they're all still there, and always will be available to read. Rest assured, there will be a replacement for the soap opera up sometime soon dealing with real life and not just Ultima Online.

As always, should you visit redlow.net, bear in mind that it is a PG-13 site. Enter at your own risk. And please remember to actually READ the intro page - and carefully - or you may find yourself face to face with a great horrendous evil.

ABT

-Redlowwinski

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 3:10 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

A "Thank You" from Spiritwood
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Got this from Pad O'Lion:

We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to those people who donated gold to the Town of Spiritwood in order to acquire the old FCB tower next to the Spiritwood Tavern. But not only those giving gold, but also to those who helped organising this difficult endeavour. I think this showed us all how a community can work together in times of dire needs for a common goal and the great vision that is Spiritwood.
Thanks to:

Beneviste, Bladedancer, Chewboco, Dalamar, Elv'eng for Deepwater, Entity, Fuschia, Groan, Gorfindel, Gotowork, Gui, Illuma, Jen, Joel, Kyp Durron, Mara Jade, Moonglow City Council, Mort, Nevyn, Nikki, S/L, Shri, Solitaire, Tamara Stardust, Tan'ris, Therese, Toxicon, Ursus, Valura and Xarkaltos.

Special thanks to Jen for her donation as well, but especially for collecting the checks and keeping calm in this turmoil.

Kind regards and thanks

P.S.: There is much talk about what to do with the new tower in order to be of service for the community. If you got ideas, just let us know, either on these boards or at the Spiritwood boards.

I wish my pouch had allowed me to be on that list.
Congratulations goes out to Spiritwood none-the-less!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 2:25 PM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

Status of Next Scenario
A quick update from Calandryll (Designer UO) on the status of the next scenario on this thread on the official UO Boards here
Just to answer the question I know is on everyone's mind, the next scenario will not be starting this month. Nobody is more dissapointed about that than I am, but we've hit some snags and decided to add more stuff (mostly related to the ending of the scenario) to make it better. I'd rather have a delay to make sure QA gets to thoroughly test everything and to make sure we add enough content to make the scenario enjoyable then rush it out the door just to make a deadline. Right now, we're working on the next (and last) patch (about 90% art complete), finishing up QA on the first half of the scenario (note, we don't have to test ALL of the scenario ahead of time before we launch, so don't take that as a terrible sign) and finalizing the second half of the scenario (probably about 70% code complete at this point).

I'll update everyone again once I have more information to share

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 12:14 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Felucca runelibrary updated
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<The following just came in:

Hello.

The "Public Runes Library on Felucca (the orginal one near Dungeon Wrong :-P) has greatly improved in service.
Runes have been put in runebooks and a lot of runes have been added: t2a is now "fully marked".
There is also a book useful for people in factions. 510 runes are now on the shelves of the library: for this reason I've created an online "rune search engine" that helps people to find a particular rune or to explore easily the contents of the library.

The URL is the following and it is really easy to use: http://runelibrary.cjb.net

Moreover the library has got a massive facelift: I have added a room dedicated to the 8 virtues and to ultima series: you can find there famous books coming from other ultima games (the book of the Fellowship, a complete essay on blackrock, The Ancient Liturgy of the Truth, ... and over all a resume of every episode from Ultima 1 to Ultima 9) I hope this work brings a good service to people in Felucca.

Farewell

Lord Il Timido


And if you as a Trammel player feel left out? Don't be, as the link also leads to a nice Trammel based runelibrary.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 8:46 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Lost and Found - a tale from the Undead City
I found this heartwarming request in my mailbox:


Hail and well met to all fair Britanians,

Rip Torn here, metallurgist and "supposedly retired" adventurer at your service. It is the latter that causes me to write in to this fine newsboard for on a recent excursion to the Undead City near Delucia I stumbled upon the body of a warrior laying at the feet of a bone knight and his lackey skeleton. After dispatching the unholy minions I quickly tended to the warrior who was quite obviously beyond my help. I reasoned the only thing I could do would be to guard his remains from the undead and human looting scum alike until he returned. After a short while had passed I gathered up all his stuff and kept it separate from mine own gear and waited, hoping that he would return soon since I was hopelessly over burdened and could not have travelled more than a few feet with our combined packs. I thought I was in trouble when I was spotted loitering by a Skeletal Mage and another Skeletal lackey. Having left all my silver at home I fought on regardless with a broadsword I had made a few weeks previous. It had served me well in that time and it did again. I cut down both skeletons where they stood but after the fight noticed that the fallen warrior's remains had vanished, decayed away into nothing! Wasting no more time I took a quaff of a strength potion I had stashed for emergencies and recalled away to the safety of mine home.

So who was this mysterious warrior? I would like to know because I have your equipment waiting for you. His name was Nemisis and I have managed to find this picture of him.


The incident occured late sunday night. If this is you or if you know this person tell them to send me a pigeon (ICQ 95213916) and I will gladly return it all. I will be asking questions about what was in the pack to make sure of the persons true identity so please, no imposters.

Thanks for listening, safe journeys to you ALL!

Rip.



I do hope that the possessions will find their way to the rightfull owner. At least we know chivalry and honesty is still alive on Europa.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 8:14 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Disturbing News from Willowport
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

Lady Fromage, cub stratics reporter, related the following account to me of her encounter with Baroness Celeste Riversong, Ambassador of Willowport:

Closing her cabin door behind her, Celeste gallops off on her trusted unicorn, Mischief, into the dark horizon, stopping as she approches the giant Tower of Virtue, the massive stone sentinel that watches over Willowport as a mother does to a newborn child. She quietly dismounts her steed, opens the aged doors, covered with intricate designs and patterns, and murmers the incantation to the spell of "Night Sight", In Lor, removing the semi-darkness from the dimly lit room. A colorful and vibrant sitting room emerges into view, a room that Celeste knows very well. A table covered with fresh red roses, a basket full of exotic fruits, painstakingly carved wooden thrones with fine silk cushions... A pitiful sob escapes her mouth as she leans back against the doors, covering her face with her hands... She cries, unashamed, her whimpers echoing through the many chambers of Angel and Dreythos's former residence...

Greetings, all...

Although I am but a humble citizen of our fine land, even I can tell with great sadness that Serpent's Hold and her Duchy of Willowport are not faring well. How it pains me to think so, but I must, I must accept Truth, like our late and greatly missed Angel... I know she would want me to do so.

Something MUST be done to preserve Willowport, lest it be forgotten forever, a mere memory... Therefore, I am organizing a meeting to discuss and plan how we can deal with this crisis.

No date or time is set currently, I merely ask that all citizens of Willowport and Serpent's Hold send a pigeon to my cabin, with a date and time that is suitable for you to gather. And of course, anyone that is not a member or citizen of Willowport or Serpent's Hold, I cordially extend an invitation towards, to help renew these cities.

What is going on in Willowport? We shall wait for more news with great excitement.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 5:54 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

The Undead Minions Rise
Tulir paced up and down the small area of his newly acquired underground study. It was located in the deep recesses of the crypts, the ancient stones that formed the dank walls of the laborority were more green then grey, and the whole place had a sickening damp, musty, rotting smell.

Tulir loved it.

Yet there was a problem he just couldn't understand... there was meant to be an ancient tome hidden down here, the workings of an ancient mortal cult member long ago, one so driven with mad he ended up killing himself from lack of sleep and starvation...

He was said to have claimed prophesing the spell that would be the salvation of the world... He claimed he could speak directly to the Gods themselves... mad indeed.

Yet, why did Azrek want this tome so bad? Tulir didn't like things he didn't understand. Why -

Tulir was cut short by the locked doors suddenly bursting open from their sudden assult. Tulir turned, the flamestrike words of power being muttered as he turned, ready to forcus his energy onto the first thing he saw...

"AZREK?!"

"Good Soulsss Tulir."

The ground under Azrek's booted feet sprung a small flame where Tulir wasn't quite quick enough in stopping the spell. He hopped Azrek wouldn't notice.

"Tulir, where isss the tome?!"

"I don't know Azrek, you know that."

"Find it! And HURRY!"

"Yesss, but why? Why isss thiss mortal-written book important...?"

"Thisss tome is no ordina - "

Tulir frowned as the already battered door came completetly off its hinges as Zarg, the zombie, came clumsly crashing into the room.

"Tuleeer. Tuleeeeeer! Yu muhsd shee thus."

"What iss it Zarg?"

"Juhst cume!"

Zarg hadn't quite mastered the art of speech, yet the dire panic, and hurry poured out of Zarg's words like he was waving a sign. Tulir and Azrek exchanged glances, and followed.

Zarg lead them around the corner, and across the narrow brigde like structure that crossed some deep chasm.

"Zarg, over here leadsss to nothing! Where are you leading uss?!"

"Whul, me an' Dhark were fhitun' heer, an' I phush him unto duh wall..."

Tulir nodded impatiently.

Zarg didn't say anything, but simply motioned to the end of the round, cave like area that they had crossed to. It was but a flat, rock expanse, rocky walls on the far side, and a gaping hole into the chasm on the other.

Tulir had been down here once before, when checking out the crypts, it was void of anything bar ro...

Tulir suddenly noticed the black hole that was not there last time he had ventured down. At the entrance to it, a pile of pones lay, seemlingly the corpse of Dhark. He had opened some kind of trap door, and had paid with his life to the explosion that resulted.

Tulir cursed quietly for not noticing it himself, yet it was probably lucky he didn't.

Azrek strided forward quickly, going to enter the tunnel, but Tulir stopped him. Who knows how many more traps there may be down there.

"Vas Flam"

Tulir hurled a fireball downt the passage. It served two-fold: lighting the tunnel all the way down for a good look, and springing any traps that may have been left. It hurtled down at a trumendous speed, then crashed into the wall.

Tulir waited.

Nothing.

Then just as suddenly, the entire tunnel was engulfed in a massive burst of flame, eminating from all sides of the passage. Azrek blinked in shock, which showed he was impressed deeply, he never showed emotion.

Tulir, Azrek, and Zarg travelled single-file down the narrow walkway. It travelled around one hundred paces, then all of a sudden opened into a medium sized chamber. As soon as they entered, candles suddenly lit up. Candles, hundreds of candles all over the walls, ceiling and floor. All three shaded their eyes from the sudden blinding light.

Azrek recovered first, and quickly strode over to the pedistal, of which seemed to be the focal point of the room.

Azrek's stony face showed no emotion, yet Tulir frowned openly, it was empty. Nothing was on it.

Tulir looked puzzled, the entire room was covered in a thick layer of dust, except for a rectangle area on the pedistal, in the centre.

Azrek gasped, and motioned towards the ceiling.

Tulir looked wide-eyed. Someone had scrawled in blood, strange symbols...

Azrek read allowed:

"Itsss ancient undead sscribe. Not known by many... no... no...

Here liesss the book, the book to ssave the world from them. Them shall burn and roast over the slow fires in hell asss he shall come and pull their inssidesss out piece by piece while keepingss them alive..."

Azrek explained the maddened scrawls grew so messy here they could not be read. He said they picked up again, but were nothing but mad ramblings about killing and torturing "them". It was most definately the ancient tome, and the writer was most definately mad.

And the tome was most defonately taken.

"Whads thusss?"

Zarg asked quizically, holding up a purple bonnet. It was finely stiched, far to fine for any undead to wear...

Some mortal had the book!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile :

A ragged and scorched purple warrior rides wearily for home...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a href = "http://home.iprimus.com.au/mossi/index.htm">Undead Minions are here!

Your ssoul sshall be oursss mortal!!


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 3:26 AM EDT by Chainsaw Knight (Oceania)

Yew Council Minutes
Hail

I have recieved the following notes from the Avernia Free Press regarding the recent meeting of the Yew Council and thought they may be of interest to the rest of you as well:

First, allow me to apologize for being unable to attend this meeting. Alas, I had some personal business to attend to.

I asked my slave, Buttars, to attend this meeting and represent Avernian interests in the Yew region. I just recieved his notes. Now let me assure you, dear reader, that Buttars did overstep his authority several times. Of that I feel I have sufficient evidence to justify a cut in his rations for a week...but that is an internal Avernian matter and not for discussion here.

On to the notes:

  • Turnout was low but that was to be expected given the Yew Council's age. It is my belief that if Yew area guilds continue to support the council, attendance will rise.
  • My slave was ordered to propose, on my behalf, the drafting and acceptance of a standardized list of rules of engagement for Yew area guilds. This proposal was not necessarily made because Avernia wants to go to war with everybody, rather we feel that a widely accepted system of non-restrictive rules will help establish trust between guilds and lead to increased interactions between them. Avernian RoE were given as an example for this proposal. This proposal will be voted on at the next Yew Council meeting. Input is welcome here provided it is constructive and it comes from Yew area guilds or others with interests in Yew.
  • The appointment of permanent representatives was to have been discussed at this meeting. Given the low turnout it was accepted that these appointments could not be made at this time.
  • It was proposed that the heads of each Yew guild be permitted a chance to floor Yew council meetings until such a time as a permanent appointed council could be established. My foolish slave volunteered my services to head next weeks meeting (volunteering me=cut rations & extra hours in the mines for young Buttars but that is not of concern). Fortunately I have no plans for next weekend so I should be able to attend..unless something unavoidable (RL) comes up. So yes....I will be honored to lead the next meeting of the Yew council.
  • It was proposed and accepted that Yew council meetings be held weekly until such a time that weekly meetings become unnecessary. It was felt that when attendance rises and becomes more stable, permanent council members can be appointed and weekly meetings will not be needed.
  • The next meeting of the Yew council will be on Sunday August 26th at 6pm Eastern (5 Central, 4 Mountain and 3 Pacific).

If you live in the Yew region, are thinking of moving to the Yew region or have material or other interests in the Yew region you are strongly encouraged to attend. Please pass this along to your neighbors, friends and even your enemies in Yew.

And would someone please wake up the people of Everwood Cove, their participation is sorely missed.

Looks like some interesting things may be happening in Yew, we will keep an eye on the events in the area and keep you posted...

Until then, Fair thee well where ever thee may fair.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001, 12:37 AM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

Bottled Water and UO3D Title Spawn
In response to a query on the official UO Boards as to whether it is legal to make, possess and sell "bottled water" in UO, Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) replied here :
It's legal to make, sell, own and trade. Is it still possible to make them?

In relation to the UO3D Title Spawn, FieryIce (Programmer, UO) made these remarks on this thread on the official UO Boards here :
You are correct. If you *defeat* the spawn, ie: get it to stop it will reset itself after some time. The group that gets chosen is completely random each time it resets...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 9:35 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Red Devil Auction returns as weekly event
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The Red Devil Auction will be a weekly event starting on August 21st at 8:30 pm CST/9:30 pm EST. Details are as follows:
Submissions will be taken on Monday the 20th of Aug, at 8:30 pm CST/9:30 pm EST, at Red Devil tower in Felucca.

We also will take submissions 1 hr. before the Auction starts on Tuesday night. If you wish to submit item[s] please bring a book and a bag with the item[s] inside with your name, icq, what the item is, and your minimum bid. Please remember to only hand your item[s] to one of the people in the stage area (Mobius or Rattler).

The Coordinates to the Red Devil Auction Tower are 34o43N/44o51E - 5 minutes walk east of Britain (following the road). For your convenience, there is a rune to our Auction Tower inside The Acadian Provisioners and Rares Museum (the first clearing south of Yew, west side of the road.)

As always, the GLV Guild will be handling the Auction, and the Burning Heart Guild will be handling Guard Duty. ~ Rattler GLV

This promises to be an enjoyable Tuesday night!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 3:42 PM EDT by Amidala (GreatLakes)

UO Magic Tool 6.1 Released
A new version of the Magic Tool has just been released. This new version takes into account the changed amount of reagents needed for some spells.

Users of the Magic Tool version 6.0 can upgrade to 6.1 by downloading and installing a small patch that will update the amount of reagents used by some spells. When you click on the link you can either "Open this file from its current location" or "Save this file to disk" and then double-click the downloaded file to allow the patch to update some Magic Tool settings in the Windows registry.

Enjoy!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 2:50 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (CommunityNews)

Review of the Rune Lottery
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Our friend Slagdale from UOWorld sent us an review of the lottery event yesterday:
At least I couldnt resist to the call to that. Therefore I made myself onto the way to the East Britain Bank in order not to miss the magic travel service that was made available freely from three Britannia points. Thanks to the official bang-yellow clothing even my tired eyes could make out the wizard fast and I jumped through the gate very fast.



Just arrived these searchers for luck were greeted by Zindar -organizer and host of the evening- and sent immediately to the lottery! Arriving there the run for the tickets began. The Vendor of the tickets were nearly overun. Even the price of 2200 gold coins per lottery rune could not change that, and in an astonishing short amount of time the runes were sold out.



After all runes were sold to the lottery addicts - someone had bought 34 pieces of them -, the tension almost increased to an intolerable level, because Zindar announced the five-digit lucky number after each other. The happy ones which had bought one of the winning runes had to jump with this to a verification place. There they were greated by other official who opened them a gate directly back before the eyes of Zindar. In such a way a fraud could be excluded and in spite of an easy disappointment at some, all were pleased cordially nevertheless with the happy winners !



And because it has made all so much fun, there is supposed to be a next lottery in any case. I am secure to myself, that also this will be able to move again a lot under their spell !

Greetings, Euer Slagdale [ www.uoworld.de ]

PS: People counting real fast could already determine that with over 200k of price money and around 100 lottery runes for a price of 2200 gold the organizers could not have made a lot of profit with this event. All the more a big thankyou for the very well prepared as well as carried out lottery !

Thank you very much Slagdale!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 1:35 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Player Run Seers Program Comes to Legends
Hail,

I received the following note from Seer Homnivus:

Hail!

I am seer Homnivus of the AOL Legends shard. I am new to this shard so I would like to get to know the people of it. I would like to visit all the player towns as well to get all involved with this program. please note we have no ties to OSI so we wear no fancy robes and have no special powers. We are here to creat fun quests for guilds and groups of friends and all others for that matter.

Come and volunteer or just check us out you can reach me via the mystic ICQ vapors at 120467842 or you can email me . Thanks and see you on our quests.

We thank him for this notice, and welcome the seers back to UO!

Fair Thee Well Were ever thee may fair...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 4:21 AM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

Healers Under Attack!
Hail, I just recieved the following missive from Lord Omnicron.

Hail!


I bring grave news to you this eve...It seems an Evil has swept over the lands once more. This evil is Volocamp. He has sworn to murder all healers of the land of Sosaria. He has already attacked numorous healers and mages at Empath Abby. There are also reports of a man coming out of the shadows, swooping out of the tree tops and taking the lives of these men and women. I have heard many accounts of this and have been asked to protect the healers by Morgon the mage. A mage deep in the underworld. He sought me out and pleaded for my help. And seeing on how he has come from deep within, you must see the importance of this. We must fight to protect our healers and mages. Who will cure our ailing childern, or our elderly. The Monks of Empath Abby also plead for help....as there numbers have been hit by this madman. I will be standing up to this evil, and I WILL see it vanquished. I wanted you to be the first to hear of this tragedy in the making. I feel confident you can let the fair people know of this. My prayers are with the victims and there families, as well as the prey of this foul beast. Volocamp you will be vanquised by the edge of mine sword. *lights cigar*

The Big O of AOL legends.... Omnicron GM of the Ruff Ryders

These are indeed dark tidings for think of how much smaller our world population would be without the healers of Empath Abbey.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001, 4:14 AM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

Onward to Minoc
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<I was sent this amazing story by Blackened today.  

Lord Caleb paced the wooden floor of his private residence in the frozen lands near Deceit. Looking out his window as the snow fell, he could see Skaretaius next door returning from another successful hunt. Caleb smiled, his seclusion here had ended, and one of BDA's best warriors had moved in next door. Caleb then turned to the room in his house next door to his own. The lovely and sinister Silvaria had her own space in his home. He reflected on days long since passed when she had found him after his arrival from the Underdark, when BDA was just getting their foothold in Sosaria...

Now the time had come for conquest of this realm. Serpent's Hold had fallen, not with as much ease as expected, but fallen nonetheless. The rebels' fighting was fierce, overwhelming at times, but the victor was clear. His forces could not be defeated by the defenders of Serpent's Hold alone, other troops were brought in, and the dastardly Cult of the Black Dragon seized the opportunity to exact revenge on BDA for spoiling their plans in Trinsic. Countless battles were fought, but most were won by BDA. The conclusion was here. The battles were mere skirmishes and meaningless engagements with either rag tag rebels, or vengeance seeking cultists. None could drive out the Drow. For all purposes, it was a Drow city now.

Caleb sat at his desk and examined the proposal drafted by the now numerous guilds involved in Serpents Hold fate. He perused the rules, regulations, decrees, and even the considerations his own warlord had made in these negotiations. His leather-gloved fist struck the desk, shaking the candelabra, knocking it off its spot. "Ort Sanct Ylem", and Caleb snatched it out of mid air with total mastery of magic and replaced it where it should go.

"There will be no negotiated battle to declare a victor in Serpent's Hold. It is ours in my eyes and the eyes of Bregan D'Aerth. Diplomacy has gotten us nowhere in the past, and it will get us nowhere now. We are fools to think the humans will ever honor their own words. They preach their virtues, yet behind the scenes their hearts are as black and evil as any Drow. They are afraid to face their virtues own failure, so they cling to them as their own security blanket, kidding themselves with false piety. 

Let them come and try and stop us in Minoc, Skara Brae...anywhere we go to conquer.. We are done in Serpent's Hold, let the remaining humans slaughter each other in the streets as we seize more for ourselves and Lolth." 

Caleb finishes recording his thoughts in his journal, and glances at his crystal ball showing a snowy scene of Minoc. He unrolls the scroll of Drow within BDA, sargtlins and faerns, all loyal all standing at the ready to do as he commands at any time, any place. Its an awesome responsibility, one he has shared with Silvaria, Blackened, Cah Mi, Xylot and most recently Alana. Too much influence from this realm has infiltrated his ranks, Alana has been assigned the task of reminding the ilythri from whence they came. Cah Mi, on a personal quest of her own for an unknown amount of time. Xylot, the ancient one, guides the young and old alike with wisdom and experience of long time spent in this realm. Silvaria, former leader of BDA, stands with Caleb in power and influence. She has the respect and awe of all those who wear BDA. Her input is of great value.

Caleb pauses at Blackened's name. "Streeka", he mutters. Her willingness to do his will has never been doubted, and her efforts to reach a consensus in the Serpent's Hold endeavor were worthwhile, he is thankful her confidence is back. Her vigor for improvement renewed, she is becoming deadlier everyday it seems. And apparently more seasoned in assuming leadership in the ranks. Not without problems of course, but he nods approvingly when he considers all she has done. He considers his time as leader of this rogue band, this collection of skills, personalities, experience, temperaments, humor, and levels of intellect. Blackened has risen from a freshly discovered Drow warrior near the banks of the water in Papua by Drakath, to an esteemed leader in BDA. He knows Blackened would die in his place at any time, sacrifice any wealth or possessions, do just about anything for him.

"Blackened, it is time for us to take this ore reservoir from the rival and make it our own. Let all of Britannia suffer financially, as we ourselves line our chests with gold until they burst open. Minoc will be ours, begin the scouting missions to learn the key points of attack so our movement may be swift, decisive, and overwhelmingly convincing." He completes his telepathy, and rests for the night. The growls of polar bears as they devour walruses ring in his ears with a pleasant sound to a Drow.

The sound of pain and death, of hunger satiated, and victory obtained. Minoc will be the walrus, as BDA will be the polar bear. A fat meaty morsel, for a powerful unstoppable force.

Xal streea tlu pholor dos Minoc!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 11:02 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Recap from last week's Pet Show
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Some of you may have heard that the G*B pet show was postponed. Some of you may have no idea what we're talking about. This recap comes to us from Bob Barker:
If you joined us at the G*B Mall last Sunday the 12th, you'll probably remember we had a bit of an... interesting time together. Here's a recap:

In the beginning, everything seemed fairly routine. Everyone helping with the event arrived about an hour before the drawing. The pet show participants showed up with their prized companions and anxious keyholders were waiting to take their stab at a small fortune. However, there was one small problem. The guy with the Master Key raffle boxes, ScOrPs, was nowhere to be found! Unbeknownst to Diana and myself, he was involved in a (non-serious) automobile accident in that scary realm we all know as "real life" and had no chance of making it on time.

Without that knowledge, we both began to panic, fearing the train wreck that would soon be our event if he didn't show up. With the raffle primed to blow up in our faces, one of our pet show participants had left three dragons at the mall unattended.

Well, you know how pets are, after a while, they start missing their masters and get hungry. This is especially unpleasant when these certain unattended, hungry pets can breathe fire and send energy bolts in anyone's direction at will. This chapter had a happy ending, though, and the owner returned to claim his pets with his apologies. No dragons or humans were harmed during this time.

With that resolved, Diana and I decided to postpone the draw to 4 PM in the hope that ScOrPs would arrive by then. Unfortunately, by that time, the two of us were running out of valium and were exhausted from the previous hours. As a result, we decided to postpone the events. Don't think you're off the hook yet, because it continued to get... better.

Around 3:30, ScOrPs arrives from his earlier ordeal (unhurt) and proceeds to hold the draw after we had called it off only hours before. However, this final chapter does have a happy ending, and we found our two winners, Athens (100k cash) and Rahab (blessed mare robe and sandals). As stated before, the pet show and foot races will be rescheduled for a later date. Look for announcements regarding that and upcoming events about the G*B Mall in the near future. Hopefully, all of our events won't go like this because if they do, more stories like this will be on the way!

Thanks Again,
Bob Barker
Manager, Events and Promotions,
G*B Mall
Hehe, sounds like it was quite an evening.
Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 10:08 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Tevan's Moonglow Constitution
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

Rummaging through an old pile of papers the other day, I found a leftover pigeon sandwich, wrapped in an unreadable copy of the Moonglow constitution. I immediatly dispatched a message to Count Tevan requesting a new copy of the story. He not only sent me a new copy of the information he originally sent me a month ago, he was kind enough to attach it to another pigeon, which I am happily munching on now as a I share this with you:

Heshima,

I still wear the clothes for mourning the father I knew, but break my period of silence to give this message.

Long was my life without confusion until a man came to my home. A kind man of full soul and spirit, knowing the forces of nature and how to speak with them by name. This man called Thorn took interest in me when he noticed the mark on my neck--the same mark, he said, as the great man we travelled to Moonglow to see. The man who was my father, and who thought me long ago removed from this existance. I knew my father not my whole life, but my heart does hurt at the loss of him. He was a good man, with a pure soul. He was called "Count", and commanded the entire island and town of Moonglow and the place of mystery and learning called Lycaeum.

Now my name is Count, and I am to be chief of the land as he was. I know well how to command, and did in my village, but this city is new and very different and I have not been chief. The one who brought me here- he is my Bokonon because his arrival to my home formed my destiny- does give helpful words, and wrote this list for me to give to you. He says my communication is not one people are used to. He wrote it so it would be easier to understand:

  • From this day forward, I shall be known as Count Tevan Kivuli, the royal leader of Moonglow.
  • I alone will have the ability to grant and revoke positions of authority to other citizens of Moonglow, as I see fit.
  • I cannot be overthrown or usurped from power for any reason.
  • I will have sole authority to create and modify the laws of Moonglow; furthermore, I will have authority to administer the justice resulting from those laws as I see fit.
  • I will head all military operations for the city of Moonglow, and appoint generals as necessary to assist with the security and safety of the city.
  • I will make every effort to maintain fairness and peace within this great city.
written by Count Tevan, Translated by: Lord Thorn

My respect to you,
Count Tevan Kivuli
Essence of Honesty
Keeper of Truth

I am glad that I am finally able to share this with you and hope that this clears up any confusion concerning Count Tevan's new Moonglow government.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 9:07 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

UOWorld Relaunch
Delight from UOWorld sent us this information:
Hello dear readers,

I would like to invite you to the reopening of UOWorld.
Our new page layout will be available online at sunday, 19. August.
Due to a lack of time not all features are included yet, however you'll be busy for some time with that what is already available anyway.

Best regards

Your UOW team
http://www.uoworld.de

To be true the new site is up now and running. So If you want to read some german news, stop by at UOWorld and give the new look a glance...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 3:04 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Gender Bender quiz
I know there's a lot of you fellas out there who are running around UO playing lady characters. My shrink, Dr. Vunderbar, says there's nothing wrong with this and it would be good for a man to...how did he put it..."experience the vorld vith un pair uff breasts".

I think he meant something along the line of women's suffrage.

Anyway, you might be good enough to fool your fellow player, but you can't fool The Spark's gender test. As they say on the website:
Our Claim

Guys and girls are different in ways only we realize. In fact, without asking about your clothes, grooming, or chest, our Gender Test *will* predict, with 100% accuracy, whether you're a guy or a girl.

This test's patented Geni-Tell technology has gotten smarter with every taker. Finally, witness the true power of the Internet.
So, if you are having any questions about your own sexuality or just want to know how your brain works then check this site out and find out if you really think like a man or a woman.

http://test3.thespark.com/gendertest/


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 2:29 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Public Meeting of the High Council Rescheduled
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<
Due to a schedule conflict, the public meeting scheduled for Sunday August 19 to address the conflict between the Council of Honesty and the Moonglow Defense Force has been rescheduled. The meeting will now be held on Saturday, August 25 at 1:00 pm central at the Trammel Lycaeum.

My apologies for any inconvenience this schedule change may cause.

Be well!

Lord Buzz Aldridge High Council, 7th Seat, Moonglow

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 12:30 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

Ceremony in Honor of BellaDonna, Zappania, Lady Veil, and Celes Xavier.
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<The Sisters and Brothers of the Ivory Maiden invite all to attend a ceremony in honor of BellaDonna, Zappania, Lady Veil, and Celes Xavier, August the 25th at 5:30 pm (CDT) at the Nujel'm Palace of the Trammel facet. You may view the events that have directed us to this celebration here, The Winds of Change or visit us at our message board. The Sisterhood of the Ivory Maiden

In Service, The Sisterhood of the Ivory Maiden www.ivorymaiden.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 12:22 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

Reminder: Heavenly Angels Auction in Rivendell tonight!
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<

Over 30 skilled and beautiful women have signed up for this event; Craftswomen, Warriors, Mages, you name it, they have it. Gating services will be available from several towns on both facets, please check the official auction page on www.serpentstone.com for details!




Breeze & Goldie
United Women of Sosaria (UWS)
Mail : [email protected]
Url : www.serpentstone.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 12:12 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

Login Problems and Port 5000
AviStetto (Login Server Administrator) commented on some problems that players experienced while trying to connect to some shards. He gave a small description of the problem in this boardthread:
Better as in no longer dead. The UOMON process died. I gave it a gentle resuscitating kick to get it going again.

As for the port 5000 issue, the login server isn't where the ports get set. The port that a user needs to connect on gets set by the individual shards. The login server is responsible for relaying that information to the client.

Just to make sure everyone understands what the port 5000 problem is:
- Ultima Online currently uses ports 5000-5010 for communication between the client and the shard.
- The documentation on the uo.com website incorrectly states that it uses ports 5001-5010.
- RoadRunner, and some other ISPs, recently started blocking port 5000.
- The net result is that some users, notably RoadRunner customers, are unable to reliably connect to some shards.

At this time, I do not know if Ultima Online will make a change so that it stops using port 5000.
So if you experience login problems to some shards you might like to ask your ISP if port 5000 is blocked, and if so friendly request that this port gets freed.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 8:00 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Reagent Changes to Spells
Moff Tarkin was kind enough to do some tests and come up with the reagent changes for some spells.
  • 1st circle spell Magic Arrow now uses Sulphurous Ash instead of Black Pearl and Nightshade
  • 3rd circle spell Fireball now uses Black Pearl instead of Black Pearl and Sulphurous Ash
  • 4th circle spell Lightning now uses Mandrake Root and Sulphurous Ash instead of Black Pearl, Mandrake Root and Sulphurous Ash
  • 6th circle spell Explosion now uses Blood Moss and Mandrake Root instead of Black Pearl, Mandrake Root and Sulphurous Ash
Pages on the site such as the Tome of Reagents, Spell Reagents and Spells (Detailed) have been changed accordingly.

First tests show that the damage done by lower level spells, such as Magic Arrow, Fireball, and Lightning , have been increased so much that they have become very interesting spells to use in combat. Currently these changes are active on Test Center and the Baja shard only. Go check them out if you can.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 6:30 AM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

Comments on Siege Perilous, Blocking Placements at IDOCs, Grading GMs and Hero/Evil Items
On this thread on the official UO Boards here Sannio (UO Community Coordinator) made these comments on the proposed changes to the Siege Perilous shard :
Yes, if you join one of the 4 factions on Siege, under the proposed changes, you will automatically be considered "Hero" or "Evil" as well. Conversely, if someone wanted to join in the Hero/Evil conflict, they would be required to join one of the four factions first (and so be automatically considered "Hero" or "Evil").

A Hero character has the option to earn lifeforce points by killing Evil characters, or by killing faction-associated monsters. You can attempt to gain lifeforce points only through PvM (player versus monster) combat, but know that you will have chosen a lifestyle that makes you a target for the opposing forces of Heroism or Evil, and so risk being attacked at will by factioneers.

Being in the Minax or Shadowlord factions, and therefore being Evil, does not mandate you be red first, nor will you turn red just by joining up; you will not become red by being Evil, but you will become red if you receive enough murder counts to turn you red. In this way it is the repercusions of your actions that turn you red, not your affiliation.

and
During previous iterations of the "Rate Over Time" (ROT) system, the ROT rules only applied to certain skills. This update will apply ROT to all skill advancements on the Siege Perilous shard.

On the issue of blocking tactics employed at placing houses when a prior house has collapsed, on this thread on the official UO Boards here, Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) remarked :
Both running onto steps and using water barrels are considered legal. They are part of the placement competition, and GMs will not intervene.

GMs will not camp out and watch IDOCs. We don't track which houses are IDOC, and we aren't going to start attempting to find them. We have limited resources to support UO, and we cannot use up those resources to watch IDOCs. If we did that, we would sacrifice actual calls in order to resolve possible problems. That's not a trade off we intend to make.

On the issue of rating Game Masters and the legality of hero/evil items, on a seperate thread here, Canyon made these remarks :
The grade you give is really up to you. I expect GMs to put forth a reasonable attempt to answer a question that is asked of them. They should not be jumping to conclusions about questions, nor should they give you an answer that barely relates to your question. There are certainly times when a GM won't be able to answer a question, but I do expect them to at least explain why they can't answer you. Players ask some questions we can't answer, but the GM should still give a satisfactory reason as to why the question can't be answered.

If a GM is not paying attention to the question, or gives an answer that obviously does not answer the question, that needs serious improvement. I do not want that to be considered "average" for our service. That sets the bar real low, and I don't want that. I hope that players are fair both ways in the rating tool. If you receive poor service, mark it as poor. But if a player receives good service, I hope they rate it as good, regardless of a bad GM experience they had two years ago.

Finally, having hero/evil items are fine these days. Back in the old days, only heroes could have hero items, and evil characters could have evil items. Now, it's fine to buy, sell, or trade them.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001, 6:24 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

UO Celebrity Chat with Markee Dragon
The following has been announced by Gilthas from the Celebrity Chat Team:
#Ultima-Online is happy to announce another Ultima Online Celebrity Chat on August 20th at 7:00PM CDT in #Ultima-Online.

Our Guest this time will be Markee Dragon, owner and web master of MarkeeDragon.com, home to an extensive database of rares and unique items, Ultima Online discussion forums, screen shot archives, and more.

If you've never been to a UOCC before, it's simple to join in. Just download an IRC client such as mIRC and connect to one of the following servers:

  • irc.stratics.com
  • irc.stratics.dhp.com
  • stratics.frws.com
  • riot.tac.net
  • stratics.truefear.net
Once you're connected, type /join #Ultima-Online

As an alternative, you can use our JavaIRC client located here, and simply choose "Ultima-Online" as the channel to join.

Hope to see you there!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 6:08 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

No More Pop-up Ads on Stratics
In the category "Ok, ok, we got the message." Jhariden brings us the following announcement:
You will be happy to hear that we have discontinued the use of the pop-up advertising on the pages we'd put them on last wednesday. I think it is important to emphasize something here. We added the pop-ups to only a handful of the thousands of pages that make up this network. So even though we are removing them - I hope that everyone realizes that we never intended to place them on every page throughout our network and most especially not within the forums themselves.

In any event, due to the profound negativity we have received for the use of pop-ups, we have removed them from the few pages that they were added to.

Jhariden
Stratics Community Development

And there was much rejoicing...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 5:29 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

Cameron and Dominicus to be Married!
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<I was sent the following wedding announcement from Cameron and Dominicus:

Announcing the Wedding of Cameron and Dominicus!

Who: Cameron and Dominicus
When: August 24th at 6 pm PST
Where: The Circle of the Dragon Inn (Felucca)
What: All guests are invited to attend the wedding of Cameron and Dominicus. Please stable pets before arriving.
Most wonderfuly news indeed -- Congratulations!
--Sage Arthur

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 3:28 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

FierY iCe Steps into the Spotlight
A new team comment from OSI for this week. This time it’s from FierY iCe and here is what he has to say on Comments from the Team:
Since this is my first Comments from the Team, let me tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Daniel Buckler (FierY iCe) and I am a programmer for Ultima Online. I started at Origin as a web programmer, moved on to eventually become a designer on UO, and then finally found my calling as a programmer. I've seen UO from many different angles and have really enjoyed working on a great game that continues to evolve. It’s especially rewarding to be part of a game that I have played for so long. Back when I was playing the Beta in 1997, I never dreamed that I would have the chance to actually work on UO. It has been a long road to becoming a programmer, but it has definitely been worth it. :)

And now something I'm sure many of you are curious about...

FierY iCe, what's with the alternating caps?? Are you a L33t R0xX0r PK?
The reason I spell my name like that is because I‘ve been doing it that way since about 1994 when I originally created it. It was a name I wanted to use on a BBS. When I was designing my signature, I wanted it to look neat, so I added some fancy coloring and altered the capitalization; eventually, it looked like this:
FierY
iCe

I chose that particular arrangement because it made the capital letters symmetrical in my signature, and with the color gradients I used, it looked really cool. It hasn’t changed since then.

And on a final note, why are you called "Evil in a Can”?
Evil in a Can is the pet name that I came up with for the Hero Titles system. It's the name we use internally for this project. At the time I was working on it, I was designing a dynamic spawn area that players could control by fighting the monsters. At first, I didn’t really have a name for it, but then "Evil in a Can" popped into my head one day and it's been called that ever since.

For those of you having a hard time getting a boss monster, a.k.a Champion of Evil, to spawn from Evil in a Can, just stick with it. It’s very difficult, and there is a little randomness involved, but you can do it. Hopefully, I will be able to look into it further and possibly make it a little easier, or give you some more clues as to how close you are in game, but nothing is scheduled to change at this point in time.

Daniel "FierY iCe" Buckler
Programmer: Ultima Online

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 3:12 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Greetings from Lady Makayla
Merry Meet,

Many of you, I am quite sure, have seen me wandering the realms of our fair Sosaria for quite some time now. I have been and done many things in my life and now I embark on a new adventure, to help bring the news to the people. I shall certainly do my best to report the news to thee in a most fair and accurate manner.

Until then, fair thee well where ever thee fair.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 3:09 PM EDT by Makayla (LegendsAOL)

Statement From Keepers of Justice
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Aramis of the Keepers of Justice has released a statement regarding claims that his guild is responsible for legal actions being taken against the Hand in Yew.
The Hand has made many accusations against the Keepers of Justice and myself. I would like to set the record straight once and for all and would like for the Yew Council to atttest to the following truths:

Neither I, nor any other leader in our midst, have, at any time, requested any actions be taken against the Hand. The actions that have been decided have been decided without ANY input from the Keepers, period. The only words spoken to the Council were at the time I requested acceptance in the militia again and these words were spoken at a public Council meeting held in the Abbey. These words were as follows: "In the coming days I will present evidence as to the crimes commited by Hand members." With the exception of the questions I asked at the last council meeting regarding the warrants, these are the only words I have spoken to the Council regarding The Hand.

I requested that the Keepers once again be considered for militia duty and have just this week been given the approval by the Council but have not discussed this with the Militia Captain, Lowgun, as of the writing of this scroll. With this being the case we could not be considered as trying to take over Yew or control the Council, I think thou doest give us too much credit for having WAY too much power.

I state here and now that The Keepers of Justice wish only to serve the good citizens of Yew and to protect the Abbey from falling into the wrong hands (no pun intended). We shall, and always have, abide by the decisions of The Yew Council and the laws of Lord British.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 2:27 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

GuL Pit fights!!!
Come on, come all! Check out the new GuL tourney in their brand new town!
Welcome to the GUL pit fights. Hosted at Oc'Nivelle (Yew Forest 47o 17`N. x 34o 56`W). Designed to be a place for fighters of all play styles to come together to battle it out, the GUL Pit fights will be held every Saturday.

Registration will begin at 8 pm pst fighting will begin at 9 pm. Players wishing to register must do so by 8:50, no late entries will be accepted.

This Weeks Pit Fight (Saturday August 18th) will be 1v1 single elimination.

Prizes
  • 1st place - 250,000 gold pieces
  • 2nd place - 150,000 gold pieces
  • 3rd place - 50,000 gold pieces
There is no entrance fee
Sponsored by GUL

Guardians of the Undead Lords Pit Fighting rules
  • No magic weapons, no magic armor, no charged magic items.
  • Pre-poisoned weapons are not allowed. Fighters with the poisoning skill may poison there blades once the fight has started.
  • No casting of field spells, or summoning.
  • No pets, this includes spectators. Please stable your pets before arriving at the tower.
  • No looting.
  • No stealing
  • Loss of connection during a fight will result in that fighter losing the match.
  • Tournaments are single elimination (the exception being fighters who lose in the semi-finals will be asked to stay and fight for 3rd place)
  • All fighters are subject to snooping by the Oc'Nivelle staff.
  • Any spectator inference will result in the spectator being banned and the fight starting over.
  • No one is permitted inside the fighting area except the fighters for that match and the ref.
  • Fighters may not hide or cast invisble during there fight
  • To reduce lag anyone not fighting will be asked to hide during the fight. Players who consistently do not hide will be removed from the tower.
  • No smack talking. The point is to prove what you can do... If you just "owned" someone we all will have seen it, no need to spout off about it.
The ref will have final say over any match, issues or complaints with the rules of GUL's Pit Fight will not be discussed until after the tournament has ended.

For questions please visit www.game-master.net

Thanks A Bunch
Beldin

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 2:16 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Grim Bar Brawl
Grimoire Bar Brawl!! Friday 08/17/2001

This weeks fight is a Gladiator Fight, Sponsored by sir black

Friday, August 17, 2001 at (9 PM PST, 10 PM MST, 11 PM Central, Midnight EST)

Tournament will start at 9:10 PM PST. We don't have registration for this event, just show up naked and without anything other than a way home.

20K gold pieces goes to the last fighter standing.

Rules:
· Contestants are not allowed to bring anything to this tourney other than a way home. (recall scroll, spell book, one or two sets of reagents, or a rune book with charges)
· The Grimoire staff will scatter weapons, armor, potions, and bandages on the arena floor. Contestants will start the battle naked and will arm themselves with what they can pick up.

For a full listing of rules, maps to Grimoire, the public message board, and way more Grimoire information than you could want head over to the Grimoire site.

Grimoire

Hope to see you there!
LeeLu-Grimoire Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 2:04 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

It Takes a Village...
It seems the Swamp Village Website has packed its virtual bags and moved to a new spot. Fortunately, the actual Village remains where it always was.  The new URL is http://www.nefertete.com/swampvillage/ and Nefertete advises players to keep a close eye on the site - a new event will be posted soon!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 8:40 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

Clerics Move to Sonoma
I just received this welcome news for the longing-to-be-wed.
UOWedding now has 2 active clerics on Sonoma! We do weddings for free. We have lots of scripts to choose from and are flexible as far as location goes. To book a wedding, go to http://devoted.to/uowedding. The 2 clerics for Sonoma are Karath (ICQ-74195241 [email protected]) and Samantha (ICQ-79085451 [email protected]). You can contact either of us with any concerns you may have. Thank you very much and I hope to see all of you walking down the aisle soon! :)
So dust off that Bridal Armor girls, and guys, tuck a Boutonniere in the slot of your close helm---It's Wedding time!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 8:28 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

News from Trinsic Council of Honour
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Another weekly update arrived at our doorstep:


Monday 13th August saw the latest weekly meeting of the Trinsic Council Of
Honour (TCH).

The council met in the Counsellors Hall in Trinsic at 8pm (GMT). The
following were in attendance: -

Attendees: Drakys TCH, Mentazm TCH, Kaine TCH, Clarice TPH, Mouse BP,
Crowley DOT, Pryrates *F*, Handsome Chris TCH, Ryppypnalle TPH, Akhual *F*,
Kapios Kapote AWL.

Apologies : Ewan Blackmane, Maria delSythia, Gladiator.

The mainpoints discussed were: -

1) ERPA relations - The council agreed to make an effort to contact some
other ERPA guild around Trinsic to get acquainted with people and their
politics.

2) It was agreed the council shall set up a bagball team (at some point in
the near future). The name of which is still to be decided (though this
particular scribe likes the sound of 'The Trinsic Titans' *grins*.)

3) Mentazm offered to keep a runebook in his house to allow the council
access to other guildhouses owned by ERPA members, as well as player
run towns.

4) It was also agreed that those attending next week's meeting would visit
Spiritwood as a group to meet it's citizens (please note this is only for
TCH, TPH and DOT members only.) This will take place on Tuesday 21st August
after the weekly meeting.

5) The quest being organised by Kaine was discussed further and it was
decided that a member of DOT and TPH would accompany the participants (as
this event is aimed at 'younger' citizens.)

6) 2 council positions were filled on Monday's meeting: Dilpomat - taken by
Tyndal and Justiciar - filled by Handsome Chris.

