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Lady Lava's pumpkin for 2007

As you can see by my pumpkin this year I was influenced by UO and the black pumpkins.

When I first learned there would be pumpkins with character names on them this year I quickly made a new character for just that purpose, and for trick or treating. In the vein of RP I told knowone of this new character and had fun trick or treating and dieing a lot!

That characters name is Halloween Spirit.



As in the real world Halloween is becoming bigger and bigger each year in the realm.

People started talking to Halloween Spirit as she pumpkin picked and her own personality developed. Then holiday events started to take hold so Halloween Spirit attended them.

The first was the Chicken Fights hosted by CFC. There was to be a costume contest judged by A Crack Fiend. I arrived early talking to the members of CFC, all in costume. Lady Mist informed me she killed the orcs herself to make her costume.





The fight club looked great for the event and you could tell someone really put time and effort into the placement of items for the events decor. Aridas arrived and asked what I thought she was dressed as. It was a no brainer that she was Linda Carter/ Wonder Woman and my reply to her was " Wonder Wench ". I was delighted that she used that name during the actual design contest and that she won.
Though I have seen it countless times in the years I have been playing this game I still like it when someone dresses as Bo Peep with sheep and Red Witch did it at this event.



A Crack Fiend arrived a little late for the fights and was dressed in costume. The fights were the fights but it was great to see the red blood splatter on the black ground, very dramatic.

At some point during the fights a player asked if Crack Fiend was dressed as a "Country Girl". Then they guessed "Strawberry Shortcake".
My first guess was "Pipi Longstocking" but I got it correct with my second guess, "Raggedy Ann".



For the past several years I dress my dog Helen for Halloween and she too went as Raggedy Ann this year.



To see more real life pumpkins, costumes and holiday related stuff check out the Great Lakes boards and add something yourself. Astarian Jewel started a thread titled, " OT Halloween Pictures " and it's a fun one.

The second event Halloween Spirit attended was the event in New Haven monday evening hosted by several guilds with Pratt of MOA entertaining the crowds. To learn more about that event see the article I posted on it monday. Again it was great fun attending an event with a new character and talking with people. I refrained from singing and humming songs at this event like, Black Mass, the theme song to the movie PSYCHO, dirges and Sympathy for the Devil like I did at the CFC. I know it's Halloween but I did not want to scare everyone away.

Last night it was all about the Invasion. Most of our readers know I am going on vacation in a few days and I am very busy with that but never too busy to check out a little action.
Taking my boat to the island I was very careful to quickly put it in my pack once landed as I had one go to flames, burn and sink before my eyes a few days ago. The island was dead of action, many players standing about the dead moongate and a few blackened trees and that was it.



Tonight was the Halloween Glow in Moonglow. I arrived early to this event also to witness Rachel with mega lag like I have not seen in years. That girl was moving in slow mo. She voiced her concern with the Invasion that the event may be a bomb.



It was not long before others arrived to witness a very drunk Celtic Frost sing and belt out ditties.



GOF set up in the Moonglow Bank and did a simple but eye catching display with fabric. Lord William gave Halloween Spirit a warm welcome and a generous pack full of goodies.



FiFi Laforge, one of my favorite gals, was at this event handing out gifts bags from FCB. It was disappointing she was not at the CFC costume contest. She may of won if she came in her granny shoes and outfit, lol.



Real life trick or treaters (mainly my cousins son, 2 years old) started to arrive and I had to log.

Soon it will be time to delete Halloween Spirit.

I hope you all have/had a safe and Happy Halloween.

EVE (Emporium Vendors & Events) November Auction

Fox-Emporium has changed names and is now called EVE (Emporium Vendors & Events), and if you think this means anything less than a continuation of the best quality auctions and other events, you couldn't be more wrong!

Eleanora has announced EVE's November Auction, and as usual, she has secured plenty of bid-worthy items! The Auction will be held at The Emporium in Luna at 1pm AEST this Sunday. Here is the list, as published on the EVE Events website, spellweave.com. Bookmark this site for future EVE auction and event news! Also see this thread for map and other details.

List may be subject to slight change:

UO Oceania News Reporter

Hello Fellow Sosarians,

I have had the honor to send some questions and have them answered by Slacktard himself.
I must appologize, due to some issues I was only able to obtain a single picture of Mr. Fixit.

Well enough of me and on to the interview.

ntroducing Mr. Fixit aka Slacktard

1. How long have you been playing UO?
Five years, maybe a little more...
A. How long have you played on L.A. ?
Since the day it opened! Missed the land-grab cuz I had to work but I have the
original Keep my guildie got.

2. What are the names of your main characters and what professions are they?
On LA:
Slacktard- Macer/Pally extraordinaire and general nuisance
MrFixit- (prolly spend the majority of my time on him) Legendary BS and Tailor, GM Carp, Tink etc. My all around crafter that keeps me warm on those cold, lonely nights when I only have a wireless card for connection!
Tina- Necro/Fence whose temp I can't seem to decide on completely.
The Minstrel Flo- (who name I completely adore!) Bard/Archer, has a red
mohawk and carries a bow, what else can I say??!!!
Synnur-who I play on Siege from time to time.

3. Do you belong to a guild?
Several:
Slack is in KGB with my wonderful booty-head friend Tek (he pretends to not like me but you should see the love notes and flowers he sends!)
Fixit is in LCL with Scrag, Blaze, Mandy etc. great set of folks!
Tina- DSR although I haven't been active and haven't seen Aiden in ages even
though he's my next door neighbor.
Synnur-TNT on Siege but again I haven't been active.

4. What "style" of play is your favorite?
I guess PVM if that's what you mean. I try to PVP but certain individuals seem to have an "edge" that make it frustrating to say the least. I'm all for it on a level playing field but I find myself playing solo and crafting mostly these days since most all of my friends have left and Tek discovered girls. (God bless the little guy finally hit puberty!!)

5. What has been your favorite era in UO been ?
Hard to say since I barely started pre-AOS, but I would say right about the time before Wow came out and ruined our playerbase!

6. What has been your best and worst experiences in UO?
Best would probably be
when Nutty invited me to join LDR out of the blue. He was always really cool with me and helped me when I was first starting out. Hated to lose him to THE GREAT SATAN (Wow).
Worst- when I went AFK while on(then named) Minstrel Flo to return and find myself in UO "jail" and arguing with a GM about the validity of a Bard named Florence.

7. Is there something about you (in game) that no one knows? ie: you only eat peaches, only use pink band aids, will only ride a lama.
I guess not specifically but I do try to RP my chars with their gear as closely as
possible to what would be "realistic" with their profession as far as armor, weps and clothing goes. Oh! And Slack wears Aquaman underoos and a blaze cape!

8. How do you feel about L.A. now ?
Truly saddens me how dead it is. Granted I won't leave until they pull the plug
but I miss the days when Brit bank was bustling and I had to take fourth row
at Ice Cove or HOT auction because I was five minutes late.

9. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing in Sosarian life, what would it be?
Reduce the land mass DEFINITELY, maybe eliminte a few shards (yeah I know this would piss people off but come on...really), have everthing wear out and
break perhaps without the continued use of POF, make Fel more like pre-pub 16.

10. Has any one influenced you?
Sure, Nutty Professor, Twink, DV (taught me to be crabby!), LL (Leia), Eryn Darkthorn, Elves of Lorien, Rose Cotton, Blazehammer, Scrag, Nabber, Tarl,
Fabienne, Folger (may he rest in peace) and of course the nefarious Jixie and Tek! I'm sure there are others I would add but I've had a couple of rum and
cokes....

11. Is there anyone that you would like to acknowledge?
Probably Nutty for STILL not forgetting about me, Leia for finally giving me my
reserved seat some time ago, Tek for always making me laugh, TyColby for
always giving me a drinking buddy (even though he didn't show for the Austin
meetup, Scrag;Blaze and all of LCL for making me feel welcome, TNT for giving
me stuff without really knowing me, Fabs for always being cool and getting me
hook-ups! I must also thank Twink and especvially DV for providing me hours
of entertainment, I know I caused him a lot of grief but he always made the
auctions better and I liked talking to him one on one.
A. Anything that you would like to add?
Thnaks for honoring me with these questions and I want ya'll to know (yeah I'm
from Texas) to know that if anyone needs help with anything don't hesitate to
ask! That's what made our game great and I thnk still can! Who needs gold anyhow!!!??

I hope you have enjoyed this insightful iterview as much as I have.
Thank you Slacktard for your time and I sure hope we continue to see you on the forums and in game.

This has been Paul Harvey

Goood Day!

he invasion of Magincia started, the Masquerade Ball was cancelled (hopefully to be held in the near future as a lot of work went into that) and the CCC Haunted House and Maze was opened right on schedule! It is a very clever and fun house; therefore, in order not to give away all the fun there will not be too many pictures. When you first arrive at the house which is directly south of Luna Central on the Mall, you are greeted by the CCC crew handing out Trick or Treat Bags, but honestly, in my bag there were no tricks, just a marvelous assortment of treats!

Then you are welcome to experience the maze! And there is not a door to be seen to begin, instead you have to climb a rickety old ladder to enter the maze! There are drop floors, secret doors, narrow passages, and all kinds of exquisite gruesome details!

It was promised the maze would remain open until they decorate for Thanksgiving so everyone go and enjoy this great piece of fun on our shard!

Jeremy Dalberg 30 Oct 2007 19:51:14

Victory cheers rang throughout Magincia today as hundreds of daemons met a swift end at the hands of the city’s militia. The mayor issued a short statement:

“This morning I was apprised of an unexpected and unprovoked invasion of daemons near the moongate. My staff and I immediately surveyed the battlefield, and our excellent field commanders were quick to repel the invasion and defend our city’s borders. A few residents are reporting minor structural damages, but we’re reporting no loss of life. I’m proud of the way our militia handled themselves, and have politely declined offers of assistance from the mainland government. At this time I would like to reiterate that while there may be a few daemons left to hunt down, there is no major, sustained threat to the city. This so-called ‘invasion’ is over.”

Magical methods of travel still remain unavailable, however, and the Magincia moongate appears to have ceased functioning altogether. The BNN will be sending Sherry the Mouse, our intrepid field investigator, to the scene tomorrow.

[from www.uo.com]

Full article can be found here http://www.uoherald.com/news/

Submit your stories and screenshots here please!

A single place for all tales of derring-do in Magincia!

Jeremy Dalberg 30 Oct 2007 16:24:26

“Milord!”

The veils and drapes were ripped aside, pouring daylight into the canopy bed upon which a much disheveled, and suddenly very displeased, mayor had been sleeping. The blinding light lessened, obstructed by a rough shadow, and the voice yelled again.

“Milord, please! Wake thyself, ‘tis urgent!”

The Mayor threw aside his blankets and wools, and grasped at the drapes, pulling himself aright. There had been the party, the long dancing into the night, the wine, the women, “Ah”, he thought, “the…”

“Daemons, mi lord, in the forest!” the plaintive voice continued, failing to heed the state of the lord of the house. The mayor’s eyes focused, the headache was horrendous, but he composed himself and looked up.

