April 2000
Sunday, April 30, 2000
A possible Fix for the client crash. ^top
This is from Wolfang on the CoB message forums.
Thanks to the advice of a Counselor, I can play again with my character that crashed my client all the time.
He suggested to delete all of the desktop.uo files which should be desktop.uo1, desktop.uo2, desktop.uo3, desktop.uo4, and desktop.uo5 (with UO NOT running)
I then shut down the computer and the restarted it: it did fix the problem.
I can now play again with the character that was crashing my client all the time.
Wolfie
Thanks.
Posted by Balandar - 11:18 AM CST ^top
Problems with the Catskills shard. ^top
Do not go to the West Britain bank in Trammel. Your client will crash and you will not be able to log back in with that character. Each time you try to log back in your client will crash.
Note: I do NOT believe this is a black hole since you can log in with your other characters on the same account. When in a black hole your character will not log out and because of this your other characters on the same account can not log in.
Let your friends know NOT to go to Britain west bank in Trammel.
Thanks.
Posted by Balandar - 9:40 AM CST ^top
Saturday, April 29, 2000
Renaissance Publish and house placement ^top
The following was just posted to Common Issues on the Ultima Online website:
Renaissance Publish and house placement
Please do not call Game Masters or Counselors looking for information regarding house placement at this time. Please see Staged House Placement for details on this matter: "Note that during the time period after the publish is active and before stage 1 begins, you will not be able to place a house in Trammel or Felucca."
Keep watch on the Update Center for more details.
Thanks.
Posted by Balandar - 11:08 AM CST ^top
Thursday, April 27, 2000
A World in Shock-- A World Split ^top
From UOSS:
The reports, the death tallys, the requests from mothers for news of their
children, all this I'm still receiving. But more notable still are the many
questions which simply seem to ask, "what happened?"
Last night saw massive attacks on many of our cities. The attacks were
frightful in their intensity not only to common merchants, but to seasoned
warriors as well. This did not exclude the popluation of the castle.
Apparently an attack such as this was expected, not unreasonable considering
the last few months. Because of this Lord British's Mage, Nystul had been
preparing.
The report we did about a week or so ago on the monuments brought about many
comments from people, and many were fearful of their meaning. We had found out
Nystul had them placed, but because didn't yet know why we had not yet reported
on it. Now we can tell the story.
Nystul and Lord British had placed the pillars to facilitate a spell. It
seems that Minax was more of a threat than many of us had realised. Many people
counted her as being on the run since Trinsic had been retaken, but the castle
was not so optimistic. An escape plan was devised, one that would allow the
nobility and government to escape as well as the citizens of Britiania.
After last nights attacks it was decided to undertake the spell and make the
escape paths available. It should be noted this drastic measure was not done
lightly and that much thought had gone into making this work. So while Minax's
forces were concentrating on the attacks around the world, Lord British's
trusted friend, Nystul, began the spell.
This is an artist's rendition of what it may have looked like when Nystul
cast the spell. His spell then split the world in two, creating a mirror image
of the Britiannia we are familiar with.
These two worlds are now traversable for those wishing to escape to the new
lands, free of Minax's threat. The new lands are named Trammel, and these are to
be now known as Felucca, after our two moons of course.
Here we see pictures taken by Infinity of what the main pillar in the castle
looks like and also one of the satelite pillars, this happens to be in Moonglow.
This should all be good news, our rulers have provided an escape to safer
lands for any who wish to go to. It is a mirror image of our familiar ones so
finding our way around should be helped. But there is a down side. Many people
plan to stay in Felucca. This is where we were raised, where we found love,
adventure, friends, and built our homes. Where the headstones of our friends and
family lay. I can take you to the table in a tavern where an impulsive young
love of my youth carved our intitials in the wood. And I have friends who could
take you to the tree where their intials are carved.
The problem is that tree would no longer have its leaves. The ground around
it is soaked with blood, littered with bones. Their are now many gravestones
throughout the land, most of which do not seem to bear name to the person it
marks. The article done just a few days ago, where the mysterious seer spoke
words of woe in Yew at the abbey, comes back to mind. The man did indeed know of
what he spoke; what he spoke was truth. All has come just as he said it would
It is not known what has brought about this desolation. Some blame Minax,
saying she did this in spite. Others blame Nystul saying he did not control the
massive power that his spell had. No one seems to know who is at fault, but I'm
not sure having someone to blame would help me get over it. I don't want
vengance, I want my beautiful world back.
