[This file contains Part 1 [ed: both parts-Zac] of GameSIG's June 14th online conference with Lord British, author of the ULTIMA series of fantasy role-playing games.] (1,Scorpia) Now, before we begin tonight... (1,Scorpia) I'd like you all to know that the user id... (1,Scorpia) Lord British is using this evening... (1,Scorpia) is a courtesy number, donated for the occasion... (1,Scorpia) by CIS, and it goes back to them tomorrow.... (1,Scorpia) So, please don't send any messages or email to it... (1,Scorpia) Lord British will never see it.... (1,Scorpia) Now, the CO is two part.... (1,Scorpia) First, Lord British will tell us something... (1,Scorpia) about his current project, Ultima IV.... (1,Scorpia) Then, there will be a short break... (1,Scorpia) while we make a list of those who would like... (1,Scorpia) to ask a question or make a comment.... (1,Scorpia) When the list is complete, we will call you off in order.... (1,Scorpia) Please wait for your turn before speaking.... (1,Scorpia) And now, the man you've come to hear.... (1,Scorpia) LORD BRITISH! (1,LORD BRITISH) THANK YOU, AND HELLO ALL! (1,LORD BRITISH) SINCE WE ARE HERE TO LET ME TALK TO YOU... (1,LORD BRITISH) ABOUT ULTIMA IV, LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I EXPECT MANY OF YOU HAVE PLAYED OR HEARD OF... (1,LORD BRITISH) ULTIMA I, II, OR III... (1,LORD BRITISH) (SORRY ABOUT THE SLOW TYPING.... (1,LORD BRITISH) PROGRAMMING DIDN'T HELP ME).... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO START OFF, ULTIMA IV IS A... (1,LORD BRITISH) FAR, FAR, FAR BIGGER GAME THAN ANY... (1,LORD BRITISH) OF THE PREVIOUS ULTIMAS. WHERE THEY EACH HAD 64X64 MAPS... (1,LORD BRITISH) ULTIMA IV IS 256X256.... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO, ALL ON ONE CONTINUOUS MAP, THE NUMBER OF SHAPES... (1,LORD BRITISH) USED HAS GONE UP FROM 64 TO 256.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THIS ALLOWS FAR MORE DETAIL TO BE PUT IN EACH MAP... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO, DUE TO THE INCREASED NUMBER OF SHAPES... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN THIS ULTIMA, THE ANIMATION IS GREATLY IMPROVED.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I.E., WHEREAS IN ULTIMA III, MONSTERS (16-PICTURES)... (1,LORD BRITISH) HAD 2 FRAMES TO EACH, ULT4 HAS 64 MONSTER PICS EACH... (1,LORD BRITISH) WITH 4 FRAMES.... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH TIME I WRITE AN ULTIMA MY PROGRAMMING SKILLS... (1,LORD BRITISH) IMPROVE A GREAT DEAL. THIS CONTRIBUTES A LOT TO WHY... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH OF THE ULTIMAS IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER... (1,LORD BRITISH) THAN THE PREVIOUS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO GO ON ABOUT ANIMATION, THE MONSTERS IN... (1,LORD BRITISH) ULTIMA III ALL MOVED IN SYNC. WITH EACH OTHER... (1,LORD BRITISH) UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN.... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT NOW THEY NOT ONLY MOVE THROUGH 4 FRAMES... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT ALSO INDEPENDENTLY, AND THERE ARE MONSTER... (1,LORD BRITISH) PARTIES OF ANY COMBINATION OF CREATURES.... (1,LORD BRITISH) HURT PLAYERS AND HURT MONSTERS CAN RUN FROM BATTLE... (1,LORD BRITISH) (IF THEY'RE LUCKY!).... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO THE GAME PLAY IS MUCH MORE DETAILED AND INTRICATE.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN THE CASTLE OF L.B., THE 3 OTHER CASTLES, AND OTHER... (1,LORD BRITISH) TOWNS AND VILLAGES... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE NPCS ONE MEETS THERE DON'T JUST HAVE... (1,LORD BRITISH) A SHORT HELLO OR OTHER MUNDANE COMMENT,... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT ARE CAPABLE OF FULL CONVERSATIONS AS AN INDIVIDUAL!... (1,LORD BRITISH) I WILL COME BACK TO THE NPCS LATER, FOR THEY ARE... (1,LORD BRITISH) A TOPIC OF THEIR OWN.