“Daemons? In the forest. Near the moongate?”

“Yes, mi lord!”

He nodded, looked down at his hands, they seemed very far away from his arms for some reason. The mayor looked up, his knuckles white as his hands clenched into fists on his knees.

“You woke me up, for… daemons?”

The soldier knew the tone, hesitated. “But sir, we’ve never seen them like this…” He was cut off.

“What do we usually, well, do, about daemons in the forest, young Belfry?”

The man’s armor clinked as he shifted uncomfortably. “We destroy them, sir. Or call the mages and dispel them.”

The mayor wasn’t even paying attention now, his hand hovering over his nightstand where an understanding servant had just placed a goblet of mead. He nodded, made an assenting sort of sound, nasal in quality, crystal clear in meaning.

“Mages? Yes, mages seem like a good idea.”

“Sir, we’re concerned that this isn’t ordinary,” but the soldier got no further.

“I said SUMMON SOME MAGES AND STOP WASTING MY TIME!” the mayor jumped up and pushed the spilling goblet against the poor man’s doublet, punctuating his point with each spilled drop.

“Sir! Yes sir!” and he was gone.

The mayor climbed back into bed, another day begun, and mindlessly worked himself back beneath the warm sheets. “Daemons. Unbelievable. What’s next?” he mumbled into a silk pillow.

Posted to uoherald.com:

Magincia Repels Invasion!
Jeremy Dalberg
30 Oct 2007 19:51:14

Victory cheers rang throughout Magincia today as hundreds of daemons met a swift end at the hands of the city’s militia. The mayor issued a short statement:

“This morning I was apprised of an unexpected and unprovoked invasion of daemons near the moongate. My staff and I immediately surveyed the battlefield, and our excellent field commanders were quick to repel the invasion and defend our city’s borders. A few residents are reporting minor structural damages, but we’re reporting no loss of life. I’m proud of the way our militia handled themselves, and have politely declined offers of assistance from the mainland government. At this time I would like to reiterate that while there may be a few daemons left to hunt down, there is no major, sustained threat to the city. This so-called ‘invasion’ is over.”

Magical methods of travel still remain unavailable, however, and the Magincia moongate appears to have ceased functioning altogether. The BNN will be sending Sherry the Mouse, our intrepid field investigator, to the scene tomorrow.

Jeremy Dalberg 30 Oct 2007 16:24:26

“Milord!”

The veils and drapes were ripped aside, pouring daylight into the canopy bed upon which a much disheveled, and suddenly very displeased, mayor had been sleeping. The blinding light lessened, obstructed by a rough shadow, and the voice yelled again.

“Milord, please! Wake thyself, ‘tis urgent!”

The Mayor threw aside his blankets and wools, and grasped at the drapes, pulling himself aright. There had been the party, the long dancing into the night, the wine, the women, “Ah”, he thought, “the…”

“Daemons, mi lord, in the forest!” the plaintive voice continued, failing to heed the state of the lord of the house. The mayor’s eyes focused, the headache was horrendous, but he composed himself and looked up.

“Daemons? In the forest. Near the moongate?”

“Yes, mi lord!”

He nodded, looked down at his hands, they seemed very far away from his arms for some reason. The mayor looked up, his knuckles white as his hands clenched into fists on his knees.

“You woke me up, for… daemons?”

The soldier knew the tone, hesitated. “But sir, we’ve never seen them like this…” He was cut off.

“What do we usually, well, do, about daemons in the forest, young Belfry?”

The man’s armor clinked as he shifted uncomfortably. “We destroy them, sir. Or call the mages and dispel them.”

The mayor wasn’t even paying attention now, his hand hovering over his nightstand where an understanding servant had just placed a goblet of mead. He nodded, made an assenting sort of sound, nasal in quality, crystal clear in meaning.

“Mages? Yes, mages seem like a good idea.”

“Sir, we’re concerned that this isn’t ordinary,” but the soldier got no further.

“I said SUMMON SOME MAGES AND STOP WASTING MY TIME!” the mayor jumped up and pushed the spilling goblet against the poor man’s doublet, punctuating his point with each spilled drop.

“Sir! Yes sir!” and he was gone.

The mayor climbed back into bed, another day begun, and mindlessly worked himself back beneath the warm sheets. “Daemons. Unbelievable. What’s next?” he mumbled into a silk pillow.

This new chapter has appeared on uoherald.com's BNN news site:

BNN: A Minor Inconvenience
Jeremy Dalberg
30 Oct 2007 16:24:26

“Milord!”

The veils and drapes were ripped aside, pouring daylight into the canopy bed upon which a much disheveled, and suddenly very displeased, mayor had been sleeping. The blinding light lessened, obstructed by a rough shadow, and the voice yelled again.

“Milord, please! Wake thyself, ‘tis urgent!”

The Mayor threw aside his blankets and wools, and grasped at the drapes, pulling himself aright. There had been the party, the long dancing into the night, the wine, the women, “Ah”, he thought, “the…”

“Daemons, milord, in the forest!” the plaintative voice continued, failing to heed the state of the lord of the house. The mayor’s eyes focused, the headache was horrendous, but he composed himself and looked up.

“Daemons? In the forest. Near the moongate?”

“Yes, milord!”

He nodded, looked down at his hands, they seemed very far away from his arms for some reason. The mayor looked up, his knuckles white as his hands clenched into fists on his knees.

“You woke me up, for… daemons?”

Read the rest of this story Here, and read more about the Invasion of Magincia event Here

Special thanks to Herenui for this report!

New Haven was a perfect location for this spooky event. Several guilds banded together to make this a fun night.

A pigeon came by way via Pratt of MOA informing me of this event and inviting me to attend and I am glad I did.

Linda Carter/ Wonder Woman ( Aridas ) of FCB still in her costume, fresh from her win at the CFC costume contest greeted me first. FCB and MOA were handing out gift bags which I received one from each. I am not sure if other guilds handed out items but when I saw Kuan Ti of SLEM arriving with a pack horse in tow I knew there were more treat on the way. H^I was supporting this event so maybe the Kuanster was representing them as he is close to that guild.




Two of the gifts bags I received

The city was decorated with wheat and pumpkins, very festive looking indeed. I asked several people who festooned the city for this event and knowone could give me a direct answer. Several thought it was a MOA member which would not surprize me as they are a creative bunch.

SK, one of my personal favorite guilds on Great Lakes had many members present as did DA and CREATION. So many guilds and so many players attended this "last minute" event shows what can happen when community minded guilds join forces. Soulsinger, Dearg, DJ Scorp, Helter Skelter, Lord Balthazar, Tanda, Chupacabra, Ohm, Zat, Scratchy Hamster, Zephyrus ( not doing the " Gummy Bear " thank goodness ! ), Lady Mother Nature, Amelia, Glasya, Hannah, Amos Moses, Tai ni po ni, Slappy, Cisco, Elixir and Lord Insane Clown are a few names I can remember.

Several times during the event Pratt told seasonal jokes and asked trivia to the amusement of the crowd.





There was also a prize for the character that came back with the most body parts after trick or treating. It was a fun filled night and I had sensory overload !!

Before departing I stopped by the bar and food station set up by DA and refreshing it was.



For those that attended please reply to this article and share your fun, excitement, experience and opinion of this event.


I will leave you with one of Pratt's jokes from the evening.

Q -What's mummies favorite music ?
A- Rap

The Great Lakes News Room received a letter from Edda this week giving a mixed message. Edda expressed delight that she(he) was not in the Obituary Column last week as she seems to be in every edition. It appears one player ( *name removed* ) is always on the lookout for Edda dead.
As the editor of the Obituary Column I want to thank that person, lol.

At the end of Edda's letter she mentioned something to the effect she likes dieing for the public. Regardless of how she or you feel ... keep those screenshots coming !!!

On the subject of Obit favorites and frequently featured corpses, Princess Amara ( Obituary Queen ) has not been in the column for weeks. Rumor has it she has gone to the birds and has been seen about Luna and Brit in chicken form. Has she joined the CFC? Is a trick being played on her as she seeks out treats?

These questions I cannot answer but back by popular demand I give you Edda again.






Aj












Jcup


Maximux










Tatssair

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With Halloween tricks and treats upon us this past week many of the Obit screenshots coming my way have been deadly tricks.
With that said here is a special Obit Column featuring some of them.




Genesis Lineage



The Cat's Lair


Mr.Smith




Charity














Rufus


Ruth

October 26, 2007

"What is the barding difficulty formula?"
The Stratics Page on barding difficulty is accurate. The formula listed on that page only gives you an approximate difficulty, however, because Animal Lore doesn't necessarily show you all of a creature's skills - Parry, for example, doesn't show up in that list, but the creature may have skill points in it, affecting its total difficulty. So while the formula itself is correct, players don't necessarily have all the data they'd need to use it.

The actual barding difficulty listed in the Animal Lore gump, however, is accurate. So there's no need to go through the formula in the first place!

"Whatever happened to changing the Doom aritifact drop system ?"
Leurocian and Wilki just got this ready today, and it's being tested. Once we're sure it's solid, we'll get it out to you! (Click the link in the question for details on approximately how the system will work.)

"Do we really no longer have a QA team?"

There is a rumor going around to this effect, and it's simply not true. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting right next to some of them. (Some of them are on the other side of the country, although that will soon change

With the team's move, there are going to be a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation, and a lot of doom and gloom. Please, take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and don't be too quick to predict the death of UO. People have been doing it for just about ten years now, and it's still kickin'.

"Is [insert your favorite dev here] going to be moving?"
This is a decision each person is going to be making over the next several weeks. There won't be any official announcement until everything has shaken out and everyone is comfortable with their plans. Moving across the country is a big decision, and I don't want anyone to feel pressured, or under a microscope.

"When does the invasion of Magincia start?"
We're planning for it to begin early next week. We'll announce it on the Herald ahead of time, so keep your eyes peeled.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and watch out for bits of falling sky!

- Jeremy

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Falling Fundament
Jeremy Dalberg
26 Oct 2007 19:29:38

"What is the barding difficulty formula?"

The Stratics Page on barding difficulty is accurate. The formula listed on that page only gives you an approximate difficulty, however, because Animal Lore doesn't necessarily show you all of a creature's skills - Parry, for example, doesn't show up in that list, but the creature may have skill points in it, affecting its total difficulty. So while the formula itself is correct, players don't necessarily have all the data they'd need to use it

The actual barding difficulty listed in the Animal Lore gump, however, is accurate. So there's no need to go through the formula in the first place!

"Whatever happened to Changing the Doom Artifact Drop System ?"

Leurocian and Wilki just got this ready today, and it's being tested. Once we're sure it's solid, we'll get it out to you! (Click the link in the question for details on approximately how the system will work.)

"Do we really no longer have a QA team?"