If you would like to attend future meetings to discuss these matters, build
some community spirit, and make some new friends then the next meeting will
be held in the Trinsic Counsellors Hall in Trammel on Tuesday 21st August at
20:00 GMT (please note the following meeting will be back on a Monday.)
Before attending, though, please see our tome (http://stop.at/trinsic) so
you can get acquainted with what the council are aiming to do and what we
have achieved so far. There you will also find some basic rules to make our
meetings constructive and orderly.

Drakys,
Scribe, TCH


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 6:17 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Skara Brae Street Faire
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<This announcement was received from Dante,
Hail All,

Queen Shieba's Alliance, a guild known for their dedication the Crafting Arts and Role playing, has decided to extend their crafter’s skills to those in need and sell their products in the town of Skara Brae. We will be doing this on Sunday, August 19th, and have committed to being there at least from 5:00-7:00(PST) server time.

This Street market faire is most certainly open to all, to either buy or sell. We have invited TAA, tDw, -S-, and RoR guilds to participate as well.

Our interests though, are to stress fun had by all and promote our Role Playing guilds as well as Skara Brae city. We would like to focus on crafted goods for selling, but would certainly allow people to sell other things as well; mounts, pets, reagents, rune and spell books, etc. as well as take orders for larger amounts of good.

People wishing more details can reach Dante at ICQ-946655 or Galilee at ICQ- 13961386.

Dante
Lord High Chancellor Ambassador of Queen Shieba
Thankye Dante

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 5:36 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Two new vendor shops open up shop in Trammel
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<News from Doomworld:

I would like to announce the openings of 2 new vendor shops on the Europa Shard-Trammel side. They are open for business now, but the offical opening is this Saturday. August 18th.

Please use this link http://linux.telnett.no/~doomworld/ to find out the locations of the shops and what they sell. We hope to see you there.

Lady Nyte Doombringer- WOD


I am sure these shops will attract a lot of visitors.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 3:16 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

New Jobs at Destiny!
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We received the following...
The town of Destiny is excited to announce the creation of two new job openings. We're opening applications to anyone interested and qualified.

Title: Minister of Operations * Felucca
The person in this position will be expected to plan and execute day-to-day activities in Destiny. This position reports directly to the Mayor and does not hold a council seat. Basically, this position keeps the town fun and entertaining.

Title: Minister of Operations * Trammel
The person in this position will be expected to plan and execute day-to-day activities at Ix. This position reports directly to the Mayor and does not hold a council seat.

Requirements:
The person should be a good, clear communicator. This person must be able to get along well with others. The person must be motivated and able to devote ample time to the job. The person should have some knowledge of Destiny and/or Ix.

How to apply:
Please send an application using the following template to [email protected] by August 30, 2001.

Subject: Minister of Operations position (facet)
Character name/Guild:
What do you enjoy about life in Britannia?
How do you like to spend your (UO) time?
What experience do you have that could be helpful to you in this position?
How familiar with Destiny and/or Ix are you?
Why do you want this job?
Is there any additional information you wish to share?

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001, 12:13 AM EDT by Beans Baxter (LakeSuperior)

Comments on Griefing, Cartography Changes, Siege Perilous and Tracking Savage-Painted Hidden People
On this thread on the official UO Boards here, in response to this question :
ok Im at trammel bk room attempting to get some wrestling, when I move to the right tile , people start getting mad and say "keep griefing" and stuff to me (If you sat at the bk room for an hour you'd get 12 people banned from harassment lol)

Anyhow , is it griefing to stand in a tile that a player dosnt tell you to in the bk room?

Because I was on a horse they were getting all angry-- I dont think this is griefing but I'd like to ask anyhow

Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) replied :
No, it's not griefing. Nor is using silver, magic, or pets in the bone knight room. That spot is a hotbed of problems, and players too often think anyone not standing in line is a griefer.

On this thread on the official UO Boards here regarding the proposed changes to the cartography skill, Ignatz (Designer - UO) remarked :
Greets,

What you are refering to as the "randomness of gains" is actually an aspect of the basic skill gain system. I mean, yes, this system has a definite random component, but it's not specific to cartography... the same gain system is used for a large number of skills.

Even adding something like a skill gain check when digging up the treasure chest would be using the same "randomness" and generally have the same results as decoding does now.

Which means that in order to truly confront the issue as you've raised it, the skill gain system as a whole would really need to be the target. Lots of juggling and balancing will be involved. A fairly large task that would pretty much need to be its own focus.

Which is, of course, something that is possible to do, but it's very far beyond the scope of what I was able to touch for this publish. It's far from a dead issue, but it's gonna have to wait before someone can throw an "In Vas Mani" at it.
.
There are further comments made by Sannio (UO Community Coordinator) and Ignatz made in that thread that UO Stratics readers may wish to peruse at their leisure.

On the proposed changes to Siege Perilous, Sannio clarified on this thread on the official UO Boards here
The changes mentioned for Siege Perilous are currently available on Test Center 5.

On this thread here Canyon clarified on the issue of tracking savage-painted hidden people :
I've checked with the Live team to get a definitive answer on this. The GM team will not treat this as an exploit, so it is legal for people to hide while wearing war point. There are plans to change this in a future publish, so that players wearing war paint will be tracked. So, it is considered legal, but it will be changed in the future.

(Still waiting on an answer regarding UO Loop, though).

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 9:43 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Account Management Page and Changes to Siege Perilous
Posted on Common Issues of the official UO Site :
The account management page is having considerable delays. We assure you that we are working diligently to correct this and we will update you once we have more information.

Recently posted on the General Testing section of the official UO Site :
Several updates and changes will occur for the Siege Perilous shard. These changes include Stats changes, ROT, the Hero/Evil system, NPC training, Taming, and other items.

The changes are :
Several updates and changes will occur for the Siege Perilous shard. These changes include Stats changes, ROT, the Hero/Evil system, NPC training, Taming, and other items. The specifics are listed below.

Stats (Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence) will gain a maximum of 6 points per day, total. (For example, a character main gain 3 points in Strength, 1 point in Dexterity, and 1 point in Intelligence, equaling 6 total points gained).

A variation of the “Rate Over Time” (ROT) system will be returning to Siege Perilous:

(a)Skill points for skills under 70 points will gain as normal shards (including “power hour” point gain capability).

(b)Skill points for skills between 70 and 79.9 points will gain a maximum of 3.6 points total per day, with a minimum of 20 minutes between point gained.

(c)Skill points for skills between 80 and 98.9 points will gain a maximum of 2 points total per day, with a minimum of 40 minutes between point gained.

(d)Skill points for skills 99.0 points and up will gain a maximum of 2 points total per day, with a minimum of 60 minutes between point gained.

A revised Hero/Evil system will be returning to Siege Perilous:

(a)“Red” characters will be allowed in all towns. Guards will not kill them on sight, but will kill them if they perform any criminal acts. It will still be a criminal act to heal a red within town, but it will not be an act which guards could be called for. Reds will also be attackable by anyone while in town—faction enemy, “red” character, or otherwise.

(b)The True Britannians and Council of Mages factions will be considered “Hero” factions. The Shadowlords and Minax factions will be considered “Evil” factions. All four factions will still be at war with one another, in addition to being integrated with the Hero/Evil system.

(c)Killing faction characters who are in your own faction will incur a penalty. The killer in this case will lose 50% of his current kill points, lose 100% of the lifeforce accumulated, and be able to be reported as a murderer. An exception to this will be the killing of guild mates, thus allowing characters to spar with guild mates. Another exception is that if your character is attacked by another, you are allowed to defend yourself with impunity.

(d)Faction characters will gain lifeforce equal to 20% of the life force of the character killed, and that character who was killed will lose an equal amount of lifeforce points.

(e)Faction characters will gain 1 lifeforce point for each faction enemy monster which that character kills.

(f)The maximum number of lifeforce attainable is 100 points.

(g)Players will be able to spend lifeforce points toward special Hero/Evil powers:

Colored Armor (5 lifeforce points; duration is permanent; turns an article of armor or clothing white for Hero, black for Evil)

Detect Evil/Good (1 lifeforce point; duration is immediate; allows Hero character to scan the area for Evil, and Evil to scan for good)

Summon familiar (10 lifeforce points; duration is 30 minutes; allows character to summon a familiar to fight for the character, silver wolf for Hero or dark wolf for Evil)

Bless (60 lifeforce points; duration is 30 minutes; temporarily “blesses” one equipable item, item will note time remaining)

Silver/Dark Steed (30 lifeforce points; duration is 30 minutes; creates a silver steed for Hero character to ride, or dark steed for Evil character)

Holy/Unholy Shield (40 lifeforce points; duration is 60 minutes; character is ignored by all monsters and faction guards while this power is active)

(h)Evil characters will no longer automatically hue red (unless a particular character is a murderer), and any Evil character which kills a blue innocent may gain a murder count. The faction system hue
will be in effect to handle aggression and flagging.

(i)Some changes to verbiage from the previous Hero/Evil systems will occur based on localization needs.

An additional penalty for being red on Siege Perilous includes the amount of gold found on the corpse of a creature which they have killed will be one-third. For example, if a player would normally receive 600 gold off a monster, if that player is instead red, he will receive 200 gold.

Starting equipment for new characters on Siege Perilous will be:
Clothing, as normal (“newbie items”)
1 dagger (“newbie items”)
100 gold coins
25 ingots
1 shovel
1 bag, with 10 of each reagent
1 katana

NPCs will no longer be able to train characters.

Hiding will no longer be possible while taming; invisible characters who begin taming will be revealed.

Taming high level monsters (such as nightmares, wyrms, and dragons) will become twice as difficult.

Provocation continues to be difficulty based.

The warning gump players see upon entering the Siege Perilous Shard has been removed.

Siege Perilous will gain the Ilshenar facet. This added facet will have the “Felucca ruleset,” in addition to allowing faction fighting.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 9:22 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Baja Server Publish and Changes to Testing in Next Update
Recently posted on the FYI section of the official UO site.
We have published the changes and fixes listed in Testing for Next Updateto the Baja shard. These changes are now currently active.

We will monitor the Baja shard over the remainder of the week and weekend, and barring any issues, will announce a publish schedule for the remaining shards as soon as we have a target date.

And
A few additions were made to Testing for Next Update regarding the Combat Changes and Tutorial/Haven items previously announced. These changes are presently active on the Baja shard. As stated earlier, we will be closely monitoring Baja and will announce a release schedule for the remaining shards as it is determined.

The changes will be added to Latest Game Updates once the publish is active on all shards.

The Combat Changes are :
Changes to combat damage and how it is calculated.

Hit Point Calculation
The following change will be made to the manner in which hit points are calculated for players.

Hit Points = (str/2) + 50

Note: Any spells or effects that modify strength will also modify the target’s maximum hit points equally. For example, under the new formula, a player with 80 strength will have 90 hit points. However, if they drink a greater strength potion, their strength will be 80+20 (100) and their maximum hit points will be 90+20 (110).


Anatomy Damage Bonus
A bug causing the anatomy damage bonus to be doubled against players will be fixed. However, the maximum damage bonus for anatomy will be increased to 30% upon reaching 100.0 skill (the damage bonus will still be 20% for players with less then 100.0 anatomy skill.

This change will have the following consequences…

Under the current system, a player with an anatomy skill of 100.0 can receive a 20% damage bonus against monsters, and a 20% damage bonus against players. Under the new system, a player with an anatomy skill of 100.0 will receive a 30% damage bonus against both monsters and players.

Similarly, a player under the current system with a skill of 80.0 can receive a 16% damage bonus against monsters, and a 32% damage bonus against players. Under the new system, this player will receive a 16% damage bonus against both monsters and players.


Lumberjack Damage Bonus
The lumberjack skill will now add a damage bonus to axe weapons using the same formula as described for the anatomy damage bonus.

The bonus is 20% of the lumberjack skill until 99.9 skill and 30% for 100 skill.


Spellbooks
Players will no longer be required to equip their spellbooks while casting. They may continue to do so if they so choose (holding a spellbook will not prevent you from casting a spell).

Players will be able to gain wrestling and/or tactics skill while holding a spellbook if the appropriate skill is marked to go “up”.


Spell Changes
Several spells will have their power increased, particularly low-circle spells. Spells such as Magic Arrow, Fireball, and Lightning Bolt will do noticably more damage then before. The energy bolt, explosion, chain lightning, meteor swarm, and flamestrike spells will be given a small damage increase. In addition, some spells will have lower reagent costs (note: until players receive a client patch these changes will not be visible in the spellbook).

The Harm Spell
The “Harm” spell will have its damage scaled based upon the caster’s distance to the target. The closer the caster is to the target, the more damage it deals.


Special Hits
Special hits now work on monsters as well as players.

NPCs can now do special hits if they have the anatomy skill and a two-handed melee weapon equipped.

All special hits done with 2-handed weapons now base their chance to go off on the attacker's anatomy. The percentage chance to do a special hit is: Anatomy / 4. This would create the following chances:
0.0 Anatomy skill yields a 0% chance
40.0 Anatomy skill yields a 10% chance
100.0 Anatomy skill yields a 25% chance

Pre-Casting
"Pre-casting" has been re-enabled as follows:

You cannot equip anything while you are casting.

After you cast a spell, it will "time out" after 30 seconds and can no longer target anything. During those 30 seconds, you can now equip a weapon, attack with it without ruining your stored spell. When you release the spell, you will automatically unwield your weapon.

Negative Acts In City Regions
You can no longer perform negative acts on players and NPCs in Trammel city and justice regions. Because there was no viable way to "get away" with performing negative acts in Trammel where guards would instantly kill you (with the exception of exploits), we felt there was no need to present the option.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 9:10 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

New OoC Comic
It's new! Read it! Enjoy life!
Tonights comic is called This Old House. As always this and many many others can all be found at.

www.outofcharacter.com

New Website coming soon! Yay!

-Arakasi

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 6:53 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Faction News
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This Faction News was Written by Amalacon,
O My where have all the Minax Gone? That's right the Base of the Minaxian Power LoD has moved to the Order ChAoS arena, you will be missed. SL Depleted since E@K went CoM still maintains a decent presence lurking in the Woods of Yew.

G.I. of TB surprised everyone last night by not only Taking all 8 sigils baking in the CoM Stronghold, But managed to get together a Gate/City Sweeping Crew for several hours last night. A sight for sore eyes looking for oranges to fight.

And last but not least CoM. With an Influx of new players looking to join "The" faction, a lot of the old crew are becoming disenchanted. Anyone with brains would realize this is a cycle. A Faction Reigns for long enough everyone joins them, till they get killed but another faction on the rise, then they sign off and go back. Look for some shuffling among some of the older players leaving CoM for virgin territory this too is a cycle.

PLAYERS of Note:

JT and Nyk of CoM, props to my brothers for charging into the teeth of the TB arrow storm last night. Big Brass well u know want I mean Baron and Barons Back both SL I believe. Making the Buc's Den Gate unsafe for the rest of us J Xerion of TB, Never killed him, but his Axe blasts thru any protection spells I may have a real bear. And Dear Minax. I just don't know anymore maybe today I will see one.

Amalacon
CoM
Malagents
Thankye Amalacon

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 5:45 PM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Cartography Revised
It seems that Mapmaking received just another update to Treasure Map Changes
It will now be possible for players to reach 99.5 in cartography through creating world maps as well as through decoding treasure maps (previously, a player could only reach a skill of 98.5 through creating world maps).

Here is also what Sannio had to say about it:

Our "In Development" section lists "Treasure Map Changes," here. The change mentioned at the bottom of the list has been updated, due to a significant amount of informed and well-stated player feedback.

Previously, the changes would have allowed players to gain 100.0 ("Grandmaster") level in Cartography through the creation of world maps. The related change now states: "It will now be possible for players to reach 99.5 in cartography through creating world maps as well as through decoding treasure maps (previously, a player could only reach a skill of 98.5 through creating world maps)."

=========
Sannio
Online Community Coordinator, UO
Origin Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 3:55 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Rune Lottery on Saturday
Just saw this over at UO Deutschland and maybe you are interested in this event:

Hear Ye ! Hear Ye !

At the 21st hour of the 18th days this month's I organize in cooperation with the "Waechtern der Tiefe" [Guardians of the Depths] on Drachenfels/Trammel a rune lottery !

The following prices can be won:
1st price: Check about 100.000 gold coins
2nd price: Check about 40.000 gold coins
3rd price: Check about 25.000 gold coins
4th price: Check about 10.000 gold coins
5th price: Check about 5.000 gold coins
6th - 10. price: 3.000 gold coins in bar

A lottery rune will cost 2.200 gold coins.

About 10 minutes before the start the helpers put free gates to the Runenvendor from the West Bank Britain - recognizable by yellow robes (set up by Zorgan) they wear -, from the East Bank Britain and perhaps also from the Trinsic bank.

For the participation it is necessary that you can recall! The runes are labeled with a coding which must not be changed. To confirm that the label was not changed one must recall onto the respective rune! A helper waits at the corresponding place and checks the genuineness of the rune.

Important: Troublemakers like to keep off to this event please. In addition please follow the orders of the personnel (in the yellow robes of Zorgan)!
Player that keep on disturbing this event are excluded from participation !

Therefore come numerously !
Zindar

Remember: 21st hour is in MEST (Middle European Summer Time which means +2 to GMT)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 1:55 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Tournament
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Pete sends in word of a gladiatorial competition. More information can be found here.
Catskills Arena Combat - Weekly 1v1 Tournament

Sunday, August 19th at 9 PM Eastern time

Here's the rules for Arena Combat:
  • Absolutely no attacking, fighting, casting, potion tossing, or any other forms of combat or disruption outside of the Arena and/or by non-participants.
  • No magical weapons, armor, or charged items of any kind (including event items and yes, we will be checking).
  • No summoned or tamed pets (spectators leave your horses, ostards, llamas, etc. at home, too).
  • No hiding, stealing, or looting.
  • No poisoned weapons of any kind unless poisoned by the fighter after the fight commences.
  • No casting once you've entered the Arena for your match until the referee signals to begin.
  • No bladespirits, invisibles, gates, recalls, or energy vortexes allowed.
  • Disconnection will result in a forfeit for that fighter.
  • Fights disrupted by outsiders will be restarted after the disrupter has been removed.
  • At the discretion of the referee, if no clear winner is decided (read: noone dies) after a reasonable period of time, he/she will declare a winner on factors such as: damage given and received, aggressiveness, number of times close to death, and overall domination.
  • The winner will immediately step away from the corpse of the loser; let the referees ressurect.
  • Innapropriate language or behavior from any fighter or spectator will not be tolerated.
  • Spectators will remain hidden and silent during all fights.
Bring your patience. We try to run a fun event, but it's hard to get the cooperation of every factor that goes into it.

Failure to follow these rules or the instructions of the Arena Combat staff will result in disqualification and/or removal from the tower. All judgements by the Arena Combat Referees are final.

Arena Combat is held at the lovely southern tower of the August Moon in Felucca(119o 47' S, 13o 0' W just south of the Lizardman Fort).

There is no entry fee.

Prizes:
  • 1st - 50,000 gold
  • 2nd - 25,000 gold
  • 3rd - 10,000 gold

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 1:18 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Choreographed Dance Contest
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Micah sends us the following announcement:
There will be a Choreographed Synchronized Dance contest. Held 8pm Eastern Daylight Time Saturday August 18th. Teams of 2 or more are encouraged to come, and compete. Judging will be done on there ability to be in unison, costumes, and on creativity. Prize is for first place team only of 1,000,000 gold. The dance will take place in the Star Room on the facet of Trammel, we will be gating from the West Brit bank for the previous 15 minutes.

Micah

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 1:10 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Sannio's Response to Player Ideas
Sannio gave a longer reply to the players who had ideas, concerns, complaints and other things that they wanted to have passed along to the Dev-Group at OSI in a longer boardthread. Here is what he had to say:
I want to point out a few things, as sort of a general reply to everyone who responded to my request to Talbot. And, by the way, thank you everyone for replying, you brought up some excellent points, and they’ll be passed along to our team.

Clear Details are Crucial
When someone writes "this change sucks"--in this case the change is the localization effect on books--while that may speak volumes about your feelings and your passion against it, it says little about why you feel that way. And the Dev Team and I need the nitty gritty on "why."

Talbot, I don't categorize you as a whiner, or a blowhard. I categorize you as passionate. But I need you to keep that passion productive--clearly, the strength of your feelings had me hoping you would be able to provide me (and the Dev Team) with a clearly defined game mechanics problem, a visual flaw that perhaps we didn't see.

If you want reasons to why, as you put it, "localization sucks," well, you can never get them with that statement. Your initial statement was too arbitrary. Localization may "suck" for you in a way that someone else is comfortable with.

However, when Brenna cites: "Titles are limited to 14 characters. [O]lder books attempt to display their longer titles, but on the first page of the book, it's cut off. Titles SHOULD be longer than 14 characters,” that says a lot. Emperor_Krosis supports Brenna’s statement with an example: “I used to be able to write, "The Britannia Herald v.40" now I can only put "The Britannia Herald’.“)

Frigax wrote: “You can no longer casually interact with any NPCs, you have to use exact (dumbed-down) trigger words in exact (dumbed-down) order. 'Vendor I wish to buy' and 'Derek, m'lord, could you train me?' no longer work,” and now I know what he doesn't like about the changes.

Even when a non-English speaker says it is generally acknowledged by their fellow foreign players that they do not favor localization changes to English grammar, as it loses the immersion quality of an apparently medieval Europe flavored game, that's clear and presentable.

That Sans-serif Font
Clodia asked: “The real question is: Why must an ugly, modern, unappealing font be used? Localization has nothing to do with fonts, only grammer and syntax. Why must the visual appeal of the words be sacrificed?”

So, what is the deal with the font? As a player, I knew that OSI had created that medieval-esque default font for UO. Whenever the choice came up to use that game-based font, or some sans-serif font that happened to be on my system, I chose UO’s font.

Why does that localization-inspired sans-serif font keep popping up? UO’s font doesn’t have enough characters for foreign languages. Heck, it doesn’t even have enough English language characters! Where’s the correct quotes? The em or en dashes? :] But, enough of my personal obsession with quotes & dashes.

The fact is that, if whatever font UO begins using as it’s default doesn’t have various quotes symbols (and different countries use different quotes), or accents, or umlauts, or tildes, or non-English characters (such as Asian characters), then the game needs to start relying on whatever fonts might reside within the player’s computer, outside the game. For computers set to use English characters, that pretty much means your default font is some generic sans-serif font. I learned this frustrating limitation years ago when I started designing Web pages, and I’m surprised it took this long to get into UO (and games in general).

Brenna: “The problem arises in older books which have character/ASCII art in them. I have very popular player-written book on Catskills called "The Codex of Paladiene". The first page after the title used to display an ankh that someone had carefully drawn onto the page. That ankh is now skewed to the right and does not display completely.” I imagine that there are a lot of “character/ASCII” art in UO books out there. I’ll make sure to point this out this “break in the established functionality of books” to the Dev Team.

That pesky grammar
Emperor_Krosis: “why couldn't they get the ‘you see: 2 black pearl’ in their language and we get the ‘Those are 2 black pearls’ message.” I wondered that for a long time as well. I wish the localization grammer was more appropriate, but, too often, we see it is not. I also fondly recall the days when tillermen offered to tell you a story.

Localization, in and of itself, does not affect grammar. It doesn’t translate so much as transliterate. A lot of people aren’t familiar with the phrase “transliteration,” so I’m going to show you an example, using UO’s player orc language as our foreign language.

Foreign (Orc) phrase: “Me nub gruk wut lat blah.”
Native (English) transliteration: “I no know what you speak.”
Native (English) translation: “I do not understand you.”

See that? Although we can understand it, the grammar in the transliteration version is wrong, as far as a correct English sentence goes. Note also that 6 “foreign” words became 5 “native” words. Localization brings the foreign language to the Native transliteration stage, and that’s the best it can do currently. It’s also my understanding that, while the “keywords” in a sentence will be translated from foreign to native words, many words do not translate properly, such as conjunctions (and, but or), and a few won’t translate at all. There’s also the fact that the placement of verbs, nouns, adverbs, etc., in a sentence can change from language to language.

So then localization forces us to become minimalists, focusing on keywords and breaking down sentences into phrases, particularly for text-based commands. “Dialogue” is pretty much translated manually into each language we support, line for line, while “commands” need to be dynamic and adapt to whatever the user’s native language is. One or two word phrases flanking a colon may make for bad translations, but they make for almost universally understood transliterations. From a growth stand point, the more people that can understand the text in the game, the more people have a chance of buying and playing the game.

(I digress: I recall reading a commentary a few months ago by a creator of an online comic. He was in Japan for a time, playing some console game, and progressing very nicely. He got to a point where the game asked him a question or riddle, and he stopped short, not being able to read Japanese. So he put the game down, unable to play any more. How many games will he buy from that game company now?)

Aesthetics
Emperor_Krosis observed: “The text no longer fills up the page (i.e. the margins are huge),” and “Text Point is far too small (relates to [margins statement, above]). This looks especially ugly on the title page (compare an old and new version).” Completing his critique, he supplied his thoughts on a possible solution: “Why can't they make the old book font the unicode english book font? Then everyone would be happy.” I don’t know yet, but I’ll ask.

Suggestions & Observations
SubZero suggested: "While localization makes UO more enjoyable for people whose first language isn't English, I understand that, so put it on non-English speaking shards." I don’t know if that’s possible, specifically. Although you have made me wonder if there could be options for players to control the font being presented in books, like our speech font. I’ll have to ask on that, but I think it’s likely to be something that already came up.

ICG observed: “I know of no one who's said 'WOOHOO the game is so much better since localization!' not one person.” Those are actually some very powerful words, ICG. They’re also going to be passed along.

Thanks again, everyone, for giving a detailed critique.

=========
Sannio
Online Community Coordinator, UO
Origin Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 12:53 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Tutorial & Haven Changes In "Next Update"
Just a short FYI to everyone:

The Tutorial & Haven Changes moved today from In Development into Testing for Next Update.

As a reminder, here ist what these changes include:
Several updates and changes will occur for new players, young characters, the tutorial area, and the city of Haven. The specifics are listed below.
  • Young characters that die while taking the tutorial will be removed from the tutorial and sent to Haven.
  • The ability to buy unlimited amounts of bread during the tutorial is being corrected.
  • The armorer in Haven will now sell the proper items.
  • Floor tiles underneath practice dummies within the tutorial will highlight.
  • The tutorial area will now be an insta-log region.
  • NPC guards in Haven will be “upgraded” to be more in line with NPC guards in veteran areas.
  • An issue involving spinning wheels within the tutorial area becoming “stuck” is being corrected.
  • An issue disallowing the ability to bake pies in ovens in the tutorial area is being corrected.
  • Players will no longer be required to type “Hello” before advancing into the tutorial.
  • The degree to which NPC shopkeepers wander in Haven will be reduced, to better allow new players to interact with them.
  • Reagents, especially those used for Fireball and Magic Arrow, will now spawn in Haven.
  • Wandering Healers are being placed outside the city of Haven.
  • A forge will be placed inside the mine entrance to help new players produce ingots more efficiently. This is especially important due to the low level of the character’s strength, and the fact that pack horses are not a viable option.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 12:44 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Faculty Openings at Spiritwood University
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Spiritwood University announces:

Hear ye! Hear ye! The Council of the University of Spiritwood has announced two openings in the Circle of Deans for that presitigious institution, in the headships of the Social Studies and Unseen Arts Schools! These are distinguished positions with serious duties, as described in the University's Hall of Records:

"... the Sixth Circle of Wisdom is highly exclusive, as there are only seven active positions available within it. Each of the seven Deans is the head of the one of the Schools of Virtue, which are dedicated to a particular strain Britannian art, be it magery, fighting, taming, or any other such. The Dean plans and executes the diploma course for their school, determining lesson content, dates, times, teachers, and all other details (with the approval of the Chancellor). Very often they will roll up their sleeves and take part in the teaching work themselves, but it is also common for them to take on Professors to help them with the task. Amongst Britannians, Deans of Spiritwood University are considered masters of their art, wielding talents that are forged with long experience of the world, and to achieve a prestigious Deanship is a great privilege that also bears great responsibility."

As such, any individuals interested in the post of either Dean of Compassion (the Social Studies School, covering the healing arts) or Dean of Honor (the Unseen Arts School, covering hiding, stealth, snooping, stealing, and suchlike) who feel they are qualified enough to stand a chance at selection by the Council, and would like to face the exciting, satisfying challenge of planning and running a diploma course, while teaching lessons and administrating their own school, should get in contact with the Chancellor via pigeon at 102125966, or by letter at [email protected]. More information on the workings of the University can be found at http://swu.ehonline.org/organisation.htm.

For the Virtues,

- Chancellor Sims Roggran
Spiritwood University


I wonder if the University is interested in grumpy old reporters :)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 10:22 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

A story telling night at the Blue Boar
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I got the following letter from DXGhost:

Greetings from DXGhost of Europa!

On Friday, 17th of August at 8PM GMT, there will be a meeting in "The Blue Boar" Tavern, South East of Britain, co-ordinates 5o 37'S 12o 39'E, Trammel.

It will be a story telling night, with free drinks, and games. Tell your stories of bravery and luck to all! Everyone is welcome, newbies and veterans alike. I'm going to try to make this a weekly event, depending on how the first few weeks go, stop by and I'll buy ya a beer ;)

DXGhost


I hope many will attend this event, the free beer should help :)

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 10:16 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Impy's Bonus Auction
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<The folks over at Impy's sent me a message this morning asking that I remind folks of their second auction this week. It is scheduled for tonight at 9pm out on Ice Island at their Artic Faire. They said they still had lots of great rares, weapons and armor left for tonight's auction. Direction, item lists, help wanted signs: all can be found at www.impys.net.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 9:11 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Blade Questers Can Win 100K!
Perusing the Sonoma Message Boards, I came across a bit of information posted by Drizzt that should interest everyone who participated in Blade Quest, Sonoma Quests recent four week adventure.
If you participated in the Blade Quest, we want to hear from you! Sonoma Quests is taking a survey to learn more about what was right and what was wrong with the Blade Quest event. Go to the URL at the end of this message, and fill out the five minute survey completely to be entered into a random drawing for 100,000 gold. Every field must be filled out, and the survey is open to anyone who participated in at least one mission of the recent Blade Quest. THAT'S ALL THE RULES!  Check it out, and let us know what you think!  http://www.sonomaquests.homestead.com/survey.html

Additionally, I'm willing to pay 5,000 gold apiece for screenshots taken during the Blade Quest, up to 25,000 gold per player. The only restrictions are, the pictures must have been taken ON the quest, with at least 4 others who went on the quest appearing in each shot. I'd like to set up a page on the Sonoma Quests site that chronicles the events of the Blade Quest for posterity. If you have screenshots you'd like to get paid for, please submit them to me as e-mail attachments at [email protected]. The body of your e-mail should include your character name (present in the pic) and your ICQ number so I can contact you to arrange payment. Thanks for your help, folks.

So hop on over and take the survey!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 8:31 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

Skara Brae Council Elections
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Sam, Lady Chancelor of the Gentry, sent us this announcement:
Tis the time of year again to elect the Council of Skara Brae (F). Renewing a long tradition, the Council of Skara Brae offers the citizens of the land a voice and means to participate in the Community.

The Fourth Council Elections will be held on the 25th of August at the Town Hall in Skara Brae (F) between the hours of 9 and 11 pm. Nominations for the council will close on Saturday the 18th. If you wish to 'Throw your Hat' into the ring for one of the council positions, contact one of the council members or attend the council meeting Saturday the 18th at 9 pm.

The Council positions are:

Steward
Chancellor of the Gentry
Chancellor of the Commons
Chancellor of the Judicary
Consul-General

Any free citizen, member of a guild or faction may vote or run for office if registered as a Citizen of Skara Brae.

As noted earlier, the balloting will be on the 25th, if you are unable to attend the balloting you may contact any member of the council or Eric Strongbow, of the Green Gryphon in Britain (F) to register and vote between 19th and the 25th of August.

Additional information on the elections and interviews with some of the canidates can be found at the Skara Brae Chimera.

If you would like to participate, in a very unique community, and a very unique process please come to Skara Brae and learn more of being a citizen of the Freehold.

In Service to the Community of Skara Brae,

Sam, Lady Chancelor of the Gentry of Skara Brae

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2001, 2:02 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

UONewbie.com Gets a Facelift
Swissie sent us in the following about the update of the UONewbie.com website as well as a request for reporters:
I'd like to announce the revamp of UONewbie.

Among other things, the most important are the following:

  • A brand new, easier to use, compatible menu system and look.
  • New & Revised guides, including Carpenter and Fisherman!
  • A housing decorations section that is quickly expanding.
Additionally, I'd like to announce that UONewbie is looking for several people who would be willing to help out writing for the MAIN PAGE of the site (news, articles, rants). If you think you're a good writer and are interested in writing (without pay), then please e-mail me at [email protected] WITH an example of your writing work.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 11:45 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

UO Character Tracker Version 2.0
Thanks to EagleEye for sending us in the following regarding his UO Character Tracker program:
UO Character Tracker version 2.0 has been released!

New in this version:

  • Removed the "Top 7 skills" area and replaced it with a fully configurable "10 skills you're tracking for this character" area. It's a group of 10 pull-down boxes that allow you to select which skills you specifically want quick reference to. I kept the "highest skill and profession" display area though... the other top 6 skills can be shown (at your option) with this new feature.
  • Character Tracker has been changed to track the character's RAW skill value, instead of the attribute-modified value!
Please go to http://24.22.141.10/uoct/ for more information and to download.

Jared Mark
-aka EagleEye

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 11:30 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

Pop-Up Advertising on Stratics
Greetings everyone!

A great many key advertisers are using pop-up forms of advertising as a normal course of business on many web sites; this is one form of advertising that Stratics, in the past, has avoided like the plague. However, there are times when certain advertising opportunities come across my desk that could prove truly profitable for the Stratics Network. This begs the question, “Is it worth it?” Normally, that answer would be "No"; we feel it is better to forgo that revenue in order to avoid frustrating you, our visitors. But in this time of great change on the internet and a decline in internet advertising opportunities, we also have to look at Stratics for what it is, one of the largest MMOG fan-sites on the internet, so there are times that we must consider alternatives, which will allow us to continue offering quality services, invest in hardware and software and add new features to our network of sites.

We hope you understand our need to use pop-up ad campaigns as an advertising option on occasion. We are the first to agree that using such ads on a regular basis can be annoying, but they are also a necessary evil that, at times, we must endure until internet advertising evolves toward less intrusive forms. When that day arrives, I'll be the first to celebrate.

Regards,

Jhariden Stratics Community Development

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 6:40 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

Trinsic Murders Baffle Guards
Ignatius sent this scroll to me via carrier.  I, as the guards, am baffled at the motive.

GUARDS BAFFLED BY TRINSIC SLAYINGS

The recent death of three Trinsic artisans has left citizens and guards alike both puzzled by what has taken place in the City of Honor and fearful for that which has yet to come. While forensic evidence seems to point clearly to identical cause of death, local authorities have failed to make substantial headway on the case beyond rumor-laced speculations. Further assaults likely imminent, great pressure has been put on local guards to pursue the case with vigor.

a clipping from the Trinsic City Constabulary Report

Allonzo, 24 years, apprentice weaver to the tailor shop, suffered "repeated blows by a rounded blunt object to the cranial shell" nearly two weeks ago.
Body discovered by wife in the kitchen of their private residence in the southeastern part of the city. On scene evidence seems to indicate multiple assailants, clues scarce. Wife Allysand noted only that her husband had spent many evenings out in the past several weeks, and remarked as well that she'd found a hefty sum of gold stuffed away under the bed, a sum which she was at a loss to explain. She refuses to believe that he may have taken up with another woman.

Phineas, 19 years, stable hand at the western stables, found buried in he mud at Trinsic Park south of the Meeting Hall. Cause of death, likely choking, but also with a series of clubbing wounds riddling the body and skull. Found by Donald the fighter 3 days past. Only on scene evidence a scrap of torn red cloth dangling from a bramble bush. Stable master Donald, when questioned about the boy, confessed that a few days earlier, he'd spotted a deep gash on the boy's arm, likely owing to a knife. He added that the victim had been flaunting a shiny silver ring as well, nothing one would purchase on a stable hand's wages.

Bernard, 31 years, local jailor at the Trinsic Jail, found in a cell on the second story of the prison. Suffered a beating by a smooth object. Inmates refuse to comment, a lead which, if pursued, may prove helpful. Found only two nights ago.
The prisoners have yet to be questioned further.

---

Local guard captain Tomas commented that "the work seems not that of a mad serial slayer, and our men doth strive to discover the link between these fellows, that which would tie them together as victims of this horrendous crime. The attacks doth seem to take place beyond sundown and a midnight curfew hath been placed on all those within the walls, both young and old. We ask all citizens to cooperate with this for their own safety, until this rogue is brought to the King's justice." The question lying heavily upon everyone's' minds: Why these three? Here there are three seemingly unrelated victims, doubtfully even acquaintances of one another.
Except for the method and timing of their tragic ends.

From the pen of Ignatius, Vas Scholaris of the Paladin's Library

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 5:14 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Academy de Arcana Grand Opening
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

I received the following announcement/challenge from the Head Council of the Academy de Arcana:

Hail Fellow mages!

It is with great pleasure and pride that I, Lord Remus Heavenfire, and my fellow council members, Lord Sammael, Lord Symma Dhowna, and Lady Lilith Pearl announce the Grand Opening of the Academy de Arcana this Saturday at 4:00 PM, CST. The Academy is Located on Trammel at Whitestone Castle, on the island of Whitestone, just a short trip north of Trinsic.

The Academy de Arcana is an open enrollment school and gathering place for mages, as well as a Center for the study of all things Arcane. We have teachers available for skills such as Poisoning, Provocation, Alchemy, Animal Taming, Inscription, and Magery, just to name a few. The Academy is governed by a ruling council, made up of the aforementioned teachers. Role Players and Non-Role players alike are welcome to attend the school and to use both our library, and our soon to be complete rune library.

There will be contests of Skill and of luck, with prizes to be handed out, based upon attendance. The greater the attendance, the greater the prize (i.e. 3 Deadly Poison kegs instead of 1 or 2). All contests will be posted on the Legends Forums board on Wednesday. Afterwards, guild members will be invited to attend various level 3 and/or 4 treasure map hunts. A current member of the Academy will be available at the Britain bank to gate contestants and potential guild members to the Academy one hour prior to the Opening.

And now, I extend a special "invitation" to Count Tevan of Moonglow. Glorious Count, you are hereby strongly requested to take one of the following actions:

  • Join yourself to the Academy de Arcana and continue as the ruler of Moonglow.
  • Duel a pre-determined member of our School for complete, undisputed rulership of Moonglow.
  • Cede Rulership of the City and island of Moonglow to the Academy de Arcana and its ruling body.
Failure to respond to and/or follow the "invitation" will simply show your lack of concern for Moonglow, and will force the Academy to take actions to depose you from your position. I stress that this is the least favorable course of action, and it would be far greater if we were able to resolve this minor conflict of interests without bloodshed.
Fascinating news from Moonglow. More on this story as it develops.

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 4:42 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

Addition to Treasure Map Changes
The following was just added to the list of Treasure Map Changes that can be found in In Development:
It will now be possible for players to reach 100.0 in cartography through creating world maps as well as through decoding treasure maps (previously, a player could only reach a skill of 98.5 through creating world maps).

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 3:50 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Raffle for Large Tower on Ice Island
News of this raffle were sent in by Dayton of Tradespot. It is for a larget tower in Felucca! Good luck to all. My name is Dayton. I have been a member of Tradespot for over 3 years now. I was asked to hold a raffle for a Large Felucca Tower on the Shard of Chesapeake.

The Raffle will be conducted in the following manner:

There will be One Hundred (100) raffle tickets sold.
Each Raffle Ticket shall cost 500k.
There is no limit on the number of tickets you can buy.

The Raffle will be held for Ten (10) days. Starting on August 15, 2001 and ending on Saturday, August 25, 2001 at 11pm CST. There will be a 75 ticket reserve on the raffle. If 75 tickets are not sold, any tickets bought will be fully refunded.

The drawing will be held on August 25 or when all tickets have been sold, whichever comes first. I will post updates on Tradespot's Chesapeake Page.

To get your 1 in a 100 chance to own this fine Tower, you will need to contact me via Email at [email protected] or ICQ me at 36730971.

The Photo, available on Tradespot's site, does show the exact location at 108°16'N x 160°7'W. Feel free to take a look!

When you purchase a Ticket, you'll receive a numbered book as the raffle ticket for each chance. This book will be needed to collect the Tower if you have the winning number. The numbers in the book will not be in any kind of order (EG. 1-100). I will have a master list with the number and the buyers contact info.

I will try my best to show the Tower twice daily, once at around 1pm CST and again around 10pm CST via a Gate from the East Britain Bank in Felucca. I will show the property when my time allows.

Dont miss your chance to own a large Tower! 500k is not alot when you think of what it can win for you.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me..

Thanks and Good Luck,
Dayton

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 3:23 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Warrants Issued in Trammel Yew
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<The Yew Court Reporter's office sent along the following press release.
Late last evening, the Yew town council met. At this meeting they announced arrest warrants for all members of the Hand. Each warrant details the subject's crimes against Yew and its citzens. All members are to stand trial for their crimes and must pay damages for them. If they fail to turn themselves in, they will be banned from the city. The council also announced a list of people banned from Yew. This list includes all of the city of Satamarin and the Death Corps.

The Court Reporter
Neither the extent of the fines to be levied against the accused criminals, nor the format of the trial, have been announced. At this time, a complete list of criminals named in the warrants has not been released, but Aramis of the Keepers of Justice has announced the arrest of one "Bloody Death", who is currently being detained in Yew. When asked for clarification by Kaitlyn D'Amavir, Yew Senior Councilor Mortalis Dominus responded thusly:
I believe the Keepers are the ones who are pressing the charges. The warrant is only to obtain the Hand's presense to hear their side of the story. The Keepers will have to get with a judge to press official charges, then the judge must serve the warrant and notify them of the charges. Then a trial date will be set. However, this is all pending upon the Hand's reaction. They can either come forward and stand trial and let Justice take its course or they can continue to be fugitives. It is all in their Hand's now. No pun intended.

Mortalis Dominus
Senior Councilor of Yew
An open letter from the leader of the Hand stated that he would stand trial if charges were pressed by the town council, but that he would refuse to cooperate with the Keepers. Dominus responded that the matter is now in the hands of the High Justice and the militia.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 2:16 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

Ultima Remakes – Eriadain Back Again and More
Even it hasn’t been a month since I wrote something about the Ultima Remakes currently developed, a lot of news arrived me lately and I guess it’s fine if I keep you updated about all of them.

Since Victim from the Eridain-project wrote a letter to us announcing some great news about their project, I’ll start in reverse order and get this as the highlight of the news I have for you.
Thanks a lot Victim for keeping us updated here!


Ultima IX: Eriadain
Here is what Victim sent to us about the status of the project:
Hail and well met !

Eriadain website is back at http://eriadain.multimania.com

Eriadain is an attempt at creating a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) Neverwinter Nights module following the canceled storyline of U9.
It was formerly known as Alter U9. The game will be as close to an Ultima as it can, and especially as close to the canceled version of Ultima IX in terms of gameplay, thanks to the informations revealed in interviews,reports, and other infos.

It will feature both a compelling storyline and non-linearity, as well as very advanced character interaction. The gameworld will be bigger than in any Ultima and the game system customized enough to make you forget the Forgotten Realms setting to bring back more Ultima memories. But since I'm bad at summing up things, head to http://eriadain.multimania.com or mail me about it.

We're also looking for people for taking care a few city/dungeon/outdoor/maps.

Thanks for your concern. Even if you're not concered.

Victim.
I also ripped something from their new website to give you a feeling what you can await there:
[..]As you can see, Eriadain is far from being dead, and work is put into it more than ever. Neverwinter Nights' release might seem quite a while away, but there are still a lot of things that can be done now to speed up the real development. That website is part of it. So let's make a tour of it.
If you don't know what is Eriadain, then head immediately for the F.A.Q.
The rest is quite evident enough, so I let you figure it out. Heck, even the FAQ bit was evident come to think about it :p
The last thing I'll mention is that the Story / Gameworld section will be updated regularly with infos on, guess what, the story and the gameworld. In the story section you'll see a letter exchange between various important characters of the storyline, allowing to see diferrent point of views about the situation. The Game World is also a story, but, hey, detailing the game world. Finally, don't miss the fiction, which details the events from Serpent Isle to the start of Eriadain. These 3 sections will be updated regularly.
News for game development are in the development section.
When Neverwinter Nights will be released, a "Module" section will open. Small adventures (some with DM, some classic single/multiplayer) will be released periodically with real ingame maps and features. You will then be able to experience the 80 years gap between U7SI and Eriadain and as well test it. Comments/Remarks will be taken in account into the game.
Enjoy the ride !


Ultima IX: Redemption
Another Ultima IX you might like to ask? Yes, but fear not – even though it’ll be another remake of Ultima 9, it will be quite different to Eriadain. Where Eriadain want’s to redo this game with the Engine of Neverwinter Nights, Redemption will do that with the engine from Dungeon Siege. Plus the story will be quite different as the guys from project explain on their “placeholder” website:
UPDATE AUGUST 8TH: The official website for Redemption is under construction and will replace this placeholder website you see now. Keep watching this space for the new website which will include new features such as; Submit Quests/Ideas, Poll of the Week, Public Forum, Who's on the team, Spotlight of the Week, a News page and everyone's favourite; Downloads. The current FAQ also had two new questions added.
Hail and well met to thee fellow adventurer, so thou dost wish to see the true story of the final conflict between the Avatar and the Guardian brought to the light? Well thou hast come to the right place indeed.
This is not the official Redemption website, this is a preliminary signup for team members and an FAQ/Forum for the public. Our official website will be up soon enough.
We are seeking positive team members who would like to take part in this non-profit volunteer project, as well as gain skills that can help them get into the gaming industry. Keep in mind that the team members are all volunteers. There is no financing for this project as it is purely a non-profit labour of love.
Redemption is simply an alternate U9 story, and will be vastly different to UA. If you wish to read more about what the game will be like feel free to view the Frequently Asked Questions below.
And taken from their FAQ-page:
Q\ Are you guys going with the original "Bob White Plot" as it's referred to?
A\ Our story is totally original. We feel that by copying any major elements from the "Bob White plot" would make people compare it to UA, and we do NOT want that.
Having said that, we will use some of the better ideas that were talked about by Richard Garriott in the initial U9 concepts, such as a civil war brewing between two cities as well as the Guardian sending twisted versions of what the Avatar did to LB, during his struggles in U8. But there will be nothing from UA in our game. No Columns, no incorrectly named Gargoyle cities, no brainwashed anti-virtuous crowds of townfolk, no Raven...okay you get the picture I think :)
Also, the map will be the classic land you fell in love with and journeyed through from U4 to U7.


