ULTIMA IX : ASCENSION
The Frequently Asked Questions List
Version 1.03 - 19 Apr 1996
Compiled by Adrian Yau (Sagacious Dragon)
ayau@tartarus.uwa.edu.au
Copyright (c) 1995-1996. All rights reserved
Contents
--------
Section 1 : Introduction
1.1 Objective
1.2 Disclaimer
1.3 Trademarks
1.4 Acronyms & Symbols
1.5 Spoiler Warning
1.6 Obtaining the FAQ
Section 2 : Background Info
2.1 What is Ultima?
2.2 Who is the Avatar?
2.3 Who is the Guardian?
2.4 The Guardian Trilogy so far.
2.5 The Official Ultima 8 End Sequence
2.5.1 Has the Guardian conquered Britannia?
Section 3 : Plot
3.1 Why is the game called 'Ascension'?
3.2 General plot features of Ultima 9
3.2.1 How much of the plot has been worked out?
3.2.2 What's the story about?
3.2.3 Philosophical elements
3.2.4 Plot Non-Linearity
3.2.5 Sideplots
3.3 The Avatar's Character
3.3.1 Character Tranfer.
3.3.2 Will the Avatar retain the powers gained in U8?
3.4 Companions and Party Members
3.4.1 Will companions from previous Ultimas appear in U9?
3.4.2 Will Dupre return?
3.4.3 Will there be party members in Ultima 9?
3.4.4 How many party members can I have? I want an army!
3.5 Magic
3.5.1 How important is magic in the plot of Ultima 9?
3.5.2 What sort of magic system will be implemented?
3.5.3 Will reagants still be used for the magic system?
3.5.4 Will party members be able to cast spells?
3.6 Miscellaneous Plot Questions
3.6.1 Will dragons be involved in the storyline?
3.7 The Ending
Section 4 : Gameplay Issues
* 4.1 Will U9 use the same engine as U8?
4.2 World interaction
4.3 Will the conversation menu system still be used?
4.4 Movement
4.4.1 Will there still be jumping and climbing?
4.4.2 Will the Avatar be able to swim?
4.5 Combat
4.5.1 What will combat be like in Ultima 9?
4.5.2 Will there be two combat models, realtime and
turnbased?
4.5.3 Will combat combine the keyboard and mouse?
4.5.4 Will there be more monsters?
4.5.5 Will there be Resurrection for the Avatar?
4.6 Graphics
4.6.1 Characters
4.6.1.1 Will there be an option for a female Avatar?
* 4.6.1.2 Will there be character portraits?
* 4.6.1.3 Will there be live actors and movie cut scenes?
4.6.2 Weather
4.6.2.1 Will we see the return of night and day?
4.6.2.2 How about the seasons and weather?
4.6.3 Inventory
4.6.3.1 Will inventory have a graphical interface?
* 4.6.3.2 Will there still be paperdolling in inventory?
4.6.4 Map
4.6.4.1 Will it be a mono- (U7) or dual-scaled map (U5)?
4.6.4.2 What sort of perspective will Ultima 9 use?
* 4.6.4.3 Will a rotating perspective be used?
4.6.4.4 Can we run the game at different resolutions?
4.7 Sound
4.7.1 Will we get 32 channel sound like in WC3?
* 4.7.2 Will Ultima 9 have full speech?
4.8 Interface
4.8.1 Will there be more shortkeys?
4.8.2 How about user configurable keys?
Section 5 : Technical Issues
5.1 Platforms
5.1.1 Which platforms are U9 currently targeted for?
5.1.2 Will U9 be released for 3DO?
5.1.3 Will there be a Mac version?
5.2 Multitasking
5.3. System Requirements
* 5.3.1 What will be the minimum requirements to run U9?
5.4 How big will Ultima 9 be?
5.5 Will there be a floppy version?
Section 6 : Miscellaneous
* 6.1 Who's on the Ultima 9 project?
* 6.2 When will U9 appear on the shelves?
* 6.3 Where can I get screenshots?
6.4 Is Ultima 9 "The Lost Vale"?
6.5 Will there be add-ons for U9?
6.6 Will there be a Ultima 10?
6.7 Will there be a special edition for Ultima 9?
6.8 Cheat Menu
+ 6.9 Will Ultima 9 be multi-player?
Section 7 : In Conclusion
* 7.1 Credits
7.2 Obtaining more information
7.3 Contacting the author
Section 1: Introduction
-----------------------
1.1 Objective
This FAQ was created to answer some Frequently Asked Questions
on the net regarding 'Ultima 9: Ascension', which is currently
in development.