There is a rumor going around to this effect, and it's simply not true. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting right next to some of them. (Some of them are on the other side of the country, although That will soon change

With the team's move, there are going to be a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation, and a lot of doom and gloom. Please, take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and don't be too quick to predict the death of UO. People have been doing it for just about ten years now, and it's still kickin'.

"Is [insert your favorite dev here] going to be moving?"

This is a decision each person is going to be making over the next several weeks. There won't be any official announcement until everything has shaken out and everyone is comfortable with their plans. Moving across the country is a big decision, and I don't want anyone to feel pressured, or under a microscope.

"When does the Invasion of Magincia start?"

We're planning for it to begin early next week. We'll announce it on the Herald ahead of time, so keep your eyes peeled.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and watch out for bits of falling sky!

Jeremy

All shards were published with the following during this morning's maintenance (except for the Japanese shards, which will be published during their next maintenance:)

• (KR) Light Daemons will now be... well, light.
• Fixed display issue for Magencia roof tiles
• Using the artillery in Magencia will have a chance to produce "Rubble" that can be picked up
• Added the capability to put up a survey upon login, and added a reward (a 2-hour buff) for completion of the survey

Posted to uoherald.com:

All Shards Published
Jeremy Dalberg
26 Oct 2007 12:38:43 EST

All shards were published with the following during this morning's maintenance (except for the Japanese shards, which will be published during their next maintenance:)

(KR) Light Daemons will now be... well, light.

Fixed display issue for Magincia roof tiles

Using the artillery in Magincia will have a chance to produce "Rubble" that can be picked up

Added the capability to put up a survey upon login, and added a reward (a 2-hour buff) for completion of the survey

Posted to uoherald.com:

Patch Server Issues
Jeremy Dalberg
26 Oct 2007 00:41:45

It looks like there are issues with the patch server at the moment. We're looking into it, and will update when we have news - in the meantime, there is a simple workaround. Go into your UO folder, and start the game by launching uo.exe directly - it will bypass the patcher and get you in.

UPDATE 6:42AM PDT: The issue has been resolved - sorry for the inconvenience!

Right on the heels of hearing from Chris Rabideau (UO Producer) that the entire Ultima Online Development Team is going to be shipped off to Virginia, we're now getting word from sources at EA/Mythic of significant layoffs that took place today too (October 24). Aaron Linde over at Destructoid has the most comprehensive story to date about it, so I direct you to a quote from his article titled Restructuring, layoffs forthcoming at EA, Mythic Studios:

Owing to sagging profits and and a less-than-firm grip on their once invulnerable spot at top of the third party heap, Electronic Arts is looking to make some changes in their corporate structure, starting with Mythic and their Redwood Shores studio. An internal email from a trustworthy source who wishes to remain anonymous reveals that John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, has tasked every studio and company within the monolithic publisher with getting their rising costs in line with revenue, which in plain English means layoffs.

The email from Mythic VP Rob Denton was sent to all employees of Mythic and details some of the plans to reduce costs by cutting jobs as well as some actions already taken. Headcount will be managed through "attrition, performance management, stricter hiring guidelines and layoffs". Over the next two months, the Ultima Online team will be moving from EA Redwood Shores to Mythic's Fairfax, VA studio to streamline operations. Meanwhile, a number of employees at both studios have already been let go as of earlier today, with more to follow as EA tightens its belt in the coming months.

For more details, make sure to check out the complete article

As UO Stratics gains more information and details about these developments we will make sure to let you know. Stay tuned.

It looks like there are issues with the patch server at the moment. We're looking into it, and will update when we have news - in the meantime, there is a simple workaround. Go into your UO folder, and start the game by launching uo.exe directly - it will bypass the patcher and get you in.

I would like to Thank everyone who came out and participated in last nights event....Mayor Gareth, Xix, Angus, Crystal and Cat. Also, a Thank you to Se'an Silverfoot who arrived toward the end of the battle to help us gather our troops and fall back to my home. A special Thank you to Lady Katherine, who crafted the fine weapons that were used in the event.

Although we fought with Honor and Bravery, we were sadly out numbered, and could not hold the Bushido Dojo without many deaths. The Ronin and Ninja are ruthless warriors, and at points in the fray we would engage them in waves of 4 or more to 1.

With that said, Daimyo Okimoto's forces succeeded in pushing their way past our lines, and into the bordering homes of PaxOku. My home, as well as homes in the PaxOku Heights District, and some of the inner City TeaRose district, have been claimed by Okimoto. I hope, for the Citizens of PaxOku, that this action will not go unchecked, and that the Citizens will retaliate to once again drive Okimoto and his forces back into the Northern Territory.

I suspect that plans are in the works for a Southern invasion from the Yomotsu warriors. A book found by Lady Crystal during the battle last night, hints to a meeting between Okimoto and the Yomotsu sometime in the near future.

I suggest that all Citizens be aware of this threat, and ready at anytime for another attack.

Sincerely,

Lord Xavier Reed, PaxOku Councilman

Be on the lookout for the next call to arms from the city of PaxOku. Any and all assistance to the city in repelling the invasion will be appreciated.

Owing to sagging profits and and a less-than-firm grip on their once invulnerable spot at top of the third party heap, Electronic Arts is looking to make some changes in their corporate structure, starting with Mythic and their Redwood Shores studio. An internal email from a trustworthy source who wishes to remain anonymous reveals that John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, has tasked every studio and company within the monolithic publisher with getting their rising costs in line with revenue, which in plain English means layoffs.

The email from Mythic VP Rob Denton was sent to all employees of Mythic and details some of the plans to reduce costs by cutting jobs as well as some actions already taken. Headcount will be managed through "attrition, performance management, stricter hiring guidelines and layoffs". Over the next two months, the Ultima Online team will be moving from EA Redwood Shores to Mythic's Fairfax, VA studio to streamline operations. Meanwhile, a number of employees at both studios have already been let go as of earlier today, with more to follow as EA tightens its belt in the coming months.

As UO Stratics gains more information and details about these developments we will make sure to let you know. Stay tuned.

Chris Rabideau 24 Oct 2007 18:00:48

Citizens of Britannia,

I wanted to share with you a significant change that is about to take place with the UO development team. Over the next several months, we'll be moving the team from its current location at EA's headquarters outside of San Francisco, CA to the EA Mythic studios in Fairfax, VA.

So what does this mean to you? This is a big move for the team, but we expect it to have very little impact on the game and community in the short term. Planned development and operations will continue with minimal interruption.

In the long term, we believe this move will be a big win for UO and will allow us to better support the game as we move into its second decade of operation. By having all three MMO teams together here in Virginia, we'll be better able to focus on Ultima Online’s development and ensure a long and lively future for the game.

Moving the UO team into the same studio that currently houses the Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online teams has other advantages as well. We'll be bringing a wealth of MMO experience together under one roof with a clear studio vision and strong leadership. This will benefit all three titles as we'll be able to share resources, experience and technology to continue to improve all of our games.

We know what UO means to you and it is as much a part of our lives as it is yours. For that reason, we are committed to the game's continued development, support and success. Moving the UO team to the EA Mythic studio will provide this most cherished game and its community with the love, attention and resources it needs to continue to grow and thrive.

Thank you,

Chris Rabideau
Producer, Ultima Online
EA Mythic
October 24, 2007

Don't forget to dress yourself up and take a stroll to go trick-or-treating! Choose your victims wisely, demand a "trick or treat" and see what loot you can gather! What’s more, don’t be surprised to see a few unusual things around this time of the year – it is Halloween, after all! Courtesy of Terrance Drith, here is a picture of the Britain bank, flooded in wheat! Sure, it’s time of the harvest, but I didn’t know the bank was interested in agriculture.

And lastly, this month we were given some very surprising news regarding the development team. If you haven’t heard it already, read the news here. A number of familiar names may be lost during this move, and it’s unsure what this means for Britannia’s future. Time will tell!

This has been your short news update. Safe travels!

Regards,

Lady Mana
Napa Valley News Manager
Lieutenant of the Royal Britannian Guards

Posted to uoherald.com:

From the Producer
Chris Rabideau
24 Oct 2007 18:00:48

Citizens of Britannia,

I wanted to share with you a significant change that is about to take place with the UO development team. Over the next several months, we'll be moving the team from its current location at EA's headquarters outside of San Francisco, CA to the EA Mythic studios in Fairfax, VA.

So what does this mean to you? This is a big move for the team, but we expect it to have very little impact on the game and community in the short term. Planned development and operations will continue with minimal interruption.

In the long term, we believe this move will be a big win for UO and will allow us to better support the game as we move into its second decade of operation. By having all three MMO teams together here in Virginia, we'll be better able to focus on Ultima Online’s development and ensure a long and lively future for the game.

Moving the UO team into the same studio that currently houses the Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online teams has other advantages as well. We'll be bringing a wealth of MMO experience together under one roof with a clear studio vision and strong leadership. This will benefit all three titles as we'll be able to share resources, experience and technology to continue to improve all of our games.

We know what UO means to you and it is as much a part of our lives as it is yours. For that reason, we are committed to the game's continued development, support and success. Moving the UO team to the EA Mythic studio will provide this most cherished game and its community with the love, attention and resources it needs to continue to grow and thrive.

Thank you,

Chris Rabideau

Producer, Ultima Online

EA Mythic

October 24, 2007

October 19, 2007

"Why did mage cast times get nerfed with this patch?"
So, the change was this: instead of rubber banding when you try to move when you're casting (as in, your character moves a couple steps then "snaps back" to its original spot) you actually stay in one place for the duration of the cast. This is purely a client-side change - the server has always handled casting this way. You're now just seeing what's actually happening, rather than what your client guesses might be happening before the server tells it otherwise.

It will take some getting used to for mages, certainly, and it's possible that certain applications of low-cast-time-spells might be slightly affected, but overall this is a step in the direction of making the movement code less susceptible to certain types of attacks.

"Does the new house storage increase stack with the ML increase, and how?"
It does stack, and it's an additional 20% of your ORIGINAL house storage. For example, say your house used to hold 100 items. You get ML, now it holds 120 items. You get the new additional storage, it will hold 140 items (NOT 144 items.)

"Does Luck affect the rewards from the Heartwood quests?"
No, the Luck stat has no effect. It's purely random.

"What is the effect of the Bushido skill Lightning Strike? Is it affected by the HCI cap?"
From Wilki:

"It gives a bonus of 50 HCI, and a critical strike chance ranging from 0-20 based on Bushido skill. It is affected by the cap."

Which gives rise to a different question - namely, if the HCI cap is 45, why does Lightning Strike give a bonus of 50? Well, it does potentially offset Hit Lower Attack - if you've been hit with HLA, your Hit Chance has been lowered to -25%. Lightning Strike will raise your Hit Chance by 50 - all the way to +25% if you're under the effect of HLA. So even though the effect of the skill is capped under normal circumstances, that extra 5% hit chance can still be useful.

"What does the Body Sculptor do?"
The Body Sculptor will enable players to change their face in KR to one of the other available faces. (We promised it, and here it is!)