Ultima VII: Exult
I guess every Ultima Fan knows about the Exult-project now so I don’t want to bore you with the facts from this fine project and just get you the latest news:
7 August 2001 - (Weekly update)
  • We have several new screenshots, including two of ExultStudio!
  • Our old FAQ has been split into two sections: Documentation and the new FAQ
  • The 'fleeing party members' bug has been fixed!
  • The BG intro has been improved further
  • Barges (boats, carts etc..) are working much better now
  • Max has done a lot of work on the MacOS (classic and X) versions
  • Many other bugfixes, including the SI Test of Purity, some world-wrapping issues, 'dance' schedule, Guardian and Earth Serpent speech.


Ultima V: Lazarus
Some great news from the Lazarus-team as well, here is what happened on this project since I last posted something about it:
INTERVIEW WITH AEGIS by Aegis
8/15/01
PlanetDungeonSiege.com posted an interview with our very own Aegis Kleais (Lead Web Developer) Hop on over and get a sneak peek at what he has to say! READ THE INTERVIEW

PROJECT "BASILISK" by Aegis
8/13/01
Now that I've finished this site, I will be moving on to bigger and better projects for UV:L. Find out about my newest creation, which I've dubbed aptly enough, "Basilisk". Don't it just sound so nifty? 8:) CHECK IT OUT

SITE GOES DYNAMIC by Aegis
8/11/01
I'm glad to announce the redesign of our front page. You'll notice progress bars, an "image of the moment" and hopefully daily news updates once we get DS in our hands. Hope you like it! 8:)

A WORD FROM THE PROJECT LEADER by Tiberius
8/11/01
After almost a year in pre-production, everything is going very well for Team Lazarus. Maps are sketched, stats are planned, music has been composed... Still, the best is yet to come! Stay tuned for regular news updates as soon as DS is released! :)

CONCEPT MAPS FINISHED by Tiberius
8/4/01
I'm proud to announce that the concept maps for all eight major towns are now complete. :) Also, the scale for our worldmap has been finalized--this game is going to be BIG! :)


Optima IV
This Visual-Basic recreation of Ultima III/IV is going pretty well from the news on the site and really can’t wait until I can play Ultima IV with another story ;-)
08.14.2001- Module and Game News II -bug fixes are Live. Download the newest version (now is an .exe) and run it. It will auto unzip into the appropriate directory while maintaining directory integrity. women_and_orcs is the current module that provided with the game. Ultima IV+ (enhanced clone) is being worked on.

08.13.2001 - Module and Game News -big bug fixes tonight, If you cannot get game to run, please hold on. I'm fixing it tonight!
I am porting the original U4 game with same maps (castles,towns,villages) The only difference is that this module will have a new story to tell. So far all the maps are done, and I am working on the NPC's, Monsters next. I have the storyline worked out. Keep tuned for details. I just realized some of the modules need to be fixed. I should have this by 8/14/01. MapMaker and the Main game exe also will get fixed tomorrow. I noticed on some people's computers, getting errors and I will repair this tonight

08.11.2001 - Version 3.0.7 released, website redesigned.
This latest release includes some bug fixes and fixed tiles and misc. work like moon phases. Please note in the projects sections, some modules are there for demonstration only, and may not be complete with an ending. This version has working shopkeepers and are fully "trigger" ready and sell items depending on rarity (AC value). Next version should have working teleports.


Ultima I: A Legend Is Reborn
Finally some updates on the website of this Ultima I remake. Here is what they announced on their website:
There has been a major modification to the site design and content. In the upcoming weeks, we'll be releasing new art and info material, and in regular periods the website will be updated.
There will be from now on more participation from the public in several ways, through polls, suggestions and submissions, soon to be announced.
As I update the older content with up to date information, feel free to use the message boards for input on design and questions about the game in general.
Along the web site, I'll be taking over public relations as well. Details on how to proceed for press material and staff contact have been moved to the Contact section. Keep in mind that in order to have your email replied, you must follow the rules detailed there.
I hope we can have an open line of communication and thereby make this development process an opportunity to thighten our fan community ties and make this whole wait a lot more enjoyable.
In another note, we have an open spot for a modeller in our staff. If you're insterested, see how to proceed in the Contact page.
Even more there is some news in Telemacho’s babble corner , he is talking a lot about TechDemo 2.0 and DirectX 8.00. Be sure to check this info out also.

Akalabeth
The new remake from Minerjr seems to be going quite well from his latest news:
Monday, Augest 13, 2001 - Saving/Loading added
That is right! I got a good working version of loading and saving games. You use the F1 through to F4 to save your game and F5 through to F8 to load your game. This allows you to save you progress and also when the game is completed, make the game that much less tedious. You can only save and load on the outside world, not in the Dungeon. I will think about adding saving the game in the dungeon. I don't want to, to keep some difficulty in the game.

Also the Journey Onward option works on the main menu. When it is selected you are given a choice of four saved games to load.

This makes Akalabeth one step closer to being finished, my friend Jeff has been busy with newer and better graphics. I hope to be able to add the new Dungeon graphics by this weekend and start to work on the monster code. Then I will add combat and after that sound. Hope to have some more good news tomorrow.

Sunday, Augest 12, 2001 - Version 0.06
I was going to update last night but I programmed to way to late at night and got tired. Then in the morning I started to code and got a lot done. Here is a small list of what is new

Added a chest model to the dungeon and coded it to work.

Added dying due to have 0 hit points or 0 food.

Added Lord British's castle and all functionality.

And some bug fixes.

I have been a bit busy with RL but I have got some time in to program. I will either tomorrow start on loading and saving games, or monster models. On a side not my friend Jeff is back in, so we will both work on the graphics. I hope all goes well.

I have also added a message board to the site to replace the crappy guest-book. I hope this is more pleasing to people out there. It is an ezBoard message board. I am looking forward to your comments.

Just a short note: All of these sites have a forum or an email-adress to contact them, and if you appreciate their effort drop them a small note or maybe you can also help them with a thing or too. I really love all of this projects, and it's awfull how many Ultima-Fans still have put their heart in these games and are working in their freetime on remakes/redos etc.. to bring us back these wonderfull games with a fresh look or better playability!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 1:49 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

UO Teachers Program
Anders sent us in some info about his new website, the UO Teachers Program:
I've just opened the new UOT-program, which is based on the failed NPT-program, please read the website to get more info on the program, UOT program. Currently the website is only about the UOT program, but it will be expanded to also include guides and strategies. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to ICQ 122995278.

What is UOT? UOT is a program designed to make life in Britannia a bit easier for new players. Veteran Players (the Teachers) will help them with such things as learning how to use a skill, how to make money, how to make friends in UO. This is organized by each teacher, who gets a number of students to teach. We will use ICQ for this, this way the student can reach the teacher any time (when he/she is online).

So if you are either a New Player or a Veteran Player looking to find out more about this program make sure to head on over to the UOT Website.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 11:51 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

Container-Related Crash Fix
The following was just posted to FYI on the official UO.com site:
Container-Related Crash Fix

The container-related crash fix that was published to the Pacific shard last week has now been published to the remaining shards, and became active after this morning's maintenance period. The change has been added into Latest Game Updates.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 11:26 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

UO Rares Database Updated
Thanks to Xanthar for giving us a heads up about the following:
UO Rares Database Updated

Curious to know about the value of your Pheonix Armor? Have you ever seen Ice Fiend Blood? Do you know the origin of Spam? Could you be holding a set of rare Santa gloves and not even know it? Are any of my items illegal, and what exactly is the OSI policy on them? I have a question about a Rare, where can I ask it? Want to know where Rare and Semi-Rare items spawn? All these questions and more can be answered at http://www.UORares.com

Recently, our database has been updated once again to reflect the changes in gold value in our economy. Also, we have added the new items brought into the game via the OSI Scenarios. Learn ultima online history as you browse through our items database designed to enhance the knowledge of the UO Community. Learn about lots of new rares, and see what the new Orc Scenario brought to the world of Brittannia. Visit examples of the upcoming Carpet Vendors in testing, and even see some of the famous Museums of all shards online!

Our Virtue Weapons weapons section gives you insite to the famed attributes of the virtue weapons, and our "Tricks of the Trade" section allows you to gain the edge over others in getting the daily rares. Learn what 'rares' are not truely rare so that you don't make a costly mistake. Finally, stop by our exclusive Flash Movie section, where various Ultima online scenarios come to life in Flash.

With over 15 Million hits in just eight short months, we want to thank the UO Community for making us the number #1 viewed UO Complete Rares Picture Database. We continue to develop the Rare database with both pricing and pictures for every rare in existance and look forward to seeing you all there.

Xanthar of the Museum
http://www.UORares.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 10:58 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

First BaggBall report of this season
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<A note from Spiritwood:


Last night the new All Britannia BagBall League kicked off the new season with a friendly match between the visiting Duchy of Trinsic team and the local Spiritwood United team. A small but loyal crowd of supporters had gathered along the edge of the Spiritwood arena in time for the 9 PM kick off, anxiously awaiting the big game. A regulation yellow bag full to the brim with dead wood was produced, the field was made ready and soon play was underway.



It was not long before the superior tactics of the local team shown through and all those long hours of practice began to pay off handsomely. Within moments, the mean green machine of Spiritwood United had collected the bag and a run down the line to produced the first of what were to be many goals. Determined to stand their ground, the visitors quickly reformed their line and play began once more, but again, the local side showed their form and another shot crossed the line in short order. At this point, the Trinsic team had a quick chat about tactics and when the whistle next blew, they managed to prolong the agony a bit before yet another Spiritwood goal crossed the line.

By half time, the score showed a spirited 5 points for the local team and a dismal zero points for the visitors. (It would have been more, but one goal was disallowed when it was discovered that it had been kicked in by a stray cow that had wandered onto the pitch). In their half time huddle, the visitors made some changes to their strategy and came out full of fight, despite the score line, and the second half's action was even more spectacular. By the time the end whistle had blown, the Trinsic team had managed to get a face-saving goal and the final score was Spiritwood 7, Trinsic 1. The two teams congratulated each other heartily, showing fine sportsmanship, and soon everyone was heading merrily off to Ye Old Spiritwood Tavern, where the boys and girls from Trinsic were given drinks on the house.

This event went some way towards mending the bruised reputation of the Spiritwood side, who had lost their opener against the Deepwater team four nil, and only goes to show that, with practice, a team can master the fine sport of BagBall. Better luck next time Triinsic and thanks for the match!


The next BagBall match is set for August the 22nd, so come on down and cheer the teams on!


Shri of Spiritwood

Proconsul of the Custodes Fati



Sounds like fun,

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 7:56 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

Romance is in the Air...
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<This arrived by snailmail

Saphireena is proud to announce the opening of her newest establishment:

Big Mamas Nightclub

Day: Saturday, Aug 18, 2001 Time: 8:00PM - 12:00PM GMT
Location: The old Big Mamas Shoppe castle in Trinsic / 76o, 33S, 38o, 40E
Map: http://www.andrea.net/uo/bmn/general/map/
Facet: Trammel
Shard: Europa - but EVERYONE from all shards are welcome!
Entrance fee: 100 gp (ticket includes surprises, read below)

We all know the famous Big Mamas Shoppe shopping mall castle of Trinsic,
but ever since business on the web proved more economic than keeping
vendors, the castle has lost purpose other than just being a pretty place
to see (and crash at). Now the castle is being reborn with the opening of
Europa's first nightclub "Big Mamas Nightclub". Complete with dance floor,
DJ, movie theatre, pool hall, pizza parlour and darts pub, to name a few.
The nightclubs main purpose is to serve all single Britanians looking for a
little romance in their game, or real life. Want to meet Mr/Miss Right?
This is the place to come! But those that just want to groove to the beat,
or talk to our sympathetic bartender, are welcome as well :)

This event will mark a place in UO History. For the first time ever,
streaming live music, will be integrated with an event. Instead of
torturing people with the music that bards play, all night, we have set up
a live "radio station" at Live365 so that everyone attending can listen to
the very same music at the very same time, while dancing at the nightclub!
And it's so easy - no plugins, no installations, no hassle. Simply go to:

http://www.live365.com/stations/277475

then press PLAY. Pretty easy eh?

Fun and games are in store as well:

Bachelor Auction:
All single men are invited to sign up for our Bachelor Auction. Please
email at [email protected] if you'd like to be auctioned
off to the pretty ladies of Britannia on the night of our opening. The
winning bidder will be entitled to do what she likes with her man, for the
rest of the night.

Mr and Miss Disco Dancer:
Dress up in your flashiest, sexiest gear, then come boogie on our dance
floor. Wiggle that butt, jog those legs and show
off your best moves. The best of the best will be crowned Mr and Miss Disco
Dancer and will win wonderful prizes, not to mention reputation, fame and
admiration!

Match Maker Tickets:
Look at the serial number on your entrance ticket and find your match!
There will be someone of the opposite sex, with a matching
serial number in their own ticket. All matched couples get a wonderful
prize! Win a luxury cruise for two!! From all the tickets sold, three
tickets will include an all expenses paid cruise on our yacht "The Big
Mama" at the time of your choice. The cruise will take you to several
places of interest in Britannia and a (level 1) treasure hunt is included.
During the cruise we will serve mouthwatering treats, made and served by
the world famous cook, Julia Child herself!

Lots of fun and romance in store, this is a happening that you simply can't
miss!



Saphireena
Big Mamas Establishments
http://www.andrea.net/uo/


Thank you very much for submitting this wonderfull place, I am sure it will become a landmark.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 7:38 AM EDT by Kofu (Europa)

UO Writing Contest
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Martin Quick and Leatherus sent in this news.
Hello as some of you know my partner Leatherus and I have a large public library and we are looking for some player written additions to our collection. So I am sponsoring a contest that will end on September 30th.

There will be 5 prizes awarded 100k 1st, 50k 2nd, 30k 3rd, 15k 4th, and 5k 5th. All entries will be put on public display and players are welcome to come and vote on their favorites. Please use blue books for entries to prevent accidental tampering Contact me if you have questions
For more information contact Martin Quick at ICQ #86383707 or email [email protected]

Thankye Martin and Leatherus

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 3:24 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Lady Bronwyn Opens Wedding and House Decoration Service
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Lady Bronwyn made this announcement,
Well Met everyone! I would like to announce another new service to the Baja shard. Lady Bronwyn and CwR would like to offer you our services for weddings and home decoration.

Please visit our lovely site www.dinjax.com/keltic/ladybrons for more details.

Humbly,
Lady Bronwyn, White Raven of CwR
Thankye Lady Bronwyn!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 3:17 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

Wandering Bloodlust
When I woke the air tasted bitter. I was dizzy from a lack of feeding. What I had become was an abomination. To me the idea of a 'higher power' was a bunch of crap, but...recent events had changed my mind. Which such evil in the world shouldn't there also be goodness?

With all my heart I hoped this was true.

It was sunset at the Carafax temple when a shrill sound pierced the air. Immediately, I was thrown back to my youth when a friend tossed a burlap sack of kittens into the river. He thought it was quite funny to hear them cry as they drown.

I never forgot that haunting sound.

Vasata, poor lovely Vasata. She had showed me kindness when all I had was Scotia’s cruelty.

I raced into the next room and found her on her knees with her hands pressed against her temples. Eyes rolled back in her head she looks to be in immense pain.

"Help...me..." she gave me a look that froze me solid. It was the look of a dead person. I crept towards her and as my fingertips brushed her cheeks her eyes filled with blood...an internal implosion rocked her dead.

Outside I saw figures on horseback. Members of Carafax in a savage bloodlust. A frame of mind that could hold no other save killing and killing. What was driving them to this?

The building where our fledgling vampires were hunkered down for the day was a mess. Many of them were dead like Vasata. I stared down at their remains.

Nothing.

I listened to the evening air. Dead silence.

Was no one else in Carafax? Where had Scotia gone to?

I sat down and wept. Tears of blood leaking from my eyes.

I heard it before I could see it. Thundering hooves upon the ground. I stood up hoping it was Scotia again, but that was not to pass.

It was Black Veil. A rival group of vampires who were hunting for the artifacts as well. They were headed straight for me. With their nets dragged between the horses I was soon to be ensnared.

I ran as fast as I could my runebook in hand. Without time to think I picked the first thing and threw up a gate.

When I came to there were stars. I tried my best to close the portal behind me, but it was too late...they were coming through.

The next portion of this quest will be taking place in the T-Keep on Felucca. You will have to find and capture the thief, Fang before Black Veil gets their hands on him to recover the artifacts. If you are interested in continuing in this quest let me know. ICQ # 58667080 to get the date and time.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 3:16 AM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Sunday the 19th OPS event..
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<(I saw this on the Oceania Forum and thought people would be interested)-DG

Summon your courage, summon your skill, but most importantly summon the right creature!

OPS is pleased to invite all to their sunday event for this week, the 19th of August, at the usual time of 7pm Aust EST.

Tobith will be grand summoner for the evening. She will summon a creature, two contestants will then each summon. The first to produce the same creature as Tobith will go to next round, until only two competitors remain. The final round will decide first and second prize winners.

Prizes are:
1st prize - 1000 each reg
2nd prize - 500 each reg

Please note there is a 1000 gold entry fee payable to Gavrielle on arrival.

We will meet at OPS keep then gate everyone to the event arena.

No great magery skill is needed to enter, casting from scrolls is perfectly acceptable.

Gavrielle (OPS)
Oceania Player Seers

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 1:44 AM EDT by Diangelo Grey (Oceania)

Vet Rewards, Posting Spoilers, "No Draw Tile", Animal Lore Changes, Tinker Trapped Boxes and Updating UO Account Contact Information
Some information posted on the official UO Boards which may be of interest to UO Stratics readers. First, on Vet Rewards, Prophet (Lead Programmer, UO) posted on this thread HERE :
Just a quick note:

We are doing performance tests on Veteran Rewards over the next day or so. This means on Test Rewards it could take a long time for your selection screen to come up. As well there are known issues with some rewards during this period. Just wanted to let you all know.

Prophet

PS: So far the tests look really good

Calandryll (Designer, Ongoing Content) posted this reminder about posting spoliers on this thread HERE
As most of you know, the recent patch has scenario related content in it. Given that, I'd like to remind you all of two things. One, if you do post something from that patch, please put "SPOILER" in the title of your post. Also, don't put anything in the post that gives away the content. For instance, writing "Savages are in the new patch, SPOILER" kinda defeats the purpose of writing "spoiler".

Second, until the content is actually in game we won't be commenting much on it, if at all. We don't want to give anything away and the start of the scenario is still a little ways off.

All of that said...have fun! :)

-Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna
Designer, Ongoing Content

On the legality of the "no draw tile", Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) posted on this thread HERE
These items are currently fine, since they were not created with a bug, nor do they interfere with game play. We do not encourage players to sell or trade them, because it is possible the items could be removed from the game at a later time

On the proposed Animal Lore changes, Helios (Designer, UO) confirmed at this thread HERE :
In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please reassure me that these changes will not affect skill gain!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel assured. :-)
Skill gain will be the same as it is now.

Stratics readers who have constructive feedback on the proposed animal lore changes are encouraged to post their feedback on the official UO Boards on the link set out above.

On tinker trapped boxes, Canyon made this clarification on this thread HERE
It is okay to have it locked down in the house UNLESS a player actively tricks others into opening it. Saying "Hey Trammie, come in my house and open this box," and then letting them die is not acceptable. If we see a player tricking others on Trammel into opening the box, that's wrong and it needs to stop. But if a player passively blows himself up without any encouragement, that's fine.

Finally (and not least), Sannio (UO Community Co-ordinator) reminded players to update their UO Account contact information on this thread HERE
Could everyone please take a few moments and update your UO Account contact information? I'll wait while you go do that. Here's a link to the "Modify Existing Account" area of the Account Management section.
.
.
.
Hm, I can see most of you haven't gone and made those updates. You're holding the rest of us up. Go at least update your e-mail address.
.
.
.
Tch. Okay, let me explain the problem, then.

Once in a while people have troubles with their message board accounts, and when I say "once in a while," I really mean I get a handful of password requests and such several times per day, all from different people.

Now, the help requests that coem into [email protected] are mostly based on legitimate problems, and I have no issues with helping people out who really need help. But helping them, helping you, often requires I verify your information, and a big part of that is matching up your correct e-mails.

But the problem there is, from what I can tell, most of you *don't* update your e-mail information.

GAH! *begins pulling out what's left of his hair*

Right now it'll take a couple of days to process some of these "[email protected]" requests, but I'm worried that, soon, that may turn into a week or more.

Please help me out here. Give me some more time to read and reply on the boards. Go update your UO Account Information here. Thanks.

=========
Sannio
Online Community Coordinator, UO
Origin Systems

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 9:50 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Changes to Treasure Map and Tutorial & Haven
2 recent items posted on the In Development section of the official UO Boards. First, Treasure Map Changes :
Several updates and changes will occur for treasure maps. The specifics are listed below.

“Level 0” treasure maps are being made available for young characters while they are in the Haven area. The details on these new level 0 maps are:
It will produce fewer monsters, and weaker monsters;
It will produce less treasure (typically including another level 0 map);
The treasure chests are not locked or trapped;
The treasure chest will not open until all three guardian monsters are dead;
Once the map owner is no longer a young player, the map transforms into a level 1 map the next time the owner uses it.

If a treasure chest is empty, another map for that same location can be used to remove the empty chest.

A label will identify the level of the treasure map.
a youthful treasure map – level 0
a plainly drawn treasure map – level 1
an expertly drawn treasure map – level 2
an adeptly drawn treasure map – level 3
a cleverly drawn treasure map – level 4
a deviously drawn treasure map – level 5
an undecoded treasure map will still have the addition of “tattered”—plus one of the above notations—until being decoded.

A treasure map will be able to be used by those who do not own it, providing that they have enough cartography to decode it.

And secondly, changes affecting new players, young characters, the tutorial area, and the city of Haven :
Several updates and changes will occur for new players, young characters, the tutorial area, and the city of Haven. The specifics are listed below.

Young characters that die while taking the tutorial will be removed from the tutorial and sent to Haven.

The ability to buy unlimited amounts of bread during the tutorial is being corrected.

The armorer in Haven will now sell the proper items.

Floor tiles underneath practice dummies within the tutorial will highlight.

The tutorial area will now be an insta-log region.

NPC guards in Haven will be “upgraded” to be more in line with NPC guards in veteran areas.

An issue involving spinning wheels within the tutorial area becoming “stuck” is being corrected.

An issue disallowing the ability to bake pies in ovens in the tutorial area is being corrected.

Players will no longer be required to type “Hello” before advancing into the tutorial.

The degree to which NPC shopkeepers wander in Haven will be reduced, to better allow new players to interact with them.

Reagents, especially those used for Fireball and Magic Arrow, will now spawn in Haven.

Wandering Healers are being placed outside the city of Haven.

A forge will be placed inside the mine entrance to help new players produce ingots more efficiently. This is especially important due to the low level of the character’s strength, and the fact that pack horses are not a viable option.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 9:13 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

inteview mIRC style
I was asked to pass this along to the public:

GLRPC will be hosting an interview on Wednesday, August 15th at 8:00pm EST. Join us as Klaitu (aka Alec DeLeon of BKP, Nick Seafort) is questioned by our newest interviewer, Ash.

The interview will be held in the #RPCI channel. For directions on how the interviews work and an archive of past ones, visit our webpage at GLRPC page



Thanks!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 6:45 PM EDT by Richard Cypher (GreatLakes)

Soon To Be Wed in Nujel'm!
Wonderful news were sent to us by Lady Starre Fyre about a happy event soon to take place. Read this scroll!
Please join us in witnessing the union between Mythndale's Mayor Lady Eve LeRieux and the Soul Seekers of Sanctuary Honor Guard Captain Lord Ison's Shade.

The Ceremony is to be held on August 26th, at the sacred hour of seven by the eastern moon. The couple will be entered into this eternal bond at the Nujel'm Palace, with a reception to be held at the Soul Seeker's Sanctuary in the Village of Mythndale immediately after.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 5:10 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Client Patch for 2D and 3D Clients
Now on FYI:
We will be releasing a client patch on Tuesday, August 14th, at approximately 2:00 pm CDT. For a detailed list of changes that will be included in this update, see http://update.uo.com/design_359.html. These changes will be added to Latest Game Updates once the patch has been released.

The current versions should now be 3.0.3a (2D client) and 3.0.3a Build 69 (3D client).

Please note: Once you have received this patch, you must completely shut down and restart your Ultima Online client before you will be able to reconnect to the game.

If you have any difficulty receiving this patch, please check the following:
  • Check the “Patch” directory within your Ultima Online directory (the default location is C:\\Program Files\Ultima Online\Patch). This directory should be empty. Any files in this directory should be deleted.
  • If you are unable to connect to the patch server at all, and are using an original (Non-T2A) version of Ultima Online, you may need to update your verinfo file. For details on updating this file, please see the information posted at http://support.uo.com/tech_6.html.
  • Run a virus scan on your computer. Undetected viruses may cause conflicts with patching Ultima Online. For information on up-to-date virus detection software, please visit http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/vso/default.asp.

If after trying the above, you are still experiencing difficulty patching the Ultima Online client, please contact Technical Support at [email protected].

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 3:36 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Dragons Watch: A Multi-Cultural City
From this little snippet of village life, it seems that Dragons Watch is the melting pot of Britannia. All kinds of people are welcome here, as you can see from this scroll sent to me by the village Mayor, John McBain.
As I was walking through my fair city today, I passed by my good friend Loriele Comus, the Elf. She was tending her garden and greeted me with a smile and a nod. I walked down the path and noticed Yorloc the Orc trying unsuccessfully to catch a rabbit for his dinner. I helped him and he grunted a few times and went off to fix his meal. I smiled and waved at him as he left.

I turned the corner to go to my office and there was Theros Strongarm the Dwarf. He is new to our city and he was making some armour for a human named Lithos, who was off to fight some evil creatures in one of the many dungeons of the land. I finally reached my office and looked up on the hill over looking the town at the new home of the vampires, who can be seen occasionally now. They are a bit scary and keep to themselves most of the time, but in truth they seem nice enough. They only feed on evil creatures and the worst criminals. They have even helped out the town on many occasions...

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 3:07 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Rivendell to Host Grand Tournament of Champions
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We received the following from the good folks at Rivendell...
Greetings from Rivendell!

The Rivendell Council is proud to announce the Tournament of Champions! This is a series of 13 tournaments with a Grand Prize of ONE MILLION gold pieces! Tournaments will run from 30 August until the final competition on 22 November. Details may be viewed here: http://home.jam.rr.com/lstoc/index.html

The first round is scheduled for Thursday August 30th at 7 pm cst, please arrive at the Rivendell Tavern at least half an hour prior to the start time to register.All are welcome and encouraged to compete. The Rivendell Council looks forward to seeing you there!

Bounty, Mayor of Rivendell

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 1:51 PM EDT by Beans Baxter (LakeSuperior)

Unofficial "UO Seers" Program
Krosis sent us the following regarding their new UO Seer program, a project run by and for the players:
The Unofficial "UO Seers" Program Welcomes You!

Announcing the one-and-only multi-shard "UO Seers" Program. Have you always wanted to try your hand as a Guy (or Gal) in Green (a.k.a. a Seer)? Well here is your chance! The "UO Seers" Program is looking for dedicated individuals to create, assist, and perform quests on all Ultima Shards. We have no special powers, we have no robes, we have no ties to OSI, but we have what is most important: creativity, ingenuity, and ambition.

Maybe you have little free time or don't want to make any more commitments? No problem, you can also apply to be a Troubadour and merely assist in a few quests around the realm.

But that's not all! We also provide resources for quest creation and role-playing. Perhaps you don't know where to start when it comes to creating that masterful story line; come to our site! Perhaps you want to learn a bit more about role-playing; come to our site!

But wait! Our most valued service is that we work *with* your shard to help your communities design and perform their own quests. We feel that building a solid shard community is just as important as running events; and by working with you we can create those necessary ties, forming a great foundation.

We are a new group and as we grow, we hope to help each of your shards grow as well! Come visit our website today at http://uoseers.tripod.com to apply and/or find out more information! Let the games begin!

Once again that website is: http://uoseers.tripod.com (alternatively http://members.tripod.com/uoseers/index.htm)

--Krosis, "UO Seers" Program

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 12:28 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

New P2P Network UO Fansite
The folks at the Player2Player Network sent us the following news about their new UO fansite:
You are all cordially invited to come and join us over at the Player2Player Network!

P2P has been developed to join together the communities of Ultima Online. It is a place for open discussion of the issues we face and the collection of ideas for solutions to those problems.

Together we CAN make a difference!

The Staff of P2P
www.player2player.net


They also stopped by to provide a bit more information on their purpose:
After the recent discussions at the uo.com and Stratics boards we realised, that in order to improve the situation of Player-Run Towns and Establishments (Felucca and Trammel), we'll need to join together the various comunities of the shards to coordinate our ideas and plans for the future, as well as offering ideas to OSI for consideration or even implementation. That is why Player2Player was established. It is a place for open discussion of the issues we face and the collection of ideas for solutions to those problems.

Furthermore the site has its own Spotlight section where Player-Run
Establishments will be described and promoted. Basically we'll focus on a different player establishment, on a different shard, every week. Included in these spotlights will be the location as well as the history and lore behind the establishment. Not only will this allow to showcase their hard work, it will also allow us to compile a rich collection of information on Player-Run establishments in one spot.

P2P Staff
Together we CAN make a difference!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 12:23 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

Santa's Gloves to be Auctioned at Impy's
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<IMPY'S ARTIC FAIRE…
Weekly auction will be held Wednesday evening at 9pm by the Eastern Sky. 
With a BONUS AUCTION planned for Thursday evening also at 9pm.

We would like to remind everyone that this week at Impy's we are auctioning off our very own Divinity! We are using the gold to start up the new super secret weekly event. Please stop out and see what this little cutie sells for!!

This week Impy's has some very interesting rares up for auction. Santa Gloves (known to be the first true black hued item, stolen from Santa himself during the Christmas of 97), a full Naughty Bag (including the switches and the Spam), Wood Curls, Coal Ore, Full Bottle of Eggnog and much, much more. There are several impressive weapons as well. Along with quite a few pieces of finely crafted armor.

For directions and a complete list of the items up for auction please take a peek at www.impys.net. As always, Runes to Riches and the Mystery Chest games will also be played this week following the auction, so please stick around and take a chance with lady luck. Impy has asked that you please stable your pets before the auction as he is allergic to wet fur.

If you need a rune visit one of our rune vendors located through out the lands. Vendors can be found at: Star's Shoppe (out side Vesper in Trammel), next door to the RD Stables (in Felucca), on the porch of the Sandlewood Box Inn (in Felucca), the Mystic Rose (in the wooded glen in Trammel), the Garden City Mall (located just north of Cove in Trammel), or at Krista's Ranger Station (in Felucca).

~Impy's Staff

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 9:50 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Rose Market Grand Opening Festival
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<All citizens of Oceania with a taste for quality goods at fair prices with customer service thats sure to make you smile are invited to attend, the offical opening of the New Rose Market.

Festivities will commence at 9.30pm(est) on Friday 17th August.

A short opening ceremony will be followed by an auction where many items such as a Full Ranger Armor suit are up for grabs, so come one and all and make a bid.

As well as the opening ceremony and the Auction one lucky customer will walk away with a fabulous mystery prize.

Food and Drink will be supplied on the night, and everybody is welcome.

The Rose Market is located west of Vesper on the road leading into town.



For more information on the market please visit the Rose Market Webpage.

We hope to see you there.

The Rose Market

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 8:38 AM EDT by Diangelo Grey (Oceania)

Oceania Screenshot Contest
The ambassador for the Dynasty of Yore (DOY), Marcalo D'unero. Is proud to announce the guild's firs ever Screenshot Contest!
The screenshots can be of anything, from a dungeon crawl to everyday life, imagination is the limit!

The contest is running from August 17th through to August 31st. And the winner will recieve 100 000 gold pieces!

Rules
-limit one entry per. player

-all shots must have been taken this year.

-entries must be in jpeg format

-the use of photo shop and other softwear is prohibited, only the real deal.

-both ultima and ultima 3D are allowed (those of you with the new 3D, lets see whats out there!)

-all entries must be recieved by August 31

-entries will be reviewed and judged by three members of DOY including
guildmaster Unknown.

submissions should be sent to the DOY Guildmaster.
Any queries should be icqed to Marcalo D'unero on 37032993.

The winner and runners up will be posted on the DOY website and also on Stratics.

Good Luck!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 7:42 AM EDT by Chainsaw Knight (Oceania)

Barkeeps, Tribal Spears and Orc Bows
More on the proposed Barkeep from Gromm (Designer, Ongoing Content) on this thread on the official UO Boards HERE :
1) How much will these guys/gals cost
Right now we're looking at around 5,000 gold.

2) Do they require a daily fee to maintain or is it a one time fee
and they wll stay till you dismiss them
One time fee and they will stay till you dismiss them. Since the barkeep doesn't make or collect money for you there is no upkeep or time limit.

3) is there a limit on how many can be in a house, besides floor space
2 per house.

Some of you may already know this about orc bows and tribal spears. On a seperate thread on the official UO Boards HERE, Calandryll (Designer, Ongoing Content)remarked on orc bows and tribal spears :
Actually, they have the exact same scripts (code) attached to them as force weapons. But you are correct, niether the tribal spear, noe the orc bow do extra damage to certain creatures

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 9:11 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Emergency Maintenance for Pacific
This was just posted to FYI at the UO update center:
The bug involving creature spawn on Pacific is being fixed, and will be published momentarily. The shard will be brought down for an emergency maintenance at approximately 5:20 PM CDT, after which time this bug should be fixed. We anticipate the downtime to be less than half an hour. We will be monitoring the Pacific shard over the next couple of days to be certain that this issue is resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 8:45 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

Tournament Announcement, August 15th
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We received this announcement from Damascus:

I will be hosting a Tournament this coming Wednesday, the 15th of August. There is a 5000 Gold Entry Fee, the winner takes all.

The bouts and rules are as follows:

Mages Vs. Mages: No potions. Dexers Vs. Dexers: No Deadly Poison or magic weapons.

The Winning Dexer and Mage duel in a battle finale. The winner takes all of the entry money.

Gates will start from Moonglow Felluca at 6:30 PM PST. The Location is NW of the X Roads, at Damascus' Tower. I invite everyone, and good luck.

Damascus

Thanks!
Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 7:56 PM EDT by HellRazor (Baja)

Stratics Survey
We are working hard here at Stratics to provide the best MMOG resource we can and in order to do this we need to know more about you. As you know, Stratics maintains banner advertising and this helps us to provide the services and features we currently have available. In an effort to streamline these services and ensure we’re on the right track, we’ve created a questionnaire that will help us get to know you better. If it would not be too much trouble, we’d like to ask that you take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey.

It is completely anonymous. We’re not collecting any information that can lead back to you (i.e. no name, address or even email data). This information will help us better understand those who visit our sites.

You may fill out the survey here: Stratics Questionnaire

As always, if you have any questions and/or concerns, please feel free to contact us anytime.

Regards,

Jhariden

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 6:55 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

Looters Hall - new stuff
This was sent to me via fiber optic cables laid deep in the ocean.
I uploaded pictures from a meeting with Hunter of Napa and a picture of loot from the Lich Lord Room, sent to me by Fenris of Europa.

Things are a bit slow because Eustachy is on a 3-week holiday and I'm busy with the new Adom 1.0.0

-Juuso "Praise to the RNG" Heimonen
Suicide is simply a case of mistaken identity.

http://wwnet.fi/users/heimonen

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 3:56 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Mith Tourney Results
Hail and Well Met..

We had a wonderful turn out tonight for our first fight in a long time...I would like to thank all the fighters that participated in the tourny, you all fought very hard and well..

Here are the final results of the fight:
  • 1st place- Raekwon 75k
  • 2nd place- Roach Klip 50k
  • 3rd place- Death 25k
Congratulations fighters, and keep looking here for more events..

I would also like to thank all the OSR members that showed up to lend a helping hand, you did a fine job. I know the next one will be alot smoother..

We had a great time, cya next time..

Gabe, Guardian OSR
Tin Man, Event Coordinator OSR

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 3:31 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Grimoire Results
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
This just in via carrier pigeon:

Hello Napa!

Many thanks to all the folks who came out to support Grimoire's 3 vs. 3 event generously sponsored by Elwind Thorne! Here are the resutls:

  • First place: Absolute Vodka, Buttkicking Boom, & Public Enemy Rt.
  • Second place: Dylan, Andrew, & Talmon
  • Third place: Flip, Comatose, & Dark Fyre

Huge thanks to the wonderful Grimoire staff! Thank you LeeLu, Bishop Horshack, Josh, Lost, and Lord Fear! Also, many thanks to LeeLu for taking pictures. You can check them out here!

I hope everyone had fun and cya next week Friday =) Baby-Grimoire Staff

Your humble servant,
Raeven Aurora

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 3:05 PM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

Q & A For the Moonglow Council
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<More information from Yoldran:

This is the first part in a loose sequence with the intention to introduce the people holding positions in the Moonglow City Council. The goal is, that you better get to know them and can thus directly address the correct person, if you want a problem solved in Moonlgow.

Today: Kulgan - the newly elected mayor of Moonglow.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background ... a short biography so to speak?
A:
I was born in Magincia 68 years back, my parents were quite well-off merchants. My mother insisted on me being sent to Moonglow at the age of 12, to be tested for talent in the arcane arts. It was revealed that I indeed would be able to study magery at the Lycaeum, which I did from that day forth. Years later I finally mastered the arts. In the time I studied at the Lycaeum, I learned to love magery, and had already decided to stay there as a scribe after my graduation, to be able to learn even more about the arcane realm. Many years passed until I finally decided to join the Moonglow City Council and help with their work. Shortly after my arrival at the Council I was elected into the position of Treasurer of the town. After a long time of housing the City Treasury, yerself, Yoldran, resigned from the position of mayor. As I believed - and still believe - that I can help the city and the Council with my work, I candidated for mayor, and was promptly elected by the citizens. I hope this gives ye a little insight on who I am. *smiles*

Q: You have just recently been elected as new mayor of Moonglow. Can you tell us what the mayor does in the Council?
A:
The mayor is chairing the weekly Council meetings, collecting items for the agenda and presenting them to the Council. He also has to ensure that the meetings' discussions to not get out of hand, and make sure that everyone's voice is heard in an orderly fashion. Of course the mayor is the one representing the Council to the outside, making him consider his actions also taking the city Virtue Honesty into account. Besides these two functions, the mayor can give out a so called 'command decision' during the week, which has the same power as an official Council vote - this decision is only effective until the next meeting, and must be voted upon then by the citizens of Moonglow. These command decisions could of course be a source for abuse if the position of mayor fell into the wrong hands.

Q: What are - in your opinion - the biggest problems in Moonglow at the moment and how will you cope with them?
A:
At the moment we are facing several problems: Primarily for me as mayor, there is still the issue of some of our members not trusting each other - I will try my best to wipe out these cases, if that is possible. If this is not adressed properly, it could be leading the Council into a terrible crisis. Other than that, there are still some problems with criminal subjects in our town... Most of them are either dead or imprisoned, but we may not lessen our efforts in this direction now, or the situation could grow out of hand again. Also we have some mysterious ongoings at the moment, which seem to be part of a plot far beyond Moonglow's boudaries - we shall have an open eye for any possible hints. In my short time as mayor we have already struck two military alliances, which should make us able to confront these cases.

Q: What visions do you have for Moonglow in the future?
A:
We have taken a very big step towards what I hope Moonglow will be one day, with the establishing of the Beer Garden every Monday at 7pm (UK time). I am also looking forward to the activity of the BagBall team, the 'Moonglow Mongbats'. If the team works out as well as the Beer Garden already has, we are getting nearer to what I think Moonglow should - and also can - be.

Many thanks for this interview!

If you want further information about the Moonglow City Council please head to the skypage:
http://stop.at/moonglow

Yoldran,
-- Town Crier of Moonglow.

Thanks to The Council for the information!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 2:31 PM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

New Life, New Weapons
It always makes me feel good about the world when I hear from people like Rade, a representative of the United Blacksmiths of Britannia.
Greetings!

I will be holding a 'Welcome to Chesapeake' event, all by my lonesome, at the large smithy to the west of Britain, next door to the stables. Any player that walks through the door with young status will be given his or her choice of two weapons and a light archer suit. The event will run for an hour and a half on Tuesday, August 14th, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST. Due to the limited amount of time and resources, any requests for GM plate will be politely refused.

Thank you and safe travels!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 12:38 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Cast Your Nets at the Magincia Docks!
I must be doing something wrong. All I ever fish up is old shoes. Apparently, Krasnog seems to be better at this!
On the night of August 15th (Wed.), as the moonlight shines down on the Britannia waters at 10:00pm Est, a sea extravaganza shall take place.

The Fishing Council of Britannia [FCB] will be tossing many special fishing nets at the Magincia Docks, and invites all citizens of Chesapeake to come and join in the killing of the Sea Serpents, Water Elements, and deadly Krakens that may be fished up. Everyone is more than welcome to bring their own fishing nets as well. Gates will be provided from Britain's West Bank, and the bank in Moonglow. There will also be healers for the poor land lubbers who may meet a horrible fate dealt by the dangers of the sea.

Krasnog,
Fleet Captain,
The Fishing Council of Britannia.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001, 12:10 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Event for all Shards on Monday 13.8.2001
Raknar from GateCentral sent us the following announcement:
Greetings to all UO-players in the world.

To celebrate the upcoming 4th jubilee of UO we are going to increase our efforts in organizing events to serve the community. We had yesterday evening the Dungeontour on DF to Covetous and today we are announcing something for all shards:

Our sponsor GateCentral is holding an event where all player can participate. The idea is to visit some special places and send a picture as a proof. We will give you the exact coordinates which makes it possible to attend on all OSI shards. The event will start at monday 13.08.2001. You will find all necessary informations by clicking the menu item Event on http://ultima.gatecentral.com. We hope that more organisations and players are animated to hold bigger events in the future and strenghten the community.

Have fun and take care.

Raknar
UO-GC-Team
Thanks Raknar!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001, 1:00 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

Update from Moonglow
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Another update from The Moonglow Council

Hear ye Hear ye!

The Moonglow City Council ( http://stop.at/moonglow ) announces the following issues:

In the Council meeting last saturday, the Council appointed Demona to the position of Justiciar!
She is now responsible for all legal affairs in the Council.

The Council also agreed in an official alliance with Clan Ordos!
Clan Ordos will use their ships to secure Moonglow's coastline and trade routes.

Jonathon DeZaroe was elected new coach of the Moonglow Mongbats!
He will administrate and lead the training of Moonglow's BagBall team.

Yoldran,
-Moonglow Town Crier.

Thanks,Yoldran!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001, 10:30 AM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

Dungeontour with MoT
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Slagdale from UOWorld sent us this review of latest MoT-Event:
It was once time again, and with pleasure I followed the invitation from "Merchants on Tour, MoT" for a little Dungeoncrawl. And even the destination sounded relatively unspectacular, I looked forward to a beautifull evening together with a first class crew!
Although the the way "only" led us to Covetous, a grand flock had assembled and after a short gate trip to the cave entry, the adventurers asked the the God of "In Lor" for a short "inspiration" and the fun could begin.



After a small happening at the entry of the dungeon where some less beautifull bird women (called Harpys) picked the most beautiful heroes from the group for their own pleasure, we also rapidly killed a few gazers and the first level was crossed without own losses. Even some especially stubborn bird women, who appeared to have turned to stone due to their their long continuous and compulsory virginity, could not prevent this. *g*



However, when it would have come the hard way, we could still have persuaded on from MoT to stay here for a while. *snickers*

The second level divided the group, because the different inclinations and penchants of the individuals either drew them to the to the Water Elements and Dread Spidern or to the Elder Gazers.



The sweet small spiders had done it to me myself and thanks to a first-class teamwork the losses held themselves very much at both places in boundaries. This seemed to annoz the monster flock insanely, because they did not give any rest and ran wave after wave against the adventurers ! Nevertheless for the luck for us in vain *g*.

Nevertheless the monsters of this level should not only have the party all for themselves and at once a call was raised: "Gather together!" in order to enter the unblissful halls of the Liches together. These already appeared to have suspected something however, because they had gathered themselves directly behind the main portal and driven the spirit of an unhappy player directlz into our arms for deterrent. Nevertheless this poor lad could be helped and with grudge in the heart -due to this impudent behaviour - and united strengths we stormed through the "welcome committee" and without regard for the losses we managed to killed them all.





When the portico was swept emptily, the partie went on the the Liche throne hall and these asked for a little "Dance". Since they lacked the persistence, two substitute partners offered their service to the adventurers. But since the Dragons were simply way too large for the dance (you should know how it feels when they step on your feet), it was decided to ask the Iron Maiden and their rotting journeymen for a Slow Fox !

And that was a calm thing indeed, because even silver arms only tickled the Rotting Corpse . He itself distributed -unlike that Mumies- also not at all so much ..., however, sore, if he opened the mouth *yikes*. Hideous breath streamed from him and instead of a warm atmosphere a deep faint spread within 4-5 seconds. For our luck some magicusers (and presumably people who liked kissing) had the mouthwash "An Nox" ready and the thing could be cleared up temporary.



