Posted on UO.com's Five on Friday page:]/url]

April 6, 2007

Kingdom Reborn Pic of the Week:
Here's another beta tester screenshot showing, from the top down, a Gaman, a lesser Hiryu, and a White Wyrm.

White Wyrm and Friends
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3D Client Reminder:
We are still projecting that the patch that will turn off the 3D client will go live on April 11th. After this patch, the only clients that you will be able to log in with are the 2D client and, if you're a beta tester, the KR client. Many of you have asked for beta slots to make up for the loss of your preferred client, and while I totally understand the desire, I can't promise that we'll get every single 3D user into beta immediately. Our plan is to ramp up the number of beta testers quickly, but it still might be several weeks before we get everyone in who wants to be in. In the meantime, keep an eye on the UO Herald for news.

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"Will KR fix/rebalance/add (x) feature?""
I've been getting a lot of this type of question, lately, and it's an important thing to clear up.

Kingdom Reborn is a new client - this means we are redoing the software that players use to talk to the server. We are not (with one set of exceptions) changing the game itself. So, no, KR won't fix PvP, make crafters awesome, add new lands, add new races, or any of that stuff. What it will do is make the existing game easier and more fun to play (and prettier!) It's also totally free.

(The exception to the "no gameplay changes" rule for KR is the New Player Experience. This will be available for everyone to check out with an upcoming live patch, and will offer new quests, items, and more.))

The update that will include gameplay changes, fixes, and additions is Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss - an expansion pack, just like Mondain's Legacy. That's where gargoyles, a new dungeon, and tons of other cool stuff are hiding.

Balance and bug fixes are something we think about and work on constantly, so don't be surprised if you see those coming in bits and pieces before SA launches.

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Philadephia Town Hall Approaches:
Time for your regular reminder about the next [uel=http://town.uo.com/luncheon.html] Town Hall Meeting - this one's in Philly, and we expect a good turnout. We should have all the usual goodies - food, gossip, news, beta invites. UO Radio is planning to be there broadcasting live, for the folks too far away to make it. There's no reason not to RSVP now!

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Thanks to everybody who submitted feedback this month! We've got tons of good stuff, and your priorities are showing up loud and clear. The winner of the beta slot for March will recieve his or her invite in the mail next week - check your inbox!

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Fansite News:
Something a bit different on the fansite front, this week. Noxin has made an absolutely killer UO-themed flash game called "Defender" - I strongly suggest y'all go check it out. (Yes, that's me on some of the high-score lists, and no, I didn't get much sleep last night.)

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We're in full-bore beta madness mode over her - lots of fun! I wanted to acknowledge all the people who have been asking about KR minimum specs - we're waiting on just a bit more hardware testing before we post those, so hang on just a little bit longer. No gameplay questions this week, because both my inbox and my team are kinda obsessed with KR right now. Have a good weekend!

- Jeremy