xG00BERx
What kind of things do you like and admire in a custom server?
Custom Facets? Custom Skills? Custom what...?
Custom Facets? Custom Skills? Custom what...?
Valorian-Aeternum
Member
Custom Graphics, custom Landscape, custom map, custom storyline, custom skills, custom features 
OP
xG00BERx
Thats a bit too much for GOOBER... lol but its some interesting lookin stuff.
Valorian-Aeternum
Member
I don't know... For me this is not custom anymore, this is more or less standard. So custom would be something innovative and new.
Huntress
Member
I agree with Valorian most of so called custom UO is pretty much ":Vanilla" or "Standard" stuff now. It is just plug and play scripting going in and the same old graphics with just enough changes to make it difirent from the next shard on the list. If I had the skills or the resources I would form a group that basicly re-writes the game top to bottom in every detail to todays standards and damm the old ways. maybe bring a few of the older/newer stuff over for some familarity and a brief nostalgic feel to the game, but rewrite the game engine to fully harness todays PC power and graphic abilities. Push the art.mul tables to go past a 65000 item count. Have the ability to zoom in and out of the game on the fly with a mouse scroll wheel or a few clicks of a mouse. Drop down menus that do not clutter the game screen. An increase in celing and ground hight to say +/- 256 from the +/- 127. Have the ability to drop larger map sizes of say 10k x 12k maps and up to 12 maps at that size . To me that would be a "Custom" shard. Then create a tool such as the likes of UO fiddler with something like CentrED built in to it to manage everything on the fly
Until that time then I suppose i will have to be content with Vanilla flavoring and keep hoping the gurus out there will realize there are more flavors out there.
Until that time then I suppose i will have to be content with Vanilla flavoring and keep hoping the gurus out there will realize there are more flavors out there.
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Valorian-Aeternum
Member
Haha, thanks Huntress
Anyway, we are already able to increase the file size and aswell the mapsize. The Problem ist to build this stuff, to find enough people skilled enough to do really good building. Due to the fact most worldbuilders just know vanilla or don't have the skills to do extremly good worldbuilding this would be the largest problem.
it is indeed possible to create a world way more detailed as know, but you have to know how to do this. What ist really needed is the understanding of nature and how to rebuild it in a very good way. You have to spent some time into studying fantasy and aswell real architecture to understand how a good fantasy world should look like and most important you need to get rid of all the mange-style crazy colors and unrealistic buildings... Just then you will create a new world which will absolutly blow everyones mind (Graphics are no problem at least for us, we have enough artists in our team).
SO if this is achieved you really need to think which kind of game you want to present. if you want to do a roleplaying game you need to prepare everything for roleplaying and get rid of the primary idea to do PvE or PvP. If you focus on one thing you will learn what the scripts and stuff should look like.
Just remember the good old games you enjoyed so much (For Roleplayers: D&D, Baldurs Gate, Planescape Torment, etc) and remember what made them good games.
If you do a roleplaying game you need to teach the players one fact: Everyone can be a hero in this world, but it is WAY more interesting not to be one, to play the old storyteller wandering this world and meeting lots of interesting people and so on.
Then you need to create a lot of interesting NPCs for whatever you do that will give quests according to your abilities.
And you need a world which you created, but which is able to change according to the story the players tell...
For me this would be the real goal. To have a sword with 12k abilities is not custom, this is more or less copying the ongoing Hack and Slay games on the market (D3, WOW, whatever). But Ultima Online could be much more then that.
If at leat one custom client would be finished there could be a new era of Free UO-Projects. And btw has anyone thought about bringing this stuff to the mobile devices?
Cheers
Anyway, we are already able to increase the file size and aswell the mapsize. The Problem ist to build this stuff, to find enough people skilled enough to do really good building. Due to the fact most worldbuilders just know vanilla or don't have the skills to do extremly good worldbuilding this would be the largest problem.
it is indeed possible to create a world way more detailed as know, but you have to know how to do this. What ist really needed is the understanding of nature and how to rebuild it in a very good way. You have to spent some time into studying fantasy and aswell real architecture to understand how a good fantasy world should look like and most important you need to get rid of all the mange-style crazy colors and unrealistic buildings... Just then you will create a new world which will absolutly blow everyones mind (Graphics are no problem at least for us, we have enough artists in our team).
SO if this is achieved you really need to think which kind of game you want to present. if you want to do a roleplaying game you need to prepare everything for roleplaying and get rid of the primary idea to do PvE or PvP. If you focus on one thing you will learn what the scripts and stuff should look like.