There will be further sets of faces to choose from, available through various different methods. The first set is a promotion related to the Japanese 10th Anniversary box. For the first little while, those faces (and bodies! CatHat has been busy!) will only be available to people who have bought that box. Afterwards, they will be opened up to everyone.

CatHat just can't wait to show y'all his work, so check out the new male and female face/body options!

If Rainz from the UO beta is still around... sir, a gauntlet has been thrown. *giggle* (If you have no idea what all that's about, Wikipedia has a good summary. Basically, Fire Fields are more dangerous than you might have thought :P)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

- Jeremy

Date: Saturday 27th of October 2007
Time: 7pm (Sydney) AEST
Location: PoC Function Center - Cove (Trammel) - Gates From Luna

Halloween Costume Contest - still looking for judges
Spooky Trivia - Hosted by Lylaendra of ALJ
Deceit Dungeon Boogie - (WRR are loading the auto DJ with Halloween hits from 7pm till 12am)

The Halloween Ball with start off with a Halloween Costume Contest and Party at the function center. Prizes will be given to the three best costumes: 1st Place, 2nd Place and 3rd Place.

Then we will move into Spooky Trivia. Lylaendra will ask thrity spooky-themed questions; correct answers will be awarded with prizes.

Before contestants answer they must say BUZZ - the first buzz on the journal will be asked to give the answer. If they get it correct they will be awarded; if they are incorrect there will be one more chance for everyone to answer... if anyone calls out without being asked to give the answer they will be ignored and not awarded.

After the Spooky Trivia we will move on to Deceit Dungeon Trammel to boogie on down with some Undead, so bring your undead slayers - no prizes at this event, just some good old fashioned dungeon-bashing with some Halloween hits being played on www.whisperingroseradio.com. Everyone loots their own kills.

I hope to see you all there. Thankyou to ALJ guild and to WRR for their help with this event.

Deal or No Deal, UO Style

Hosted by Whispering Rose Radio

Whispering Rose Radio (WRR) have been running Deal or No Deal, UO Style for over a year now. From week to week you will find them on various shards, bringing their own brand of excitement with live radio coverage of the event from www.wrrad.com. You can attend the event on any shard, knowing that if you are lucky enough to win, you can elect to claim your winnings on the shard of your choice (1/3rd on Siege Perilous). There's something extra special about seeing it on your home shard, though, so When WRR announced they were coming to Oceania on Sunday 21st October, I had no intention of missing out on the fun!

It was almost 9am, and it seemed Oceania's residents had, one and all, flocked to WRR's studio in Umbra to take part in the event. Tuning into the live radio broadcast, I made my way into the studio to find a series of robes with coloured dyetubs for each shard. I grabbed myself a robe and dyed it in Oceania's aqua blue.

The coloured dyetubs in 'shard colours'.

Those who wanted a chance to play the game had submitted books with information about thesmelves and the WRR staff shuffled the books to ensure a fair pick. After several shuffles, the time had come. Howie SandManDel announced the first potential contestant - Lazarus of Oceania!

Howie SandManDel addresses the audience, both in game and on air.

DJ Bearfoot opened the door to the contestant's area where Lazarus went in and waited. Following Lazarus, the next to be called was Jack (also known as Cynthia) of Legends shard. Then came Phoenix DWxC from Chesapeake. Larisa of Origin was next, and finally, Catskills' own, TWiNkIE.

When called, the entrants choose and stand behind a box (1-5) and wait for the boxes to be 'unlocked'. Once access is granted, players look in their box for a book - one of the books says "DEAL" and the other four say "NO DEAL". The person Who gets the "DEAL" book gets to play Deal or No Deal, UO style. The other four form the Peanut Gallery and also get a prize equal to 10% of the contestant's winnings at the end of the show.

Potential contestants wait behind their chosen boxes.

As the lucky few patiently waited, Vana Mana Rose granted them access to their boxes. A couple declared "it's not me", and then Lazarus announced it was he who had the "DEAL" book! An ear-splitting roar erupted from audience members donned in Oceania colours, as they cheered on victory for the "home team".

Lazarus and the Peanut Gallery all took their seats and prepared for the main event. Howie SandmanDel asked Lazarus to firstly choose one box for himself, which would be put aside. Lazarus selected box #3 and Vana Mana Rose placed a Heritage Token on it to mark it.

Lazarus chooses box three.

Each box contains a book with a cash prize recorded (from 1 gp to 10 mil gp), and as each box is opened, that prize is eliminated from the running. Each round, the contestant is asked to select a number of boxes, which are then opened and prizes displayed. After this, the banker (in this case, Norman Bates) offers the contestant a cash amount. The contestant either accepts that prize, or continues choosing boxes. Ultimately the contestant takes home either a Bank Offer or the money in his own pre-selected box (Lazarus' #3 Box).

The first round ready to begin, Lazarus was asked to choose six boxes to be opened. He declared he would have the even numbers from the back row (#18, #20, #22, #24, #26) and finally #1.

The first box (#18) was opened and to the horror of the staff and audience, it was the 10 Million gp prize! The only one who seemed unaffected by this turn of events was Lazarus himself!

The 10 Million Gold prize is eliminated early.

The other boxes contained 1k, 1 mil, 4k, 2 mil and 4 mil respectively. After a painfully high first round, Sandman questioned the wisdom of Lazarus' back row strategy. "Strategy?" said Lazarus, laughing, "I was being lazy."

The first bank offer came in at 100,853 gp, which Lazarus dismissed, saying "Let's just get to the boxes". As play continued, Lazarus picked boxes with varying success, and the bank offers got increasingly large. Lazarus turned each one down, saying "NO DEAL" until it was down to only a couple of boxes to pick from. With the 7.5 Million still available, the offer was at a huge 2,000,562 gp! Lazarus remained uninterested in dealing with the banker, but alas the 7.5 Million was eliminated in Lazarus' next pick.

A seemingly tempting offer was refused.

With only two small amounts remaining, Sandman was awaiting the deal from the banker. Lazarus said "Skip it, no deal", anticipating the low offer coming. He chose his final box and all that was left was HIS box, which contained his final prize of 2K gold. He didn't seem disappointed at all, despite having an offer of over two million gp only moments before.

Door prizes were announced between rounds, for which the lucky winners could also choose to accept their prize now on Oceania, or on another shard. The winners throughout the event (and the shards they took the prizes on) were Skylla (Napa Valley), Cymoril yay! (Oceania), Lighting (Lake Superior), Jewel (Napa Valley), Hugh Jorgen (Oceania) and Dry Water (Origin).

Hugh Jorgen (on nail beds) and Dry Water claim their prizes.

A very exciting game over, audience members and contestants slowly began filing out of the studio. I stole Oceania's hero of the hour for a quick interview and asked him if he had any big plans for his 2K. "I wouldn't accept", he explained, "even if it was the 10 mil. I would have asked them to split it with the peanut gallery." I congratulated him on his win and on his generosity and asked if he had anything else to say to Oceania. He replied "the players of Oce know why we're here... less competition, more toys, lol." He mentioned there are great people here on Oceania, and wished me well as he left to pursue other adventures.

Many thanks to Whispering Rose Radio for holding this incredible event! I know that I, for one, will be attending Deal or No Deal, UO Style on other shards whenever I can!

UO Oceania News Reporter

Izabo, a very interesting name indeed. What was the inspiration for this name?
The movie LadyHawk


A player by the name blanc De blanc told me I should interview you. My guess is that you must hang at Lady M or other peerless as that is where it seems blanc lives. Where does Izabo spend most of his/her time in the realm?
First I'm not a male, second of all I spend my time buying ,selling goods,doing peerless.



You are one of the few people I see these days riding a turkey...and oh what a colorful one you have. What do you like about that mount?
Most of all I like this color.

On the subject of color, you seem to always have a very personal combination of items and color choices. Are you into the fashion of your character or the stats?
Fashion then stats.



How long have you been playing UO?
21 months

Have you been getting any of the new artis in the dungeons?
Yes around 7

If you could change one thing about UO what would it be?
Little more freedom on the artie drops. More often.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be ? Try not to work so much. Spend more time with family.

What is your favorite color?
blue

What is your most treasured possession in the realm ?
All are treaseured to me, I'm poor.

What is your most treasured possession in real life?
My son

What was the last movie you saw?
28 weeks later

What was the last book you read ?
Misery

Other than where you live now where would you like to live?
Colorado

What is your motto?
__Work hard play hard.__

Dark and floating shapes and shadows
Lurking all about
Wicked wind carries vile whispers
Of evil, silent shouts
Watchful eyes that stay unseen fix a vile stare
Your breath freezes in your lungs
You would search but do not dare
Skin turns prickly, cold to touch
Clammy damp with fright
Send your prayers to Virtue’s god
For this is Samhain night!


Your presence is requested at a Halloween party Friday, October 26th, 8:00 PM EST in Umbra.

Come dressed in your costumes, there will be a reward for first, second and third prizes in both a costume contest and a scary story contest. (Stories must be original)

This is a no conflict zone - This is an RP event, but if you have issues with another person IC, leave it at the moongate.

• Take newbies on dungeon raids & peerless groups


• Treasure hunts


• Scavenger hunts


• Trivia nights


• Darts tournaments


• Halloween hunt for body parts


• Story night


• Sight seeing tours


• Animal fight offs


• Capture the box


• Pirate wars


• Attack on Magincia when the demons arrive


• A steal off


• Public Harrower


• Price is right


• Thank god your here based game


• Whose line is it anyway based game


• Chicken (or any other small animal) fights


• RP Social nights, Inc. story telling possibly linked with darts or trivia


• Halloween costume night


• Human chess tournament


• Dungeon gauntlets


• Oceania Festival


• Pageants


• Fashion shows


• Poetry competitions


• Hunt the Stratics staff


• Slave market


• NPC races


• Spring Carnival


• Animal taming collectors quest


• Plague beast mutation core gathering


• Gladiator matches

The orange orb of merriment this time of year is everywhere. All weekend players have been gathering pumpkins, usually in hopes of obtaining a rare black one, and displaying many of the throw aways.

Just for fun I am featuring a few of these player created displays mixed with a few real life pumpkin creations. Enjoy!


Display by Danity Kane




Display by BIGFOOT




Display by JRW, Lord Cool, Medusa and Chuckle




Display by Medusa




Display by SparHawk, blanc De blanc, and Caliesta



Trick or Treating was heavy all over the realm this weekend also.
I spent a greater part of my realm time today doing just that and I died OVER a hundred times all over the land. If you think trick or treat is a kids game just look at the carnage.





















So much death in one day, so sad. As you can see no location is safe.
The healer in Brit even killed me !

Please join us on Monday, Oct. 21, 2007, for a House of Commons chat with the developers of Twelve Sky. The chat will begin at 5pm PDT /7:00pm CST /8:00pm EDT / 12 am UTC/GMT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client or you can visit our new Downloads section to choose a suitable client. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.gamers-irc.org port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

How to ask questions at the chat: Type /msg [QT]NICKNAME and your question. Please send questions only to the QT's (moderators) because questions sent to anyone other than the QT's will not make it into the lineup.

