User:Dream Focus

About me
I remember the second story of the mall had a small section for computer software, and I remember clearly seeing the Ultima trilogy and Ultima 5 there. I bought the trilogy, thinking three games would be better than one.

I got it for my Apple 2, which had no volume control whatsoever, and thus the constant beeps during Ultima 2, did irritate the rest of my family to no end, limiting the time in which I could play it.

I enjoyed all three games greatly.

Then when I was able to get to the mall again, I got Ultima 5, it making all the rest pale in comparison! The first time I played, I got lost in the woods, surprised by just how large the world was. Loved every moment of it. Used some computer paper, the kind for the old computers that had the round holes in the side you could tear off, to write down all my notes of the game. Still have that today.

When Ultima 6 came out, I spotted it in a display at the front of the computer store, recognizing the moongates, and rushed in to see it. Alas, it was only for the IBM compatible, and I had only an Apple.

I later got it, and loved it. Placed all the many spears I got from some monster I killed along the floor in a room in Lord British's castle to decorate, and was horrified to find they would vanish. Ended up just keeping them all in a series of containers as I recall, always one to stockpile. I think you could buy as many bags as you wanted, and keep other bags in them, to have limitless storing capacity.

Ultima 7: the Black Gate was the greatest game ever made. Its sequel, titled Ultima 7: part 2 despite not having anything to do with Ultima 7, other than the fact you are chasing that one guy after it, failed to live up to the previous games, there only three towns there, and just not as good. Totally different artwork, and I believe the spells were different, so I wonder why they didn't call it Ultima 8. I guess 8 was already being made, and this one used the Ultima 7 engine. Odd.

Ultima 8: Pagan sucked very badly.
 * Walking along the water's edge, stepping in even a little puddle, you'd drown and instantly die.
 * Lot of running around in the labyrinth, I always getting lost.
 * Sorcerer spells too complicated.
 * Speech pack broke all sound, and it had to be uninstalled and reinstalled without it to work again.
 * Couldn't kill the pervert who sexually harassed that servant girl, and tormented her so. Anyone playing the game, hearing her complain about him stumping his muddy boots around whenever she cleaned the floor, and pinching her, not want him dead?
 * All that irritating jumping.
 * Too many things to mention. Just a horrible game, for an otherwise great series.

And then came Ultima 9, bought only out of my loyalty for the series, I wanting to see how it all ended. Sigh. Didn't run very well on the computers of the day. They released a series of patches, each one followed by more complaints on their forum, and then after the last one came out, they made it so no one could post anything about it, and said judge us now, its all fine. I unfortunately believed them.

A lot of running around breaking crates, and whatnot. The dungeons were lame, and well... it was just all garbage.

I own two Ultima games for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the first two released on it, that being Exodus and Quest of the Avatar. I think I got Exodus before buying the trilogy for Apple 2.

I own an Ultima game for Gameboy as well.

I own a copy of the second edition book about Ultima, which Richard Garriot mentions his interesting life. Fascinating how it all worked out.

I bought the Ultima Online Charter Edition, complete with a three month subscription, nonrefundable. Yesh! Had some horrible problems when that game first came out, and the staff seemed unable to stop it. No one liked being attacked by other players, and not until Everquest came out with their PVP switch, did Origin finally take it seriously and create two servers. I was gone by that time, but I hear everyone left their original server, for the new safe one. Newbie thieves could steal from you, there were a nonstop flux of exploits people used to max out their characters, houses at that time couldn't be made to keep people out, they simply waiting at the door with hiding skill and running in whenever you opened it, killing you and stealing all your stuff, and tormenting you to no end, etc. So many things wrong with that game.

Still, I loved the interactions I had with people inside Britain. Preferred craft skills to combat. But the lag freezes, the servers constantly going down, and mostly the player killers, really made the game unbearable. I quit after a few weeks, then restarted my account again months later hearing it had changed, played for my second of three months, then quit, starting up again when people said it had gotten better, and then not after that.

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