Just remember the good old games you enjoyed so much (For Roleplayers: D&D, Baldurs Gate, Planescape Torment, etc) and remember what made them good games.
If you do a roleplaying game you need to teach the players one fact: Everyone can be a hero in this world, but it is WAY more interesting not to be one, to play the old storyteller wandering this world and meeting lots of interesting people and so on.
Then you need to create a lot of interesting NPCs for whatever you do that will give quests according to your abilities.
And you need a world which you created, but which is able to change according to the story the players tell...
For me this would be the real goal. To have a sword with 12k abilities is not custom, this is more or less copying the ongoing Hack and Slay games on the market (D3, WOW, whatever). But Ultima Online could be much more then that.
If at leat one custom client would be finished there could be a new era of Free UO-Projects. And btw has anyone thought about bringing this stuff to the mobile devices?
Cheers
What Huntress has laid out sounds perfect, an updated version of UO, with an intuitive, simple method of modifying the world, would be ideal. And it need not have cutting edge graphics, just improved, with more options included, and the opportunity to easily create and import more. Bigger maps. Yes indeed, a rewrite with that old nostalgic feel.
I have not played on a great many private shards, more dabbled, but for me less is more. I prefer the simple, muted tone of old school UO, pre-AoS. The closer to the original the better. I am immediately put off by bright/neon colors, and by inconsistent elements. I also like consistency, and feel that the look of UO has steadily become less consistent and more gaudy with each release, especially AoS and beyond. While I have not played on a shard with this level of detail, the videos kartman posted are beautiful, and preserve the aesthetic that I prefer.
I am more a light roleplayer than someone drawn to the more “gamist” elements. The more it becomes about collecting the best items, or about numbers and stats, for example, the more put off I am by it. As Valorian-Aeternum points out, UO has so much potential and depth.
What I do like is systems that facilitate immersion in an organic manner; systems that operate in the background, in such a manner that one does not notice them. I like the world to seem alive, with as much interactivity as possible, but presented in such as manner that it does not break the immersion; a world that pulls me in and allows me to feel a part of it, and which organically fosters roleplaying. It is often the little touches that accomplish this. Rather than forcing RP, roleplaying a situation for the sake of roleplaying, I prefer to simply remain in character as I do whatever it is I am doing in game, and to interact with others doing the same. In this way, stories and shared stories develop naturally. Also, while I love UO's open-ended skill-based system (and do not like level-based systems), I also prefer to be forced to make some choices. I like somewhat restrictive skill-caps, and having to specialize. And the more choices the better. Also, not being given everything; having to work for those skill gains and such.
I have not played on a great many private shards, more dabbled, but for me less is more. I prefer the simple, muted tone of old school UO, pre-AoS. The closer to the original the better. I am immediately put off by bright/neon colors, and by inconsistent elements. I also like consistency, and feel that the look of UO has steadily become less consistent and more gaudy with each release, especially AoS and beyond. While I have not played on a shard with this level of detail, the videos kartman posted are beautiful, and preserve the aesthetic that I prefer.
I am more a light roleplayer than someone drawn to the more “gamist” elements. The more it becomes about collecting the best items, or about numbers and stats, for example, the more put off I am by it. As Valorian-Aeternum points out, UO has so much potential and depth.
What I do like is systems that facilitate immersion in an organic manner; systems that operate in the background, in such a manner that one does not notice them. I like the world to seem alive, with as much interactivity as possible, but presented in such as manner that it does not break the immersion; a world that pulls me in and allows me to feel a part of it, and which organically fosters roleplaying. It is often the little touches that accomplish this. Rather than forcing RP, roleplaying a situation for the sake of roleplaying, I prefer to simply remain in character as I do whatever it is I am doing in game, and to interact with others doing the same. In this way, stories and shared stories develop naturally. Also, while I love UO's open-ended skill-based system (and do not like level-based systems), I also prefer to be forced to make some choices. I like somewhat restrictive skill-caps, and having to specialize. And the more choices the better. Also, not being given everything; having to work for those skill gains and such.
FingersMcSteal
Member
Anything that's NOT those nasty Neon colours
I just wish EA had thrown money into updating all the graphics to a higher resolution, todays games are graphically amazing I don't see why you can't have that in the UO world but I guess 8 or 16 bit graphics were around at the time this game came out. I remember a site that had graphics updates for certain items in UO, they were drawn much better that what EA had at the time, just a shame they never really did much to it.
