The Book of Play
The Book of Play originally came packaged with Ultima III. It is 22 pages long. No in-game author is provided, but Margaret Ellen Weigers and Roe R. Adams are credited for writing the book.
Description[edit]
The Book of Play places much more emphasis on lore and internal consistency than its predecessor, although, it does not yet follow the later Ultima tradition of being written entirely from an in-game perspective. It does still contain gameplay instructions and screenshots of the interface, things that later would be relegated to the reference cards. Numerous accompanying illustrations not present in previous Ultima manuals are found within.
Book Content[edit]
The following topics are part of the book:
- Foreword
- Instructions
- Moongates
- The town facilities
- Bestiary
- The Story so far...
Other Editions[edit]
In Japan, the book was translated twice, first by Starcraft, then by Pony Canyon. While the book from Starcraft has little to do with the original, Pony Canyon did a faithful translation, with the book being in its original form. The book was later reprinted in the Trilogy Manual, in English and Japanese versions depending on the market, with no changes apart from shifting the back story to the front of the book.
There also is a French translation for the release from publisher Ediciel. The book was shrunk considerably and has a different cover. Though it's said to be fully translated, nothing as of now has arisen about the contents.
Alternate Covers[edit]
Japanese cover
French manuals from Ediciel
External Links[edit]
- The Book of Play (PDF)
- The Book of Play (PDF)
| Ultima Game Manuals | |
|---|---|
| Age of Darkness | Akalabeth (manual) ☥ Ultima I (Playbook, manual) ☥ Ultima II (manual) ☥ Ultima III (play guide, cleric guide, wizard guide) |
| Age of Enlightenment | Ultima IV (History of Britannia, Mystic Wisdom) ☥ Ultima V (Book of Lore, journal) ☥ Ultima VI (Compendium) |
| Age of Armageddon | Ultima VII (Fellowship, Isle of Fire) ☥ Ultima VII Part Two (Serpent Pillars, Silver Seed) ☥ Ultima VIII (Chronicle) ☥ Ultima IX (Spellbook, journal) |
| Underworld | Underworld (Memoirs) ☥ Underworld II (Safe Passage) |
| Worlds of Ultima | Savage Empire (Ultimate Adventures) ☥ Martian Dreams (Red Planet, Time Travel) |
| Compilations | Ultima Trilogy I (Trilogy manual) ☥ Ultima Trilogy II (The Age of Virtue) ☥ Ultima Collection (Ultima Atlas) |
| Other | Shroud of the Avatar (Adventurer's Manual) |