pre-AoS UO was the perfect RP community game EVER!!

For me, its increasingly unlikely that I'll be returning to UO. I started playing Eve Online again during what I thought was a breif hiatus (suckered in by a free 14 day play) and now I'm a once-again addicted player who's part of a 1600 man Alliance that pulls together fighting forces up 300 strong when we're running a pre-planned operation. Our definition of a "small" offensive operation or raid is something that involves 50-100 people. We're one of the smaller Alliances (10th or somesuch)

Not a great deal of RP in the game (there is however a community a good few hundred strong fighting a pretty big war though), and if I got into it I don't think it'd be all that great that given for now (is changing later this year with in-station walkabouts and interaction with human avatars) people are restricted to having space-ships for Avatars. Plus its all future-like and spaceships.

Next game I'm liable to really be gunning for is most likely Age of Conan. LotR-O is very shiny, but Age of Conan will allegedly have proper PvP and a massive potential for RP without the shadow that is LotR hanging over it, so hell yeah for that.

I totally agree with you Kaelith , but i also loved my early days in Vesper which was after AoS and even some of the recent RP has been good, well some aspects anyway

But it did once Callum, SWG was very like UO once. The original dev team were all from UO Sadly though it also got the same treatment as UO and SoE basically tried to make it waaay to much like WoW and basically broke it.

I think the main issue for Rpers leaving UO is that, there is only a few hour time frame to enjoy UO, and that's RP peak times. And judging from what I saw and hear, those "fun" times are erratic. If you only play UO for the RP and there's nothing going on then you might as well log out as PVE in UO -reallly- sucks compared to other games. So there's no real point in playing a game where you have the potential of a few hours fun a day and not be able to play when you feel like it, but perhaps just log on for the "peak hours" which rarely consists of more than the 5-10 people of the same crowd every night...whereas in other games you have the chance to hop on in the afternoon, get your gaming, pvp, RP fix, whatever, and then not play later. The point is that there's not always something to do in UO where there is in other games. And the whole Magincia invasion point, come on, who really enjoys those events? Just mindless slaughter of stupid critters, with the odd RP like "Oh heavens, seems they're gaining in strength! We must withdraw! Men and children first!!"

Not to mention that in a few months with AoC and WAR coming, UO will lose even more players, so might as well jump ship while you can instead of hanging on to a dying game. There really is no point in staying in UO as you must know by now that there won't be a miraculous influx of new players. If UO continues years down the line I imagine that the RP community will consist of a dozen people that have a weird little soap opera thing going. But hey, if that's your idea of fun then more power to you! But don't have false hopes that UO will rise again, cause I don't think -anyone- believes that it will.

I remember when I had my short spell on SWG, whilst I had access to an unblocked internet connection, and it was incredible!!!

Really wished I could have played more. I think if I'd been able to I may have given UO up for it. Which probably wouldn't have been smart considering Kaelith went into his glory days when I got back to uni and couldn't play SWG.


Esca - you're right, RP has been so much fun even after AoS, although tbh i only ever really got into it after AoS as I was still very new before! But it was always the combat system which nagged me. It was ok for a while, but as they changed it and tried to make it "better" they slowly made it worse and worse.

I did sometimes wonder whether the people who developed UO had any idea of how pre-AoS UO felt? cos ever since AoS it seemed to be on a rollercoaster to becoming another game entirely and lost the dark and simple medieval fantasy feel and became a neon coloured crazy world where everyone was special...

As long as there is some RP though there is always hope. And as long as RP keeps its restrictions and some atmosphere that's good too! If RP opened up and embraced the game it would be all over imo! The game sux :/

I'll do a last apperance in UO.. then im gone.

For good this time.

I joined about 6 mths pre AOS,and after JUST about figuring some of the mechanics out,it changed and Ive been 'lost' ever since .

I beleive we have seen the 'last' of the original dev team that worked on UO pre AoS and no matter how much lip service is given to 'bringing back' UO lore,its never going to happen as it was back then.

As roleplayers we have to accept that how it is today, is it how its going to be,and we have to change a lot of what we did,into new ideas and concepts.

If we cant or wont adapt,then there isnt a place for us in the game anymore.

I seriously beleive the chang for the worse came not only after AoS but also when they changed the rating to Teens.

and BEFORE everyone under 21 slates me,read on.!!

The rating allowed into the game a set of complete and utter infantile players,whos only remit was to 'bash & cash'.

Running around pvp'ing and looting ,causing grief ,spoiling roleplay etc,etc.

No one who plays UO can surely disagree.

It brought an element of players who logged in amongst peer pressure,school pressure and parental pressure.Teamed up with the difficult of just being a teen, emotionally and physically,and it gave for a lot of problems.

These players who are now 'vets' have learnt all the tricks ,scams,scripts etc,and its become BIG business to them.

The ones with no morals have spoilt the game for most everyone else.

That doesnt mean ALL the above were teens eitehr,hell a lot of older players were worse than some teens[ and still are ]

HOWEVER on the ONLY good side of that,is the fact,it also allowed some of the most creative,mature and intelligent teens to also play.
As time went on a few of the silly ones matured into committed and dedicated UO'ers and brought a heck of a lot to the Community.

Two that immediately spring to mind are Hanse Davion and Devlins players.

Hanse I could not abide when I first met him [X] number of years back, he was a mouthy ,pvping terror.

Look how he has grown up though.

Now he can GM Vesper with great leadership,and carry it whenever needed.

He is also a brilliant RP'er,and now plays all his characters very maturely.

Devlins player I know has got up the back of one or two players,in the past,but when you consider the age he started in the game,the lad is an absolute genius.

I had some of my best and funniest roleplay times with him,and he is one who will always stick in my mind as a UO Legend.

He has a creative gift that spilled out into the game,sometimes a little too over zealously,but the important thing he was willing to learn, and has grown into a great fun person to interact with.


The roleplay is all some of us want to do,and as long as those folk still logg in, yes,there will always be roleplay.

Sadly however the numbers of griefers have overtaken the serious roleplayers,and it gets increasingly more difficult to find our niche.

As callum said though ,there is LOTS of opportunities for rp atm,and we should/must make the most of it whilst its there.

We could log in tomorrow and find a pleasant surprise

Hahaha yes but now he is a mouthy, pvping terror GM!

What makes RP bad at moment.. atleast when it comes to the fighting part.. which i must say 60%+ want in RP. Has become totally Template based. Poisoning is THE thing to be.. and many got it. Combine it with chiv. (Yes it is silly) but many do it. ouch.

People tweak their skill templates to absurb skills just to win.