Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Almost There!
Jeremy Dalberg
29 Aug 2008 22:01:11

A few pre-Town Hall announcements and such, for your reading pleasure!

Pre-Town Hall FoF

Once again we're saving the weekend goodness for the Town Hall - and I think this time it will satisfy your cravings. We do still have some announcements and such below!

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QA Request of the Week

QA has been getting a fair number of bugs about players being unable to get their pets to guard them. One thing to consider is that you can only have 5 pets guarding you at once - and if you set a pet to guard and then stable it, it still counts toward the 5. If you're having this problem, go to the stable and pull out any stabled pets and tell them "stop," then re-stable them. If that doesn't solve the problem, please call a GM in-game so they can look at your individual character and see what's going on.

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What's To Come:

The Publish 55 awesomeness is so incredibly awesome that, despite our diligent efforts, it just won't fit into one publish. We're still on track to get it on Test Center next week, and it will have the end of Spring Cleaning (no more turn-in NPCs, although you can still claim your rewards,) the Gardening system updates, the RoT changes for Siege, a number of bugfixes, and one other eensy update that's only about a year late - 10-year Veteran rewards!

The next Live Events phase is the awesomeness that simply cannot be contained, and we'll be getting that out to you just as soon as we find a box big enough to hold it.

As for the rest of what's to come - well, the Town Hall is going to cover a lot of that. Keep an eye out for updates and reports from the attendees!

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Town Hall News:

The Town Hall is in two days - will you be there? Check out the details here and please do RSVP. Also check the Fansite News section for details on Whispering Rose Radio's broadcast of the show - if you can't make it to Seattle, surely you can make it to the internet!

We're aware of issues people seem to be having with the RSVP site - if it's not working for you (for this or any other Town Hall) just show up anyway! We only use the RSVP page to get an idea of how much food to order - there's no "list" or anything you need to be on.

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Fansite News:

Here are a bunch of neat sites to look at, guilds looking for members, and player-run events going on - be sure to check them out!

First, here is a general UO site you may not have seen:

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For all the adventurers out there:
The Ultima Online Travelogues and Adventurer's Guide are available for your entertainment. Here you'll find stories and screenshots of many UO adventures, and a comprehensive guide including detailed maps of all landmasses, dungeons and Points Of Interest in Sosaria: Click here!

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Guild recruitment!

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The United Pirates of Catskills, the first and oldest pirate role playing guild in UO ever, is recruiting members! For details, check the United Pirates website here.

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This past month, the Ancient Order of Elves celebrated 10 amazing years of roleplaying on the Pacific Shard. It has taken the toil and time of many great UO players to make this milestone possible, and they would like to thank the residents of Pacific who have been so supportive over the years. Celebration will take place on Mondays starting September 8th at 7:30pst at the Tel'Ereg ar' Cu Tavern located at coordinates 128o25'N 55o15'E. Gates will be provided in Luna and New Haven.

Visit www.elvenorder.com for membership information or contact Joy via e-mail: [email protected]

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And last but not least, live events!

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Houses and Castles presents; UO Halloween Deco Contest 2008!

Dust off the deco tool, it's time for an overhaul!

H&C is hosting a Halloween competition - create NEW, fresh Halloween inspired deco. no bats, no witches - unless its presented in a new way - full house deco, or a tiny new 'something'.

Is your cauldron bubbling over with ideas? Do the flames of the pits of Hades flicker in your eyes when you grip a deco tool? Do the snip of scissors make you think 'Just how many goza's do they NEED?'

Submissions accepted from September 1st midnight, GMT (england) to September 10th, midnight GMT. You can send up to 3 submission, but each must be sent in their own email.

Send submissions to; [email protected] .

Please read the full rules, so your entry is not disqualified. You can find the rules here

Voting starts September 11th. The voting place will be announced just before voting can start. Prizes will be awarded to the top winners!

Thank you! And much luck to all participants!

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Lake Superior Community's weekly event Schedule
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Meet'n Greet
Date: Monday, September 1st
Time: 7:30PM Central
Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Hosts: Airmid / Sabina Nikolai
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Vesper Museum Exhibit tours
Date: Tuesday, September 2nd
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
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Peerless hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required)
Date: Wednesday, September 3rd
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
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Scavenger hunt
Date: Thursday, September 4th
Time: 8:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Misty
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Ilshenar Champion Spawn hunt
Date: Friday, September 5th
Time: 9:00PM Central
Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank
Host: Taeara Mi'Aken
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Saturday - August 30th - Once again the road crew of Whispering Rose Radio [WRR] will be broadcasting live the UO Town Hall and this time it’s from Seattle, WA. If you're not able to be there in person then join the rest of the staff for 'party-time' fun at the special WRR Dave & Busters site located on Lake Superior. Bring your ‘dying to know questions’ and we will submit them for you! Click here for location map starting at 3pm Pacific. *If you’re not able to be in game or at the UO Town Hall a tape of the broadcast will be available on UO Forums.

WRR may also be broadcasting from the PAX 2008 (Penny Arcade Expo) sometime over the weekend from Seattle. The Penny Arcade Expo is a Video and computer gaming exposition and convention, with a video game showcase floor, gaming industry panels, movies, plenty of room for console, PC, and even tabletop (board/card/role-play) gaming, plus two nights of concerts featuring top geek, nerd, and gaming bands. If you are coming remember to bring your handheld game device, your card decks, wear your best geekery or video game character costume to meet interesting people and play interesting games with them. Tune in for more details as we won’t know until we get there and double check the technicalities.

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Sunday - August 31st - The Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues after 4 fantastic years to bring you more great deals. Get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

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Thursday - September 4th - The Tazz and Keg's Underground show returns to the air at 7pm PST - 10pm EST on a NEW night with a CONTEST to kick off their return. They are running a contest for the funniest videogame story in 80 words or less. Listeners will be eligible to win a $25.00 gift certificate to Gamestop if their submissions are read on air. They will be taking submissions until September 25, 2008 and will be announcing the winner on the October 2nd show. Tune into the Tazz and Keg's Underground show on Thursday night for complete details.

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*Friday Night Shard Chatter, Saturdays’ Brush Limpaw, the bi-weekly WRR Casino Night, and the Deal or No Deal ~ 'UO Style' will return over the next few Saturdays. Watch for next weeks WRR 'News' bulletin with more details.

Have a great time this weekend playing Ultima Online and listening to Whispering Rose Radio [WRR] ~ see you all on the flip side.

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I'm in Seattle tonight, and cannot wait for the Town Hall tomorrow!

- Jeremy

She may be Illustrious but Carmen is also a little crazy.
Crazy in a good way. This girl can not stop collecting !

Carmen has been working for years trying to keep UO history alive. She has not done it with a library or museum but with her main residence.

Several people have told me her plot was a "must see" and there is A LOT to see,... from the ground up.
The entire structure is filled to the brim. The first two floors are real showcases but not everything is what it appears. One must click on many of the items to appreciate their real meaning or false meaning.





The third floor, though it is filled with spooky decor is mainly for storage. The tortured body on the bed is a real treat.



The roof features a tailor's and/or fashionista's dream come true as it if filled with wearables. Models are also set up clothed in many types of armor sets, a virtue set, scout's set, sigil bone, ect ect.



Though there are some neat design ideas peppered thru-out this plot it is truly about the items that present UO history.

To visit this gem of a warehouse be sure to wear something warm as it is cold all year long. High boots may come in handy also as icy snakes have been seen and killed in the area.

Cords: 89o 50'N, 67o 51'E

Catskills Pirate Conspiracy - A Scavenger Hunt (Aug. 30th, 9pm EST)

The Pirate Conspiracy is a series of events for all players, guilded or not. These events will consist of scavenger hunts, riddles, adventures and in some cases limited fighting. Some events will require geographic knowledge, some a keen mind, courage, or a moderate fighting skill. Few of the events will also be quite dangerous and challenging.

Background:
During a guild meeting at the Lion's Den in New Haven, the treasurer of the Gentle Rest Inn guild named Hefeustus was lured under false pretenses to a room next door. There he was knocked out and kidnapped by an infiltrator and by Hawkeye Pike, Captain of the United Pirates. Rumor has it that the pirates are trying to pressure the hiding-place of the huge guild treasure out of him. Hawkeye Pike has written down the secret wherabouts of the hostage on a piece of paper. For safety reasons, this document has been split up and distributed on a series of books hidden all over Britannia. To find out the location of the captured treasurer, you have to possess all books. You have the opportunity to achieve that during these events. Once all books have been discovered, it is up to the adventurers to decrypt the message and find the kidnapped treasurer. (All discovered books will be put on display in public for everyone to read.)

The First Event: Retrieving the First Secret Book
The first book has already been stolen from the pirates and been hidden somewhere in Britannia. The object is, to follow the clues in this scavenger hunt, solve riddles, and find that book. The one who finds the book first, will be rewarded with a valuable artifact! The quest will start in the Jolly Roger Inn in Trammel on August 30th at 9 pm EST (map see below), where you will receive the first hint. Anybody can participate, no special equipment or preparation is required.

The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior:

YGV Auction

Date:  Thursday, August 28

Time:  7:00 p.m. CST

Location:  Northwest of Yew Moongate

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

The Chesapeake Olympic Games conclude tonight with the Closing Ceremony and Medal Awards which are scheduled to begin at 8pm ET at the Stratics Center!

Partisans: Part 6                                                   

          The gathering was small and the drinks were plenty.

          He would have enjoyed this, Pepe thought.

          “He was a man of great pride and integrity,” Pepe scanned the somber face of every man and woman here at The Barnacle before continuing, “His dream was that Minocians could once again resume their proud tradition as the backbone of Britannia. For this cause he was willing to sacrifice anything.”

          “A true son of the mines! It was the blood and sweat of him and many others like him that built this town!” Shouted Andros the Blacksmith, quite intoxicated. It was the Minocian way to honor their dead with drink and revelry. In this case there was much drink, but little revelry. This was a man the people truly loved.

          The door to the tavern crept open quietly. So silently that only Llama had seemed to notice. In hobbled a man, stricken of his usual robes and armor, panting heavily. The effort of walking must have been draining him.

          Dusk Twilight found Llama’s sudden attentiveness curious, as the hunter had remained overly quiet and aloof since their return from a horrifically failed rescue mission. Dusk turned in his seat to see what Llama was staring at.

          “You shouldn’t be here. You’re injured.” Dusk spoke softly so as not to disturb those that were mourning.

          “Just a burn.” The man spoke, forcing a grin to his face.

          “Three broken ribs, Nonel.” Dusk countered.

          “It’s fine. It only-”

          “-Hurts when he breathes,” Pepe finished for him. “You said the same thing after a Vesperian guard took a maul to you. Going to hold your breath, are you?”

          “No. Going to get drunk,” Nonel deftly grasped a stein off a passing server’s tray. The wench carrying it didn’t say a word, just sighed and returned to the bar for another.

          Raising his ale into the air, Nonel shouted, “Kah-mání-zen-de!”

          “KAH!” Came a roar as virtually every person in the tavern shouted simultaneously. Everyone with a drink put it to their lips and began swallowing, not daring to lower their steins until the drink was finished.”

          Nonel Topd slammed his empty stein onto a table and wiped his mouth clean. He met Llama’s eyes, and beckoned for him to follow with a nod of his head. Together they quietly exited the tavern. They were hardly outside for a moment before Llama’s curiosity exploded.

          “What was that, Topd?”

          “What?”