Cured in such a way, the virgin did not attempt to kiss anymore and we left the unblissful halls again by gate to Trinsic. The booty was divided up there and all agreed that the gold had not been 1 % of the profit. The true profit was the pure joy about this evening !

Best Regards, Slagdale [ www.uoworld.de ]

Thanks a lot Slagdale!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001, 9:51 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Red Devil Auction Tuesday

This news just in From Rattler GLV:

The next Red Devil Auction is on August 14th at 8 pm CST/9 pm EST. The event will be held at the Red Devil Auction Tower located at: 34o43N/44o51E, Felucca.

The [GLV] Guardians of Light and Virtue Guild will be hosting the Auction, while the Burning Heart Guild will be responsible for Guard Duty and protection of the Auctioneer Staff. If you wish to place item(s) up for the auction, you may do so by coming by the Tower Monday the 13th of August at 8 pm CST/9 pm EST. There is a 3 item limit per person (unless a suit of armor)--bring a bag and a book, to identify your items.

There is a stable at the Tower, but it fills up fast--you may want to stable your mount prior to arrival.

Thank you Rattler and GLV, this promises to be a fun-filled Tuesday evening.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001, 12:15 AM EDT by Amidala (GreatLakes)

Wedding on Ice Island
Today, the knot of love was tied between Lady Robyn and Lord Nefarious. The happy couple had planned an elaborate wedding, but as it often happens, they could not wait another day!

A minister, Socrates, was found in the nick of time. The witnesses - Artemis, Klesk, Proximo and Linda - were rounded up, and the ceremony was under way! The joyous event was held in the living room of Lord Nefarious' Tower.

When I visited the newlyweds, they were obviously very happy. They also informed me that a party will be held soon to celebrate the occasion. I marked the spot on my map, so that I will be able to attend the festivities myself!

Congratulations!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 11:26 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

Strange Sighting Near Vesper
I just received the following very strange sighting from Pol Detson:
Not exactly sure where to mention this. Earlier this evening while I was playing, I saw something wierd. A woman cloaked in white came up out of the waters off the Coast of Vesper. I have never seen anything like it. I and two others saw this. She said "With every Evil comes Justice, and with every Wrong, a Right is done." Then, she slipped back under the shimmering waters. Does anyone know who she is? Or what this is? I thought all Seers were gone...

Thanks,
Pol Detson
(Sonoma)

That's the strangest mermaid sighting I've ever heard of! Fishermen keep your eyes out; there could be something afoot.
NOTE: Facet Unknown.
--Sage Arthur

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 8:38 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

Ladies Night at the Barking Trout
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<This just in from Jonny-Boy:
This Sunday, 7PM (PST) in Felucca, The Barking Trout is celebrating Ladies Night! Bring your ladies, bring your friends, bring your Horse! All ladies receive a free magical gift just for stopping by!

The Barking Trout is the large two story establishment, with a pub in the lower level, located just across the road from the southernmost farm on the mainland. Just take the road east from the docks, turn south at the Creb Shack, and follow that road all the way to The Barking Trout at the end!

Jonny-Boy, TBN
Sweet :D

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 3:53 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

Canyon on Tinker Trap Boxes and High Level Pet Spawn
In response to this question on the official UO Boards HERE
OK so there are ways to make Tinker Trapped boxes that have the trap armed but not locked so they will be set off when opened. Is it legal to make these, I only ask because it involves turning the box in certain directions and unlocking, No real exploits here I would think.

Is it Illegal to carry these in Fel.

Is it Illegal to carry these in Tram.

Is it Illegal to set these on the ground in Fel with the intent of killing a curious person.

Is it Illegal to set these on the ground in Tram with the intent of killing a curious person. (I wouldn't see why not as people should be ware what they are picking up anyway).

Is it Illegal if a looter gets killed when looting the box from your corpse in Tram or Fel.

If not then I think there should be a Legal method to create tinker trapped boxes that are useful. Lets face it, The trap doesnt do much good if you cant open the box cause it's locked.

Canyon replied :
It is legal to trap a chest as you describe. I will not give out details on how to make these, nor will a GM in game.

However, it is illegal to use these to kill someone in Trammel, unless you have highlighting with them. Otherwise, you are pking someone in Trammel, which is a clear rule violation.

So:
It is legal to carry these in Felucca.
It is legal to carry these in Trammel.
It is legal to set these on the ground in Felucca with the intent of killing a curious person.
It is illegal to set these on the ground with the intent of killing someone on Trammel.
It is legal if the looter on Felucca is killed by looting your corpse and opening the chest.
It is illegal to use one for the clear purpose of killing a looter on Trammel. If you are minding your own business and you die, that's okay. It becomes illegal if the support team recognizes that your character just "happens" to die with trapped chests on them all the time. I don't want players making kamikaze newbies that carry around trapped chests and die just so they can blow looters up. I hope the distinction for this one is clear. We're looking at intent as much as outcome.

In the dread lord days, I was a mad bomber with tinker trapped chests, so I'm happy to see them (mostly) legal again.

On a seperate thread on the official UO Boards HERE, in response to this question
What has happened to the high level pet spawn? I never see any White Wyrms or Mares anymore.

Thanks again.

Bujuessa
Pacific

Canyon replied
It's a known issue. The QA team and Live team is working on it. The spawn shouldn't be as low as it currently is.
and
The spawn levels should be going back to how they were. There are no plans to adjust the spawn rate. If a change was planned, it would be announced

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 3:38 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Tales for the L33T
Dear readers,

I recently was directed to this flash movie that's a modern 'l33t' rendition of Romeo and Juliet. I don't think I've seen anything so funny as this. I was rolling for days afterwards...and the soundtrack is awesome.

It doesn't matter if you play UO or any of those other games...you will recognize these types of people.

Warning - this flash movie contains some profanity. If you have a problem with that then you should NOT visit the site. Nothing too awful, but still...you have been warned.

Tales for the L33T


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 3:30 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Polls on UO Boards by Canyon
Canyon (Player Relations, Training Lead) has put up 2 polls on the official UO Boards. The first, to rate Canyon's performance on the Boards, can be found HERE
I'm curious to get your opinion on how I'm doing on the boards. Polls seem the best way to do this, since the actual voting is anonymous, but people can post additional comments if they like.

How is Canyon doing on the Support Board?
Great
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible
Canyon is mean and makes me sad.

The second, a poll on whether Game Masters should be visible when answering a help request, can be found HERE
I have created this poll to give players a chance to vote on GM visibility. The results will be used internally to determine how we can provide the service our customers want. I'm not promising any changes as a result of this.

When voting, please remember that the more GMs go visible, the longer wait times will be. We currently attempt to balance visibility with wait times. To reduce wait times, GMs would have to go visible less. To increase visibility, wait times would be longer.

Once you have voted, you will not be able to change your vote or vote again. Voting will last until Friday, August 17. Choose the statement that best reflects your opinion.

GM Visibility on Calls
GMs should go visible on every call.
GMs should only go visible for questions that cannot be answered from the webpage or Game Wizard.
GMs should only go visible on priority calls such as scams, hacks, exploits, and harassment.
GMs should only go visible when wait times are low.
GMs need to improve wait times, and should rarely go visible.
GMs should never go visible.
I personally would encourage all UO Stratics readers to vote on the said polls.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 3:26 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

New at ImAcat Comics
Check this out y'all.
*** NEW UDPATE at http://www.iamacat.t2u.com (europe) and http://www.iamacat.net (usa) ***

OYE! OYE!

Brand new episodes of the Adventures of Zog the Helper are available.

- EP19 - That's BS
- EP20 - The Cloning

Enjoy :)

Iamacat
Webmaster Iamacat.net

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 3:18 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

Fight Night Rules Reposted
>>> Felucca Facet News <<< 
GuPowers took home the gold (60K to be exact) at last week's Fight Night at the Oasis.  In second place was Fight Night veteran KMSEMPERFI, who has won top honors twice already.  WONDERCHICKEN battled her way third, not a bad showing at all for a 2X GM mage. And when the final fight was over, WONDECHICKEN still had not had enough, challenging KMSEMPERFI to a duel. This plucky little bird is one to watch out for!

There were a lot of new faces at Fight Night this week, and several people asked that the rules be reposted. So, once more with feeling:

Fighters may use only GM/Player/NPC Made Equipment. This means No Magic weapons, no Magic armor, no charged items, no Chaos/Order shields, no Vet Rewards Robes, no Tribal Spears, and no Orcish Bows. Please check your Paper Doll carefully and remove all illegal equipment BEFORE you enter the pit.

No Precast (this includes Reactive Armor, Magic Reflect, etc) No PreBuff, and No Prehide. You don't do anything that will help you win the fight until the wall comes down.

No mounts in the rings. All living animals should be stabled before entering the Pit House, and Ethereal Mounts should be placed in your pack. A stable is available in the small house behind the pits.

After 5 minutes a No Heal will be called by the judges, EXCEPT for the finals. A No Heal will be called by the judge after 15 minutes in the battles for 1st, 2nd and 3rd

And the rule I dislike the most: Anyone that goes AFK in the ring will be disqualified and struck down to clear the ring so we can get another fight going. The judge in the ring will collect the fighters belongings so they are not lost.

There is no pre-registration - just show up at the Pit house on Sunday at 4:00 PM PST and as we get an opening we will get you in. The matches are all randomly mixed so there is no need to pre-register/pre-sort the contestants. The Pits are located in the N/E Corner of the desert that contains the compassion shrine at co-ordinates 69o29'N 46o53'E.

The Fighting Pits are in Felucca, so spectators are encouraged to carry nothing of value and to avoid actions which will turn them gray. Hope to see you all there!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 9:41 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

Wedding Sunday: Noah and Cherokee
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

Wedding bells are ringing on Trammel! Read on:

Lord Noah and Miss Cherokee would like to invite you and a date to their wedding to be held on August 12, 2001 at 6:30pm EST time at coordinates 41.50S x 40.46E. Various runes will be left around the Bank of Brittania and there may be a gater there as well.

Reception will be held next door at Lady Jasmine Skye's tower there will be dancing,refreshments,nice social setting party is planned on lasting all night!

Check back here for updates as the time gets closer!

Praise Mondain!

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 4:47 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

New Town Springs Up
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<While I went for a stroll the other day out near Cove in Trammel, I wandered into a new community that seems to be just sprouting up. The Garden City (www.uogc.net), a lovely little home to one of the more premier vendor malls in the lands as well as 164 citizens. Many of the homes in the area are officially part of the community. Featuring a town hall/tavern, several private homes, a treasure hunter's guild and the main mall.
Each of the citizens of the city is permitted to place a vendor at the mall on the second floor, if they wish. The main area on the first floor features a vendor selling just about anything and everything one would want.
While visiting in the tavern I had the chance to meet Nemonis, the Mayor of the city. She was a charming leader; her citizens as they came and went made it a point to speak to her. And she made it a point to speak back, offering a little tidbit of personal information about each one to me. I was personally impressed that she knew all these members. Something I would think might be hard with so many citizens, but she seemed to handle with grace and charm.
She went on to explain that the city itself was planning a two-day festival soon, towards the end of the month. The plans were to include many different types of events for all ages and professions. Tournaments for the warriors and mages, various skills based activities for the merchants, story telling contest of all kinds for the bards, a scavenger hunt and several surprise events yet to be named. Although she did allude to some kind of house give away/raffle. 
After telling several stories and laughing quite a bit about our travels, I was in need of rest and departed from the citizens of that quaint little town. It seems to me that Cove's new 'sister city' might be a spot for me to visit again.


Thanks to all the citizens of Garden City, for a wonderful evening.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 1:41 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

Thinking of building an Aquarium?
ANZAC Aquariums
No Home Too Small; No Home Too Large

Hail and Well Met, Fellow Oceanians. ANZAC Aquariums specialises in
building aquariums to fit every décor. Are you sick of stacking cloth to no avail? Sick of having an aquarium that really only looks like scraps from the local tailor shop thrown against the wall?

We are the ones to contact then. We come to you, ascertain your wishes and build you the aquarium of your dreams. The size of the home or the aquarium matters not. As you can see, even small areas can host a truly beautiful aquarium, and still leave room for living and storage.

Contact me on ICQ 10543054, and my lovely associate and I will make
arrangements to meet you and plan that aquarium you’ve always dreamed of.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 1:26 AM EDT by Chainsaw Knight (Oceania)

Helios on Proposed Animal Lore Changes
On this thread on the official UO Boards HERE Helios (Designer, UO) answered some questions regarding the proposed animal lore changes (see General News below).
In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

may i ask, how exactly the messages concerning the training level are supposed to work ?



----------------------------------------------------------------------

this would be a total skill point analyis given the max amount of total skill points the pet can achieve, i.e. a ratio of current skill points over total possible skill points. it takes in to consideration all of the pets skills since the pets skills will usually only be related to combat issues.

and
In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

on the list of possible things could ou put the happy list in there too?



----------------------------------------------------------------------

the happiness level of tamed pets will still display in the same way that it is currently showing. no changes have been made there. :-)

and
In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

When you say stand alone skill,does this mean it won't gain off taming anymore?



----------------------------------------------------------------------

just means that these changes will not affect the way animal lore interacts with other skills. :-) everything else will stay the same. taming will still check the animal lore skill like it does now.

AND ADDED :
In reply to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Does the magical training message only refer to magery skill, or does it factor in eval and med as well?



----------------------------------------------------------------------

This info is about magery level only at this time. The main reason this was implemented was to give owners an idea of the critter's spell casting abilities as well as a clue to whether or not the critter is eligible to go to the Mage's City of Wind.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 11:17 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Riddles Revealed
Thanks to everyone for participating in this portion of the Vampire Quest. Many of you worked very hard to come up with the answers to these riddles. I guess they were harder than I thought!

Our grand prize winner of 20k was Aubec Malador!

Honorable Mentions go to: Psi Ky & Elsa of Stormhaven who came in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Anyway, for those of you racking your brains for answers...look no further.

Riddle 1

As a gift for destroying the evil
Lord Tremain presented me a banner
Through the horror and upheaval
Twin symbols that display a tranquil manner


Answer: The Coalition of Might Headquarters in Trinsic, homebase for Napa Valley Quests for a while, was the staging point for the Harvester of Souls Quest. The banners for both are symbolically the same.

Riddle 2


Minax designed to destroy the land
Uprooted trees and made it bland
But in one place far away from town
a patch of yellow flowers can be found


Answer: This strange patch of flowers can be found in the dead lands of Felucca at: 124.16N 9.42W.

Riddle 3


When Nystul fixed the bell
to clean the shrines Minax turned to hell
he bade a group of valiant souls
to search the land and finish some goals
down in some mine Blackrock was the key
now find the throne where it came to be!


Answer: If you had remembered this quest from a few months ago then this riddle would have been no sweat. Otherwise a little detective work might have brought up the bio for Nystul and found this page

Riddle 4


The stones were infused with fire
staircases that disappeared into the void
amazing architecture that was to admire
a house of god never to be destroyed


Answer: I figured this one would be the easiest of them all, but it seems many of you have forgotten the grand old player run places in Felucca. The most awesome of all was probably the Cathedral of Fire which has it's own page in the Napa Valley establishments section.

Well, many of you had already gotten your hand on the 4 pieces of the Shemyazza scroll after solving the riddles, but for those who didn't...here it is in its entirety. Take a close look. This will be the backdrop for the next event.





[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 6:53 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Calandryll about Monster Rewards
Calandryll made a quite interesting posting on the uo.com-boards:
I figured it might be best to start a new thread about this topic since my posts are causing some confusion. I'd like to talk about rewards for killing monsters in this thread. Not the usual stuff like gold, items, or even titles, but things that are even more "outside of the box" (yea I hate that saying too, but it fits here :P)

Let me give an example of what I mean.

Note, to be clear, we are not working on anything like this at this time.

Imagine there was an entrance to a new land, guarded by a powerful monster. This monster was immune to all kinds of weapons...in effect, it is invulnerable. To be granted access to the dungeon (which also has cool monsters and other stuff in it) you must prove yourself worthy by slaying its most hated enemy, the lizardmen. Only those that have killed 5 lizardmen in the last day will be granted access to the dungeon. Every time you want to go to this new land, you have to prove yourself again. So the reward from killing the lizardmen grants you access to a new area, even though you don't actually get anything that can be held in your hand, traded, etc...it's still a reward.

Now this example probably have issue (like killing lizardmen every day would get old after a while), but I hope you get the idea. :)

-Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna
Designer, Ongoing Content


[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 5:49 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Seeking Tales of Incredible Odds
Once again OSI is looking for stories. This time for stories about “Incredible Odds”:

Whether you played the role of a hero and cleared a battlefield with a single swing of your sword, uttered words of power that forced a horde of monsters to their knees, or simply succumbed to a mighty army with a cowardly squeal, we want to hear tales about you overcoming, or yielding to, incredible odds. The greater the number of opponents, the more magnificent the tale – tell us all about your related experiences!

Send your story as an e-mail to [email protected] by Friday, August 17th. Please be sure your story falls between 500-1000 words, and include “Incredible Odds” in your subject line. Please provide a name and phone number for verification of the story. Submissions to “uo-profiles” become the property of OSI and may be used for special events, promotions, and/or advertising. All submissions must be made by the original author and are subject to verification.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 5:34 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Changes to Animal Lore
Something new In Concept:
** Note ** This idea is currently in a "concept" phase, meaning we want to get feedback on it. However please understand that this idea may change to be quite different from this proposal when or if it becomes finalized. Also note that this proposal might not get put in at all, depending on factors in the design process as well as the feedback we get from players. As more information becomes available about this concept idea, the update pages will become updated.

Animal Lore skill will be updated as a stand-alone skill, to accommodate localization issues and player- and Dev Team-driven suggested changes. This update does not include any changes where Animal Lore coordinates with any other skill.

Players will use the Animal Lore and then target any animal to obtain two items of information about that animal. In addition to still discovering the current Loyalty level of an animal (tamable pets, only), the following lists all possible information that may be discovered with the Animal Lore skill:

Information about its magical ability:
  • “It lacks any true magical abilities”
  • “It has only minor magical abilities”
  • “It has some magical ability”
  • “It has rather well developed magical abilities”
  • “It has strong magical abilities”
  • “It has extremely powerful magical abilities”
  • “It has nearly mastered the secrets of magic.”
  • “It has mastered the secrets of magic.”

Information about its training level, for tamable animals:
  • “It has only just begun its combat training”
  • “It is somewhat trained in the art of war”
  • “It appears fairly trained in the ways of combat”
  • “It has excellent combat training”
  • “It has superior combat training”
  • “It has nearly learned all there is in the ways of combat”
  • “It has mastered the art of war”
  • “It has learned all there is to the art of war”

Information about its past owners, for tamable animals:
  • “It appears to have known only one master in its life”
  • “It seems to have known two masters in its life”
  • “It appears annoyed at having known three masters”
  • “It appears angry to have known four masters”
  • “It appears infuriated to have known five masters”
  • “It is weary of human companionship”

Information about its diet:
  • “You sense that it likes to eat grass”
  • “You sense that it would delight in fruit for a meal”
  • “You sense that it likes to eat hay”
  • “This creature likes to eat grains”
  • “This creature devours meat for its meals”
  • “This creature will eat fish”
  • “This creature will eat various crops”
  • “You can’t think of anything you could feed it” (Note: some pets don’t eat)

Information about its current level of hunger:
  • “It looks like it’s starving”
  • “It looks like it’s near-starving”
  • “It looks pretty hungry”
  • “It looks moderately well-fed”
  • “It looks well-fed”
  • “It looks plump”
  • “It looks like it gets plenty to eat”
  • “It looks replete, as if it has just eaten”

Information about its natural resources (things you can get off of the animal):
  • “You could use this creature for its wool”
  • “It does well at carrying heavy loads”
  • “If this creature were dead, you could use its hides”
  • “You could slaughter it for meat”
  • “It is sometimes used for its wood”

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 4:26 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

Trammel Yew Vote Results
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Tymaron, former editor for this paper and presently a historian, sent the following account of the recent elections in Yew on the Trammel facet.
YEW (9 August) The citizens of Yew expressed confidence in their elected council and a desire to maintain the status quo through elections held tonight and last night. Yew Chief Justice Gorion read the vote tallies shortly after the polls were closed at 9:30 p.m. this evening. There were three questions put before the plebiscite: whether or not to retain the council as a whole, whether or not to accept the constitutional changes proposed by the council, and whether or not to retain Senior Councilor Mortalis Dominus. The proposals would have had the militia council vote at the same time as the elected council, with each having equal votes. In addition, this would give the chief justice a vote at the meetings. At present, the militia council can only veto laws enacted by the council, and only if that decision is unanimous within the militia council.

On the vote to retain the council, 20 were for and 14 were against. On the vote to accept the proposals, 15 disagreed, 9 agreed, 9 expressed no opinion, and 1 left the option blank. On the vote to retain Mortalis Dominus, 17 were for, and 16 were against, with 1 expressing no opinion. The results means that the council remains as it stands now, with Mortalis Dominus as the Senior Councilor, and Durillonn and Azderak serving as councilors. Two councilors, Mako and Jik, had previously resigned. The Yew Constitution, adopted under the rule of Jas Lightstryder, remains as it is.

The constitutional crisis arose when the elected council had lifted several bans against groups that had formerly terrorized the city. The militia council exercised their veto power. At that point, the council under Mortalis Dominus attempted to amend the constitution to allow the two councils to vote at the same time. Several in Yew saw this as an abuse of power and called for the vote of confidence. The vote was administered by Chief Justice Gorion and held in the Yew Counselors Hall. When the tallies were announced, Senior Councilor Mortalis Dominus said, “I am glad to see that the people of Yew still have confidence in me.” On whether or not the vote means that the citizens wish to retain the check on the elected council, Mortalis said, “Not necessarily, just that they have rejected my proposal. However, I do believe the militia council and the elected council can come to some sort of agreement for the future.”

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 3:56 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

UO Loop Illegal and UO E-mail Support Feedback
On this thread on the official UO Boards HERE, in response to a question :
I've recently been approached by a couple people regarding a program called UO Loop. I'm told that it's legal because it's by the same company that does UO Assist. I dont find it on the website as a UO Pro program however. I highly doubt it's legal as I'm told that it would help speed up making scrolls and such. I'd imagine anything that speeds up the program more than how the game was intended would be illegal.

Thanks for your input.

Bujuessa
Pacific

Canyon (UO Player Relations, Training Lead) replied
It is illegal. I'm glad you checked before using it.

Thanks.
Canyon

On a seperate thread HERE, on the topic of providing feedback on UO e-mail support, Canyon stated
Based on feedback I have received from our customers, we have now created a new mailing list. Players have asked for a way to provide feedback on email support, and a method now exists.

If you want to provide feedback on an email you received, you can write [email protected]. We will review all emails we get from customers, and use the feedback to improve our service.

Please include:

1). Date and Time when you were emailed.
2). An explanation of the reason why you submitted an email.
3). What type of service you received, and what you were told.
4). The type of resolution you would have preferred.
5). Any additional information that is relevant to the situation.


Canyon

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 2:48 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Yew Ressource Market On Sunday
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<Sheila sent us this announcement, by way of Ultima Online Deutschland:
As every week the weekly market is on Sunday, the 12th August, of 20 o'clock again at the Empath Abbey in Yew (Trammel / DF), this week the ressource market.

All vendors and customers of raw materials are invited to participate at the market. Vendors are asked to list their product offer in a book. To bring a market state would be also favorable, for emergencies we hold, however, also chairs and tables readily.

The auction of powerful artifacts that was skipped last Sunday will be held also, there are vanq items, invul, blooddrinking, ... Who would like to auction something should contact Westfal (MiG) ICQ: 32583576 before Sunday evening.

The supporting programm is again covered by the tavern of Kylineera Shift, Schleicher with horse-races and boxing matches, bards, fairs ...

For checkbacks I stand, most possible before Sunday evening, under ICQ: 104056507 Family Ingot (PoY) for disposal.

Sheila Ingot, mayoress of Yew, requests good businesses and a lot of fun on the weekly market.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 11:25 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

Time Once Again for the Britain Midsummer Festival
As a member of the nobility of Sosaria, I often make it a point to appear at these type of social functions. I must say, I went to the festival last year and had quite a good time. The Britain Council knows how to throw a party. I was glad to recieve a notice for this years event.

Once again it is time for the Midsummer's Festival. We all had a wonderful time last year and want to do it again. There will be plenty of food and drink. The Britain Council has planned some fun games for you to participate in with some great prizes--and remember, as last year, clothing is optional! Come and join us Sunday night, the 12th of August at 8:30pm by the eastern sun at the Festival Grounds in Britain, Trammel moon. We welcome you all to join our celebration of midsummer night.
Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 9:55 AM EDT by Dmitri Ne'Sveti (Atlantic)

The United Women of Sosaria proudly present : The Heavenly Angels Auction !
>>> Felucca Facet News <<<We have recieved the following...

Looking for a real woman to enchant you ? How about a skilled set of hands to tailor fashion clothing ? Want company when adventuring through the dungeons ? Thinking about improving your skills ?

On Saturday, August 18, 2001 the United Women of Sosaria will auction off a cloud full of skilled and gorgeous women to the men across the land! In exchange for freedom, these former Amazone's are willing to put their skills and expertise to use at your command. Come to Rivendell and take a gander with your own hands and eyes - purchasing one of these women could change your life forever!

More details regarding with exciting event can be found on www.serpentstone.com !

Breeze & Goldie
United Women of Sosaria (UWS)
Mail : [email protected]
Url : www.serpentstone.com

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 8:27 AM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

M^F/Liberalis School for the Young
Okay, all you young players out there! Not so wise to the ways of Napa Valley? Find yourself bumbling along and tripping over your...uh...shoelaces? (did they have those back then?)

Then look no further. This school for new players is offering Fall courses that begin August 12th at 1 pm PST. All skills are taught except for useless ones like Spirit Speak and underwater basket weaving. They also have courses in basic UO commands, geography, money making (I need this one), History of UO, Role Playing and UOam/UOassist commands.

AND IF YOU ACT NOW you can sign up for their rares class.

Enrollment is free because if you can afford to pay then you probably don't need the classes anyway.

Opening day will consist of food and drinks! If you have any further questions then contact Wolf of Evermore at # 39012719.





[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 4:04 AM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

Reminder Mercenary Inn Reopening Friday!
>>> Trammel Facet News <<<I just wanted to remind everyone that the Mercenary Inn will be reopening tomorrow and will have events all day long. The relevant information is below:
Mercenary Inn Reopening

Where: Mercenary Inn, northeast of Cove, Trammel.
When: Fri. Aug. 10th @ 9am PST to midnight.
Description: A full day of celebration at this player-run establishments. The following events shall be held: The Summoner, Rabbit Obstical Course Race, Loom Races, and Fishnetpoluza. To get specific event times and information feel free to visit the Mercenary Inn Website.

It is good to see this fine establishment opening up again. Also, I know that people had a great time last time you did Fishnetpoluza and I wish you the same luck this time.
--Sage Arthur

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2001, 1:40 AM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

NPC Resource Spawn and Feedback on Monster Loot Requested
On this thread HERE on the official UO Boards, Cynthe made the following comments on the NPC resource spawns
Yep, I have to agree it sounds like the Voodoo that's the problem. I run an Athlon 850 at home, Geforce 2, 512MB Ram. I play Third Dawn exclusively (and I've been playing a lot recently), and have had no problems... since upgrading from my own Voodoo 2 to the Geforce 2. Before that, I crashed a lot.

As for the resource changes, yes, I saw your post in its original thread as well. :)

When the resources were changed recently, we saw quite an outcry, and we realized that an entire group of resource gatherers had been severely affected by this, and we acted to see that the player-run economy was not shafted by this (no pun intended).

But the outcry against the propsed changes were so much vehement and much more unanimous than the previous outcry, so it's apparent to us that perhaps our change wasn't the best solution. I'm not sure what the final answer will be... maybe it will be a raised price, maybe a raised cap on numbers that spawn, or maybe both. But we are acting based on player feedback, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly clear in this case, telling us that our solution is too extreme, and that there is certainly a better solution that can be found.


On a seperate thread HERE, Calandryll made these remarks, which include changes to the loot to the Orc Brute and asking for player feedback on monster loot :
Folks are concentrating on the monster AI, which is fine, but the other part of these comments was about monster loot...and more importantly, loot that doesn't involve gold, rare items, etc. Again, if the loot stinks and there is no other compelling reason to fight the monster, nobody is going to fight the monster regardless of it's AI (ie: the orc brute - which by the way, has been changed and will be in the first week of the next event publish).

I'd really like to hear some feedback on this, other than titles (which is something we've done already to a degree) from all of you.

ADDED : On that same thread, Calandryll added
"The problem as I see it is that you have so elevated monster loot in the game in a general sense that when you come along with a new monster the only way you can really generate interest is to either boost its loot up higher or put some sort of unique item on it."

Right, that's the point I am trying to make as well. There are already tons of monsters that have gold, weapons, resources, and rare items on them. So you are correct, if we continue that pattern, every new monster would have to have better stuff.

I see a lot of posts in this thread talking about current monster loot issues. Some monsters having too much, others having too little. To be blunt, that's not what I wanted to discuss when I posted my follow up.

What I meant to talk about was...what can we give as a reward (call it a reward instead of loot) for killing a monster that isn't "better" than the gold/resource/scroll loot on current monsters, rather it's different, and maybe, it's not even tangable at all.

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 11:29 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Emergency Maintenance on Pacific
Posted on the FYI section of the official UO site :
The push-through bug that was introduced to Pacific this morning is being fixed, and will be published momentarily. The shard will be brought down for an emergency maintenance at approximately 5:20 PM CDT, after which time this bug should be fixed. We anticipate the downtime to be less than half an hour. We will be monitoring the Pacific shard over the weekend, and will publish the change listed in Testing for the Next Update to the remaining shards once we are certain that this issue is resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


On the official UO Boards, both Cynthe and Sannio have confirmed that the "push-through bug" has been fixed. On this thread HERE, Cynthe stated :
Sorry about the inconvenience... this was a bug, and was fixed at approximately 5:15 pm CDT today

[ Comment on this article ]

Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 11:17 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

Changes To General Testing
New in General Testing:
Client Patch for 2D and 3D Clients

3D CLIENT
  • Paperdoll synch bugs from previous patch should be resolved.
  • Containers should work properly:
    • Relative locations of objects should match between 2D and 3D
    • Container pics on 3D resizable container gumps should hue to match item.
    • Bug where tall items might cause the contents of a container to vanish should be fixed, as should the crash that might occur in these incidents.
  • The following have been converted from 2D sprites to 3D models:
    • Rabbits
    • Snakes
    • Bullfrogs
    • Small Birds
    • Large Birds
    • Town & Sewer Rats
  • Some scenario models are also in this release.
  • Some creatures will now hue in the Third Dawn client:
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Ostards
    • Small Birds
    2D CLIENT
    • Interface art needed for the event scenario is included in the 2D patch.
    BOTH CLIENTS
    • Some problems with arm/disarm macros have been resolved.
    • Books and Bulletin boards now support Unicode characters.
    • Macros now support Unicode
    • Lots of localization file changes.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 7:22 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Pacific Down for Emergency Maintenance
    The following was just posted to FYI:
    The push-through bug that was introduced to Pacific this morning is being fixed, and will be published momentarily. The shard will be brought down for an emergency maintenance at approximately 5:20 PM CDT, after which time this bug should be fixed. We anticipate the downtime to be less than half an hour. We will be monitoring the Pacific shard over the weekend, and will publish the change listed in Testing for the Next Update to the remaining shards once we are certain that this issue is resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 6:32 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (Pacific)

    Keepers of Maddox to host Kraken Arena
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<This just in:
    The Keepers of Maddox will be sponsoring another event at sea this Saturday, Aug 11. Stock up on your fishing nets cause this one is going to be fun. We will have a Kraken Arena set up out in the deep ocean and will be pulling the slimy critters up by the net full. The Arena will consist of 4 boats parked in a square so nothing can escape; its us or them.

    If you don't have a fisherman to get your own nets, just check around at some of you local vendors, they are usually pretty inexpensive (around 5000gps). The opportunities for reward are great though, as most krakens have either a map, an SOS, or a rope on them. If you do happen to pull up a rope and you are the first one to do so we will be rewarding you will a cool 50,000gp.

    Participants of the event should meet at Maddox's Mountain View Tavern at 5:00 PM PST on Saturday, August 11th. Maddox's Mountain View Tavern is located just outside the passage to Despise Dungeon in The Forest of Samelthe Felucca.

    So start stocking up now for a fun day of Kraken killing.

    *fishing up krakens with a net takes "0" fishing skill. They are however extremely difficult to do alone. Any treasure fished up by your net is yours and yours alone.*

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 4:29 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

    Fashion Show And Whirlpool
    Slagdale from UOWorld sent us this review of the last MoT-Event:
    Fashion Show and Whirlpool was the motto of the last event from Merchants on Tour [MoT]! Right on the ocean they had prepared several ships and adorned them so wonderfull that the eyes of the visitors, once they stepped through the moongate, were wide with astonishment. Until, well until the sighting of Uncle Zifnab brought them back into reality. The old grumbler stood timeless there in his ... hm, now really ... very special clothing and waited only for the show to begin. In hope for a better MoT fall collection the spectators found their places on the surrounding ships and waited all the more tensely for the models.



    The show began then also on time and Uncle Zifnab was allowed to moderate the show due to his knowledge of life. With his special charm he announced the charming models of the evening -Nicole, Viviane, Jerry Lee and Longase.
    For the gentleman collection he presented particularly the practical advantages of the clothing and for the lady collection he found other high-quality features *grins*. So blinded by the shortness of one or two skirts, he couldn’t help and started to moderate in two languages from now on!



    Particularly Viviane in the "green Small" one caught his eyes. He could hardly control himself while talking about the advantages of this garment and his voice got a very own sound. Too bad he didn’t tell us when he wanted to go into the promised PvP-infight with the lady.. We should fling therefore an eye onto the old globetrotter in the next future, nevertheless perhaps he even is *grins* well for the one or other surprise.





    After the fashion show ended under applause, the ships took a new formation and magic gates were set up for the less fight approved players to leave the event. Since Uncle Zifnab had promised for a fisherman collection that should be ideal for hiding from Kraken, MoT had still to prove this. For that some nets were thrown into the ocean to awake the slumbering beasts in the depths.





    However, somehow there were too many nets or simply the wrong ones either. Soon after the first nets were thrown the water burbled all around and next to some Kraken the boats were overwhelmed almost from gigantic serpents and numerous water elements. So under this overwhelming amount of beast and spells I really can’t tell if the fisher indeed remained free from attacks by the Kraken. But in spite of the lack of this evidence it was an evening truly well managed and outstandingly organized and MoT once again proved their good name!

    PS: The Original-Outfits can be bought in the Questvendor with the MoT-Shop #3 (near Trinsic) !

    Best Reagards,
    Slagdale
    [ http://www.uoworld.de ]

    Thanks Slaggi!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 1:23 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

    More Comments From Sannio
    More comments from Sannio regarding player venues & communities can be found here:
    The information being collected here is not because I want to archive it somewhere, but because it's the quickest, easiest way I know to get a lot of players to take notice and appreciate what can be done when hard work, perserverance, and chutzpah meet companionship, productivity, and fun. If someone doesn't want their "sleepy little town" to gain the benefits of this "mass advertisement," then that's okay. I think some people appreciate it, tho. And I suggest that the growing list here supports the concept that the supporters of player venues & communities like being able to share their accomplishments with as vast an amount of people as possible.

    =========
    Sannio
    Online Community Coordinator, UO
    Origin Systems
    and here:
    The manner in which one group supports another will always change over time. At the beginning of Ultima Online, player venues & communities received little support from OSI, if any. They didn't need it; they were self-sufficient. But then it seemed to be important for OSI to lend a hand: locking down furniture, for instance. Seers came later, and they began with no special powers. Their roles changed, and with that change can additional abilities.

    Today's support doesn't involve lock-downs or Seers, instead OSI is trying to develop methods wherein players can accomplish many of those same tasks that Origin staffmembers had to do manually for 23 Shards and whatever hundreds or thousands of players. Players can lock down their own furniture now. They can kick people out of their houses. They have specially colored items, some with their own names. They've had their own NPC vendors for some time, and will soon be able to have the NPC bartenders and their triggerable phrases.

    Will there be more coming to help player manage their in-game activities? Sure, that's a pretty good bet. Will these additions be the the ones you and people like you have recommended? Well, possibly some elements of what players have suggested, but it will always depend on what the coding and game balance will allow, and how it might work with what's already in the works. Will people recognize that more and more aspects of UO are controlled by the players, themselves than in the past? I hope so, because to see where you're going it's important to recognize where you've been.

    Anyway, I'm too philosophical. Let me write like a normal person for a change. ;] I've only been here a short time and already I'm wondering how all of you put up with my rambling!

    One of the Q&A sessions during the Online Worlds Fanfest will be focusing on player towns and related issues. I'm sure a lot of what you hope we're already talking about behind closed doors (and we do talk about this stuff) will be discussed then. Personally, I'm looking forward to sitting in that audience and hearing everyone's perspectives fly across the room a bzillion times faster than our fingers over keyboards and our eyes across monitors.

    =========
    Sannio
    Online Community Coordinator, UO
    Origin Systems

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 11:35 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    More on Barkeeps
    Gromm posted further responses to questions on Barkeeps on this thread on the official UO Boards HERE
    "Um whats with the interior decorator tool in the corner?"
    Each menu has a little symbol up in the corner to sort of show what area of the menu you're in. I used that sprite because it made me think of the creativity aspect of the barkeep.

    "thats obviously a 3d gump. What does the 2d gump look like?"
    If no issues arrise that would be what the gump looks like in 2d. That pic was taken in a 2d client.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 11:28 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Dungeontour Covetous
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This just came in from Raknar of Gatecentral:
    There are events which need to be held on a regular base because her players demand it. Besides it has been very quiet after the departure of the seers and this animates us to organize more activities. Our dungeontour is such an event. We have approximately 30 - 50 players who want fun in the safety of a large group and are interested in visiting places where they wouldn't be able to go on their own.
    Therefore we continue with our Dungeontour-series and visit Covetous. There are many players who haven't seen the 2nd level before. The tour starts at Saturday, 11.August 2001, at 22:00 [MET] (21:00 GMT) at MoT#3 (Trammel/Trinsic 1st house at the left side). We will open a gate directly to the dungeon and after that event (approx. 1 hour) back again. Experienced ressurectors are going to join our team as well *G*
    You find more infos about that at http://ultima.gatecentral.com 'MoT
    Event-page'.

    Raknar
    http://ultima.gatecentral.com
    http://mot.purespace.de
    Thanks to Raknar for this info.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 7:46 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

    Drachenfels News
    I really don’t know how to start this posting, so let me just give you the plain facts.

    Bel d’Ajoor has been very active for the DF community over the past month, and did an amazing job here. Well, I guess everything ends sometimes and now Bel decided to quit the job as the Drachenfels news manager.

    Even though these are sad news indeed, let me tell you that the DF-Section won’t be deserted. I am taking over Bel’s job as the Drachenfels manager, and I hope that with the help from Rock I can keep you as informed over DF-activities as Bel did.

    My best wishes go out to Bel d'Ajoor and may the light shine on you, wherever the wind may blow you.

    Just as a reminder – if you have something interesting going on at DF, may it be a player-run event, the opening of a rune library or tavern, or found something unique on the DF-shard – you can always reach us via mail under [email protected].

    Regards,
    Teich Dragon

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 7:41 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (Drachenfels)

    Special Celebrity Chat 9/3 With Richard Garriott & Team
    Gilthas sent us an early announcement about a special Celebrity Chat that Stratics will be sponsoring early next month with Richard Garriott, Starr Long, and Jake Long. Read on for more details:
    Stratics IRC is proud to announce (a little ahead of time) a special Celebrity Chat September 3rd, at 7:00PM CDT in #Celebrity-Chat.


    Our Special Guests will be none other than Richard Garriott, creator of the Ultima series as well as Ultima Online and co-founder of ORIGIN Systems, Inc., Starr Long, former Producer of Ultima Online, and Jake Song of NCSoft. Richard and Starr will be joining us to reminisce about their Ultima Online days, answer your questions and of course, with Jake, slip in a plug or two here and there about Destination Games and Tabula Rasa, as well as their new partnership.


    Over a year ago, Richard left ORIGIN and with his brother Robert co-founded Destination Games, and entered into a partnership with Korean-based NCSoft, the publishers of the popular online game Lineage: The Bloodpledge, which boasts over two million subscribers in Korea alone.


    If you've never been to a Celebrity Chat before, it's easy to attend! Simply download an IRC client such as mIRC and connect to one of the following servers:


  • irc.stratics.com
  • irc.stratics.dhp.com
  • stratics.frws.com
  • riot.tac.net
  • stratics.truefear.net


    Or, as an alternative, use Stratics' Java IRC client here. Once you're online, type /join #Celebrity-Chat


    Once the chat begins, instructions and an explanation of the chat's procedures will be given. An update will be announced closer to the chat's date. We hope that you can join us in #Celebrity-Chat on Stratics IRC! Who knows who else will drop in?

    **Note: Due to a request, the title of the Celebrity Chat as well as the location have been changed. Sorry for any confusion this may cause!

  • So mark your calendars now!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 1:32 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    GuL Pit Fights!!!
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail friends, or dark friends as Adam might say. This is a brand new event for Napa Valley. Now that the Guardians of the Undead Lords have their own town they are puttin' on the fights! Need something fun to do on a Saturday night? Bored of the same old, same old in Napa? Well, check out the new town of Oc'Neville and show those lich lovers that you are the biggest bad ass in town!
    Welcome to the GUL pit fights.

    Hosted at Oc'Neville (Yew Forest 47o 17`N. x 34o 56`W). This is designed to be a place for fighters of all play styles to come together to battle it out, the GuL Pit fights will be held every Saturday. Registration will begin at 8 pm pst fighting will begin at 9 pm. Players wishing to register must do so by 8:50, no late entries will be accepted.

    This week's Pit Fight (Saturday August 11th)will be 1v1 single elimination.

    Prizes
    • 1st place - 250,000 gold pieces
    • 2nd place - 150,000 gold pieces
    • 3rd place - 50,000 gold pieces
    There is no entrance fee

    Sponsored by GUL

    Guardians of the Undead Lords Pit Fighting rules:
    • No magic weapons, no magic armor, no charged magic items.
    • Pre-poisoned weapons are not allowed. Fighters with the poisoning skill may poison there blades once the fight has started.
    • No casting of field spells, or summoning.
    • No pets, this includes spectators. Please stable your pets before arriving at the tower.
    • No looting.
    • No stealing
    • Loss of connection during a fight will result in that fighter losing the match.
    • Tournaments are single elimination (the exception being fighters who lose in the semi-finals will be asked to stay and fight for 3rd place)
    • All fighters are subject to snooping by the Oc'Neville staff.
    • Any spectator inference will result in the spectator being banned and the fight starting over.
    • No one is permitted inside the fighting area except the fighters for that match and the ref.
    • To reduce lag anyone not fighting will be asked to hide during the fight. Players who consistently do not hide will be removed from the tower.
    • No smack talking. The point is to prove what you can do... If you just "owned" someone we all will have seen it, no need to spout off about it.
    • The ref will have final say over any match, issues or complaints with the rules of GUL's Pit Fight will not be discussed until after the tournament has ended.

      For questions please Icq Beldin @ 57169966


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 12:53 AM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    Grimoire Fight Nights
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<
    3 vs. 3 Sponsored by Elwind Thorne:

    Friday, August 10, 2001 @ (9 PM PST, 10 PM MST, 11 PM Central, Midnight EST)

    Registration
    To avoid confusion, registration will start at 8:00 PM PST, and end at 9:00 PM PST. No late entries. Tournament will start at 9:10 PM PST.

    NO ENTRY FEE,
    1st place 60K gps
    2nd place 30K gps
    3rd place 15K gps


    For a list of rules along with directions to Grimoire, and the town's message board, please visit the following URL.

    http://grimoire.battlevortex.com

    We hope you can make it to Fight Night!!!
    LeeLu, Grimoire Staff


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 12:41 AM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    Last Chance to Enter West Coast Innovations Contest
    This was sent in by Pluffy
    There is only one week left to get your entry into the West Coast Innovations Home Deco contest! And now there is double the reason to enter. Prizes for Finalists have been doubled from 50K to 100K. Two finalists shall be chosen from each of the eligible shards (Baja, Napa valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) and all finalists are eligible to win the grand prize, totalling 500K.

    You can get the details on how to enter at http://people.atl.mediaone.net/pluffy/innovations.htm

    Thanks Guys
    Pluffy
    Thankye Pluffy!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2001, 12:30 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    High Council Accepting Applications for 2nd Seat (Trinsic)
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<

    High Council Accepting Applications for 2nd Seat (Trinsic)

    The High Council of Britannia is now accepting applications from those who would wish to serve the Realm by occupying the Second Seat on the Council. This is the traditional seat of the advocate of Honor representing Trinsic.

    We will be accepting applications until midnight on Thursday August 9th. We will then send you a questionnaire and hold a small get-together to meet with the candidates prior to making a final decision. Please email us with your intentions of applying as well as why you feel you would be a good match for this seat. We are accepting applications from any and all who might be interested.

    Please send your applications to [email protected]

    The High Council of
    Britannia

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 10:15 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    First Annual Tournament of Chickens
    We have recieved the following, about a very odd tournament...

    No, this is not a PvP tournament for people who never fight :) This, my friends, is the event of the year on the LS shard.

    In approximately four weeks, you will have an opportunity to win your share of OVER 2.5 MILLION IN PRIZES!!!! How you ask? Simple. Go out and tame, then train the fastest, strongest, toughest chicken in the land. You will have the chance to pit your chicken against the prized feathery terrors of your opponent. The winner of this grueling tournament will take home 1MILLION GOLD as the first prize. This will be a huge event. Spectators are welcome (feel free to make some wagers on the action).

