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"Just to be clear, you can vote for any of the main series Ultima games, but Ultima Online is off limits."
Yes, that means the Heroes of Might and Magic series, Diablo series, and World of Warcraft, etc are all not eligible for this RPG tournament.
Yes, that means the Heroes of Might and Magic series, Diablo series, and World of Warcraft, etc are all not eligible for this RPG tournament.
VII. Changed my (gaming) life! I actually still play it on my current computer using Exult and it's still pretty amazing. Played it last week! Also, I still have the original box with the cloth map and all that.
I will probably be the only one to say this but
Ultima IX.
Being the young buck that I am (a mere 22) and mostly playing fps's at the time, Ultima IX was the first game to really bring me into RPG's and will always hold a place in my heart :P
Even if it had very little of what made ultima games good :P
Ultima IX.
Being the young buck that I am (a mere 22) and mostly playing fps's at the time, Ultima IX was the first game to really bring me into RPG's and will always hold a place in my heart :P
Even if it had very little of what made ultima games good :P
Definitely Ultima VII: The Black Gate. Easily in my Top 5 favorite games of all time. It was the first game that showed me you could create a living breathing world in a video game. Such great interactivity and character.
Ultima IV (NES Version - please, if someone knows where I can find the soundtrack to this, please, let me know!)
It wasn't you fighting evil, your quest consisted of becoming the Avatar, which you had to carefully role play throughout the game in fulfilling your duties.
And the music. Oh, man, the MUSIC. Someone please tell me I'm not the only who preferred UIV's music opposed to the PC version!
It wasn't you fighting evil, your quest consisted of becoming the Avatar, which you had to carefully role play throughout the game in fulfilling your duties.
And the music. Oh, man, the MUSIC. Someone please tell me I'm not the only who preferred UIV's music opposed to the PC version!
Ultima 7 was by far the best.
It had the goddamn hoe of destruction!BEST WEAPON EVER!
It had the goddamn hoe of destruction!BEST WEAPON EVER!
Right as Spoony is going through his retrospective. I'm afraid I can't speak for this else I'd be doing a disservice in fair competition.
Ultima VII (I'm counting both Parts, are we voting on them as separate games?) It's got the philosophy of UIV with improved gameplay, better characterization, and a great story. And a fantastic villain.
I will say Ultima IX is very underrated. With the right patches it fixes the majority of the bug issues, and while it doesn't have the depth of story or character of VII, it is still a great game. It wasn't the best place to end the series, but it was fun for what it was, and one of the first 3D RPG's I played at that. And Ultima VIII, while great, wasn't as great (nor as bad) as some made it out to be.
But yeah, Ultima VII: The Black Gate and Ultima VII: Serpent Isle are my favorites, and if forced to choose between them I'll be different and say Serpent Isle for the win.
I will say Ultima IX is very underrated. With the right patches it fixes the majority of the bug issues, and while it doesn't have the depth of story or character of VII, it is still a great game. It wasn't the best place to end the series, but it was fun for what it was, and one of the first 3D RPG's I played at that. And Ultima VIII, while great, wasn't as great (nor as bad) as some made it out to be.
But yeah, Ultima VII: The Black Gate and Ultima VII: Serpent Isle are my favorites, and if forced to choose between them I'll be different and say Serpent Isle for the win.
Ultima VII Black Gate first PC game I played and beat. So much to do in that game and Forge of Virtue added so much to the experience. When they released that as an expansion it was weird because it added more to the original game. I believe it was the first game to do that. But I could be wrong.
Ooooo tough call...I loved the Ultima Underworlds so much, but there is just something about
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
that I love deeply. The inventory system, the rich world in which you can bake bread, explore non-linearly, play instruments, and who doesn't love being able to drench a party member with a bucket full of blood. With just a slight amount of streamlining (needs Journal, better map, the tweaks from SI, and I'd be willing to concede a streamlined inventory - but I'd leave it optional) the game would be ceaselessly relevant. But, amongst the Ultimas proper, it is the highlight, and I must once again state my nomination:
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
that I love deeply. The inventory system, the rich world in which you can bake bread, explore non-linearly, play instruments, and who doesn't love being able to drench a party member with a bucket full of blood. With just a slight amount of streamlining (needs Journal, better map, the tweaks from SI, and I'd be willing to concede a streamlined inventory - but I'd leave it optional) the game would be ceaselessly relevant. But, amongst the Ultimas proper, it is the highlight, and I must once again state my nomination:
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Well my experiences with the Ultima series isn't very vast, but my favorite in the series would have to be Ultima VI: the False Prophet. I worked my butt off one summer doing all kinds of odd jobs and yard work to order that game. Sadly at one point or another in the last 18 years I managed to misplace it :(
Ultima IV is absolutely my favorite. Having an overarching goal of personal growth as your quest is still a phenomenal concept. Having played it at such a young age as well, I honestly wonder if it might have even affected my own development in some way.