Hopefully, this FAQ will also serve to dispel the many rumours
floating around the net.
This FAQ was suggested by Brian Martin, Design Coordinator of
the Ultima 9 project, who has provided most of the information
you will find here.
1.2 Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that Ultima 9 is still in development. As
such, nothing is set in stone. The game design could possibly
change by the time it is released.
Unless stated, all information presented in this FAQ have been
confirmed by Origin.
1.3 Trademarks
Ultima, Britannia, Origin are registered trademarks of ORIGIN
Systems, Inc. Avatar, Serpent Isle, Pagan and Ascension are
trademarks of ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Origin Systems Inc. is a
subsidiary of Electronic Arts.
All other brands and names are properties of their respective
owners.
1.4 Acronyms
U4/5/6/7/8/9 Ultima 4/5/6/7/8/9
U7SI Ultima 7 part 2: Serpent Isle
* Changes from last version
+ Additions from last version
1.5 Spoiler Warning
There will be spoilers for gamers who have yet to play the
previous Ultimas. Sections 2.2 - 2.4 (Background Info) contain
most of the spoilers.
1.6 Obtaining the FAQ
New versions of this FAQ will be posted in the newsgroups:
rec.games.computer.ultima-dragons
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg
You can also access the FAQ on the web at:
http://www.uwa.edu.au/student/ayau/u9/u9faq.htm
You can also request a copy of the FAQ from the author at:
ayau@tartarus.uwa.edu.au
Section 2 : Background Info
---------------------------
2.1 What is Ultima?
For those unfamiliar with Ultima; it is a line of computer
games of the Role Playing Game (RPG) genre produced by Origin
Systems. Currently, there are 13 games in the series (14 if
you include Akalabeth).
For more information about Ultima, refer to the Web at:
"http://www.udic.org/" The Ultima Dragons Homepage
"http://www.ea.com/origin.html" The Origin Systems Homepage
2.2 Who is the Avatar?
The Avatar is the main character of the Ultima series. The
Avatar is the champion of virtue in the games. The concept of
virtues (philosophical values) is a main feature of the Ultima
games.
2.3 Who is the Guardian?
The Guardian is the main antagonist in the current trilogy
(U7-9). He first appeared in Ultima 7, where he attempted to
gain control of Britannia. Physically he has been depicted as
a huge red being (male) with yellow eyes.
2.4 The Guardian Trilogy so far.
In Ultima 7 (The Black Gate), the Avatar is summoned to
Britannia and uncovers the Guardian's plans to gain control of
the world, with Batlin's help. Naturally, the Avatar foils the
Guardian's plans and Batlin flees Britannia.
In Ultima Underworld 2 (Labyrinth of Worlds), the Guardian
makes another attempt on Britannia by encasing the Avatar and
Lord British's castle within a dome of blackrock. The Avatar
travels to other worlds dominated by the Guardian, to gain the
power to free the castle.
In Ultima 7 part 2 (Serpent Isle), the Avatar follows the
trail Batlin has set; to the Serpent Isle. The Avatar
discovers the land on the verge of destruction from the forces
of Imbalance. In restoring Balance to Serpent Isle, the Avatar
falls into the Guardian's trap.
In Ultima 8 (Pagan), the Guardian throws the Avatar into the
world of Pagan. There, the Avatar seeks a way home to
Britannia.
2.5 The Official Ultima 8 End Sequence
From the 5 blackrock fragments, the Avatar recreates the
Blackrock Obelisk of the Great Temple. The pyramid shaped
obelisk is a black gate which takes the Avatar into the Nexus
of the Worlds (place with the white pillars). Upon entering
the Nexus, a person is taken to where they most desire to go.
The Avatar is taken back to Britannia, where he appears
wearing the suit of the Titan of Ether.
A Britannia unlike the one we remember. The sky is blood red,
rivers of molten lava vein the land and dragons swoop about in
the sky. The Guardian's head is carved into a mountain.
2.5.1 Has the Guardian conquered Britannia?
We'll have to play the game to discover this.
Section 3 : Plot
----------------
3.1 Why is the game called 'Ascension'?
There is no official explanation from Origin as it would
probably give away the plot. However, the general feeling from
most fans is that the Avatar will have a direct confrontation
with the Guardian in Ultima 9. In order to defeat him, the
Avatar has to 'ascend' to a more powerful state.
3.2 General plot features of Ultima 9
3.2.1 How much of the plot has been worked out?
Most of the plot for Ultima 9 has been finalized, including
the characters in the game, the events in the game and the
ending. Town and dungeon layouts have already been worked out
as well.
