jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (James Treworgy) (11/14/90)
I recently had a chance to see Ultima VI (IBM version). A few comments: I think the Amiga community should stop despairing in the long delay in producing Ultima games and be thankful that we have original Amiga games which blow Ultima away. My immediate first impression: The Faery Tale Adventure. Remember when that came out about 3 years ago? Ultima 6 borrowed a great deal from it. Except the graphics aren't as good. (I can't, frankly, understand why IBM graphics don't look good. Technically, VGA should be BETTER than Amiga 320x200 which most games use. So why do IBM games always look so cheezy? They just don't use the right colors. I think Amiga graphic designers just care more...) Anyway, the game just doesn't look that interesting... in comparison to Ultima III or IV (played on my '64), it looks like the world is smaller and has fewer surprises. The person I talked to said he finished it in a week (admittedlty heavy game play). I think it took me several weeks of very heavy game play to finish III... and IV took somewhat less time, but still pretty significant. Other things: you see each member of your party, not just the party, and each can go around individually if so desired. Combat is on screen, not separate combat mode (great improvement). It still uses "block world" though... everything is on a grid, and everything relates to positions on the grid... a step behind Faery Tale, definitely. Music is pretty cheesy. Anyway, 3-year old FTA kicks Ultima 6 in terms of size of world, graphics, playability, if not in plot continuity (I never really understood what everything did in FTA, but that didn't detract). If Amiga Ultima 6 is not a great deal better then the IBM version, I will be disappointed. So my original point: we have great adventure games, and I would rather see new original adventures than ports from IBM adventures which are based on a 10 year old Apple II game. Let's hear it for new innovations in adventuring, rather than trying to patch up an old machine to make half-baked half-new adventures. Let's hear it for FTA, Dungeon Master, the Kristal, many others, and many to come!! -- James A. Treworgy -- No quote here for insurance reasons -- jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu jtreworgy%eagle@WESLEYAN.BITNET
smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) (11/15/90)
In article <1990Nov14.105041.35786@eagle.wesleyan.edu> jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (James Treworgy) writes: >So my original point: we have great adventure games, and I would rather see new >original adventures than ports from IBM adventures which are based on a 10 year >old Apple II game. Let's hear it for new innovations in adventuring, rather >than trying to patch up an old machine to make half-baked half-new adventures. Ultima VI is the first in the Ultima series to have been programmed specifically for the IBM *first*. I have heard it said that when Garriott was confronted with the memory availability of 640k as opposed to the more limited memory on the Apple II he went crazy with all the graphics and stuff, but the plot didn't improve that much. Actually, Garriott did none of the actual coding himself. He did the designing and his staff had fun with the more exciting assembly stuff. :-) SS
kadoi@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Jeff Yasumoto) (11/15/90)
Garriot did write the Apple // version, at least a majority on it before
they began work on the IBM version. In fact, MAYBE, and this is a rather
large MAYBE, enough old Apple hackers want it, it'll be released on that
plateform. Whatever...
In any case, the Amiga version is supposed to have the incredible 4-channel
sound as well as the graphics modes that make the Amiga so nice. I hope
so, I'm also very impatient with that game being completed (they were shooting
for a xmas '91 release, oh well)
I wonder if Worlds of Ultima will be as good... any ideas from anyone?
Amiga Power // | kadoi@casbah.acns.nwu.edu
// | rick@chinet.chi.il.us
\\ // | ...clout!gargoyle!chinet.chi.il.us!rick
Amiga 2000 \X/ | If you can't beat a Roland, buy a D-70!pochron@cat28.cs.wisc.edu (David Pochron) (11/29/90)
In article <1990Nov14.105041.35786@eagle.wesleyan.edu> jtreworgy@eagle.wesleyan.edu (James Treworgy) writes: >I recently had a chance to see Ultima VI (IBM version). A few comments: I think {stuff deleted} >Anyway, 3-year old FTA kicks Ultima 6 in terms of size of world, graphics, >playability, if not in plot continuity (I never really understood what >everything did in FTA, but that didn't detract). If Amiga Ultima 6 is not a The problem with FTA was it only had a total of like 40 characters to talk with in the entire adventure! In addition to that, there were very few towns and the towns that did exist were simple buildings - not much to explore. The dungeons and forest were interesting, but only to an extent. (That is what took the longest to solve) This is exactly what makes Ultima - "Ultima" - is it fun to converse with the locals and explore the towns. I think too much emphasis went into the "look" of FTA and not into the "substance" - like Ultima IV or V. BTW: The "look" for VI is taken DIRECTLY from "Times of Lore" - everything is the same! Too bad - the block characters are what makes "Ultima" as well as the interaction. I like it. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David M. Pochron | from Rescue Rangers, _A Fly in the Ointment_ pochron@garfield.cs.wisc.edu| Gadget to Dale: "Keep the hands off the body!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------