    There will be more information to follow in the coming weeks. Now, GET OUT THERE AND TAME YOUR CHICKENS!!!!!


    Orion of LS

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 10:10 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    Results of Rivendell Town Night Competition
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<

    Greetings from Rivendell!

    The town of Rivendell would like to announce the results of the town night competition hosted on Sunday August 5th.
    Our 2 vs 2 mage competition yielded many who where all
    wothy of the prize. However, Pikachu persevered and claimed first prize. Poe came in with an outstanding duel to claim second place. We would like to thank all that attended
    and encourage all to enter next week!

    Regards,
    Bounty, Mayor of Rivendell

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 10:08 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    Concluding Statements of Grand Opening & Costume Contest
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<We have recieved the following...

    Hail folks,

    On one hand, I am exhausted. On the other hand, I am completely satisfied.

    The Grand Opening event at the Village of Kurja was a huge success. I am honoured that the event went so well. Everybody behaved in an appropriate fashion, there were only a few fairly minor disruptions here and there, one of which was dealt with by a game master. It was a great pleasure to me that there were not too many troubles. I would like to thank everybody for being such a good spirit.

    We gave out hundreds of free armor suits, weapons, and house addons. In fact, at the end of the event we had so many left over (weapons, armor suits) that we layed them across the ground at the Village. They seemed to be taken by passers after a little while.

    The judges did a great job, I would like to thank Shanka de Boom & Akasha (from the Europa shard) for their efforts. They judged honestly, and fairly, and I cannot thank them enough.

    We also had two giveaways in a "scavanger hunt" sort of fashion. There was a minter, and a mysterious man bringing speacial items of "value" and leaving them nearby. The first giveaway was received by "Cook'n with Dart", he found a check of 50,000 gold. The second giveaway was received by "Hades", he found the backpack that included a few orcish scenario items such as a tribal spear, as well there was a snowy scene of the Empath Abbey, and 500 silver coins. Congratulations to ye both!

    Half an hour prior to the end of the event, the prizes were given out. All of the participants invited to the roof of the Town Hall, it was quite packed by the time everybody got there The prizes were given out as follows:


    The First Place prize of a million gold coins was awarded to blade spirit.

    The Second Place prize of 100k and a speacial rares bag was awarded to Jason.

    The Third Place Prize of a whispering rose from Kurzon, and a pixie statuette was awarded to Ian Stormbringer.

    The Fourth Place Prize of a pixie statuette was awarded to Redmage.

    The Fifth place prize of a bag of orcish quest items (30 total) was awarded to ArchBishop Lazar.

    All of these people did great. I would like to congratulate them all for their exceptionally worn costumes.

    Before I wrap this up, there are some people, who have greatly contributed to this event, and I would like to thank some of them publically.

    DENNAR did a fantastic job. I have never seen a man so dedicated to helping others. He attended the event, and crafted literally hundreds of free GM bows for those who attended using our materials. I cannot thank DENNAR enough for how much he has supported planning, and running this event.

    Jazz (the cofounder of the Village) helped out signficantly. He was there to keep the event in shape, he also assured that things would not get out of control while I was doing other things. He had dedicated a lot of his time, and I would also like to thank his wife for allowing him to assist on this day. *wink*

    There are many others that I would like to thank, but specifically I would like to thank Mo'rice Dish, Marshal Mathers, judytime, Blirish, Ethan Hunt, Maximus, Gambino, and anybody that I have forgotten. These people have helped out significantly.

    In conclusion, I would like to add that this event is the first event that I have actually participated in organizing. I have learned a lot from it, and will continue to learn as I go along. I have spent a lot of time in preperation, and would also like to let everybody know that there will be many more enjoyable things such as this event to come in the distant future.

    Thankye kindly,

    Kurzon (Founder, the Village of Kurja)



    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 10:07 PM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    West Coast Innovations Contest -- One Week Left!
    I was just sent the following good news from Pluffy:
    Finalist Prizes Doubled in the West Coast Innovations Contest

    There is only one week left to get your entry into the West Coast Innovations Home Deco contest! And now there is double the reason to enter. Prizes for Finalists have been doubled from 50K to 100K. Two finalists shall be chosen from each of the eligible shards (Baja, Napa Valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) and all finalists are eligible to win the grand prize, totalling 500K.

    You can get the details on how to enter at:
    The West Coast Innovations Contest Website

    Finish putting those final touches on your decorations and enter the contest right away. Who knows -- You may already be a winner!
    --Sage Arthur

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 6:13 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

    Girls game too!
    Ever wondered where the girly girl gamers were hanging out? Well, look no more! Julia Grimm, a self-proclaimed 'colossal nerd', has created a site to invoke a female perspective in MMOG's like Ultima Online. Never mind that this 'perspective' sometimes dresses up in lacy clothes and six-inch heels! (have I got your attention now, fellas?)

    At Girls Game Too you can find lots of articles, stories, electronic greeting cards, reviews and even a personals section. Plus a really swell section for custom character drawings (like the one below)!

    So, if you're female and play Ultima Online then go and contribute! As for the fellas...you're welcome to come drool like neanderthals. Just strap a bib on first!


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 5:33 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CommunityNews)

    Publish Update
    This was posted on the FYI section of the official UO Boards
    We have published the change listed in Testing for the Next Update to the Pacific shard, to be active following its next scheduled maintenance period. Note that a previously posted change to the spawn of resource items on vendors has been removed from Testing for the Next Update. Due to player feedback, we have decided to re-evaluate the problem and will notify the players once a new solution is decided on.

    Once we are certain that this publish is operating optimally, we will publish it to the remaining shards, and the change will be added into Latest Game Updates at that time.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 4:48 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Sannio's Further Comments on Player-Run Venues and Themed Communities
    Further to Sannio's request for details relating to Player-Run Venues and Themed Communities on this thread on the official UO Boards HERE (see General News below also), Sannio made the following further comments :
    My job here hasn't made me responsible for Player Establishments/Comunities. The way I've been summarizing what I'm here for is that I'm a kind of liaison between players and the Dev Team. That means I bring information from the players to the Dev Team, from the Dev Team to the players, and even from players to other players. That last part is what I was hoping to do here.

    There's some great player town Web sites out there, and "player-monster" sites, and guild sites, and a whole bunch of other groups and enterprises that don't get enough "air time" in my opinion. There's players on any given Shard, both new and veteran players, who just don't know about all that can be done with other players, because they never knew there was a local Shard news site to read, or that there was a local Mage Tower having weekly dungeon crawls, or that one player group or another claimed a certain orc fort, or that some people are playing at being the local government for a pre-existing city. I recognize that the UO.com site may be the most unifying way to pass information out to players who aren't so familiar with their "home territory," because every player *knows* the UO.com site exists, and that a "red name" on these boards helps alert people to things that may make their play time better. Not only their play time, but also the people they're about to meet, because now they know about all of you, and how diverse and interesting all the things all of you do can be.

    I'm not a programmer, and I'm not here to program any special gifts for anyone. I'm just here to make your collective voices be heard, to help your voice ring out loud and clear, in the directions where it can do the most good, for as long as it can do that good. And as I settle in a little better, hopefully I'll think of some other, more sophisticated ways to do that and more. But, today, I'm a simple man, and I figured a good place to start was here, on the boards.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 4:43 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Artificial Intelligence and Monsters
    Posted by Calandryll (Designer, Ongoing Content) on Comments from the Team :
    The dictionary defines artificial intelligence as: "The ability of a computer or other machine to perform those activities that are normally thought to require intelligence." In some industries, artificial intelligence could allow machines to perform complex and/or dangerous tasks, thus saving humans the risk or trouble of doing such tasks. But what does AI really mean when we are talking about massively multiplayer monsters?

    First, I think it's important that we define what the purpose of AI is for massively multiplayer gaming and, more specifically, for the monsters in the games. Is the purpose of today's gaming AI to replicate human thought? Not really. The above definition is nice, but it doesn't really apply to what we do. Some might say that AI is needed to make monsters more challenging. To me, that's not taking it far enough. For instance, I could make a new monster that has 25,000 hit points, 102AR, 500.0 magic resist, is immune to poison, and does 99 points of damage with a ranged weapon that hits 100% of the time. That monster would certainly be challenging to kill, but there's no artificial intelligence in the monster beyond its ability to target and attack players. It's not a "fun" monster.

    And that to me is what AI in these games is really about...making monsters fun. That may sound rather simplistic, but sometimes the simplest explanation is the most elegant. If a monster is not fun to fight, nobody is going to consider it a successful monster design, regardless of how challenging it may be. Fun does not always equal challenging and, more importantly, many players do not want monsters that are as intelligent as players...otherwise, why not just fight players? They want monsters that are fun. Sometimes a fun monster can be something that reacts to your actions, or perhaps it works together with other monsters of its kind to defeat its enemies. Whatever its abilities, if the monster isn't fun, then all of the artificial intelligence in the world is meaningless.

    To illustrate the kind of AI I am talking about, I'll give you the example of the savage shaman. Each time a savage shaman is hit, she has a chance to initiate a tribal dance. If she initiates the dance, she searches the area for other savage shamans. If she finds three or more savage shamans within a certain radius, the shaman and all those near her begin to dance. When they finish the dance, the savages cast a powerful group spell that can cause harm to players or even heal all savages near the casters. Needless to say, letting them cast these spells could spell doom for would-be adventurers. But, if you are able to slay enough shamans before they finish their dance, then you can interrupt the spell before it is cast. Or, you can run away from the savages and if you escape the spells' range, avoid the damage of the spell. This kind of AI causes you to react differently than you normally would, without creating undue challenge, and gives you choices for how to react. It also has visual cues, letting you know something is about to happen and giving you time (although not much...you’ve got to think fast!) to decide what to do. Do you try to kill the shamans before they finish dancing? Or do you run away, hoping you can escape before they finish? Or perhaps you just continue fighting, preparing for the spell, knowing that your friends can handle its effects. If savage shamans were nothing more than white hued humans that cast spells they'd be no different, for all intents and purposes, than evil mages, orc mages, or any of the other spell casting monsters with similar stats. It's not their look that separates them from the other monsters in UO...it's what they do.

    Of course, none of this takes into account the other reason players like to fight monsters...loot. No matter how cool a monster is, if the reward is poor, people will be less likely to interact with it and hence, the monster will not be considered a success. But how often can we keep adding the typical 100-250 gold and a 10% chance of some rare new item on every new monster? No, there has to be other kinds of rewards to engage players with new monsters. Perhaps fighting these monsters is necessary to achieve some part of a scenario, like the savages in the previous scenario. Or maybe, the monster isn't aggressive at all, but rather, its actions give you evidence (like the frightened orc) of changes in the world. New ideas of intangible rewards, like titles or even abilities unavailable through normal game-play, should be explored.

    I don't believe that we, as designers, have even scratched the surface of monster design with massively multi-player games. Aside from the way they look, too many monsters are nothing more than different variations of hit points, damage, and armor values. The team for Ultima Online is going to be trying out some new things over the coming months to help change that. Hopefully we'll present you with some new, exciting monsters...and of course, some fun

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 4:36 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Unused Character Cleanup
    This was posted on the General Testing section of the official UO Boards :
    Character data takes up a great deal of space on the servers. Many players have multiple characters that they do not play (characters made for one-time events, made during their regular shard downtime, etc.). Purging characters that are not being used will result in shorter backups, decreasing shard down time and increasing overall performance.

    Design
    Characters are deleted after three months unless:
    The character has over 75 total stat points. All characters that are over 75 stat points will not be purged by this system.
    Characters at or below 75 total stat points will need to be "refreshed". Refreshing is defined as logging a character in and then logging out. Logging in a character will reset the three month timer.
    Warnings
    In order to warn players, shards on the Shard Selection screen will appear in a different color when characters on that shard are scheduled for a purge. Character names in the login list will then appear in the same color if they have not been logged-in for over 2 months. This will serve as a reminder and also warn the player in case a time-warp results in the "refreshing" of a character not saving.

    In addition, players will be e-mailed a warning before any character is purged. It is very important that all players keep their e-mail address updated in the Account Management section of the Ultima Online website.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 3:57 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Adrick on Moongates and FieryIce on UO3D titles
    On the subject of moongates and agressors official UO Boards HERE, Adrick (Designer UO) commented
    They wont be looking for safety at moongates after 13 - in fact moongates will be off limits to all agressors.

    On the topic of UO3D titles, FieryIce (Programmer UO) commented on this thread on the official UO Boards HERE
    Eligibility for Third Tier titles do not decay. :)

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 3:53 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Adam Ant's new quest - the results
    This was spotted over on the GuL website:
    I would like to thank everyone for attending and participating in this quest.

    I would also like to thank the GUL Elders for their dedication and time. These quests are hard to pull off, and everyone pitched in with either setup, or quest night organization.

    But most of all I would like to thank Jade.
    Jade really went the extra mile on the quest. She spent countless hours setting up the infirmary, stocking chests with armor and weapons, and supplying thousands reagents.

    Thank you Jade, without your time and effort, it wouldn’t have been the same quest!

    Again, I would like to thank everyone for one unforgettable night!

    Also, I would like to congratulate Eros and shabaz on capturing 18 of the 40 25K checks! I saw at least one other ghost running off shouting “I got three checks!” I’m not sure who got the rest, but I hope you enjoyed yourself.

    -Adam Ant
    There's also a really cool Flash movie available with scenes from the battle from Guardian Shadow. You can find that here

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 3:26 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    Prizes Double in West Coast Innovations Contest
    This just in from Pluffy:
    There is only one week left to get your entry into the West Coast Innovations Home Deco contest! And now there is double the reason to enter. Prizes for Finalists have been doubled from 50K to 100K. Two finalists shall be chosen from each of the eligible shards (Baja, Napa valley, Pacific, and Sonoma) and all finalists are eligible to win the grand prize, totalling 500K.

    You can get the details on how to enter at http://people.atl.mediaone.net/pluffy/innovations.htm

    Thanks Guys --
    Pluffy
    *Makes sure painting is straight, dusts the end table for the judges* Thanks for the info!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 2:53 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

    News from the Moonglow Council
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<An update from Yoldran:

    Hear ye Hear ye!

    Moonglow City Council ( http://stop.at/moonglow ) announces the re-election of several positions!

    In the Council meeting last saturday, the citizens elected:

    Kulgan as new Moonglow mayor,
    Sauron as new vice mayor,
    Squonk as new City treasurer
    and Yoldran as new towncrier.

    The Council also agreed in an official alliance with the Britannia Police Department!

    From now on, the BPD will support the Moonglow Council in its work. The Department will decide on a representative that will join the Council and who can - if need arises - veto the participation of BPD members in Council missions.

    Yoldran,
    -Moonglow Towncrier.

    Thank you for the update, Yoldran!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 1:54 PM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

    The Quest of the Rise Continue
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<News from Ravenmoor:

    Hail to thee !

    Some times ago Ravenmoor started a quest along with other towns, and now we continue it with Bree-Land and Twinkle Town.
    You can find a summary of the quest here

    The quest will continue where it stopped, at the Angry Mongbat Tavern on the Thursday 9th around 8:00 PM GMT.
    Everybody is welcome!

    We hope to see many of you !

    Tyrghen [UT] of Ravenmoor.
    http://ravenmoor.ng22.com/

    Thank you, Tyrghen!
    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 1:48 PM EDT by Llemandrell (Europa)

    Contest: Name the Dragons Watch Forest!
    Maybe we should name it after a cake..like Black Forest! Yes, I think we have a winner. But of course, John McBain, who sent this to us, may disagree! And yes, I do know it's the cake that was named after the Forest.
    I, John McBain, acting mayor of Dragons Watch, do hereby declare that we shall name the forest that the Town of Dragons Watch borders on. All names should be submitted to the Dragons Watch page.

    The winner of this contest will be announced on Sept. 1st, and will be rewarded 20k in gold.

    Thank you,
    John McBain

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 11:49 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    The Prophecy
    A mage dropped in and dropped this scroll upon my desk. He parted without word.

    The old gypsy woman spoke the words of the prophecy to those assembled, these words had been handed down from generation to generation:
    Whoa the land Britannia, for the dark one rides collecting the souls of her people, and gaining strength. He of the black cape, hells chosen one, shall take one of purity of soul and great virtue, and will make her his. And from his seed, shall grow the greatest darkness to befall this land, destroying all before it.

    Let it be known that when the sun does streak across the sky in the dark of the night the daemon's child will be born, and the darkness will crawl from its womb of purity, and will swallow the light of this world.

    No one believed her, they thought it the ramblings of an old woman.

    And so it came to pass. The dark one, the chosen of the gods, walked the earth gathering souls in his quest for power. And along the way, the gods chose his mate. A blonde haired warrior, strong, proud, fighting her destiny. She was the one who would bring forth the darkness.

    The gods in their wisdom placed obstacles in his path. And the gods decreed he must overcome each of these obstacles placed in front of him, for only then would he be ready to fulfill his destiny.

    The old woman saw the shadows forming. She was not equipped to stop the spread of darkness. The prophecy must be fulfilled, and the world was doomed to walk in darkness.

    Leela, KaS

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 11:32 AM EDT by Rebellion (Catskills)

    PvP Tournament
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<This message was dropped upon my doorstep this morning.

    I just thought all you good people would like to know about a PvP tourny being set up for the 15th of August. The tourney consists of two competitions-Singles and Doubles. The entrance fee is 5k per competition you enter. Prizes for both compertitions are 50k (both players in the doubles get 50k.)
    The rules are as follows: 10 pots per round, no mounts, no magic weps (this includes no orc/tribal weps), no dp and NO LOOTING!! Dis-arm thieves are welcome but any thing stolen must be given back at the end of round.

    Every body is welcome

    The meeting place is grave yard brit fel. We are meeting there at 6pm eastern and will be sending gates to the pvp spot through out the night.

    If u are intrested or would like to know more my icq is 55519652 or email [email protected].

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 11:24 AM EDT by Rebellion (Catskills)

    Another Week at Impy's!
    The folks at Impy's dropped this by to me tonight.  Seems they have quite a week planned out there.

    IMPY'S ARTIC FAIRE…
    Weekly auction will be held Wednesday evening at 9pm by the Eastern Sky. 

    This week at Impy's we'd like to say a little something about our vendor shop. Impy's hires vendors from all over the realm to host vendors. This helps us ensure a wide variety of services and offerings. Impy's stocks every known craftable item in the worlds. As well as all weapon types, armors, mage supplies and rares. For your next shopping trip, pick Impy's.

    This week's auction will feature a pile of rares! Some of the most unique items we've seen so far. We have Wood Curls, Joined Candles (spawned in Wind), a few Christmas Items and so many others we can't list them all. We have armor and weapons as always, piles to the rafters. Come and see what a set of Wood Curls go for this week at Impy's.

    For directions and a complete list of the items up for auction please take a peek at www.impys.net. As always, Runes to Riches and the Mystery Chest games will also be played this week following the auction, so please stick around and take a chance with lady luck. Impy has asked that you please stable your pets before the auction as he is allergic to wet fur.

    If you need a rune visit one of our rune vendors located through out the lands. (Vendors can be found at: Star's Shoppe (out side Vesper in Trammel), next door to the RD Stables (in Felucca), on the porch of the Sandlewood Box Inn (in Felucca), the Mystic Rose (in the wooded glen in Trammel), or at Krista's Ranger Station (in Felucca).

    ~Impy's Staff

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 4:01 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    An Auction at the Yew Courts
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This announcement just in:
    Several rares will be auctioned off at the Trammel Yew Courts this Sunday, August 12th, at 8pm Pacific. Each rare will have a starting bid, and once the starting bid has been announced, the bidding starts.

    When the bidding closes, the buyer will have a chance to go to the bank to get a check and then return to the courts to make the purchase. If the bidder does not return in a reasonable amount of time, the item is then put back in the auction.

    The following rares will be up for grabs:
    Fish Trophy Deed
    Individual Statuettes
    Full Stattuette set
    Holiday Bell
    Both kinds of Rocks
    Lycaeum Globe
    Orc Bow
    Empty Basket
    Full Happy 300th Aniversary Bag
    Mask of Orcish Kin
    Green Mug
    Pile of Snow
    Golden Chessboard
    Movable Ballot Box
    Tribal Spear
    Closed Barrel
    a Scroll
    Golden Mark Scroll
    Glacial Staff
    Newbie Ticket
    Holiday Tree
    Hair Style Deed
    Pink Champagne
    600 Diamond Wedding Band
    Full Ranger Suit
    Thank you for the announcement. If anyone has any questions please contact Mouse.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 3:43 AM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

    Horse Races and Blade Quest Finale!
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Two events to let you all know about, both are happing one after another so come prepared if you want to participate:

    Weekly Horse Races


    When: Wednesday Aug. 8th, 2001 @ 7:00 pm PST
    Where: Britain Race Track, Felucca
    Description: Compete in the weekly horse races to win this weeks prize of 25k gp and an eminently accurate broadsword of vanquishing! There is no entry fee. Also, all winners are automatically entered into the finals at the end of the season.
    Additionally, the next part of the Blade of Legend Quest will be held after the races. This is supposed to be the final part of this quest and perhaps the most spectacular part.

    Blade Quest Continues


    When: Wednesday Aug. 8th, 2001; after the Horse Races
    Where: Britain Race Track, Felucca
    Description: The Blade of Legend is a very ancient blade used for much evil in the past. After travelling across the realm in search of this blade, the group is very close to finding it. With your help they may be able to find it at this event.

    I encourage anyone interested to take a look at these well written event reports from the previous weeks adventures, that way you can be completely caught up at the event tomorrow:
    Report from the First Week by Senechal
    Report from the Second Week by Senechal
    Not much more to say except good luck in finding the blade, and may it fall into the hands of someone truly worthy!

    Sounds like a very busy evening, so saddle your horses and sharpen your swords!
    --Sage Arthur

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 3:31 AM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

    Canyon on "light" item in Khaldun
    In response to a query on the official UO Boards HERE as to whether "light" items in Khaldun are legal, Canyon (UO Player Relations, Training Lead) replied
    Thanks to the players that sent me information on this. Under current policy, it is legal to collect these items, and legal to possess them. There does not appear to be any type of exploit involved in collecting these items, nor does it interfere with game mechanics. Please understand that it is possible that at a later time, we might determine that this is an item that should not be owned by players. However, under our current rules they are legal.

    I will send out a notification to the GM team right now, to guarantee that all the GMs are on the same page when it comes to this issue.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 1:41 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Gromm's Further Comments on Barkeeps
    Further to the Barkeep Preview (see General News below), Gromm (UO Designer, Ongoing Content) made further remarks on the proposed Barkeep HERE
    How many characters are you able to write in as an answer?
    As many as you can fit on one line of typed text.

    Can you customize the food menu?
    No, it's preset. It has most of the food and drink items an innkeeper has with the exception of a few things players make with the cooking skill.

    Are foreign letters (long lives the localization - lol) allowed to use there?
    The barkeep is programmed to be usable with any language set. This will mean that if you use an English client and you encounter a barkeep that has been filled with Korean characters you may not be able to enteract.

    Do the different titles come with a custom costume for the barkeep?
    No, the barkeep will spawn with a standard outfit. After that you control when he changes outfits, exactly like the vendor customization menu.

    Where is the house your barkeep is guarding? :)
    On my standalone computer I use for coding. First one there can have it. :D

    Also, Jahova, the barkeep will not stable animals. We currently have no plans to create a player owned stablemaster.

    AND
    Well the barkeeps will have the scenario news, just like the town criers did. That will be localized.

    Otherwise, any player entered messages wil be language specific. A keyword entered in Japanese characters will have to be said in Japanese characters to get a response

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 9:38 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    FieryIce on UO3D Titles and Calandryll on GM made weapons
    Some hints from FieryIce and Calandryll. On the official UO Boards HERE , FieryIce gave the following hint about the third tier UO3D title :
    If they helped kill it then they are now eligible for that groups third tier. They just have to get enough "points" to get there. And killing a Champion does give you quite a few "points" compared to killing the normal creatures so it shoulnd't be too hard to get it...)

    Also on the official UO Boards, Calandryll made the following comment about GM made weapons HERE
    GM made weapons aren't +2, they are a percentage damage increase. The effectiveness of a GM made weapon compared to a magic weapons really depends on the weapon. For the most part, GM made weapons are good for the large damage weapons (like a hally) since the percentage increase in damage is higher, whereas magic weapons are better for the fast hitting weapons since you get the +X damage more often.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 9:31 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Sannio asks for Player Run Venues and Themed Communities
    On this thread on the official UO Boards HERE , Sannio (UO Community Co-ordinator) asked players to post details of player-run venues and themed communities :
    I love player-run venues and themed communities. Love’em. Can’t get enough of them. I’ve spent a lot of time reading about them, going to various Shards and visiting them, and even participating in the building and running of some. I loved learning about them and I loved comparing notes about them.

    I think a lot of people enjoy the type of community building that comes with these sorts of group-supported efforts, and I’d like all of you to share what you know about the player venues and themed communities on your Shards, here, on this “Roleplaying and Events” board. In this way I’d like to help as many people who play UO as possible, newbie or veteran, to learn about some of the opportunities they have available in regards to joining in community endeavors. So much changes in UO, in a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. I think it’ll be a great to get out the word about your venue/community to people who might not normally know so much about it.

    Here’s how I’d like you to help with this. Post a reply to this thread about the venue or community you help with in the following manner:

    Subject:
    Shard Name - Facet - Venue or Community Name

    Post:
    Shard Name - Facet - Venue or Community Name

    Web site address: the primary Web address/URL for that venue/community
    Sextant Coordinates: ##o##' ##o##'
    Directions: (How to get there “by foot”)

    One short paragraph summarizing the player venue or themed community.

    Hopefully each venue/community only has one thread, but if some entries appear more than once, that’s fine, too. *grins*

    You may have noticed I’ve posted the first reply to this post, concerning some place called “Mystery City.” I’m using that as an example of how I’d like everyone to post about their venues/communities. Feel free to go peruse my admittedly fading memory of Ultima Online’s first acknowledged player city. (And, if you have more information about Mystery City, please respond to that particular post!)

    By the way, when I say “venues,” I mean simple shops, taverns, rune libraries, rares museums, vendor malls, theaters...any single building in UO that offers some kind of service to the general public. When I say “themed communities,” I mean players who play at being orcs, undead, savages, pirates, vikings, necromancers, monks, nobles, rangers...any group of characters that shares a common theme, allows anyone to try to participate, and has an easily locatable base of operations within the game (such as the theater in Britain, the castle in Nujel’m, a player’s own tower, a tavern in an NPC city, a graveyard, any one of the various orc forts, etc.).

    Thanks for helping.

    and
    (This is an example of the type of post I mentioned in the post, above.)

    Atlantic - (Felucca) - Mystery City

    Web site address: none
    Sextant Coordinates: unknown
    Directions: Go north from the Britain graveyard, to the first clearing, where you will see three buildings with “Mystery City” in the house names.

    Mystery City existed toward the end of the original Ultima Online beta test on the original Atlantic Shard. It began as one building named “Mystery Smithy,” but when it and two nearby buildings changed their house signs to include “Mystery City” in their title, this first player-city gained a certain level of fame, including gaining a GM-placed road sign helping to direct players to this public establishment. Mystery City ceased to exist at the last Shard-wipe before the end of that beta test. (Note: Mystery City existed before the Trammel facet split off from what is now called Felucca.)

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 9:25 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Calandryll's Comments on Interview
    In relation to the UOD/UOSS interview with Calandryll (see Community News), Calandryll made the remarks in reply to questions raised about the anwsers he gave in that interview on the official UO Boards HERE
    I really wonder how you want to handle the complains from the Siege shard and 2D players though. I imagine you will add monsters or storys which can be fought in both worlds. Then again - it makes the 3D owners wonder why they ever installed 3D...
    --Any scenario that takes place in Ilshenar will not occur on Siege. I won't even argue for a minute that that doesn't stink, but with the ruleset on Siege, there isn't much I can do about it. As far as the 2d players, while major parts of a scenario might take place in Ilshenar, we'd also make sure there was stuff going on in Britannia and/or T2A as well.

    Face it: Until today there is no other MMORPG on the market that offers trade skills, housing and property, different worlds in a Fantasy setting. We will see what happens when "Darkage.." and "Starwars Galaxies" comes out.
    Again, I'm not saying UO is invulnerable, but everytime a new game is on the horizon, the cries of UO's death always occur...and yet, it's still here. Plus, we do have time before many of these games come out to further enhance UO. :)

    I am looking forward to the barkeep. However I am looking forward much more to "Neverwinter Nights" which will be out this X-Mas: It won't provide a community like UO has already. But the fact that foreign people can play my quests and ideas is so fascinating.
    I hope you will keep supporting playerquests by letting the new barkeep hand out items for example. Or let player be able to dig treasures and give these maps to other players.
    --I'm looking forward to it too, but I don't see it as competition for MMORPGs. It's a different kind of experience. As far as how we handle player quests, truth is, we haven't worked on many designs yet.

    As you know there are Felucca only guilds as well. You could improve the relations a lot if you could introduce guild alliances. This would make it much more easier to handle guild diplomacy...
    --Guild alliances was a system the team was working on a long time ago, but it's not something that fits under the content team's realm unfortunately.

    Any special skills in mind in particluar? Informing us a bit will make us wait for the improvements with much more exitement, ya know.
    --Since they are part of the scenario, talking about them would give a lot away. Suffice to say we plan to have more craftables and items in this scenario than in the previous.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 9:17 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Canyon on Character Names
    On the official UO Boards HERE , Canyon (UO Player Relations, Training Lead) made the following remarks :
    Here's a glimpse into the GM Manual for this explanation on how we handle improper names. Please understand that this is subject to change with no warning, and is our internal policy. There is a lot more to the policy, but this is the part I am comfortable releasing to the public.

    Unless the name is extremely offensive (for example, a racist name), we don't want players to page in about it. We are keeping a list, and we do contact improperly named characters based on severity. Please don't page in on every name you think is inappropriate. Without any more disclaimers, here is part of what we have in the manual:


    Often characters choose to have inappropriate character names in order to create problems or to disrupt the gaming enjoyment of other players. Players with inappropriate names or guild titles should be educated on why this is not acceptable, and action should be taken based on the severity of the names. For extremely bad character names or guild titles (such as racial or extreme harassment), the account should be suspended and reviewed for closure.

    Bad character names or guild titles are words that might upset other players, or deemed inappropriate by Origin Systems, Inc. Types of names or guild titles that are inappropriate include any of the following: racist content, hateful towards any minority group (including, but not limited to religious, political, or ethnic group), sexual, excretory, sexist, anti-Origin, OSI representative names, and names of serial killers or hate mongers of the twentieth century.

    When encountering a bad character name or guild title, the GM should involve a [supervisor] to determine the appropriate course of action. If the name is very inappropriate by being racist, sexist, or extremely graphic in nature, the GM should take action immediately to remove the player from gameplay. Once the GM is in jail with the offending player, the GM should explain what the problem is, and what steps will be taken to resolve it. These situations should be escalated to a [supervisor] to decide upon the appropriate course of action.

    If the name is inappropriate but not as inflammatory, the GM should simply note the player’s account and email [the admin team] with a report of the name, account number, and any other relevant information. These marginally offensive names will not be addressed in game, but will be handled by the Admin team. The Admin team will contact the player and give the player one week to delete the character

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 9:08 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Yew Council Meeting on Saturday
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

    Hannibal, Mayor of WEY, announced a meeting for the parties who have staked claims in the town of Yew on the Stratics AOL Legends Shard Forum.

    This meeting will be held on Saturday Aug 12 at 5pm EST at the Yew Winery. Leaders of Everwood Cove, Avernia, Yew Militia, WEY and any other guilds throughout YEW are invited to attend.

    Weapons are to remain sheathed at all times during the meeting.

    If you have any questions about the meeting, please visit here.

    Watch out for tribesmen!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 7:14 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    Shemyazza's fate (Solve the Riddle)
    Where did he go? Well, there was a scroll broken into 4 parts. A piece of each was placed in a corner of Napa Valley. To find the thief you must solve the riddles.

    To sweeten the pot the first one to solve all four will get a 20k prize.

    The rules are simple. ICQ me with the coordinates and/or description of the area. I can be found at # 58667080.

    Each time you get a right answer part of the scroll will be sent back to you. Put together this will show where Shemyazza can be found for the next leg of the quest.

    Riddle 1

    As a gift for destroying the evil
    Lord Tremain presented me a banner
    Through the horror and upheaval
    Twin symbols that display a tranquil manner


    The first banner is located at the Trammel Stratics Center. Where is the other one?

    Riddle 2

    Minax designed to destroy the land
    Uprooted trees and made it bland
    But in one place far away from town
    a patch of yellow flowers can be found


    You must find this anomaly in Felucca.

    Riddle 3

    When Nystul fixed the bell
    to clean the shrines Minax turned to hell
    he bade a group of valiant souls
    to search the land and finish some goals
    down in some mine Blackrock was the key
    now find the throne where it came to be!


    Just a side note, you cannot take coordinates in this spot, but tell me where it's located will suffice.

    Riddle 4

    The stones were infused with fire
    staircases that disappeared into the void
    amazing architecture that was to admire
    a house of god never to be destroyed


    Where is this place??

    Good luck, suckers! :)

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 5:20 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    UOD/UOSS Interview With Calandryll
    In a joint venture with Ultima Online Deutschland and UO Stratics, we are proud to share with you a recent interview with Calandryll.
    The exclusiv german translation on UOD will also be up soon and I will provide a direct link to it later.
    (Update: As promised before here is the link to the german translation on UOD.)

    To be a little bit clearer, this interview was done with Calandryll as designer of content, not as a general designer for UO. Even though he adresses some things of more general nature, this is mostly about the content and the scenarios we are going to see.

    Enough talking - please enjoy this interview with Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna (Designer, Ongoing Content):
    Cal, you recently mentioned on the boards that you will use fiction from Ultima Prime in the upcoming events. Does that mean we will see a full cycle of fiction regarding Ultima III (Exodus) and Ultima V (Shadow Lords) to later games like U7 (Black Gate and Serpent Isle) and even the guardian?

    A full cycle? Probably not. I'm not interested in simply recreating the Ultima Prime games in UO. We do plan on taking aspects from those games and using them to fit the fiction that is in UO. So while you might see creatures, characters, or ideas from Ultima Prime, they may not be in the same order or do the same things that they did in the single player games. UO has its own history that should not be straight-jacketed by Ultima Prime...rather, we should try to use aspects of that fiction as there is certainly a lot of cool stuff (especially in the older Ultimas) to choose from!

    How long is OSI planning to support the 2D client? I guess it is much easier to have new events with the 3D client, since you can add new art! Will the difference between these two clients have any affect on your plans for future events?

    A long time. There are no plans to stop supporting the 2D client just because Third Dawn is available. Many players do not have the minimum system requirements for Third Dawn; so stopping support for the 2D client would be a poor business decision if nothing else. True, the Third Dawn client makes adding content much better (I would not say it's easier though) since we can actually create new looking monsters rather than rehueing existing ones.

    But, in reality, it's not what the monster looks like that makes it cool, it's what it does. Let’s face it...if we made a new monster that was the coolest looking monster to ever appear in a game, but all it did was have a lot of hit points, do lots of damage, and have "phat lewt", would it really be a good monster? I'd say no. In fact, I'd say it's a really bad monster. On the other hand, take the savage shamans. All they really are is rehued/retextured humans...but it is their special attacks and special AI that makes them fun to fight, not how they look.


    The new TD client offers many possibilities to improve UO. Can we expect new skills in the future, or is this impossible because of the 2D client?

    New skills have no bearing on the Third Dawn client. I do not believe there are any plans to add new skills, but we do have some plans to enhance some skills as part of the next (and future) scenario. I think we have enough skills that exist currently that could use some tweaking, before we start adding new ones.

    I guess you will give us a full, detailed synopsis of the latest event after the 8 (9) weeks you have planned for it, but can you drop us any information on how the dynamic outcome will affect each shard? Will players have a chance to negate those dynamic changes, if the players "lost" the last time?

    While the outcome was affected by player actions, there was no "win" or "lose" outcome in the previous scenario. I don't like the idea of a lose/win scenario because losing it not fun. I prefer scenarios that have different outcomes, all of which are interesting and fun. The dynamic outcome in the previous scenario was the taking of the Cove Orc Fort. Basically, we set up two spawners in the fort, one of savages and one for orcs. Those spawners grew and shrunk depending on how many orcs/savages the players killed. So it wasn't as simple as tallying up the total kills...rather it was based on momentum. If one side was losing, there was the chance that it could grow back, depending on what players did.

    Not every scenario is going to have a dynamic outcome like that though. Some may have outcomes that are the same, but require players to achieve certain goals (not all of them combat related) before the outcome is resolved, which opens up new things for them to interact with. Other scenarios might be more of a set-up for the one following it.


    I know there are currently about 20+ developers working for UO, how many people are working on the development of the events that we now have?

    We have four full time designers working on the scenarios, with support from client programmers and server programmers. We also have quite a few QA people who are assigned specifically to test the scenario code. Considering the amount of code we wrote, the number of existing systems we changed (adding in tribal paint for players alone required probably one of the biggest changes to UO's code since I've been here) and the fact that we published all of the shards nine weeks in a row with no scenario code-related delays or reverts, and only had two bugs that needed to be fixed immediately, they did a fantastic job with the last scenario. They're currently working very hard on testing the code for the first part of the next scenario and I am really impressed with the bugs they are finding well before they affect anyone's gameplay.

    Regarding UO Third Dawn, I feel as if we missed some fiction that looked like it was going to be explained later, but never was. Are you working on this in the upcoming scenarios??

    I think we're more interested in dealing with what is going on in Ilshenar now (perhaps as part of a scenario) which would possibly give clues about its past...in game.

    Concerning all the changes that were mentioned for combat & PvP - how does this affect forthcoming scenarios? For instance, the role of mages might change and, as a result, they may become much stronger.

    It doesn't really affect us at all. Most of our combat related designs for the scenario take into account the different fighting styles in UO already.

    Many players, both new and old, have told us that they want to have new challenges. What about a new veteran shard for these people?

    I don't believe there is any reason to make a new shard for veteran players. Instead, I'd rather put those new challenges on the current shards for the vets. The scenarios are most certainly not just for new players!!

    I think a lot of players get caught up in the idea of specialty shards because it seems like a good, fast solution. In truth, it's more like driving a nail into a wall with a sledgehammer. It *might* get the job done, but you'll probably break the wall in the process. Rather than try to get specialty shards open, I'd rather see discussion about what we can do to work systems into the current shards. The latter is far more likely to happen.


    Are you planning to use the new Advisors (peaches) for in-game events like the scenarios?

    Nope.

    Are there any plans to support player made quests? The tavern keepers are a step in the right direction, but are not enough. For example, we need the ability to save some items for a group of players or to generate monster spawn. We'd like to do more, but many of the good ideas are also filled with loopholes and exploits.

    As you said, the first step is the barkeep, but I doubt that will be the last thing we do for player events. I've seen ideas (both by players and people here at OSI) for player spawned monsters, player controlled monsters, and player created event items. But all of those systems would have serious balancing and exploit issues. I think there are already quite a few systems that help players run quests. The guild system allows players to run PvP oriented quests without fear of others interfering (in Trammel), house banning lets you run events with the ability to remove unwanted guests, etc. There's still more we can do, though.

    I know that the new scenarios are neither a replacement for those of the seer events and that they are not meant to be something like that. How would you compare these two types of scenarios?

    I wouldn't. The seers did not run scenarios...they ran quests. The content team doesn't run quests...we run scenarios. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, (for instance, while quests may be more personal, the scenarios allow a lot more players to participate) but I would not compare the two really. Seer run quests were created and run very differently than the code generated scenarios, which makes comparing the two kind of inappropriate.

    If you try to classify UO in terms of level of difficulty, it will be at the lower end. Also, Siege is no longer a real challenge for veteran players. It is too easy to make a GM character and earn gold. No one will stay interested in an easy game for very long. Don’t you fear that people will quit UO on the day another online RPG becomes available?

    I've been hearing the question "Don't you think UO will die once SoAndSo game comes out?" for over three years now...and yet, UO is still here and still going strong. I don't agree that UO is on the "easy" end of gaming. It's still very difficult for the new player to advance and get a handle on the game, something we are working on. Also, easy/good depends on your point of view. While it may be easy for one person to GM a skill, not everyone has that as his or her goal. For some, PvP is the challenge, for others it might be running a successful vendor mall, and for still others it might be role-playing their character and building relationships. That's the beauty of UO in my mind, the fact that there is so much to do beyond bashing monsters and gaining skills.

    What do you think about new craftable items? The bolas are a nice item, but you have to hunt monsters to get the parts. Crafters should be improved. No one can play UO with only a craftsman.

    I would not agree that one can't play UO as a pure craftsman. I know plenty of players that play UO as a blacksmith, alchemist, or what have you. I do agree though that not all new craftables should require monster loot, and that is something we have taken into account in future scenarios. I still believe that having some craftables require monster loot is good as it generates cooperation between the monster fighters and the crafters. So with new craftables, some will require monster loot and some won't.

    And a special question from me. ;-) Is there any chance that players will be able to walk in full 3D through Britannia in the near future? Like in UWO:O? And will there be a chance, in the future, to play one of the races of UWO:O, like the Meer or the Juka? I think being able to play another race would be a great improvement for UO.

    Probably not in the near future. As far as player races, if we did put races in, I think most players would prefer creatures that are more akin to UO (such as orcs and gargoyles) over something like Meer and Juka. That's not to say we'd never put those creatures in the game as NPCs/monsters though, but we're not working on player races at this time.

    There are many skills which have no effect. For example, cooking is one of those skills. It should be possible to make useful items. What about a strength-cake or a total refresh bread? Do you think that should be possible? Otherwise, you should remove useless skills.

    Trying to enhance some of the lesser-used skills is something that the content team is very interested in doing. Making the bola for tinkers and the tribal paint for cooks was the first step. We plan on doing more in the future, but I doubt we'll be able to hit every single skill.


    -Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna
    Designer, Ongoing Content


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 4:05 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

    A trip to Britain, Guild Symposium, and Dragonous

    A cool breeze whispered to me o’er lazy waves lapping the shore of my home whilst I made ready for my evening journey. Tenacious in my preparations, I secured the last strap of my armor and fed my mount a few pieces of succulent fruit before uttering the familiar incantation, Kal Ort Por.

    I materialized at the Public Moongates, only to be accosted by a petty “gate thief”. I chuckled at the loss of a bow of Vanquishing, had I been more alert, I would have it armed already. Precious little loss considering the small fortune I had made only a day before in Real Estate, but I still peeked through a few of the portals hoping to sight the pickpocket.

    I resigned to continue my journey to Trammel, but before I set out, another scoundrel had his hands upon my spear. We didn’t grapple for long. I retrieved my spear, blew the dead Faction thief a kiss, and left his corpse to the human vultures.

    At last, I arrived at the gate of Lord British’s castle, dipping below arches of stone and wicked portcullis. A flurry of people had assembled, bustling about and spirited, yet many weary from the journey to the Great Lakes Guild Symposium. I settled along the door with Gregor Villous, and together we greeted and directed citizens to the throne room, where the majority had gathered to mingle.

    Before long, the core of participants had arrived, and Guilds drifted to the chambers designated them. The curious followed, circulating the grounds and stopping to talk to the friends and new faces that dotted the entirety of the castle. Some remarked it was a larger group than when Lord British had last spoken at the castle. I made my way round, stopping to make portraits of the groups I came upon, and exchanging words and smiles with the people I met.

    I met a very pleasant fellow by the name of Dragonous, and he kindly obliged the shower of questions I rained on him. He has been a member of the V*F Guild for nearly six months, and is one of approximately 30 members, ranging in age from 20-59. He lives by the blade, a swordsman by trade, and is working to hone the skills of his profession, resolute in perfecting even some of the toughest abilities to train.

    The V*F Guild encourages positive karma and titles, and from the honor and thoughtfulness of his words, I can surmise they don’t struggle to uphold their ideal. Members volunteer their time to helping others, and New Recruits will find mentors to assist them in training. Treasure hunts and other activities round out the comradery, and from speaking to the members present, I think the Villous Family Guild would be a fine choice for new folk and seasoned veterans alike. You can find out more about them at the www.villousfamily.com website.

    I bade my new friends goodbye and, to my great relief, I was able to make my way home uneventfully. Long shadows hung from the door as I crossed the threshold to my cabin by the sea. I sunk into my chair by the fireplace, closed my eyes, and drifted to sleep. A distant and exciting trip to Britain, an incredible turnout at the Symposium, and new friends made for a day I will long remember.

    Dragonous
    Dragonous strikes a playful pose with Amidala

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 4:03 PM EDT by Amidala (GreatLakes)

    Barkeep Preview with Screenshots
    The following was just posted by Gromm over on the UO.com Scenerios Forum:
    We know you like to see the new stuff early!

    The barkeep is currently in QA testing and is still considered to be in the Alpha stage so these are subject to change.

    Enjoy! :D

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 4:01 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

    Jhelom at it again
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<I found this today...
    By popular demand, the Jhelom Town Council is hosting another scavenger hunt. Our last one was a great success and we hope this one will be even better! Come on your own or bring a few friends and enter as a team. As always with the JTC, expect a couple of tough clues. Are you up to the challenge?

    There will be an entry fee of 5k per person or team. All entry fees will be returned as prize money. We will begin registering contestants shortly before 2 and hand out clue books around 2:15 to begin the event.

