Ultima IV Reborn
Ultima IV Reborn, later versions known as Ultima IV Rebirth, is an Ultima IV remake based on the Neverwinter Nights engine. This module was developed by Devi, who published its initial version in 2003. The inital version of this module attempts to recreate Ultima IV on the Neverwinter Nights engine without adding user-created content, just taking advantage of the content (graphics, monsters, etc) offered by the original game, customized to fit better the Ultima universe.
In 2009, Glanestel Dragon created an updated 1.1.0 version, mostly fixing bugs encountered in the original version, and using feedback provided by people who had played the game. Three more versions, 1.2.0, 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 were released in 2010, in order to make some bigger changes on the module, to fix some gameplay issues, and to improve the Ultima feeling of the game.
The original version is compatible with most versions of Neverwinter Nights patched to at least version 1.3. Versions 1.1 and 1.2 require the Hordes of the Underdark expansion, patched to version 1.69.
A new version of the remake, called Ultima IV Reborn AeT, was released by DanCar and Xenovant in 2016. It included several improvements, vastly expanding dialogues from their short original Ultima IV versions, into much longer discussions, greatly fleshing out each character's personalities. Several similar tidbits were added to the world, including many books and lore references trying to connect the game better with the rest of the Ultima series. It was originally relased only in Italian, but versions 1.2 and 1.21 were later released in 2017 to add English dialogues, add custom portraits and other GUI improvements, and make monsters models closer to their actual Ultima references, among other changes.
A major update of Ultima IV Reborn was released on 2020 by Melavir Sauin Dragon, retitled Ultima IV Rebirth. This new version of the mod does a substantial overhaul by adding a considerable amount of custom content, and making the game work on the newer version on of the base game, Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. Some changes include a reworking of many of the game zones to look closer to their original locations, a detailed system for creating spells, a resting mechanic, the addition of an intro and endgame sequences, changes to loading screens for a better Ultima feel, and improvements to handle companions. While Melavir Sauin stopped working on the module, others have made some improvements on it mostly to fix bugs, including a version 2.3.1 by bliznik in 2022, and a version 2.3.2 by DarkRanger in 2024.
Version Summary[edit]
| Mod Name | Version | Developer | Year | Base Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultima IV Reborn | 1.0.0 | Devi | 2003 | Neverwinter Nights v1.3 |
| Ultima IV Reborn | 1.1.0, 1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2 | Glanestel Dragon | 2010-2011 | Neverwinter Nights + Hordes of the Underdark v1.69 |
| Ultima IV Reborn AeT | 1.0, 1.2, 1.2.1 | DanCar and Xenovant | 2017 | Neverwinter Nights + Hordes of the Underdark v1.69 |
| Ultima IV Rebirth | 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1a, 2.3.0f | Melavir Sauin Dragon | 2022 | Neverwinter Nights: Enchanced Edition |
| Ultima IV Rebirth | 2.3.1 | bliznik | 2022 | Neverwinter Nights: Enchanced Edition |
| Ultima IV Rebirth | 2.3.2 | DarkRanger | 2024 | Neverwinter Nights: Enchanced Edition |
See also[edit]
- Avatarship, a similar Neverwinter Nights mod, which add user-created content.
External links[edit]
- Ultima IV Reborn 1.0.0 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Reborn 1.1.0 (files only) on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Reborn 1.2.0, 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 (files only) on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Reborn 1.2.2 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Reborn AeT 1.0 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Reborn AeT 1.2.1 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Rebirth 2.3.0f on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Rebirth 2.3.1 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault
- Ultima IV Rebirth 2.3.2 on the Neverwinter Nights Vault