uoAvos is not even compatible with RunUO or ServUO anymore… some scripts will work, but we don’t use a Data folder and a lot of the systems have changed. It’s like comparing apples to oranges because where RunUO, ServUO, ModernUO are the foundations of servers like Outlands and Evolution, their aim is to emulate UO and really reinventing the wheel.
uoAvos aims to change all that. What we did with uoAvos is remove all components of UO from the server and client (CUO). We redid almost 80% of the UO systems to make them more generic and in some cases just recoded it from scratch. We took out all the quests and factions and replaced them with templates users can use to create their own quest lines and faction armies. Essentially we took an emulator and made it a fully functional game engine similar to Unity without the pay to play for assets and royalty fees.
The only thing that holds UO to the server are the graphics (which we are slowly changing out) and the isometric ratio of 1:1. Otherwise you can create almost any genre of tile based game you want using the uoAvos engine from the ground up. It’s basically a foundation for users to build on. Not an out of the box server that emulates a game.
The biggest misconception with our community in my opinion is, and always had been, the ideology that once we create our servers, the game is actually ours to charge for and control; it’s a misnomer. The game is owned and copyrighted by Broadsword and EA Games. None of us have any rights to be changing any fees for it to be technical and while they have shown they won’t prosecute for copyright infringement, it doesn’t mean they can’t do it; especially for servers in North America. So to be sure uoAvos corrects this.
If we are able to replace all the graphics with our own versions, similar but not the same, and we are able to change file extensions via CUO and the UO client data files, then our users can technically launch their servers on outlets like Steam as there won’t be any copyrights on anything you do with uoAvos and while it may piss off EA and Broadsword, they can’t do anything about it.
Sounds interesting! Is uoAvos open source? (EDIT: Never mind, I just went to your web page and found the Github repository).
Some of that sounds very much what I am working toward. Custom maps. Lots of custom art. New and improved systems. My vision is to develop a heavily RP oriented server, influenced by the single player Ultima games regarding lore, and tabletop RPGs in general (especially AD&D).
I'm going to re-do, re-balance, or scrap a lot of the existing UO systems. Over the years UO has been added onto, and added onto, over and over again, until it became like a patchwork Frankenstein monster of numerous interconnected systems. Now it's so complicated you need to research a dozen online guides just to figure basic things out. Most player characters use the same small number of optimal character builds, so no one is unique in any way. Within 1-2 weeks you can max out your characters. There is no incentive for players to adventure together.
I'm going to use a class and feats system designed to break the mold of everyone using the same, small number of character builds. Like AD&D, classes/professions will be the best at their specific skill set; but can still learn other non-class skills. Classes will be designed to be fun to play solo - but they will be most valuable playing in groups.
There will be tanks, there will be mages, but no more tank mages. No instant recall to every location on the planet - I want players to actually travel and explore the world, so magic travel will be more limited. No tamers running around with a dozen dragons - dragons will be rare, highly intelligent, and one of the most formidable creatures in the game.
I've been designing all of this for years, and I have some of it implemented. But unfortunately for me, I'm slow at coding. Not completely unskilled - just slow. I can just about always figure out how to do what I want correctly, but not as quickly as a more skilled programmer would be able to do. And right now I am a one-man show - game designer, artist, world builder, programmer. It's a lot of work. But now that I am retired I have more time to tinker with it. If nothing else, it will be a nice hobby project and allow me to improve my programming skills.
I agree, EA/Broadsword owns the game. Personally, I do this for fun, not to make any money from it. I think EA/Broadsword have been lenient on emulators and private shards due to legal challenges regarding the DCMA and how and when UO was released (they famously allowed their God client to leak on the T2A demo disc, which allowed it to be reverse engineered to create emulators, and this was all before the DCMA took effect). Hard to put that genie back into the bottle. Sure, they could still go after someone. In the past it probably wasn't worth it, private shards weren't a threat to their bottom line and suing people costs money. But if Outlands continues to grow, I won't be surprised if they get hit with a Cease and Desist letter from EA legal. I suspect they already have more online users than some of the official shards do. If that happens, it could even bleed over to ClassicUO - they could try to make the argument that ClassicUO is a tool used to connect to "illegal" private shards. Of course, C&D letters are one thing and don't really cost anything for a corporation with lawyers on retainer. Following through with a lawsuit is something else though. It might not be financially viable for them to do anything other than maintaining the status quo, re: private servers. Or so I hope!
You're right - replacing everything makes it legal. No one stole any code from EA. I'm pretty sure that file formats and game mechanics are non-copyrightable (or so I have read). So, if you're not using their code, artwork, characters, intellectual property, etc. EA would have no grounds for a lawsuit. (They could force you to remove UO from the shard name, as well as the UO logo, since they are both probably trademarked - but that's about all.)
I'd really love an "all-in-one" world builder. (And I do applaud you for continuing the effort!)