Due to the presence of a time machine in Ultima I and of time doors in Ultima II, many highly sophisticated weapons appear in these games, even during time periods when they are clearly beyond the current reach of technology. Later, after the disappearance of both technology and magic that enabled time travel, these devices were rendered unavailable to the population of Sosaria.
Advanced Ranged Weapons[edit]
Pistols[edit]
In the age of Ultima I, small personal handguns became available to the populace of Sosaria. It would be logical to suppose that they were brought to this age using the time machine. Frigates were then equipped with cannons, implying the advent of gunpowder weapons had already transpired for the time period when Ultima I occurs. In either case, the pistol was an exceptionally potent weapon for the Sosarian age, trumping even the mages' triangle sword in terms of effectiveness.
Pistols reappear later in the Ultima series (although in their proper place in time) in Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams; see Weapons in Martian Dreams.
Blasters[edit]
The blaster was the most powerful weapon available in Sosaria during the era one millennium after the construction of Mondain's gem. It was a ranged, hand-held weapon similar to a pistol, except that it shot bolts of energy far more potent than the soft metal ammunition of handguns. It was probable that the blaster, too, was brought to this age using the time machine.
Phasers[edit]
The phaser (sometimes also spelled as "phazor") was a weapon similar in construction and operation to the blaster, except that it was not as potent. Unlike blasters, phaser technology was present on the Stranger's home world (Earth) due to the advent of the time doors. Within this altered Earth timeline, phasers were the most potent weapons available, except for the legendary quicksword, although they required a very skilled hand to operate.[1]
Other Weapons[edit]
Light Swords[edit]
Light swords could be found in both the Sosaria of the First Age of Darkness and upon the altered Earth created by Minax. It is unclear if these weapons were simply magically enchanted swords composed of metal, or if they were some manner of high-tech device, such as might be seen in the films of the late twentieth century. The latter seems likely, as they were of superior attack power to the Sosarian pistol, although in their later incarnation they required significant manual dexterity to wield effectively.[2]
- As with other genre-bending anachronisms of Ultima I and Ultima II, Richard Garriott has stated that weapons such as these came about as he was still trying to find the right direction for the series, adding in bits and pieces from what he saw in the world of entertainment at the time that inspired him.[3] The majority of these items vanished by the time of Ultima III, when the series began to take a more definitive shape in terms of its setting.
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Mechanical Note: In Ultima II, phasers may only be equipped by characters with an Agility score of 41 or higher.
- ↑ Mechanical Note: In Ultima II, light swords may only be equipped by characters with an Agility score of 39 or higher.
- ↑ Massey, Dana. “Richard Garriott: The Escapist Interview”. The Escapist. 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