          “That phrase you shouted. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

          “An old Minocian tradition started right there in The Barnacle. If someone shouts it, everyone empties their drinks.” Nonel still hadn’t answered his question. Llama hated the way these people danced around questions all the time.

          “What does it mean?”

          “It’s Gargish. Roughly, quite roughly, it means ‘Sacrifice life of being‘. Their language doesn’t translate well.

          “Gargoyles,” Llama spoke the word with such disqust.

          “Gargl.”

          “Sorry?”

          “Gargl is what they call themselves. They take offense to that bastardization of their name,” Nonel wanted to change the subject to that of more immediate concerns. “I need to talk to you about something else, Llama.”

          “Fine.”

          Nonel began walking south through the town. The two men made it as far as the local tinker’s shop, known as Gears and Gadgets, before Nonel spoke again.

          “Do you know why you’re here, Llama?”

          Llama didn’t break stride for a moment, “Because of my extensive knowledge on the criminal mind and the inner-workings of Britannian authority?” Llama let out a derisive snicker, mocking the way Nonel had initially described Llama to the other Partisans.

          “You overheard that?” Nonel asked, but wasn’t surprised in the least bit.

          Llama sniffed, “I overhear everything.”

          The pair were coming up on The Matewan, the miner’s guild, now. As they passed by the front, Nonel turned to his right and began westerly along a dirt pathway.

          “Now there is something every Tracker of the Guard shares in common. Arrogance,” Nonel stopped walking and turned to Llama, “Do you know what else? They all share your gift. You see the unseen, and prove criminal the seemingly most innocent of people. You really can almost smell a thief, can’t you?”

          Llama offered no reply. He seemed distracted, his head shooting back and forth as if trying to find the source of some distant tune. Without warning he started straight-ahead towards a small house at the end of the dirt road and was hitting a full sprint as he pulled his dagger from its concealed sheath. He didn’t bother to open the door but instead kicked out his foot, putting all the momentum of his run into breaking through the wooden door, splintering it.

          His eyes filled with fire as he saw what he sought. Sitting across the room in a chair, staring directly into his eyes, was an infamous thief known for her loyalty to the Shadowlords.

          “Grace O’Malley.” Llama spat, starting for her with the dagger leading the way. Alarms began to sound in his head as he sensed others in the room. Before he could react a shadow appeared behind him, locking his arms and throat in an unbreakable hold. He had never been snuck up on, before.

          He started throwing himself backwards against the wall, trying to shake his attacker. He hadn’t the time to think about why Grace kept her seat instead of jumping in, or whether or not Nonel was going to be coming in behind him to help.

          “Hawksley, let him go!” Grace O’Malley shouted, standing up now.

          The attacker let go and kicked Llama in the back, sending him tumbling forward. He rolled on his shoulder, bringing himself right back to his feet and now facing the man who had jumped him. He poised for his attack, but was brought to a halt as Nonel stepped in front of him.

          “That’s enough,” Nonel grasped Llama’s arm. “It’s okay. They’re here on benign terms.”

          Llama’s eyes began darting around the room, knowing he had sensed another presence. He found it. There on the bed next to where Grace had been sitting was the familiar form of Tink’r Toiz.

          “What is this?” Llama demanded.

          “Meet Hawksley and Grace O’Malley. Best thieves to ever serve the Shadowlords. They bring us a gift.” A large and toothy grin crossed Nonel Topd’s face. Llama had never seen a happier face on the man.

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

While event host Lawrence Duff got off to a slow start, a death by mongbat, which delayed the first event, the night was far from slow as racers sped from Vesper to the Britain/Yew/Skara crossroads in Gyldenfeld.

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Anticipation Is Good For You
Jeremy Dalberg
22 Aug 2008 17:16:10

"Can we get more red healers in Felucca?"

Yes! We had a bit of extra space since we rearranged the schedule for this publish, so we've tweaked the spawn rate for Priests of Mondain in Felucca upwards - specifically, they should spawn more often around moongates.

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"Why did I get a suspension for having a link to a website in my profile?"

First, the relevent bit from the Rules of Conduct:

"With the exception of the sale of in-game items for in-game items or services, you may not market, promote or advertise anything, or make any other form of solicitation (including pyramid schemes and chain letters) through the Ultima Online service or Ultima Online web site."

This isn’t a blanket ban on links - links to guild websites may be just fine, for example - but most sites advertise, promote, or market something - even if it’s just running banner ads. Your safest bet is to avoid bringing the outside world into UO - if you have a website that’s UO-related (and not entirely about making someone a profit) - by all means submit it for inclusion in the fansite section of the FoF! (Remember, email jdalberg AT ea DOT com, and I'm happy to take guild recruitment ads and stuff too. Just make sure you proofread your copy, because I will only give it a quick once-over when I post it!)

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Thieves' Guild Bug Update

While we still haven't actually reproduced the bug, we found a bit of related code that definitely wasn't supposed to be there and we're reverting it out in Publish 56 - for everyone having trouble joining the guild, we eagerly await your reports once this publish goes live.

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QA Request of the Week

QA has seen some complaints that plants don't always behave as intended - sometimes they lose health or die suddenly even when they're being properly taken care of - and they would love to see some detailed reports from people who've experienced the problem. Please include things like what the expected result was, what the actual result was, what kind of seed was used, whether fertile dirt was used, and as many other details as could possibly be relevant. Thanks!

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What's To Come:

We're finalizing all the goodness for next week's Town Hall, and working hard at getting Publish 55 to you shortly thereafter. If you're remotely in range of Seattle, I strongly advise you to show up!

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Town Hall News:

If you make one Town Hall this year, make this one! Check out the details here and please do RSVP.

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Fansite News:

An event on Chesapeake:

Silvervale is having its Bi-Weekly Ball simply called Silvervale's Lord and Lady Ball. Location is at Silvervale.

Runes will be placed in and around Luna Bank. We will have a DJ from Whispering Rose Radio. Ball starts at 10pm EST and ends at midnight. Will also have gates to the ball at Luna bank for those who can't find it otherwise.

One on Great Lakes:

Hello,

Monday night 8pm Central Time we will be playing Let's Make a Deal at the castle. There will be lots of cash and prizes. Be sure to come join the fun. Look for gates at West Brit and Luna Banks.

Will

UOForums has an interview with our Development Manager, Cal, here. Check it out before you see him live next week! They also have an interview with Escaflowne/Drew, the GM of the Vesper [-V-] guild on Europa here - check it out!

And, last but not least, Whispering Rose Radio's weekly schedule:

WRR has exciting fun with Shard Chatter and more ...

Friday - Aug. 22nd - Join TorAnn, Dr. Lil and the panel for Shard Chatter starting at 7pm PST, 10pm EST on WRR. This week we will be interviewing and chatting with a very special guest, Zig Zag, Stratics Communications Director/UO Associate Editor. Our other topics will include Doom tips and tricks plus player run events. The weekly Shard Chatter show finishes with the "You know you have been playing UO to long when..." segment where very comical endings are presented by UO listeners. Feel free to send yours in via the Whispering Rose Radio chat room (link on the website) or by ICQ (ICQ numbers can be found on the contact DJ's link on www.wrrad.com website.

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Saturday - Aug. 23rd - Its time for the ever popular Brush LimpPaw show starting at 2pm PT, 5pm ET on WRR where listeners hear his Universal Outlook on current events as only he can deliver it.

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Saturday - Aug. 23rd - Its Time for Deal or No Deal ~ 'UO Style' on the EUROPA shard starting at 3pm PST, 6pm EST (11pm GMT). Participants will be playing for 10 Million this week and of course there will be 5 - 250k door prize drawings *remember, you must be there to win*. For a map of the WRR DoND location on EUROPA ... CLICK HERE.

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Sunday - Aug. 24th - With over 4 years in business, the Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues to bring players even more fantastic AUCTION deals. Plan to get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

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The WRR road crew is heading to Seattle this week to broadcast live the UO Town Hall on Saturday, Aug. 30th. If you're attending the Town Hall stop by the 'booth' and say hi, and if you're not able to be there 'live' be sure to join the rest of the radio team at the Dave & Buster's house located on Lake Superior.

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Have fun this weekend playing Ultima Online while listening to the live action broadcasting from WRR ~ see you all on the flip side.

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Have a good weekend, everyone!

- Jeremy

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    The Chesapeake Olympics Continue tonight starting at 8pm ET with the cross Britannia Horse Race. Then at 9pm ET, stop by the Luna arena for a Nightmare vs Nightmare contest!

Hello,

Monday night 8pm Central Time we will be playing Let's Make a Deal at the
castle. There will be lots of cash and prizes. Be sure to come join the
fun. Look for gates at West Brit and Luna banks.

Will

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the cancellation of Ultima X: Odyssey, and in remembrance Admiral Ruffie has posted an interview with four of the former members of the UO:X dev team:

"It's five years later, and the team has long since scattered across the country, and moved on to other jobs and challenges, so I wondered if maybe, just maybe, they were finally willing to talk about Ultima X : Odyssey and its unfortunate end. They were. I came up with fifteen questions and sent them out to some of the team and they were kind enough to answer, painting a picture of a time, merely five years ago, where events lead to the cancellation of Ultima X : Odyssey."

You can read the complete interview at Middle-Aged Gamer. Many thanks to Admiral Ruffie for sharing this with us!

Ever wanted to work in the game industry? Well now is your chance: Stratics is currently hiring Web Developers! Stratics is your gateway to opportunities within the Massively Multiplayer field. Many of our staff move on to well-paid positions within respected development houses. Now is your opportunity!

Applicants should have the following skills:

• Drupal CMS
• vBulletin (create and/or add plugins via the plugin system)
• php 5 with OOP
• Basic HTML
• Basic Ajax
• Ability to make, modify, and add java scripts

This is a paid position. Interested applicants should email: [email protected] and include a copy of, or link to, your resume and any applicable references.

Stratics (www.stratics.com): Founded in Sacramento, California during the Autumn of 1997, Stratics became the world's first content-driven Massively Multiplayer network. Begun as a personal homepage dedicated to Electronic Art's "Ultima Online", Stratics has grown over time into a sprawling treasure trove of information and community services dedicated specifically to interactive persistent world environments. Stratics currently serves millions of unique monthly visitors and provides official site and forum hosting to multiple Massively Multiplayer development houses.

Begin your endeavor today!

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    Team Felucca was leading all of the facet-teams in medal wins after the first week of the Chesapeake Olympics came to a close.  Team Trammel is tied with Team Malas for gold medal wins at two (2) a piece.  Felucca has the most silver medals, while Malas and Felucca are tied for bronze medals.

> Medal Winners

> Medals Won by Team

Here is a list of medals won by team!

> Day 3 Coverage

Day three at the Chesapeake Olympics began with a begging contest.  Beggars were asked to beg from two hirelings, and the amount of gold they received from each was totalled into a 'point total'.  The turnout for the begging event was quite small, likely because of the few beggars in Britannia.
 

Event 6: Yacht Race - WINNERS

GOLD:  Tancred RedStar (Team Trammel)
SILVER:  Slirith Iceblood (Team Ilshenar)
BRONZE:  Farina de Arina (Team Malas)

> Chesapeake Olympics Continue this Friday

The Chesapeake Olympics continue on Friday night beginning at 8pm ET with the Horse Race event.  Then at 9pm ET, competitors will face off at the Mare vs Mare contest.  More information can be found at the Official Olympics Info Page, or by visiting the UOSS Stratics Center on Chesapeake:
 

How to get to the UOSS Stratics & Olympics Center on Chesapeake:

> Chesapeake Olympics FAQ

Q.  Who can participate?
A.  Anyone!  Even though this event is on Chesapeake, there is nothing stopping you from transferring over from another shard to compete!

