Nostalgia: Ultima
You used to play computer games. Years ago. Before online gaming. Before the first-person shooter craze, and the obsession with frame rates and LCD monitor response times. (Though you did play the granddaddy of all FPSs, Wolfenstein 3D.) You enjoyed adventure and fantasy role-playing games. For the former, think Space Quest [wiki], featuring Roger Wilco, the antihero who taught you the existence and meaning of the word "janitor".
As for the latter, you remember these series: Might and Magic, Wizardry, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms [FAQ] [wiki], and most vividly, Ultima [wiki] [info portal]. You bought Ultima IX: Ascension -- the "Dragon Edition" no less -- when it was released in 1999. But never did install it, due to fear of the reported bugs, and what you decided was an inadequate desktop system configuration then. But you do not consider this to be one of life's little regrets. Because you did play Ultima VII: The Black Gate, and The Serpent Isle, and found them utterly enjoyable. (Your memories of Ultima VIII: Pagan, are better left in one of Roger Wilco's trashbins.)
You wonder if these games have been ported to current OSes, for current system configurations. Hooray, because googling reveals Ultima: The Reconstruction, a site dedicated to keeping track of ports and new developments. You are drawn to Exult, the Ultima VII port project.
Nice. You think you will revisit Ultima in the summer. Exult requires an original copy of The Black Gate and/or The Serpent Isle. You are now glad you bought the Dragon Edition for Ascension -- it includes The Ultima Collection (I to VIII) as one of the extra goodies. Heh.
As for the latter, you remember these series: Might and Magic, Wizardry, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms [FAQ] [wiki], and most vividly, Ultima [wiki] [info portal]. You bought Ultima IX: Ascension -- the "Dragon Edition" no less -- when it was released in 1999. But never did install it, due to fear of the reported bugs, and what you decided was an inadequate desktop system configuration then. But you do not consider this to be one of life's little regrets. Because you did play Ultima VII: The Black Gate, and The Serpent Isle, and found them utterly enjoyable. (Your memories of Ultima VIII: Pagan, are better left in one of Roger Wilco's trashbins.)
You wonder if these games have been ported to current OSes, for current system configurations. Hooray, because googling reveals Ultima: The Reconstruction, a site dedicated to keeping track of ports and new developments. You are drawn to Exult, the Ultima VII port project.
Nice. You think you will revisit Ultima in the summer. Exult requires an original copy of The Black Gate and/or The Serpent Isle. You are now glad you bought the Dragon Edition for Ascension -- it includes The Ultima Collection (I to VIII) as one of the extra goodies. Heh.
Labels: computing
posted by BlackRX at
5:24 AM
9 Comments:
I know I somehow missed Ultima Underworld 1 and 2 when they were released. It was a time of transition and I didn't own a 486 at that point in time.
I was a Mac user previously and I had gotten a 386 not too long ago. Following that, I missed the 486 and got a Pentium years later.
By
Chuang Shyue Chou, at Wed Dec 21, 09:52:00 AM GMT+8
Same here. I upgraded from an XT to a 386-33 to a Pentium-100. Remember when one needed a 486 just to play Strike Commander?
I think Ultima Underworld's use of sound effects was excellent for its time. Together with one's environment usually being dark or no more than dimly lit, this created an eery gameplay atmosphere. Come to think of it, Ultima Underworld is played in first-person mode, too.
By
BlackRX, at Wed Dec 21, 02:13:00 PM GMT+8
Strangely enough, I've never been much of an Ultima fan. I suspect its because I had a tortoise computer and was an SNES early adopter which made upgrading the computer unecessary.
By
Anthony, at Wed Dec 21, 03:52:00 PM GMT+8
I'm not a big Ultima fan but Might & Magic Series was great! Remember countless hours playing II & III. Real addictive and what better excuse to skip studying than to spend late night Sats playing RPGs till 3-4 a.m. in the morning...
By
professor, at Wed Dec 21, 09:15:00 PM GMT+8
Such glorious and wonderful memories. Ultima 1, 2, 3, 4 and
Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire.
By upgrading from a 386-33 to a P100, you missed a lot in those intervening years.
I upgraded from a 386-25 to a P133. I didn't have a CD-ROM drive in my 386 then. I missed everything.
I missed Strike Commander and Ultima Underworld. I can't conjure what you have described. I will go view screen shots.
By
Chuang Shyue Chou, at Wed Dec 21, 09:37:00 PM GMT+8
screen shots:
Strike Commander
Ultima Underworld 1
Ultima Underworld 2
By
BlackRX, at Wed Dec 21, 10:52:00 PM GMT+8
Thanks man. Will go see.
By
Chuang Shyue Chou, at Wed Dec 28, 04:45:00 PM GMT+8
This comment has been removed by the author.
By
Riconuko, at Wed Oct 01, 09:59:00 PM GMT+8
Ah, the sweet nostalgia of playing through Ultima IX: Ascension. The wonderful glitch on the other side of the fence, if you managed to climb over it. The hours consumed while being immersed in the enormous world of Brittania. I remember spending late nights in the den, deep within a dungeon in Might and Magic. Nothing to date has been nearly as encompassing as these games.
By
Riconuko, at Wed Oct 01, 09:59:00 PM GMT+8
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