I'll leave you with two shots of the desolation prevalant in Felucca. The
first picture you can see a roof top in the foreground. I want you to know that
is MY rooftop. What you are seeing is my own backyard. Skulls in place of the
flowers I had planted--now nothing will grow here. The other picture is of a Yew
tree. If you live in Yew you revere them, if you've traveled here you'd never
forget them. They are huge, towering, and normally full of lush vegetaion so
thick that when it rains the ground beneath gets merely damp.
Here is what this looks like now:
IMG No Longer Exists
Posted by Balandar - 12:00 AM CST ^top
Saturday, April 22, 2000
Murder in Northwood ^top
As heard from the herald of Nujel'm:
A great tragedy has indeed struck the people of the city of Nujel'm. Last night, while on a diplomatic mission in Northwood, the Vizier Bashir of his eminence the Sultan was struck down in cold blood by an assassin!
The Vizier had just completed a meeting with the King and Queen of Winterfell. In this meeting he discussed trade relations with Nujel'm and once again reaffirmed the King's blessing in arresting the six criminals, Amber, Celest, the false Trulacci, Ciet Onibaen, Delune Ta'kier, and the unknown masked accomplice, all wanted in conjunction with previous attempts on the Vizier's life. The Vizier descended to the ground floor of the tower with his two Justicari guards. Since the royal mage had retired early for the night, the Vizier sent the two Justicari in search of a mage to secure passage back to Nujel'm, while the Vizier himself settled down to wait in the ground floor of Winterfell's tower.
Out of nowhere, a man clad in armor and wearing black burst through the tower doors. Wielding a kryss, he stabbed the Vizier several times in the chest, before fleeing into the woods. Several residents of Northwood witnessed the event, but were unable to prevent the assassination. The Queen of Winterfell herself attempted to aid the Vizier, but having been stabbed through the heart, he was beyond help, and passed from this world.
Arrangements are being made for the body to be properly returned to Nujel'm later today. An offical day of mourning has been declared in the city. Meanwhile, the Justicari are redoubling their efforts to apprehend the other would-be assassins, as well as this new murderer.
Posted by Balandar - 9:44 PM CST ^top
Hide Hunting Contest ^top
"Guild Uniform's" Grand Opening Contest
Sponsor: Kallisto, the shop owner, will be overseeing this eve
Location: We are a short ways north east of vesper at 123o 50N 120o 30'E
Start Date: Apr 23 2000 6:30PM EST
End Date: Apr 23 2000 7:30PM EST
Guild Uniforms, the finest guild provisioner in all of Britannia, located at 123o 50'N 120o 30'E, a short run North east of vesper, would like to announce our grand opening! We will be holding an open house April, the 22nd from 6pm EDT until closing, with a special "Best Skinner in Britannia" contest to be held for the first hour and one half of this gala affair. Gates shall be provided from the following locations from 5:30pm until 7:00pm east coast time zone. Food and drinks shall be provided along with a "thank you for coming" FREE GIFT!
The contest shall be a simple one. The first person to return the most hides by the 7:30PM EDT deadline shall be declared the champion and named the finest skinner in all of Britannia. All hides must be received in a backpack or packs with a blank rune baring the contestants' name, and all hides shall become the property of Guild Uniforms. For their efforts, the first three finishers shall receive the following,
1st place- A power staff, GM made armor green or blue- winners choice, 15k in gold and a signed contract to buy hides from them in the future.
2nd place- A GM set of gold armor along with 7k gold and a magic weapon.
3rd place- A GM made iron suit and 2k gold.
All of Britannia may be used as hunting grounds, but hunting in non-guard zones is at the contestants' own risk. Guild Uniforms shall not be held liable for any losses incurred while participating in the said event. Each participant shall receive a FREE GIFT just for entering. There is no entry fee or registration; your gift shall be given when you turn in your hides at the conclusion of the event.