Q.  Are there prizes?
A.  You bet!  There are millions of gold in prizes to be won, plus the recognition as a Britannian Olympian.

Q.  Will the events be similar in any way to the events from the Chesapeake 2006 Olympics?
A.  Absolutely!  Most of the events are identical to those from 2006, with a few small changes.  Returning competitors will even have the chance to reclaim their titles for another two years.

Q.  When will medals and prizes be awarded?  After each event?
A.  Actually, medals and prizes will be given out at the Closing Ceremony at the end of August.

Q.  What's this all about teams?  I hear that there are 5 teams based on the facets?
A.  Yes, there are 5 teams based on each of the facets:  Felucca (red), Trammel (pale gold), Ilshenar (purple), Malas (gray) and Tokuno (light blue).  For each event, competitors have the option of "declaring" themselves on a team.  This will help us in the end to determine which "Team" won the most medals in the Olympics.

Q.  Where can I find more information about events?
A.  Check out the list of events below!  The Olympics are anticipated to start in mid-August, and will last 2 weeks.

To declare yourself on a team, simply show up in in your team color (preferably wear a robe) and you will be marked down as being on that team.  Exact team colors can be found in dye tubs at the Stratics Center/Olympic Hall in Zento.

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    Team Felucca was leading all of the facet-teams in medal wins after the first week of the Chesapeake Olympics came to a close.  Team Trammel is tied with Team Malas for gold medal wins at two (2) a piece.  Felucca has the most silver medals, while Malas and Felucca are tied for bronze medals.

> Medals Won by Team

Here is a list of medals won by team!

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    Day three at the Chesapeake Olympics began with a begging contest.  Beggars were asked to beg from two hirelings, and the amount of gold they received from each was totalled into a 'point total'.  The turnout for the begging event was quite small, likely because of the few beggars in Britannia.

The Chesapeake Olympics continue on Friday night beginning at 8pm ET with the Horse Race event.  Then at 9pm ET, competitors will face off at the Mare vs Mare contest.  For more information, visit the 2008 Chesapeake Olympic Information Page.

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

Stubborn daemons were the subject of the evening at night two of the Chesapeake Olympics played out.  First, at 8pm, Event #3 kicked off with mages battling one another with summoned daemons.  Even though most of the daemons were fierce, they often matched wits, ran out of mana and had to be dispelled in order to start again.  Slirith Iceblood took a commanding lead with his powerful daemons in order to dominate his way all the way to a gold medal, with zero losses.

Hour two began with Event #4 - The Chesapeake History Quiz Show.  Returning champion, Winmere, dominated the competition to capture the gold medal once more.

The Chesapeake Olympics continue tonight at 8pm with Event #5 - Begging.  It is recommended that your character who wishes to participate in this contest has at minimum 20.0 Begging skill.  At 9pm ET, Event #6 - The Yacht Race around Moonglow, begins.  For more information visit the 2008 Chesapeake Olympics Info Page.

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

Stubborn daemons were the subject of the evening at night two of the Chesapeake Olympics played out.  First, at 8pm, Event #3 kicked off with mages battling one another with summoned daemons.  Even though most of the daemons were fierce, they often matched wits, ran out of mana and had to be dispelled in order to start again.  Slirith Iceblood took a commanding lead with his powerful daemons in order to dominate his way all the way to a gold medal, with zero losses.

Hour two began with Event #4 - The Chesapeake History Quiz Show.  Returning champion, Winmere, dominated the competition to capture the gold medal once more.

The Chesapeake Olympics continue tonight at 8pm with Event #5 - Begging.  It is recommended that your character who wishes to participate in this contest has at minimum 20.0 Begging skill.  At 9pm ET, Event #6 - The Yacht Race around Moonglow, begins.  For more information visit the 2008 Chesapeake Olympics Info Page.

The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior:

FATE Auction

Date:  Wednesday, August 20

Time:  6:45 CST

Location:  Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort

Contact:  Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673

YGV Auction

Date:  Thursday, August 21

Time:  7:00 p.m. CST

Location:  Northwest of Yew Moongate

BEC Auction

Date:  Friday, August 22

Time:  8:00 pm CST

Location:  West Gate of Luna City

Contact:  Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Green Things Growing
Jeremy Dalberg
15 Aug 2008 18:29:41

This week, we have a special guest performance from Sakkarah as our resident Green Thumb.

"WHow do I get access to the Crystal and Shadow housing tiles? I can't find it on uogamecodes.com."

The Crystal and Shadow tiles are only accessible to players who have the 9th Anniversary box - which is very hard to find right now. Furthermore, the actual housing tile tool tells you to go get it on uogamecodes.com, but... it's not there! This is something we're actually working on - the message isn't lying to you, it's just early. At some point in the foreseeable future, you'll have a way to get access to those tiles without having to raid the back room at Gamestop.

--

"Why do I not get Compassion for doing escorts in New Haven?"

This was a change that went in as part of Publish 54 that was apparently unclear, as we've been getting a lot of bug reports on it - for the record, those escorts are not currently intended to give Compassion. This is actually consistent with the original design for Compassion, as the New Haven escorts are not particularly challenging (you can see the original design here.)

--

"Why did my bonded pack animal disappear after I logged off?"

QA has been getting bug reports on this, and wanted to bring it up. Pack animals do NOT auto-stable if they have items in them - bonded or not. In order for the animal to auto-stable, the packs must be completely empty. Otherwise, the pet will stay in the world, losing loyalty and eventually going wild, if it doesn't get killed first.

--

Thieves' Guild Bug Update

QA is still trying to find the cause of this bug - we haven't gotten a reproducible case yet. We are continuing to work on it, and please do continue sending in bug reports with as much info as you can - if we can find a common thread, we should be able to pin the bug down.

--

[insert question about the new plants here]

Since the new plants are Sakkarah's babies, she's collected the questions you've been asking about them and written up a comprehensive response. Enjoy!

Why can’t we cross-pollinate the plants?

"The plan had been to allow cross-pollination but, after looking into it, a number of factors made me decide against it. First, drafting the right cross-pollination chart for this many new plants would require a significant amount of time. But assuming we had delayed publishing these additions to draft that chart, we would then meet issue #2: Art. I actually took a stab at the chart, but aside from a handful of the new plants, there is no possible logical correlation between the existing plants and the new ones. By no stretch of the imagination would combining an existing plant to one of the new seeds result in another one of the new plants. In order to get that 5th generation, new art would be required which isn’t possible at the current time."

Why not make them a separate set of plants that can cross-pollinate within that set?

"This was a valid suggestion but the issue is the same. Many of the new plants have nothing in common with each other and no cross-pollination chart would make sense. I suspect this was one of the reasons they weren’t added in the first pass to begin with. Again, this is a case of new art required..."

Why don’t the plants self-pollinate to produce seeds?

"This was a design decision. While the code is complex (way more than just telling it new vs. old), it wouldn’t take too much time to allow the plants to produce seeds. However, since these plants cannot cross-pollinate or give resources, if we allow them to produce seeds the market will be flooded with the most desirable plants within 3 to 4 weeks. And in 2 months from now, only a handful of people will bother with the plants anymore and definitely nobody will be hunting the seeds as everyone and their brother will have tons in store already. By limiting their availability and randomizing the drop of the seeds, it will make the most desirable plants rarer and thus more valuable while also expanding the life span of this mini-game."

Rare seeds (bonsai) didn’t retain our attention too long. Why would these be any different?

"From the start, the interest in the bonsai, because of the art type, was doomed to have a limited life span. There was really only 1 new plant (the bonsai) which came in 4 slightly different shapes and colors, all meant mostly as indoor-type décor that you would place on a table. Its small size also didn’t allow for much creativity in use. The seeds for each bonsai were also uniquely labeled so you knew immediately which one of the bonsai you were getting, which isn’t the case with the new plants. Aside from the cocoa tree (fragrant seed), all 15 other plants will have the same seed name (peculiar seed). Most people will have less than 5 bonsai in their houses but will have an insane number of the other bigger decorative plants which can be used to shape original gardens. The new plants are mainly outdoors plants and I can promise you that in most cases, you will want way more than one of each type."

Are you saying I only have 1 chance out of 16 of getting the seed I need?

"Not quite, but each time will indeed be a dice roll. There are 12 different monsters that will spawn the seeds. The plants and monsters have been divided into 4 groups: Monster Group A, B, C and D each count 3 monsters, then we have Plant Group 1 to Plant Group 4 that each contains 4 new plants. All 12 monsters will spawn fragrant seeds, but monsters of Group A will also spawn the peculiar seeds from Plant Group 1, while monsters of Group B will also spawn the peculiar seeds from Plant Group 2 and so on. So basically, when hunting monsters from Group A, you have 1 chance out of 5 of getting a specific plant from Group 1. Ditto for any Monster Group and their matching Plant Group. Note that you will never get a Group 1 seed from a Group B monster, etc."

Which monsters do they drop on and what’s the drop rate?

"You will have to figure out which monsters they spawn on! But I can tell you they will spawn on 3 creatures that dwell in the Tokuno Islands, on 1 bug-type creature, on 1 creature found in Despise (among other places), on 1 swamp creature, on 1 undead, on 1 humanoid spellcaster, on 1 arachnid, on 1 karma sensitive creature in Ilshenar, on 1 a compact-sized creature and last but not least, on 1 creature that lurks in the Twisted Wealds. The drop rate is 50% chance there will be no seed, 15% chance of a fragrant seed and 35% chance of a random peculiar seed."

So now my crafter is forced to hunt?

"You can hunt them yourself or buy your seeds from hunters, except for the Cocoa Tree that will produce seeds and resources. Some of the monsters will be difficult for crafters, but some others will be reasonably accessible to less combat-oriented characters."

Why are we not getting some of the plants we wanted?

"The plants had been selected long before this was ever made public. But despite that, after reading the comments/wishes on the boards, I can assure you that the majority of gardeners will be very pleased with some of the new plants. That said, if you look at the Inside UO art files, you can see that a lot of plants (mainly trees) are in 2 pieces (bare tree, leaves). In order to give you such plants, we would need to make them into a deed or get new art. So for the purpose of gardening, these plants are excluded. Which means, sorry folks, there will be no pine tree. :P"

Why are these plants only available in plain colors?

"Because after testing what they would look like rehued same as the colored plants from the original set, I didn’t want to be held responsible for a worldwide eyesore epidemic."

Why are there no additional resources from these new plants aside from the Cocoa Pulp?

"Adding new plants wasn’t in the planning. Could there and should there be new resources? Absolutely! Adding them to the system isn’t overly complex and could possibly happen at some point in time. Some pretty cool ideas were thrown out there on the forums. But this honestly isn’t on the radar at the moment and you guys will understand better what we’re so busy with at the next Town Hall!"

So what are the new plants?

"I’m soooooooo NOT telling you! (yes, I’m a tease :D). But seriously, when gardening first came out, the most fun I had was eagerly waiting for my babies to make their entry in the world. Would it be a boy? A girl? Would it look like Mom or Dad? Whose eyes? Hair? You get the drift... The speculation is half the fun!"

--

Now Hiring!

We're looking for someone to be our new Associate Game Designer. Here's the job description and requirements:

Main responsibilities: contribute significantly to game fiction, manage events, balance gameplay, and develop content using proprietary scripting tools.

