Ultima Online Expansion Goes All... Samurai?

Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting an EA press release announcing the Ultima Online: Samurai Empire add-on, a "new expansion pack" for the long-running PC MMO title. According to the release: "Traveling around a mysterious Asian environment filled with exotic beasts, expansive dungeons and scenic housing areas, players can strive to become a fierce Samurai, dedicated to the art of Bushido and focused on learning new physical combat abilities.... Players also have the choice of joining the elite ranks of the Ninja, where they will concentrate on magical combat and stealth." UO Stratics has both concept art and screenshots from the newly-announced expansion, quite a thematic departure from "the European high fantasy" of the original title, and "scheduled to ship November 2004." We recently covered both Ultima Online's 7th anniversary and the cancellation of Ultima X: Odyssey.

Comments

Re:Huh?

[Jeff Reed]

It's probably a cheap attempt to cash in on anime fanboys and South Korea. I suspect it won't really add anything to the gameplay and will basically be a glorified graphics pack.

But hey, it sure beats actually developing a new game in the series!

Concept Art looks Good

[xanderwilson]

There was a trend a decade or two back in paper-and-dice RPGs when everyone was headed "East." Some of it successful, some boring. I wasn't into Vampire but their Kindred of the East book blew me away.

I figure there's two ways to really screw this up: repackage same old paradigms to look exotic, or bore players with stereotypes from film and TV. Concept art looks good except for the cut and paste "screenshot."

Alex.

Considering all things...

[MMaestro]

MMORPGs are designed to be join in, get hooked, and dig in for the long haul systems. The addition of an expansion clearly aimed at Asian markets (I didn't play Ultima 7, 8, or 9 but I'm guessing ninjas and samurais weren't in them) probably won't garner much success. After all, why switch to a 7 year old game just for an expansion when you can pick up a copy of the 2 year old Final Fantasy XI which already features ninjas and samurais?

Re:Considering all things...

[falcon5768]

and looks 100 times better at that and can be played on a PS2 too. On another note, I play FFXI and not only can you be a Ninja or Samurai (you have to quest to get the job type though, its not a starting class) but the Beastmen enemys you face can ALSO be those job types too.... not cool when you get a sam or nin special attack done to you

Hmm

[skinfitz]

At the risk of being called a troll, the GUI for UO is so shit how could anyone tell if a character is a samurai or anything for that matter?

I think they are LONG past due on graphics improvement (the crappy GUI is the reason I cancelled my account after 10 minutes of play after being convinced to join by a friend). I know about the UOX plans and cancellation etc. but lets hope they go ahead with what I've heard and plumb in the UOX engine into UO proper. I think I'd sign up then.

Re:Hmm

[override11]

I played UO for almost 6 years, and I think the worst thing they did was update the graphics engine. It used to be that, for PvP, you had to have skill, and low ping times, and you could whoop ass. Now the 3D client slows you down, not to mention all the wussies need Trammel so they can farm all day. I for one miss the pre-trammel days, where there was a real danger from PK's (like me, hehe) The game was fun! you had adrenaline pumping, and you had a risk carrying around too much treasure. Now the game is pussi-fied. Item insurance, zero reg cost, Trammel, the game is a bunch of bunk now. Not to mention that skill is not involved in PvP any more, its almost completely "What Relic's do you have". Ring of the magi = you can own another mage, almost regardless of skill.

Anyways, there's my rant. I loved UO, but I dont think I will ever go back again.

Yeah, that's BS

[ryanr]

If they want to expand the genre a little, add the space weapons and travel back in.

This is 20-something years now I've been playing the Ultimas. EA finish screwing it over, and give it back to Richard, please.