"It is rumoured that when the Gem was shattered,
thousands of splintered fragments scattered across the universe.
Within each facet purportedly lies the very image of Sosaria, just
as it was captured during Mondain's ritual. No mortal has yet found
the means to find or reassemble these fragments... Perhaps one day,
another Stranger will arrive - one similar to yourself - who has
the wherewithal to answer such questions."
-- from The Ballad of the Shattered Stone
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| By now, nearly everyone knows about Ultima Online.
Even people who don't know about computer games know about Ultima
Online. This Internet-based, multiperson role-playing game is by
far the largest and most complex of its kind ever created. It even
has its own newsgroup on Usenet.
The game was officially released in September of 1997, after nearly
three months of public beta involving tens of thousands of testers.
Some of the more cynical players say it's still in beta. Others say
it's better than a warm plate of Silverleaf and a cold mug of
Frasier's Folly. Now, you can be the judge. There are a few other
items on this site of relevance to Ultima Online: a
beta test kit, a couple pieces of apparel, and a reserved spot for any
future
collectibles that may appear. |
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Ultima Online
- Platform: PC.
- Publisher: Origin Systems, Inc., © 1997.
- Characteristics: UPC 14633-10136. CD (1).
- Included: Ultima Online cloth map; pewter UO pin;
Reference card; ???.
- Original List Price: $64.95 (plus $9.95/month)
Ultima Online had several other names considered for it. Ultima:
Shattered Legacy seemed to be the working title during the
product's public "pre-alpha" test in April 1996. Originally,
though, Richard Garriott's personal favorite was "Multima".
(*shudder*) Anyway, one thing not included with the game is an
in-depth instruction guide. For that you need to visit the official
Ultima Online web site, or buy
Origin's official guide to
the game. |
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Ultima Online
Charter Edition
- Characteristics: Same as above.
- Included: Same as above, plus a Hildebrandt print.
- Original List Price: $99.95
The "Charter Edition" was available from Origin by preorder, and
also in limited quantities after the regular edition shipped. In
fact, it may still be available now, as the only differences are a
larger box, the inclusion of the above-mentioned artwork,
autographed by the Hildebrandt brothers, and the autograph of Lord
British (Richard Garriott) on the box. |
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|
 Ultima Online Game
Time
Not a separate title, this is a way to buy extra time in Ultima
Online. Basically, purchasing UO Game Time gives three months of
online access to Ultima Online, in advance, for $29.85. How this is
different from simply subscribing for three months and paying the
exact same $29.85 in three installments escapes me. Frankly I can't
see why anyone would want to purchase this "product", except that
it is the only way Origin will allow someone to play UO without a
credit card. I'm not even sure if unused time is refundable should
you choose to quit UO. |
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The Ultima Offline eXperiment
This is not a commercial product - rather a private effort to
produce a "proxy" server capable of letting Ultima Online owners
play on their own "shards", without connecting to Origin's UO
servers. Players can use the server to play UO either standalone or
together with (a few) others. Plus you can pop around the UO world
map and see all those places you've always meant to see. It's an
intersting project, now well into its third incarnation. Visit the
UOX3 home page for more
details. |
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