Comments on: Memories of Ultima IV http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/28/memories-of-ultima-iv/ Adventures in Fantasy Literature Thu, 17 May 2012 03:56:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: NewGuyDave http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/28/memories-of-ultima-iv/comment-page-1/#comment-801 NewGuyDave Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:12:50 +0000 http://www.blackgate.com/?p=1993#comment-801 Well now, after such an excellent review, it only stands that it's followed up by Ultima VII: the Black Gate. (wink) Well now, after such an excellent review, it only stands that it’s followed up by
Ultima VII: the Black Gate. (wink)

]]> By: John ONeill http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/28/memories-of-ultima-iv/comment-page-1/#comment-800 John ONeill Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:53:59 +0000 http://www.blackgate.com/?p=1993#comment-800 Hey Ryan, Excellent article. I took ULTIMA IV along on my honeymoon, and finshed it (OK, that's not as bad as it sounds... my wife and I left for Belgium the day after our wedding, and we returned 10 months later). And you're right - the game was a complete revelation for RPG fans. By the time I played it (1993) it had already been superceeded by several new versions (Ultima 6 had been out for a while), but I went back to play it first, and never regretted it. Oddly enough, the one thing I found both fascinating and annoying was the way the game had you select your character class. As you mentioned, instead of rolling up a character (or choosing a class), you were given a series of questions to answer, each of which required you to weigh one virture over another (honor vs honesty, compassion vs justice, etc.) For example, you were asked: After 20 years thou hast found the slayer of thy best friends. The villain proves to be a man who provides the sole support for a young girl. Dost thou: - Slay him - Spare him for the girl Anyway, I kept taking the test, and always ended up as a bard. Who wants to play a bard?? Not me! I would quit and take the test again (the questions were randomized)... and always ended up a bard! I was convinced that it was rigged to start you out as a bard, and finally just gave up and played as a bard. Years later I discovered that BARD was the character class you received if you valued Compassion above all other virtues, including honesty, honor, etc. Pretty neat. You can take the test online today at: www.tk421.net/ultima - John Hey Ryan,

Excellent article. I took ULTIMA IV along on my honeymoon, and finshed it (OK, that’s not as bad as it sounds… my wife and I left for Belgium the day after our wedding, and we returned 10 months later).

And you’re right - the game was a complete revelation for RPG fans. By the time I played it (1993) it had already been superceeded by several new versions (Ultima 6 had been out for a while), but I went back to play it first, and never regretted it.

Oddly enough, the one thing I found both fascinating and annoying was the way the game had you select your character class. As you mentioned, instead of rolling up a character (or choosing a class), you were given a series of questions to answer, each of which required you to weigh one virture over another (honor vs honesty, compassion vs justice, etc.) For example, you were asked:

After 20 years thou hast found the slayer of thy best friends. The villain proves to be a man who provides the sole support for a young girl. Dost thou:

- Slay him
- Spare him for the girl

Anyway, I kept taking the test, and always ended up as a bard. Who wants to play a bard?? Not me! I would quit and take the test again (the questions were randomized)… and always ended up a bard! I was convinced that it was rigged to start you out as a bard, and finally just gave up and played as a bard.

Years later I discovered that BARD was the character class you received if you valued Compassion above all other virtues, including honesty, honor, etc. Pretty neat.

You can take the test online today at:

http://www.tk421.net/ultima

- John

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