    Where: The Morning Star Inn, Jhelom, Trammel

    When: Sunday August 12th, 2:00 p.m. Central

    1st Place 50% of entry fees
    2nd Place 30% of entry fees
    3rd Place 20% of entry fees

    Jhelom council keep up the good work.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 3:21 PM EDT by Richard Cypher (GreatLakes)

    The Halls of Havoc Casino
    It's open every Wednesday and it's a great place to meet new people and have a good time!
    Win your fortune at our gaming tables or sit back, relax and share stories with other patrons at the tavern. Open every Wednesday from 9pm-12pm est, at the Halls of Havoc Keep in Shadowcove. Coordinates are 61° 57N, 61° 44E, runes can be provided by the staff on request.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 1:58 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Visitors Both Malevolent and Kindly
    I sat down on the steps to my cabin, rubbing the bump on my head. It seems that quietly minding your petunias is not safe anymore! You see, a courier from Shadowcove had just dropped this heavy scroll in a rush...on my head! So I sat there and read it. It came from Panzram.
    Upon arriving in Shadowcove, I wasn’t at all surprised to find an amnesic urchin loitering within the Halls of Havoc Casino. Mistreated and malnourished orphans aren’t an uncommon sight, after all. If there’s the slimmest hope of food and shelter to be had, that’s where you’ll find them. The agitated lad, know as Wolf, as it turns out, was regaling a handful of Keepers with a vague and meandering description of a nightmare he’d suffered. We all believed the boy to be a bit soft, if you catch my meaning. His mind was a blank slate but for the nightmare, which he continued to rattle on about. The dream consisted of a series of visions depicting the Kingdom in flames, and amidst the inferno, the dominating form of a man astride a fierce Nightmare clad in shadow armor and wielding a powerful sword. The lad claimed the swordsman’s name to be Infamous Guile, and he was going to destroy Shadowcove. Although we still considered the urchin to be daft, I thought it prudent for the Queen to hear of this matter.

    Her Majesty was duly summoned and the boy repeated his story with a few variations. “All the more reason to believe his tale to be fabrication”, I thought. And I’m certain I was not the only one there with such an opinion. The Queen's thinking ran parallel to our own: The boy was delirious and in need of medical attention. Being the ever-gracious hostess, the Queen fed and clothed the little git and offered him a couch in her very own tower. Now, some may call me old fashioned, but when I was a young homeless wretch, I was lucky to fight over stable space with the livestock! *Grumbles* Be that as it may, we all believed the matter settled, and that was that.

    Imagine our surprise a scant two days later to find that lad Wolf excitedly announcing the arrival of his imaginary menace, Infamous Guile. The Queen and I, along with some subjects and guests, were having a pleasant conversation when interrupted by the lad’s incessant wails of “He’s here! He’s here!”. There was no ignoring the lad. Of course, we’ve all heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, and we assumed as much about this lad. Our shock was complete however when a dark, imposing figure stepped out of the gathering evening mist.

    The stranger certainly did fit Wolf’s description and confirmed his identity with bellicose threats of destruction and carnage. He was indeed the Infamous Guile that Wolf had witnessed in his dreams. Once this was clear, Keepers and Guards quickly surrounded the stranger. His threats, however, continued. He ranted on about burning the village of Cove to the ground, and made it known our Kingdom would be his next victim.

    I studied the man closely, and for all his threats, I found him to be an unimpressive specimen. After all, he was outnumbered severely and seemed no more dangerous than the next mortal warrior. It was when he threatened to return with an army of followers that I began to take the situation to heart. While the others flirted on the border of mocking the intruder, I studied him ever closer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my long days, it’s to never underestimate an enemy.

    With a final warning and a promise to return the following night, the man known as Infamous Guile vanished. I urge the subjects of the realm to be on the lookout for this man. I would suggest, for the sake of safety, that he be considered hostile and dangerous. Do not take this man lightly.

    On a lighter note, a most peculiar pair of creatures visited the Kingdom last night. Small and furry they were, with pointed little ears and wagging tails. We had not a clue what to think of them. After introductions were made, it was discovered they are Kobolds, a rare species of creature indeed! Their names are Gipik and Trini. They’ve traveled far from their home in Felucca in search of gold “shinnies”, and have found their way to our fair Kingdom, where they are to be treated as honored guests. The Queen fell in love with them immediately, of course, her nurturing instincts powerless against such overwhelmingly delightful charm. Samarian seemed to strike a bond with the female of the pair, but that may have been due to his disbursement of cookies and milk to the hungry visitors.

    So, if you see a duo of fuzzy, enchanting little Kobolds wandering the Kingdom, don’t be alarmed. They’re quite harmless and good-natured. My only advice is come well prepared with plenty of gold “shinnies”, cookies and milk, because they WILL ask.

    *Smiles*

    I can’t wait to see them in the casino.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 1:44 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    A Tale of Two Savages, Part 3
    “Pillar Ahoy!” shouted the helmsmen.

    I looked at the female savage, she looked back at me from the shadows of my small room. We both knew the second person to make it to the table was a dead person. Suddenly I remembered a ring I had hanging by a thread at my side. I relaxed as if giving up, dropping my arms to my side. As my finger slipped through the ring, I felt the power surge through my veins. I pointed my finger at the savage, and a burst of fire slammed into her. As she was stunned, I grabbed my book and reagents and ran to the foredeck.

    It didn’t take the savage long to see what I had done. She gave a yell of anger and started running after me at incredible speed.

    “All Hands On Deck!” the Captain shouted.

    I rounded the bend and started ascending the stars to the main deck when something pummeled me from behind. I looked up, dazed, as a bola came crashing down upon me. All I knew to do was to fire another shot from my ring...

    At that very same instant, two potion kegs were making their way to the storage room from the alchemists lab on the main deck.

    The last I remember of that day was someone shouting “Hey! That keg of greater explosion is leaking!” as my ring fired at the savage...

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 11:40 AM EDT by Gregor Villous (GreatLakes)

    War Against the Healers?
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

    I received a strange declaration of war from Prelate Volo os Volocamp:

    When I struck down the monks at the Abby, I had figured all hopes of resistance had been crushed with them. I seem to have been wrong. It appears that that someone survived. This person must have called allied wandering monks and healers from across the land to his aid, but it wont help.

    I have set myself on a dark course; a course that nothing, absolutely NOTHING can be done to stop. As Prelate of the Brotherhood of the Ebon Hand, I declare war on these wandering bastiches and their coward leader. Should he come across my path, I shall show him my skill at seeing the future through human intestines.

    To this leader, I say "Know this, you coward, whoever you are, that I will find you and I will have your death will be slow and painful. And if it suits me I will have your remains thrown to peasants as handouts!"

    Yes, it seems that the Brotherhood of the Ebon Hand has chosen to wage war on these seemingly helpful humans. I always secretly suspected they couldn't be trusted... the healers, that is.

    Praise Minax!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 4:52 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time
    Thanks to Sparrowhawk for pointing out GameSpy's recent article on the Top 50 Games of All Time. Of special note is Ultima Online's inclusion on the list. Here is the description they give it:
    48. Ultima Online
    1997 -- Electronic Arts & Origin

    What do you do with an RPG computer game series going on 9 chapters over 15 years? Find a way for all your fans around the world to enjoy the game together. And that's just what Origin Systems did with Ultima Online, ushering in the age of the Massively Multiplayer Online Game. Taking the persistance of the MUD worlds, the graphics of a computer game, and the mythology of the Ultima Universe, we were given a game that ran 24 hours, 365 days a year. An entirely new way of computer gaming was brought to the mainstream.

    Ultima Online didn't just open the door for a new era of computer games, it changed the culture. The very lexicon used to describe elements of game play began to change. The concepts of the pKiller, grief player, and kill stealer were born, among others. They also proved the viability of the single game monthly subscription fee. The gaming community hasn't been the same since.

    Kevin Lambert, Monolith Productions: "There are so many things to do in this game that it literally blew my mind. This game, to me, has more replay value than any game I've ever played (including the other MMORPGs). Overhead is DEFINITELY the way to go on this type of game IMHO. You just don't get the same experience when you can only see the world in front of you and have to read what people say at the bottom of the screen."

    Richard Tsao, Microsoft Games: "What you say? Blasphemy! Well UO still has the most feature rich MMP I have yet seen. It provided both the general hack & slash playing and added a social element that surpassess all modern MMP out there today; MUDs and MOOs are the only things that beat the social aspects of the game in my opinion."

    Brandon "GreenMarine" Reinhart, 3DRealms: "It was the first multiplayer game of that magnitude I ever played. I used to play a lot of MUDs and this was like a super mud. I played it a lot. I cheated, I exploited, I killed. I loved it all.

    Make sure to check out GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time to read all about the other 49 games they discuss.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 1:57 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    Astrogamer.com Offers Guild Forum Services
    The following announcement was sent to us by the folks at Astrogamer.com regarding their Guild Forum Service:
    Hail and greetings,

    Need a forum for your guild? Need a place to send out announcement to all your members instead of doing mass icq msg or mass emails? If you are in a highly involved guild, this is something you may want to definitely check out.

    We at Astrogamer.com used to only host UO Guilds forums/message board for the Oceania Shard, now we extend the invitation to guilds from all shards. Please visit www.astrogamer.com and email [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in this offer.

    Thanks & Regards,
    Saint

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2001, 1:49 AM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    Lich Lord Holds 2nd Felucca Coronation

    I am planning on doing a second coronation for Felucca this saturday August 11 in Golgotha at 6pm pst. There are going to be some events planned also for after the ceremony. The cities Town Crier system will be activated in the case that not everyone will be able to fit on the roof of Citadel Cavitus, so only guild masters/reps will be allowed to enter the citadel first then we will allow others to enter until all space is full. Those in lower levels of the tower or outside will be able to hear the ceremony via town crier system as stated above. Several events will be held after the ceremony to celebrate not only the coronation, but the 1 year birthday of the Golgothan Kingdom. Events held are as follows.

    Golgotha armory: Come out and get a set of FREE iron Golgothan armor made to order. Although we will have to limit the amount of plate sets we make, our orcish and human made armor is durable and gives superb protection.

    The Great Golgotha Race: Sign up for the longest horse race ever as you start from Tower Avernus in Golgotha and circle the entire kingdom on horseback. a 1k entry fee will be charged per person to save your spot on the track. Racers will be placed by order of entry so be fast to sign up so you can get a good spot. Signups will be conducted from 5-5:30 and 7-7:30 pm pst. The race will start at approximately 7:35 pm pst. Racers will be given a map upon sign-up and will be directed to follow the points across the kingdom when the race begins. The first place winner will receive 50,000 gold pieces presented by Lord Vecna himself.


    Rules:
    1) no recalling, gating, or teleporting at all during the race.
    2) no blocking the tracks with objects/animals that would keep a contestant from continuing the race.
    3) no altering of the map in any way. You will be asked for your map before you receive the prize.

    A Re-enactment of History The local Church of Vecna will be sponsoring a re-enactment of Golgothan History. Be it the battle of Golgotha Bridge, The sacking of Occlo, The original battle of Arakus, or the destruction of the ZOG empire. The church hopes that you will find a story to your liking. The Historical Library of Golgotha will also open in the upstairs of the church and houses books and artifacts that date back to the earliest days of Golgotha.

    Golgotha Tours The Lords of Golgotha will be sponsoring a tour of Golgotha city for all who wish to attend them. The tours will take up to 30 minutes to complete and will highlight some of the older and most well known houses/shops.

    Vendor Registration Books will be placed in all of the city owned shops in Golgotha for those who wish to apply to own a vendor in the city. Please leave your name and ICQ/e-mail and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

    The city crier system will be announcing events throughout the night so pay attention for announcements and start times.


    Thanks!
    A Golgothan Messenger.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 10:41 PM EDT by Killaua (Sonoma)

    Hearts of Baja
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Victoria's Secret just sent in this parchment.
    Looking for the love of your UO life? A new hunting companion? Or maybe just someone to hang around Brit bank with? We are here to help!

    Introducing the Hearts of Baja website. We offer the Baja community a lighthearted matchmaking site where you can send us your information and our staff will match you up expertly and confidentially. We also have an easy to use message board forum where you can fill out the requested information and make public your match criteria to broaden your chances of finding that special someone.

    A special welcome from shard liaison, Victorias Secret:

    Hello and welcome everyone to Hearts of Baja :-) I play a well established character by the name of Victorias Secret on the Baja shard of Ultima Online and I am here to offer a valuable tip for those interested in trying the Hearts of Baja matchmaking services. *curls up in a plush throne dyed signature VS pink* Now, as long as I have been playing UO, I've come to learn that one of the hardest aspects of gameplay has been to find amongst the many that special someone in the game whom you would be willing to give your heart to.

    To those even remotely interested in UO love, the search seems pretty intimidating. Not everyone is looking for love, not everyone has that special quality that you know you need, not everyone is in your age group/plays as often as you do/has that easygoing personality to see you through those tense standoffs at the Daemon Temple :-) But I digress.

    Thisservice presents you with the chance to share your secret yearnings for that elusive "other", that dream UO companion. So go ahead, the bola is in your court! Take advantage of the limitless possibilities Hearts of Baja offers.

    After all, UO is a game of the heart and mind, and the elements of fun within will always be at your fingertips accessible lock and key by YOUR imagination only! With all that said, don't forget to have fun and may love's fortune smile upon thee and thine :-)

    Love,

    Victoria's Secret
    Thankye Victoria

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 5:47 PM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Comments from Vex: Ultima Online's Economy
    A new team comment team comment is up, this time from Michael “Vex”Moore about:
    Ultima Online's Economy

    I'd like to take a moment or five to talk about UO’s economy in a big-picture sort of way. The things I am writing about here are basically my thoughts and opinions as a game designer. Nothing written here is to be construed in any way as plans for future development on UO. My intent is to give you a little insight into my thought processes on the subject.

    Most players will agree that, while UO’s economy in some respects works amazingly well, it also has some downsides. For example, take the housing trade. It has been a roaring success despite early on lack of support for secure house trading. Houses are bought, sold, and auctioned outside the game. UO’s virtual real-estate market reflects a real one in many ways. Some properties are at premium value and others are more modestly priced. Location, size, and other factors influence the market, which is entirely driven by its participants.

    But, in other respects, like player-NPC trading, the system is completely controlled by the game engine. Prices for commodities are mostly fixed, somewhat limiting dynamic supply and demand-based economics. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of supply of a needed item (like spell reagents), making it somewhat inconvenient at times for players to get the things they need right away. It is clear that the system could be improved – and it is our job, as game designers, to create workable win-win solutions.

    So, what is the basis for the imperfections in UO’s virtual economy? The answer lies in classic design approaches rooted in single-player games. Classic single-player design approach dictates a totally designed economic situation. It makes perfect sense in the context of a single-player game. Almost universally, prices and monster loot are fixed in single-player RPGs. Designers have goals in mind. In a single player RPG, the "economy" designed into it isn't an economy (in this context) at all. Rather, it is a subgame built into the whole. Game designers predetermine monster loot and shop item costs. Its whole purpose is to act as a barrier to overcome in order to win the game. Usually, by the end of such a game, the main character has more money than he can use. The economic subgame has been beaten. There is no point in simulating a supply and demand economy in this kind of game. It would just be a bunch of trees falling in a forest with nobody around to hear, while the player is busily slaughtering demons in the underworld.

    Unfortunately, the same approach is almost universally used in multiplayer games as well. Better equipment costs more money, and higher-level monsters drop more. In the early game, a player might have to play for an hour to collect up a few hundred units of currency, but in the late game the money might be rolling in ten or a hundred times as fast. The only problem is, in a multiplayer game you have "lowbies" and "ubers" mixing it up together. One veteran player giving away the loot from one short hunting trip to a new player will totally blow the curve for the new player. One thousand gold coins might mean five minutes of play to a veteran, but five hours to a newbie. This illuminates a basic flaw of the multiplayer game's economy. It's true that in the real world, one hour of an all-star basketball player’s time might be worth thousands of hours of an average Joe's. The only difference is, in a multiplayer game, all players can reach that all-star level of virtual income just by progressing through the game. If everybody in the world got multimillion dollar contracts to do their jobs, then the dollar would be next to worthless.

    How could it be designed better? That’s a tough one, for sure. The casual gamer probably doesn’t want to spend much time shopping. Being on a limited time budget, this type of player wants to equip and go. Many players would probably prefer fixed prices, considering that prices are generally stable in the real world and they’re used to fixed prices in single-player games. Merchants would prefer to see real supply and demand determine prices, finding the dynamics of a reality-based economy enjoyable. Virtual craftsmen want to be guaranteed a demand for their services. With so many different playstyles to accommodate, a perfect solution will be difficult indeed to find.

    I'm going to leave this article at that, for now. For my next few Comments from the Team articles, I intend to delve deeper into this same subject. Eventually, I'll get around to exploring some possible solutions, and I look forward to discussing this subject at our upcoming Online Worlds Fanfest.

    Michael “Vex” Moore
    Designer, UO Live

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 5:04 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Vampire Quest - Night One Pt. 3
    Sorry it took me a couple of days to get to this last installment, but weekends were made for RL!

    Also, if you haven't been following along you may want to go here first:

    Vamp Nite Pt. 1 & Vamp Nite Pt. 2
    While all parties involved were under siege on the Skara Brae docks, the man whose name was on everyone's tongue was wandering around the streets drunk.

    Some how he made his way back to the Shattered Skull and met up with his old friend, Ian. A couple of lagging questors had come in, but didn't realize their target was sitting there like nothing had happened.

    Ian snapped out of his drunken stupor for a moment and figured his pal was the cause of much trouble. Perhaps it was time to put an end to it. Zigzagging from building to building they made their way to the docks downing all the liquor they could muster without getting sick to their stomachs.

    Meanwhile, tensions were mounting at the dock. With most of the orcs & goblins laying dead a new group of vampires showed up. They were called Black Veil and looked like a mean bunch of hombres. All on horseback their armor glistened in the sunlight.

    The team from Carafax squared off with them and a stare down contest ensued. It seemed that Scotia & Co. weren't the only ones who wanted those artifacts. Their powers in the realm of the undead was not known, but obviously everyone was coming out of the woodwork to lay claim so there must have been something to it.

    Then, just when it seemed like they were going to go at it Shemyazza appeared in everyone's midst. That set the questors off like a brick of fireworks.

    They all peppered him with questions and at first he refused to answer. Crying out to be left alone Shem made his way back into Skara Brae with the questors at his heels. They cornered him in the Shattered Skull and fed him a steady diet of booze until he opened up.

    It seems that he did have the artifacts at one point, but they were stolen from him by in own words: "Something much darker than the vampires."

    It was hard to ascertain if these dark beings where the same ones who had hired the thieves in the first place or not. Shem was quite upset over the loss of his friends. The questors tried to convince him they were not his friends at all (Especially Fang who had tried to eat him), but Shem was in denial. He mourned his losses as any sloppy drunk might do at the end of his rope.

    It seemed he wanted to say more, but then the troop from Carafax made their way into the bar. The questors made room for them, as Scotia was quite interested in what this thief had to say.

    Shem's eyes grew wide upon spying the marble white undead creatures. His skin paled to the point where he almost looked like one of them. He cried out for them to stay back, but they came closer.

    Someone had opened a gate and Shem raced through. The questors hot on his trail again. He tried to hide, but couldn't. It was then that he simply recalled away rather face the vigilante justice from Carafax.

    His disappearance again just left more questions. Who were these beings 'darker than the Carafax vampires?' What was Black Veil up to? How did they fit into this whole puzzle? And finally...where did Shemyazza go?

    In time we shall find out.


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 4:58 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    Guild Symposium Monday Night!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<The final list is in!

    Tonight Lord Brit's Castle in Trammel will play host to the first Guild Symposium. A chance for folks to meet and greet the leading guilds on the shard. From young to old, all are welcome. This event is the first of it's kind. Drawing just 23 guilds from across the shard.
    The event will start tonight at 9pm by the Eastern Sky, and will last for as long as the guilds are wishing to stay. The formal greetings by UOS staff members will end around 11, but all are welcomed to stay later.

    The guilds will be on hand to answer all questions about their group. Tour maps will be handed out at the door by UOS staff members, just look for someone with UOS tag above their head.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 4:31 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    A pretty nasty virus...
    The world may be talking about Code Red II, we're still feeling the effects of that nasty SirCam virus. The SirCam virus enters your PC as an attachment to an email that looks like a Word document, an Excel file or even a regular ZIP file. Once you open the attachment the virus will hide itself and operate in the background. Every once in a while it will take a random email address from your address book or your internet browser's cache and send a random document it finds in your "My Documents" folder via email. Just imagine, your private documents being sent to people you don't even know, or worse, people you *do* know. Also, imagine being on the other end; you receive emails with attachments from people you do not know, and from people you *do* know. And the moment you open the attachment, you are infected too and your PC starts sending out *your* private documents to the world.

    Here's what an infected email looks like:

    Hi! How are you?
    I send you this file in order to have your advice
    See you later. Thanks
    where the second line of the email can also be one of these:
    I hope you like the file that I sendo you
    This is the file with the information that you ask for
    I hope you can help me with this file that I send
    Anyway, back to our current situation. If you've sent us an email in the past days, you may have received a message in return stating that your message could not be delivered because of a full email box. That is most probably an in-box of one of our staff that has been stuffed with all kinds of files sent out by the SirCam virus. You need to know that when you send an email to [something]@stratics.com you are in fact sending an email to a whole list of people who are all receiving email on that address. If one of these people is not able to empty his in-box in due time (for instance when on vacation) that in-box will return your message as undeliverable. The other people on the [something]@stratics.com list *do* receive your message though. So please do not despair, your message most probably reached most of the people it should.

    I urge you, yes *you*, to scan your PC for the presence of this virus and clean if needed. A free scanning tool can be found here: Trend Micro Virus Encyclopedia. Lots and lots of emails we receive have documents attached that are UO related (Ilshenar maps, Taming tools, Guild member lists and whatnot) so we know that several of you out there are infected with this virus, and you may not even be aware of it yourself!! Do yourself and us a favor, and make sure your PC is clean of this virus.

    McAfee info on SirCam
    Symantec (NAV) info on SirCam (plus a removal tool)
    Central Command (AVP) info on SirCam

    I'm looking forward to not receiving your personal documents anymore...

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 4:26 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (CommunityNews)

    Blackcomb tournament results
    This news just in from the dark city of Blackcomb
    The tourney was a great success and everyone had a great time. Here are the results:

    1st Flip-50K
    2nd Comatose-25k
    3rd Spencer-10k

    We had some excellent fights. Thanks to all staff for a great job: Josh, Caldis, Isabella, Spensor and Soul Reaper.

    Regards,
    Kamsheema

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 4:11 PM EDT by Snake (NapaValley)

    New OoC Comic
    This was dropped on to my in-box just the other day along with a pot of honey.
    Saturdays comic entitled: *Tracking...* is all done and up on the site. Enjoy!

    www.outofcharacter.com

    On a side note. I'll be out on vacation next week so there won't be any comics this wednesday and saturday. Sorry!

    -Arakasi

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 3:21 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    New to the Looters Hall
    This was found along with a runebook to stuck spots.
    Yes, there are new happenings in the Looters' Hall. A few new Episodes and other News.

    I also won't post every Update here, so check back often! I'm aiming for about one Update per day, but that doesn't mean a new *Episode* every day, just some meaningless rambling *grins*

    And to refresh your memory, here is the URL: http://wwnet.fi/users/heimonen or if that's slow for
    you, we have a Mirror at http://lootershall.clanpages.com

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 3:01 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    Vet Rewards Delayed
    The following was posted to FYI regarding Vet rewards.

    Due to a new bug just found which allows players to collect more Vet Rewards (http://update.uo.com/design_350.html) than they should, the re-implementation of the Vet Rewards program is being delayed. We regret having to extend the schedule, but this bug, which involves the use of a third-party program, would negate the benefits of the entire system if left unfixed. We believe we have solved the issue, and the system is now being retested, but we do not yet have an estimated date as to its release. We will update the players as soon as we have more information, and we apologize for this necessary delay.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 1:46 PM EDT by Palor (GeneralNews)

    How To Summon A Champion! - Slight Spoiler
    FierY iCe dropped some information about the title system and multiple titles on the UO.com-boards:
    Your *highest* title will show up.

    Killing other groups will not lower your current title.

    Titles decay at a constant speed even if you are not logged in. Killing harder creatures will let you keep your title longer. I'm not going to give you specific numbers but as an example: Say the titles decay at a rate of 10 points per day. A rat is worth 1 point and a ratman mage is worth 4 points. So, you could kill 10 rats to keep your title for another day, or 3 ratman mages would let you have it for a little longer... (12 points) It is a little more intricate than that because there are maximum values you can get to for killing certain things. For instance you cannot get enough points to get to the third tier by killing the lowest creatures (like rats for example.) This is so you actually have to *work* a bit to get higher tiers instead of just killing tons of low end stuff.

    The only other thing to note is that the third tier is different because it isn't just getting enough kills. You also have to kill the champion to be eligible for the title. (You still have to have enough points from kills though.)

    -FierY iCe
    Programmer: Ultima Online
    He later added this small spoiler here:
    If you want to figure out how to summon a champion yourself then stop reading this message!!!




    Spawn Control:
    1) Killing enough creatures will cause the spawn area to shrink.
    2) Killing too few creatures will cause the spawn area to grow.
    3) Spawn area size is directly related to creature toughness. ie: Bigger Area = Harder Monsters

    Criteria to summon a champion:
    1) The spawn area must grow to a certain size before it is eligible for a Champion.
    2) The spawn area must then be pushed back (ie: shrunk) to a random lower size. (ie: You may have to push it back just a little bit, or you may have to push it back quite a bit.)
    3) When the area is eligible for the Champion and you push the spawn back to appropriate size there is a 25% chance that the Champion will appear.

    -FierY iCe
    Programmer: Ultima Online

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 12:57 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Additional Tidbits About World Faire
    Cynthe posted the following additional information about the Online World Faire over on the MMORPC @ Yahoogroups E-mail Group, the most important being about the bigger budget for this year:
    It's still going to be mainly centered on UO, with the whole UO team there, and about 35 sessions discussing UO... and we expect a larger turnout of UO players this year than last... but we're also bringing in the other EA MMOG's as well. Will Wright, from The Sims Online, will be a speaker, as well as Brett Sperry from Westwood, Neil Young from Majestic, and Tyrant (formerly of UO, now of The Sims Online). There will be booths for Motor City Online, Earth and Beyond, Majestic, The Sims Online, and of course, tons of UO.

    Thanks to the added presence from EA, we have a bigger production budget this year, so it should be quite a bit flashier than it was last year. Anyway, thanks for letting me spam... let me know if you guys have any questions about it!

    Cynthe
    Community Manager
    ORIGIN Systems

    Hope to see you all there!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 12:06 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (GeneralNews)

    Brazen Rogue Grand Opening Delayed
    Will I be able to wait this long to quench my need for a pint of ale? We can only hope.
    The Grand Opening of The Brazen Rogue has been delayed due to circumstances beyond our control (i.e. Chessy has been down for over 6 hours on Sunday!). OSI permitting, we will hold it on Thursday August 9th at 9pm. The formal grand opening and the plot-the-best-assassination contest will take place at that time. In the mean time the vendors are stocked, so stop by for a pint or a deadly poisoned blade if you're in the area.

    Once again: The Brazen Rogue is located on the Trammel facet, on the shores of Spirit Lake at sextant co-ords 78°13's, 6°36'E. It can be reached on foot by taking the road south from the Britain moongate, and once you cross the river turn west and follow the river to the lake.

    Hope to see you all there.
    Naimh, The Alchemist

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 11:53 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Wayside Treasure Hunt Results
    My congratulations to the winners!
    The hunt took place on Saturday at 8:15 EST, and the headcount was estimated at around 40 participants. The list of items to be gathered ranged from a humble empty potion keg, through the hard-to-find literary title "Talking with Wisps", to a tamed cat. Great fun was had by all, and in the final analysis, the honours were awarded as follows:

    1st place, and 50,000 gold went to Lord Noel and Lady Mystique, representing the A@A guild.
    2nd place, and 25,000 gold went to Zelly and Lady Candy, representing the DIG guild.
    3rd place, and 10,000 gold went to Candy Kelley and Clarice, also from DIG.

    Many thanks to all who attended and participated in Wayside's maiden event for making it a night to remember, and to the event co-ordinator Lady Starla and our Mâitre D Branchala, who both did great jobs on this night despite being smothered in the embrace of the lag-monster.

    Lord Revelation,
    Wayists of Yew,
    Chesapeake

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 11:33 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Illegal Purple-Hued Sigil Items
    New on FYI:
    In a strengthened stance against exploits, and due to the high number of support calls generated, we are now taking a stronger stand on illegal purple-hued sigil items. As of today, any players found selling these items, either in-game or out-of-game, will receive an automatic 72-hour suspension from Ultima Online, a final warning on their account, and the items will be deleted. Any accounts that have already been placed under final warning will be terminated.

    Players with these items already in their possession should note that these items are illegal, and should dispose of them through the nearest waste receptacle, or place them in a backpack and hand them off to an NPC Cobbler to be disposed of. Any remaining items that were dyed through the use of an exploit will very likely be re-hued in the future.

    Anything that can be dyed through use of a normal dye tub, including clothing, metal kite shields, and all footwear (excluding sandals) can be hued this shade legally. If an item is purple, and cannot be dyed through the use of a normal dye tub, it is a result of the sigil exploit, and should be disposed of immediately. It is vital that we enforce a NO TOLERANCE rule against exploits, and/or benefiting from exploits, in Ultima Online.

    Thank you for your understanding,

    Ultima Online Support

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 11:29 AM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Lich Lord Vecna Takes Lord British's Throne in Trammel
     
    On Saturday night, the leaders of some of the largest guilds on Sonoma and their representatives gathered to witness Lich Lord Vecna assume the throne of Britain. They were joined by the heads of innumerable smaller guilds, a rabid of herd of orcs, and a host of unguilded (but presumably evil) rabble.

    Claiming that Lord British had abandoned his people, Vecna, surrounded by his conclave of liches, took the throne. He promised order and justice, but as I heard a young woman behind me whisper, "at what cost?" He installed a hand-picked senate, and declared himself to be King. Those wishing to join this host of evil as they oppress our land by starting a Temple of Vecna or becoming a Follower should contact Vecna at ICQ #78245748.

    Many people are very worried about a member of the undead possessing the throne, and already small pockets of rebellion are springing up throughout Sonoma. The Order of the Silver Serpents has formed, claiming themselves to be still loyal to the absent Lord British. Led by Vidi of ShadowPriests, they seek to oust Vecna from the throne and hold it in trust against Lord British's return. Those wishing to join this rebellion can PM Vidi through the Stratics Sonoma Message Board.

    Also opposing Lord Vecna's reign is D'ood Ayerule. His first act shall be to lead a party of adventurers to "rid Sonoma of undead scum." All those interested in joining D'ood should meet in the Throne Room of Lord British on Tuesday at 6:30 PM PDT. The best way to oust Vecna shall be discussed, and then the party will set out to kill as many undead as possible. Those wishing to attend should bring a stout heart and a silver weapon.

    King David of PAS, who has long refused to recognize Lord British, has declared his intentions as well. He has long worked for a government of elected officials chosen by the people and for the people. He declares that anyone working against the free elections is a traitor. He says, "This madness of lunatics 'taking the throne' from a non-existent traitor to the throne must end now."

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 9:20 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

    Faction News
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Pat Factor sent in this news from the faction front.
    This has been an exciting last few days for factions on the Baja Shard. The unrelenting Archangel led the Shadowlords (SLs) in massive raid campaigns against the newly reinforced Council of Mages (COM) this Friday.

    As the SLs arrived they found True Britannians (TBs) also raiding, and decided to ally. But their alliance was short lived, as there was confusion on the battlefield and TB quickly soon betrayed their allies. These factors made the SLs suffer heavy losses as they were surprised by the turnaround.

    Archangel would not give up, though, and forged a lasting alliance with the TBs and Longshot, their leader, and decided to raid again. This time the SLs came up with a new tactic and decided to split COM's forces by attacking from the stronghold's bridge. But time dragged on, and the TB force dwindled in size.

    The Shadowlords soon found themselves stranded, and, with no other choice, were forced to retreat. This final victory added together with the retirement of Minax' Lords of Death [LoD] from factions (to go to Chaos) and ensured the Council of Mages' hold on all 8 factions cities for the next 3 days.

    This reporter was amazed by the dedication of the COMs, since every scouting effort reported at least 20 COMs guarding inside their base and many more were ready to be called into action. Personally, I am impressed, and feel they do deserve all the towns for their efforts-even Minoc, which was in the hands of Talon D'Bane and Reshteel (Shadowlords) for an amazing 36 days.

    Pat Factor
    The #1 Stunna
    M&D

    Update- Minoc is not under COM control as of this moment due to the efforts of the TB thief Ratboy and the precision strike on COM by the SL. The Minoc sigil is still up for grabs.
    Thankye Pat Factor

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 2:17 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Guild Symposium
    Guild Symposium on Monday, August 6th, at 9pm by the Eastern Sky. A complete list of guilds and events shall be posted before the Symposium begins. All are welcomed to attend.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 2:13 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    The Battle for Lady Catrina!
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hailage, we have recieved word on the capure of Lady Catrina, from both the forces of evil and good.
    First, from the Guildmaster of UBD Xerxes, we have this account of the siege and battle:

    The date was long anticipated by all UBD members. At 6:30 EST the Brotherhood assembled just outside their tower within the swamps of Trinsic.

    Informing them of their destination and how to reach it, Xerxes opened a magical gate to the dungeon of Khaldun. A few rogue invaders dared to challenge the group of 30 UBD members and were utterly crushed as the army made it's way to the Sacrifice room.

    The wait was not long before members of their opposition arrived. First blood was drawn as the bodies of Goldie and Gideon were sent sprawling upon the hard stone ground.

    A large scale standoff ensued as the forces of UBD slowly overcame those of their opposition. Blood drenched the decaying hallways of the dungeon as members of both sides fell to massive exchanges of firey explosions and bolts of energy.


    Soon the enemies numbers dwindled and and UBD felt it sporting to allow them a chance to enter the compound. The forces of the Brotherhood fell back further into the sacrifice room, leaving the door unguarded.


    After 30 minutes of serene, undisturbed peace, the forces of the Brotherhood swept through the halls of the dungeon in a race to the eastern entrance. Engaging in many small skirmishes along the way, the group finally reached the exit. Upon seeing Galahad of KoA, Xerxes informed him of Catrina's release. "We have seen she is not the pig-headed politician we once thought, as she has seen we are not the murderous savages she once thought" he exclaimed, as Catrina was turned over into the custody of the Knights of Alliance. Soon other forces from around Britannia assembled to try and disrupt the UBD force. Unfortunately for them the Brotherhood was more than willing to execute the innocent in defense of their group.

    In the end the UBD leader Xerxes was overcome by a large force of British's followers. From there scattered battles between UBD, KoA, O.O, and many other guilds occurred. Stretching into long hours of the night the crackling sounds of explosions, lightning bolts, and other magical forces were heard echoing throughout the canyon of Khal Ankur while the clashing of metallic weapons was mixed with the cries of slain men in a brutal bloodbath between "Good" and "Evil".

    And this from the Guildmaster of the KoA, Galahad:

    The KoA arrived at the Moonglow Telescope to join with two other groups that were participating, Tao and MDF. From there we went to the west Khaldun entrance where we were greeted by a few other groups already waiting. At approximately 7pm we all entered the dungeon to find UBD and their captive, Catrina. The UBD members were barricaded inside of their council chamber with Catrina and we were forced to use special switches to open the entrance to the room. The forces of light were very unorganized and were slowly picked off one by one as they stood in front of the entrance to the chamber.

    In the beginning there were probably fifty fighters looking for Catrina. After about thirty minutes one of the guilds, MDF, backed out, and the rest slowly gave up till it was only the KoA and about six others. We spent the next two hours fighting, and dying, all over the dungeon, but we could never break the siege and rescue Catrina. There just werent enough of us and, unfortunately, the other groups were never prepared for tonight and gave up early on.

    After remaining in a stalemate for a while UBD finally stormed out of the council chamber and all hell definately broke loose. Spells and swords were clashing everywhere as bodies fell all around us. Catrina was somehow taken to the entrance of Khaldun where I eventually found her with Xerxes. He told me she was captive no longer. They finally understood she was not the dirty politician they thought she was and she finally understood that UBD was not a group of ruthless killers.

    The fighting continued even after this and I gated Catrina to the Alliance Village where she could be safe. Even at the time of this writing I do not know when the fighting will end. I cannot say we won tonight, but I can say we accomplished what we came to do and Catrina is now safe.

    For more infomation on the past nights event, check out the UBD's website.
    United Brotherhood of Dungeoneers

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 1:37 AM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    Mith Sword Circle
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
    This just in via carrier pigeon:

    Announcing a Mith Sword Circle event: 1vs1 tournament
    Sponsored by: Order of the Sacred Rose (OSR)

    When: Saturday August 11, 2001
    Where: At the Mages Tower, City of Mith Felucca Location Map
    Time: 6:00 PM Pacific, 8:00 PM Central, 9:00 PM Eastern. Entry closed promptly at 6:00 PM.
    Featuring: NO ENTRY FEE, 1st place 75K gps, 2nd place 50K gps, and 3rd place 25K gps.

    Here are the rules:

    • No charged magic items, clothing, or jewelry. No magic armor or weapons allowed.
    • The use of Chaos/Order shields is not permitted.
    • No pre-poisoned weapons. They may be poisoned during the battle.
    • No use of summoning spells, field spells, blade spirits, energy vortex, recall or gate.
    • The Spell Des Mani (Weaken) is not allowed, nor can you cast Bless on an opponent. Casting Bless on an opponent will result in immediate loss of match.
    • No pets.(i.e.: Dragons, Nightmares, Drakes)
    • No Looting.!!! Looting will NOT be allowed!!! Punishable by death.
    • No drinking of potions before the match begins.
    • No Outside assistance. No leaving the Sword Circle area once matches begin.
    • No Stepping outside the fighting circle. Doing so will mean you have forfeit the fight.
    • To prevent lag, we ask that everyone hides during the fights that they are not involved in.

    Disclaimers:

    • A match will not be repeated because one or both of the contestants experienced lag or a server disconnect. The decision whether or not to fight, is left up to the individual contestant. The event Coordinator may cancel the event if shard instability is ongoing. All decisions made by the Event Coordinator are final. Any disputes will be handled after the event
    • All contestants are subject to snooping by OSR Staff to ensure everyone is participating fairly.
    • The Event Coordinator's decision on all matches is final and will not be disputed during the event.
    • Anyone who disrupts the flow of the event for any reason will be banned until after the event.
    • The Event Coordinator reserves the right to adjust these rules at any time without notice.

    Gabe, Guardian OSR
    Further information can be found at: The Mith Website

    Your humble servant
    Raeven Aurora

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 1:23 AM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

    Grimoire Fight Night Results
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
    This just in via carrier pigeon:

    There was a huge turn out on Friday night, at Grimoire's 2v2 event sponsored by Elwind Thorne. Once again, some of the best fighters came out to participate.

    Here are the results:

    • 1st place: Kamakaze Knight & Gangrel
    • 2nd place: Buttman & Haart
    • 3rd place: Arvid Semminson & Sassy

    Huge thank yous go out to the very dedicated Grimoire staff! Thank you Jade, Lost, Josh, Smokey McPot, and Ima Cew Fencer! I hope everyone had a good time and cya next week =)

    Baby-Grimoire staff

    Your humble servant,
    Raeven Aurora

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 1:08 AM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

    Chef's Faire!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This is from Lady Maetrix Highmoon on the Chef boards:


    THEME
    Thanksgiving. To be more detailed, it will be a re-enactment of the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock, but, Britannian style, of course. The theme will also be one of the Autumn Harvest entwined within the Thanksgiving theme.


    ACTIVITIES
    We, the 4 of us, agreed that it would be splendid to have Pilgrims and Indians. The Indians settlement will be Harmony and The Pilgrims will be by boats, sailing and land on Plymouth.....errr, I mean Harmony. Being that this is Britannia, we will come up with a story line to mimmick that of the Pilgrims and will suit UO yet, still thrive with the spirit of giving thanks. This will be a very roleplayed event where everyone will have to be split in half, some Pilgrims, some Indians and the Indians, of course, will be welcomers and Hosts. I will be supplying a boat for the Pilgrim Sail and we would also like a narration of the events as they occur by a volunteer or 2. This will be rehearsed. Please see the map below for the location of Harmony as well as the location of the landing site for the event.

    After the landing, we will proceed with a little gathering of sorts, to get better aquainted with one another. From there, there will be a scavenger hunt for the feast to keep with the theme. Various food items will be scattered about to be collected for a contest and the food found will go towards the Thanksgiving feast. So, this is a contest, but is also like the hunt and foraging done back in that time. I just wanted to stress that as I would like to see even the scavenger hunt roleplayed a bit, but, of course, some of our visitors may not be the roleplaying type and that is fine. Once the scavenger hunt is over, the Indians and Pilgrims will come together with their offerings towards the feast, much like they did back in 1620. From there, I WOULD LIKE to see someone say a little something inspirational to bring the spirit forth before the feast, but, we can vote on that. Like a prayer, but, we try to keep religion out of it and just make a speak of what and why we should be thankful and what being thankful means. After that, IF we have that, we can also summon to all whom have joined us to stand and speak if they would also like to offer thanks. And then we each, drink and be merry.

    Also, if we plan this right and have enough advertising and enough people showing interest, we can get our guests involved as well. If they have a boat, others can sail along with us to the landing spot or they can hang in Harmony with the rest of the Indians and any onlookers and await our arrival. If any show interest and put in a request, I will supply them with a costume.


    COSTUMES
    Well, the costumes are as follows:

    Indian Chief (there can only be one)

    Indian Brave

    Indian Maiden

    Pilgrim Man

    Pilgrim Woman

    MENU
    This will try to mirror that of the actual feast or any food types available in that era. The menu was selected and is as follows:
    Corn on the cob (not bowl of corn)
    Pumkins
    Pumkin Pie
    Squash
    Gourds
    Cooked Bird (to mirror the turkey)
    Cider and Ale
    Water
    Bread
    Stew
    Bowl of Potatoes
    Bowls of Peas
    Carrots
    Onions
    Apples
    Peaches
    Pears
    Grapes
    Muffins
    Leg of Lamb

    Basically, we will by almost all that the farmers have to sell except that of bananas or anything else exotic and no rare type foods like coconuts and dates. No eggs either. That which we can make ourselves, we will make ourselves. No wine, liquor or milk, only the beverages specified. And, like I have already stated before, some of this stuff will be in the scavenger hunt as well so that we can roleplay the foraging and hunting of the feast and at the same time have a game of it.


    LOCATION
    The Kingdom of Harmony. The map above will show the landing area, but, the rest of the Faire will be at the Boar's Head Tavern, the same place we had the last LS Chef's Faire. If anyone needs a rune to it, you should let me know when possible.


    DATE AND TIME
    To be decided. We need to vote on that. Thanksgiving is always on the last Thursday of November here in America. This year, it is November 29th. Now, of course, we will do it on a weekend. I would like to shoot for 12:00 noon Eastern time as the time and the dates can be one of the following:

    Saturday, November 17th
    Sunday, November 18th
    Saturday, November 24th
    Sunday, November 25th

    These are just dates and are subject to change. If we need to have it earlier or later than these dates, we may do so and keep in mind that, regardless of what we choose, we still have to clear it with the Boar's Head Tavern before it is set in stone.

    We'll keep you updated as the event times and locations change.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Monday, August 6, 2001, 12:22 AM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    Britain's First Street Race!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<While browsing the UO Event Calendar I ran across the following event post from Macolnon:

    Britain Street Race


    Sponsor: Macolnon
    Facet: Trammel
    Location: Britain Inn
    Start Date: Aug 7 2001 12:00PM EST
    End Date: Aug 7 2001 2:00PM EST
    Recurrance: Bi-Weekly

    Come one come all to the first bi-weekly Britain street race. There will be seperate heats for four legged mounts and two legged mounts, and if we get enough a foot race. The winners of the races will go on to the semifinals, where they will face off against each other. Foot racers will be given a horse for free to race with. There is a fee to enter, and is as follows:

    4-legged Mount:1000 gold
    2-legged Mount:1500 gold
    Foot Racer:500 gold

    The prizes are as follows:
    1st Prize:1/2 gold collected
    2nd Prize:A nice big GOOD JOB

    If we get eough warriors and mages we can have a mage gate to despise, and go kill some ogrelords.

    A very unusual and creative event. I can imagine the excitement now -- galloping through the streets of Britain atop ones steed, weaving in and out of the buildings! Best of luck.
    --Sage Arthur

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Sunday, August 5, 2001, 8:51 PM EDT by Sage Arthur (Sonoma)

    Ebon Hand Grasps Blood Dungeon
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

    It seems whenever we update the Council of Virtue page, we get new claims on towns and dungeons! Well, true to history, we have a claim on the Dungeon of Blood from Volo os Volocamp and the Brotherhood of the Ebon Hand:

    I, Volo os Volocamp, prelate of the Brotherhood of the Ebon Hand stake claim to the Dungon Blood. The Brotherhood has dark plans for Sosoria and Dungon Blood has been chosen as our base of operations. From this day forward, know that when entering the Dungeon you are on Ebon Soil. In the next few week we will be sending more information on our new home. till then just rest assured that the Dungon is in dark hands.
    We will, no doubt, be reading their constitution soon. In the meantime, it does warm the cockles of my heart to think that the Dungeon remains in dark hands.