Guild Uniforms is the GM's One Stop Guild Supply shop! Although our doors are always open to the public and our trained sales staff more then willing to help the everyday shopper, Guild Masters receive that little extra attention that makes our shop the best in the lands. Whether it is an order of logs or ingots, new uniforms or armor, everything the well kept guild needs can be found upon our shelves. Even though we do not stock rare or magical items, we will look into procuring them for you at a more then reasonable price.
We are eagerly awaiting one and all at our grand opening! This shall be the first of many such planned events for the enjoyment of the Catskills residents, please watch for upcoming events!
Kallisto Owner of Guild Uniforms
Posted by Balandar - 9:42 PM CST ^top
Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Troll attack in Vesper ^top
There was a troll attack in Minoc - never before seen. It started about 1:45 this morning and lasted until about 2:00. I was standing with my friend just north of the bank when the trolls suddenly appeared. There were at least 20 of them and approximately 5 people were killed out right. There may have been more but I may not have seen them. I am proud to say that all the Warriors in Minoc that night (and several who weren't) quickly gathered to defeat the trolls. Many worked together to take down their adversary and offered aid to those of us without defense.
Dearro of Moh
Posted by Balandar - 12:02 AM CST ^top
Thursday, April 13, 2000
Monuments Appear in Our Cities ^top
From UOSS:
The dawn this morning has brought more odd news to my ears. During last night
monuments, to who knows what, sprung up in our cities last night. Here is the
report as I received it:
Hail. I returned to Magincia from me house and found a strange object near the
bank. Myself ,Elmdor ,Rowen Mayfair and Gimli went about searching the other
cities. We found structures in Moonglow ,Skara Brae ,Britain and Magincia ...Thank Ye ,
Zakath
Phantom MenaceAll the places be the same except the Britain one
Only moments after this arrived another messenger brought me this.
I was at the graveyard fighting monsters and i no sooner came back to Moonglow
to find a weird shrine or monument of some sorts west of the Bank. No one has
a clue as to what this is for. A couple hours later a kind soul asked me to
mark them a rune to Magincia. So I recalled there only to be attacked by
multiple brigands. As fast as i could kill them they would just spawn again. I
recalled back to Moonglow to get some help. I gated back to Magincia and when
i walked through the gate there were reds running all around after people
chasing them away. About 2 seconds after walking through the gate. The same
type of shrine/monument that moonglow had suddenly erupted before my own eyes
right where the gate had been. These monuments look evil and it is odd how
there was a spawn of brigands right when this happened. The future is not
looking bright for Felucia right now. Here is a drawing of the monument and
some of the brigand's corpses after the heat of the battle.Remembering what Zakath had said about Britian's looking different, I
recalled there to have a look. The monument in Britian is located just inside
the gate of Lord British's Castle itself. This tends to tell me that its
presence is either approved of or tolerated by the government, or that our
government is powerless to do anything about it. As the castle has not yet
given a press release on this matter of the morn it leaves us unsure as to
that answer of yet. Whichever it may be this is a drawing of the monument as
it appears is Britian.It should be noted that there is no reason for the populace to panic as of
yet. The monuments have not yet done anything and it is not known that they
will. It may indeed not bode well as the report from Magincia shows, but as
our towns have been under constant attack and plagued by chronic skirmishes
for months now, its quite possible that its mostly coincidental.I personally would recommend keeping your eyes open--a state we've probably
all formed as habit from the last few months--until more is known for sure. If
anyone can find meaning in the monuments or has access to information we ask
as always that you please keep us informed.
Thanks!
Posted by Balandar - 12:03 PM CST ^top
Thursday, April 6, 2000
Monster Looting and Fame/Karma ^top
From Testing for nest Update
Looting rights for monsters will be based on a point system. The system will track players as they attack a monster, assigning “points” based on the damage they do and the number of times they strike the monster. Bonus “points” will be awarded for both the first strike and the kill shot. These “points” are then used to determine which characters have access to its corpse. Damage and attack totals done by tamed or provoked animals/monsters will count towards the point total of the tamer/bard.
