Oh dear :( -- Runic Knights Guild Hall

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Date Posted: 00:07:23 05/06/03 Tue
Author: Sakura Etsu
Subject:

Oh dear :(

http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=uouhall&Number=3957768&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&what2=postlist&fpart=

That's a link to this post, made by Admiral Ruffie. Here is the post:

Over five years ago, I was a newbie wandering the land, and I came across an unlocked boat. I had noticed boats in UO, but had paid little attention to them up to that point. I boarded the ship, and took it out to sea, sailing all over that first night. I was amazed that there were boats in this game, and that players could own and use them.

I figured there were all kinds of things to do and discover with boats, from pirate ships to uncharted islands. I was wrong. In addition, the boats themselves were laggy and buggy. Their movement was terrible and jerky, and those server boundaries were indeed turbulent waters.

So I started pestering the dev team to do something about it. Mine was one voice among many, each of them interested in seeing some other part of the game fixed or developed. In addition, the development direction and staff changed so frequently that promises were made and abandoned. Expansions focused on more land-based additions, and more land-based monsters to fight.

The fishing skill was developed, giving players an actual in-character reason to set sail. I started a fansite to not only promote changes to ships and the seas of Ultima Online, but to inform players of the intricate and complex rules for ship use and security.

My relationship with OSI on these matters has ranged from bitter animosity to friendly cooperation over the years. They have broken promises and I have posted vitriolic rants. They have given honest answers to tough questions about their lack of development of the seas and I have applauded their positive achievements. They have expressed genuine regret that these issues keep getting pushed back and I have waited patiently for work to be completed on the latest expansion in hopes that after they were done they'd get to those boat fixes.

And after five years, there's been no ground gained. Last year's loss of the Serpent Pillars, which in truth now seems to be permanent, was a major setback to what little we had been given.

In fact, the latest hints at what's coming next, possibly some sort of 3D engine UO where we can take our characters to, do not bode well for seafaring in UO. If they cannot commit to getting boats to work right in 2D there's certainly no reason to hope that they will even be included in 3D. Of course, we don't have any details yet on what this mystery project really is, but I'd bet that if it is a fully 3D engine UO expansion, and if there are seas in it, there will not be player-owned ships. More likely than not there would be automated ferry boats like those found in EQ for traversing across any seas.

I've never been closer to closing down my fansite, giving up this cause, and logging off of UO forever than I am now. If there is real hope that this situation will change - and soon - then OSI, I hope you'll step forward with it before too long. The attachment I have to my characters and my virtual possessions in Sosaria may not be strong enough to keep me playing in light of some of the competing games that are coming up. And running a fansite that alternates from articles about promises made and promises broken and back has seriously worn me down to a point that I no longer care if you fail to see the vast potential of an active seafaring aspect to your game that so many of your own players see.

Admiral Ruffie Windjammer

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Replies:

Yikes...... -- Lily, 05:31:38 05/06/03 Tue