Are these games any good?

4, 5, and 6 are fantastic.

9 is a trainwreck.

The rest are okay.

0 (Akalabeth), 1, and 2 are archaic and primitive. Skippable if you want to.

3 is a simple strategy rpg

Escape from Mt. Drash is a mediocre curiosity with good music for its time.

4,5,6 are the true core of the series with the best gameplay, plot, and worldbuilding. 5 and 6 have been remade as total conversions of the PC game Dungeon Siege.

There are a couple of adventure game spin offs. Savage Empire and Martian Dreams. They're ok.

The console ports of Ultima games suck with the exception of Master System and Playstation(Jap only).

Ultima Runes of Virtue on the gameboy is a nice zelda-ish game.

7 and its expansion are great except for the combat. The best looking game of the series so this is where you should start to acclimatize yourself to oldschool graphics.

Ultima underworld (UU) 1 and 2 are must plays: the Skyrims of their times. They are first person with no party.

8 is shit

Ultima online is still going strong on official servers but like all MMOs is a waste of life.

9 is such utter dogshit that some people who were exposed to it quit gaming forever, took up real life sports and never looked back.

There were a couple of browser games that closed down a few years ago. Nothing of value was lost as all browser games are garbage.

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Ultima 3 NES looks pretty sweet.

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>>2992865

I love it, even though a lot of the character professions are admittedly unnecessary or outclassed. That's kind of the charm of it, though. You have that extra variety if you want it. Some professions are definitely fun to play around with if you want to impose challenges on yourself, like playing with an all-alchemist party.

>>2992876
I love you

>>2992876
This looks nice.

Is it true that you can finish the 2 first games like pretty fucking fast? It really feels outdated and boring (unlike Wizardry I, IMO) but if I don't need a shitton of grind (like Wizardry) I think I can give them a chance.

>>2992123
>skyrims of their time
except they aren't shit

>>2993445
Ultima 1 - yes
Ultima 2 - no

how do I into Ultima 7, even? The interface and movement are really off putting. Even playing in exult and correcting the graphics to be straight up don't make it easier to play. Am I just that much a pleb that anything older than infinity engine just is inaccessible to me?

>>2993575
If you can't get into it, you can't get into it. Nothing wrong with that.

I personally can't get into Infinity Engine games because their presentation reminds me of how much I hate Diablo. Doesn't mean they're bad games, I'm just unwilling to spend time trying to adjust to them.

>>2992123
I heard that Richard Garriott is trying to buy the games back and fix it.

>>2993896
Hope he's prepared to lose his first-born son and then some.

I really like richard garriot, I know he might have had a super inflated ego back in the day and was a bit of a shithead at times but it seems like he has come a long way and really cares about the series and its fans actually. Pretty respectable imo.

>>2993978
This

>>2993978
>>2995050

Hi Richard

>>2992123
>Ultima underworld (UU) 1 and 2 are must plays

Seconding this.

4 really kind of aged badly

cant speak for the others since i haven't played them

>>2995459
>Noah spilling his guts about playing U3 and learning how to read from gaming and his childhood memories of spending time with his brother

>>2995486
Ya, he's not much of an actor, but he does alright when things get "real" in Ultima 9

>>2995490
His reviews would be better without the acting and fight scenes
That's one of the things holding up his XIII-2 review
The idea of having a continuity in a stupid internet review show is dumb

>>2995494
Most of these guys have some interest in making movies, internet shlock is the best they can do.

>>2995494
>>2995506
Although his skit in the end of phantasmagoria will always be his best

https://youtu.be/b3IAO2lpDPU?list=PLE0DF9EFB88DD5784&t=301

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>>2992123
>Ultima Runes of Virtue on the gameboy is a nice zelda-ish game
hold the fuck up. This is two of my favourite things. I will probably be disappointed and still enjoy it.

>>2995630
The game boy version is superior to the SNES version

>>2993575
>The interface and movement are really off putting.
Exult improved the UI and controls, I think. As for the combat system, someone is currently making a turn-based system for it.

>>2995459
>>2995057
The only thing I hate about Rickhard is that he made a shitty MMORPG(UO), and some freemium shit with some coreans. Also he's trying to turn his new kickstarter into an MMO as well, so fuck him for that!