We hope to see you there!

Kayhynn

Hello Fellow Sosarians,

As I have heard some whisperings and rumors of an invasion coming to our beloved city of Magincia I becamse curious and decided a trip to the island city was due.

I tried to use my sacred journey spell to go to the city and it wouldn't work. So, I went to the moongate and alas there was no way to Magincia from the moongate. I had heard in the rumors that travel to the city would be limited to only boat. Well then I jumped on my boat and sailed on over. As I arrived there seemed to be a weird silence and an air of evil on the island.

I first went to see the moongate, it stills stands, but in the jungle around the moongate there are no creatures or animals that are normally there, no bugs or anything, just silence.

So I ventured into the city and there are shopkeepers in thier perspective shops and I come across a couple town criers so I inquire about the news and both times they tell me there is no news.

Maybe they will only report on actual facts and not rumors. But surely the city must be getting the local militia ready. I searched and searched but find no guards any where except on the docks. There I find 2 guards standing guard by a single small boat.

It looks like, that if the rumors are true and an invasion comes to take our beloved city of Magincia from us, it will be up to the citizens of Sosaria to protect the people of Magincia.

The air is thick with evil and the silence is deafening all around Magincia, I feel there is something coming to this fair city. So I put out a call now to all citizens of Sosaria to dust off your spell books, sharpen your blades, load your boats with food and band aids, and make ready the cannons for travel. I fear it will be up to us to save Magincia.

May the gods be with us!

This has been Paul Harvey

Goood Day

You may hear the shuffle of angels feet but this is the month of all things creepy and somber.

In the past few weeks I have mentioned or highlighted halloween/creepy and Autumn decor in several articles. Seasonal change means seasonal decor at most player run event locations. For the past several years I have had the honor of contributing to the look of the auction house of MOA.

Whenever I create an autumn display I always use wheat and I insist on harvesting it at the farmlands. I headed in that direction the other day to start collecting items for decorating MOA. Forgetting it was pumpkin picking time the wheat field was a very busy place.

I was greeted by both Lady Jezebel and Lord Torturer.





I recieved a very excited and warm welcome from both. Informing them of my goal they quickly assisted me in harvesting the wheat and helping with the pumpkin picking for my future design. I thanked both, took a photo of them and told them I would use a pumpkin in the MOA design with thier names on them and I have.



Upon my departure Marme DeNuit arrived asking when I would put more lanterns on my Luna vendor as she buys them out. I had not seem Marme in a long time so it was a pleasure to chat. A limited selection of items is on my vendor as I do it for fun. Most of my items I take to MOA for sale as Pratt and I go way back. However I do enjoy and often attend other auction houses.



On the subject of Pratt ..... I hope he likes what I did with the place, lol. Before I know it a month will have passed and it will be time for winter decor.



Needless to say I am not the only one busy decorating for the season. Both the Luna and Brit banks had been festooned with autumn items this morning by a decorating bandit.





As stated earlier the pumpkin patches are very busy and player named pumpkins are piled up all over the shard feeding many a players ego.
Then there is the trick or treating which has killed me over twenty times already today. I have gotten harvest wine and murky milk not to mention endless sweets so far.



I am not the only one that has died often today. I over heard Miss Perfection and Lady June in Luna go on and on about thier deaths trick or treating. I did notice Lady June is no longer "Lady". Too many deaths and they should both be careful of tooth decay.

To see the MOA autumn design attend the auctions held on wednesday and thursday evenings. Gates are always provided at major banks and you can always check the Great Lakes calendar.

Focus on Factions: Interview 3, Lady Madonna of Great Lakes

Thank you for joining us for our next interview exploring factions. We hope you enjoy this interview with Lady Madonna of Great Lakes.

It is a fine day in Magincia and Azlynn hopes to meet up with a member of the Council of Mages. She has met and talked to a member of the True Britannians and now it is time to broaden her investigation. She strolls the stone streets, relaxed but watchful. Soon CoM base is in site and she is intrigued by the water barrels on the bridge; not really blocking the bridge, not really placed in a particular pattern. Curious indeed. Hopefully she will meet up with a CoM member that will be willing to discuss the state of factions and maybe explain those water barrels. It wasn’t long before she would realize one of her hopes …

What is your UO name?

I have many characters and have had many in factions just depending on what time frame of factions. Right now I have my blue archer in factions her name is Madonna in BCF.

How long have you played UO?

My accont is 122 months old and yes I'm the original owner and I've seen just about everything.

What do you consider your home shard?

Great Lakes is my home shard.

What keeps you playing UO?

The people in the guild that I am in and its still fun to go around pking people.

What do you think of the new templates, soul stones, etc.?

New templates are fun it makes people have to try new skills. That being said the overpowering of some of the new skills was extremely bad for the game and I was glad to see the pvp patch go in. Soulstones are fantastic it lets you change your character that you have invested countless time and money making.

Have they helped or hurt?

Soulstones are a huge help.

What is your favorite type of character?

Right now my favorite characters are my Necro mage and My faction archer.

How did you start playing Factions?

I started when factions first came out. It was a way for people who normally wouldn’t fight each other to fight and meet. Factions are some of the more fond memories I’ve had in uo. When all the factions were full and the fights were constant and exciting.

What faction do you belong to and why?

Right now I belong to Council of Mages. The reason was because when we joined up it was the faction with noone in it and we wanted more people to kill. Sadly though people are now leaving their’s to join CoM.

What do you think killed factions?

A lot of things killed factions. Insurance, lower reagent cost, and no penalty murders are the main things. Insurance killed faction mules. No need to make a leather suit blessed for a week when u could just insure things. Lower reagent cost killed the reason to own towns to buy/sell reagents. Also the influx of script farmers made items that could be gotten from faction vendors so readily available in bulk that no need to sit there and buy over and over. Last but not least being able to kill anyone w/o a consequence other then going red killed off guildwars and factions. I mean why join factions to be able to kill more people when you can just go red and kill whoever you want with no stat loss...

What do you think we can do to revive factions on your shard?

Not sure if factions can be revived. Back when factions were fun it was a group effort working together to kill people. Now everyone runs gimplate, me included, to kill people fast or to run off if they are still alive in the first wave. To revive factions there would have to be some new resource that could only be gotten from factions and used to make something just for factions that gave a bonus or something like that. Controlling towns completely would be fun as well.

I mean right now my guild doesn’t even try to guard sigils which used to be one of the best fun in game. You would have fights all day and night. That was when u had to dedicate a day to guarding them as well not the pathetic 10 hours that it is now. Just wait till its dead and you have 5 or so people and u can get towns pathetically easy now. Back when factions were fun towns would stay with a faction for weeks until a huge battle would finally break them up and another would have control. Now towns are almost traded back and fourth as soon as they are up.

Thank you, Lady Madonna for contributing to our ongoing series of interviews. We hope you enjoyed reading the interview as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.

Posted to uoherald.com:

Halloween Events Info
Jeremy Dalberg
19 Oct 2007 21:00:15

If you're interested in the Halloween events that begain with this week's patch...check out the 2007 Halloween Events page for details!

Posted to uoherald.com:

Halloween Events Info
Jeremy Dalberg
19 Oct 2007 21:00:15

If you're interested in the Halloween events that begain with this week's patch...check out the 2007 Halloween Events page for details!

Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday:

FoF: Former and Future Faces
Jeremy Dalberg
19 Oct 2007 18:31:46

In this week's Five on Friday, find out more about the storage increase, moving while casting, the and more!

"Why did mage cast times get nerfed with this patch?"
So, the change was this: instead of rubberbanding when you try to move when you're casting (as in, your character moves a couple steps then "snaps back" to its original spot) you actually stay in one place for the duration of the cast. This is purely a client-side change - the server has always handled casting this way. You're now just seeing what's actually happening, rather than what your client guesses might be happening before the server tells it otherwise.

It will take some getting used to for mages, certainly, and it's possible that certain applications of low-cast-time-spells might be slightly affected, but overall this is a step in the direction of making the movement code less susceptible to certain types of attacks.

--

"Does the new house storage increase stack with the ML increase, and how?"
It does stack, and it's an additional 20% of your ORIGINAL house storage. For example, say your house used to hold 100 items. You get ML, now it holds 120 items. You get the new additional storage, it will hold 140 items (NOT 144 items.)

--

"Does Luck affect the rewards from the Heartwood quests?"
No, the Luck stat has no effect. It's purely random.

--

"What is the effect of the Bushido skill Lightning Strike? Is it affected by the HCI cap?"
From Wilki:

"It gives a bonus of 50 HCI, and a critical strike chance ranging from 0-20 based on Bushido skill. It is affected by the cap."

Which gives rise to a different question - namely, if the HCI cap is 45, why does Lightning Strike give a bonus of 50? Well, it does potentially offset Hit Lower Attack - if you've been hit with HLA, your Hit Chance has been lowered to -25%. Lightning Strike will raise your Hit Chance by 50 - all the way to +25% if you're under the effect of HLA. So even though the effect of the skill is capped under normal circumstances, that extra 5% hit chance can still be useful.

--

"What does the Body Sculptor do?" The Body Sculptor will enable players to change their face in KR to one of the other available faces. (We promised it, and here it is!)
There will be further sets of faces to choose from, available through various different methods. The first set is a promotion related to the Japanese 10th Anniversary box. For the first little while, those faces (and bodies! CatHat has been busy!) will only be available to people who have bought that box. Afterwards, they will be opened up to everyone.

CatHat just can't wait to show y'all his work, so check out the new male and female face/body options!

--

If Rainz from the UO beta is still around... sir, a gauntlet has been thrown. *giggle* (If you have no idea what all that's about, Wikipedia has a good summary. Basically, Fire Fields are more dangerous than you might have thought :P)

--

Have a great weekend, everyone!

- Jeremy

Jeremy Dalberg 19 Oct 2007 14:59:09

UPDATE 10/19 11:58AM PDT: We think we've got a handle on the issue, and we shouldn't see any more substantial downtimes.

UPDATE 6:54PM PDT: Aaaand we're down again.

UPDATE 5:54PM PDT: All issues should be resolved at this time. *wipes sweat off brow* What a day! Apologies for the excitement, everyone.

UPDATE 3:57PM PDT: It appears that this issue may also affect patching the KR client, as well.

UPDATE 3:50PM PDT: It worked for a little while; we're getting reports of log-in issues again with the West Coast servers. Investigating!

UPDATE 3:18PM PDT: The network issue with the west coast servers should be resolved. Thanks for your patience!

UPDATE 3:03PM PDT: We believe we've narrowed down the problem and are working on a solution. Stay tuned!

Many people are reporting that they can't log in to shards on the West Coast (for a list of shard physical locations, click here.

We're investigating, and will post updates as we get them.

Ginger Ale is a soft drink I was given as a child when I was recovering from a tummy ache, sore throat or cold. What was the inspiration for naming a character this name?
Well to be honest, when I made this character there was a bottle of
ginger ale sitting on my bar, and I thought it would make a great
character name.

