ULTIMA IX : ASCENSION
The Frequently Asked Questions List
Version 1.15 - 22 June 1997
Compiled by Lawrence Deneault (Sith Dragon).
Formerly compiled by Adrian Yau (Sagacious Dragon)
Copyright (c) 1995-1997. All rights reserved
Introduction
1.1 Objective
This FAQ was created with the intention to answer some Frequently Asked
Questions on Usenet regarding Ultima IX: Ascension, which is currently in
development.
Hopefully, this document will also serve to dispel the many rumors that
have been circulating in the Ultima and CRPG communities.
This FAQ was suggested by Brian Martin, Design Coordinator of the
Ultima IX project, who has provided most of the information you will find
here.
1.2 Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that Ultima IX is still in development and, as such,
nothing about it is set in stone. The game design could possibly change by
the time it is released.
Unless stated, all information presented in this FAQ has been confirmed by
Origin.
1.3 Trademarks
Ultima, Britannia, Origin are all registered trademarks of Origin Systems,
Inc. The Avatar, Serpent Isle, Pagan and Ascension are likewise
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
UIV/V/VI/VII/VIII/IX Ultimas 4/5/6/7/8/9
SI Ultima 7 part 2: Serpent Isle
Changes 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) contains most of the
spoilers.
Background
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 thirteen games in the series (fourteen if you include Akalabeth).
For more information about Ultima, refer to the Web at:
The Ultima Dragons Homepage
The Origin Systems Homepage
or in the Ultima Dragons newsgroup
rec.games.computer.ultima-dragons.
2.2 Who is The Avatar?
The Avatar is the main character of the Ultima series from Ultima IV
onward. 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 (Ultimas VII-
IX). He first appeared in Ultima VII, where he attempted to gain control of
Britannia. He has been depicted as being a red humanoid with glowing
yellow eyes.
2.4 The Guardian Trilogy so far.
In Ultima VII -- 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 -- The 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 Guardian-
dominated worlds to gain the power necessary to free the castle.
In Ultima VII, Part Two -- Serpent Isle, The Avatar follows the trail Batlin
has set to the Serpent Isle. The Avatar discovers a 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 VIII -- Pagan, The Guardian banishes The Avatar to the world
of Pagan. There, the Avatar seeks a way home to Britannia.
2.5 The Official Ultima VIII -Pagan End Sequence
From the five 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 -- the 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. However, Britannia is unlike the one we remember.
The sky is blood red, rivers of molten lava flow across 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?
Presumably yes, but we'll have to play the game to discover how far his
power extends.
Plot
3.1 Why is Ultima IX called 'Ascension'?
There is no official explanation from Origin as it would probably give
away the plot. However, the general concensus is that The Avatar will
"ascend" to being a fully-realized Titan of Ether in order to defeat The
Guardian.
3.2 General plot features of Ultima IX
3.2.1 How much of the plot has been worked out?
At this point in the development of Ultima IX, it is safe to say that the
main plot has been scripted. Voice acting for the cutscenes has already
been recorded so it is too late to change the major plotlines, but it is likely
that Origin is still working out the side quests and the easter eggs.
Likewise, Origin has already done much of the town and dungeon design
and is currently stocking them with items, people and monsters.
3.2.2 What's the story about?
Ultima IX is the final chapter in what has been coined the 'trilogy of
trilogies' and will continue the story from Ultima VIII and wrap up the
Guardian saga (UVII-IX).
The game designers have also 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
IX.
3.2.3 Philosophical elements
Starting from Ultima IV, the series has always had a plot based around a
system of ethics. 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 IX 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 Transfer.
Transferring your character of The Avatar was a feature of the older
Ultimas (this option was left out from Ultima VII onwards). Can we
transfer the Avatar's stats from Ultima VIII? They're not sure if it will be
implemented.
3.3.2 Will the Avatar retain the powers gained in UVIII?
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 IX. By the
end of the game, the player should have fully explored the powers of the
Titan of Ether.
3.3.3Will The Avatar be back in Ultima X?
Lord British has indicated that Ultima IX will be the last Ultima to feature
The Avatar as the protagonist. Whether this means he will be killed or will
become an NPC is unknown. Additionally, whether or not Britannia will
survive Ultima IX remains to be seen.
3.4 Companions and Party Members
3.4.1 Will companions from previous Ultimas appear in Ultima IX?
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 IX. In general, these are characters from other worlds.
3.4.2 Will Dupre return?
In short, yes, according to Lord British. It is doubtful that Dupre will
return as a party member, however. Origin has hinted in the past that
Dupre would return in an NPC role, such as having a cameo appearance
sometime during the course of the game.
