Ultima Online: The Second Age

Ultima Online: The Second Age was the first expansion for the Ultima Online MMORPG. The Second Age was developed by Origin Systems and published by Electronic Arts in 1998. It was the last Ultima Online expansion designed by Raph Koster.

Gameplay
The expansion added several features to the game, including a new region called The Lost Lands, new creatures, and support for player-built cities. Internationally it was this version players got their first experience with the game, as the original release was U.S. and Japan only. Interestingly, the Taiwanese and Japanese editions have vastly differen box designs. Also, only with this expansion players got a detailled manual.

Critical reaction to the game was mixed. The Second Age was given the "Online Role-Playing Game of the Year" award at the 1999 Interactive Achievement Awards. Many reviews criticized The Second Age for not expanding the game enough, especially since gamers were anticipating the 3D MMORPGs EverQuest and Asheron's Call.

Included with the game
The Second Age came with the following items:
 * A paper map featuring a map of Britannia in Ultima Online on one side, and a Lost Lands Map on the reverse.
 * Ultima Online: The Second Age Playguide.

Other Releases
In Germany, the expansion was also sold in a compilation with Ultima IX; the Ultima World Edition. It was a complete boxed version, with all the content of the normal release.

Trivia

 * The inside of the cover flap of the first US-release is made up to look like a town newspaper called "The Ultima Online Town Cryer", giving out the latest "news" in all kind of fields. All other releases have the Hildebrandt Ultima Online Poster in the flap.
 * The Japane pre-order edition came with the Second Age Mousepad, a mousepad printed with the map of the Lost Lands.