Ginger is Lady Ginger Ale. When and on what creature did she first
become "Lady" ?
Years ago and she spends a lot of time in the Dojo killing succubus.

How long have you been playing UO and how old is Ginger?
I started my UO game play right at 10 years ago. This account is only 4 yrs old though.

Ginger Ale is an archer. What are all of her skills?
She is 120 in archery, tactics and anatomy, 110 bushido, 100 healing,
80 chivalry and 70 necromancy.

Name your favorite bows.
Night reaper and a fast magical short bow with mana leech.

Where does Ginger Ale spend most of her time?
You can find her either in the Dojo or at the Palace of Paroxysmus
killing the Putrifier.



By the way Ginger Ale is dressed my guess is that you are not a
female in real life. What are the names of your other characters and do you ever role play a female while on Ginger?
*LOL* Correct, I am a male. I have a swords woman named Spring, a
fencer named Naudia, a necro/mage named Maximus Marilius and a macer named Heero Yuy. And no I never pretend to be female. When I made most of my characters some of the best armor was female only armor.

Ginger is a member of B*R. There are a few B*R members I have known for a long time ( though they still do not take me with them when they have keys, lol ) and I consider friends. How long have you been a member of B*R and what do you like most about this guild?
I have been in B*R for almost a year now. Everyone is respectful of the other guild members and we all try to do a few peerless during the week and hunt as a group.

Do you belong to any other guilds at this time?
Yes. My macer is in the guild Shadow Knights.

What is your favorite color?
Blue!!

Who is your favorite hero in fiction?
The Punisher

Who is your hero in real life?
My father. He has always been there and made time for me in my life.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you
think it would be?
Well, I would hope that it would be someone rich and famous, but I
don't guess I have any control over that.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Hmmmmmmmm, that's a tuff one. I guess I would most like to be able to go back and correct my mistakes in life.

What is your motto?
Live life to the fullest each day because you are not promised
tomorrow.

Originally written by Tabbitha - Thank you for this!

Tonight was the house design seminar hosted by Lady Elora Evalla, one of the many talented designers on Catskills.

The Skara Brae Community Center was the meeting place as Magnicia is under attack.

I was met at the Luna Bank by the charming and helpful Ismene D'Arville and escorted to the Community Center where I was greeted by Lady Elora herself.





After an enlightening chat with Lady Elora she voiced her concerns with the attack on Magnicia, treat or treating, dungeon artis and pumpkin picking, the group may be small for the seminar and she was correct. It was "intimate" as she called it.



Once the group had gathered including Snowden of Atlantic and Zynia of Great Lakes, Lady Elora gave tips on creating the plot design and rooms before one would even start the actual process.



After Lady Elora's talk we were transported to a half built house and given a tour of it by Everthorne.



The tour was most interesting and Regina, Dante, Ian, Chaunce along with others, including myself, enjoyed this creative persons take on things.



It was very dramatic to see an empty plot turn into a designed home in seconds.











Many great ideas were exchanged and questions and answers were provided during the entire seminar. One thing did repeat itself and that was "trial and error" and that was good adviCe. You can be told, you can be shown, you can seek and copy others designs but getting that plot gump up and design tool out is the best way to learn.

After the seminar we were taken on a tour of two other completely designed plots with some really great ideas, some even I might steal, like the fan over the bed and the shoe shelves. As we know a girl can never show her shoes off enough.











I have always liked plots designed with many small rooms, giving the look and feel of a real home with a real roof. However I fancy large rooms for my own homes giving a more castle feel and easy to move about. Also easy get to my chests which are always overflowing. It's all those darn plants, shoes and clothes!

This seminar was good for beginner designers and vets alike.
Thank you Lady Elora for sharing your time and talents.

Jeremy Dalberg 18 Oct 2007 21:55:08

UPDATE 6:54PM PDT: Aaaand we're down again.

UPDATE 5:54PM PDT: All issues should be resolved at this time. *wipes sweat off brow* What a day! Apologies for the excitement, everyone.

UPDATE 3:57PM PDT: It appears that this issue may also affect patching the KR client, as well.

UPDATE 3:50PM PDT: It worked for a little while; we're getting reports of log-in issues again with the West Coast servers. Investigating!

UPDATE 3:18PM PDT: The network issue with the west coast servers should be resolved. Thanks for your patience!

UPDATE 3:03PM PDT: We believe we've narrowed down the problem and are working on a solution. Stay tuned!

Many people are reporting that they can't log in to shards on the West Coast (for a list of shard physical locations, click here.

We're investigating, and will post updates as we get them.

Posted to uoherald.com:

West Coast Connectivity Issue
Jeremy Dalberg
18 Oct 2007 18:04:15

UPDATE 3:03PM PDT: We believe we've narrowed down the problem and are working on a solution. Stay tuned!

Many people are reporting that they can't log in to shards on the West Coast (for a list of shard physical locations, click Here

We're investigating, and will post updates as we get them.

UPDATE 5:54PM PDT: All issues should be resolved at this time. *wipes sweat off brow* What a day! Apologies for the excitement, everyone.

UPDATE 3:57PM PDT: It appears that this issue may also affect patching the KR client, as well.

UPDATE 3:50PM PDT: It worked for a little while; we're getting reports of login issues again with the West Coast servers. Investigating!

UPDATE 3:18PM PDT: The network issue with the west coast servers should be resolved. Thanks for your patience!

Jeremy Dalberg 18 Oct 2007 16:48:53 EST

At 1:00PM PDT (8:00PM GMT) on Thursday, October 18, the KR client will be updated to version 2.47.1.5. Notes after the jump:

• Fixed an issue with flying creatures' movement animations
• Players can now target items on their hot bars, provided the item is in their backpack or equipped.
• Using recall in your hot bar will not bring up a cursor if you have something targeted
• Fixed a crash when mousing over UI
• Client will timeout and disconnect properly when inactive for 10-15 minutes
• Now item properties will have each word's first letter capitalized for easier reading
• Fixed a bug with the theme music when logging in and out multiple times
• Fixed a crash when exiting the game while customizing a house.
• Items that are too heavy to pick up should no longer highlight or put up a properties box when moused over.
• Can't start to move unmovable things anymore (things too far away or too heavy)
• Item properties windows will now hue the strength requirement line red if you don't meet the strength requirement, just like they do in 2d.
• Fixed a bug with input being sent incorrectly when the KR window loses focus
• Players can now sort the shard list by the percent full that each shard is. More populated shards will be at the top. Test center and other language shards appear lower on the list due to other sorting effects that are happening. Also adds highlighting to selectable text on the shard list, in addition to reformatting the layout slightly.
• Foliage should fade more intelligently as players walk under trees
• Cursor hand should be silver in Felucca, gold in Trammel
• Mouse now always points to "west" direction when it is over a window. This "west" direction is in-game "west" direction, not the screen's west direction.
• Resource targeting macros are not depleting the veins.
• Fixed a bug where the Help buttons in Japanese mode pointed to US CS pages
• Items should no longer get shuffled around when you cross server lines
• Players will now no longer have the two party related context menu items in their context menu until they have accepted the invite to join a party.
• The word "CONTINUE" was being cut off on a button on the release pet confirmation gump. The button label has now been changed to use the word "OKAY" instead.
• It is now a lot easier to drop things on the ground.
• Buttons on user way point gumps now stay inside their gump when language is set to Japanese.
• Male's Jester tunic uses the correct art, and the in-game colors should be closer to paper doll's.
• Fixed issue with system slowness related to the chat window

Jeremy Dalberg 18 Oct 2007 16:16:36 EST

At 1:00PM PDT (8:00PM GMT) on Thursday, October 18, the 2D client will be updated to version 6.0.4.0 Notes after the jump:

• Updated Magincia tiles to be vulnerable to the rage of Daemons

Posted to uoherald.com:

KR Client vers. 2.47.1.6
Jeremy Dalberg
18 Oct 2007 16:48:53 EST

At 1:00PM PDT (8:00PM GMT) on Thursday, October 18, the KR client will be updated to version 2.47.1.6. Notes after the jump:

Fixed an issue with flying creatures' movement animations

Players can now target items on ther hotbars, provided the item is in their backpack or equipped.

Using recall in your hot bar will not bring up a cursor if you have something targeted

Fixed a crash when mousing over UI

Client will timeout and disconnect properly when inactive for 10-15 minutes

Now item properties will have each word's first letter capitalized for easier reading

Fixed a bug with the theme music when logging in and out multiple times

Fixed a crash when exiting the game while customizing a house.

Items that are too heavy to pick up should no longer highlight or put up a properties box when moused over.

Can't start to move unmovable things anymore (things too far away or too heavy)

Item properties windows will now hue the strength requirement line red if you don't meet the strength requirement, just like they do in 2d.

Fixed a bug with input being sent incorrectly when the KR window loses focus

Players can now sort the shard list by the percent full that each shard is. More populated shards will be at the top. Test center and other language shards appear lower on the list due to other sorting effects that are happening. Also adds highlighting to selectable text on the shard list, in addition to reformatting the layout slightly.

Foliage should fade more intelligently as players walk under trees

Cursor hand should be silver in Felucca, gold in Trammel

Mouse now always points to "west" direction when it is over a window. This "west" direction is in-game "west" direction, not the screen's west direction.

Resource targeting macros are not depleting the veins.

Fixed a bug where the Help buttons in japanese mode pointed to US CS pages

Items should no longer get shuffled around when you cross server lines

Players will now no longer have the two party related context menu items in their context menu until they have accepted the invite to join a party.

The word "CONTINUE" was being cut off on a button on the release pet confirmation gump. The button label has now been changed to use the word "OKAY" instead.

It is now a lot easier to drop things on the ground.

Buttons on user waypoint gumps now stay inside their gump when language is set to Japanese.

Male's Jester tunic uses the correct art, and the in-game colors should be closer to paper doll's.

Fixed issue with system slowness related to the chat window

Posted to uoherald.com:

2D Client vers. 6.0.4.0
Jeremy Dalberg
18 Oct 2007 16:16:36 EST

At 1:00PM PDT (8:00PM GMT) on Thursday, October 18, the 2D client will be updated to version 6.0.4.0 Notes after the jump:

Updated Magincia tiles to be vulnerable to the rage of Daemons

Jeremy Dalberg 18 Oct 2007 14:46:11 EST

Check out the new items on uogamecodes.com HERE! New items include:

• A seventh character slot! Six characters per server not enough? Get another slot for just one more crazy template... (If you only have five slots at the moment, buying this code will bump you up to seven!)
• Extra housing storage AND bank space! 20% more storage in your house and in your bank for all of your collections!
• A Legacy Token - did you miss out on preorder items in the past? Need yet another soulstone? Pick up a Legacy Token to choose one of these items!

Posted to uoherald.com:

New Items Up on Uogamecodes.com!
Jeremy Dalberg
18 Oct 2007 14:28:57 EST

Check out the new items on uogamecodes.com Here New items include:

A seventh character slot! Six characters per server not enough? Get another slot for just one more crazy template... (If you only have five slots at the moment, buying this code will bump you up to seven!)

