Why choose this game over others?

As we are all aware, there are a lot of MMOs out there. I'm curious...with SOTA being as niche as it is. Why did you choose it above all others?

 

History
If you need to ask what I mean, then I'd have to ask.... Why are you here ?

 

I don't play MMO's. SotA is, in fact, the first multiplayer game of this type that I've played.

 

strange you see it differently...why do you not consider it an MMO?

 

I should used the verb "haven't". I have never played WoW, UO, EQ, whatever, etc. SotA is the first game that I've played in the fantasy/sci-fi genre that is multiplayer. The reason is Lord British and Ultima.

 

Why I chose this exact game?
History and because I believe @RichardGarriott

Why Did I continue playing and testing it?
My early days of SotA mentors influence for me to continue playing this game is huge. @Sophi @majoria70 @Minerva also happened to be nicest persons that I Have ever met in any game before.

What makes me log in almost every day? All amazing players that I am very happy to call my friends.

What makes me to believe this game is and will be more than just another RPG? Amazing and very active community

Game will be great for sure but people around it is already awesome

 

+1 .. yes they are!

 

Unlike the majority of theme park MMOs, SotA lets me add my own creative content to the game, and allows me to acquire my own scene to set up however I like.

 

tl/dr
I've been following all aspects of the game development from early days.

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I didn't choose Shroud of the Avatar, instead it asked me if I wanted to be involved.

In the very early days, feelers were put out to see if there was interest in creating a game world based upon the Ultima series.
It was a post on Stratics, which is a fan community site.
The original developers of the Ultima series no longer had any intellectual rights to those games, but wanted to "pick up" from where they parted.
Kickstarter was relatively new, and suited this new project.
The Kickstart was successful and immediately created a new community of devotees to the project.

That community is now this community, and has shaped every part of the game world.
There was a moment where RG was questioning whether we should even have the need to jump!
I'm not sure if he was trolling there, but the community put him back in his box.

So basically, I chose to be part of the journey of a game's development.
Portalarium have created the sandbox.
Us, the community, are still arguing about what sand fills it.
The rules of how you play in it are yet to be defined.
And very importantly, there is a story yet to be told.

And @sephious , because of your question/involvement, your voice is just as loud as any of us.
You are one of us, bwahahaha !

 

~This Team's Imaginations Have Entertained Me For Decades~

With Consistent, Imaginative, Quality Content !'
~Time Lord~

 

I signed on first because of Richard and my history with Ultima. That's really it. It took a while longer to find the reason I'm still here.

I didn't start playing until release 22. It still isn't "fun" yet, but I realize I paid to be a part of the development cycle. I didn't pay for a finished game. I paid to be a part of the experience, rough edges and all. Honestly I got way more than I expected from the experience.

But why? The world is part of the story, not just a background against an endless sea of mobs and PvP. I'm not against violence in a game, but not when it's the main play style. But it's ok to log in one day and see half the town destroyed by an invasion. The rain should slow you down. The snow should be deep. Too poor to buy a fancy sofa? Go make one. Want to be known as Jack The Sword Enchanter? Hang your sign. Want to build a creepy cabin and put it in a town and fill it with your horror-fiction? Go for it. Need money? Head out into the wilderness and earn some gold.

As Womby said above, being able to directly contribute to the game's content is where I think SotA shines. Yes, the story and plot lines must improve. And they will. Content can come last as far as I'm concerned. The engine to deliver it must be completed. Once stable they can load tons of story line into the mix. Give us that ability we'll build our own adventures. Play the main story line and when you're done, play a side quest in a player owned town.

PB

 

Stop it Time Lord !
Soon the jellyfish really do come up the river next to me.
(I have to plant my tulips first - they are still in the fridge)
Probably 8 weeks away, but cue @Time Lord Lord and Jelly Fishing Season meme
There is a lot to be done before then, Aye Patrick?

 

I wanted a new Ultima to play. I found it here!

 

When I put away all of my criticism for this or that (like others have said, we're a part of a game-in-progress, not a finished piece), I have an awesome time.

I shared days with family on UO since I got my beta CD, summer 1997 as a 10 year old. My dad, brother, and sister all played together with me. So much fun. I came back to this game because my brother, just before he passed away at 28, showed me that RG was at work again. We pledged together and I've been here since. I increased my pledge to make sure I could have a home and a vendor to name after my brother. I'm also excited to have our ancestor pledge fulfilled so I can dedicate a gravestone in Brittany graveyard to him.

The less happy stuff aside... these guys do know what they're doing. Steam might have some bad reviews, but what they don't necessarily acknowledge is that this game is IN DEVELOPMENT. It's not finished. They critique it as though it were (and some times I do, too).

Log on, find what play style works for you, what crafting/gathering you enjoy. Explore. Level up, fight even cooler mobs and see even more cool scenes.

This game is great.

 

Ultima Online

 

You will always get two answers: the Ultima lore/history and community. I lean heavily on the latter, because no matter the lore, it's the other players that can make/break a game IMHO.

 

Never being interested in WOW, EQ, and all the others, this is my second MMO, and I like that it is on a much different path than all the other guys. I am not a highly social player, so I appreciate the other game modes being considered.

Ultima is not my reason, but again, it sort of is, I've never played it, having grown up with a Nintendo I have adored Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior in particular... which as I found out was influenced by Ultima! And I've realized what a gem of a series I've missed out on (and it is hard to miss the popularity of UO still to this day) so I've decided to see what the buzz is about!

RG and his team have been an amazing group of developers and their game is going to shape up into something I believe I would kick myself for missing out on.

 

It has more genuine social interaction than any other game ive played since UO, as well as satisfying exploration and puzzle elements and non-linear storylines, a soon to be dynamic adventuring content.

It was primarily the exploration and dynamic content that initially peaked my interest

 

Initially? The kickstarter goals.
Now? Because it's hard to look away, sometimes.

Hindsight being what it is, if I had known so much development time & focus would have been wasted on parts of the game that don't matter to me in the slightest, I would have spent no more than $45 on the game. Foolishly, I believed the early promises and Kickstarter goals were what the developers would provide as the feature set at persistence/launch. It seemed like they were going to innovate in areas that would positively distinguish the title and raise the bar for the genre.

The one life lesson I have derived from this experience is: Never, ever, EVER pay more than the normal retail price for any game.
In other words, $10-50 is my limit, from now until death, and I will never waver in that conviction, with the example of Shroud to point to. So thanks RG & Crew for that!

 

so true