Somehow you had to bring those players, for which this was their first Ultima game, up to speed, too.

Hardcore fans seem to forget that not everyone had played the whole canon before coming to this game.

Betrayal!

And that was decidedly not the way to do it.

Creators seem to forget that attempting to appeal to everyone usually ends up appealing to no one. When you're over 8 sequels into a series, and the last few have already disappointed to varying degrees, it's time to focus on the core audience. Delivering a good experience will naturally garner more fans anyway.

so when's Ultima X? and will it have Paladins?

For the second question, I'd say no, as the class only properly existed in Ultima 3 and 4.

He did not understand what the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom or the Gargoyles were either. Either he was one of the imposters from 7, or was hit in the head too many times.