    Praise Minax!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Sunday, August 5, 2001, 6:54 PM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    Bad Breakfast at Sandlewood
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<I was told of this attack by Noleeens of the Sandlewood Box, later was confirmed by Charity and several other local regulars there. Several nights ago, it seems a group of travelers wandered down to Sandlewood. Not just any travelers, but instead a group of folks known as the Cereal Killaz (C^K). 
    Lucky CharmZ, RiCe KrISpiEs and ShugaSmaX it seems strolled up. Watching the sparing match on the front lawn of the Sandlewood for a bit, then attacking! With out much of a warning they began a fight. Even though they were killed many times, they kept coming back. They did actually kill several of the patrons.
    The folks at Sandlewood have posted a warrant for the deaths of the members of this guild. It seems that many were upset at the constant questioning about the breakfast habits of the patrons. For more information about the warrant, check here.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Sunday, August 5, 2001, 3:58 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    Hero Titles and Light Sources Comparison
    Our staff is always busy researching in the background, and today I am proud to show you some fresh results.
    • First of all FatherGanja has been living in the Hero Title spawn areas for many days, trying to get as many details as possible. With the help of some other staff members he was able to get some fine results. You can find all that on our Hero Titles page. Now all we need to figure out is what those third tier titles are :)
    • Next on the list is some research done by Sie Ming on light sources. As you may know, the various light sources in UO all give a different amount of light, which can best be seen when walking in dark dungeons. To find out all about the differences between Campfires, Candles, Lanterns, Torches, Nightsight Potions and the In Lor spell, go see the Light Source Comparison page.
    For quick reference: The Hero Titles link can be found in the main menu under Reputation, and the Light Sources link can be found in the main menu under Miscellaneous.

    Enjoy!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Sunday, August 5, 2001, 8:08 AM EDT by Xena Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Market in Yew on Sunday
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<We received the following from Deuchris, by way of UODeutschland :
    All over Britannia, the following announcement can be found, on parchments distributed by News Cryers :

    Citizens of Britannia !
    This coming sunday, as in the last few weeks, a market will take place in Yew, in front of Empath's Abbey. This time, the market will be focused on Magic weapons and armour. Such items will be offered for the wealthy as well as the poor.

    The market should start around 8pm CET (7pm BST, 2pm EDT) on Sunday the 5th August, with an auction on the most valuable objects brought to us. Some miscellaneous enjoyment will be provided, starting about an hour earlier : bards will entertain visitors with their songs and stories, and the well known Yew Horce Racing Grand Prix will start from the stables.

    After all this, visitors are welcome to celebrate with us inside the Olde Winery and Inn, where our personnel is ready to serve.

    Deuchris (GvY),
    Captain of the Guards

    Thanks for this announcement !

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 8:04 PM EDT by Bel d'Ajoor (Drachenfels)

    Great Lakes Forum Sig Contest winner named

    In the last several weeks, a signature graphic contest was sponsored in the Stratics Great Lakes forum by forum regular Wrath of Satan who promised a prize of 50k to the winner.

    For fairness' sake, judges enlisted the assistance of Lake Superior's Alexia to help with determining a winner.

    It is our priviledge to announce that the winner is Ðôgmã GL, who's winning entry is pictured here:

    Dogma's prize winning sig

    Congratulations to Dogma and thanks to Wrath of Satan for his sponsorship of the contest.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 4:39 PM EDT by Noel LeFevre (GreatLakes)

    Third Anniversary Of The Golden Brew!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This was sent in by Ursula,
    Please join us this Tuesday, August 7th at 6pm PSTas we celebrate the Third Anniversary of The Golden Brew in Trammel.

    Events will be:

    Panty Raid III: Find the most panties and win 25K.

    Relay Race: Teams of three people each will race against each other. The team finishing first wins 75K.

    Horse Race: Riding a REGULAR HORSE, run the course the quickest and win 50K

    Cooking Contest:This new event should be lots of fun! Find out who's the best chef in the land! Prize: 50K

    Come enjoy fun, food and friends as we kick off another year at The Golden Brew!
    Thankye Ursula!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 4:12 PM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Ultima Remakes – Update
    Time has come to give you another update on all the Ultima Remakes out there. While the summer has slowed down things for some games, it looks the teams working on the different updates are working harder than ever.

    Akalabeth
    Miner Jr. who did an Akalabeth remake before has started another remake of Akalabeth (or Ultima 0). Here is a snippet what he has to say about it:
    My current project is Akalabeth2k1, name to be changed at a latter date. It is another remake of Akalabeth. But this one is different. It is done in DirectX 7. It will have newer and upgradeable 16 bit graphics, a Direct 3D Dungeon with 3D models of monsters, Direct Sound and Music for sound effects and music, possible CD sound if I make CD versions. New look and feel to the rest of the game such as the town, Lord British's Castle and such. But this game is trying to keep the original feel to the game. I will make a second Akalabeth after this project is finished. It will be completely 3D and have a story line and everything. I hope to have this project finished by Christmas. But I am going to University soon so I may not have that much time to work on it but I will try.

    Ultima I – a legend is reborn
    Nothing real new from the guys of the Ultima 1 remake. I really hope they will bring out their TechDemo v2.0 real soon.


    Ultima III/IV
    A nice project I stumbled across while surfing through the web, is the Optima IV project. Here is what the author has to say about, and some news also:
    Optima IV, perhaps the first VB remake of the Ultima III/IV series. All coding was done with VB5/6 and shows the power of VB in 2D graphics. Source code is available, however, source is for experienced programmers!

    Current News: Late July 2001
    I have been working on version 3 last couple of weeks. This game will now have some enhanced capability.
    -Same Magic System as ver2.x, except spells can now be obtained via quests
    -Heal Spell added in game
    -Enhanced Tiles (now over 400) that are better and more seamless tiles added
    -Faster engine (2X), and better monster AI Spell support.
    -Better monster pathing. They now go thru doors (unlocked)
    -Module Converter from ver2 to ver3 (built into mapmaker)
    -User definable tiles and spells
    -Various other bugs fixed

    Ultima V - Lazarus
    The team from Lazarus did a nice wallpaper.
    NEW WALLPAPER! (7-17-01)
    Terilem has created a new wallpaper for the Lazarus Project. Download them from the Tapestry today!

    Ultima VI – U6P
    Just like Team Lazarus, the guys from U6P also made a wonderful wallpaper, and also did a very good teaser trailer:
    Last Updated: July 31, 2001
    HUGE UPDATE!

    Now available in the Downloads section are two amazing contributions from Lead 3D artist Ba'alzzamon, a desktop wallpaper and a 45-second theatrical trailer to help get you hyped up for the release! Enjoy!

    July 21, 2001
    Work is moving along quickly and productively. Continuity issues and gaps have been solved and major elements of the new, richer storyline have been solidified. Look forward to the additions guys, they are going to blow you away!

    The Help Wanted section as been updated to reflect our current needs. If you think you can lend a hand, don't hesitate to take a look.

    Also, the Links page has a new addition to it, Planet DungeonSiege. Formerly SiegeWorks.org, this site is loaded with Dungeon Siege related content and has an excellent community on the forums. - Sabre Edge

    Ultima VII - Exult
    I guess I don’t have to talk a lot about this project, so here are just the news from their website:
    17 July 2001 - (Special update)
    • We have a new Discussion Forum to replace the defunct Jackchaos message board
    • Hack-mover has been reenabled (use Alt-H)
    • Ryan has fixed the Frigidazzi sex scene in SI. Let's all Exult :)
    • Palette cycling fixes
    • Kirben, our snapshot builder, has switched to a new, much faster, hosting service
    • Maciej Kalisiak has made the bilinear scaler 2x as fast

    25 July 2001 - (Weekly update)
    • For a preview of what Exult Studio can do, take a look at the "BG-Data" section on our SF download page. (This is still very experimental, and will only work with a very recent snapshot)
    • The quest items from the Silver Seed should work now! (Belt of Strength, Gauntless of Quickness, etc...)
    • Lots of bugfixes, including some bugs in the Fawn trial, the Silver Seed exit bug and the Silver Seed iron maiden
    • Serpent Isle is now playable up to Shamino's castle!

    31 July 2001 - (Weekly update)
    • Ryan has implemented new status bars. These show the health of your party members. You can also use them to quickly access their inventory and status screens. Activate them by pressing 'r'
    • There is now a 'return to menu' option in the Black Gate and Serpent Isle menus. (The one in the game itself doesn't work yet)
    • Lots of SI bug fixes including Erstram's turtle, a few Shamino's Castle crashes

    Ultima Underworld - Runderworld
    Some interesting project I came across it this one. Even though I don’t know how much energy this person puts in this, I really like the idea of having a remake (or homage to UW)
    My career goal is to be a game designer, and I'm working towards an associates degree in computer animation to help me achieve that goal. To date, I've done maps and skins for a game called Heretic II (which I bought because the protagonist and I share a name), and I have some pretty hefty plans for a game to be released this fall; Rune. These plans include simple skinning and mapping as well as a considerably more complex single-player total conversion titled RUnederworld, a remake (or homage, if the lawyers pay a call) of Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 12:56 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (CommunityNews)

    Council of Virtues Updated
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

    While I was on my extended vacation, fighting those gods-damned dirty humans that were forcing my orc brothers out of their homes, I missed several new governments forming on the Trammel side of AOL Legends. I am taking this opportunity today to, at long last, update the Council of Virtue page.

    The following additions should be noted:

    • Minoc has been declared a Kingdom under the twins queens, Sabriel Vraekk'n and Jaxalai Vraekk'n.
    • Wind has been declared a Kingdom under the Emporer, Joyous Darkness.
    • Count Tevan has been proclaimed King of the Kingdom of Moonglow.
    • Chanell DuVois has been elected to the head of the Council of Hedonism in Magincia.
    Note that I do not have a current ethereal contact for Chanell DuVois. I would love to have a contact for Chanell, though.

    There have been several claims to Yew, including one from Avernia, and another. If claimants to Yew could please contact me again, I will try and sort things out.

    I also am led to believe that a couple of Clans of Sin claimed dungeons in my absence. Alas, I devoured most of my letters in a fit brought on by a small virus I caught (no doubt while fighting the tribesmen) and will need to be sent these claims again.

    If there are any errors in my listings, please contact me right away and I will do my utmost to repair the problems.

    Finally, if you wish to dispute a claim on a town, or propose an alternate government, I ask that you first contact the current leader of the town. Remember, these are RP institutions and are not usually recognized by OSI or, in fact, certain groups of citizens.

    Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Praise Minax!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 7:51 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    Wanted: Reporters
    Ug Hummies! >p? Are your shoes worn thin from traveling from town to town? Your voice hoarse and sore from speaking with citizens across Britannia? Have a knack for putting pen to paper and writing an excellent story? Then mayhaps UOSS' AOL Legends News Page is the place where you can not only show off your talent but help bring the community together with interesting, exciting stories and news items about the Legends Shard and her citizens.

    UOSS is currently looking for active, talented citizens of AOL Legends shard to add to our crack team of top-notch Ultima Online reporters. As a volunteer you are required to:

    • Be a talented writer
    • Be an active, knowledgeable member of the Pacific community
    • Be willing to attend events and quests, interview VIPs, report news of interest to the community
    • Be able to dedicate a minimum of six hours per week to writing and/or posting news items
    • Have a familiarity with basic HTML
    • Be pro-active
    Does the above describe you? Then what are you waiting for??? Apply... right now... do not hesitate! Simply fill out this brief questionnaire and fire off an email to [email protected] with "Legends Application" as the subject.
    1. Real name
    2. Contact email address
    3. ICQ number (if applicable)
    4. Character name (this must be the name of the character you will be using as your potential shard reporter)
    5. Rate your HTML knowledge from 1-10, where 1 is poor and 10 is phenomenal
    6. Answer this: Why do you wish to be a shard reporter for UOSS?
    7. Include a brief writing sample, no more than 500 words (pictures are not welcomed and no attachments)
    8. Any questions???
    Applications are due no later than midnight August 10, 2001. There will be no exceptions!!!

    Good luck to all applicants!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 7:14 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    New Rune Library Service Opens
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Ug Hummies!

    I don't often plug individual buildings, but when they serve a purpose for the whole of our little world, I don't mind. We received this note from Lady Miss Pure Magic about her latest endeavor:

    I am Lady Miss Pure Magic. I have, over the last few days, fought for my life to bring the citizens of Brittainia a new rune library. In my tower, you will find rune book full of runes marked to all the levels of all the caves in our land.

    If any of you are brave enough to travel to the depths of these caves, please make sure that you gate in, I have tried to mark each rune in a safe place but beware that all the evil elements do walk around and you could inadvertently recall right into a big spawn.

    My tower is to be located on the north east side of Ice Island by the passage at sextant coordinates 104.9 N 158.55 W - Trammel.

    I look forward to visiting this new shop. On a slightly different note, allow me to thank Cyn for a year of fine reporting. He will be missed, most selfishly by me.

    Praise Minax!

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 6:16 AM EDT by Ithunk (LegendsAOL)

    Warning on Purple Items
    I received this report from a player on Oceania about Puple hued items. It's a bit harsh, but i feel it should be posted here to warn and educate the community.

    I was at Magincia Healers with a friend when i was taken to jail by GM Doinysis. He took my purple spellbook and told me that it was an Exploit and my account could be suspended for it.

    Now, my purple spellbook i got when i accidently performed the steps to get purple items, when factions started. The way to get them wasn't hard and for those that know how it was done, it is faily easy to accidently turn your sleppbook purple. So after it happened, well i kept using it, still a perfectly good spellbook right? guess not...

    Below is a picture of GM Doinysis Warning me that my account could be suspended for exploiting.

    As far as i know, it was an error on their behalf that made the bug, not something that i had intentionally done to my spellbook.

    And here is Cynthe, UO Community Manger's Statement
    "Actually, there will most likely be a strengthened stance on these items very soon - meaning that they WILL be considered illegal to own, and players will be punished for having purple sigil-hued items in their possession.

    If this does become the casse, however, we will announce it on the site, and put it in the patch message as well, so no one will be caught completely by surprise. We want to rid the game of items created through an exploit, but we certainly don't want to catch people unaware for something they may not have realized would get them in trouble.

    The best advice for you right now is to make sure to check the patch message whenever you log in to see if something has been posted about this matter. :)"

    Which States these items aren't illegal yet, and when they are, we WILL get notice.

    I was then taken back to magincia healers and left there without a spellbook, and had to fiund my own way home and buy another spellbook. Is this what gm's are paid for?
    Anyway, i just wanted to make sure other players know this and are careful. Playing the game you might accidently abuse a bug and get in trouble for it. So make sure you don't do anything.

    A concerned Player

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 3:25 AM EDT by Multani (Oceania)

    The Latest Tour
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Kyra sent me this today to announce her latest tour.  It sounds wonderful and I would suggest any who are brave of heart enough to travel in Fel, to pick up a pack.

    Hail and Well Met!

    July brought so many changes and so much fun to the Homes of the Exotic & Illustrious Tour that I am sad to see it go! I traveled the world over to find the wonderful and weird sights of our land for the Tour! I opened my eyes to a whole new world of homes and people so the Tour can bring more of the amazing decorations and rares that you want to see! Store fronts were set up all over all the lands in hopes of making it easier for all to purchase Tour Packs! And lastly we celebrated the change, the success, the fun and the friendships that have made the Tour the amazing monthly event that it is! Thank you all for a wonderful month!

    August ushers in the 'new' Homes of the Exotic & Illustrious Tour! It is an all Felucca Tour! The dark lands were scoured over to find five amazing homes to represent Felucca Homeowners in the first Tour that has included them! Along the stops you will find two grand guildhouses (a village in one case), two lovely homes and a warm, inviting tavern! Don't miss them!

    A small warning that I feel I must add, please leave your costly goods at the bank while taking the Tour especially if you have not travelled much in the dark lands. This is not to say that Felucca is a bad, evil place of pker's (I have found it to be nothing of the sort!) but it is a different place then Trammel. And just as a new dungeon can be dangerous so can the dark lands if you are not experienced in travelling there.

    September will bring balance back to the Homes of the Exotic & Illustrious Tour as it will include homeowners submissions from both facets! I look forward to finding the best of the best as I travel all the lands in search of marvelous homes for the Tour!

    As mentioned before, many store fronts where set up inorder to allow for the easier purchase of Tour Packs by all! Here are stores that have allowed a Tour Pack Vendor. I hope these new locations will aid all in finding Tour Packs!

    *Dew Drop Inn (Just outside of the gates in Cove, Trammel. It is middle home of the ones outside the gate and the only L-shaped home.)

    *Zoli and Pix's Supplies and Tour Guides (A well established log cabin Trammel vendor at 35-30'N, 52-6'E)

    *Macy's of Moonglow (A sandstone Felucca vendor house just outside of the South Moonglow gates!)

    *Cove's Merchant's Guild (The Cove Felucca house that is against the outside city walls!)

    *Last One (Trammel Ice Island 100-53'N 157-22'W)

    Thank you all again for your interest and support! I truely hope you enjoy August's Tour as much as I did! See you all in Brit!

    Kyra, Tour Coordinator

    P.S. A huge thank you goes out to Nemonis, Melissa & Nikkita (for dancing the night away! *laughs*), SHORIN, Sir Charles, Amber Witch, All of The UnRuled, Magellan, Astrid Nightwind, Blackheath, All of Treasure Hunters Britannia, Noleeens, All of Coven of the Full Moon, Deagan, All of Fledgling Knights of the Golden Lotus and Barth!

    P.S.S. Does your home has what it takes to get on the Tour? Let's find out! Looking for work? I am taking applications to hire a Tour Staff! The job is simple and any mage can do it! Dedicated people only! Got a great vendor house where I can add my Tour Pack Vendor? Let me know! Pigeon me 89209043 or email me anytime!

    [email protected]

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 2:17 AM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    Grand Opening: The Brazen Rogue Tavern!
    I would be lost if it wasn't for the taverns that dot the land of Britannia. Where to rest my weary bones? Where to drink the nectar to soothe my parched throat? Without a tavern nearby, I would be lost in dark and stormy nights when my reporting duties take me in far away lands...aye, I do get a bit dramatic at times. But it's just the emotion that takes me when I hear of a new tavern opening!

    This announcement was sent in by Naimh, the Alchemist...

    The Grand Opening of the Brazen Rogue Tavern will be held this Sunday Aug 5th at 9:00pm EDT, and we will be hosting a winner take all plot-the-best-assassination contest. The entry fee will be 5k and the target will be announced at the time of the contest. The winner will be chosen by a panel of 3 Judges based on creativity and humor.

    Our Tavern caters to Thieves, Assassins, and the like. We stock many of the supplies that such a clientele may find useful. At the moment we stock food, drink, Poison, DP weapons, dyed leather armour and GM made Potions of all sorts. We will be soon adding a running lottery.

    The Brazen Rogue is located on the Trammel facet, on the shores of Spirit Lake at sextant co-ords 170° 57'N 12° 47'E. It can be reached on foot by taking the road south from the Britain moongate, and once you cross the river turn west and follow the river to the lake.

    Naimh, the Alchemist

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2001, 1:41 AM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Crashing and Shopkeeper Fixes
    This was posted on the Testing for Next Update section on the official UO Website.
    This testing update addresses certain crashing issues involving containers, and a fix is being added regarding restocking & overstocking of certain NPC vendor inventory items.

    A crash issue involving containers is being addressed, and involves dumping items to a players/pets feet if their pack is overloaded
    To ensure that player-created materials retain their value, a fix is being added to vendors that will allow only up to 10 of each of the following items to be available from that vendor (until it restocks its inventory).
    boards
    arrows
    ingots
    bolts
    hides

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 11:04 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    August 2nd UOHoC Log Posted
    The complete log of the sixty-eighth UOHoC Open House chat from August 2nd, 2001 has been posted and is available from the UO House of Commons web site.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 10:51 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    Carly Staehlin Interview with RPG Vault
    A great interview with Carly "LadyMOI" Staehlin, former Producer of UO and current Designer for Destination-Games, was just put up over at RPG Vault.

    Here's their intro:
    RPG Vault Feature: Carly Staehlin (NCsoft/Destination Games) Interview Among the major highlights of this year's E3 trade show was the unveiling of Destination Games, the new venture formed by celebrated game maker Richard "Lord British" Garriott, his brother and Origin co- founder Robert, and long-time associate Starr Long. This took place at a press conference on May 17 that also featured a notable surprise, the signing of a contract joining the company with NCsoft, the Korean-based developer and publisher of the world's most popular persistent online world game, Lineage: The Bloodpledge. There was more after that as well. The studio also announced it will work on the North American version of Lineage, revealed that its first internal project is an online world with the working title Tabula Rasa, and introduced several experienced game makers who will comprise an impressive core development team.

    CRPG fans first encountered Carly Staehlin when she joined Origin Systems in 1998 to take on the newly-created role of community liaison for the Ultima IX: Ascension team led by Richard Garriott. Although the game ultimately met with mixed reviews, Carly proved to be a terrific asset, showing great patience, judgment and community building skills while receiving the nickname of LadyMOI - for Ministry of Information, pronounced Lady Mwa - that is still used occasionally amongst those who knew her in that position. After renewing acquaintances at E3, we were pleased for the recent opportunity to learn more about her in our Carly Staehlin Interview wherein she tells us about her gaming and industry background, her new job with NCsoft/Destination Games, her feelings about being a woman in predominantly male industry, and much more.
    Make sure to check out the Entire Interview where you'll find out such things as fate of former Lead Designer Sage and former Lead Programmer Runesabre. Enjoy :)

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 8:37 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    ***ImaNewbie does Britannia!***Collector's Edition CD
    This scroll was found at an abandoned D.J.'s nightclub in Vesper. When I looked up there were a million CDs hanging from the ceiling like tiny glitter balls.
    Ok folks, here's the deal. You may have noticed that I have been down for the better part of two weeks due to having to change server addresses and the time it takes for changes to take effect. I have been doing these 'toons thru thick and thin for over three years now. In that time I have gone through about five different hosts, several changes of server addresses, umpteen server outages, Y2K, T2A, UOTD, Melissa, SirCam, Code Red and a half dozen other viruses, DOS attacks, and all manner of plagues and pestilence.

    For that reason I have decided to offer up the entire three year collection of ImaNewbie to date in an exclusive Collector's Edition CD that will let you browse to your heart's content, anytime, regardless of whether the Internet or your Service Provider is Up, Down or Sideways at the time. Another bonus feature is no annoying advertising banners, pop-ups or cookies. Plus I have added a bunch of new stuff including an introduction and short history, character bios for all the major characters, indexes and some other stuff not available on my regular site.

    You can get all the details by heading over to my site. Check it out.

    ImaNewbie does Britannia
    www.imanewbie.com

    later...Tryon

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 8:18 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    To All Legends Stratics Readers: Fare Thee Well
    Greetings, pilgrims.

    "The Wheel turns as the Wheel Will." A familiar quote from one of the all-time great fantasy fiction epics, Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series. The term is an oblique reference to "Fate" and the fact that Time marches on, regardless of people or circumstance. It's a grand story of trial and accomplishment, death and rebirth. In that respect, it reminds me of Ultima.

    People have tried for several years to define the essence of Ultima Online. A groundbreaking marvel, a medieval chat forum, the ultimate computer world, one of the few games to have ever bridged the gap between "shooters" and role players....it's been all of these things and more. Not always successfully, mind you....but nothing on this planet is truly perfect.

    Now, that I sit and reflect on my final weekend in UO, I think of the many personalities that I've encountered over the last few years. And it's truly been a wild ride, folks. If you had told me back in 1997 that I would soon discover a simple computer game that would alter the way I "see" people, I'd have laughed you out the door. And now that it's come to an end, I find myself lacking the literary skill to describe the myriad emotions associated with the Land of Sosaria.

    UO can be an intense experience. Of course, that's basically true of any endeavor in which other people are involved. As we live vicariously through packets of pixels and associate with other "living, breathing puppet masters," it's inevitable that we're going to meet people we come to treasure and others that we come to loathe. It's just another factor in the Human Equation. And that's why UO is so special...the people.

    Someone one asked my why I often used the word "pilgrims" to address my readers. The answer is quite simple, which is to be expected considering I'm a pretty "simple minded" kinda guy. We come into this game, not knowing a White Wyrm from a green gerbil, or a scimitar from a salad fork, and we're immediately thrust into interactions with hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of other "people." The entire time we spend in the UO world is a journey, of sorts. We travel, we encounter, we learn.

    Simply put, UO mirrors "the real world" in the way we're forced to deal with others. Indeed, there are extremes. In the real world, you can't Corp Por your neighbor's dog for barking at 2 a.m. But just as in real life, you have to find "civil" ways to deal with unpleasant, "uncivil" circumstances. It's a learning process....a growth process, both in acquiring game skills and "people skills." It IS a journey and in a sense, we are all pilgrims.

    In the real world, these personal journeys are timeless. They extend on into infinity. Sometimes, we choose to jump off the train, refusing to ride another inch, but the journey continues on, with us or without us. And the time has come for me to jump off the train.

    I will sorely miss some of the people that I've been fortunate enough to encounter over the years. And I regret not having met others, people whom I know would have been kindred spirits had I encountered them in-game. It's been fun. And in the final analysis, who could ask for anything more, from a silly computer game? *grins*

    To the Citizens of Sosaria, I say a final time...Safe journeys to you, one and all.

    Cyn
    Patron Saint of Sosarian Taverns

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 7:29 PM EDT by Cyn (LegendsAOL)

    Lost Soldiers of Darkness Tournament
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
    This just in via carrier pigeon:

    COME ONE COME ALL!!
    The Lost Soldiers of Darkness is bringing back their tournament circuit and starting it off with a BLAST! (No pun intended) We will be holding TWO Back to Back Free-For-All Tournaments on Thursday August 9th at 9 PM Eastern Time (8 Central, 6 West Coast). Gates can be provided if REQUESTED (ICQ 124991254).

    First Event: TOWER OF DEATH.
    This will be the first one...NO ENTRY FEE!! WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY UP TO 300K GOLD AND MULTIPLE POWER AND VANQ WEAPS!! Rules will be given before the competition...

    Contestants are only allowed to start with 5 of Each Reg OR One STORE BOUGHT NON POISONED weapon. NOT BOTH. Also a spell book and a rune book to get home. We will be snooping each contestant as they register to insure. Come Naked with only the Above mentioned items! Ressurections and Gates will be provided after the competition to banks of your choice.

    SECOND: The ROYAL RUMBLE!
    At the conclusion of the first contest, You will have up to 15 minutes to bank anything you got from the first tourney and equip for the royal Rumble.

    For tournament rules please visit the Lost Soldiers of Darkenss PvP Site

    Entry Fee for the Royal Rumble is going to be 2k per person (Payable in Gold or can do it through a vendor). The LAST PERSON STANDING for the Royal Rumble is going to be 25k PLUS Entry Fees richer. There will also be a chance to get some of the gold not won in the First Event as well as more excellent weapons!! So come on and get into some of the best, most competitive Tournaments Napa Valley has to offer!

    Any questions contact the LSD Tournament ICQ At 124991254.

    Enjoy!
    LSD PvP Staff

    Your humble servant,
    Raeven Aurora

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 6:56 PM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

    Early Grand Opening Announcement
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This is an early announcement sent in to us from the Frost Merchant:
    Grande Opening of City of Truth Mall

    Sponsor: Lord Sknird Dloc II, The Frost Merchant
    Facet: Trammel
    Location: East of the Hedge Maze, 55 S. 0 W. Log Cabin, Near PCC Tower
    Date: Aug 26 2001 12:00PM PST

    This is the Grande Opening of the City of Truth Vendor Mall. Come and enjoy the fellowship and the great prices we have to offer.

    We will be having a giveaway to one lucky individual. You get a key, you open the chest, and the horde is yours. Items inside are yet to be determined, but expect alot.

    If you have or want to place a vendor, ICQ me at 11963580. We will fill these up when we get them. There are spaces for over 50 vendors at this shoppe and a tavern is close by for drinking pleasures. No spawns, cept at the newly decked out hedge maze, full of daemons and imps.

    More info can be found at the uo.com event site located here.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 5:51 PM EDT by Ash Kaitlyn (Pacific)

    Creating Boards, Teleporting into Blocked Locations, and Balron Spawning Fix
    New in General Testing:
    This update addresses the creation of boards, stuck players teleporting into blocked locations, and adjusting the balron spawning within an Ilshenar dungeon.
    • Players will no longer gain skill for creating boards, and all logs in a player’s backpack will be changed into boards when boards are created.
    • An issue where stuck players could be teleported into blocked locations (causing them to be stuck again) has been resolved.
    • Fixed an issue causing balrons to spawn in an inaccessible area in an Ilshenar dungeon.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 3:54 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Online Worlds Fanfest '01
    The official UO-Site just announced this:
    Online Gaming's Offline Event
    October 26th – 27th Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas


    Come join the leaders in online multiplayer gaming deep in the heart of Texas at the Austin Convention Center on Friday, October 26th and Saturday, October 27th for our second fan event, the Online Worlds Fanfest 2001. Be one of the first people to witness and experience firsthand the future of Massively Multi-player Online Gaming.

    Participate in brainstorming and discussion sessions about every facet of one of the most popular online games, Ultima Online™ (UO). With over 35 informative panels hosted by developers like Stellerex, Tajima, Evocare, Prophet and others, as well as roundtable discussions and focus sessions, players can be sure to come away with new insights into UO and a better understanding of online gaming. Meet other players from your shard, and socialize with over a thousand other UO players from every walk of life. Talk one-on-one with Ultima Online's game developers, and get cool insider information on one of the most active online gaming communities!

    Also featured at this year’s event will be:
    • Hands-on gameplay experiences from the upcoming massively multiplayer online games from Westwood, Maxis, and EA.COM.
    • Special sessions with the development teams of upcoming and new EA games. Be the first to see what’s coming!
    • Get the scoop directly from the creative forces behind these games with Q&A sessions featuring special guest speakers such as: Will Wright (Creator, The SIMS™); Gordon “Tyrant” Walton (VP and Executive Producer, The SIMS ONLINE™); Brett Sperry (Founder of Westwood and Chief Creative Officer) and many others.
    • Meet, live and in-person, your best online friends and your biggest in-game rivals and reminisce over a tankard of ale at one of the two cocktail receptions following each day’s events.
    • chance to win fabulous prizes in one of the many contest.
    Registration For the ONLINE WORLDS FANFEST 2001
    August 15th - August 31st $99.00
    September 1st - September 30th $129.00
    October 1st - October 25th $159.00
    Walk-up Registration $200.00

    Registration Opens August 15th.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 3:49 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Account Information Reminder and a Hint from Fiery Ice
    This was posted on the FYI section of the official UO site.
    As a reminder, players should always keep their account information current through the UO account management page at http://www.ultima-registration.com. It is vital that you keep your billing and contact information up to date to avoid missing out on important news concerning your account.

    It’s also important to note that ownership of an account can only be determined through the personal data listed on the account management page, so in order to avoid disputes over account responsibility, it is imperative that the information provided is correct.

    On a completely seperate topic, in relation to the mechanics relating to the UO3D titles, in response to a query
    Spawn area will shrink or spawn size will shrink??

    FieryIce (Programmer, UO) replied :
    Both.

    The spawn area shrinks and grows. And the spawn size is directly related to the size of the spawn area...


    and (ADDED) :
    Yes, lots of you are all very close. You have to push back (ie: shrink, ie: kill lots and lots of monsters to make it shrink...) the spawn to try and summon the champion. The spawn area does have to grow to a certain size before it is eligible for a champion though.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 3:08 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    New OoC Comic
    This scroll was found in the belly of a shark I caught just off the coast of Skara Brae. It must have eaten it, along with some swimmers, just hours earlier.
    After a little bit of a delay, I've finally gotten a new comic out.

    This one is called: The Lord of the Dance. You can find it at

    www.outofcharacter.com

    thanks for being patient everyone :)

    -Arakasi

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 2:57 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    Vampire Quest - Night One Pt. 2
    This has been continued from the previous post. Read that one first.
    When the questors begin to comb the streets of Skara Brae for Shemyazza's kidnapper they found a battle ground. Orcs & goblins ran to and fro lighting buildings on fire and slaughtering each other as fast as they could.

    Out on the docks, just past town, a lone ship was set up as a prison for humans caught by the goblins. This area was known goblin territory, but never was their reign of terror like this. The captive human was marked for a hearty meat stew when the questors arrived.

    They were told that a 'strange creature' had taken Shemyazza and there was nothing more strange than a goblin with its misshapen bumpy green skin and dirty long fingernails.

    Peppering this goblin for clues they were told that if they wanted to even talk to him they had to pay the bridge toll first. Upon doing so, the goblin (after beating his human captive a bit) gave them conversation from the safety of his boat.

    The questors, Soth, Py Lethius, Rath, Adam & Wolf of Evermore were all told they must retrieve a mask of orcish kin to give the goblins an advantage over the orcs if they wanted any information. Dutifully, these questors completed this task.

    The only problem was that the goblins knew nothing and laughed at the folly of these questors. He indicated that perhaps the orcs knew something so go talk to them. The only problem was they were under siege from multiple sides - Followers of the Guardian, Council of Honor and the wrath of the StormRyders.

    As the CoH burned the goblin toll bridge and FOG killed everything in site, the questors found the safest place to be was at the gobo death ship.

    Unable to leave the human to his death, they struck a deal with the 'devil' for more orc masks.

    The goblin contemplated for a while and then decided that the human was indeed to stringy to be eaten properly.

    With explosions in the distance and a reported sighting of the thief the Skara Brae dock turned into a chaotic swirling of flesh as all the groups battled each other while looking for Carafax's prized artifacts.



    To be continued...


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 2:47 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    Treasure Hunt Tomorrow
    Don't forget, folks! This event should not be missed, and the kind Lady Starla wishes to remind our readers of tomorrow night's Treasure Hunt!
    Come have a bit of fun with us on Saturday night!
    Eat, Shop, Participate in the Hunt, Get free stuff and Meet New People!

    Host & Hostess: Lord Revelation and Lady Starla

    When: Saturday, August 4th 2001 starting at 8pm to 10pm EST.

    Where: Wayside - Trammel
    To reach Wayside, head through the nearest moongate to Yew. Stroll due west for a few seconds amidst a peaceful forest until you come upon a villa bearing a red and white sign that reads "Wayside"
    Coordinates: 74° 31'N 40° 59'W

    Scavenger hunt contains 15 items and runs from 8:15pm EST until 9pm EST. First Prize is 50k. Second Prize is 25k and 3rd Prize is 10k. Single persons and Teams of 2 only please. (Teams will split a prize if they win)
    Plenty of ale & good food before and after the Hunt!
    Free Armor Repair & Furniture dying by Mr. Dale Armstrong AFTER Scavenger Hunt Prizes are distributed.

    Mystery goody bags handed out at the end of the night to those in attendance (while supplies last).

    We have many vendors that are stocked daily at Waystation: Lottery Vendor, Grandmaster & Deadly Poisoned Weapons, Reagents, Magic Weapons/Armor and a GM Alchemist with Kegs & Potions.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 1:12 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Nidaros Votes for New Chancellor
    Under the watchful eye of the new Town Council, Nidaros has last night chosen a new Chancellor. With only two candidates in the running, Marlene and Violet Darkthorne, the race for the prestigious office was in a dead heat until the time came to cast the ballot.

    It was then that the people of Nidaros chose to vote for Violet Darkthorne, giving her a 16 to 6 victory. While people lined up to cast their vote in a relatively orderly fashion, gossip ran wild as to who would win. The two ladies, however, did not pay attention to any idle talk until the actual count was done.

    Afterwards, everybody returned to the Town Hall for the inauguration of the new Chancellor. Marlene received several tokens of the deep appreciation the people of Nidaros hold for her work throughout her time. The Storm Guild even presented Marlene with an Invulnerability Kite Shield dyed in the colours of that valiant guild. The Town Council, made up of P-A, Rebbeca, Rouge and Alrick, voted for Marlene to be granted the status of Nidaros Elder, a highly regarded title. When asked about her future plans, Marlene replied that she would stay in Nidaros and keep working for the best interests of the town and of her own guild.

    Violet was sworn in with the following speech:

    "Following on the virtues set to us by both the Gods and the lost Lord British, and also the laws, rules and conduct of the Town of Nidaros, I, Violet Darkthorne, solemnly swear to work hardest at keeping this town thriving, not to discriminate against any guilds in this town, and to be just at all times. I, Violet Darkthorne, accept being the next Chancellor of Nidaros, and the position and job before me."
    The new Chancellor then took her seat in the Council and graciously accepted the townsfolk's good wishes. Both ladies, the former Chancellor and the current one, are to be commended for running a clean campaign which focused not on the shortcomings of the other person, if indeed there are any, but on what each one of them could do for the good of Nidaros.

    Good luck to Violet and Marlene in their future endeavours!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 1:02 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    New Rules Go Into Effect at Fight Night This Sunday
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<< 
    Last week at Fight Night, RAIDER took first place for 60K and added his name to the roster of winners who are eligible to compete for the Million GP Pot at the end of the season. Tynan Cahen came in second place, winning 30K, and Mandarb took home the 10K third prize.

    The door prize was a Silver Bow of Vanquishing donated by Piccolo. Piccolo awarded it to Jenny Bladefist, the spectator who told the best moderately clean joke.

    Many players were asking that the rules be reposted and clarified, so smitten w love has sent this updated rules list to Stratics.

    Fighters may use only GM/Player/NPC Made Equipment. This means No Magic weapons, no Magic armor, no charged items, no Chaos/Order shields, no Vet Rewards Robes, no Tribal Spears, and no Orcish Bows. Please check your Paper Doll carefully and remove all illegal equipment BEFORE you enter the pit.

    No Precast (this includes Reactive Armor, Magic Reflect, etc) No PreBuff, and No Prehide. You don't do anything that will help you win the fight until the wall comes down.

    No mounts in the rings. All living animals should be stabled before entering the Pit House, and Ethereal Mounts should be placed in your pack. A stable is available in the small house behind the pits.

    After 5 minutes a No Heal will be called by the judges in all preliminary rounds. A No Heal will be called by the judge after 15 minutes in the battles for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

    And the rule I dislike the most: Anyone that goes AFK in the ring will be disqualified and struck down to clear the ring so we can get another fight going. The judge in the ring will collect the fighters belongings so they are not lost.

    There is no pre-registration - just show up at the Pit house on Sunday at 4:00 PM PST and as we get an opening we will get you in. The matches are all randomly mixed so there is no need to pre-register/pre-sort the contestants. The Pits are located in the N/E Corner of the desert that contains the compassion shrine at co-ordinates 69o29'N 46o53'E.

    The Fighting Pits are in Felucca, so spectators are encouraged to carry nothing of value and to avoid actions which will turn them gray. Hope to see you all there!

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 10:57 AM EDT by Pluffina (Sonoma)

    Lady Catrina Kidnapped!
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<We have received word of a kidnapping of one of the members of the High Council, Lady Catrina. Sent to this reporter, was a scroll with these words and a few pictures...



    Attention lapdogs of Lord British!

    As of two hours ago, the Lady Catrina of the Council of Honesty became a
    prisoner of the United Brotherhood of Dungeoneers. She was found trespassing
    on our sovereign territory and was taken into custody by Lord Xerxes and Lord
    Macbeth. We have set a ransom upon her head of 100k to be paid within the next
    four days lest she be executed. The lady is currently being held deep inside
    one of our dungeons. Any foolish rescue attempts will result in the death of
    Catrina and of her rescuers. This is only the beginning: we shall continue to
    disrupt the councils of Britannia until Lord British relinquishes his power
    and ends his reign of tyranny.


    -The Brotherhood


    We will bring you more information on this case as it develops, in the meantime check the High Council's and The Brotherhood'swebsites.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 9:20 AM EDT by FatherGanja (LakeSuperior)

    Canyon on Harassment
    The following post made on the official UO Boards by Canyon (UO Player Relations Training Lead) relates to an issue which arose on Europa shard. But the point made by Canyon are of general application to cases of harassment. I have taken the liberty of deleting the name of the GM referred to in Canyon's post.
    I'm going to attempt to answer several issues raised in this thread with this post. I'll be happy to respond to mature questions and feedback on this issue.

    Showing up to a player run town and killing pets or attacking players is fine. Repeated instances of this with the intent of driving people from the game isn't acceptable. What you describe sounds like a pattern, and if the GM team recognizes that pattern, we may get involved.

    The situation can be quite messy, because we have two conflicting perspectives in this situation. We have the roleplayers who wish to be free from harassment. We also have players that recognize the Felucca ruleset as allowing them to create criminal actions and play much more aggressively than on Trammel. Both sides are correct, but neither side takes priority over the other.

    If the GM team on the European shards determines that a pattern of harassment designed to grief players is occurring, here is what will happen:
    1). The GMs involved will talk to representatives of both sides, and tell the players to stop ALL interaction.
    2). Anyone, from either side, found breaking this no-interaction rule will be penalized heavily, up to and including account closure.

    When we do this, it's a mess. Not everyone involved will hear the warning, and at some point someone will break this rule. I have had to establish this, and enforce it in the past, and it is a nightmare for the support team. We have to determine if the random player who shows up at the town and kills someone is acting alone, or on behalf of the aggressor guild. It's tough telling players they can't visit parts of the UO map, and explaining why they can't use skills like stealing towards all eligible targets.

    I do not know where this situation is at. The GM team may have recognized the pattern, or they may be still gathering the information. Based on your account of the situation, the GM team is watching the situation to determine the pattern.

    If you are being harassed, there are several things you can do. You can leave the area, as XXXXX suggested. If you don't give the other players the satisfaction, they typically leave within a few minutes. You can also fight fire with fire, which has apparently already been tried, based on another post in this thread. You can go inside your buildings, and have everyone bring their pets inside. Failing all that, go stable your pets in town, and then come back to the town on foot. There are a lot of options available to your group, and I encourage you to try them all, rather than expect the GM team to intervene on your side. If there is a pattern of antisocial behavior, we'll deal with them eventually.

    Spamming the queue with nonstop complaints is NOT the way to receive service. That's the kind of thing that will get you removed from the game. If you get an answer from a GM, write concerns if you aren't happy with it. Don't continue to page just because you want a different answer.

    When a player pages under harassment, only what was said is recorded. The harassment journals are reviewed by our email team, who make a determination on what action, if any, should be taken. Please understand that if the player is physically harassing you, nothing will show up in the journal that we can use.

    Finally, the badmouthing of XXXXX almost had your thread deleted. I am tired of players coming here and identifying GMs by name when posting negatively. You can get your point across without badmouthing the Game Master. I have asked time and again for players not to do this, yet it continues. If you want to complain about a specific GM by name, write [email protected].

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 4:43 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    Trouble in Trinsic
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<

    The Daily Herald's Nick Seafort sent over these articles from his publication recently and asked that we share them with our readers:

    Trinsic Faire turns to Political Protest!

    Trinsics Merchant Faire was supposed to be a boon to the economy, instead it proved to be a heated battle between Pirates and the Fellowship of mages.. with patrons caught in the Middle.

    It was shortly after 7 O'clock PM that the Mages Fellowship appeared, each asking for something called "Ancient Mandrake Root" They seemed simple enough, but were a bit odd. One of them tried to eat a magical rune that had been left on the floor!

    Among the Fellowship of mages was EdGuardo and Redlow.. Though to the best of my knowledge they are not memebers of the Mages fellowship, they most certainly were kindred spirits. Certainly, they seemed out of place, and not like themselves.

    Shortly after the Mages Felloswhip began perusing the Faires goods, a group of pirates led by Balashumi Divine accosted them. The pirates claimed that the Fellowship had hired them to kidnap a man named Daniel the Apothecary. Apparently they had done so, but the mages refused to pay for the deed.

    Agsin, the mages refused to pay the pirates at the fair, and a brawl ensued. The pirates against the mages. The battle caused many innocent folk to leave. Thankfully, General Nero of the Order of the Silver serpent was on hand to arrest the brawlers and detain them.

    Seeing this, members of the Cult of the Black Dragon were appaled and demanded the release of the mages. They tried constantly to magically unlock the chains which bound the prisoners hand and foot.

    When the entourage arrived at the Trinsic Jail, both the pirates and the mages were incarcerated. The Cult of the Black Dragon continued to protest until Marquis Alazraham arrived and assured everyone that the prisoners would be treated with due process.

    Later, when the prisoners were questioned, they appeared to be suffering from headaches, and kept demanding a cure.. a Cure to what? Nobody seems to know. The mages were mostly incoherant, shouting things such as "how do your fingers taste? May I have them?" Certainly not the words of a rational man.

    And this follow up article:

    Pirates Escape

    Just hours after their incarceration by General Nero, a small raiding party led by Pirate Captain Balashumi Divine has sneaked into the Trinsic Jail and freed the captive Pirates. Sources with the Trinsic Senate exclaim that the escap is "An Outrage". The Senate has vowed to look into the matter of how they could have escaped from such a secure facility. Two guards were found dead on the scene with no wounds. The Kilted Police suspect poisoning.

    "The jailbreak took place shortly after a guard rotation, the guards on duty had just returned from their evening meal." explains Commissioner Alec DeLeon. Food from the Guards mess has been sent to the citys most prominent alchemists for analysis.

    In related news, the mages who had been imprisoned along with the Pirates were released earlier in the day by the Trinsic Magistrate. The Pirates, however were not so lucky.

    Thank you, Nick, for bringing us up-to-date and alerting us to the present dangers.

    While in Moonglow the other night conducting interviews for my recent "Faction Attraction" article, I was approached by a young woman in a lavender dress, identified by one of the bank patrons as "Plum" of the Sisters of Enchantment, who warned me that the end was approaching and asked if I followed the stars. Being pressed for time, I was unable to converse with her at that moment, but hoped to find out more once I'd concluded my chat with the faction members I was interviewing. Unfortunately, she was no where to be found. Could this have something to do with the troubles in Trinsic?

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 2:09 AM EDT by Noel LeFevre (GreatLakes)

    Put 'em up!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<

    And now, something for you sports fans:

    Boxing!!!!!

    The first of hopefully many boxing tournaments. The tournaments will be held at the Smuggler's Tavern. If you become champion in a string of tournaments, then you win the prize money. For more information, contact me. It will start at 8PM EST at the Smuggler's Tavern on Monday, August 6th. The coordinates are 31o 33'N 52o 6'E. If you need help with the location or time or anything else you want to know, ICQ me at 72768653.

    -Mike and Crabbs

    Ahh... nothing like the smell of testosterone and sweat to get the heart pumping. Mike and Crabbs mentioned on the Great Lakes forum recently that they were still recruiting boxers. If you are interested, send them a note.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 1:39 AM EDT by Noel LeFevre (GreatLakes)

    Factions: Update from the Front
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met, citizens.