3.4.3 Will there be party members in Ultima IX?
Yes, there will be party members in UIX. 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. Do you really
want an army of people chanting "Feed Me!"?
3.4.5 Will Lord British actually help to save Britannia in Ultima IX?
Although Lord British has been less-than-helpful in past Ultimas, Origin
has stated that Lord British will actually join The Avatar's party at some
point in Ultima IX to help defeat The Guardian.
3.5 Magic
3.5.1 How important is magic in the plot of Ultima IX?
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 UVIII was very interesting, it was
complicated and ended up being cumbersome. Ultima IX will return to the
spell book system similar to Ultima VII.
In addition to the standard form of Britannian magic, Origin has indicated
that a new form of ritual-driven magic will also be present in Ultima IX.
Origin did not specify how the ritualistic magic would work because the
system was being designed at the time, but they did say that it was going to
be very impressive.
3.5.3 Will reagents still be used for the magic system?
Yes, traditional Britannian reagants will be used.
3.5.3.1 Am I going to spend most of the game searching for the reagents in
my backpack?
No. Reagents will be stored in containers that automaticaly organize and
optimize their contents. There will be slots in a bag for each reagent, with
its symbol and quantity easily available.
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?
Definitely yes, but not the Ultima-type. In addition to the cinematic
screenshots featuring dragons, the Ultima VIII end sequence shows
dragons flying about the sky. Furthermore, Lord British also mentions
dragons as a form of transportation in Britannia (letter to fans in Ultima
VIII patch kit). In an interview, Lord British also mentions taming dragons
will be a major plot in the game.
3.6.2 How much time has passed since Ultima VIII: Pagan?
No one knows for certain, but we can presume that many hundreds of years
have passed since The Avatar was last in Brtiannia. Since Lord British
ages at a significantly slower rate than Britannians (he hardly aged in the
two hundred years between Ultimas VI and VII: The Black Gate), the new
cinematic screenshots show him to be well into his sixties or seventies,
indicating that much time has passed.
Alternatively, The Guardian may have aged Lord British prematurely to
further torture the conquered monarch. Whichever the case may be, we will
not know for certain until the game is released.
3.7 The Ending
Will the Guardian finally be defeated for good? Will the Avatar or
Britannia still exist after UIX? They're not telling :)
Gameplay Issues
4.1 Will Ultima IX use the same engine as UVIII?
No. Holding with Origin tradition, each new Ultima involves new
technology. Every new numeral has a totally new engine (U7SI is not
considered a new numeral). Ultima IX will feature a 3-D polygon-based
engine with a rotatable point of view, or "camera".
4.2 World interaction
Ultima VIII was a step back from previous Ultimas in terms of interaction
with the world and its objects. Sitting down was something we missed
most. However, Origin has promised that interaction will be greatly
improved in Ultima IX -- in fact we'll see more of it in Ultima IX than in
any other Ultima.
4.2.1 Okay. Origin talks the talk about incredible world interaction, but do
they walk the walk? I mean I want a real Britannia to adventure in.
Origin is going to great lengths to make Britannia as real a gaming world
as possible. In past Ultimas, Origin has always tried to establish a feeling
of realism by the inclusion of as much real-world physics as the current
technology would support. Ultima IX will be no different.
In the February 1997 issue of the German gaming magazine PowerPlay,
Origin has outlined for the first time the depths of the physics they have
modeled for Britannia:
If a player fires an arrow and it misses its intended target, it will continue
on its trajectory and stick into the ground until it is retrieved.
If the player picks up an empty barrel and throws it into water, it will float
on the surface. If the barrel happens to be partially full it will float lower in
the water. If the barrel is full, it will sink to the bottom.
In addition to what Origin has said about the physics in the game, the
screenshots from the game appear to support the idea that the game's
engine generates a center of gravity for each object in the game and it will
balance or lean accordingly.
4.3 Will Ultima IX still use the menu system for conversations?
Prior to the menu system which was first introduced in Ultima VII,
conversations with other characters was carried out by typing keywords.
Ultima IX 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 VIII was the ability to jump and climb.
Unfortunately, there were just too many puzzles dependant on jumping
skills. Origin is not revealing whether Ultima IX will have jumping and
climbing. However, what's certain is that we will not have the arcade
action of Ultima VIII.
4.4.2 Will the Avatar be able to swim?
In the February 1997 issue of the German gaming magazine PowerPlay,
Origin states that The Avatar definitely will have the ability to swim in
Ultima IX.
4.5 Combat
Combat in UVIII 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 IX?
Origin has promised that there will be a new and inventive method of
combat -- one far different from that of UVIII, which should come as a
great relief to most players. 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?
Since each monster required hundreds of frames of animation, Ultima VIII
only had a small selection due to space and budget constraints. Ultima IX
will have feature a much greater variety since it will be released on CD-
ROM and space is no longer a consideration.
