Plot cuts in Ultima VIII

Due to the deadline recommended by Electronic Arts, Richard Garriott caused Origin to rush Ultima VIII despite not required to do so. In the process, they had to cut the plot in numerous way to keep the time table. It created plot holes and unsatisfying sections of the game. The fragments found indicate that they had plots that were not finished. Numerous things can be found in the usecode of the game, while others have to be reconstructed from the remnants. And some material never even had time to get into the game at all or were removed completely.

Clear Removed Content

This is dropped content, which can be found in remnants of the usecode or other visible remnants (like graphics).

Undead Invasion

The usecode reveals that Lithos was angered by the removal of the Heart of Earth, so he would start earthquakes and would send his undead army against Tenebrae. Also, Vividos would openly accuse the Avatar of treachery.

All this, except for the quakes, is in the usecode. However, it cannot be activated the normal way. To activate, cheats have to be enabled. Press F9, click on View/Edit and then on Usecode Flags and type ‘hasHeart’ (it’s case sensitive). Change its value to 1. Note that Usecode Flags must be enabled. Everyone in Tenebrae, but especially Vividos and Mythran, will react to it.

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  Vividos' anger at the theft of the Heart of Earth

Birthplace of Moriens

The Birthplace of Moriens is a well known plot hole. In the unpatched version, it did not exist at all and in the patched version, the programmers simply changed a sign and the place is very sparse. However, there is a line in the unpatched version that is more revealing:

Avatar: "Where is this place?" (about the Pilgrimage)

Vividos: "You must return to the catacombs. First go into the Upper Catacombs. Once there, seek out the signs that mark the way. I would think that you have already seen them. There are signs which guide you to many places. The Pit of Death is one of those places."

That suggests that in the original plans, the Birthplace would have been in the Pit of Death. And indeed, there is a caved-in passage that strongly hints that it was to have a use.

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  The cave-in

Becoming the Necromancer

When looking through the program files, there is an item in the GFX-files: the Key of the Necromancer. This object does not appear in the release but can be created with the cheat program. However, its properties are broken and it only has the same use as the Key of the Caretaker.

Such a key might have been passed to Vividos, when he became the Necromancer, and then to the Avatar when Vividos somehow died. Lithos' parting words that the Avatar should not meet him again until becoming the Necromancer amounts to nothing in the release. Under this scenario, it might have.

Blue Vial

A cave in Fishermen's Reef holds a strange blue vial of unknown use. Trying to use it does nothing and no one in game can tell anything about it.

Haunted Grove

There is some dialogue with Mythran in the usecode that cannot be triggered in-game:

Avatar: "Is there a haunted grove?"

Mythran: "A haunted grove of trees? Well, I have heard such rumors applied to a circle of dead trees here on the plateau, though I will not confirm the existence of undead there."

The Skull of Quakes

During the game, the Avatar finds two letters, one right at the start by the docks, in which Mordea and Lieutenant Vittek hold correspondence about the missing Skull of Quakes. The discussion suggests that it is an important artifact. However, the topic is ignored until the Avatar finds the Skull in a chest in the Shrine of the Ancient Ones. After that, no hint is given to its originally intended use. This can only be discovered by trial and error.

All of this points to the Skull originally having a bigger role, but after cutting out plot threads, it was reduced to freeing a recall pad.

Star Shaped Rock Formation

In the bottom of the Shrine of the Ancient Ones map, there is an inaccessible area containing strange rock formation shaped like a star. It is unknown what was its original purpose and why it was separated.

Monstrous Insects

One preview shot for Ultima VIII shows monstrous blue insects. It is not known why those were removed from the final product, despite the work obviously already having been done in the engine to create the enemy. It is also not known if this picture instead was just a mock-up created with a paint program.

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  The blue insects from the preview

Vengeance Bay

Despite appearing on the cloth map and mentioned in the manual, the area of Vengeance Bay cannot be found in the released game. The Bay along with anything else included with it is another victim of plot cuts. The cloth map also shows two caves on the eastern side of the coast, one of them possibly being the entrance to the Bay.

The Lost Vale

Main article: The Lost Vale

The Lost Vale is an add-on to the game that was never released. It was finished, when Electronic Arts decided to abandon it and the master data got lost subsequently. The topic is extensive enough it got its own article.

Dropped Plot Threads

Dropped plot threads which have left no remnants in the code that might indicate an attempt at fulfillment, but were started in Ultima VIII or previous games.

Underground Cavern

Interview with one of the programmers reveals a cavernous area with deep blue walls had been cut during the production. This may or not have been part of the sunken underwater city.

Underwater City

Numerous times throughout the game, an underwater city of Hydros is mentioned, and the book about the blackrock fragments explicitly states that Hydros has stored her fragment, the Tear of Seas in said underwater city.

However, all of this is ignored and Devon, just by chance, had fished the Tear out of the sea one day. It could be that this was added later, as the team had been unable to finish the underwater city in which the search for the Tear of Seas could be implemented properly.

Lost School of Magic: Tempestry

The Avatar learns all the schools of magic in Pagan except Tempestry. Hydros double-crosses the Avatar and will not bestow the powers of Tempestry. This probably cuts many places/areas from the game, like finding the blackrock fragment from the underwater city (see previous section). It is possible that Hydros would have acted originally in different manner. Also, removal of Tempestry would basically hang the game due the Ancient Ones telling the Avatar needing to learn all the Titanic magics in order to leave Pagan. But this is totally circumvented by using the Titan powered blackrock fragments to recreate the blackrock Obelisk.

Sorcerers Help with Hydros

After Hydros is freed, Devon tasks the Avatar with the mission to find the Sorcerers and ask them for assistance to find ways to stop Hydros from attempting to drown the land in her rainstorms. However, the Avatar never mentions any of this to the Sorcerers, nor does Devon ever again asks if the Sorcerers were able to help. This had the potential to give the Sorcerers a great role in the plot.

Hydros Wanting to Kill Devon

After being freed, Hydros tells the Avatar her open intent to kill Devon. However, Devon is never attacked by her.

Palace of the Guardian

In Ultima Underworld II, Mors Gotha speaks of a Guardian’s Palace on the world of Pagan. However, no mention of such a place can be found in Ultima VIII.

Blackrock Serpent of Order

In Ultima Underworld II, the Avatar encounters the Moglop tribe goblins. Obtaining a blackrock serpent from Unnamed goblin, the Avatar learned it came from a wounded man who had uttered only one word "Pagan" before dying. As with the Guardian's Palace above, no evidence of how and why it was send from Pagan can't be found anywhere in Ultima VIII.

The Great Isle

In Pentology, Remvatos mentions place called Great Isle, where at least great magic-crafters resided. No other mention of the Isle can be found in Ultima VIII.