3.2.2 What's the story about?
Ultima 9 has been coined the 'trilogy of trilogies' and will
continue the story from Ultima 8 and wrap up the current
Guardian trilogy (U7-9).
The game designers have revealed that they intend to resolve
everything about Ultima; right from the beginning of Ultima.
Many artifacts and locations from past Ultimas will be brought
back in Ultima 9.
3.2.3 Philosophical elements
Starting from Ultima 4, the series has always had a plot based
around some system of values. The concept of the Avatar and
the Britannian Virtues will play a key and central role in the
game.
3.2.4 Plot Non-Linearity
Ultima 9 will feature a non-linear plot. Quests need not be
done in a specific order and there will be many ways to solve
puzzles.
3.2.5 Sideplots
We have been promised that there will be plenty of sideplots
(minor quests unrelated to the major storyline) and lots of
easter eggs.
3.3 The Avatar's Character
3.3.1 Character Tranfer.
Transferring your character of the Avatar was a feature of the
older Ultimas (this option was left out from Ultima 7
onwards). Can we transfer the Avatar's stats from Ultima 8?
They're not sure if it will be implemented.
3.3.2 Will the Avatar retain the powers gained in U8?
In short, no. Building up the character of the Avatar is part
of an RPG. The Avatar will have to work to gain strength and
powers in Ultima 9. By the end of the game, the player should
have fully explored the powers of the Titan of Ether.
3.4 Companions and Party Members
3.4.1 Will companions from previous Ultimas appear in U9?
Yes, the companions will return, however it has yet to be
confirmed if they will join the Avatar's party.
Other characters with sufficient reason to have a long
lifespan will also appear in Ultima 9. In general, these are
characters from other worlds.
3.4.2 Will Dupre return?
Origin's not telling on this. However, in a interview (1994),
Richard Garriot mentions that Dupre will, at the very least,
be present at the ending.
3.4.3 Will there be party members in Ultima 9?
Yes, there will be party members in U9. Though there is no
confirmation on who they will be.
3.4.4 How many party members can I have? I want an army!
The total number of party members has yet yet to be decided.
Unfortunately, there won't be an army.
3.5 Magic
3.5.1 How important is magic in the plot of Ultima 9?
Magic will play an integral part of the game.
3.5.2 What sort of magic system will be implemented?
Even though the magic system in U8 was very interesting, it
was too complicated and ended up quite cumbersome. Ultima 9
will return to the spell book system similar to Ultima 7.
3.5.3 Will reagants still be used for the magic system?
Yes, traditional Britannian reagants will be used.
3.5.4 Will party members be able to cast spells?
They're not telling.
3.6 Miscellaneous Plot Questions
3.6.1 Will dragons be involved in the storyline?
There has been no confirmation from the design team on this.
However, in the Ultima 8 end sequence, there are dragons
flying about the sky. Furthermore, Lord British also mentions
dragons as a form of transportation in Britannia (letter to
fans in Ultima 8 patch kit). In an interview, Lord British
also mentions taming dragons will be a major plot in the game.
3.7 The Ending
Will the Guardian finally be defeated for good?
Will the Avatar or Britannia still exist after U9?
They're not telling :)
Section 4 : Gameplay Issues
---------------------------
* 4.1 Will U9 use the same engine as U8?
No. As with tradition, each new Ultima involves new
technology. Every new numeral has a totally new engine (U7SI
is not considered a new numeral).
U9 will have a full 3-D world with rotatable perspectives.
4.2 World interaction
Ultima 8 was a step back from previous Ultimas, in terms of
interaction with the world and it's objects. Sitting down was
something we missed most. However, interaction will be greatly
improved in Ultima 9; there will be lots of it.
4.3 Will Ultima 9 still use the menu system for conversations?
Prior to the menu system (first introduced in Ultima 7),
conversations with other characters was carried out by typing
keywords.
Ultima 9 will use a similar conversation menu system, but with
an improved approach, which feels more like a conversation in
the real world, and every click will be relevant.
4.4 Movement
4.4.1 Will there still be jumping and climbing?
One important feature of Ultima 8 was the ability to jump and
climb. Unfortunately, there were just too many puzzles
depending on jumping skills.
Origin is not revealing whether Ultima 9 will have jumping and
climbing. However, what's certain is that we will not have the
arcade action of Ultima 8.
4.4.2 Will the Avatar be able to swim?
No comments here either :)
4.5 Combat
Combat in U8 was an RPGer's nightmare, basically a session of
frenzied mouse clicking. Though blocking and kicking actions
were implemented they were rarely used. It all came down to
the weapon's power and the dexterity of the Avatar in avoiding
getting knocked down.