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 VIII due to the number of animation
frames required. 1,200 frames were used for The Avatar alone!
4.6.1.2 Will there be character portraits?
Ultimas VI and VII featured character portraits when conversing with
others. In SI this was taken a step further by using digitized photos for
many of the portraits. This feature was sorely missed in UVIII. Portraits
will not be implemented in the same manner as in the previous games. In
Ultima IX, the "camera" will zoom in on the conversations to such a
degree that near-portrait detail will be achieved. NPC portraits will be
actually be animated texturemaps superimposed on the NPC's polygon
face.
4.6.1.3 Will there be live actors and movie cut scenes?
No. There will not be any live actors or video footage in Ultima IX, but
there will many rendered cut scenes throughout the game. These cutscenes
will not limit the non-linearity of the game. There will also be a method to
review all the cutscenes you've been through.
The rendered cutscenes, called "sendings" in the game, will play a pivotal
role to the plot of Ultima IX. The sendings are actually the dreams of Lord
British, which are being given to him by The Guardian, and will give The
Avatar insight into events that he would not otherwise be aware of.
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 IX. 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 SI. The inventory screen actually
showed the character wearing and holding equipped items and weapons.
This feature will be included in Ultima IX. In addition, characters in the
game will also have this feature.
4.6.3.4 Will Ultima IX pause when I check my inventory?
Yes. Origin finally realized that it's not fun getting creamed by an Orc
when you're looking for that yellow potion that always hides behind a ham.
:-)
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
VIII 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 IX use?
Ultima IX will have a isometric view like the previous Ultimas.
4.6.4.3 Will a rotating perspective be used?
The isometric perspective used in UVII and UVIII 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 IX will
not have the problem of losing items behind walls as the fully 3-D world
will allow rotatable perspectives.
4.6.4.3.1 The rotatable perspective is really neat, but everything's so small.
Is Origin going to pack a pair of glasses in as the Ultima IX trinket?
Nope, no glasses. Origin's way ahead of you on this one, though. In
addition to having a rotatable point of view, the Ultima IX engine features
the ability to zoom in and out in order to improve resolution.
4.6.4.4 Will we be able to run the game at different resolutions?
As Ultima IX will be a Windows 95-only program (see Section 5.1.1), it is
conceivable that users will be able to use its capability to run at multiple
resolutions to see larger portions of the map. However, at this point Origin
does not want to comment.
4.6.4.5 Since the perspective in Ultima IX is so complex, will an object's
size change with its distance from the Avatar?
No. In order to save some 3D calculations, Origin decided to use parallel
instead of perspective projection. What this means is that, with an
increasing distance, objects will not appear smaller on the screen. If Ultima
IX was a first-person perspective game this would lead to terrible results,
but viewing from an isometric perspective we are told that one will not
notice the difference.
4.7 Sound
4.7.1 Will we get 32 channel sound like in WC3?
UVIII only had four digital channels for sound effects. WC3 had thirty-two
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.
4.7.1.1 Will Ultima IX feature digital music and sound effects?
According to Origin, all special effects in Ultima IX will be digital. The
music, however, will be streamed directly off the CD-ROM. If it will be
MIDI or Redbook audio is unknown.
4.7.2 Will Ultima IX have full speech?
Due to the amount of text used in the game, Ultima IX will not have have
full speech. Voices will be used in cinematic sequences at the highest
possible quality level. Speech will also be included for the other language
versions of Ultima IX.
4.7.3 Have the voice actors been cast?
Yes. Michael Dorn, "Worf" from Star Trek: The Next Generation and
Deep Space Nine, will provide the voice of The Guardian. Kay Kuter will
play Lord British, and Maurice LeMarche, "The Brain" from Pinky and the
Brain, will provide the voice of Shamino.
Additionally, Joye McBurnett, Brian Martin, and Michael Morlan also
provided voices for the game, but the characters they played are not known.
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.
Technical Issues
5.1 Platforms
5.1.1 Which platforms are Ultima IX currently targeted for?
Currently, Ultima IX is being designed as a Windows 95 native program.
5.1.2 Will we be able to take advantage of multitasking in Win95 to take
notes online?
Origin is still not certain of this.
5.1.3 Will Ultima IX be released for the Sony Playstation?
Given the recent release of other Origin titles for consoles, such as
Crusader: No Remorse for the PSX, it is most likely that Ultima IX will be
released for other platforms as well. However there are no concrete plans
for them yet.
5.1.4 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 Hardware
5.2.1 Will Ultima IX utilize 3-D acceleration?
Not only will Ultima IX utilize 3D accleration, it will require a 3D
accelerator board to run. During the June 1997 E3 Convention, Lord
British indicated that Ultima IX would be one of the first high-profile
games that would require a 3D board to run.