Understanding and or knowledge of Ultima Online game mechanics, history, and community interaction a definite plus.
Experience as a Game Master, Counselor, Seer, or Event Moderator for Ultima Online a bonus.
2+ years experience playing Ultima Online

• Position requires dependable and relevant inputs to current state of the game, as well as contributing to future development of the game experience

Gives inputs to other members of the team to enhance gameplay for the current subscriber base

Due to the demanding scripting system surrounding Ultima Online, the designer must have expansive knowledge of scripting languages and have the ability to produce samples of work using similar tools.
Level editing experience and module creation using open source gaming engines (Infinity, Unreal 2.5 or 3, Doom, Source, Aurora Toolset).
Background or exposure to game development processes in the industry
Essential to have experience working in small teams of 4-6 people.
3DS Max experience preferred
2+ years in the game industry and/or gaming school preferred
Can demonstrate understanding of game design concepts to include flow, decision making, engaging storyline, and integration of art and sound

If you're interested in (and qualified for) this position, please send your resume to jdalberg AT ea DOT com and I'll put it in the right hands right away! Also please note, the position is in Fairfax, VA.

--

What's To Come:

There's been a bit of a change in the schedule. In order to make sure everything that is going in to Publish 55 is as good as it can be, we're delaying it by about two more weeks and rolling the content from Publish 56 in with it. This means that you do have an extra couple of weeks to finish up any Spring Cleaning you need to do, and we'll be giving more details out as we get the last kinks worked out. I've seen what is coming, and I can say with confidence that it's going to be worth the wait.

--

Town Hall News:

The Seattle Town Hall is much on our minds - will you be there? Check out the details here and please do RSVP.

--

Fansite News:

UOGuide has some news and links of interest:

UOGuide has achieved another milestone: 4,000 pages! We would like to thank the many members of the UO community who have contributed to UOGuide over the past year and a half that helped us get to where we are today. We would also like to invite all in the UO community to contribute as we begin our trek toward 5,000 pages!

For those visiting UOGuide, be sure to check out the following sections:
• Spring Cleaning 2008 - Get details on the latest turn-ins

• Royal Council Massacre - Get tips and walkthroughs for the latest events

• Five on Friday - Check out our full archive of all the Five on Fridays, including the one you're reading right now!

KR players and modders, here's one for you!

Kingdom Reborn Modders Exchange now open!

With help from Zym Dragon and Dermott of LS, Illandril has completed work on Modders Exchange, a Subversion/Trac site for Kingdom Reborn modders and custom UI users. Modders Exchange aims to take what is already capable through UOSkins.com and the various forums in the UO community, and expand upon it to make it much easier for KR mod authors to collaborate with each other, distribute their skins to other players, and get feedback in the form of bugs and enhancement requests from those who use their skin.

The Subversion end of things provides a version control system to make it easier for modders to work together on the same skin, for a single modder to keep track of their own previous work on a skin, and for mods in an untested state to be easily obtained by those willing to test before a zipped release is provided for the general population.

The Trac end of things provides bug, enhancement request, and other task tracking. If a non-modding player wants something added to a specific skin, they can open up a bug or enhancement about it; if a modder wants help from another modder to solve some problem, they can open up a task for them; if a modder wants to make a note for themselves to complete something, they can open up a task for themselves.

There is also a small wiki with various details to help users, a basic forum that can be used for discussion about KR mods, and a package download page where zipped releases of skins can be obtained.

Dermott of LS

Whispering Rose Radio's events:

'It's like a weekend in Vegas' with game shows, gambling, and weddings!! Join WRR for a jammed packed fun filled weekend which includes:

Friday - Aug. 15th - Tune into WRR and hear the wedding of DJ Ugly Johnny and DJ Bam Bam on the Pacific shard at 5pm PT, 8pm ET with DJ Bearfoot as officiator.

~~~~~~~~~

Friday - Aug. 15th - After the wedding join TorAnn, TorAnn and Dr. Lil for Shard Chatter Friday starting at 7pm PT, 10pm ET on WRR. Topics this week will be PVP and red characters, what peerless is your favorite and why, plus rares and the community. The weekly show finishes with the "You know you have been playing UO to long when..." segment where very comical endings are presented by UO listeners. Feel free to send yours in via the Whispering Rose Radio chat room (link on the website) or ICQ (ICQ numbers can be found on the www.wrrad.com website).

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday - Aug. 16th - Its time for the ever popular Brush LimpPaw show starting at 2pm PT, 5pm ET on WRR where listeners hear his Universal Outlook on current events as only he can deliver it.

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday - Aug. 16th - Deal or NO Deal 'UO Style' is back and ready to celebrate its 100th show by giving lucky players the opportunity to win gold on the shard of their choice (1/3 Siege). This special 100th show will include 5 - 500K door prizes along with a 1 Million door prize (must be present to win) plus 6 opportunities to win 10 Million!!! Join the fun on the Pacific shard starting at 3pm PT, 6pm ET. Click here for map of location and more details.

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday - Aug. 16th - After the WRR Deal or No Deal show (about 5:30pm PT, 8:30 ET) catch a ride to the Yew Park in Felucca where you can witness and hear the wedding of DJ Pantherbabe and Freak Show of Pacific with DJ Pastor Matthew officiating the ceremony.

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday - Aug. 16th - After the wedding its time for WRR Casino night starting at 7pm PT, 10pm ET on Pacific. Play games like Black Jack, Hi or Low, and everyone's favorite ... Lich Ball!! If you're not from Pacific no worries! DJ Sandman will exchange gold on your shard for gold on Pacific and transfer your winnings back to your home shard ... FREE!! Click here for map location and detail information.

~~~~~~~~~

Sunday - Aug. 17th - With over 4 years in business, the Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues to bring you more fantastic AUCTION deals. Plan to get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

~~~~~~~~~

Have a fun weekend playing Ultima Online and tune into the live action broadcasting from WRR ~ see you all on the flip side.

~~~~~~~~

And a few events on Pacific!