The player with the most points gets to loot the monster automatically. The system then looks for any players who have points equal to or greater than 30% of the top point score.
On Trammel, only these players will have access to the corpse. It will be impossible for any other player to loot. On Felucca, those players that are not in the top 30% can loot the corpse, but will be flagged criminal for doing so. The corpse will appear "blue" to them when single clicked.
Those players who simply hit the monster for the kill shot will rarely, if ever, receive looting rights because their points total will rarely be within 30% of the highest point total.
After two minutes, the monster's corpse will be freely lootable by any character.
Fame and karma will be given to players using this system. Only the character with the highest point total and characters with 30% or greater of that point total will be eligible to get fame and karma from the death of a monster. Party members of any character that is eligible for fame and karma will also be eligible regardless of their point totals. This allows those who only heal during a fight (and thus do not actually damage the monster) to receive fame and karma. Note that every character who is eligible receives total fame and karma from the monster, it is not split proportionately in any way.
Posted by Balandar - 8:48 PM CST ^top
Saturday, April 1, 2000
PVM'ers Inc. to Host April Tour of Dungeons ^top
Tour of Dungeons for April starts Monday!
Yup! We're gonna try to do the Tour of Dungeons again this month. Last month due to my own mistakes in promoting the tour, no one really heard about it, and turnout was very low, so it was canceled. This month, the snags have been worked out and there should be many more people there!
For those of you that don't know what the Tour of Dungeons is, it's a monthly week-long event hosted by the PvM'ers Inc. guild. Every night for a week we tour a different dungeon, starting on the first of the Monday of the month with the easiest (Despise) and ending on Sunday with the hardest (Hythloth). Players of all skill levels are welcome to join us as we clear out these dungeons each night! This is a shard-wide event, open to the public. Newbies and veterans alike should all come to the Lycaeum's central courtyard at 8pm Central time (9pm eastern) to gather prior to being gated to that night's dungeon!
Go to http://pvm.uoguilds.com and click on the "tour" link for more information!
Walker Boh
Tour Guide, PvM'ers Inc.
Posted by Balandar - 1:22 PM EST ^top
BREAKING BRITANNIA - The Minax Interview ^top
From uo.com
Lady Minax, Dark Mistress of the new Britannia and Queen of all her realms,
recently deigned to sit for a few questions posed by an intrepid, somewhat
foolhardy reporter. Clad in resplendent black, the Lady sipped idly from a
silver wine goblet as she spoke of her plans for the new Britannia, the future
of Sosaria, and her relationships with the so-called ‘defenders’ of the
land.
[Editor’s Note: The following transcript was tucked in the doorframe of
our offices. No author was noted, and the parchment was worn and tattered, as if
carried across a great distance. It bore the blood-red seal of Minax.]
Lady Minax, you've come to Britannia determined to destroy all that is good
and true. Tell me. What's in it for you?“Actually, ‘good’ and ‘true’ are such subjective terms, don’t
you think? What is good, really? Do you know? I certainly don’t.“I merely wanted to drop by a few taverns, an occasional inn, have an ale
or two, subjugate the masses, bring a little devastation here and there, and
perhaps pop by Lord British’s castle for an afternoon visit. And suddenly,
here comes every warrior east of Covetous, screaming for my death, claiming I
am ‘evil’.“You know, sir, I really think that you’re looking at it in far too
black and white terms. I’m here to promote Britannia, to usher in a new era.
Britannia is first and foremost in my mind.
The Lord Dupre has expended quite a deal of effort to remove the city of
Trinsic from your hold. What are your feelings for Dupre? Does it bother you
to have 'lost' as it were?“Lost? We let him have it back.
“Really now. “Lost.” Do you honestly think that with all my power, I
could have lost something as prosaic as Trinsic?“The simple fact is - I was no longer interested in it. Far too small.
Not at all exotic. I’d amused myself with the shops long enough. And the
constant cries of “Free Trinsic!” and “Death to Juo’nar!” were
terribly grating on the ears. I knew what that little tramp Malabelle was up
to: it just wasn’t worth the effort to bother with.“And Dupre. Ahhh. Dear Dupre. It’s all about ‘honor’ with that one.