Art thou always humble?
Art thou always humble?
Ultima VII: Serpent Isle I loved that game! When I first played it I had a problem getting my dos mouse drivers to work I had to hold down shift and use the arrow keys just to play it! never stopped me! I loved when you got the security questions wrong! Never played IX always wanted to though. VIII sucked
Easily Ultima VII: The Black Gate.
It had THE most freedom I've ever experienced in a game, EVER. There was nothing like stealing tons of crates, buying every ship and cart deed, found every companion, and created your own base for evil misdeeds. And when you screwed up and killed someone, you can drag their bloated corpse back to Lord British and resurrect them!
Want to make Spark a fully armored beast? Go for it!
Want to throw a powder keg on top of a crowded dinner table and kill everyone? Go for it!
Want to get find out where the treasury lady sleeps at night so you can kill her and take the key to the Royal Mint for raiding? Go for it!
Want to carry a cannon in your backpack? Well, you know the answer to that.
@Zac
Thanks for mentioning that Exult! This game was always a nightmare to emulate, and I would love to play it again.
It had THE most freedom I've ever experienced in a game, EVER. There was nothing like stealing tons of crates, buying every ship and cart deed, found every companion, and created your own base for evil misdeeds. And when you screwed up and killed someone, you can drag their bloated corpse back to Lord British and resurrect them!
Want to make Spark a fully armored beast? Go for it!
Want to throw a powder keg on top of a crowded dinner table and kill everyone? Go for it!
Want to get find out where the treasury lady sleeps at night so you can kill her and take the key to the Royal Mint for raiding? Go for it!
Want to carry a cannon in your backpack? Well, you know the answer to that.
@Zac
Thanks for mentioning that Exult! This game was always a nightmare to emulate, and I would love to play it again.
I am going to have to split my vote betwwen Ultima IV and VII: The Black Gate. I really cannot pick a favorite over these two and niether can Richard Garriot.
I do have a heart for Ultima VII Part Two: The Serpents Isle...very unique.
I do have a heart for Ultima VII Part Two: The Serpents Isle...very unique.
Factoid: Warren Spector of Deus Ex fame directed Ultima VII Part Two.
Bonus...I di dnot vote for Seperent's Isle...but the Castle in which you trap the banes is probably my favorite level. The Black Sword is my favorite item, Katrina is my fave character, and my fave enemy is Lord British.
Bonus...I di dnot vote for Seperent's Isle...but the Castle in which you trap the banes is probably my favorite level. The Black Sword is my favorite item, Katrina is my fave character, and my fave enemy is Lord British.
Ultima VII is the absolute best. Getting the flying carpet and loading it up with chests to carry all your stolen goods is amazing.
Ultima VI, as it got me into the series in the first place!!
Damn you EA, damn you for killing Ultima dead!!!!!!!
Damn you EA, damn you for killing Ultima dead!!!!!!!
Ultima 8 was revolutionary in both game play elements and graphical technology. It had many unique elements that many games try to brag about today.
Ultima VI. I had food poisoning for a week at one point, and I could barely get out of bed. Spent the entire time playing Ultima on the SNES, because I couldn't reach the computer.
Ultima VI. My first computer game ever. Never got around to furthering the plot but childhood me had a blast dicking around and stealing horses and ships ;)
Ultima VII. The world was fully realized and interactive. The NPCs actually had their own daily schedules. You could bake bread and make pastries. You could go on a rampage and destroy entire villages. You could sit on chairs (think about this, how many RPGs actually let you do that) and build your own lair from storage boxes and stolen furniture. You could interact in some meaningful way with every single item in the game. The possibilities were endless. I wish more RPGs would try to emulate the type of playing world Ultima VII had.