--

Must be summertime on the Pacific shard ... Love is in the air!!

~~~~~~~~~

Friday, August 15th - Ugly Johnny & Bam Bam joyfully invites everyone to share in their happiness as they unite in marriage at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern in the Wedding Chapel located on Pacific in Luna, Malas. Click here for invitation and directions to chapel.

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, August 16th - Wedding Bells Are Ringing ... Freak Show and Panther invites everyone to share in the celebration of their marriage at 5:30pm Pacific, 8:30pm Eastern at the Pacific Yew Park in Felucca. Reception will follow.

Click here for invitation and directions to Yew Park.

One from Asuka!

Britannia Bibliothek(=BB) offers an event promoting fund on Asuka shard.

BB offers "BB event-fund" to a group, who carries out lotteries or contests in events on Asuka shard, once a month.

- Awards total: 200K GP

- Supplementary prizes: a Horned runic sawing-kit and a clothing bless deed

Conditions:
- The group who receives this fund should post about the event on the event corner of EA Japan\'s official Website.
- The group should accept applications for the lotteries or contests publicly.
- The group should have objective, disinterested, cogent criteria for election.
- The group should apportion offered awards and supplementary prizes appropriately to winners.
For example: 1st winner - 100K GP and a horned runic kit, 2nd winner - 70K GP and a clothing bless deed, 3rd winner - 30K GP - etc.

See Britannia Bibliothek for further details!

Britannia Bibliothek: www.britain.sakura.ne.jp
Manager: athos

--

Have a good weekend, everyone!

- Jeremy

I returned this morning from a one week holiday at the ocean. I rent a condo for a week every august to escape from the desert heat of my hometown.

Upon logging in this morning I was gated to a " must attend " IDOC.
To be frankly honest over the years I have only attended a handful of IDOC and walked away with nothing or very little. Todays was a different story.

IDOC plots have a long history in our realm and many players live for them. By todays turn out I can see they are still very popular.



I spent an hour there with a friend and the people just kept on coming. In the past there has been story telling, jokes, bragging and many a fashion statement made during a IDOC. The one thing I did not recall was much trash talking but todays event was full of it to my shock. Most could never be repeated by a lady.








It was not long until the drama stopped as the house dropped with very little lag I might add and I walked away with a chest full of great items including double blessed things. My lucky day. I was surprised however Gem of FCB was not there. Rumor has it she is a IDOC addict.



Before I left on my holiday I snagged a few photos from the Brit and Luna Banks I would like to share.
Aleera was creating a text in piles of gold and it took me awhile to figure out the second letter was a heart. I never did find out who she loves/hearts.





Another player created a design on the Brit Bank roof that kinda looked like a pointalist painting if you really stretched your imagination. Then there was the nod to the three stooges in Luna created by Cold Fire.



The day before I left for the ocean I was asked by friend blanc De blanc to attend thursday nights auction at MOA. I had not been in many months so I took her up on her invite.



As the message board stated thursday night was indeed going strong!
Old friend Steelheart was there. I have not seen him much as he has been away at college. Poison Ivy, Hannah of DYT, Princess Melody and I were all there early eating dinner in real life as we chatted about food and current events before the patrons arrived. It did not take long for Bearclaw of DC*, Christophe of @_@, a Crack Fiend, Hans, Guybrush of DC*, Fawn, Draco Hammer of NWJ, Vittorius, Countess Aibel of W-R, Sir Mixll of NWJ, Fallen Angel, Cute Pet of G-V, Lady Diamond of R*R, Rickster, The Hungry Hobo, Marduk, Haemetite of GoF, Lord Symbolia, Kikyo, ASH of DC*, Pedro, Juaco, Finders Keepers of CRIM, Clair, Lady Minty Bubbles, Exodus, Marisa Morgan, Wynter, Mistic of GGR, Anakausuen, Lady FiFi LaForge,& Journey and Forte of DC* to arrive. Needless to say there were many more.







As you can see by the screenshots above Princess Melody, Melian and Emerald Ice were running the event. Be sure to take a close look at Melian's outfit! Do you think Pratt is aware of this outrageous uniform ? I thought MOA was a family event, lol.


To learn more about MOA go to www.uo-moa.net

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    The Chesapeake Olympics sprinted to a great start last night with two amazing events!  Medal hopefuls began the night by gathering for the opening ceremonies at the UO Stratics Center in Zento and suiting up in their favorite team-colored robes.

At eight o'clock, the games began with the first of ten events:  Malas Track & Field.  A simple, but exhausting race through the winding main road of Malas, competitors braved brigand camps and a treacherously confusing mountain pass to quickly arrive at the finish line in Umbra.  The pack of runners began in a tightly-knit grouping, but each racer paved their own way down the course, sometimes dodging the very gravel at the edge of the main road.

Event 1:  Malas Track & Field - WINNERS

GOLD:  Farina de Arina (Team Malas)
SILVER:  Daria Blackmoore (Team Trammel)
BRONZE:  NANOC (Team Felucca)

Hour two of the evening was very pointed, with daggers flying across the auditorium at the Stratics Center.  This hour was home to the Dart Contest!  After six rounds of darts, with two competitors not advancing to each consecutive round, three steady shooters were the recipients of medals.

Event 2:  Dart Contest - WINNERS

GOLD:  Odin Blackmoore (Team Trammel)
SILVER:  Winmere (Team Felucca)
BRONZE:  Winfield (Team Felucca)

The Chesapeake Olympics continue this evening with two more events, Daemon Fighting and The Chesapeake History Quiz Show.  For more information, visit the Chesapeake 2008 Olympics information page.

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

    The Chesapeake Olympics sprinted to a great start last night with two amazing events!  Medal hopefuls began the night by gathering for the opening ceremonies at the UO Stratics Center in Zento and suiting up in their favorite team-colored robes.

At eight o'clock, the games began with the first of ten events:  Malas Track & Field.  A simple, but exhausting race through the winding main road of Malas, competitors braved brigand camps and a treacherously confusing mountain pass to quickly arrive at the finish line in Umbra.  The pack of runners began in a tightly-knit grouping, but each racer paved their own way down the course, sometimes dodging the very gravel at the edge of the main road.

Event 1:  Malas Track & Field - WINNERS

GOLD:  Farina de Arina (Team Malas)
SILVER:  Daria Blackmoore (Team Trammel)
BRONZE:  NANOC (Team Felucca)

Hour two of the evening was very pointed, with daggers flying across the auditorium at the Stratics Center.  This hour was home to the Dart Contest!  After six rounds of darts, with two competitors not advancing to each consecutive round, three steady shooters were the recipients of medals.

Event 2:  Dart Contest - WINNERS

GOLD:  Odin Blackmoore (Team Trammel)
SILVER:  Winmere (Team Felucca)
BRONZE:  Winfield (Team Felucca)

The Chesapeake Olympics continue this evening with two more events, Daemon Fighting and The Chesapeake History Quiz Show.  For more information, visit the Chesapeake 2008 Olympics information page.

Partisans: Part 5                                        

          The plan had sounded simple at first. They’d hike to the nearby town of Vesper, where the fishing was rich. They knew where the Shadowlords’ evil servants were holding Tinkr Toiz, but they required a ship if they wanted any hope of remaining clandestine.

          It had been dark out, and the only boats out were the local crabbers. They shone their torches about the water, drawing the small crabs to the surface where they were promptly scooped up by a net.

          The torch of one boat illuminated so well, the men onboard had stood no chance of noticing the thieves swimming up on them from the dark waters. The crabbers were left unharmed, save a knock on the head or two; they were gagged and put into submission. Unfortunately the boat could barely fit the two crabbers, not to mention the crabbers and six thief-commandos. Nonel ordered the men untied and thrown into the water. It was a close swim to shore, and the waters weren’t too deep.

          Obtaining the small sailing vessel hadn’t been too much trouble. The plan was straightforward and simple enough from there. It was only after they had started underway that the plan went awry.

          They had truly seemed to underestimate the distance to their destination. The currents and winds weren’t going their way, and they found themselves tacking the small ship north around the tip of continental Britannia.

          It took days, but their target was finally visible on the horizon. A small peninsula shooting off from the town of Yew. Contained there was the towns rather large, and rather infamous, prison. Wasting away in a cell was Tinkr Toiz, quite possibly hemorrhaging information about the resistance and the True Britannians.

          Nonel Topd cringed at the thought. He had faith in Tinkz, but even the strongest of human spirits could be crushed under the right torture. One way or the other, they had to get her out. Eventually she would be executed, whether she were to give to the torture or not.

          They were nearing the peninsula now. It was more of an island, really, only connected to the mainland by the bridges of the prison itself. Nonel had the sail lowered, to lessen the odds of discovery. He pulled up the ore nearest him, and began a slow and quiet paddle. Several of his men did the same.

          All the members of the resistance were here: Pepe, Michel, Llama, Lil’ Snapper, and their newest member; Dusk Twilight. Nonel smiled, confident this was the group that could save Tinkr Toiz.

          “Three-hundred feet,” Llama whispered.

          “We’ll stick it right on those rocks. I hope you gentlemen can climb,” Nonel briefed, “When you get topside, run for the walls so you’ll be out of line-of-sight.” He received several nods of understanding.

          “Thirty feet,” Llama once again whispered.

          “Row, hard!” Nonel exclaimed as quietly as possible, nevertheless making sure the point got across.

          The boat first hit sand, raising the bow of the boat up onto the natural rock seawall. Several of the men jumped out, pulling it into the depression between the landmass and the rocks. Here it would be hidden, and safe from the rising sea.

          Grasping a fistful of dirt and roots, Pepe started his ascent. The rest of the Resistance members followed in turn. One-by-one the men reached topside, and sprinted across the dark yard for the prison walls. They were all pressed against the building now, out-of-sight at any angle from the inside.

          Nonel glanced over towards Llama, “It’s your show, now.”

          Llama started his way south, remaining as close to the wall as he could at all times. The other members of the Resistance had discussed with Nonel their dislike of Llama. He has no tolerance for criminals and thieves, but he needs Nonel to regain what he had lost. Nonel felt the need was mutual, Llama was such a skilled hunter, and former officer with the Royal Guard. He was useful in many ways, and was proving it now.

          Llama rounded the North-East corner of this body of the building, under the bridged walkway that connected the courts and main building to the holding areas. A hand reappeared from the corner, beckoning the rest of them over.

          “Here we are.” Llama whispered.

          Michel looked bewildered, “What? It’s a wall.”

          Llama shook his head, “You brigands. So unobservant.” At that, he punched one of the stones making up the wall. A line of dim light showed itself down the length of the wall, and suddenly Michel understood.

          “A back door,” Michel smiled.

          “Help,” Llama began pulling on what small handholds he could find in the wall as the rest of the team joined in. Astonishingly what looked like a solid wall began to slide open like a door. A very heavy door. When it was open just a foot or so, they stopped pulling. Nonel squeezed through the opening, followed by the rest of the commandos.

          They found themselves in a dimly lit walkway. It was so narrow as to barely let three small men stand shoulder-to-shoulder. There would be no easy escaping this area if trouble started. Llama led the team straight down the westerly passage, and stopped after only thirty feet or so. He hit another stone, similar to outside. This wall was much smaller, and he opened it himself. The team now passed through their second hidden passageway. Nonel was impressed at Llama’s knowledge of the prison’s layout.

          Lil’ Snapper’s heart jumped into his throat, “You lead us into a cell, idiot.”

          Llama put his finger to his lip for silence, and gently laid his hand on the cell door. “Idiot?” He gently pushed the cell door open. “They don’t lock empty cells.” Llama winked. He stepped out into the cell-row.

          Nonel winced, of course there’d be a patroling guard out there to notice him. There was no sound, and half the thieves had already passed out into the hall with Llama.

          “Where is this?” Nonel asked.

          “The bottom most cells. This prison has been unpopulated since Ricardo’s visit. They have no reason to guard down here,” Llama whispered back. Ricardo, self-proclaimed King of Thieves, was captured a few years back. Here he was held and tried. Nonel really wasn’t sure what became of him, his attention stayed focused on Minocian affairs.

          Llama pushed open a thick metal door, opening into a small room containing nothing but a stairwell. Slowly they began upstairs, peaking heads up before ascending completely. Again they found themselves in a small room, with metal doors at the east and west ends of the room.

          Llama crouched near the westerly door, and began motioning to Nonel. Tink’r Toiz cell was in there. The door was suddenly thrown open, knocking Llama back. In rushed two spear-toting henchmen, followed by a tall ashen-faced man. Almost simultaneously the other door slammed open, with more spearmen and the fearsome Death Knights rushing in. The thieves made no move to run or draw a weapon, they were surrounded.

          “That wasn’t very clever of you, Topd.” The tall stranger’s eyes were unblinking as they scanned each member of the group. They wavered when they met Llama’s eyes, however. Nonel found this interesting. Unfortunately he’d soon be too dead to think upon it.

          “I’m from Minoc. Clever isn’t in my blood.” Nonel spat back. He was ready to prove it. He reached into his robe and quickly pulled out a peculiar looking bottle. Several of the spearmen reacted.

          “Stop!” Bellowed the tall stranger, no doubt the man in charge here. The henchmen halted, but kept their weapons drawn and ready.

          Nonel Topd grinned, “You remember what this is, don’t you?”

          The tall man snarled, “Scum.” A ball of fire formed in the man’s hand.

          Nonel glanced at the hand full of flame, “Ah, you remember me?” Nonel was still grinning, with an unblinking stare focused on the stranger.

          “I remember-” The strangers face turned into horror as Nonel let the bottle fly without warning. “Down!” He shouted to his men while diving for cover himself. The bottle smashed against the wall next to the stranger, and he kept his head covered for a few more moments before coming to the realization that there had been no explosion.

          He opened his eyes and looked up, choking on smoke. He had heard nothing but the smash of the glass, he was still alive, yet the room was completely fogged with smoke. Slowly the hacking and coughing of his men stopped as the smoke emptied out the small windows cut into the stone. The entire group had disappeared.

          The stranger recovered his wits quickly as the realization dawned on him. There were too many of his men, including himself, blocking the only doorways …

          He sprinted for the staircase, “This way!” He shouted at the men. The Death Knights, disciplined and hard to phase, were the only ones to react and follow after him. The thieves were running for their lives and weren’t concerning themselves with such menial things as closing doors. The stranger ran through the door entering the downstairs cell-row, and came to a sliding halt. One of the cell doors were open, and there was an opening in the back wall.

          He didn’t spend time dwelling on this strange new security flaw. He pressed through the wall, his Death Knights close behind. Looking over his right shoulder as he entered a dimly lit hallway, he noticed a shadow against the far wall. As he neared it he realized it wasn’t a shadow, but yet another opening in the stone itself.

          Disregarding any sense of caution, he pressed himself through the opening. It was very dark out, nevertheless the moon offered enough light for him to make out several silhouettes heading near the shore. He motioned his Death Knights that way, and took off at a full sprint.

          The stranger reached the shore just in time to see the failed thieves dragging their boat off the shoal. He began down the sloped earth. He wasn’t about to let these men get away. He reached bottom well-ahead of his Death Knights, and began up the rocks. There most of all the men were already in the boat.

          It was just Nonel left outside it, trying to lift the bow off a small rock that had caught the boat. With a good push the boat shifted free. The stranger remembered this particular man, alright.

          Malice filled his eyes as pure hatred seethed through his veins. Nonel turned around and met the stranger’s eyes.

          “Nonel!” Pepe screamed.

          That was all Nonel heard as something hot and fierce hit his chest, throwing him into darkness.

The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior:

FATE Auction

Date:  Wednesday, August 13

Time:  6:45 CST

Location:  Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort

Contact:  Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673

YGV Auction

Date:  Thursday, August 14

Time:  7:00 p.m. CST

Location:  Northwest of Yew Moongate

BEC Auction

Date:  Friday, August 22

Time:  8:00 pm CST

Location:  West Gate of Luna City

Contact:  Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Parrying and Potting
Jeremy Dalberg
08 Aug 2008 18:14:50

Some technical stuff, some clarifications on changes from 54, and more!

"Why am I not getting GGS gains on Parrying?"

This question came from a long-term UO player - me. I'd been fighting a lot of lower-level critters - Lizardmen, Earthies, etc - putting together my Virtue suit, and realized I hadn't gotten so much as a single GGS gain - not only on the lower-end critters, but on the Ogre Lords and Drakes I'd tackled as well. That seemed odd, so I dragged Leurocian through the code with me to figure out why.

Parrying is a difficulty-based skill, which means you have to be performing actions of a certain range of difficulty to have a chance to gain. There's an explanation of difficulty-based skills and skillgain here - Parrying, specifically, uses a focus of 100 instead of 50, but otherwise that description applies. The "difficulty" in this case is the monsters' percentage chance to hit you. (You can check out the hit chance formula here.)

All math aside, if you're not getting Parrying skill gains (GGS or otherwise,) you're either fighting monsters that are too hard - in which case you need to reduce their chance to hit, by raising your own DCI or by using HLA gear - or too easy - in which case you can remove DCI/HLA gear or use a weapon you're less proficient in. In my case I just dropped my sword and let the earthie take a swing, and I got a gain right away.

--

"Why is it now you have to release the chest to take an item out of a pouch?"

This was a fix for an exploit (that I won't describe, of course) having to do with getting way too many lockdowns. We're going to revisit this fix in the future to try to find a more elegant solution, but we needed to take care of the exploit.

--

"Why can I only get a level 4 Arcane Focus even with five or more people?"

This was an intended (if undocumented) change from the last publish. I talked to Draconi about it, and it is intended - the change was made to allow the design team some greater flexibility with Arcane Focus in the future. So at the moment it's a definite nerf, but there will be an upside a little further down the road.

--

"When is the ROT scaling on Siege going to be fixed?"

How does Publish 55 sound? :)

We're testing a new set of numbers internally now, and we're hoping to get it on a Test Center with a Siege backup so y'all can try it out and see how it feels. To give you a rough idea of the current plan (and start the debate boiling,) the time to get from 70-120 has been reduced by about a third, and the time to reach the stat cap has been reduced by about the same proportion.

--

"When is Spring Cleaning going to end?"

Consider this your two-week notice - we're currently shooting to turn Spring Cleaning off the third week of August. (It's tied to the publish, though, so if that gets delayed for any reason, you'll get more time to sweep those last few corners.)

When we turn it off, what will happen is the NPCs that currently accept items and hand out tickets will go away. The reward box that accepts tickets and gives prizes will stick around for a while longer to give everyone a chance to use up their points.

--

Now Hiring!

We're looking for someone to be our new Associate Game Designer. Here's the job description and requirements:

Main responsibilities: contribute significantly to game fiction, manage events, balance gameplay, and develop content using proprietary scripting tools.

Understanding and or knowledge of Ultima Online game mechanics, history, and community interaction a definite plus.
Experience as a Game Master, Counselor, Seer, or Event Moderator for Ultima Online a bonus.
2+ years experience playing Ultima Online

• Position requires dependable and relevant inputs to current state of the game, as well as contributing to future development of the game experience

Gives inputs to other members of the team to enhance gameplay for the current subscriber base

Due to the demanding scripting system surrounding Ultima Online, the designer must have expansive knowledge of scripting languages and have the ability to produce samples of work using similar tools.
Level editing experience and module creation using open source gaming engines (Infinity, Unreal 2.5 or 3, Doom, Source, Aurora Toolset).
Background or exposure to game development processes in the industry
Essential to have experience working in small teams of 4-6 people.
3DS Max experience preferred
2+ years in the game industry and/or gaming school preferred
Can demonstrate understanding of game design concepts to include flow, decision making, engaging storyline, and integration of art and sound

If you're interested in (and qualified for) this position, please send your resume to jdalberg AT ea DOT com and I'll put it in the right hands right away! Also please note, the position is in Fairfax, VA.

--

What's To Come:

We're firmly stuck in that time-between-publishes that everyone loves so much. The current plan is for Publish 55 to hit TC next week, but this is a good weekend to work on any Spring Cleaning collection you've been putting off, gardeners may want to lay in extra supplies of fertile dirt (the new plant types are up to 15 now, not 10!) and the more martial among us should be certain to polish their weapons and perfect their spells - while there is a lull in the battle right now, the war is not yet over...

--

Town Hall News:

The Seattle Town Hall is much on our minds - will you be there? Check out the details here and please do RSVP.

--

Fansite News:

Whispering Rose Radio's events:

Some of the highlights this weekend on Whispering Rose Radio include ...