5.2.2 Will Ultima IX utilize the new MMX instruction set?
The answer is probably no. Given the fact that the game is running late, it
seems unlikely that Origin will include an new feature that will cause the
game to slip any later.
5.3. System Requirements
5.3.1 What will be the minimum requirements to run Ultima IX?
According to Lord British, the minimum requirements to run Ultima IX
will be a Pentium 90 with 8 MBS of RAM. A Pentium 133 with 16 MBS of
RAM is recommended. A fast video card is also highly recommended.
5.3.2 I've met the minimum system requirements, but will I really be able
to play Ultima IX?
Origin has been quoted as stating that the Ultima IX engine runs at 25 fps
(frames per second) on a Pentium 100 in 640x480 SVGA. Whether or not
this is considered acceptable performance is up to you.
5.3.2.1 Why are the minimum requirements so high? For a CRPG a
Pentium 100 seems like a bit much.
Although the Ultima IX engine seems as through it requires an inordinate
amount of system resources, it's only because Origin is demanding much
more out of this engine than it has in previous Ultimas. In addition to
having the rotating viewpoint and the ability to zoom in and out on
demand, Ultima IX is completely polygon-based with each screen made up
of anything between 2,000 and 3,000 polygons.
5.4 How big will Ultima IX be?
In terms of disk space, UIX will most likely take up two CD-ROMs
(something in excess of 1.2 Gigabytes).
In the Ultima IX preview in the January 1997 issue of Edge magazine,
Britannia is stated as being 256 screenlengths in width and 256
screenlengths in height.
5.5 Will there be a floppy version?
No. As with all recent Origin products, Ultima IX will be released on CD-
ROM only.
Miscellaneous
6.1 Who's on the Ultima IX project?
Project Director -- Richard Garriott
Project Producer -- Joye McBurnett
Design Lead -- Brian Martin
Design Team -- Chuck Zoch, Robert White, David Biggs, Kevin Schlipper,
John Watson
Game Art Director -- Jennifer Davis
Cinematic Art Director -- Bruce Lemons
Art Team -- Robert Baldwin, Micahel Morlan, Scott Jones, Gary Snyder,
Jonathan Price, Bob Frye, Cari Oberstar, Scott Wetterschneider, Terry
Manderfeld
Tech Lead -- Mike McShaffrey
Tech team -- Herman Miller, Gary Smith, Ragnar Scheuermann, Jeff
Wofford, Matthew Lamari
6.2 When will Ultima IX appear on the shelves?
During the June 1997 E3 Show, Lord British indicated that Ultima
IX was back on track following the Ultima Online related delay, and will
appear on shelves by the summer of 1998.
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:
Sith Dragon's Ultima IX Screenshots Page at
http://www.walrus.com/~sith/ultimapics.htm or at the mirror site at
http://www.users.interport.net/~marlowe/ultimapics.htm
6.4 Is Ultima IX "The Lost Vale"?
No. "The Lost Vale" was supposed to be an add-on for UVIII. It was never
released as the folks at Origin didn't think it would sell.
6.5 Will there be add-ons for Ultima IX?
Depends on the success of Ultima IX.
6.6 Will there be a Ultima X?
Definitely, unless Ultima IX turns out to be a total bomb :)
6.7 Will there be a special edition for Ultima IX?
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 IX be multiplayer?
No. A multi-player Ultima game entitled Ultima Online is in the works.
For more information on Ultima Online check out:
Origin Worlds Online at http://www.owo.com
Credits
7.1 Credits
This FAQ could not be made possible without the help of the following
people:
Adrian Yau (Sagacious Dragon) who did all the great work that got this
FAQ off the ground.
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 transcribing 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 Ultima IX.
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 IX 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:
sith@walrus.com
Version History
Version 1.14
Updated Section 5: Technical Issues
Updated Section 6: Miscellaneous
Version 1.13
Updated Section 3: Plot
Updated Section 4: Gameplay Issues
Version 1.12
Updated Section 4: Gameplay Issues
Updated Section 6: Miscellaneous
Version 1.11
Added illustrative screenshots.
Updated Section 3: Plot
Updated Section 4: Gameplay Issues
Updated Section 5: Technical Issues
Updated Section 6: Miscellaneous
Version 1.1
Updated Section 3: Plot
Updated Section 4: Gameplay Issues
Updated Section 5: Technical Issues
Updated Section 6: Miscellaneous
Version 1.03b
Converted 1.03 into an HTML document.
Revised some of acronyms.
Version 1.03
Maintained by Sagacious Dragon , this was current until 19 April 1996.