Defend this and protect that. Well, I’ll let you in on a bit of a secret, my
darling little friend. Dupre knows nothing of honor. If he is so concerned
with honor, what is he doing making promises to that little Malabelle that his
beloved Lord British would be most unhappy to hear? Hmm? Aye. That’s his
“sense of honor’ talking. Mmmmhmmm.“You just ask him next time you cross his path. Ask him to explain his
honor. I’m sure his answer will be terribly interesting.We've been hearing it bandied about that you are 'evil', 'cruel'. Some
have even gone so far as to joke that in losing Trinsic, you lost your 'honor'
as it were. What have you to say to those who think you're nothing but
trouble?“Trouble is in the eye of the gazer. My intentions are honest. Really, my
dear companion, lean closer. Read my lips as I say this.“I will rule Britannia with a velvet touch and a wicked bolt, and I will
bring her people to their knees.“Is that so terrible?
“I’m honest about my intentions. I’m forthright. I want Britannia. I
want to see your Lord British weep. I want to destroy his beloved country as
he gazes on, helpless. Now, who can fault me for being honest?“As for ‘evil’ and ‘cruel’. Hmmm. I’d really have to say those
terms have followed me around since I was a lass. I’m not sure why they are
so often used to describe me, but a druid companion once told me to ‘visit
the memory of my parents to find myself’. It sounded like a boring
conversation, so he is… no longer in my company.Let's talk about Malabelle. She's young. She's inexperienced. And yet,
you've taken her to your side. You've taught her your magic. Are you grooming
her to replace you?“Darling. Replace? Me? How positively amusing!
“Malabelle is a dear girl. A bit, what is the word - oh! Naive. Does she
really think I haven’t the slightest idea where her love… oh. Excuse me. I
meant to say, it’s simply awful that her dear Tyball has passed on. Poor
lass.“She has a touch with the magic though. A bit of skill, nothing on par
with my own, of course, but a talent for spells nonetheless. It amuses me to
take her into my tutelage, and I’m certainly doing a service. A single girl
in this day and age needs a talent, you know. And she’ll learn to survive
without that Tyball fellow. I did, after all.“As for the Dupre incident. Well. She and I will be discussing that
little discretion. I do, of course, realize that she is young and doesn’t
understand the principle of being grateful for all I have sacrificed for her.
However. Well. As I said, we will be having quite the conversation about her
place in my entourage.Juo'nar. Dead. Or... more dead. Gone. Tell us. Who leads your army now?
Have you found anyone, or anything, to match his talents as a battle
commander?“Juo’nar was a most… capable general. You know, he came to me as but
a simple corpse, in need of a place, a role. A bit foul, as most of your
undead are, but I quickly saw he had a talent for leading undead minions. He
spoke to something deep inside them. They listened quite well to his orders,
and trust me, it can be most tedious explaining orders again and again to your
average zombie. What with their ears constantly rotting off and all.“So. With Juo’nar gone, I do find myself rather short on capable
commanders. Slimely has offered, of course, but I really do prefer a lich lord
for the task. Slimely flat out refuses to let me help him become a lich lord:
a bit of boldness that he and I shall be discussing at his yearly review.“Oh. What a wonderful idea! Why, what about you? You’re quite the
strapping young man, and with a good talent for stealth, as you’ve shown by
inching this close to my side. With a bit of tutoring, you might make quite
the general. Tell me, can you cast a spell? Because I’d be happy to make you
my new lich. What do you say? We could do it right now…Er…no, ma’am. Uh, word on the roadways is that you've special plans
for Britannia. Can you give our readers a quick glimpse of what you have in
mind?“My dear. I’ve been absolutely forthcoming about my plans for
Britannia. I’ve never made them a secret. But I’ll give you a little
preview. I’ve always been drawn to death and decay in the springtime, so
perhaps a lovely bit of armageddon is in order. I’ve in mind a Britannia
like none you’ve ever imagined, in your deepest dreams… and your worst
nightmares.“Enough about me though. I really do think you’d make a stunning lich
lord.“Come closer, dear.
“Closer.
“I think you’ll find we can be absolutely wonderful companions…”
Posted by Balandar - 1:20 PM EST ^top