~~~~~~~~~

Friday - Aug. 8th - Join TorAnn, Dr. Lil and PantherBabe for UO Shard Chatter starting at 7pm PST, 10pm EST on WRR. Listen and participate with UO players chatting about this week's game topics. At the end of the show hear this weeks contributions to the "You know you have been playing UO too long when..." segment where hilarious endings are presented by UO listeners. Feel free to send yours in (ICQ numbers can be found on the www.wrrad.com website).

~~~~~~~~~

Sunday - Aug. 9th - The Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues after 4 great years to bring you more fantastic deals. Get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

~~~~~~~~~

*Deal or No Deal ~ 'UO Style' returns next Saturday to Pacific at 3pm PST, 6pm EST with its 100th show. Watch for next weeks 'News' bulletin for full details on the fabulous celebration in store for all UO players .

~~~~~~~~

Enjoy the weekend playing Ultima Online and tune in to hear the live broadcasts from WRR ~ see you all on the flip side.

~~~~~~~~~~

And a few events on Sonoma!

--

Friday, August 8th - Kick off the weekend with laughter and fun during the PAS monthly social with Twisted Rulez Mongbat Darts and the So U Think U'r Funny contest starting at 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern on the 3rd floor of the PAS Auction & Vendor house in Luna. Click here for contest rules and details.

Friday, August 8th - After the monthly social, PAS rocks Sonoma with great deals during its monthly AUCTION starting at 7pm Pacific, 10pm Eastern on the first floor of the PAS Auction & Vendor house, Luna. Check here for more information.

Sunday, August 9th - Wedding bells are ringing for Lord Richard Cypher and Lady Wild Flower as they are united in the Caerlton Chapel of Love at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern. Ceremony is open to the public and reception immediately follows on the roof of the PAS Auction & Vendor house in Luna. For invitation & details click here.

--

Have a good weekend, everyone!

- Jeremy

Coverage of the Chesapeake Olympics 2008

The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior:

FATE Auction

Date:  Will be back next Wednesday

Time:  6:45 CST

Location:  Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort

Contact:  Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673

YGV Auction

Date:  Will be back next Thursday

Time:  7:00 p.m. CST

Location:  Northwest of Yew Moongate

BEC Auction

Date:  Friday, August 8

Time:  8:00 pm CST

Location:  West Gate of Luna City

Contact:  Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805

For those that may not know the MOA library has a new home just down the road a bit from the auction house at 53o 43'N, 97o 31'E

If your feet are weary and/or your mind is not adventurous there is a rune to the library locked down on the counter at the auction house. This new location is just a click away.

As you can see by the images below the first floor is packed with books and the second floor has a complete set of quest books.
The rooftop garden is a must see!





It seems like things are slowing down all over the world these days with high gas prices, loss of jobs and high credit card debt. There appears to be a slowing down in the realm also. Or maybe just a well needed rest and MOA is taking a well deserved one.



Auctions are only being held on thursday evenings. After Labor Day the plan is to start up wednesday night auctions again.
I miss the Monday Night Madness events and Vanna White very much. Hopefully they return.


Remember gates are provided at major banks on auction nights.

Posted to uoherald.com:

Accounts Terminated
Jeremy Dalberg
04 Aug 2008 13:25:35

Over the weekend, a number of accounts associated with creating and trading duped items have been banned. We take all forms of cheating extremely seriously, especially cheats that affect the in game economy and devalue the hard work of honest players. We will never stop investigating and solving these issues, and appreciate very much those of you who contribute to the fight against cheating.

If your account was affected and you need more information, please fill out the form Here

Tinkz stays curled in the corner, wishing she was a spider.                       

Was she hearing things or are those really footsteps. Tinkz takes a silent and shallow breath to steady herself as she observes her “watcher”. The hired henchmen orders her up and to move forward. A moment of rage taking over for good judgment, Tinkz whirls on him . She gains composure and only glares at the sword he is using to herd her to a different holding area and wishes she could “remove” his smirk. Obviously, he finds his rudeness quite amusing. As he opens the slatted door, Tinkz steps through quickly to rob the man, a term she feels is loosely used, of the pleasure of making any further points.

The door slams and Tinkz surveys the surroundings. Still no light and it is cold, but at least there is a minimal cot to curl upon. She wonders if the spiders shall miss her. She lies down on what is nothing more than a piece of board with a thread-bare blanket and thinks it is luxury. She pulls her robe ever closer and drifts to blissful sleep.

The sound of metal on metal as the key enters the lock and Tinkz is instantly alert. It has been days since her capture and she has seen nothing of her guild or faction. She knows it will take time to find her and plan her rescue but the waiting is difficult. The followers of the Shadowlords have not been questioning her as “vigorously” as they had been and some of the women have even taken a few moments to talk of things other than plans and information.

The door swings open to reveal Zara carrying food and a blanket. Tinkz has not once complained of the cold, but obviously Zara has observed her shivering.

“Thank you Zara,” the genuine statement seems to break down the barrier between the Shadowlord Mage and herself and they begin a wary give and take.

Focus on Factions: Women in Factions, Zara of Great Lakes                                        

What is your UO name?
            Zara

How long have you played UO?
            Off and on since the day it went live

What do you consider your home shard?
            Great Lakes

What keeps you playing UO?
            2d client and the diversity that no other game can offer.

What do you think of the new templates, soul stones, insurance, etc.?
            Honestly it's very hard to get used to especially since it seems, at times to confuse the play and complicate the game but once you get used to them they can be used to benefit you and your character. I just wish that the information on these templates were available and complete.

Have they helped or hurt?
            Both

What is your favorite type of character?
            Mage

How did you start playing Factions?
            I started in factions when the system was first introduced out of curiosity and have played in it on and off again during my entire UO life.

What faction do you belong to and why?
            I currently belong to the Shadow Lords Faction because it is where my guild has settled.

What do you think caused factions to “slow down”?
            One of the things I can see is that we the players effect how factions is run and often times that is overlooked. If one faction dominates the towns for long periods of time you will see a decrease in faction participation.

What do you think we can do to revive factions on your shard?
            Factions needs some good press. Most people who don't play in factions just don't get what we're all about. If we could get more participation in all factions then it would be a truly amazing thing. Perhaps some additions to the faction system that included ideas from the players of factions would make the system better and more desirable to other players.

What would you change or add to factions? (and why?)
            I believe that factions can be unbalanced. Such as the location of the faction strongholds. Each has it's own unique strengths and weakness, however, I strongly believe that no stronghold should be placed in or near any town. Just recently in a conversation with Anthius Disus, the Commanding Lord of Shadowlords, we had discussed the possibility of allow each base to place a set number of guards within their stronghold that would detect hidden or watch for any movement in the base and alert all faction members of that stronghold that enemies approached through the guild message system. Mind you this would need to be a limited number like 2 perhaps 3 and like in any town those guards can be killed if encountered by an opposing faction. The guards could be accessed through the faction stone in the base by the CL and would cost the faction the same amount of silver from it's bank as it would in a controlled town.

There is always talk of inequities in the bases, guard zones, trap and guard useages, etc., what are your thoughts?
            The bases are not equal by any stretch of the imiganation. COM for one got the short end of the stick, the base is extremely small and so that if many faction members were on at once there is not enough room to manuvre through the base for a decent raid. The plus side to COM is that is sets inside a faction town where guards are able to be placed so that guards can then effectively guard the front of the base and additional traps can be used there where Minax and Shadow Lords have no access. The same goes for TB, just recently we were in the middle of a faction fight where the opposing faction members retreated into a player house at the edge of the Brit town line and they were able to place traps all along the front of that house. These types of things need to be looked into and addressed. Where Magencia is in ruin, it also gives COM a disadvantage of any kind of cover when fighting outside their base. Mind you, no system is going to be perfect and I'm sure there will be many people who may disagree with my own opinions on the matter but right or wrong it just shows that though factions is an incredible system it has a lot of room to expand upon and grow.