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN ULTIMA IV, THE ENTIRE GAME CONCEPT IS DIFFERENT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) NO MORE ULTIMATE BAD GUY OR GAL TO DEFEAT IN THIS ONE... (1,LORD BRITISH) ULTIMA IV IS A GAME OF PERSONAL CONQUEST... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHERE YOU TRY TO ATTAIN A PERSONAL GOAL.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE FULL NAME -- "ULTIMA IV: QUEST OF THE AVATAR".... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE OBJECT WILL BE TO DEVELOP ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS... (1,LORD BRITISH) INTO AN AVATAR.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THIS WILL TAKE YOUR PLAYERS ON A JOURNEY OF 8 PARTS... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHERE EACH PART IS AS COMPLICATED... (1,LORD BRITISH) AS ANY PREVIOUS ULTIMA, CULMINATING IN A FINAL JOURNEY... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GREAT STYGIAN ABYSS!!!... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO RETURN TO THE TOPIC OF NPCS... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH TOWN, ETC., IS FULL OF 30 OR SO NPCS... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEREAS IN ULTIMA III, ONLY A FEW SAID ANYTHING... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT A STANDARD ANSWER.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN ULTIMA IV, EACH HAS AN... (1,LORD BRITISH) ENTIRE PRE-DETERMINED PERSONALITY.... (1,LORD BRITISH) HOW THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED IS THAT EACH NPC... (1,LORD BRITISH) HAS A DATA LIST AS FOLLOWS:... (1,LORD BRITISH) A NAME... (1,LORD BRITISH) A VISUAL DESCRIPTION... (1,LORD BRITISH) A DESCRIPTION OF HIS/HER OCCUPATION... (1,LORD BRITISH) AN ANSWER TO "HOW ARE YOU?"... (1,LORD BRITISH) TWO AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE (WHICH I'LL EXPLAIN)... (1,LORD BRITISH) TWO QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES FOR Y/N.... (1,LORD BRITISH) WITH THIS DATA IT IS POSSIBLE TO SIMULATE A... (1,LORD BRITISH) REASONABLE CONVERSATION.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I ALREADY HAVE A SMALL DATABASE RUNNING AND... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT'S EVEN FUN FOR ME TO JUST TALK TO THEM... (1,LORD BRITISH) OVER AND OVER, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION NEED NOT BE... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE SAME EACH TIME.... (1,LORD BRITISH) NOW, THE REASON I TELL YOU THIS IS THAT... (1,LORD BRITISH) SINCE THERE ARE 16 OR SO TOWNS AND 30 OR SO NPCS EACH... (1,LORD BRITISH) I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE NOT ONLY FUN BUT A GREAT AID TO ME... (1,LORD BRITISH) IF ANY OF YOU... (1,LORD BRITISH) MIGHT LIKE TO FILL OUT SOME OF THESE DATABASES.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I HAVE UPLOADED A FULL SET OF INSTRUCTIONS... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND SAMPLES ON THE SYSTEM TO BE RELEASED AFTER THIS CO.... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO GET BACK TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF ULTIMA IV.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I MUST CONFESS THAT THIS GAME HAS TAKEN A RATHER... (1,LORD BRITISH) PERSONAL NOTE FOR ME.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT IS A VERY PHILOSOPHICAL GAME IN NATURE,... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND WILL REQUIRE MORE ACTUAL THOUGHT... (1,LORD BRITISH) THAN THE PREVIOUS GAMES.... (1,LORD BRITISH) UNFORTUNATLY I HAD BEST NOT TELL DIRECTLY OF THE PLOT... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOR FEAR OF TELLING TOO MUCH,... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO WHY DON'T WE BREAK HERE. (1,Scorpia) Ok, while Lord British soaks his fingers... (1,Scorpia) we will make a list now of people who would like to... (1,Scorpia) ask questions, etc.