Longtime Ultima player fundamentally disappointed

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by tomprogers, Oct 7, 2018.

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  1. majoria70

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    Hello there. Well I understand most have come here with expectations wanting certain things. What did happen over the course of development since 2013 was that a small team could not fully give attention to the making of an online game and an offline game. It is just too much for a small team. I played and loved Ultima online is why I came here with 2 other players. Just now more of uo type of features are getting added in.

    Instead what we have is this game is not Ultima or Ultima online but shroud of the avatar. To get a full experience of what that will be imo now is not the time. Neither are completed. Much work is still being done for UI, quality of life improvements, and so much more. If you are expecting UO or Ultima imo that is not going to happen. Plus also imo offline and online aren't done and still in active development. So always an option is to check back later to see what happens since much more is happening with the quest system being re-done and so much more. For me as an online player I am excited for the future of the game and the upcoming planned improvements and features.

    If you ever do decide to come online I would be happy to show you around. For me this is my virtual world that I call home. Going from game to game was not for me. We have much to offer and see and do already. Such as we do have a wonderful music system and can sync songs with other players or just play alone and many other things I could talk about.

    I am Majoria in the game if I can ever be of assistance please don't hesitate to contact me. Happy journeys to you fellow traveler.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2018
  2. Sephald

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    I grew up with Ultima. Ultima IV Quest of the Avatar really got me into it. Ultima Online is very good with such a variety of scenes and possibilities. UO also has it’s challenges, particularly when your avatar dies in a dangerous location, whereby you lose all carried belongings if you don’t return to your dead avatar after resurrection on time. I like the fishing skill on top of all that you said. It would be nice to rides horses and sail boats someday. I am sure development will continue to expand and introduce new surprises to keep the interest alive. There is a lot of work to be done, but so far I am impressed with what was accomplished. Looking forward to the future of SotA.
     
  3. Alrick

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    I agree. The story gets lost. I have even completed it, and I couldn't tell you the main plot. Something about titans? idk. There is no suspense, No texture, I even read tracy hickmans book for goodness sake. Take a recent game like Kingdom Come Deliverance. The story is amazing. The world is shaped by the story, and you can feel it. Even if you took away the voice acting. most of the cutscenes are made with the in game engine. Its a piece of art. Can i say that about this game? its not particularly beautiful, the story is not captivating, the combat is garbage, and it still has massive performance issues... so no. i can not say that about this game. Im still playing because i want to like this game. I have extremely high hopes for the future, and i believe in the dev team. i just feel like they are fixated on stretch goals, add on store goodies - which i understand. thats how they make money. i just wish it were different. makes me sad.

    When i first heard about the add-on store i took a pole of who thinks its a good idea. it was basically split down the middle 41-40 (this was back in 2013/2014) One thing everyone agreed on is they do not want to see gold in the add-on store. alas COTO's litter it.. i truly believe the add-on store is taking away from the aspects of this game that need to be improved. - quick tangent. and if you look at the population numbers from launch to today i am not alone. its a fact that this game has been a disappointment.
     
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  4. Addison

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    I too am highly disappointed with how things have turned out, but like many others am hopeful things turn around. So many of the friends I have made here have simply moved on, it's really unfortunate. Not that I blame them at all, I understand their reasons completely. Right now, any story/quest or lore type content simply isn't being worked on. Like @Alrick mentions above, I have completed the main story, but so what? Can I tell you what happened and if it was fun? Yes I can and no it wasn't. We have been told the story and quests will eventually be addressed and I hope that is the case because the continued monetizing of all the new sandbox stuff is grating to me! Much has been improved but a lot still needs to get done.
     
  5. Cleome Arachnid

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    I don’t remember completing even one single quest in UO. I mean, were there quests in UO?! I made my own story- like the time Chaotic Jelly and Anais set up a road block in Fel and forced people to pay a toll to use it. Good times that until someone called up GM Halona and reported us. That’s what I remember most about the good times in UO, setting out to complete your own story. Where the heck is Crazy Joe?

    Stab me in the eyes if I ever consider playing another WOW type game again.

    Oh, yeah I’m enjoying SOTA alright. anyone wanna go out and wreck havoc??
     
  6. Alrick

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    I understand where you are coming from. With UO i dont believe a deep storyline was promised. (i could be wrong on this, i dont remember) This is supposed to be the mind meld of UO & the ultima games, instead we got watered down elements of both. Some improvements to be fair, but not many imo
     
  7. Hazard

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    Just a note on this one point since you asked. UO had the big Zog Cabal (quickly changed to Followers of Armageddon) storyline a bit after launch, which culminated in the Battle of Trinsic and the like with the lich Jou'Nar, Martoo Saul, etc. I seem to recall at least a few older characters involved, maybe Dupre and/or Nystul? It was pretty memorable I think for most of those who were a part of these live events across the numerous shards, and I've even seen the guildname in this game recently. I believe most of the characters/monsters there were likely run by seers or maybe GM's, counselors, and quite possibly developers on certain original shards. I didn't see much else in terms of quests after that point aside from the Seer quests through the years, some of which were likely great (although hard to measure those as they were localized over multiple shards). After the original developers came and went and many years later, at least one developer created some thoughtful world quests and new quest toolsets, not as much based on live events, but unfolding in game over time. One of the latter is a main over at LoA but don't think he has same role as based on reddit AMA last month that seemingly indicated they were more of a 'you create the lore yourself due to lack of resources' model - at least for the time being.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2019
  8. Alleine Dragonfyre

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    I disagree with most of what the OP says. However, I will say that the story is very fractured the way it's presented and some quests are still broken. The Love Quest is still confusing people I believe. I stopped doing the quests about 6 months ago on the promise that they would be fixed. Still waiting. The game shouldn't have been launched in such a state.
     
