User talk:Uniblab

Screenshot size

Hi. First, welcome to the Wiki. You propably haven't seen much of me, since I've taken a hiatus at the moment (I'm normally very active, a ton of stuff here is from me).

I did notice the size of your screenshots however, so I better tell you the convention that has established itself here. For VGA-era games (all of them apart from IX) we use scalerx2 for the screenshots, so that the screenshots are 640x400 without filters. From these screenshots everything else (icons, dungeon room pics, etc.) are derived from.

Ultima IV is an EGA-era game, so I guess that means 320x200. Uniblab (talk) 16:09, 28 August 2021 (UTC)

I felt to better tell you now so that you can adapt properly.--Tribun (talk) 12:49, 28 August 2021 (UTC)

Yes, 320x200 is EGA and VGA, that x2 is 640x400 (since otherwise it would be too small for usage here).--Tribun (talk) 18:57, 28 August 2021 (UTC)

I Have A Problem

I asked this on The Ultra-Mind's talk page to, but I want to see what you think of this, but you might not be able to help me so it's fine if you can't answer. The main reason I decided to join this wiki was because I cannot get myself to enjoy the Ultima games. The thing is, I could never get into these games. I wanted to join the wiki so I can get a better appreciation of the games but I still cannot bring myself to like them. It's not like I don't like older titles, that is far from the truth (The original Wasteland and the entire Wing Commander series are my favorite games of all time), I just can't seem to get into them, as in I can't play any of these tiles for more than ten minutes before I get bored and switch to something else. I always wanted to spend long hours playing these games because I have always had a deep respect for them (Due to how the series changed the game industry) and I love the world, but now matter how often I bring myself to playing even the titles I claim to be my favorites (Which I have never played for more than an hour in total each), I get bored and stop playing. So the question is: How can I play and enjoy this series, because I really want to like it and get into it, but for some stupid reason I can't enjoy any of them at all. TigerBlazer (talk) 22:13, 3 September 2021 (UTC)

Wow, thanks for thinking of me with this. I certainly do appreciate your predicament but I'm not sure how much help I can be. I have to admit much of the game's allure, for me at any rate, came with the "feelies". When I opened the Ultima III box and found an actual cloth map! In Ultima IV I was amazed to discover not just a map, but also a metal Ankh. Ultima V brought a coin along with the map, and Ultima VI included a moonstone with its map. These things blew my mind. These were not cheap gewgaws; these are treasures. I wish I still had them.

I should also mention the quality of the printed material drew me in. The Book of Mystic Wisdom from Ultima IV, for example, really impressed me. The History of Britannia was also an eye catcher. Sure every game has a product manual, but these weren't some cheap card or barely helpful booklet. These did not read like "How to Install Your New Stereo System", but brought me fully forth into Britannia itself. I'm glad GoG.com offers the PDF's, but electronic copies do not do justice to the physical commodities. The books were meant to look like they were leather-bound, and the illusion was so great that it was easy to fall into disbelief and actually believe they were.

Perhaps my love for it comes from these "feelies"?

You have some experience with other CRPG's so you're familiar with the "wander around until you recognize something" mode of exploration, but I must agree that Ultima IV takes that mode to a bit more of an extreme. You're instructed to learn about virtues and told to visit the various towns, and before you know it you've received an information dump too big to keep in memory but too incoherent to write down in notes. You'd need a Rolodex&tm; to sort even half of it out. I think this is the difference between Wasteland and Ultima. In Wasteland we open with some clear-cut missions. Visit that place marked X. Check on these folks at Y. Wasteland was telling a story. Ultima IV was building a world and letting us live in it. Living in a world can be confusing at times. Where do I find the white stone of Spirituality? Why did I just lose partial avatarhood in Humility just now? It can be frustrating because there are no clear-cut explanations or goals. There's a lot of wandering around instead. This is not necessarily for everyone.

Why do I have a deep love for Ultima's IV through VI? There is definitely something more than the now-lost "feelies". Those were the "hook", but what was the meat of it? By creating a world, and letting me live in that world, LCB was fostering something magical. After a while it was no longer "My character is 6th level" but "I am 6th level". I simply fell into the game as a man might fall into the sea. The virtues became a part of me. It was through Ultima IV that I learned something about myself. It was from Ultima IV that I took something out of the game and into the Real World. Ultima IV, and later Ultima's V and VI, helped me learn about myself. The dungeon room puzzles were also maddeningly difficult, which I came to enjoy after the fact, but it wasn't the fighting or the puzzles that made me a better person. It was the Virtues, and engineering a game such that I had to actually live them to "win", even if only in a pretend land. But that pretend land stayed with me. I was a genuinely happier person after completing Ultima IV. I was certainly more moral.

When I first got it and did a quick DIR to see what executable to load, I saw END.COM. I gave that spin. All it did was just gave some quote by LCB, something like "Victory lies in the path of the Avatar, not the commands of DOS." It seemed flip when I saw it. After completing the game I understood and appreciated that tiny little program. When I, not my character, came to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom it felt like a real accomplishment, but something far more than "bragging rights". It's not that bragging would be proud and therefore not Humble, although that might be part of it, but I had performed a moral victory not a material victory. Moral goods are not the the same as material goods. We might boast about a new car or a powerful computer, but would we boast about our humility? Would we boast about our Honesty? Would we boast about our Justice? No, and that's because we value cars differently than morals. I genuinely felt like I had accomplished something of true value; of Spiritual value. It's like being a veteran. Sure it opened my eyes to some things. Serving really gave me an education on all sorts of things and situations, and certainly made me a better person too, but it's not the sort of thing one goes around bragging about. Indeed the sort of person who would demand your thanks and praise for serving is exactly the sort of person whom one should not thank or honour. That is why I love Ultima IV-VI.