Bonus Question: My favorite item was the hoe of destruction, favorite enemy was Balin, and favorite place was Lord British's castle.
Bonus Question: My favorite item was the hoe of destruction, favorite enemy was Balin, and favorite place was Lord British's castle.
I would vote for The Complete Ultima VII, but if you're going to split it into parts, then just Ultima VII The Black Gate. It was my 2nd PC game I ever owned. I borrowed it from a friend and I liked it so much I went out and bought it. Back then the MSRP was $79.99 and was typically on sale for $49-59, not cheap. I got my money's worth though, on a slow PC, I played it for years. and when I have time, still like to use exult to jump in and poke around.
It had a host of awesome unique weapons like the Staff of Firedoom, Juggernaut Hammer, and of course, the Hoe of Destruction. My favorite was probably the Staff of Firedoom since it looked so cool and literally lived up to its name. It was also the most heartbreaking when it lost its charge and became little more of a decoration. Favorite enemy was the Lich King on Skara Brae, and my favorite "level" was the town on Trinsic. The 1st time you load up U7 and walk around that town was amazing. A whole little town with a "church", city hall, pub, stables, houses, etc. All living and moving around on their own. And of course, an ingenious way to give you a taste of the game without letting you out of its walls until you bypassed the game's copy protection.
It had a host of awesome unique weapons like the Staff of Firedoom, Juggernaut Hammer, and of course, the Hoe of Destruction. My favorite was probably the Staff of Firedoom since it looked so cool and literally lived up to its name. It was also the most heartbreaking when it lost its charge and became little more of a decoration. Favorite enemy was the Lich King on Skara Brae, and my favorite "level" was the town on Trinsic. The 1st time you load up U7 and walk around that town was amazing. A whole little town with a "church", city hall, pub, stables, houses, etc. All living and moving around on their own. And of course, an ingenious way to give you a taste of the game without letting you out of its walls until you bypassed the game's copy protection.
Ultima VII of course, that game was simply amazing, so much freedom at such a young age (the first time i played it) was overwhelming, i may have to play it again before the end of the year.
Favorite weapon was the transmuter with a little black rock, never used it in battle, but was cool to kill an inocent bystander of two (or eight).
Favorite enemy the twins, because you spend so much time hearing about them.
Favorite place the casino on the small island, don't remember the name, because it was an easy way to make money (roulette)
Favorite weapon was the transmuter with a little black rock, never used it in battle, but was cool to kill an inocent bystander of two (or eight).
Favorite enemy the twins, because you spend so much time hearing about them.
Favorite place the casino on the small island, don't remember the name, because it was an easy way to make money (roulette)
Prediction: This thread is going to be made up of kiddies who have not played most of the original titles and are therefore clueless.
That said, I'd say ULtima IV because it really took a chance with the narrative and set the future direction for the entire series. It was a technically superior product compared to its contemporaries like most Ultima games but more importantly, it broke away from what other RPGs of the day were doing in terms of story and gameplay... it was the first game (literally, ever) that managed to not only allow you to evolve your character;s in world game skills but also, develop his moral character and role in the game world's society.
That said, I'd say ULtima IV because it really took a chance with the narrative and set the future direction for the entire series. It was a technically superior product compared to its contemporaries like most Ultima games but more importantly, it broke away from what other RPGs of the day were doing in terms of story and gameplay... it was the first game (literally, ever) that managed to not only allow you to evolve your character;s in world game skills but also, develop his moral character and role in the game world's society.
I'd have to say Ultima 4 for NES got many rentals from me as a kid. Beating that game wasn't simply about leveling up till you could kill everything. You had to become the pinnacle of a decent person.
Ultima 6, and also the spin off from that engine, Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire (i think thats what it was called) also logged extreme amounts of time from me. For me though 7 (also 7 part 2) was The best Ultima game ever made. You could bake bread, you could do this, that and the other thing. If you were really creative you could get into the debug mode and basicly have a giant box of virtual lego. You could make Lord British bake you pastries, you could hack the isle of fire into your own personal fortress. I added 3 extra floors to that castle, moved that pub from LBs town to it, and put in those dancing bikini girls. . .
