"It just bugs me..."

So.. We really don't have any thing conclusive about the entrance to New Britain.. Is it moongates or rifts? Do our clothes change along our bodies? What happens to things we're carrying? Is it HHGTTG style where a bag changes according to the era?
Magic is rather confusing because magic can often be considered to be alive. So, if it only affects humans? Our bodies change, our gender might even switch. Though why does this happen? Is it a personal thing about your self-image? I like the thought of how you could bring items with you.
But this is not exactly the old world of Ultima anymore. Things work by different rules. So maybe things we carry could change into other things. Bags into backpacks. Phones into communicator runestones...

 

The story is well guarded. The means of travel is officially Lunar Rifts and there are some tidbits. We know that somehow the calamity in Britannia force people to the new world, and there as a meteor event which damaged the moon. However, at this point, for the most part, we have been left wanting...

 

A couple things I wanted to touch upon: in Ultima VI, I believe it's reasonable to assume the Avatar's look was kept consistent throughout the introduction in order to keep people from wondering who that person was on the altar..

Ultimas V and IX you gather items for your journey.. but in IX the items don't travel with you, and your clothes magically change through 'rift travel'.

I believe this shows that no one has the answer to these questions, and the best thing for each of us to do, is to try to come up with an answer we like, and write about it. That way perhaps a great story idea will come along that everyone falls in love with, and SotA can use that idea for the game!

As far as items traveling with us to New Britannia, I would think all players would have the same basic starting inventory, so I can't imagine bringing items with you could be an option, or else everyone would have different things with them. And I never liked the idea of controlling your character's actions before leaving Earth. I always felt the whole point of these introductions, was to make us feel like we individually have entered the game by stepping through a 'rift', and becoming an avatar on the other side. The intro, being a cutscene representing our discovery of the rift which leads to a mystical 'time lord' realm with a gypsy wagon, where you feel like you're in a daze and don't have full control of your actions, but are able to choose answers that help define character, and appearance, and finally waking up from what seems like a crazy dream into New Britannia, where you now look and feel like the Avatar, and are in full control, though drained and weakened from the dimensional journey.

 

Good idea. I like the idea of my mind/soul making the journey, but my body and possessions (baggage) staying behind. I like the idea of this being a personal journey where you can do what you want with the time - nothing more or less.

Simple.

 

You know, I think this helps support why we seem to be immortal in the realm of New Britannia.. If it's only your soul that exists in that plane of existence, no wonder you're able to continue despite 'death' of the mortal form you embody..

 

The transportation to this world from ours is inspired by stories like Narnia, and the Wizard of Oz. Going to and from Narnia could actually change the person. Remember in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe the kids grew up to adults in Narnia and when they found the portal back to our realm they were back to the same kids again wearing the same clothes they entered with. They weren't wearing King's and Queen's clothes from Narnia when they returned.

If you want realism go to a the middle east and rage war against terrorism, and risk your life. If you want Fantasy Role Playing then try to get over your mental block about what happened to your cell phone, and give your childlike imagination plenty of room to play. (The character can still be you without taking your watch and cellphone).

 

In ultima nine there was ONE item that could go with you.... if you happened to take the time to create it.... A loaf of bread laced with rat poison for dear old lord british!