What do you think of the recent changes? Reduced length of time to resign? Multiple characters per account? Etc.
            I am thrilled with the recent changes. It's opened up a wealth of possibilities in factions and I can only pray that EA will look into adding more to this system in the future.

What is your favorite part of factions? Ie, stealing, defending, etc?
            My favorite part of factions is just working with the team of talented players in E-Go and G^F. There is more fun to be had in a few hours with these crazy individuals than a whole day of hunting down monsters for loot.

Have you had any really funny moments playing factions? I'd like to plead the fifth on this one as usually it's me that is providing the entertainment. Sometimes my brain just goes into a mode that even the best doctor in the world wouldn't be able to figure out and as a result it usually ends up with me saying or doing something incredibly stupid or as some in our group may call it "Zaraism's".

What do you talk about during a boring defense?
            We have a wide variety of players in Shadowlords and during the slow times when we're all getting bored the conversations seem to run into all avenues. Some better left unsaid. (haha!) Seriously though I am blessed to be able to play with the groups I am with because also duriing these times we take time out to help each other with templates, pvp advice and use the time wisely.

Do you see a difference in play style between men and woman?
            It's funny you should ask this question because in my experience there has always been some differences that we laugh about. Generally (not always) you will find that women when guarding the sigils tend to stay put and the men are like kids with ADD and cannot sit still, no matter how many times we try and paralyze them!

Do you think you are treated differently (better or worse) when they know you are a RL woman?
            I don't see a difference in how I am treated. My husband says I am evil in all things equally but we can't really listen to him now can we? I have found that it hasn't mattered at all when other players find out I am a woman. Well some say it explains a lot but haven't quite figured out if that's a good thing or not.

Have you seen any notable strength a woman player brings to factions or UO?
            Absolutely! I think that women bring a positive spin to factions and to UO in general. Normally most people think that these kinds of games are a "Mans Club" and as one of the MANY women who play, I am here to say "Move over bacon! Here comes something crazier!"

Is there any particular player or group that inspired or helped you become the player you are today?
            In my many years here there have been a lot of people who have influenced my playstyle. First would be my husband, we met here on UO over 9 years ago and now we are happily married with four beautiful children. I will be the first to admit that I do not know everything, hell, I can't even say I know a lot but the core of my knowledge has come from my time on Atlantic in UZI and my time on Great Lakes in SC! and E-Go.

Do you recommend faction play?
            With out a doubt I would recommend faction play to anyone who has not tried it. The hardest "monster" in this game is the beast of another player. You have not truly experienced all UO has to offer until you have experienced the rush of defending your base from invaders or better yet rolling through another faction base with your team at your back and concouring the sigils as your own. See the thing is that if you don't like it, now you can remove yourself from the system and it only takes 3 days. I realize pvp is not for everyone and I respect that but I sincerely believe that a lot of people who actually came over and gave it an honest shot, they would love it.

Thank you for joining us for this interview. Thanks to Zara and all of the wonderful women of factions who are helping to bring interest and understanding to this part of UO. Be sure to check back for the next interview and continue to read the Partisan series as we see if the Minocian Partisan Resistance and the True Britannians organize a successful rescue of Tink'r Toiz.

Partisans: Part 4                                                     

      Llama broke into a brisk walk. It was half a day since he and most of the resistance had been gathered at Nonel’s shanty located off Mt. Kendall. There they had learned that the Mayor of Minoc, a supporter of the now aptly named Minocian Partisan Resistance, was dead. A couple of the top detectives from the Royal Guard were on hand to investigate. His old superior was one of them.

      He rounded the bank, and cut through the grass to the road heading into the westerly edge of the town. There he reached the Town Hall, the scene of the Mayor’s untimely death. First taking a moment to compose himself and catch his breath, he pushed open the door and entered. There were only three others standing inside the building, which didn’t strike Llama as odd. This region is still controlled by the Shadowlords’ servants, and Britannian Royal Guards, even of the noncombatant sort, would be quickly captured and no doubt tortured for information. The tallest of the three men, his old superior, was the first to notice him.

      The man lowered his hood and looked at the new arrival. “Thrym,” The man spoke. Llama let show a wince. He was no longer fit to be known by his family name.

       “I no longer carry that name, Chief Inspector,” Llama nearly spat the title. The other hooded man had already turned around and been observing the two. Llama couldn’t quite see his face, but felt he knew who it was and took the gamble, “Smurf?” At that the man lowered his hood, as well.

       “That’s Tracker Smurf, Thrym,” The Chief Inspector arrogantly informed Llama. “He’s the greatest criminal hunter we’ve ever had.” Llama took that last remark personally, but nevertheless bared a toothy grin. Tracker was the title given the best of the Royal Guard’s scouts.

      He fixed an eye on Smurf. “Enjoying my job then, are you?”

       “Someone needs to do things right,” Smurf threw a wink Llama’s way, “after your embarrassing escapade in Vesper.” Llama found himself unconsciously fiddling with the small blade concealed in his robe, furious at Smurf’s mention of the single worst moment of Llama’s past life.

      Llama decided to put personal business to the side for now, “Glass dagger to the throat?”

      The Chief Inspector snorted, “How can you know that when you’ve yet to see the corpse?”

       “The amount of blood is consistent, for one,” Llama pointed at the floor, “The smears right here suggest he was stabbed coming out of his office, and crawled or was dragged into the center of the gathering room.”

       “Go on.” The Chief Inspector nodded, “The glass dagger?”

       “A small speck of glass is in that largest of pools,” Llama pointed, “No doubt ejected when the blood first began to exit the wound.”

       “Excellent!” Exclaimed the third man, who Llama was yet to meet.

      The Chief Inspector merely shook his head, “We hadn’t yet noticed that. Dearest Thrym, you always had an eye like no other detective. Where did you go wrong?”

       “When I met you.” Llama tipped his chin towards the yet unidentified man, “Who is this?”

      Smurf turned around and looked at the man Llama was indicating, “This here is a local,” Of course Llama did not know him, he was still a stranger to this town, “He’s a medium.”

      Llama laughed, “You mean a necromancer.” He had a way of saying the word with such disdain.

      The young man didn’t seem hurt by his remark, “The name is Ben,” he turned to Smurf, “and as of yet I am still an apprentice.”

       “We were hoping Ben here could speak to the fleeing ghost of Mayor Barry,” The Chief Inspector sighed, “Unfortunately he’s been unable to make contact.”

       “I believe his spirit is already lost. There is no hope for reunifying it with the body,” Ben spoke softly.

       “There were others working here when it happened, of course?” Llama asked the Chief Inspector.

       “Of course, but, no witnesses. Nobody heard or saw a thing as the cut made him inaudible.”

       “Could it be the same assassin that attacked the Royal Council?”

       “It’s possible, but where’s the motive? He lops off the head of Britannia’s leadership, and then moves on to a Mayor the Shadowlords intentionally left in power here?”

      Llama knew precisely why the assassin did it, but he felt that Smurf and the Chief Inspector weren’t yet ready to hear of it. Mayor Barry had been attempting to sneak funds to the resistance under the Finance Minister’s nose, a man placed in charge to keep an eye on the silver reserves of the town. It seemed obvious to him the Shadowlords’ servant followers learned of this treachery. He wondered how they’d feel if they knew their Finance Minister had been skimming, and amassing, the silver into a local outpost. Llama grinned at the thought of the chest full of coins sitting back at Nonel’s house.

      All four men jumped as there was a sudden bang at the door. It immediately swung open and in strode two Shadowlord Death Knights, an elite guard armed with their massive bardiche. They walked right up to the four men, not seeming to notice the pools of blood they had to go through to get there.

       “What is going on here?” Demanded one of the Death Knights. Llama immediately became petrified when he realized he was still covered in the blood of these two guards’ comrades. Men who had lost their lives only early this morning.

      Surprising Llama, it was Ben who spoke. “We were contacted about the Mayor’s death. Someone said our help was wanted in the matter.”

       “Contacted by whom?” The other of the evil guards asked.

       “His wife, of course. We were their spiritual advisors.” Ben was good at this, Llama realized. Pepe told him that the Mayor’s wife had passed four years ago.

       “Spiritual advisors.” The Death Knight really didn’t ask but rather mocked.

       “Mediums, guard, sir.” Llama hid a grin as Ben started on a lengthy speech about their purpose here, and of the complexities in reuniting spirits with their fallen bodies. But his heart sank when one of the guards, becoming bored at Ben, let his eyes wander onto Llama’s robes.

       “Why is it you’re covered in blood?” One of the Death Knight’s asked.

      Llama found himself speechless, as he recounted the mission to the outpost. He hadn’t thought he’d need an excuse, and never thought one up.

      Ben swept his arm around the room, “We’ve been working here for some time now. As you can see, our work can get us a little messy.”

      The guards seemed satisfied with this, rather eager to avoid any more talk on the business of necromancers. Although despised by most in Britannia, during the era of Lord British they were executed, the reapers that are the Shadowlords and their servants often appreciate them. It was difficult to tell if the guards themselves were even alive, never revealing anything from under their hooded shrouds, even when in combat.

      They sure die like the living, Llama thought rather amusingly.

      After they warned the four to be to their homes before nightfall, a stern warning at that, they left. Llama was in disbelief, as they almost paid no mind to the carnage in that room. Their body language suggested neither feeling nor reaction to the scene. Perhaps they really were dead. Surely no living person could witness violence on this scale and not react, unless they had been ready for it.

      Llama decided it was time to take his leave, and go discuss things with Nonel Topd. He had been the one to send him here in the first place, to investigate things on behalf of the True Britannians. That small meaningless authorization was the only reason the Chief Inspector hadn’t tossed him right out on his duff. The man had great respect for what the True Britannians were trying to do.

      Llama turned to his ex superior, “Chief Inspector, I’ve seen all that I need to.”

      The older man offered no argument, “I’ll be leaving Smurf around town here for a while to gather information about what happened. Good bye, Thrym”

       “Fine. Have a good life, Inspector. Smurf, see you around.” Llama turned and got himself out of the room as fast as possible. He exited the building, making it only a few feet before coming to a sudden halt.

       “Pepe. What’re you doing here?” Llama couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed the man.

       “Nonel sent me. Gear up, we have a mission.”

       “What?”

       “Tink’r Toiz is gone,” Pepe frowned.

       “What do you mean, gone? She was just with us on that raid.”

       “Supposedly she went out to handle personal affairs afterward. We received the note from her kidnappers.”

       “Kidnappers? Note? Who?” Llama was becoming angry at Pepe for not being to the point.

      Pepe allowed a smile, obviously enjoying Llama‘s sour temper. “I told you, gear up,”

      He offered only one word more, “Shadowlords.”

Thanks for joining us for part four of Partisans. Please check back often as the search for Tinkz begins and be sure to read the upcoming Focus on Factions interviews for additional information.

I recently met Jeremy at the UO Town Hall meeting in San Diego, CA and was fortunate enough to persuade her to sit down and answer a few interview questions. Jeremy struck me as a warm, friendly and honest person with an immense passion for games. Rather than asking her a bunch of questions about UO that have been asked a hundred times over, I wanted to know just who Jeremy was and what exactly brought her to work in the gaming industry. For those of you particularly who question a staff member's dedication to the game they represent, I think you'll find this interview quite interesting. These questions were posed as personal, and answered as another gamer, not as an EA Mythic employee. Unfortunately I did not have a recording device so the answers are from notes and not exact quotes, I'm sure if I misquote Jeremy she will be happy to correct me. Without further ado, here is the interview.