>>2995630
>Avatar a grill
Doujins where?

>>2992123

Quest of the Avatar on the NES is actually a pretty legit game in its own right. It's an eastern JRPG take on a western CRPG and works more often than it doesn't.

>>2995882
cis-scum!

>>2995630
pic made me think of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCTD7cGWKc

>>2995872
Isn't that the version spoony said was "a sin against god"?

If so then it's probably near perfect for a nes rpg.

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>>2996015

Yeah, it looks good, it plays well (although it does utilize menus for most actions), and observes the conventions of the PC game without too much abstraction. I can't honestly see how anybody could call it a terrible game, although the beggars will trip you up at first with their ye olde englishe when asking for alms.

>>2995872
Well, the classic jrpg dragon quest was heavily inspired by ultima.

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>>2996038

holy shit i didnt realize the NES was in full color

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>>2995630
Cute pic, I always liked this version of the Avatar.

>>2995459
Why do you care about a game designer's politics? I don't let politics keep me from enjoying Earthworm Jim.

>>2991574
4 is OK. 5 is solid. 6 is amazing. 7 is the best WRPG ever made.

7 Part II is eh...

8 sucks.

9 is an unmitigated disaster.

Online is a classic MMORPG.

Rest are not bad.

>>2993896
source? I mean the guy's gone to space I don't see what he'd get out of trying to salvage the franchise's reputation.

>>2991574

Imho 6 is the best part in the series. It was an extremely charming game when I was a kid - both graphically and storywise - and I have lots of fond memories of it. But if you know what you're doing you can actually finish the game very fast. I'm kind of disappointed in what followed after it though. I never liked part 7 much even though most people commend it as the best of the series. 8 ended up being completely different to the former games. It was not necessarily a bad game but it fucked up the series and it really takes some time getting used to. I came to like the story and even the monotonous atmosphere (it has a bit of a creepy charm) eventually after forcing myself to play it back in the days. And 9... I don't know somehow I completely missed out on it. And at times I wondered what happened to the franchise after that game. Guess it's as terrible as people say.

>>2995630
It's hard and has way more puzzles than Zelda.

Also, this.
https://youtu.be/Wl9ZlvRdVKA?t=8m4s
>>2995669

>>2993575
>>correcting the graphics to be straight up

please elaborate


i know there was a patch out there for exult's svn release, but i've never been able to found any pre-compiled binaries

>>2996038
I don't know why most people would dislike it either, but in spoony's case it's because he hates anything Japanese, and doubly so for a filthy nip team improving what's considered the best/second best title in the series.

Personally, I found it to be a wonderful hybrid of eastern and western design philosophies that optimized the hell out of itself for the hardware and controller limitations.

>>2996513
>I don't let politics keep me from enjoying Earthworm Jim.
I do. I'm not white enough for muh privileges.

8 is an awesome game unlike what others say... but it is a fucking terrible Ultima game.

8 really should have been labeled as a side game since it plays nothing like the rest, it's got platforming and actiony combat. It has so much going on in it's world and it cool to explore, but being labeled as a main line game really ass devastated people.

Like others said, play 4-7. If you're curious play Underworld 1 and 2, and 8.

what about story / context wise

will forcing myself thru the too primitive or bad ones commented in the thread

0,1,2,3 will it at least give me some background context into later titles?

>>3010357
Akalabeth has nothing aside from historical value. Ultima 1 basically made it playable.
Don't force yourself through 2, it just isn't fun and the story got completely retconned.

Serpent Isle takes some elements from 1 and 3 but that's practically just names and some layouts, but SI itself has little context in the big picture.
You can try 8 to see if you like it but the story is cut short and largely irrelevant for 9.
9 is a decent game, the only reason to skip it would be because you care too much about the story.

>>3005505
ultima 8 is one of the most disturbing games i've ever played and i love it

>>3010376
>9 is a decent game
so I guess you only had to restart it once because of a crash that corrupted your save file. Fucking Shamino statues.

>>2993896
Thatd be cool, but after seeing how casualized hes making shroud of the avatar, I dont think I trust him.

>>2995494
This is pretty much why I cant watch game overthinker anymore. Shit got way to stupid with the storyline shit.

>>3005505
I agree with this.
Had it not been a main game or even been an ultima game it probably wouldve been better received.