  9. Floors

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    Actually what disappointed me more than the game was the way so called Ultima fans behaved, which you can still see by going to reddit and reading the bile and vitriol there.

    Especially certain so called luminaries or fans who I lost all respect for during this process from their actions.

    I actually am enjoying finishing up the last few quests I have available. While the quests are certainly not great, 5 years has passed since the game was concieved and they had to launch it. It's not like anything is so bad that it prevents you from completing the game.
     
  10. macnlos

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    The way Ultima fans acted... The way SotA drones acted... that’s all good and pointless... What bothers me is the the state of this game. And I dare someone to say I did not give this game a chance either...
     
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  11. Duke William of Serenite

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    I got this far.

    "SOTA leads you by the hand through a predictable series of escalating kill/fetch/talk quests."

    Then I wondered what game are you playing? You didn't really do the quests did you?
     
  12. Rook Strife

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    Me too.


    Except I wondered if it was going to be just a little light fantasy reading or some action/adventure too.


    Our forums have a remarkable selection of fictional works.

    I think that's why they put in all these long respawn timers. So you can sit back, alt-tab and enjoy.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2019
  13. Earl Atogrim von Draken

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    You didn't give this game a chance.

    You are welcome ^^
     
  14. Floors

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    I thought all the really hardcore UO people have moved over to Legends of Aria now anyway. That is much more like a new "UO" than this game will be.

    I was more of a single player Ultima fan (the lore, etc) that wanted something with an online component. As long as the lights can be kept on, I see a brighter future now than I ever have for SotA.
     
  15. Alleine Dragonfyre

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    They have. And considering that many who have been banned here, usually for good reason, are now there, I won't be going to check it out.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2019
  16. Makkion74

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    I do not agree, for me SOTA is definitely better than the legend of Aria, for pleasure, with those armor made with the windows dpaint, and everything seen from above, with ridiculous mounts, with that combat that Baldur's gate and 'an action in comparison, but please, with the houses that The sims 1 is 100 times better, but please ..... I watched a gameplay for 10 minutes I fell asleep on the chair, boring beyond measure, but please .... I loved the whole Ultima series from the 4th episode on, but now we are in 2018, and SOTA is what a fan can look for, the future Ultima, LoA for me is just a loss of immense time.
     
  17. Arkah EMPstrike

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    I disagree with this. The cliffhanger that episode 1 ends on has left me with enough questions and suspitions that i no longer interact with the oracle, am suspicious of the titans, and question if the obsidian cabalists are mindless tools without a master. I would very bery much like to see why/if the oracle caused a flood of avatars and if its related to the cataclysm and reasons the titans and artificer built it to begin with.

    Hurry up episode 2...


    I think folks like the op and people hailing LoA as the true successor arent looking for ultima-like ideals and story, but are looking for an ultima online clone. Specifically earlier ultima online.

    Some are looking for the feeling of surprise that came with old ultima games when the idea of them were new. Since the idea is not new anymore they wont find that.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2019
  18. Floors

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    We really do need episode 2 bad now tho. I can only imagine what the players that beat this back in 2017 feel like. I hope there is more than 40 hours new quest content.
     
  19. Arkah EMPstrike

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    I feel like it would be ready on time if they already had the quest tools in place, but they are revamping the quest sustem, so im expecting it to be pushed back

    I think the fact that quests tend to guide you in the traditional MMO fashion has caused even folks who like the old “investigate stuff yourself” storytelling to neglect the investigating needed to learn more about whats going on in new brittania
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2019
  20. Makkion74

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    Talk of LoA is only a waste of time, if i spend a lot of hour to grind, farm, buy, craft an armor, a weapon, make a home....i want to enjoy these things, notice the details, the graphic finesse, not that junk made with the paint of windows, if you have to play like in 1990 I do not agree .... and the fighting, UGH, the combat and 'the worst fight ever seen, boring, slow, ugly as animations, better a game really good old Baldurs Gate if one must.
    We want to talk about the mounts? ... on SOTA there are not for now, but better to wait for the sluggish movements on LoA, please.
    And the house?.....i'm just laughing, my younger brother with Gimp2 is much better than those, LoA is boring, slow, with woody and ugly animations, worthy of games of the early Pentium.
    And last but not least important the server private, ahhhh, a thing to avoid like the plague, months and months to farm and suddenly on the decision of the admin, closed, WIPE or even worse, DDOS attack, but please, you really want to put in the hands of private your playing time, as precious as real money?
    LoA is only a indie game, animation, graphics and gameplay is old, too old, a waste of time and money.
     
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