Q. How old were you when you played your first game and what was it?

A. I was 5 or 6, Kindergarten; one of my friends got an Atari and we used to hang out for hours playing. I don't even remember what games he had but we played that thing as much as our parents would let us. I was so impressed I started saving all my pennies and when I had enough money I got my dad to take me and my jar of pennies to buy my first Nintendo. I think I remember my dad took me to the bank first to change my pennies into dollars so we didn't piss off the guy at the game store.

Q. What made you decide to make games your career?

A. Ultima Underworld. When I played that game for the first time I thought, "This is it, this is what I want to do with my life". So fresh out of school I moved to Austin, I wanted to work for Origin Systems. Got my first job at NC Soft instead and the rest is history.

Q. When did you start playing UO, and are you still an active player?

A. In '97 when the game was released. Yes I still play, I'd consider myself a casual player. I'd say I play for fun at least a few hours a week. That's above and beyond what I do for work.

Q. What's your favorite Character class and play style?

A. Paladin, because he's pretty indestructible, not the greatest of fighters but he's almost impossible to kill unless you fall asleep. Between spells, bandages and potions he's pretty easy to keep alive. I play PvE; my reflexes aren't good enough for PvP, and I’d just get my butt kicked.

Q. What do you like the most about UO?

A. Its flexibility; being able to create any type of character that suits your play style. It's non-linear, you can play any part of the game at any level, no restrictions. Most other games you have to grind levels to gain access to new areas or skills etc. UO isn't like that, you can start with any skills you want and develop just those skills.

Q. What do you like least about UO?

A. A lot of aspects of UO are not user friendly. Tedious skill gain, resource gathering, things that force you to do repetitive tasks.

Q. What would you personally like to see fixed the most in UO?

A. Well, there are a few things I'd really like to see fixed. I know this is supposed to be personal, but from a professional standpoint, I'd really like to see the ROT skill gain on Siege get some love.

Q. Do you play other games and if so what?

A. Yes of course, I'm a gamer; I've played most everything at least to try it. I play CoH and WoW to name a couple.

Q. What else do you do with your spare time besides gaming?

A. Currently Karate, athletic stuff, lifting weights, running. I spend so much time at the computer I feel like I have to do something physical.

Q. Where do you want to see your career go from here?

A. That's a tough question, as being a community liaison I'm kind of at the top of what I can do in the community area of gaming. I think I'd like to work on some bigger projects, possibly get into design and development. I know C++ and just about enough game code to be dangerous. The devs let me look over their shoulders occasionally to see what the code looks like and for some ideas.

Well, I promised you ten questions so I'll let you off the hook at this point. Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me and giving such honest and candid responses.

And that concluded our interview. There are a few things I'd like to mention that just don't make the translation between sitting and talking with Jeremy and reading it in text. The look on her face when she spoke about her first gaming experience and saving her pennies for her first Nintendo; she looked like a child remembering Christmas. The look of passion when she talked about Ultima Underworld and moving to Austin to look for work at Origin. She is definitely in the right industry; I doubt she would be happy doing anything but games for a living.

Until next time,
Ghost Writer

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Home Again
Jeremy Dalberg
01 Aug 2008 16:51:36

Melissa's goodies, love for gardeners, and more!

"What loot does Melissa drop?"

I realize this is going to be obsolete almost as soon as I post it, but y'all did ask, and I did find out the answer. Melissa drops two unique items - the Pearl Necklace and Melissa's Cloak - plus a 25k point Spring Cleaning ticket. But the other loot she drops is Peerless-level, which includes rare crafting materials, set armor, artifacts and other items - AND Dark Father-intensity random loot, PLUS a chance to drop ML minor arties. All in all, that's a lot of loot.

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"Can the new seeds (announced at the Town Hall) be cross-pollinated?"

No - none of the new seeds can be cross-pollinated, including the Cocoa tree. The non-cocoa seeds will drop as "a peculiar seed" by certain (TBD) monsters. They won't give seeds of their own and won't give resources. The upside? There are ten possible plants the seeds can grow into!

The Cocoa tree will come from "a fragrant seed", also dropped by monsters, and will give the "cocoa pulp" resource, which Chefs can render into Cocoa Liquor or Cocoa Butter. They will also give more fragrant seeds.

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"I know you can't tell us about exploits, but how many have you fixed recently?"

This is a fair question, and so I did some digging through my internal publish notes and took a rough count from Publish 51 on:

• Major Exploits: 4
• Moderate Exploits: 9
• Minor Exploits: 7

Major would be dupes, server crash bugs, severely imbalancing gameplay bugs (God-mode level stuff.) Moderate would be mid-level cheats and exploitable bugs. Minor would be bugs that are exploitable, but don't pose much gameplay or economy balance risk (being able to get inappropriately-colored cloth, for an example.) This is just a quick eyeballing of my mailbox, but is fairly representative of how much gets fixed per publish that we don't tell you about, and in what proportion.

If you're interested in our Bug Report Reward Program, we're primarily going to reward for Major-level bugs, although you will have our eternal gratitude for any and all reproducible bugs you send us.

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QA Request of the Week

QA has gotten a few bug reports involving people being unable to join the Thieves' Guild. However, they haven't been able to reproduce the problem at all, so they'd love to see more reports, with as much detail as possible. Things like how much real Stealing your character has, if your character is wearing +skill jewelry, how old the character is, even which NPC you're talking to (and where - shard, facet, town, etc) might be of use. Also please report the message (or lack thereof) you are receiving.

Joining the Thieves' Guild requires 60 points of Stealing and 500 gold given to the Thief Guildmaster - at least in theory. Thanks for your help!

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Now Hiring!

We're looking for someone to be our new Associate Game Designer. Here's the job description and requirements:

Main responsibilities: contribute significantly to game fiction, manage events, balance gameplay, and develop content using proprietary scripting tools.

Understanding and or knowledge of Ultima Online game mechanics, history, and community interaction a definite plus.
Experience as a Game Master, Counselor, Seer, or Event Moderator for Ultima Online a bonus.
2+ years experience playing Ultima Online

• Position requires dependable and relevant inputs to current state of the game, as well as contributing to future development of the game experience

Gives inputs to other members of the team to enhance gameplay for the current subscriber base

Due to the demanding scripting system surrounding Ultima Online, the designer must have expansive knowledge of scripting languages and have the ability to produce samples of work using similar tools.
Level editing experience and module creation using open source gaming engines (Infinity, Unreal 2.5 or 3, Doom, Source, Aurora Toolset).
Background or exposure to game development processes in the industry
Essential to have experience working in small teams of 4-6 people.
3DS Max experience preferred
2+ years in the game industry and/or gaming school preferred
Can demonstrate understanding of game design concepts to include flow, decision making, engaging storyline, and integration of art and sound

If you're interested in (and qualified for) this position, please send your resume to jdalberg AT ea DOT com and I'll put it in the right hands right away! Also please note, the position is in Fairfax, VA.

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What's To Come:

The "Death of the Council" event will be turned off on all shards at some point tonight - turning the event off is a manual process, and there are a lot of shards, so I can't promise you a specific timeframe, but you can expect the event to be ending shortly.

The Spring Cleaning collection and reward NPCs will be hanging around a while yet - I should be able to give you at least a week's notice to finish your clean-up and claim your rewards before they depart for other, more spring-like lands.

The next publish is grinding its way into existence, but is still at least a few weeks away. When it gets a bit closer I should have more details to share with you. The next publish will contain the next phase of the event - that I can say with moderate confidence :P

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Town Hall News:

No rest for the wicked - the next Town Hall approaches! This one is in Seattle and I would strongly suggest that you make room on your calendar to come hang out with us - check out the details here and please do RSVP.

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Fansite News:

Whispering Rose Radio is recovered from the Town Hall and ready for action!

The WRR road crew is back from last weekends exciting San Diego UO Town Hall and is ready for a packed full of fun weekend with some shard hopping ......

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Friday - Aug. 1st - It's time once again for UO Shard Chatter with TorAnn, Dr. Lil and PantherBabe starting at 7pm PST, 10pm EST on WRR. Hear UO players chat about this weeks game topics and other UO news!! The weekly show finishes with the "You know you have been playing UO to long when..." segment where very comical endings are presented by UO listeners. Feel free to send yours in (ICQ numbers can be found on the www.wrrad.com website).

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Saturday - Aug. 2nd - Tune into the the Brush LimpPaw show starting at 2pm PST, 5pm EST to hear his Universal Outlook on current events as only he can deliver it.

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Saturday - Aug. 2nd - Deal or NO Deal 'UO Style' is back and ready to give everyone the opportunity to win 10 Mil on the shard of their choice. (1/3 Siege). Join the fun on Oceania starting at 3pm PT, 6pm ET (Sunday, Aug. 3rd - 8am Sydney). Click here for map of location and more details.

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Saturday - Aug. 2nd - After the Deal or No Deal 'UO Style' stay tuned as DJ Dr. Lil hops over to the Legends shard to lend a hand and cover the T^R scavenger Hunt where players have the opportunity to win many fabulous prizes! Hear it live on WRR starting at 5:30pm PT, 8:30pm ET.

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Saturday - Aug. 2nd - After the T^R scavenger hunt on Legends its time to hop over to the Pacific shard for WRR Casino night starting at 7pm PT, 10pm ET. Play games like Black Jack, Hi or Low, and everyone's favorite ... Lich Ball!! If you're not from Pacific no worries! DJ Sandman will exchange gold on your shard for gold on Pacific and transfer your winnings back to your home shard ... FREE!! Click here for map location and detail information.

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Sunday - Aug. 3rd - The Pacific Auction House (located just East of the Luna Moongate) continues after 4 fantastic years to bring you more great deals. Get there early for best seating. Auction starts at 12pm PST, 3pm EST and is broadcasted live on WRRadio.

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So pack your bags for some shard hopping fun this weekend on Ultima Online while listening to the broadcasts from WRR ~ see you all on the flip side.

PaxOku City on Chesapeake has several events coming up:

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Blue Light Play House Presents:

"A Day In The Life Of A Miner"

Friday August 1st 9:00pm est

Join us in PaxOku City (Chesapeake, Tokuno Islands, Homare-Jima Moongate) for our Friday show. PaxLair Statehood puts on a play every Friday and all are welcome from every shard. Gates provided from Luna along with Runes.

Tonight's play is brought you you by UOTradespot. We thank all of our sponsors.

Kijustsu Anei Grave Yard Presents:

Wake The Dead! (Trial Run)

Friday August 1st 8:00pm est

Kijustsu Anei Village inside of PaxOku city is putting on a different kind of event. Wake The Dead is what it says it is. Come to the graveyard and bring Bells, Fireworks, Lutes, harps and whatever else is the most annoying sound in the world and wake up the dead!

More information here

PaxOku Crafters Society Friday Event at 7:00pm est

OkuC Crafters Hall is located next to the Homare-Jima moongate on the Chesapeake shard. They offer FREE repairs, Enhancements and Furniture Crafting (Normal Wood). They also offer BOD requests, Training and Advice.

(Please only give items to OkuC members. Giving them to someone not in OkuC is done at your own risk.)

PaxOku City is looking for capable Roleplayers to become apart of the city. No requirements. Come and go as you please. We are looking for people to help run city events, Actors, Writers, Bartenders, Crafters, Waitress and more. Contact us on UOForums here.

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I'm almost recovered from San Diego...

- Jeremy