Last thursday...waiting until the wee hours of the morning....hoping....hoping...EA classics? Finally after getting a bit of sleep I turn on GOG. Wing Commander- a great game, but I have both of them on disc already. Dungeon Master II- haven't played it, so I don't have much experience with it. Great...but no Ultima. Then Tuesday comes and no big hype this time. I go to GOG and SURPRISE!!!!!
Ultima is here! Now we can play I-IV, and will likely be seeing 5-7 soon! With these and the Underworlds, the greats of Ultima will all be here! I hope for The Complete Ultima VII with the add-ons, but it seems more likely the two parts of VII will be separate. (Look carefully and one of the obscured images and it seems we will soon be taking a trip to Serpent's Isle). Also, it is logical IV, V, and VI will be in a pack as well.
Now, though, we have I-III here and IV at
http://www.ultimaforever.com. Ultimas I and III are worth the price of admission. Despite being "old" I dare anyone to try Ultima I without getting addicted. II has not really aged well, but it is excellent even if only for the memories.
III has the hardest learning curve of all of them. Get ready to grind and die--a lot.
Now, here is a quick start for Ultima I.
1. Build a character you want to play. Fighters are usually the easiest, with access to the most weapons in the beginning, but mages can use spells no other characters can use. Choose a race, and experiment. some races are better for some classes.
2. Dungeon dive: Unlike most games where you need to build up before venturing into dungeons, the dungeons of Sosaria are the best training grounds for adventurers. They take up less food than traveling, the top floors have fairly weak enemies, and the dungeons have an important magical characteristic. Upon leaving a dungeon after battling enemies, HP are increased. So visit the dungeons often to gather hit points.
3. Visit castles and offer service. Kings will reward you for quests completed.
4. Check shops often. Technology changes quickly in Sosaria. Don't be surprised to find blasters and phazor guns as time goes on. Nothing is more fun than going into a dungeon packing a blaster.
5. Continue upgrading transportation so you can go to the seas....and far beyond......
(You'll see what I mean...)
Enjoy Sosaria.