Extra housing storage AND bank space! 20% more storage in your house and in your bank for all of your collections!

A Legacy Token - did you miss out on preorder items in the past? Need yet another soulstone? Pick up a Legacy Token to choose one of these items!

Posted to uoherald.com:

New Items Up on Uogamecodes.com!
Jeremy Dalberg
18 Oct 2007 14:28:57 EST

Check out the new items on uogamecodes.com Here New items include:

A seventh character slot! Six characters per server not enough? Get another slot for just one more crazy template... (If you only have five slots at the moment, buying this code will bump you up to seven!)

Extra housing storage AND bank space! 20% more storage in your house and in your bank for all of your collections!

A Legacy Token - did you miss out on preorder items in the past? Need yet another soulstone? Pick up a Legacy Token to choose one of these items!

It was a splendid evening, the autumnal sky colored orange-red, and my way to Skara Brae Bank pretty windy and chilly. My anticipation to meet Lady Queenie was big, I had the pleasure to experience her and her sisters famous raffles in the past. As I approached the building which was lying quietly in the twilight, the vivid tamer was already waiting for me. She waved to me and we waited a short time to meet Lord Nachteule, whom I bothered once with my questions too. He would keep us company.

Soon, we hit the road towards the desert (Compassion) and changed to the bare-branched world, Felucca. After a few minutes we entered the quiet and very stylish Keep. In the dining room where we were to be seated, there were already dozens of candles and small fire source which gave off a comfy warmness. On the table barbecue there were some chicken legs, sizzling in the oil. Some wine and champagne also waited for us.

A few moments later, Queenie began answering my questions and telling her stories. Her sister Shara was the first one who travelled to Britannia more than eight years ago. She and her sisters followed her later. The small family soon established it's own guild, "Die Wilden Weiber Britannias". They began earning gold with small and respectable work. Whilst one repaired armor from warriors at the Britain Smithy, the other one was rambling from one moongate to another, singing songs to the travellers for a small fee. «This was not always a safe job», Queenie stated with a big grin. «Sometimes there were evil people lurking around, who killed or payed, on a whim.» I responded that I hope they mostly payed, but she was laughing out loud now: «Rather not.» Despite all adversities the sisters stayed. Even as of today, the "Femme Fatale" of the guild is singing at the moongates sometimes - but unfortunately less frequently than in the past. Soon, we talked about Natascha Baumkind, the youngest of the sisters. She should be well known to West Britain Bank visitors, because she does her raffles there, and they are always a lot of fun and a hilarious opportunity to get to know other people.

Outside we heard muted sounds and Queenie commented them with a shrug: «Brigands.» Nachteule, who had been sitting quietly until now, headed downwards and obviously put things in order, because only moments later he returned with a bloody blade. «Sorry», he murmured, «but this was a need of mine.»

Queenie continued with her stories. «My friend, Lady Marisa, introduced me to the old bloke», she said, smiled, and nodded towards Nachteule. «Over the years we were learning a great deal about people and country. We made friends and experienced dozens of adventures. These were the times where one could stand in the middle of the dragons in the Ice-Dungone, after a misleading moongate. On my first Nightmare. And that was before the bonding between Tamer and Animal...» Queenie giggled. «The world was soon painted in grey colours.» But then, Lady Marisa had to leave all the worlds. Silently, Queenie pointed to a marble statue. «It was an outworldly matter, barely an event within Sosaria, but it was a dramatic experience.» The Tamerlady looked gloomily over the statue again and carried on. «There was a time when Trinsic was occupied. Back then, my guild sent me for my qualifying test on the way and back. I had to survive, that was all.» She was smiling again. «Oh, and I remember my first tamed nightmare without being murdered by Howard One. Aye, those were very fascinating times near the Keep in the Lost Lands.»

The chicken was eaten and the wine drunken as Queenie made her last statement: «It's pixels! They always were and always are! What really counts are the people behind those, and only these.» Outside, the blackness had already seized the countryside. As I trotted home, those words were still ringing in my ears.

Biography of Lady Queenie
Name: Lady Queenie, WBB
Profession: Legendary Tamer
Arrival in Sosaria: 1999
Favourite place: Twisted Weald with the wolfs, Destard with the dragons
Occupation: travelling, taming, make music
Favourite character: Tamer
What do you prefer...
Summer or Winter? Summer
Black or White? Black
Loud or Faint? Faint
Poor or rich? Look at the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into granaries, but your heavenly Father nourishes them ;-)

*

Der Abend war herrlich herbstlich orange-rot gefärbt, der Weg nach Skara Brae zur Bank windig und kühl. Die Vorfreude auf das Treffen mit Lady Queenie war gross, hatte ich doch in der Vergangenheit schon ihre bekannten Tombolas erleben dürfen. Das Gebäude lag ziemlich verlassen in der Dämmerung und als ich näherkam, sah ich sie schon warten. Die lebhafte Zähmerin war ganz in eine rote Lederrüstung gekleidet und winkte mir fröhlich zu. Kurz danach sollte noch Lord Nachteule zu uns stossen, der uns Gesellschaft leisten würde, und den ich ebenfalls schon einmal mit meinen Fragen belästigt hatte.

Wir machten uns auf in Richtung Wüste (Mitleid), und wechselten auf die blattlose Welt, nach Felucca. Kurz darauf betraten wir das ruhig gelegene und sehr stilvoll eingerichtete Schlösschen. Im Speisesaal, wo wir es uns schliesslich gemütlich machten, verströmten Dutzende von Kerzen und kleine Feuerquellen wohlige Wärme. Auf dem Tischgrill brutzelten bereits Hähnchenschenkel und der Wein und Champagner stand ebenfalls schon auf der Tafel.

Dann begann Queenie auf meine erste Frage hin ihre Geschichte zu erzählen. Dass ihre Schwester Shara vor über acht Jahren als Erste Britannia besucht hatte, und ihre anderen Schwestern nach und nach folgten. Die Geschwister hatten auch bald schon ihre eigene Gemeinschaft, eine Gilde gegründet, "Die Wilden Weiber Britannias". Sie begannen mit kleinen aber feinen Arbeiten ihr Gold zu verdienen. Während die Eine an der Schmiede in Britain Reparaturen für Krieger vornahm, zog die andere von einem Mondtor zum anderen und besang Reisende für ein kleines Trinkgeld. «Dies war nicht immer ungefährlich», meinte Queenie mit einem breiten Grinsen. «Manchmal lauerten auch böse Menschen an Mondtoren, die je nach Lust und Laune töteten oder zahlten.» Auf meinen erstaunten Blick hin und die Zwischenbemerkung, dass ich doch hoffe, dass sie eher zahlten, meinte Queenie, nun in schallendes Lachen ausbrechend: «Eher nein.» Trotz aller Unbill blieben die Geschwister im Land. Und auch heute noch soll die "Femme Fatale" der Gilde an den Mondtoren singen - wenn auch seltener als zuvor. Bald kam die Sprache auf Natascha Baumkind, die jüngste der Schwestern. Sie sollte den West Britain Bank Besuchern ein Begriff sein, denn sie veranstaltet dort ab und zu ihre bekannten Tombolas, die immer sehr fröhlich und lustig sind, und eine hervorragende Gelegenheit, neue Leute kennenzulernen.

Draussen vor der Schlosstüre hörte man gedämpfte Geräusche, die Queenie nur mit einem Schulterzucken kommentierte: «Räuber..» Nachteule, der bisher schweigend dabeigesessen hatte ging in das untere Stockwerk und schaute offensichtlich nach dem Rechten, denn kurze Zeit später kam er mit blutverschmierter Klinge zurück. «Entschuldigt», murmelte er: «Aber das war mir ein Bedürfnis.»

Im Schein der Kerzen erzählte Queenie dann weiter. «Meine Freundin, Lady Marisa, machte mich mit dem ollen Kämpfer bekannt», sagte sie und nickte in Richtung Nachteule. «Mit der Zeit lernten wir so Land und Leute besser kennen, schlossen Freundschaften und erlebten Dutzende von Abenteuer. Das war noch zu Zeiten, wo man mittels Mondtor plötzlich bei den Drachen im Eis-Dungeon stand», meinte Queenie. «Auf meinem ersten Nightmare. Damals gab es auch noch kein festes Band zwischen Zähmer und Tier...», meinte sie vieldeutig grinsend. «Die Welt war dann schnell grau.» Leider musste Lady Marisa dann alle Welten verlassen. Stumm deutete Queenie auf eine Marmorstatue. «Es hat wenig mit Sosaria zu tun, aber es war ein einschneidendes Erlebnis.» Bedrückt musterte Queenie nochmals die Statue und fuhr dann fort mit ihren Erzählungen. «Als Trinsic besetzt war, verlangte meine erste Gilde von mir als Aufnahmeprüfung, den Weg nach Trinsic und zurück heil zu überstehen.» Sie lächelte nun wieder: «Oder mein erstes gezähmtes Nightmare, ohne dass mich Howard One abgemurkst hat. Jaja, beim Keep in den Lost Lands, das war eine sehr spannende Zeit.»

Die Hähnchen waren verzehrt und der Wein getrunken, als Queenie mir noch ein letztes Statement mit auf den Weg gab: «Es sind Pixel! Es waren immer welche und es werden immer welche sein! Was zählt sind die Menschen dahinter, und nur die.» Draussen vor der Schlosstüre hatte die Dunkelheit schon Besitz vom umliegenden Land ergriffen. Und als ich nach Hause trabte, klangen mir diese Worte noch lange in den Ohren.

Steckbrief von Lady Queenie
Name: Lady Queenie, WBB
Beruf: Legendäre Zähmerin
Ankunft in Sosaria: 1999
Lieblingsort: Twisted Weald bei den Wölfen, bei den Drachen in Destard
Lieblingsbeschäftigung: Abenteuer erleben, Zähmen, Musizieren
Lieblingscharakter: Zähmer
Was magst du lieber...
Sommer oder Winter? Sommer
Schwarz oder Weiss? Schwarz
Laut oder Leise? Leise
Arm oder Reich? Und sehet die Vögel am Himmel, sie säen nicht, sie ernten nicht, und der Herr ernährt sie doch ;-)

Farewell, auf bald!
~ Medea

went tonight to listen to the Whispering Rose Radio (WRR) broadcast from Origin’s Luna Bank in anticipation of the radio station awarding an Origin resident a raffle prize. WRR hosted the raffle at the last Town Hall Meeting.

An of course, the radio show was done admidst the gruesome revelry of the trick or treaters that abounded at the bank. So excuse the entrails in the stately bank picture where I attempted to capture DJ Sandman's tag and serach for Ghost Writer.

What a coincidence that the 5 million gold raffle was won, by Ghost Writer who happened to be at the Town Hall Meeting covering the event for Stratics. Tonight, in the middle of the broadcast, after following DJ Sandman around the shard by radio, Magencia, Factions, Fel, Fights, revealing hidden, the prize was finally awarded to Ghost Writer at Origin’s Luna Bank.