I actually feel the same about ultima 9. I got it on release and managed to finish it. While I understand the hate it gets from ultima fans, and agree its a shit ultima game, I still enjoyed the game if I didnt think of it as an ultima game.

>>3011073
I didn't have to restart at all.
I didn't even have to resort to cheating to finish the game like I had in 6 or 7.

>>3011131
They're kind of similar to the Underworld games and those are normally received without problems.

I don't like Pagan. It could have been great with more time to develop it but the way it is you have a disrupted story with lousy gameplay and controls. Diablo is practically what it should have been.

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>>2995826
Oh please, you've been able to have a female avatar since the very first game. You just lacked the imagination.

>>3011583
What's the pic from?

What is the absolute must play Ultima game?

Opinions seem to be really conflicting. Is it VII?

I watched some video of it and the camera perspective is really strange and annoying to look at.

>>3015071
Underworld 1 and the trilogy of 4-6.

>>3014568
That's an Apple II.

>>3015109
What game.

>>3015140
Ultima 1.
It should have been obvious from the context and the shown items.

>>3015149
Yeah but I Googled Ultima 1 and all the screenshots look completely different.

>>3015156
It's the inventory and displayed in monochrome.

I only played the first part of the 7th and I couldn't finish it because some bug at the final island

Ultima needs to make a comeback.

>never played any ultima games
>own a boxed ultima 9

The manuals are really nice, with cool artwork. Probably why I never got rid of it.

I really should play the Ultima games, at least 4 through 7.

I just got U6 for the PC IOB and am going to play it on my Libretto.

U7 is my favorite, just because when it came out it was so stunning. Plus the environmental interactivity is great. Plot is fun too.

U6 and U7 are probably the greatest Western RPGs ever.

>>3022628
Play it with Nuvie and the FM Towns sounds.

>>3022640
Is Nuvie done yet? Feels like a while since I last checked in on them and the game wasn't complete-able last time I did.

I also found out I have all the Ultimas from GOG (thought I just had Martian Dreams, surprises LOL).

I remember fuzzing the numpad while holding down ALT on U6 and discovering how to teleport. This was when the game was brand new.

>>3022696
False Prophet is complete and they've shifted attention to implementing Martian Dreams.

>>3017775

Yes and no.

Ultima rights all belong to EA. Ultima Forever showed what EA can/would do with it now.

Lord British might be able to rekindle some of the magic, depending how Shroud of the Avatar is when finished. It might be a good Ultima in all but name.

>>3024325
>when finished
He's spending an inordinate amount of time on interior decor and crafting, that game will never be finished.

>>3024513

He just wants you to have a comfy house, man

>>2991781
>8
>okay
One of the few games that made me lose my patience

How does Ultima Underworld run on modern PCs? I'm thinking of grabbing it off GoG, but I've had a couple bad experiences with games not working properly (Mainly Wizardry VI, which won't scale to my monitor correctly).

>>3024513
Oh I know.

Game runs like shit for me and every month theres tons of stupid shit but "performance enhancements / level of detail shit" is ignored.

I get about 1 fps in towns because of the shit player housing. Towns also look like absolute shit because of the ability to customize the whole lot instead of just interiors so people just throw any and all decorations around the yard.

>>3024618
It's a DOS game so it won't run on a modern Windows without emulation.
What do you mean with not scale correctly?

>>3024618
There's this thing called dosbox...

>>3024531
>>3024628

I would have thought that player housing would be among the last things I'd worry about when making a game.

Combat, overall plot(s), smart / interesting / scary creatures and NPCs, lots of world interactivity, decent performance, things that you actually interact with which make the game worth playing.

I mean I get the idea of wandering home, up the road leading through town while the fishmongers and carpet sellers ply their trade, buying a fish, getting home, shedding your armor in the foyer, grabbing a nice mead from the cellar and chilling on the lawn, but holy fuck save all that shit until the game's at least more than skeletal outside town.

>>3024679
I have a feeling theyre short on cash so they focus a lot on shit like housing and decorations because thats all microtransaction stuff.

>>3024686
I'm sure you're right, but what a shite business model.

I've wanted to buy the game for some time but I'm not giving anybody a nickel until I can play a finished game.