So for me... updated graphics to make things look much better than they do now but leave the game principals the same.
P.S. Who actually likes the loading screen ???
I just wish EA had thrown money into updating all the graphics to a higher resolution, todays games are graphically amazing I don't see why you can't have that in the UO world but I guess 8 or 16 bit graphics were around at the time this game came out. I remember a site that had graphics updates for certain items in UO, they were drawn much better that what EA had at the time, just a shame they never really did much to it.
So for me... updated graphics to make things look much better than they do now but leave the game principals the same.
P.S. Who actually likes the loading screen ???
FingersMcSteal
Member
I know what you mean, for me I think it started to change for the worst when ninjas started popping up.
I always felt, and still feel the same way that UO should have been all Ye olde D&D's and grave yards, magic and swords... ok the Elves can stay I guess lol. Not sure what direction they wanted to take it but around that time was the killer for a lot of people I think... AOS and onward.
Like a couple of others have said above, custom UO is pretty much ":Vanilla" or "Standard" stuff now. Which I totally agree with.
If ever I've tried to add anything to a shard I've tried to keep with the current theme of the shard or the era and feel of things. Yeah we can script some pretty clever things from time to time but I like to keep to the story... so to speak. It would be nice to see a fully stripped down server, rebuilt up with new higher resolution cleaner graphics, newer ideas and content but keeping with the general internal workings of how things are now, with the freedom to do pretty much what you like in game. That's why I always fall out with anything new that requires you to level like a robot.
P.S. Yeah Tasanar... lovely art work isn't it... I can't draw for s**t but I think even I could have done better lol
Kamras
Member
try my custom world... http://onlyotaku.com/index.php/game-download , facets removed, now just one world, with mixed rules, races/weapons , battle style changes, PVM PVP changes, i have a few new maps that will be coming to light as soon as I get the urge to dredge through repetitive task and make them playable. It's for sure not OSI vanilla , and it gears to be unique. Its ever evolving and changing, so i welcome suggestions and if they sound good i usually put them in the same week.
[doublepost=1479829939][/doublepost]Btw regarding the graphics, the Enhanced client tried to meet those needs, it does look a lot better. still not as stable as I would like it to be for servuo before i actually really use it.
[doublepost=1479829939][/doublepost]Btw regarding the graphics, the Enhanced client tried to meet those needs, it does look a lot better. still not as stable as I would like it to be for servuo before i actually really use it.
I've been playing free shards for a long time ( about 15 years give or take ) and downloaded SOOOO many custom files.
Personally, I dislike custom files but more so the ones that you have to download just to be able to log in and test a shard out to see if you actually like it.
What I'm aiming to do with my personal shard is maintain the overall feel of UO as we know it but remove some of the tediousness about it.
When I compare UO to almost every other RPG or modern MMORPG I feel that UO is kind of falling behind in some ways.
Can I sell almost every item in game to a npc?
NOPE, I've been trying to sell bone armor since 1998
Can I sell horses to an animal trainer?
Can I sell a boat back to...whatever their name is?
And to top it all off, I have to run around to multiple NPCs just to sell everything.
But hop on to just about any RPG or MMO and you'll probably find that not only is almost every item sellable but you can probably sell it all to one vendor.
So to me custom means working within the bounds of the client and its files to make a better and easier flowing game experience.
Personally, I dislike custom files but more so the ones that you have to download just to be able to log in and test a shard out to see if you actually like it.
What I'm aiming to do with my personal shard is maintain the overall feel of UO as we know it but remove some of the tediousness about it.
When I compare UO to almost every other RPG or modern MMORPG I feel that UO is kind of falling behind in some ways.
Can I sell almost every item in game to a npc?
NOPE, I've been trying to sell bone armor since 1998
Can I sell horses to an animal trainer?
Can I sell a boat back to...whatever their name is?
And to top it all off, I have to run around to multiple NPCs just to sell everything.
But hop on to just about any RPG or MMO and you'll probably find that not only is almost every item sellable but you can probably sell it all to one vendor.
So to me custom means working within the bounds of the client and its files to make a better and easier flowing game experience.
I put together a SB like that before and posted it but should probably redo it anyway.
I will say that it felt very freeing to find out that I could make multiple copies of the same map. So in that respect I do understand wanting to work with custom maps.
I will say that it felt very freeing to find out that I could make multiple copies of the same map. So in that respect I do understand wanting to work with custom maps.