Congratulations Ghost Writer! Please spend the gold at my vendor!

All Shards to be Published
Jeremy Dalberg
17 Oct 2007 18:12:45 EST

All shards will be published with the following during their next regular maintenance:

Gareth, the quest giver for the Cloak of Humility quest, was relocated to Trinsic

Players that are logged in Magencia will be teleported safely to the Trinsic docks of their facet

Players will be unable to gate, recall, or Sacred Journey to Magincia

Fixed issue that caused the virtue set helm to reset its resists to the base values when the full suit was being worn.

Fixed the bug where certain stealable items could not be locked down causing players to lose these items (Doom Artifacts)

Fixed an issue where players were getting IGR timer errors and getting disconnected

Players with bushido skill should now be able to bond with lesser hiryus.

Added double dragon scale resources in Felucca. Siege ruleset shards do not benefit from this change.

Oil cloth should now properly remove poison from weapons

Newly spawned quest mobs can no longer be charmed with the dryad allure spell.

Made the event-related firefields do more damage 5-7 instead of 3 damage

Trick or Treating is back!

Pumpkins are once again spawning in patches all over Britannia

Boats abandoned in Magincia will randomly catch fire and sink if no one is around

UPDATE 1:02PDT: The log-in servers should be back up, and everyone should be able to get in. Please report any further issues via support.uo.com - and please accept our apologies for the extended downtime. q The UO log-in and patch servers appear to be down at the moment - we're investigating. Updates as I get them.

Login and Patch Servers Back Up
Jeremy Dalberg
17 Oct 2007 17:26:13 EST

UPDATE 1:02PDT: The login servers should be back up, and everyone should be able to get in. Please report any further issues via support.uo.com - and please accept our apologies for the extended downtime.

The UO log-in and patch servers appear to be down at the moment - we're investigating. Updates as I get them.

The UO log-in and patch servers appear to be down at the moment - we're investigating. Updates as I get them.

Login and Patch Servers Down
Jeremy Dalberg
17 Oct 2007 15:39:27 EST

The UO login and patch servers appear to be down at the moment - we're investigating. Updates as I get them.

Guardsmen Militia - Be a Guard for a Night!

Callum decided to go to the Guardsmen Militia’s “Be a Guardsman for the Night” training session in the grim and dour town of Stonekeep just near the Crossroads of Yew. Having visited the town a few times Callum decided it was best to keep any magical comments or items well away from the wary and suspicious “Yewlings”. 

Callum had previously decided to dress in a selection of purples and had been to Vesper for a fitting at the tailors weeks ago and returned there yesterday to collect his clothes. Giving the tailor a big tip and a thank you Callum left for the Moongate and made an uneventful journey to Stonekeep.  

The greeting was warm and Callum was asked if he wished to join in or to observe – choosing the latter meant he could sit down and gently heckle the Guardsmen – who seemed to take it in good humour. 

Guardsman training seems to consist of one or two “officers” shouting at the rest, lots of running around and a lot of swinging of halberds and then more marching or running around. 

One potential trainee decided to desert and was soundly sent off with his tail between his legs and one late comer had the temerity to turn up without a sick note from the local bonesaw! 

It was decided that the Yewlings would take their new recruits to cull the local orc population and it was at this point that Callum was distracted by a strange lady who whisked him away to an unknown location as she wanted to talk to him about the Rhovanion Library Books being incorrect…

Today was the second day of the Yew festival and for that the Yewish guards wanted ter show their strengths and training methods.

As I was interested how they do things I told Gwen, Stewan and Herenui that Olaf would lead the training and I got changed into casual clothes and left for Yew.

Be a guardsman for a day!
Well as I was curious how they handle things I decided to give it a try and upon arriving in Stonekeep we were greeted and offered some uniforms.
Seems some others too wanted to see how tough the Yewish really are as Thaur, Gerek and even Calantha were among the recruits.
*sketch shows me and Gerek as we got asked if we would join in*



You all know the uniforms of plain ringmail and a sash and their halberds for ceremonial use. Damn armor itched like crazy and I have to make sure I nay caught any fleas or other vermin from it.

I was a bit lucky as I had arrived late and the other recruits had to run some laps around a house while I got changed.

After we had all had put on our armor we were told to stand in a line and some officer shouted at us trying to teach us some military commands. It was nay so difficult as an experienced soldier was in front of us and we just had to imitate whatever them did.

We got the welcome speech that we were to expect hardship and troubles and quickly the first recruit dropped his weapon and sneaked off to avoid to get shouted at anymore.

*sketch shows the welcome speech*


After we had mastered the basic commands and not even Thaur or Gerek could mess them up we were seperated into three groups to hunt for orcs.
Because I had drawn attention to myself for making fun of Gerek I was decided to be a group leader and as I nay wanted trouble I told them that my name was called Katrynn.

*sketch shows us as we stand together as groups*


I thought the orc fort would be an easy target and chose that, while the other two groups headed to an orcish valley and cave.
We were told that we wopuld only take over the fort for a short time and that we had to plunder as much as we could from them.

The journey was uneventful, though as I nay knew the way too well I decided to let one of the Yewish guards go ahead as scout.

As we approached the fort I gave the order to slowly advance and check out their strength. Lucky for us we surprised them and nay had too much troubles with some stragglers outside the fort.

We then decided though to storm the fort and the orcs fought lots fiercer to defend their fort, but we managed to capture it and kill most of its inhabitants and chasing off the rest.

*sketch shows the capture of the fort*



There were nay many things of value to take from the orcs and so we decided that it would be best to burn down as much as we could, which would be pretty difficult because much of it was covered in dirty mud.

We devided our forces into two groups, while some of the more experienced guards would kill off any orcish stragglers around the fort, the remaining ones would set fire to the fort.

*sketches show the fort set on fire*


*and onother sketch of it*



Our return journey back to Stonekeep was nay as peaceful as our first one, though I sent one of the experienced guards ahead to scout, he nay noticed some hidden brigands. As the bulk of our group passed them we were attacked though quickly gathering our wits and working together managed to kill them all, before anyone got serious hurt.

One of the recruits got some bruises, but the armor saved him from any more serious wounds. We took the brigands belonging as dead them nay had any use for it anyway and returned back to Stonekeep.

*sketch shows the aftermath of the brigand attack*



When we returned to Stnekeep it was already dark and the Yewish officer let us put all the loot of one group on the ground and then compared how well the group had done. Gerek made an effort to take some of the gold and run with it, but the guards managed to catch him and dragged him back though nay without some beating.

*sketch shows the recruits and soldiers getting dismissed*



After this we handed back our uniforms and were invited for free drinks at the local tavern. I entered and even gave Thaur a full pitcher of free ale, though nay ter his delight, as I emptied it over his head before I left Stonekeep and returned to Trinsic.

*sketch shows the celebration in the tavern*



So I have to say the Yewish army is very different from what I am used as guard of the Duchy. Lots more strict with commands though maybe they also need it as they move out to fight enemy armies and creatures around the lands.

They still are a very strange, superstitious, magik hating lot, but for everyone that nay wants ter think a lot and likes to plunder the army is good place to be.



When I returned to Trinsic Herenui told me that Olaf was training the local guards and other volunteers at the barracks and so I headed there to watch them. Gwen, Stewan, Devante, and Lydia were training and I joined them for their last session, earning myself some more bruises before deciding it was safer and hurt less to guard the gate for now.

Calantha visited the town, limping badly from the Yewish training where she had gotten blisters from the hard and badly fitting Yewish boots.
She said she will never again do such aa foolish thing again and hopes that she can walk without pain in a few days time and such boots would be good for torturing people anyway.

That damn Vesperian lawyer came and told me that I better pay him 1500 gold or else he would sue me. As I asked why he wanted to sue me, he said that it was for pouring ale over Thaur and that if I nay paid, he would contact the magistrate.

Naturally I refused to pay as I only did as Thaur had asked me to when he had said ‘Fetch me some ale wench’, and I just had pured the ale over his head instead handing it to him.

I hope that I can plead my case and gain the understanding of his Grace and maybe even from the Magistrate.

A man from the Britain guards named Draven Leigh visited the town and applied to the Duchy as a guard. I told him that I would look at his papers latest tomorrow and that either me or his Grace would talk with him further.
He seems to be a nice man and I think he will make a good guard.

Kaelyn
 

EDITED: Origin won't be getting the event spawn until everyone else does - keep an eye on the Herald for scheduling. In the meantime, check out the pumpkin patches and go Trick or Treating, or continue to test the event on the Halloween 2007 shard!

House of Commons With the Developers of Everquest Online Adventures

Please join us on Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007, for a House of Commons chat with the developers of Everquest Online Adventures. The chat will begin at 5pm PDT /7:00pm CST /8:00pm EDT/1am UTC/GMT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client or you can visit our new Downloads section to choose a suitable client. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.gamers-irc.org port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU – Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA – Atlanta

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

How to ask questions at the chat: Type /msg [QT]NICKNAME and your question. Please send questions only to the QT's (moderators) because questions sent to anyone other than the QT's will not make it into the lineup.

General chat relating to Everquest Online Adventures will take place before, during, and after the chat in room #everquest.

We hope to see you there!

Origin Event Schedule Update
Jeremy Dalberg
16 Oct 2007 19:58:24 EST

EDITED: Origin won't be getting the event spawn until everyone else does - keep an eye on the Herald for scheduling. In the meantime, check out the pumpkin patches and go Trick or Treating, or continue to test the event on the Halloween 2007 shard!

Be a Guardsman for a day! (8pm) - Stonekeep
Yes - what you always dreamed of!

A chance to don the uniform of the Guardsmen Militia with no ties and no binding vows.
Turn up whenever you feel like throughout Tuesday and merely mention the 'Be a Guardsman for a day' event. Someone should be on hand to dress you up in a lovely 'Trainee' uniform and set you to work.

However, the real Militia life begins at 8pm, so make sure you come by in time to get your uniform and get to work, you worthless maggots!

Stonekeep can be located a short walk south along the road from the Yew Cemetary.
For any further inquiries or assistance please contact either myself (125-548-430) or Floria Tenne (195-710-197)

- Dart

Tuesday 16th –
Be a Guardsman for the day. Try out our uniforms, tour our buildings and do our job! A chance for some quality and different RP

Wednesday 17th –
Games evening! Variety of traditional combat and non-combat games with large prizes to be won!

Thursday 18th –
GRAND TOURNAMENT! A tournament for all to enter! Large prizes to be awarded! Come and try your luck!

Friday 19th –
A play and an evening of entertainment!

Saturday 20th –
Fancy dress party! Dress up and impress! Prizes for the best outfits and an evening of entertainment. Come, be merry and socialise! Prizes to be awarded for outfits.

Sunday 21st –
Grand Market in Yew town center! With other activities taking place throughout!

Anybody is welcome, regardless of alignment or relationship with Yew.