.UOP format, will it stay around?

Praxiiz

Praxiiz

Member
It is my understanding that the .uop format is a mythic proprietary file format. Has anyone seen any client files that were muls before Broadsword online took things over get converted to UOPs after they took over?

It would make sense to me to eventually convert everything over if Mythic were still developing UO - I imagine they have a lot of infrastructure to support that file format. Since it is now Broadsword Online I wonder if they will continue down that path.

Thoughts?
 
Interesting.. had not really thought about it. But I would assume that when Broadsword bought the rights, it should include the UOP and MUL format as well, so they should now own both.

To answer that question though, we would have to first understand why the frick they even did create that UOP wrapper in the first place. Was it just to ruin the EMU community? Who actually has that answer anyways..?

I have not paid much attention to the files since the first round of changes.. map/statics/art/gump and sound mul files.. I think those were the first set.

If I was Broadsword, I would ditch those UOP file wrappers. They have no purpose. The EMU community will just find another way around whatever change they make. Seems it was just extra work for no real benefit. And that is not just because I am part of the EMU community either. Its just changing something for no reason.

I think that kinda leads into where they intend on taking the Ultima game, too. Do they have a solid future lined out? Or is it just going to be bread and butter while they create something to replace it with down the road? Who the heck knows.. Im just along for the ride. Regardless what they do, I will lock into the last usable version and keep developing my own shard, be it for the wife and myself, or whoever else that wants to join in... Everything else after that is a bonus :)
 
I wonder if they got the rights to the UOP format. It's not a format that is specific to Ultima Online, it was also used in WarHammer. If it is in widespread use in other Mythic games, it would make sense why they moved toward it. Mythic probably has infrastructure to support it. I am not sure they'd give it up so easily since it's their IP.

I doubt they even considered the EMU community, although I wouldn't rule it out.

The major benefit to the format is that by wrapping the .MUL files inside UOP, the .MUL files don't have to be linear. You can chop them up into arbitrary chunks and rearrange the chunks. It makes patching easier because I can go back and reclaim lost space in a file much easier than sending the entire file over again.

I personally think the Broadsword team will take UO seriously. They have two income earners, UO and Dark Age of Camelot. They don't have a big team - they aren't even handling billing. From their dev hangout it appears that they all work from home. They are all experienced gamers - but I bet if they ever see the emulation community as a threat to their limited income, they would scratch up enough for a law suite.
 
Well thats good to know. I really had not put much thought into the why. All I know is that the UOP issue had really ruined most of what we here have been accomplishing. I guess I had tunnel vision, and assumed that was the purpose, to break us down and give Mythic/Broadsword a better chance of gaining some of our community back to their paid servers.. or just reducing the amount of free shards out there. I suppose I assume that we impact their game servers more than we really do.. or do we?

Well, that aside, I guess it would make sense that they would at least allow them to use the format for a time until they can come up with their own style or revert back. Reverting back makes no sense at all though, either.

Really though, I do not think there are any other files that are so large and important to need to have this wrapper. If it actually is that useful as you described (Nice to know there is a true purpose to them and a decent one) then really, the files they have wrapped are more or less the main artery of the game.. the rest are trivial, smaller and not so difficult to change and patch.. So yeah, my guess would be that they allowed them the use and it remains like this.
 
I agree, .UOP annoys me beyond belief. Even though it makes no sense to revert back to the MULtima format, it sure would be nice.
 
Broadsword doesn't own the rights to UO. Neither did Mythic. EA still owns the game and they always have (EA originally bought OSI in 1992 before development of UO even started). These days they outsource development of the game to Broadsword but EA still owns the game and handles all the account billing etc. EA bought the Mythic company, meaning EA owns both the UOP and MUL formats.
 
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