    There's several issues of interest to address so let's get right to them.

    As most of the factions participants know, there was an intense battle for the sigils, last night. In the words of Rockem Sockem, "it was the largest battle I have ever seen on this shard." Apparently, the Shadow Lords have made a long anticipated move against the True Britannians and succeeded in wrangling away at least some of the sigils.

    The TBs counterattacked and the battle was still underway during the wee hours of the morning. My sources say that there is evidence of a short term truce between CoM and the TBs. I asked my source if he thought the Shadow Lords and Minax would also consider entering into such an arrangement and he replied, "Not a chance. Both are too greedy." I understand that plans for retaliatory strikes are being planned by more than one faction and I'll bring you an update in the very near future.

    Speaking of factions warfare, there's much speculation regarding impending changes to the system. Over the past several weeks, the UO Dev Team has been soliciting suggestions and are considering implementing some of those suggestions in a future update. The Dev also has some "unannounced" ideas of their own and the next patch should be very interesting. I've received no word on the extent of said changes but can report that the patch can be expected "soon."

    Some of the suggestions made by players are:

  • A delay of one week, in rejoining any faction after resigning.
  • Removing the stat loss from newly rezzed factions participants. (The stat loss period is particularly debilitating for mages)
  • Making enemy faction players "attackable" in Trammel.
  • Various suggestions to allow for more latitude in using "pets" in combat.
  • Limiting the use and function of NPC faction guards.

    Please keep in mind that the issues mentioned above are only suggestions made by players to the Dev Team and are in no way considered "sure bets" to be included in the next patch.

    The Legends News Team will try to bring you new information as it occurs. Until next we meet, safe journeys.

    Cyn

    [ Comment on this article ]

  • Posted on Friday, August 3, 2001, 12:41 AM EDT by Cyn (LegendsAOL)

    Calandryll on Tribal Spears
    Some of you may already know this, but Calandryll posted the following confirmation on Tribal Spears on the official UO Boards :
    Correct. Tribal spears do no extra damage against dragons or other pets. Also, they are not the equivalent of a power weapon, they are more akin to a force weapon.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 9:55 PM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    The Faction Attraction
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<

    When asked why he joined factions, Azag Thothe of the Shadowlords replied simply,”To kill people without going red,” while Hell Bringer of the Minax faction remarked, “It’s more fun than killing monsters.” For those who love the challenge of hunting human prey, the factions system is a great alternative to the sometimes grueling life of a stat-loss player killer, and is available to anyone. Many guilds have become involved in the faction wars, preferring the challenge of numerous foes and tactical challenges over the traditional, smaller guild wars or the old Chaos / Order system.

    The strongholds and sigils are the primary focus here, something that the other player vs. player plans don’t offer. Of the faction members polled, the general consensus is that the Shadowlords have the best base, the Yew crypts of Felucca. Castle Britannia, the stronghold of the True Brits, is judged as the worst because of its size and layout.

    Spider, a Shadowlord, stated, “Strategically, Shadowlords’ is better. The worst... well, they all have down points.”

    Azag Thothe agreed. “COM [the Council of Mages, whose base is in the Parliament building of Magincia] has a base that you can place town traps in front of, and that’s a nice thing, but it’s a bit bad from the back. Thieves can get in.”

    “Raiding strongholds is very fun,” Azag said with a laugh. “Mass death. Stealing sigils is a lot of fun, too.”

    Spider agreed readily, “Yes, I’d have to say it’s a wonderful feeling, defeating the enemy with half the fighters they have.”

    In recent months, Adrick of the UO Live Team has been working on various changes for the factions system. When asked what changes they would like to see in the near future, the faction members replied that the 20 minute stat loss is especially crippling to mages and they would like to see it removed.

    Hell Bringer added, “Most of the changes have been for the better, but I would like to see a better quitting time resigning from factions. Let them quit factions, but make them wait a week or two after to join another.” He agrees that a delay of some sort is necessary to prevent people from using resignation as a coward’s retreat in the middle of a battle, “but not 7 days. An hour or two would be fine or maybe even a day.”

    Azag and Spider both expressed their disapproval of what can be termed “faction fakes,” those who join factions expressly for the “l33t” title above their heads, then avoid fighting by retreating to the safety of Trammel. Each faction has limited membership and the faction fakes can seriously affect the system.

    Spider commented, “People join and hide in Trammel and it leaves no room for the serious fighters.”

    “Make them attackable in Trammel,” Azag suggests. “I understand that OSI made factions to keep people in Felucca, but it’s not right that people join and come here. It fills up the factions.”

    For those who want to become a part of the faction fun, this advice was offered by Hell Bringer, “Make sure you can afford it first, replacing regs and armor.”

    Shadowlord faction member Liquid added, “Be strong enough to make a difference. Make sure you’re pretty good because factions doesn’t need weaklings that will run if they see opposing factions.”

    Connection is also an issue that one must consider. “I get ganked all the time because I lag,” Hell Bringer said. “Warriors need a good connection to catch up to the mages and hit them [and should] be at least a 3x GM. Mages don’t have to be as fast because they can cast spells from a distance.”

    Suggests Azag Thothe, “Warriors should protect themselves from ‘Mind Blast’ with even stats and have at least a GM tactics and a GM fighting skill.”

    Spider interjected, “Preferably fencing.” Spider also recommends that newcomers to the factions begin by joining “the largest faction at that time. Right now, Minax. Minax has the larger numbers.” He added, “Don’t join unless you don’t mind dying to 5 people all the time.”

    If your guild has grown listless with the daily search for a good hunting spot and weary of the mundane man vs. monster battles, perhaps factions could be the thing that makes the game fresh for you again. For more information about factions, see Stratics’ Faction Essays

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 5:26 PM EDT by Noel LeFevre (GreatLakes)

    Wanted: Calling All Pirates!
    Right now OSI is looking for pirates as stated on FYI:
    “Arr! There be a great, grand ship ahead. And where there be a grand ship, there be treasure to be had. Check the riggin’! Load the chase guns! Raise the Jack and haul wind! There be no sweeter trade than the life of a pirate.”

    Do you enjoy plundering ships? Are you fond of colorful bandanas? Does your pet consistently crave crackers? If so, we want to hear from you! We’re seeking tales of high-seas adventure and treasure-looting escapades. Tell us about your greatest battle or your most valuable pickings. Victims of swashbucklers are welcome to send in stories as well!

    Send your story as an e-mail, with a single screenshot attached, to [email protected] by Friday, August 10th. Please be sure your story falls between 500-1000 words, and include “Pirates!” in your subject line. The screenshot should be in bitmap format, and 640x480 resolution. Please provide a name and phone number for verification of the story. Submissions to “uo-profiles” become the property of OSI and may be used for special events, promotions, and/or advertising. All submissions must be made by the original author and are subject to verification.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 4:37 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Vampire Quest - Night One
    Herein lays the chronicle for the Vampire Quest. If you have just come in then go here and check out the thread titled: Vampire Quest backstory to know what's going on. Otherwise...on with the show:
    As written by Snake:

    Hail Good citizens of Britannia!

    I greet you with news that I shall allow you to judge good or bad. Days ago, a clue was given as to the last known location of the thief, Shemyazza, whom had stolen a certain few artifacts from the city of Carafax. Shemyazza had been accompanied by two other rogues, but their fate does not need to be retold, I fear I would not be able to retell it as it is.

    As many noble adventurers from Britannia took the clue in mind, it became apparent that the thief was indeed last seen at The Shattered Skull, a seedy, out of the way tavern in western Skara Brae. As the clever individuals began to pile into the increasingly cramped tavern, a man seemed to appear from under one of the tables, looking very groggy. Upset from his interrupted, drunken slumber, Ian the drunk sat down at the bar and ordered a few mugs of ale. After a few moments, he became interested in the conversations going on about Shemyazza and Carafax. He quickly began to hint at the fact that he knew something about this thief.

    Stubborn to reveal information, several clever adventurers quickly appealed to the drunk’s thirsty side, coming with offerings of ale, cider, liquor, and other forms of alcoholic beverages. After a very quick change of heart, Ian seemed an open book, revealing everything he knew. It appeared to the adventurers that Shemyazza had in fact been at The Shattered Skull, but was no longer there. The inebriated taver citizen also revealed the fact that he had seen a very strange looking creature club the thief on the head and drag him through a shimmering blue gate.

    After hearing about this “strange creature”, the adventurers had a bit of a difficult time figuring out what to do next. What would a strange creature want with a thief? Then as a clang of combat sounded from outside the tavern, a few adventurers remembered about the goblins, orcs, and humans battling in the streets of Skara Brae. One of them commented about how orcs and goblins like anything remotely interesting, so the group split into two parties and went to search out the goblin and orcish leaders...

    To be continued...

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 4:25 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (NapaValley)

    UWOO Melting Into UO
    Calandryll answered the question of a player at the UO.com-Boards regarding the influence of UO2 in UO:
    Anyway this got me thinking. IS the UO Ongoing Content team going to incorporate elements of UO2 (such as the ridgeback?) into Ultima Online?

    Yes.

    -Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna
    Designer, Ongoing Content
    Even though the ridgebacks are in the game now this sounds like OSI is planning to add more features from UO2 into Ultima Online now.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 1:00 PM EDT by Teich Dragon (GeneralNews)

    Ilshenar Monster Spawn Map for UOAM
    The following announcement was just sent to us by Markee Dragon:
    Announcing the Ilshenar Monster Spawn Map for UOAM. Designed to work in harmony with the current UOAM maps you will soon find this map indispensable! Many who have had the chance to view it already have used it to organize their guild hunts in Ilshenar. Enabling them to pick the difficulty of beast they wish to confront and so control the level of challenge the hunt gives them, safe in the knowledge that they wont have any fatal surprises! So if it's a guild hunt you want to organize, or if you're looking for the location at which that elusive monster spawns, or even if your trying to find one of the many Roving Gypsy camps in the area then look no further. You have just found the perfect solution!

    Markee Dragon is proud to host the Ilshenar Monster Spawn Map for UOAM. Special thanks to Luke "Klesk" Canvin for his hard work in creating this map.

    Markee Dragon
    www.markeedragon.com

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 12:13 PM EDT by Joshua Rowan (CommunityNews)

    A Oceania Pantomime, a event not to be missed!
    I arrived early and was greeted by a large crowd of people waiting to see the second showing of the pantomime by Elan Firewood (OtR) titled Gone with the Bloodmoss "I live in Felucca I can do what I want!". As we waited to enter the Maidens Theatre in Rose Town people commented about the previous nights showing saying how excellent it was and that it was brilliant. To be honest I had my doubts, as I wasn’t sure how they would pull it off.

    As I sat down at my seat and the show started I was amazed to see how well it was written and the teamwork and skill in which the performers showed. It was evident from the start the amount of work that the crew had put into the show. The Props which where done by Emerald Star and Mystic Rose where fantastic, and the theatre itself was brilliant!.

    As well as being the funniest event I have seen on the Oceania Shard for a long long time, it was full of drama and great effects with a musical number that had us rolling in the aisles. The entire crew who took part in making this event deserves a lot of credit, and I am certainly looking forward to the next show that they put together.

    However for anyone who missed it. Shame on you, however your in luck, if you head to The OtR Pantomime Thread you can book your seat for the proposed FINAL performance. Remember people they need lots of encouragement and support for this, as it is truly amazing, so make sure to go and check it out, as if they dont get enough responses this final show may not happen.

    Also to see more information about the pantomime itself, including a full cast and crew list, and of course to have a look at the Poster for the show you can find it here

    I have uploaded a few photo's of before and during the performance, but because it would spoil it for you if I showed too much I have kept them to a minimum.







    GO AND SEE THIS, you won’t regret it! :)

    ***** 5 stars and two thumbs up!
    Truly a must see for anyone whether your from Fel or Trammel

    DiAngelo Grey
    Oceania Stratics Reporter
    - Also sorry to Elan and the rest of the team for the delay in posting this, I have been having some computer problems of late..


    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 5:46 AM EDT by Diangelo Grey (Oceania)

    Sydney Players Meet --- 11 August 2001
    Hear Yee Hear Yee... On Saturday the 11th of August 2001 there doth be a players get together in the city know as Sydney.

    Sydney Meet - 11th August

    Date: Saturday, 11th of August
    Time: 12 noon (lunchtime)
    Where: Bridie O'Reilly's
    George St (Cnr Hay St),
    Haymarket


    This place has outdoor seating, so under agers are allowed, if it's cold we will be in the undercover area inside the Capitol shopping centre, near Passionflower.

    If people don't like the food, there is Chinatown and the George St Cinema area closeby.

    If interested in the food they serve here, go to Bridie O'Reillys

    Those interesting in some feedback and talk about the meet should follow the below comment link to see whats what about what.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 4:22 AM EDT by Von Ravend (Oceania)

    Nujelm Under Protection of New Leader
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This tale comes from The Brotherhood of Valor


    While away studying with Sobek, Midian receives a troubling letter.

    A pigeon arrives to the island on which Midian and Sobek are studying carrying with it a letter. It speaks of war between guilds and towns being taken from beneath the King who has been absent. At the end of the letter holds the crest of Lord British. Midian uncertain of what this is about reads on:

    Lord Midian, we have watched your Valiant efforts for some time now and we feel you would be a great addition to our council. You must travel to the city of Nujel’m and meet with the Westmarks. You must go alone and show them this crest for they will understand what it means. You will then act as head council of the city of Nujel’m and must chose your council advisors. These are desperate times Lord Midian you must act quickly. We will give you further instructions as we see fit.

    Midian in disbelief of all this turns to Sobek and asks, “What am I to do?” Sobek looks deeply at Midian, “As your father I would ask you to act as though you’ve never received this letter, but as Tiberians we both know this must be done.” Midian nods “Aye.”

    Cutting his confirmation of knight vows short Midian returns home. He speaks nothing of what he has learned to anyone in fear they may misunderstand what is about to happen. After only one night in his bed he awakes and sets sail for Nujel’m. Upon his arrival he is warmly greeted by the Noble Westmarks. He then asks for private council with them and retrieves the letter he received. Before reading the letter they see the crest and immediately knew what this was about. With a look of sadness the eldest Westmark bows deeply to Midian and says “Mi’Lord, what do you want us to do?” Midian feeling uneasy notices an imbalance with the family and asks then to “Please sit down. If you all were to know me before this, one thing I will not do is take someone’s home. I was asked by this mysterious council to become a leader of this city. But I would prefer leave the publicity to the Noble family, and I will leave the Palace as it has been. I will act as guardian of Nujel’m. And I will bring in my Brotherhood to help me do so. I will do as they ask and form a council but we will base out of the Large building at the far North end of town and near the bank.” “We can and will work in harmony on protecting this city” Midian bowing gracefully, “I must return to my Brotherhood it’s been months since I have seen them. Fear not I will return soon and we will begin our work.”


    Thankye Midian

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 3:24 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Savage General Executed by Kingdom of Dawn
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<This news was sent in by Will Avengem,
    The citizens of Brittania sentenced the savaged general to die for "crimes against humanity." The general was burnt at the stake Sunday night at the Guard Tower near the First Bank of Brittain (Trammel) following a careful interogation and trial held at Lord British's Castle.

    During the questioning of the general at the Dawn Guard's Prison(Fellucca), the history and plans of the savages were revealed to members of Dawn leadership.

    According to the general, the savages plan to "open the gate for the coming of 'her'" and Occlo is the stage. Dawn scholars are currently examining texts to discern what "her" pertains to. Contemporary theorists believe it is the prophecy of the coming of Minax, who will one day walk upon the earth as man. Members of the recently formed Drow Faction in Dawn, however, pose a different view; the coming of Lloth and the destruction of the Driders.

    If you would like to learn more, please visit www.kingdomofdawn.com or our fair city (Baja's oldest) located east of Dungeon Wrong (Felucca).



    Thankye Will Avengem

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 2:46 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Faction News
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<This faction news is from Amalacon

    These men have garnered enough respect or down right hatred to be mentioned. For Better or worse I consider these some of the deadliest PvP'r In factions Today. Please refer to some of my older posts for those who are no longer with us and those in the Order Chaos arena. These are all men who are actively involved. Congratz ! Today we focus on Tag Teams , Reds and thieves. Next is Break down by faction.

    The Brothers Hyru and Huma Ravenshadow - Currently SL, going CoM, Take first prize. Thier speed and support of each other is amazing, combos deadly and endurance outstanding. When thier names appeared on my screen it was always like a blow to the gut and i knew it was going to hurt.

    Next Don Calo and Fritzy - SL, then CoM, back to SL Deadly to a degree above the norm...these two at one time racked up major kill points and were hunted by all factions. Reds- AnRcist, whose skill and speed are only matched by his poor temprement and vile attitude. Mutliple opponents present no problem for this Minax Mage and rare is the day when the Guards present any problem either. ArchAngel, guru of the M&D horde, Very effective in mage battling, good endurance and gank survival.

    Thieves- Not in any particular order: Wingnut and RoofTopSniper of SL, Scalacronica and Purulent Ooze of CoM, Drakon of Minax and forgive me the name of the TB thief. Each of these vagabonds has shown terrific speed and cunning when taking sigils from enemy strongholds and willingness to fight pursuers with extreme prejudice. Look for part 2 coming soon and if anyone knows the TB thief... please reply

    Amalacon
    CoM
    Death Jester$
    Thankye, Amalacon

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 2:39 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Grimoire Fight Night
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
    This just in via carrier pigeon:

    Fight Night Event at Grimoire Arena,
    2 vs. 2 Sponsored by Elwind Thorne

    August 3rd, 2001, at (9 PM PST, 10 PM MST, 11 PM Central, Midnight EST)
    No Entry Fee

    1st place 50K gps, 2nd place 30K gps, 3rd place 20K gps.

    Registration
    To avoid confusion, registration will start at 8:00 PM PST, and end at 9:00 PM PST. No late entries. Tournament will start at 9:10 PM PST.

    We must have a minimum of 4 teams to start this event!

    Here are the rules:

    • No charged magic items, clothing, or jewelry. No magic armor and weapons allowed.
    • No pre-poisoned weapons. They may be poisoned during the battle.
    • No use of summoning spells, offensive field spells, blade spirits, energy vortex, recall nor gate.
    • No Stealing is allowed during battle.
    • The only pre-casting allowed (casting done before the match countdown) is Magic Trap, Reactive Armor, and Magic Reflection.

    Disclaimers:

    • All contestants are subject to snooping by Grimoire Staff to ensure everyone is participating fairly.
    • The Event Coordinator's decision on all matches is final and will not be disputed during the event.
    • Anyone who disrupts the flow of the event for any reason will be banned until after the event.
    • In the event that a contestant loses connection during the event, the Event Coordinator will make a decision as
    • to the possibility of a rematch. That decision stands and may not be disputed. Any disputes will be handled after the event.
    • A connection loss during combat events where the roof is sealed off, will result in an automatic forfeit.
    • The Event Coordinator reserves the right to adjust these rules at any time without notice.

    This event takes place in the Grande Grimoire Battle Arena. Once you have entered the Grande Grimoire Battle Arena, all Contestants are bound by the Rules of the Battle Arena. Failure to follow these rules may result in your death or banishment from the Arena. Contestant Battle Arena Rules

    Contestants and Spectators must observe and obey all the Village Laws. Failure to do so can end in your death or banishment from the village. Spectator Rules

    For calendar of events, rules, maps and community message board, please visit Grimoire

    We hope you can make it,
    LeeLu - Grimoire Staff

    Your humble servant
    Raeven Aurora

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 1:57 AM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

    Sannio asks for Feedback on Taming
    Thanks to Mordanna (UO Stratics Moderator) for bringing this to my attention. Sannio posted this request for feedback on Taming on the Tamers and Rangers Board of the official UO Boards :
    Hi, I'm new here, and I was wondering if you could help me get up to speed on some of these Tamer concerns that have been coming up. There's a whole lot that I need to read, and if you could help summarize some things for me, that'd be awesome.

    When you write, "Fix vet, please," what exactly do you mean? Is there some problem with the level of Vet skill required to heal certain creatures? Does it not heal certain creatures properly? Does Vet not work at all under certain circumstances?

    I started checking in with Pat Factor and some other Tamers about this, and, of course, the more information I get from you and everyone here, the better I can hopefully help coordinate into getting issues addressed when possible.

    (My own Tamer character never was able to get past Taming horses and creatures of that level. :]

    Thanks again.

    =========
    Sannio
    Online Community Coordinator, UO
    Origin Systems

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 12:34 AM EDT by citizenKane2 (GeneralNews)

    A final farewell from Belan
    You loved her, you hated her...she took your loot and sold it back if you were nice.

    There have been many imitators, but none to surpass the mistress of stolen goods. She was like the gal next door...that is if you lived next to Thelma & Louise.

    A warning...this update is massive and the last we will ever see. I still haven't finished reading it all. So, even if you don't normally like 'looters' check it out...it's got a lot more going on than just stealing from players.

    http://belan.looter.org

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Thursday, August 2, 2001, 12:22 AM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    OOC UO Trivia Contest Saturday
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Micah sends along word of a contest being held this weekend.
    This Saturday, at 8:00PM EST, at the West Britain Bank on Trammel, I will be having a contest. The prize will be 200,000 gold, and the game will be UO Trivia. Books will be given out, and questions asked.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 11:03 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

    The Hand of Evil
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<We received the following from an anonymous source. The return of Scaramandine, who terrorized both facets, is newsworthy as is, but the ambiguous involvement of Britannia's Grand Inquisitor in the matter is also cause for concern.
    The Grand Inquisitor rose early and began dressing himself, preparing to greet the day--another one, he mused, doubtlessly filled with reports of evildoers, vile creatures, renegades, and bandits bent on perfidy and plunder throughout Sosaria. He donned his white robe and cape and looked for his gold signet ring--the only one he wore and that which he used to sign documents of state, arrest warrants and the like. He took it off at night to relieve the swelling it caused from daily wear but always placed it on the table beside his bed. Sighing, he looked on the floor and under the bed--then within the bed covers themselves. It was nowhere to be found. Fearing it lost or stolen, a certain panic seized him--much harm to the innocent in his name could be done if some villain got hands on it. Arrest or execution warrants could be forged and it used to authorize and authenticate them. The door to his bedroom opened suddenly. He turned to face Abingdon, his consort. "Abby, have ye seen my signet ring? I seem to have misplaced it," he asked her. She smiled and nodded, walking to where he stood. She showed him the ring and handed it to him. He took it and placed it on his finger, then, puzzled by it all, looked at her waiting for an explanation.

    "I found it on the floor this morning. I saw it was tarnished a bit so I took it to the jeweler and had him polish it," she explained, smiling sweetly and innocently. Her expression gave way to one of concern, "I hope I did nothing wrong, milord?"

    The Inquisitor, whose true name had to be kept secret for the same reason executioners wore hoods, smiled slightly and shook his head, "Nay, but be careful milady. If it were to be lost or stolen, a great deal of mischief could be attributed to me. Tis enough the trouble I bring to the guilty. I would not wish it upon the innocent. Ye understand."

    Abingdon nodded, "Of course, milord. It was foolish of me to carry it out of these walls and take it into the streets of Britain. I will not do so again."

    "It is a small matter. Let us go now, I have a meeting to attend," he said, leading her out the door." She followed quietly and obediently.

    *** "I cannot help it if ye do not believe me--tis the truth nonetheless! The Inquisitor commissioned a dwarf named Watts as a constable. The fellow has already arrested a Necromari agent in Minoc--a Jason Bereft by name. He was trying to extort ingots from the dwarves who work the mines and was making it hard on them when they refused--"accidents," stolen supplies, shopkeepers balking, and all that. He was behind it but they took him away. All should be well there now. I thought the Inquisitor sent me there to work for Jason but I was wrong. Seems someone is impersonating the Inquisitor or else he has lost his mind. Imagine--he has ordered me arrested and executed! I was only doing what he told me to do!" The speaker fidgeted nervously, then gulped down a bit of ale.

    Erik Valstrom, sitting across from him at table, wondered again why his once enormous stable of reliable contacts for information had dwindled to this young, unscrupulous, fellow named Wyrmfeast. It was a sign of the times, undoubtedly. "Then I must find this Watts fellow and talk to him. If it is true this hit list of the Inquisitor's is false, I may be able to return to Britain myself. This hiding and skulking about is for... well, criminals!"

    "What? Ye were on his list too? Now that's funny!"

    Erik made a face at him, "Aye, sidesplitting! Keep thy jests to thyself please and tell me what ye know of the Necromari. Does any of this tie into the Inquisitor? Did he speak with thee face to face when giving thee orders or did ye receive them from a courier or pigeon?"

    Wyrmfeast's eyebrows raised as he tapped the empty pewter mug on the table alternating his gaze from the mug to his host's eyes. Erik sighed and ordered him another pint of ale. The tavern maid sat the bottle down in front of them. Wyrmfeast uncorked it greedily and winked at her, filling his cup.

    "Can ye not be sober just once whilst we talk? My life hangs in the balance and I am entrusting it to the words of a drunken lout--I must be mad," Erik complained.

    "Lout I am milord, but I ain't drunk yet. Couple more pints should do it." He took a huge swallow and continued, "I got my orders from a pigeon, but the documents they carried had his official seal on them--no mistaking that. Only thing I know about the Necromari is--they be thick as flies on horse dung at the Minoc stables."

    Erik nodded. "I've seen the flies. Pretty thick. Where are these Necomari?"

    "Minoc! Ye been listenin' to me? Maybe Britain too, if the Inquisitor is one of them."

    Erik considered for a moment what he knew about the Necromari--a large death cult of nefarious mages based in Wrong who once nearly brought Minoc to its knees by using a hideous device called the Orb of Soul Seeking. The cult was rooted out and thought to be destroyed by the armies of Agisto Fyrebrandt, the Archon of Minoc, led by Stanton Kyre and Martel Nevarre. The Necromari had been ruled by Scaramandine who was thought dead, the first victim of his own evil device, which, when activated by a certain ritual would absorb souls of those it was projected against. The Orb was lost for generations, then rediscovered last year in a mine near the village of Edinburgh. It was learned that Scaramandine had deliberately entered the Orb to gain knowledge for himself from the souls of those it absorbed; that when the Orb had at last been shattered, Scaramandine, the Elder, reappeared in the land, worked his evil for a time but had been banished to the abyss by his own kinsman, Scaramandine II. "So the Necromari are again focusing on Minoc. Interesting. I wonder why. What were thy orders from the Inquisitor?"

    "I was first sent to Edinburgh to look for and kill Jaryd Nevarre. Had to dispose of a woman there too. Bad business that. But I was mainly sent to look for some fellow named Scaramandine. The Inquisitor wanted him really bad, or so my orders said."

    Erik was stunned. "Ye were told to assassinate them?! And Scaramandine?! He is alive? That's impossible! Surely ye are mistaken!"

    Wyrmfeast shook his head. "He's alive all right. Seen him with my own eyes. But he has problems of his own. He's vampyri, a nosferatu. See these?" Wyrmfeast pointed to two small but ugly scars on his neck--puncture wounds. "They're his. I still have trouble seeing in the daytime and have bad dreams at night. Long story--for another time." He smiled.

    Erik nodded and shifted uneasily. He had to fight the urge to flee, but excused himself politely. "I must be going. I will find Watts and talk to him. I know him. I hope ye have seen the light, young fellow. A visit to a Shrine is in order for thee, I'd say. Take my advice--do it quickly and purge thy soul of these crimes. I will look in on thee again. Learn what ye may of the Necromari plans. Farewell."

    Wyrmfeast nodded. "I will. Farewell oh nosey-but-generous patron."

    Erik ignored the remark and, deep in thought, left the tavern. Scaramandine alive--the Necromari in Britain and Minoc--there was much to learn. It felt like old times again.
    Erik Valstrom, formerly crime reporter for the Britannian News Network, is now a freelance journalist. He is a recognized expert on the activities of sorcerous malcontents, having in the past provided the BNN and this paper with detailed accounts of the activities of Scaramandine and Baron Malek Nocturnis.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 10:58 PM EDT by Elisa Montclaire (Catskills)

    Ice Festivities Winners and Events Summary
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<

    This report just in from Subzero and Xanthar.

    It was a normal night on Dagger Isle in Felucca except for one thing... It was Wintermoor's Annual Ice Festivities.


    It was to start at 7 PM, I arrived early, greeted my friends, and waited patiently around the Frosty Hook tavern. Word had it that at 7 PM, there would be an auction of a rather mystical painting by an artist named Salvadore, a painting that is rumored to control men's dreams, a painting that has very realistic eyes! While we waited around for the auction to begin, tempers flared... People wanted this painting, and seemed desperate to get it. The Necromancer Smogg Azalin had plans of his own for this strange painting, most likely evil ones! Ronde de Guileri was eager to purchase the painting for her art gallery in Wintermoor, and Xanthar wanted to buy the painting for his ever flourishing rares museum! Tempers flared, and before we knew it, Detective Stein had arrived. Salvadore was found killed, murdered in Ronde's Art Gallery. People were shocked, fingers pointed every which way, but some quick thinkers, ran to the scene of the crime, the art gallery.

    SubZero was one of the first to arrive, only second to a member of the Infernal Cult of Necromancy... Detective Stein right behind me, as he stepped inside, to find what would become our first clues to Salvadore's murder...

    Dark leather gloves and some bandaids. Not too much of a lead, but it was something... Eventually, other people arrived, and we all went back to the Wintermoor town hall to collaborate and find the real killer...

    Everyone, EVERYONE, was a suspect! Fingers pointed, most being at either the dark necromancer Smogg Azalin who no doubt wanted the painting for it's potentially dark powers, Xanthar, who seemed eager to have the painting for the museum, or even Wintermoor's tailor, Ronde de Guileri, who wanted the painting for display in the Wintermoor Art Gallery. The question was did these seemingly innocent people want the painting so much that they would KILL for it? I stepped out to search for more clues, while I received word that the same beggar who was pestering patrons for gold outside the tavern had come by rambling about a person named "Chip!" Needless to say, we were all eager to talk to Chip regarding the murder of Salvadore... I rushed back to the Town Hall, Chip had already been apprehended... The first thing I recognized that Chip was in the Cult of Infernal Necromancy as well, and seemed to be a rather loyal friend to his master, the necromancer Smogg Azalin who, as I said, was very interested in this painting... Many recognized that Chip had no gloves on... Gloves that would match his drab garb were found at the murder scene by myself... We snooped Chip for the painting, nothing, but one thing we DID find were a stack of bandages the same color of those found at the murder scene... Slowly but surely, things were coming together. Chip had some serious explaining to do... But then, Chip ran from the Town Hall and out into the cold wilderness of Dagger Isle! He didn't make it far though, not with many angry festival-goers after him... Blocked from all sides, he had no choice but to run back inside the Town Hall! He ran to the roof, where he was surrounded! Reluctant to surrender, he attacked me, and myself and others quickly finished him off! Any doubts that Chip were the killer were put to rest as whilst during combat, Chip used a mace, and we knew that the fighter was a macer due to damage done to the gloves found at the murder scene! After Chip was taken care of, we all went down stairs, where Detective Stein closed the investigation with this statement: Chip was the Thief, and now he has been taken care of.

    The two top contributors of solving the mystery, Subzero and Ice Cream Genius were given our rewards, 20,000 crowns, soon after!

    Next up was to be the boat race... It was around Dagger Isle... But that did not go without hindrance... The pirates of AAR were there to block the paths of the contestants and try to stake claim to "their" waters! Many people were narrowly killed by several pirates on a few boats by blocking their vessel, but miraculously most evaded them and continued towards their destinations. Congratulations to Admiral Ruffie Windjammer, Elder Pirate who lived up to his name by Winning 1st Place and the Grand 50k Prize. Gabbash sailed into 2nd place along with a 25k prize. SubZero took 3rd place with 10k.

    The Pirates of AAR were foiled when a group of Wintermoor Warriors boarded their boats and headed off to stop them in their tracks. In a few short minutes, all the evil Pirates had fallen.

    After the boat race, the City of Wintermoor suffered a large White Wyrm Invasion. Over 15 White Wyrms stormed the city in the name of evil killing everyone in sight.

    Our very own Bartender (seen above) Benin Tarek had to run for his life!!!

    The beasts continued their relentless attack...

    As the Wyrm's continued their rampage - the leader of these foul beasts showed himself. The Evil Lord Skull Lord. He terrorized the City of Wintermoor until a lone warrior, Mephitso killed him and quickly ran off with his Ice Staff. Others soon began to ravage the remains of the fallen skull lord and was able to find Gold, Items, Statues and even an Open Book!

    The next event turned out to be one of the favorites: The Icy Fight Night PVP Tournament - Some of Felucca's best PVP players were in attendance showing their muscle.


    The Event was run and handled by Joosh, the Wintermoor City Sheriff. It consisted of various battles that took place within the Wintermoor Town Guard Post And Jail. An ingenious idea was used. A Wall of Stone was raised between the contestants and as soon as it fell it signaled for the fighting to begin! The Battles were to the Death and it was winner take all.

    The Warriors of Valor produced the following Victors:

    1st Place:100k to the Grand Champion of Ice - Warlord
    2nd Place: 50k to the Champion of Ice - Zimklug the Orc (tupid humies)
    3rd Place: Statue - Warrior of Ice - Authur

    The Evenings Final event was one of Caustic Wit. The Frosty Hook Tavern's Riddle Contest. Various riddles were read aloud in our tavern and those guessing the correct answers were given 10k gold deeds. Many a good laugh came from some of the answers of our patrons. By the end of the night over 160k in gold was given away to those with a quick mind and a quick tongue.

    We thank everyone who attended our Ice Festival and invite everyone to keep an eye out for the upcoming Atlantic Museum Quest. The Museum Quest will be a cross-shard event, and will have events for the die hard roleplayers to the die hard pvp.

    Xanthar of the Museum
    ICQ: 70083007

    Thank ye, Xanthar for this detailed retelling of the events last weekend.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 9:47 PM EDT by Azalin (Atlantic)

    Wintermoor Theater of Satire to Open on Sunday Night
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<

    This event in from Romeo of the Wintermoor Theater of Satire.

    Dost thou like the verse of Shakespearian England, or the cantor of Chaucer, yet frown upon the melodramatic and self-applauding tones of stuffed shirted prose? Do you ever wish to hear such verse in more comic undertones, or would you like to find a place where no real life establishment is sacred, and political satire is in its heyday?

    Look no more, as the Wintermoor Theater of Satire opens on August 5th. Warning, if thou hast any sensivities, leave them behind ye in yer cottages and homes. Neither you nor I is safe from being laughed at, and in the future such games such as "Blade Spirit Twister" sponsored by various Cor-Por-ations will represent a new dimension in interactive entertainment.

    The evening shall kick off at 7:00 pm EST with a brief opening ceremony, and a giveaway Masquerade Quest. The theme of the Masquerade quest shall be Medieval Fairy Tales. All participants must enter the building naked! That's right, you must be nude in order to participate in the Masquerade Event. The first 20 visitors to enter the building will be sat down by our gracious patrons, and will thereupon receive a costume representing one of your favorite fairy tale characters. Each participant shall receive two tomes, one blank and the other with several fairy tale phrases. It shall be up to you to decipher among all twenty of you to discern who is who, and each person shall be required to display a phrase on their paper dolls. In the blank tome, participants may list from one to twenty whom is who. The one who achieves the most correct answers shall be awarded First Prize, the one with the second most correct answers shall be awarded 2nd prize, and so on and so forth.

    First Prize shall be a fruit basket, 2nd prize shall be a Pegasus statue, and 3rd prize shall be a fairy statue. In addition, contestants who finish in spots 4-10 shall receive checks for 10k each.

    After the Masquerade, the first play shall commence. This first play shall be a brief work entitled "Romeo and Juliet, the Joyful Celebration of their Demise." Be prepared for a few surprises, and not all will be as it seems.

    Last but not least, the winner of the Wintermoor Lottery shall be announced at 9 pm, so everyone who bought a lottery ticket at the Wintermoor Festival should be ready to recall to the winning location if you are to claim your prize!

    The people of Wintermoor welcome you, we hope to see all of ye there soon!

    Romeo, Wintermoor Theater of Satire

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 9:06 PM EDT by Azalin (Atlantic)

    Craftsman Night This Thursday
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<

    From the town cryers of Arx Draconis.

    Another round of Craftsman Night will commence this Thursday at 6:30pm at the island of Arx Draconis (Trammel Side) and be hosted by The Syndicate.

    Start at 6:30pm, The Syndicate will visit the major banks and offer gates to Craftsman Night. You will recognize them by the LLTS guild abbreviation over their heads and their blue robes. Gates back will also be provided.

    Craftsman Night is where many types of GM craftsman (Smiths, bowyers, carpenters, scribers, posioners etc..) will be in the castle on Arx Draconis. They offer their services to you for free for the duration of the event. If you bring the raw materials (or the items to be repaired), they will complete your order (within reason) on the spot and hand it back to you for FREE.

    So look for Syndicate members and join in on Craftsman Night! This Thursday at 6:30pm EST.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 8:56 PM EDT by Azalin (Atlantic)

    Edict From Grishnakopoliz
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<

    This from William Smit IV concerning Grishnakopoliz and the graveyard in Yew.

    Ugh and Hail!

    This is the first official edict from the region of Grishnakopoliz, city of orcs! In honor of the Bludgod, let this proclamation ring throughout the land!

    The Orcish hordes have taken hold and claim of the graveyard and crypts of Trammel Yew! We hereby extinguish ownership and command of them over to Lord Smogg Azalin. Henceforth it shall be his property to do with it what he will, and if anyone happens to disagree with this, they will meet orcish justice.

    For those of you not familiar with justice or the rules of Grishnakopoliz, consider what I shall tell you a very fair warning! Humans must pay tribute and respect to the Bludgod before they are allowed to hunt on orc territory. Elves will be killed on sight. Any un-permitted boat that is docked on our shores will be fined and plundered of all gold, food, and ale. Any insolent human or elf scum that decides they are better off without these rules may appear before the Chieftain of Yew at the Court of Truth.

    Lastly, a new position has been made for the handling of finances. This person shall be charged with the responsibility of keeping up with the amount of gold in the Clan treasury. He or she will also decide on how much the tribute should be raised in gold. It has not been decided yet as to whom will fulfill the position of “taxorc”.

    Justice For Orcs!


    Signed and sealed in Elven blood,

    William Smit IV
    Chieftain ob Yew

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 8:51 PM EDT by Azalin (Atlantic)

    Lammas Festival at Krista's
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Lammas: This is the festival of the first harvest. The early crops are being brought in and the start of winter storing. The grain stands high in the fields and the days are hot and lazy. This is the time of feasting on the first harvest and breads that are made from the early grains. It is a festival where sharing between all present of the harvest and its bounty forms a closeness or bond. It is a time of thankfulness to the God and Goddess for their help in the plenty of now and of prayers for a full harvest for the winter that lies ahead.

    Krista's Ranger Station is hosting a Lammas Festival this evening (August 1st) that will begin at 7pm and end at 10pm by the Central Sky. The Ranger Station is on the Felucca shard, southeast of Yew Abbey's "bank" side. There's a farmhouse at the end of a road about halfway there. The coordinates are 59o 14' N 34o 44' W. For more information contact "Krista" at icq 24124261.

    Don't forget to bring bread and grains as this is the festival of wheat and harvest.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 5:42 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    Act Your Part Well
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<Guilds come in many different colors and forms. Some are militant, based on a set of rules and military codes. Some are refreshing and full of young spirits. Some are set up to help fellow merchants gain access to the public and to train new members in the crafts of the realm. And yes some of the most colorful and different are role players.

    In a world full of "hail" and "m'lady" there are some folks that take that one step farther. In the land of Catskills, there is a group fondly referenced to as "the Tree People". They in fact live outside of Yew, in the big trees. Wander the forest aiding the animals there. Enact the will of their Queen. And for all intent, are the closest thing to an 'elf' these lands have. Admittance to this group only requires the desire to every second while in the lands to 'act' the part.

    Here at home in the Land of Great Lakes, there are many guilds that 'act' the part. There are many taverns and inns run by common folk of the lands. Many of these establishments are featured by UOSS and are currently being reviewed by the UOS team in the world. Every one of them has a different flare and level of 'acting'. Many of the more serious members of the 'acting' community are also very involved in the events hosted through out the lands. Such as the festivals and fairs, the auctions and the pagan rituals.

    Several of the more active members of the role-playing community in the Land of Great Lakes would include the Cult of the Black Dragon, the Sisters of Enchantment (who will be at the symposium on August 6th), Vengeance (who also will be at the symposium on August 6th), the Sandlewood Box, Krista's Ranger Station, Impy's Artic Faire, and the Cove Merchants' Guild (who will also be in attendance the night of the symposium on August 6th).

    If you are in search of a guild that will provide you a full 'life' in these lands, perhaps a role-playing guild is just right for you. Just remember to 'act your part well', as one famous bard once said. And be ready to join a community of people, not just a group to hunt with.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 5:36 PM EDT by Barth VanDorn (GreatLakes)

    Silvervale Fishing Expedition
    My boat is being fixed for termite damage. Who knew those things could make so many holes? I hope it will be ready for this event, the details of which were sent in by Grim.
    This Tuesday, August 7th, at 8pm EST, the Silvervale Fishing Fleet will set sail in search of vast amounts of treasure. Many a fishing net will be cast and possibly some SOS bottles will be provided. With any luck, many riches will be found for all. If nothing else, I'm relatively certain you'll be walking away with some fish steaks. We all know how hard those are to get. Oh, and it's BYOB.

    So bring some beer, some pizza, and a fishing pole, and if we don't all die, it should be a lot of fun.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 2:50 PM EDT by Idun Syn (Chesapeake)

    Super Fantastic Guild's Faction Adventures
    This scroll was dropped off by a bunch of funny men in blue robes. They said they had to kill someone named Ruffles to get it to me.
    Super Fantastic Guild Joins Factions, With Cropping!

    Super Fantastic is here

    Many tx.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 1:40 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    New comic site: Looters Hall
    I know some of you just can't get enough of comics where people rob and trick each other! So, this is dedicated 4 U noobs!
    The Looters' Hall contains Episodes from Arelon Lothelan (that's me) and Eustachy Pulpet of Catskills.

    Eustachy is a Half-Dwarf and I, Arelon, am a Half-Elf and we are, as the name of the site implies, Looters. But never fear! We have other stories there too!

    And here is the URL: http://wwnet.fi/users/heimonen and I'll get us up at Clanpages too in the near future.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 1:36 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    Secret Gimp adds two new comix
    This scroll was stolen out of a miners pack and dropped on to my in-box when I wasn't looking:
    Hello Pelle!
    I have updated my site with 2 new episodes. As usual, any complaints can be emailed to my email address listed on the site :>

    Secret Gimp's lair

    "May the fortunes of others fall at your feet"
    -S.G.

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 1:28 PM EDT by Pelle Svanslos (CandidCoverage)

    The Princess Bride Huge Success!
    >>> Trammel Facet News <<<The Golden Brew's play the Princess Bride was beautifully done and true to the tale. The long hours of time and preparation put into the play resulted in a flawless performance.

    If you went to see it you would no doubt have marveled at the creativity that went in to designing the stage, costumes and props. For those of you who missed it here is a scene from the play.



    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 11:30 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)

    Blackcomb Tournament
    >>> Felucca Facet News <<<Hail and well met,
    This just in via carrier pigeon:

    The city of Blackcomb is hosting another tournament Thursday August 2, 2001. Sign ups will start at 8:00 pm pacific, tournament will start at 9:00 pm pacific. The tournament will be held in the BV tower (Nosteratu Sanguari). Coordinates are 36o 33'N 33o 57'W.

    We thank you in advance and hope you all can attend and enjoy!

    RULES:

    • No magic armor or weapons.
    • No pre-Poisoned weapons.
    • No animals
    • Blackcomb Staff reserves all rights.

    Further rules will be posted on the guilds website. If you have any question you can ask me or any staff before tournament starts or post question's at the: Blackveil Website.

    Prizes:

    • 1st place 50k
    • 2nd place 25k
    • 3rd place 10k

    Come and Test your wits against the finest....
    Regards,
    Kamsheema

    Your humble servant,
    Raeven Aurora

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 2:17 AM EDT by Raeven Aurora (NapaValley)

    A Tale of Two Savages, Part 2
    The morning sun rose over the sea to the east, and cast a golden light over the ship. The smell of cooking bacon aroused my nose and together my nose and I traveled to the kitchen to take a peek through the porthole window. To my surprise, the ships cook spared no expense in this breakfast- Sausages and eggs and bacon all mixed together with fresh bread and grape preserves. In an effort to control my drooling, I turned and walked above decks.

    There I found the captain and his first mate (Jarvis and Dougle was their names), talking about the savage.

    “We oughtta feed him to the fish, captain”, Dougle said.
    “The mage can do whatever he wants with it, we needn’t trouble right now-”, the captain said as he turned to face me. “Well, here be the sleepyhead now”, he said, with a toothless grin. “Care for some of our ale here?” he offered a bottle.
    “No thanks, captain” I replied, “I need my wits about me for the serpent pillar ritual.”

    At that, the two men mumbled and trotted off to another corner of the ship. I took in the fresh air of the sea, the salty wind lapping at the tethering. The sails billowed out as we drew closer to the Pillar.

    After one of the most perfect breakfasts I had ever eaten, I picked up some of the leftovers and headed down to the storage room where we were keeping the savage. I gasped as I looked at him. His arms and legs were all beaten and bloodied, his eyes were in a dazed state. I called for one of the healers aboard, who replied “I will not help a savage”, and walked off. I did what I could with my magic, though I had to save my strength for the Pillar that afternoon.

    Quickly, I turned away so I could not see this pitiful creature and tossed the food as I headed to my room. Once inside, I felt an odd feeling. As I looked over my shoulder, I saw to my dismay another savage lurking in the shadows! Both the savage and I looked down at the table where my spell book and bag of reagents lay..

    [ Comment on this article ]

    Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2001, 12:56 AM EDT by Gregor Villous (GreatLakes)