Ultima Online is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. And to celebrate, the first new server in 15 years is launching. MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits looks back at his first MMORPG experience and is excited for a fresh start.
Happy Birthday, Ultima Online! You are now 23 years old. Older than I was when I first logged into your wonderful online world. For a long time, we had little to do with each other, as other games demanded my attention. But with the launch of the new anniversary server, I want to give it another try. To indulge once more in all the beautiful memories and explore the world of Britannia just as I did 23 years ago.
My first MMORPG has turned 23 years old
On September 24, 1997, the doors to the online version of the fantasy world of Britannia opened. A world I had known offline for a very long time. For my first steps in it, I started in the fall of 1985, at the tender age of 9, with Ultima 4 on the C64. At that time, I didn’t understand what I was supposed to do or how to fight. After all, the game was in English, and at that time, no English classes were offered in elementary schools.
Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the game and the world. It was the reason why I focused particularly on English classes starting in the 5th grade. And finally, I could properly enjoy Ultima 4 and its successors.
The fascination for the Ultima series did not fade. Being able to experience the fantasy world online in 1997 was the next big step for me into a larger world of gaming.
No good start in the first MMORPG
However, my first steps in Britannia were not only filled with beautiful moments. When I appeared near the city of Trinsic after creating my character, I wanted to first explore the world. Fascinated, I explored the colorful 2D area around the city from the classic Ultima isometric perspective. Everything felt so familiar. And so I became reckless.
A wolf blocked my path. I engaged in the battle and… lost. My hero appeared as a ghost, who could only communicate using the vowel “O”. As a ghost who only shouted “OOOOoooooOOOO”, I was of course not welcome. But an NPC healer brought me back from the land of the dead.
As a freshly resurrected hero in UO, you retained the white robe that you wore as a ghost. I thought that was cool and put it on right away. After all, it was possible to dye clothing, and I thought to myself that I could do that later.
Unfortunately, player killers had targeted newbies wearing these white ghost robes. And I ran into such a group. However, I was not initially aware of this. The two guys acted friendly and invited me to their hideout. There we wanted to train. They explained that I should attack them, which I naively did. Immediately, my name turned red; I was a player killer. The guys laughed at me and ended my hero’s life in a duo. Thus, I had to work to restore my status as an upstanding citizen.
However, I didn’t let that event ruin my fun and proceeded with more caution afterward. I learned not to trust everyone right away and to first deal with the game rules. And so I experienced many adventures in the fantasy world of Britannia. I forged friendships, explored deep dungeons, battled orcs and dragons, and even met Lord British, the ruler of the land.
When Lord British appeared, it was always an event. Because Ultima creator Richard Garriott embodied the monarch of the land, and everyone had the opportunity to meet him and perhaps exchange a few words.
Who is writing this?
Andreas Bertits has been a game editor since 2003 and is currently a freelance author for MeinMMO. Besides computer games, he spends his free time primarily with his wife and three children. Apart from MMORPGs, he enjoys single-player RPGs. His preferred gaming platform is the PC.
Andreas Bertits
Freelance author Mein-MMO
UO fascinated me with its many freedoms. For a while, I was a fisherman, selling freshly caught fish to adventurers and to a tavern run by another player. Others had fun as blacksmiths, tailors, or merchants. A community formed that provided for each other, and in the meantime, there were plenty of adventures to be had in the wilderness and dungeons.
The open PvP system of UO almost led to the demise of the MMORPG. Not only was I annoyed by attacks from PKs, but many players felt the same way. Therefore, the online game was divided into two worlds: Trammel and Felucca. Player killing was not allowed in Trammel, but it still was in Felucca. This way, everyone could focus on their playstyle.
Looking back, I spent a wonderful time in UO. But eventually, even this must come to an end. For me, this happened gradually. Over time, I played less and less. And with the release of the expansion Samurai Empire in 2004, I completely stopped. Samurai and Ultima? In my opinion, that didn’t fit together. Besides, I was only playing sporadically by then, out of habit. Moreover, my first daughter was born the same year and demanded a lot of attention. It was the right time for me to stop.
However, Ultima Online has shaped me. It was my first MMORPG, my entry into the genre, and it contributed to my continued loyalty to online role-playing games even after over 20 years.
The return is already planned
After 15 years, the first new server is starting (called a Shard in UO), New Legacy. The developers explain that they want to present Ultima Online to players fresh and new again. The new server is intended to be an opportunity to experience the MMORPG just as it was the first time.
The idea for Ultima Online: New Legacy emerged from our ultimate goal: to rekindle the nostalgia one felt while playing UO, without getting lost and without having to overcome the entry barriers one would face when trying to enter a 23-year-old game world.
Greg Havlusch, designer of Ultima Online
I had entertained the thought of returning before. But fear always held me back, fearing it wouldn’t be the same as it used to be, and that my nostalgic memories would mislead me and I might be disappointed.
But now, for the 23rd birthday, I want to give UO this gift. I am coming back. I want to start anew with New Legacy – initially in free-to-play mode. I want to see if the MMORPG still fascinates me like it did back then, whether I can once again immerse myself in the fantasy world of Britannia and enjoy a second life there. Just the new trailer has awakened so many memories in me – I simply have to return to Britannia. And perhaps I am not the only one, and Ultima Online can reach its goal of achieving the greatest reach of all time.
If it doesn’t work out and I can’t find my way back into the game, then at least it was a brief return to my past. And if I find it enjoyable, perhaps even a subscription is in order again.
There are also other, older MMORPGs that are still worth playing today. Which ones they are, we will present to you in the MeinMMO article “3 MMORPGs from earlier times that have held up well and are still fun today.”