4.5.1 What will combat be like in Ultima 9?
However there is a light at the end of the tunnel, we have
been promised that there will be a new and inventive method of
combat, which should please a vast majority of players. A
combat system far different from that of U8. However, the
design team will not reveal any further.
4.5.2 Will there be two combat models, realtime and turnbased?
The design team hopes to incorporate this into the game.
However, the code has yet to be written, so it's unconfirmed.
4.5.3 Will combat combine the keyboard and mouse?
No.
4.5.4 Will there be more monsters?
Due to space and budget constraints, as each monster required
100's of animation frames, Ultima 8 only had a small selection
of monsters. Ultima 9 will have greater variety, as it will be
released on CD-Rom.
4.5.5 Will there be resurrection for the Avatar?
The Avatar, if killed, will probably be resurrected in some
manner.
4.6 Graphics
4.6.1 Characters
4.6.1.1 Will there be an option for a female Avatar?
Yes. This was not included in Ultima 8 due to the number of
animation frames required. 1200 frames were used for the
Avatar alone!
* 4.6.1.2 Will there be character portraits?
U6 to U7 featured character portraits when conversing with
others. In U7SI this was taken a step further by using
digitized photos for many of the portraits. This feature was
sorely missed in U8.
Portraits will not be implemented in the same manner as in the
previous games. In U9, the player will be able to zoom in on
the conversations to such a degree that near-portrait detail
will be achieved. Faces will be a combination of bitmaps and
polygons.
* 4.6.1.3 Will there be live actors and movie cut scenes?
No. There will not be any live actors or video footage but
there will many rendered cut scenes throughout the game.
Please note that these cutscenes will not limit the
non-linearity of the game. Ultima 9 is will NOT have the
mission based format of the Wing Commander series.
There will also be a method to review all the cutscenes you've
been through.
4.6.2 Weather
4.6.2.1 Will we see the return of night and day?
This is a definite yes.
4.6.2.2 How about the seasons and weather?
Clouds and weather such as rain, lightning storms will be
implemented in Ultima 9. However, they're still unsure about
the seasons.
4.6.3 Inventory
4.6.3.1 Will inventory have a graphical interface?
Yes.
* 4.6.3.2 Will there still be paperdolling in inventory?
Paperdolling was first introduced in U7SI. The inventory
screen actually showed the character wearing and holding
equipped items and weapons. This feature will be included in
U9.
In addition, characters in the game will also have this
feature.
4.6.4 Map
4.6.4.1 Will it be a mono- (U7) or dual-scaled map (U5)?
There have been past indications which indicate a leaning
towards a dual- or multi-scale map (see Lord British's letter
to Ultima fans, in the Ultima 8 patch upgrade). However, it
has been decided that multi-scale maps are expensive, as
spells for each map scale have to be rewritten.
On the other hand, monoscale maps although capable of having
detailed graphics have resulted in smaller worlds. Large
worlds on monoscale maps of high detail results in long travel
times.
A decision has been made about the mapping style of the game
but Origin are not releasing any details just yet.
4.6.4.2 What sort of perspective will Ultima 9 use?
Ultima 9 will have a isometric view like the previous Ultimas.
* 4.6.4.3 Will a rotating perspective be used?
The isometric perspective used in U7 and U8 had a problem of
not being able to see behind walls and the items dropped
behind them. Quite a few gamers have suggested a rotating
perspective be used.
Ultima 9 will not have the problem of losing items behind
walls as the fully 3-D world will allow rotatable perspectives.
4.6.4.4 Will we be able to run the game at different resolutions?
As U9 will be produced for Win95 (see section 5.1.1), will we
be able to adjust the resolution, to see a larger area?
Note: We all run machine at different resolutions.
CAUTION: Origin cannot confirm this at the moment, however it
is most likely that we will be able to run the game under
different resolutions, and view a larger area of the map using
higher resolutions.
4.7 Sound
4.7.1 Will we get 32 channel sound like in WC3?
U8 only had 4 digital channels for sound effects. WC3 had 32
channels for sound effects. The greater the number of
channels, the more sounds you can hear simultaneously. For
example: shouting, clashing of swords, footsteps, spell
casting simultaneously in a battle. It's most likely but the
design team has yet to confirm this.
* 4.7.2 Will Ultima 9 have full speech?
Due to the amount of text used in the game, U9 will not have
have full speech. Voices will be used in cinematic sequences
at the highest possible quality level.
