Ultima VI map of Britannia
Included with Ultima VI was this cloth map.
Description[edit]
This map, showing Britannia, is considerably different from its two predecessors. While the map again has numerous decorations on it, it also for the first time included a longitude and latitude grid. Also, the different scale of the game is noticeable, the cities look bigger with more details seen on the map. Also, the moon phases are not included, probably because of the Orb of the Moons and the lack of normal moongate use. The map is essential in the game for orientation.
Other Releases of the Map[edit]
The cloth map was only included with the original PC releases and the C64-port of the game, as well as the Japanese X68000 and PC-98 ports. Later re-releases and the ports for the Atari ST and the Amiga only had a stiff cardboard map. The print quality on that map is poor, and the colors are washed out, with greens turned to a dirty yellow and the print almost being unreadable on swamps and forest. The same cardboard map was also the only map included in the normal editions of Ultima Trilogy II as well as in the Ultima I-VI Series, with only the game title being changed on the map.
The cloth map included with the FM Towns-port is quite different from the original map. Not only does it feature a thick yellow border, but also exhibits all the same color shifts as the cardboard map, thus proving they both come from the same master. Only the colors look more vibrant due to the different printing material. Additionally, the port contains a cheap paper map, which is black lines on yellow/greenish paper.
For the releases in Taiwan and Korea, glossy paper maps were used. While the Korean map is an exact copy of the original map, the Taiwanese map shows flatter colors with less saturation.
Source Art[edit]
Additionally, the Source Map, from which the final product was made, did turn up. It is in the state where all the line work was done and the artists were starting to add color, before apparently creating a copy and working on that. The detail on that map is very high, but due to its size the picture is reduced in resolution here. The original (without perspective correction) can be found in the links. There are also some reflections on it due to the fact that it is drawn on plastic.
Alternate Maps[edit]
The cardboard map
Map in the Ultima Trilogy II
FM Towns cloth map
FM Towns paper map
Trivia[edit]
- This exact map, minus the Ultima VI logo, can be seen in the introduction of Ultima VII, thus creating a case of leaning against the fourth wall.
- Like in the game itself, the Shrine of Humility and the Shrine of the Codex are switched on the map.
Gallery[edit]
The source map
The map as seen in the Ultima VII introduction
See Also[edit]
- Ultima VI computer-generated map
- HRUMP: High-Res Ultima Map Project – Who graciously gave us permission to host their maps
- The Ultima 6 Project Britannia map
- Ultima Atlas
External Links[edit]
| Maps Included as Trinkets | |
|---|---|
| Maps | Ultima I ☥ Ultima II ☥ Ultima III ☥ Ultima IV ☥ Ultima V ☥ Ultima VI Ultima VII ☥ Ultima VII Part Two ☥ Ultima VIII ☥ Ultima IX Savage Empire ☥ Martian Dreams ☥ Ultima Underworld ☥ Ultima Underworld II Ultima Forever ☥ Shroud of the Avatar |