Azaroth

Recently, a charming young man brought up the idea that perhaps the medium doesn’t matter, only the content. I disagree. The medium is the message. It always matters. But UO as a medium isn’t a bad thing, and that’s the point. So in a way, he was correct.

Well. It’s not a bad thing depending on your expectations for what you’re doing. If you’re trying to make a bunch of cash and reach hundreds of thousands of users, UO is a bad place to start. A very, very bad place to start.

But from the perspective of a player, if UO is already what you want – why look for a 3D wrapping? Especially if it often doesn’t even deliver as well as the original. If I want to play World of Warcraft, I can go play it. Ultima Online is something different and something unique.

It’s not the light bulb, but it’s a great hybrid between social and content creation play and everything else an online RPG usually is. That’s the charm of the worlds it creates, I think. It’s a specific kind of experience that allows existence a little more honestly in an online world. It’s not Second Life, but my existence in the world actually has some sort of effect on others and on the world itself. And I’m still playing a game, not just watching people yiff on flying penis ships.

It’s about everyone. In a post-shitstorm conversation I had with a UO Producer once, the words “UO isn’t about every single little group of players” were uttered. I’m paraphrasing of course – I don’t have the original email. But I completely disagreed and I still do. I disagree because that opinion is counterproductive to what I think the game really is. Not what it can only be – but what it’s best fit to be. They say you can’t build a MMO for everyone. Well, that’s a shame. But UO is the best place to try. Not just because it existed before, but because it’s the best you have at the moment for doing it again.

Plus, I just happen to love UO. It’d sure be nice to give it a multi-million dollar makeover, but I’m not certain that’ll ever happen. In fact, even if it did, I’m not certain it’d even be profitable.

So what’s the point of this post? I clearly stated long ago that I’d never again become a martyr for a community as relentlessly selfish as MMO players. If there’s no money involved, what am I doing?

Well, this post is an introduction to discussion. Exactly what I’m doing and why I’m doing it will be one of those discussions. However, I still consider this entire situation a consideration at this point. Because I want to discuss some things does not mean IPY 2.0 goes up next week. It just means that I want to discuss some things – and it also means that at some point, IPY 2.0 very well might go up. However, that’s an announcement. This is a discussion.

As far as this particular post – we’re not going to jump onto any advanced topics, we’re just looking at IPY 2.0.

The problem with throwing the old IPY code up tonight is that a bunch of things need to change if the shard is to survive longer than a year.

For one, EasyUO. I have no idea what its creators intended when they made the program, but it’s been a dagger in the bleeding side of the game for many years now. I won’t launch without significant counter measures. Total and utter destruction of the ingame economy isn’t even my chief concern. People using the program to automate PvP to make up for their own lack of skill is something I can’t sit back and watch happen again. I present a fair playing field or none at all. People that lose their fights will just need to spend time practicing like everyone else.

Besides, cheating in PvP is more the style of the griefer and not the PvPer. By definition, a PvPer is a player who actively seeks and thrives on a challenge. A griefer is a player who tends to avoid honest challenges at all cost. I’m interested in presenting an outlet for that challenge to the PvPers. What I’m not interested in is catering to griefers. If you don’t care in the least for the game and would like nothing more than to see it burn to the ground, don’t expect me to do you any favours. That’s all.

It’s something I won’t budge on. I could have the shard recoded completely this very second and it wouldn’t go online until I was reasonably sure that the use of EasyUO would be halted or very significantly hampered. Of course, it’s also a fantasy of mine to eliminate voice programs and third party programs of any kind (Razor, UOA, etc). But.. let’s concentrate on the big problems first.

Keep in mind that as we move forward with discussion, this is not a discussion about IPY 3.0. This meaning that even if an IPY 3.0 were to come into existence I would still simultaneously or preemptively launch a straight IPY with minimal changes or additions from the old ruleset. The reasoning being that people want a classic UO server, and that players should be given a choice between IPY and the natural ruleset evolution that followed IPY – to utilize simultaneously, exclusively, or to switch back and forth as they please depending on their current satisfaction level with either ruleset. I’d of course do so in the hope that I wasn’t poaching too greatly from the owners of existing free servers, and would potentially reconsider the existence of an IPY 2.0 if they had serious qualms with the idea. It is, after all, a space I vacated some years ago. The time is now for that discussion if they’d like to have it with me.

For now, onward. I’m interested in suggestions from potential users on the following topics strictly regaring IPY 2.0. Today we’ll start with EasyUO. How has it affected you in the past. How have you used it in the past? What do you feel its effect on the world is, and most important… what are your ideas to hamper its use?

Of course, I can’t bring up things I’ve already made up my mind. Mostly because I think I’m right, or else I wouldn’t have made up my mind conclusively. So feel free to add your own topics in and perhaps challenge my perception on something you feel is important.

As always, I’m interested in coders. Depending on what I need exactly if I do intend to go forward with at least one new server, I’ll be looking for applications for coding positions.

Please keep in mind, however, that I’m not interested in anything but people with clear ambitions in advancing their current career. That means that I want people who are employed, looking for something to put on a resume to get ahead, and can provide references and an employer to contact. I won’t even consider someone for a split second if there is no resume, no references, and no current genuine employment with contacts. I apologize to everyone else – but there’s a certain type of person I’m interested in and a certain type of person I’m not. The second kind have made this a necessary step.

Specifically, we’re talking about people holding down lower level jobs in the MMO industry that want something solid and shiny to add to their experience that will capture the eye of their employer. The type of person I’m looking for here is the guy or gal that understands the value of being a part of a successful, visible project and what that can bring to their resume and their chances of career advancement in the industry.

However, more about that is more suited for a recruitment post and a separate website.

For now, try to stick to the topic, boys and girls. For anything else, my email is azaroth@gmail.com.