Real actors will be hired for the voices, including the voice
of Lord British. The Avatar will also have male and female
voices.
Speech will also be included for the other language versions
of Ultima 9.
4.8 Interface
4.8.1 Will there be more shortkeys?
Yes, there will be lots. There will be shorkeys for keys,
spellbooks, stats and more.
4.8.2 How about user configurable keys?
Very unlikely.
Section 5 : Technical Issues
----------------------------
5.1 Platforms
5.1.1 Which platforms are U9 currently targeted for?
Currently, Origin only has plans for Windows 95.
5.1.2 Will U9 be released for 3DO?
It is most likely that Ultima 9 will be released for other
platforms as well (including 3DO). However there are no
concrete plans for them yet.
5.1.3 Will there be a Mac version?
There is a possibility that a Mac version will be made.
However, this is highly dependent on the sales of the Mac
versions of Origin's other games (Super WC, WC3 and System
Shock).
5.2 Multitasking
Will we be able to take advantage of multitasking in Win95 to
take notes online?
They're still not certain of this.
* 5.3. System Requirements
5.3.1 What will be the minimum requirements to run U9?
As the game will utilize the Pentium instruction set for many
of the complex operations, a Pentium 60 will be required,
with at least 8Mb RAM and a double-speed CD-Rom drive. 16Mb
RAM would probably be ideal . A fast video card is highly
recommended.
5.4 How big will U9 be?
In terms of disk space, U9 will most likely take up 2 CDs
(something in excess of 1.2 Gigabytes).
5.5 Will there be a floppy version?
No. Ultima 9 will be released on CD-ROM only.
Section 6 : Miscellaneous
-------------------------
6.1 Who's on the Ultima 9 project?
Project Director Richard Garriott
Project Producer Joye McBurnett
Design Lead Brian Martin
Repository of Design John Watson
Design Team Chuck Zoch
Robert White
David Biggs
Kevin Schlipper
Game Art Director Jennifer Davis
Cinematic Art Director Bruce Lemons
Art Team Denis Loubet
Micael Priest
Robert Baldwin
Micahel Morlan
Scott Jones
Gary Snyder
Jonathan Price
Bob Frye
Tech Lead Mike McShaffrey
Tech team Herman Miller
Gary Smith
Ragnar Scheuermann
Jeff Wofford
Matthew Lamari
John Watson
Shawn Rogers
6.2 When will U9 appear on the shelves?
At the moment they're shooting for Christmas 1996.
6.3 Where can I get screenshots?
Some screenshots of the cinematic sequences have been released
to some magazines. Their scanned versions can be found at:
F-15 Dragon's U9 Preview Pics Page
"http://rcs1.urz.tu-dresden.de/~bochmann/u9shots.html"
"http://wwwa5.udic.org/~redjr/world_of_ultima/u9pics/u9pics.html"
6.4 Is Ultima 9 "The Lost Vale"?
No. "The Lost Vale" was supposed to be an add-on for U8. It
was never released as the folks at Origin didn't think it
would sell.
6.5 Will there be add-ons for Ultima 9?
Depends on the success of Ultima 9.
6.6 Will there be a Ultima 10?
Definitely, unless Ultima 9 turns out to be a total bomb :)
6.7 Will there be a special edition for Ultima 9?
They're not sure on this one yet.
6.8 Cheat Menu
What already? And you haven't played the game yet :)
+ 6.9 Will Ultima 9 be multiplayer?
No. A multi-player Ultima game entitled 'Ultima Online :
Shattered Legacy' is in the works. For more information
on Ultima Online check out:
"http://www.owo.com/" Origin Worlds Online
Section 7 : In Conclusion
-------------------------
* 7.1 Credits
This FAQ could not be made possible without the help of the
following people:
Brian Martin at Origin (a really cool guy) for
answering our many questions.
James R. Cheney (Cheese Dragon) for his input and
editing. James provided many of the questions you
see in this FAQ.
Rainbow Dragon for transcripting the GenCon '95
talk given by Lord British and company.
Joye P. McBurnett at Origin, who provided most of
the information for FAQ ver 1.03 and hopefully
further versions as well.
7.2 Obtaining more information
The following newsgroups usually have some information on U9.
Watch out for the S/N ratio though!
rec.games.computer.ultima-dragons
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg
7.3 Contacting the author
Do you have any information or questions regarding Ultima 9
which you don't see here? Read anything which you think might
be useful to other fans?
Have any gripes about the FAQ? I would love to hear what you
think about it.
Feel free to send me mail at:
ayau@tartarus.uwa.edu.au