I didnt have to know any programming skills for that, the debug thing was just simply awesome and once you moved stuff and saved it, it was golden.
More fun with that game, and the extras then pretty much anything else ever.
Ultima 6, and also the spin off from that engine, Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire (i think thats what it was called) also logged extreme amounts of time from me. For me though 7 (also 7 part 2) was The best Ultima game ever made. You could bake bread, you could do this, that and the other thing. If you were really creative you could get into the debug mode and basicly have a giant box of virtual lego. You could make Lord British bake you pastries, you could hack the isle of fire into your own personal fortress. I added 3 extra floors to that castle, moved that pub from LBs town to it, and put in those dancing bikini girls. . .
I didnt have to know any programming skills for that, the debug thing was just simply awesome and once you moved stuff and saved it, it was golden.
More fun with that game, and the extras then pretty much anything else ever.
Ultima 4 Quest of the Avatar, see..... stealing horses in Paws, diving thru moongates, stealing Lord British's treasure, ripping off beggars, kicking ass in the Stygian Abyss, generally kicking ass
Ultima VII Black Gate/Serpant Isle without hesitation. I believe this game; if not most of the series, should be taught in game designing schools around the world.
Ultima VI with Ultima IV coming as a close runner up. The plot of VI was incredible, connecting its roots in what you had done before in the series and implications of your actions. That, and carrying around a cannon in a bag in a bag was a fantastic exploit. :)
Gotta go with IV on this one. As many commenters have mentioned, a game where the moral decisions you make are the POINT and not a side feature, is still a rather astounding thing. I still remember the tarot-card influenced character creation system, and that sweet manual with all the runes, and the cloth map that came with.
Honestly, the games after that were mechanically superior in many ways, but IV made the biggest impression on me.
Honestly, the games after that were mechanically superior in many ways, but IV made the biggest impression on me.
Ultima Underworld. No question in my mind. 3D dungeon crawling was taken to a new level for that time in PC gaming.
I have to go with Ultima V.
I remember purchasing the IV - VI trilogy as a kid on floppy disk, and picked this one first based on the righteous cover art. And looking back it was so much better than Ultima IV. It had NPC schedules, much more freedom, and actual antagonists to battle! Walking into town when one of the Shadowlords was there was outright creepy. The almost outright impossible final dungeon with Lord British trapped behind the mirror was awesome. Joining the Resistance against Lord Blackthorne, or the Oppression. Just so much fun. It was also fun to poison your party members and leaving them at an inn to die if you didn't like them.
I remember purchasing the IV - VI trilogy as a kid on floppy disk, and picked this one first based on the righteous cover art. And looking back it was so much better than Ultima IV. It had NPC schedules, much more freedom, and actual antagonists to battle! Walking into town when one of the Shadowlords was there was outright creepy. The almost outright impossible final dungeon with Lord British trapped behind the mirror was awesome. Joining the Resistance against Lord Blackthorne, or the Oppression. Just so much fun. It was also fun to poison your party members and leaving them at an inn to die if you didn't like them.
Seems U7 is really popular, but I always loved Ultima 8. I first played it when I was really young, like 13-14 I think but that game always stuck with me. Most imaginative magic system I've seen.
Ultima 3, it ruled it's time, and this series is time bound.
The latter were more free roming, but 3 is the hartstone of the series before it got all touchee feelee avatar shit.
The latter were more free roming, but 3 is the hartstone of the series before it got all touchee feelee avatar shit.
Ultima VI, still got my cluebook and the old "spam, spam, humbug" cheat list from Prodigy. Blew my mind coming from Apple IIGS land.
Ultima VII: The Black Gate was amazing - the manager of the local GameStop recommended it to me after I was saying how much I enjoyed Link to the Past and Final Fantasy III. So great! Ultima Underworld would be my favorite 'other' Ultima game.
I'm damn proud to be the one and only person to vote for the original Persona. This just proves how amazingly edgy and cool I am.
I'm going to vote for Ultima III: Exodus. It was one of the first RPGs I played on an Apple II+. It was simple, and one of the few Ultima games I finished without cheating.
Will Ultima VII The Black Gate and Ultima VII The Serpents Isle be counted as one game or as seperate games?
@texasgoldrush: I counted them as one, although it would not have affected the outcome if I had split them. Voting is over! The winner will be posted soon!
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