Hello everybody! On behalf of the newly formed Live Design team, I’d like to take a moment to introduce ourselves and our goals for UO.

The Team
Allow me to present our newest designer: Adida. She joins us from the world of Game Masters, where she served most diligently and skillfully before relocating with our group to become a designer. Even in the short time we’ve worked together we’ve managed to accomplish a lot, and I’m looking more and more forward to what she can do!

For myself, I started out as a junior designer on UO back in 2005, right after the release of Mondain’s Legacy. Since then, I’ve been bouncing back and forth between groups as needed, and also contributed some of the larger systems for the live events. You may remember me from such disasters as “The Ophidian Invasion,” “The Destruction of Haven,” and the “The Fall of Magincia.”

We’re relatively new, but growing! We also have the advantage of having old friends like Leurocian around (who have their own responsibilities now), and in the grand tradition of Ando and Mesanna, you’ll probably be seeing some new faces from the production staff appearing on test centers.

In short, having a chance to actually work fulltime on the live side of things is an exciting and daunting prospect. So without further ado, here’s what we’re up to:

The Mission
Our mission is to provide UO with the greatest content and gameplay publishes possible. This means Bug Fixes. Balances. Enhancements. New Content. It means delivering a plot arc the likes you’ve never seen, with a dedicated events team who’re passionate about not only UO’s history, but Ultima’s itself.

Those are pretty direct statements, so let’s explore their impact:

* Bug Fixes, Balances: UO is a brilliant world, thanks to both our fervent community and the years of development the team has given her. UO is also complex: we need to fix the bugs. We have longstanding issues and completely new problems that pop up on a weekly basis. Critical issues that interfere with your enjoyment of UO are as intolerable to our team as they are to you.

Just to be clear: our focus is server bugs, not client. While larger systems will take some time, there’re things that need to change immediately – which leads us to our next topic.

* Cheating: We hate it as much as you do. We can’t disclose our plans or methods, but be assured that removing exploits and keeping the game fair is a top priority for the Live team. As far as the cheaters themselves? Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: cheating will not be tolerated.

Please report anything you see through the in-game petitioning system, and larger issues to Jeremy through the Feedback system on the Herald.

* New Content: UO thrives on new content. Britannia was designed as a world, and everything we add to it, permanent or no, leads it further along that path. We’re not only excited about the coming event arcs, but also just the fun, interesting things we can do.

This Valentine’s Day was the first project we all had an opportunity to work together on, and we think you’ll be pleased with the results. Having a live events team again is, I believe, one of the strongest parts of our initiative. After all, Adida can’t wait to show you the surprises she’s prepared for you!

So in closing, I just want to say how happy I am to have been extended this new opportunity on UO: the game I love. Being able to work with people like Leurocian, Mesanna, Adida, and all the new people I’ve met here is an honor, and I can’t wait for you to get to know them better too.


Yours,

Tim “Draconi” Cotten
UO Live Lead Designer

Live Design Team eh? Nice
Sounds abit like the old scenario team?
Does that mean new systems/storylines/art like the old scenario team used to bring to UO?

Either way, congrats on the new position and thanks for posting.

Draconi -

Appreciate the post and the rosy outlook on UO - particularly the new content promises.

One thought: as you begin your scorched-earth capaign against cheaters, take a look at what gave rise to the cheat programs in the first place. When the cause is endless, needless, boring clicking, please give a thought to incorporating an alternative into KR functionality - much like you've already done with "make max" crafting.

Onward! Once more, unto the breach!

Hmm, so we can expect to see all the duper's houses burned to the ground?
Is this a revamp of the policy on keeping banned account houses, or letting them decay?
Sweetness if so

* Cheating: We hate it as much as you do. We can’t disclose our plans or methods, but be assured that removing exploits and keeping the game fair is a top priority for the Live team. As far as the cheaters themselves? Some of you may know what I can do with a lit match and some blackrock. Expect burned out shells where treasure vaults of ill-gotten gains were once held. Allow me to reiterate: cheating will not be tolerated.


it is so hard to find people cheating, i can do it without even trying...

Woohoo! Can't wait to see what you all have in store for us! *waxes bow string*

Congrats on the new position Draconi. Looking forward to the events your team has for us.

I say burn all the duper houses. Make sure you burn the contents too. Now I've got chars in all the shards I think, so if you plan on making a public event of the burning, I'd gladly go

Sounds pretty cool (and sounds a whole lot like a game that sees UO as a game with a future). All of the "UO is dying" grim-mongers... well I'll just reiterate that I have faith in UO's future

Thanks for the update Draconi, always good to have EA Staff post especially on something so positive

A great post Draconi,and almost a feeling of relief that finally we have something concrete to read and respond to.

Congrats on the new position

I hope this wont be the end of the 'Master of Disaster' and that we see more of your handy work in scorched plots where once the enemy stood.


" New Content. It means delivering a plot arc the likes you’ve never seen, with a dedicated events team who’re passionate about not only UO’s history, but Ultima’s itself."

I CANT wait ..........

Good Luck to you and your new team.

Wow Great News! Thanks Drac good to hear there is a future in the works for UO and it sounds very exciting cant wait to hear whats coming up. A dedicated Live Team sounds awesome and with a clear plan for the future even more so! Congrats on what sounds like a successful move and plan for the future!

"Having a live events team again is, I believe, one of the strongest parts of our initiative." - [Draconi]

Does this mean a live events team as in like the EM/Seer team? Or just "live" events such as a shed load of monster spawn to beat up? Which isnt exactly "live" its more of a ... well an ongoing event.

And if we are to have a real proper *live* team back is there any chance live events in Europe could happen before midnight/2am? As at that time of night its really not many Europeans playing.

It all sounds positive but my fear is that us Europeans will be ignored as usual.

Sorry to sound cynical but Europa has been ignored for years by EA.