In other games, it's an inconvenience when Fred dies. In Ultima IV-VI it is horrifying when Iolo dies. That is how strong the connection is for me.

So how might you form this connection? For me it started with the "feelies" and product manuals. That may be too late for you, unless you're willing to spend Too Damned Much Money at e-bay. All I can suggest is you need to let go, and dive deeply into the two books, The History of Britannia and The Book of Mystic Wisdom, and then give the game a go. Don't play "your character", but play "yourself". Let the suspension of disbelief overcome you.

And if you still don't like it? Fair enough. There's nothing wrong with you if you just don't like any of this. You're not "broken" or "low-brow" if this sort of thing just doesn't appeal to you. There is a reason the creamery makes both chocolate and vanilla.

Good luck, and good hunting. Uniblab (talk) 00:02, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

Thank you so much for that. I think that really meant something to me. This kind of game style always frustrated me. Sure, Wasteland was open world in its own way with multiple ways to save each settlement and optional objectives, but as you said it told a story. I simply do not like being given unlimited freedom with almost no direction. However, I think getting immersed in the world is what I need (I guess the game was right when it said "No, really. Read the Book of History"). Thank you, oh wise one, for this advice. Maybe I might get into this series after all. TigerBlazer (talk) 00:11, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

Anyway Unilab, I started a new game in Ultima IV after reading what you wrote and played around with the game for an hour and a half. I started out the game as a Ranger (which always happens when I try to attempt this game) and I already have the mantras 'OM' and 'RA' due to Skara Brae and Jhelom having two moongates linking the two together. I did read both The Book of History and The Book of Mystic Wisdom as insructed and yes, they did clear up a couple of things. I also printed out the game's reference card and found an old notebook I had and am recording conversations I have with the inhabitants to keep track of things in case I miss anything. I'm still level 1 and I got confused a few times so I had to (I am ashamed to admit) consult the cluebook. I also got to many situations where I CTRL-ALT-DELETEed out of the game (I'm using the GOG version) due to poison and accidentally attacking a guard. I'm just grinding out waiting for a pirate ship to come by so I can take it to Lord British's castle (If I can find it. I world is freaking huge.) and since I can't find anything about the moongate sending me to the Shrine if Spirituality, I'm just enntering and exiting them untill I get to the right moon phases (Yes, I have a lot of time on my hands). Anyway, I'm starting to like the game now even though I am geting very confused at times. I might not be able to finish it soon though, as the new school year is starting up soon (I'm going to 9th grade). Thanks again for the advice and let me know what I'm going wrong. TigerBlazer (talk) 20:16, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

Update, I'm now level 4 and I found a ship and reached Lord British's castle, and finally got myself a sword and leather armor for my ranger. My only companion right now is Iolo, who isn't to useful right now, but it's good to have a second hand I guess. I have gained the Rune of Justice and meditated at the shrine of Justice for 3 cycles. I still have seven more stones and shrines to go I think. I'm really starting to have a lot of fun now! Would it be okay to tell you my progress as I continue? TigerBlazer (talk) 21:03, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

I'm glad you're having a better time now! Yes, please do keep me posted. Can you start a new sandbox in your User page? I'll watch it if you tell me what it is. Also the check out the Ultima IV walkthrough#Fast_Travel_Moongate_Routes section. That's not a spoiler (the moon phases are on the cloth map "feelie") and it'll help with your navigation. Iolo is a great companion with that bow of his. I picked Katrina first so I could grind her up to 8th early since she uses sling/staff and cloth. Uniblab (talk) 23:17, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

Okay, I have a section on my userpage for my progress through the game called "My Progress Through Ultima IV", where I will put up how I am doing in the game, and occasionally put up some screenshots. However, I will blank out my character's name since it is my real one if I ever do put up screenshots. As for the moon phases, that was quite helpful (I only loooked at the map for, well, the geography of the land). TigerBlazer (talk) 00:15, 5 September 2021 (UTC)

Would You Be Interested In This?

Would you be interested in joining the Awesome Games Wiki? Since 2013, it's a wiki where we list why critics and audiences liked the said video game, as well as their flaws. Think of it as an extended and more detailed version of the reception section on a Wikipedia article. I have been an administrator on this wiki since June, as well as on three others in our network. I've also made quite a few pages on the wikis that are high-quality, and I spend time on these wikis the most out of any. They are on the Miraheze wiki hosting service, which is very good to use. So I was wondering if you would like to join, since a few new users would be nice. They have kind of a bad rep, but recently they have improved a lot and people are starting to come back and help us improve. It's fine if you don't want to, we could just use the help and it would be nice for some other people I know to be on something I'm a lot more active on. (Sorry if this comes off as advertising. I can't send private messages to people on this wiki.) TigerBlazer (talk) 21:16, 16 September 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for the invitation. Your opinion means something to me. I'm going to keep it in mind, but I'm not going to jump at it just now. In addition to trying to contribute here, I have a lot going on professionally. I'm also the Den Leader for 10 Cub Scouts, one of whom is my son, so I'm pretty well at my capacity. Things would be easier if I had a wife (or a maid with benefits), so until one of them comes my way I'm afraid I'll have to pass. Uniblab (talk) 00:57, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

Ah well, that's to bad. But it's cool that you are a Cub Scout leader (I used to be in the Cub Scouts, but due to troubles with the other parents (The other parents kinda had problems) and how much time it took up, I had to leave scouting altogether after I got through it.), and I can tell raising a son is quite hard work (I would like to become a foster parent myself one day). Oh well, at least I know you will keep it in mind, and hope life isn't to hard for you. TigerBlazer (talk) 01:16, 17 September 2021 (UTC)