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DO ALSO HAVE A QUESTION FOR ALL LATER!!! (1,DAREDEVIL) ? (1,PRO-GRAMMER) ? (1,DW MAZE) ? (1,Tristero) ? (1,GM Humphrey) ? (1,LORD MONTOR) ? (1,LORD BRITISH) MONTOR! AH YES, A GREAT CITY! (1,Nightie) (1,LORD BRITISH) PLEASE FORGIVE. (1,TERMITE) ? (1,CONTACH) ? (1,GM Humphrey) ? (1,Scorpia) Ok, anyone else? (1,Scorpia) Last call for anyone else! (1,Scorpia) All right, Daredevil is up first.... (1,Scorpia) Go ahead, DD! (1,DAREDEVIL) MY LORD, WAS YOUR FIRST SUCCESSFUL GAME ULTIMA I? (1,LORD BRITISH) THAT DEPENDS ON THE DEFINITION OF SUCESSFUL.... (1,LORD BRITISH) BEFORE ULTIMA I, I WROTE A GAME CALLED AKALABETH.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT WAS ALSO PUBLISHED THROUGH CALIFORNIA PACIFIC... (1,LORD BRITISH) AS ULTIMA I WAS... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND SOLD WELL UP IN THE TOP 30 GAMES. GA. (1,Scorpia) Ok, a note here... (1,Scorpia) When you're finished with your turn folks... (1,Scorpia) use "GA" so we know. (1,DAREDEVIL) GA (1,Scorpia) Ok, Pro-grammer is next... (1,Scorpia) Go ahead, Pro! (1,PRO-GRAMMER) LORD,I LOVE EVERY ONE OF YOUR GAMES BUT... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) WHAT I DON'T SEE IS HOW ULTIMA III COULD HAVE POSSIBLY... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) BEEN CONTINUED INTO ULTIMA IV? OR WAS IT? (1,LORD BRITISH) THE STORY TAKES A BIG TURN.... (1,LORD BRITISH) MONDAIN, MINAX, AND EXODUS, NOW VANQUISHED,... (1,LORD BRITISH) THERE ARE NO LONGER... (1,LORD BRITISH) ANY EVIL FOCAL POINTS, AS THEY MIGHT BE CALLED... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT EVIL STILL EXISTS!... (1,LORD BRITISH) PIRATES, BRIGANDS AND FOUL DUNGEON BEASTS STILL THRIVE.... (1,LORD BRITISH) GA, PRO. (1,PRO-GRAMMER) I WOULD LIKE TO ASK... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE AN ULTIMA AND... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) WHEN IS ULTIMA IV COMING OUT? (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK.... (1,LORD BRITISH) AS A MATTER OF FACT THAT IS A PROBLEM I HAVE CURRENTLY!... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH GAME I HAVE WRITTEN HAS TAKEN ABOUT... (1,LORD BRITISH) 1 FULL YEAR TO WRITE...., (1,LORD BRITISH) HOWEVER, EACH GAME ALSO GETS MORE AND MORE... (1,LORD BRITISH) COMPLICATED AND DETAILED.... (1,LORD BRITISH) BEGIN TO SEE MY PROBLEM?... (1,LORD BRITISH) FORTUNATELY, MY PROGRAMMING SKILLS... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO IMPROVE AND SPEED UP, BUT NOT... (1,LORD BRITISH) AT THE PACE THE COMPLEXITY GOES UP.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THIS MEANS I MUST BRING IN HELP,... (1,LORD BRITISH) NEVER, I HOPE, ON THE ACTUAL GAME,... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT FOR BOOT-UPS, MUSIC, AND SOME ANIMATION.... (1,LORD BRITISH) BY THE WAY THERE IS A LOT OF ANIMATION IN ULTIMA IV... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND ALSO THE GAME IS SO LARGE... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE FOUR DISK SIDES! GA. (1,PRO-GRAMMER) ONE LAST THING... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) HOW MUCH HAVE YOU MADE ON THE ULTIMA SERIES SO FAR? (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL... (1,LORD BRITISH) LET'S TELL IT THIS WAY.... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH ULTIMA HAS OUTSOLD IT PREDECESSOR 3 TO 1... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND FOR ULTIMA III I RECEIVE ABOUT 8 DOLLARS... (1,LORD BRITISH) PER GAME SOLD AND SALES RUN 2 - 4 THOUSAND... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS. (1,LORD BRITISH) GA, PRO. (1,PRO-GRAMMER) THANX L.B., I REALLY ENJOYED TALKING.... (1,LORD BRITISH) WELCOME. (1,PRO-GRAMMER) I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN ... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) THE NPC THING, SO YOU CAN BE SURE... (1,PRO-GRAMMER) I'LL BE THERE TO HELP!! I'M THROUGH! GA. (1,LORD BRITISH) THANKS PRO. LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NPCS. (1,Scorpia) Ok, DW Maze is next.... (1,Scorpia) Go ahead, DW. (1,DW MAZE) RICHARD GARRIOTT, WILL A MAP COME WITH ULTIMA IV... (1,DW MAZE) AND ALSO, WILL THE BATTLE SYSTEM BE THE SAME... (1,DW MAZE) AS ULTIMA III? (1,LORD BRITISH) OF COURSE,... (1,LORD BRITISH) YES, THERE WILL BE A CLOTH MAP!... (1,DW MAZE) HOW LARGE? (1,LORD BRITISH) AND BATTLE WILL STILL ALLOW INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS... (1,DW MAZE) MUCH BIGGER BECAUSE OF THE 256X256 WORLD? (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, IT STILL MUST FIT AND,... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN A 7X10 BOX, BUT WILL PROBABLY BE LARGER... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND MORE SQUARE. GA DW. (1,DW MAZE) BATTLE WILL NOT ALLOW FLEEING? (1,LORD BRITISH) BATTLE *WILL* ALOW FLEEING!!!!! (1,DW MAZE) I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WILL BE THE SAME AS ULTIMA III? (1,LORD BRITISH) WHAT I SAID...OR MEANT?...WAS... (1,LORD BRITISH) THAT IT WOULD BE SIMILAR IN STYLE BUT,... (1,LORD BRITISH) WOULD ALLOW FLEEING OF BOTH MONSTERS AND PLAYERS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO, THE CHARACTER CLASSES ARE CHANGED.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THERE IS ONLY ONE MAGIC CLASS... (1,LORD BRITISH) THERE IS NO THIEF TYPE CLASS... (1,LORD BRITISH) INSTEAD THERE IS A TINKER CLASS... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOR THIS IS A GAME OF PERSONAL GOOD VERSUS EVIL... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THIEVES HAD TOO MUCH EVIL CONNOTATION. GA. (1,Scorpia) Ok, now Jonas! Go ahead, Jonas. (1,JONAS) THANKS, YOUR LORDLINESS. WELL, WHEN DID YOU SAY... (1,JONAS) THE GAME WAS COMING OUT?... (1,JONAS) AND WHAT COMPUTERS CAN PLAY THEM??? (1,LORD BRITISH) I DIDN'T. IT SHOULD AND MUST BE OUT BY CHRISTMAS MARKET.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE INDUSTRY HAS BEGUN TO EXPECT IT... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND BOY, LET ME TELL YOU THAT YEAR... (1,LORD BRITISH) IS JUST FLYING BY.... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO, IT WILL FIRST BE OUT ON THE APPLE THEN... (1,LORD BRITISH) SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY THE ATARI THEN COM 64... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN IBM THEN MACINTOSH. GA JONAS. (1,JONAS) WHAT ABOUT TRS-80 OR TANDY 2000?? (1,LORD BRITISH) JONAS, IS THAT WHAT YOU OWN? (1,JONAS) YEAH!! (1,LORD BRITISH) BOTH? (1,JONAS) NO, THE TRS-80. (1,MIKE COHEN) Mod 4? (1,JONAS) I MAY GET THE TANDY 2000. (1,LORD MONTOR) NOT A QUESTION.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT IS MOST LIKELY ON COLOR COMP'S ONLY... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND BEYOND THOSE I MENTIONED... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT WILL BE A WHILE IF EVER I'M AFRAID. (1,LORD BRITISH) GA JONAS. (1,JONAS) THANKS ANYWAY LORD. BYE NOW!!! GA. (1,Scorpia) Ok, Tristero is next. Go ahead Tris. (1,Tristero) I have grown quite attached to my U3 characters.... (1,Tristero) Have you considered sequels for any of the... (1,Tristero) Ultimas which allow the same characters to continue? GA. (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, THAT REQUIRES A LONG ANSWER TO FOLLOW.... (1,LORD BRITISH) BY THE WAY, THANKS JONAS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT WOULD BE VERY EASY IN FACT... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO ADD THE CAPABILITY TO TRANSFER CHARACTERS... (1,LORD BRITISH) BETWEEN THE ULTIMAS, BUT THE WAY MY GAMES RUN... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEN YOU FINISH ONE YOUR PLAYERS ARE INVINCIBLE AND... (1,LORD BRITISH) INAPPROPRIATE TO START THE NEXT, ALSO... (1,LORD BRITISH) EACH ULTIMA IS SO, SO VERY TECHNICALLY... (1,LORD BRITISH) BETTER INTERNALLY, THAT UNTIL... (1,LORD BRITISH) I REACH THE LIMIT OF CAPABILITY OF THE COMPUTER... (1,LORD BRITISH) GRAPHICALLY, ETC., UNTIL THEN I WILL KEEP... (1,LORD BRITISH) ENTIRELY NEW SYSTEMS, THEN... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEN I HAVE PERFECTED A ROLE-PLAYING SYSTEM... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND USE THE COMPUTER FULLY... (1,LORD BRITISH) ONLY THEN WILL I BRANCH OUT AND MAKE SCENARIOS... (1,LORD BRITISH) WITHIN THE SAME BASIC SYSTEM. GA (1,Tristero) That makes sense. Thanks, you have given... (1,Tristero) a lot of pleasure to many people. GA (1,Scorpia) Ok, GM Humphrey is next. Go ahead, GM. (1,GM Humphrey) "LCB" -- What does the "C" mean?... (1,GM Humphrey) There has been some debate on the SIG as to a problem... (1,GM Humphrey) in compatibility between... (1,GM Humphrey) versions of Ultima III. Specifically, are powders... (1,GM Humphrey) supposed to work or not inside Castle Death? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) FIRST, LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A... (1,LORD BRITISH) LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHICH IS RELEVANT TO THE FIRST QUESTION!... (1,LORD BRITISH) AS SOME OF YOU KNOW AND ALL SHALL NOW KNOW... (1,LORD BRITISH) MY REAL NAME IS RICHARD GARRIOTT... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I WAS BORN IN CAMBRIDGE ENGLAND.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE "C" STANDS FOR CANTABRIDGIAN WHICH MEANS... (1,LORD BRITISH) FROM CAMBRIDGE!!! PLEASE REPEAT 2ND Q? (1,GM Humphrey) Powders in Castle Death?? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) AH YES, IN FACT THEY WERE NOT INTENDED TO WORK... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN CASTLE DEATH.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DID NOT KNOW THEY DID IN SOME CASES!?!... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEY DO IN BATTLE, ELSE IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SOLVE. (1,GM Humphrey) Ask Nightie. Do you intend to put music... (1,GM Humphrey) in the Com 64 version of Ult IV? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) MUSIC WILL BE ON THE C64... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN FACT IT PLAYS THE BEST THERE. GA (1,Scorpia) Ok, Termite is next. Go ahead Termite. (1,GM Humphrey) Thanx. I loved the music on U III. (1,LORD BRITISH) THANKS GM! (1,TERMITE) OK, MY QUESTIONS ARE ON THE PHYSICAL PARTS.... (1,TERMITE) FIRST, WHILE WE'RE SPEAKING OF MUSIC... (1,TERM94uE) I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WILL BE... (1,TERMITE) A LARGER VARIETY OF SCORES, AS LISTENING TO SOMETHING... (1,TERMITE) WAS BETTER THAN NOTHING, BUT REPETITIOUS DUNGEON SOUNDS... (1,TERMITE) MADE ME KIND OF FRUSTRATED.... (1,TERMITE) THE SCORE WAS NICE BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH (IN MY OPINION). GA (1,LORD BRITISH) AS A MATER OF FACT... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE MUSIC IN ULTIMA III WAS ALL COMPOSED AND PROGRAMED... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN LESS THAN A WEEK. FOR ULTIMA IV MY COMPOSER... (1,LORD BRITISH) HAS JUST BOUGHT... (1,LORD BRITISH) A NEW 6,000 DOLLAR SYNTHESIZER... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND HAS ALREADY BEGUN WORK ON THE MANY ELABORATE SCORES... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOR ULTIMA IV.... (1,LORD BRITISH) HOWEVER, EVEN THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME REPETITIVE... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT MUCH LATER I HOPE!!! GA TERMITE! (1,TERMITE) THANX A BUNCH...SOUNDS NICE.... (1,TERMITE) NEXT, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MEMORY... (1,TERMITE) THAT IT WILL USE. ALSO, WILL THE EXTENSIVENESS OF IT... (1,TERMITE) CAUSE MORE DISK ACCESS (WHICH DISTRACTS ME... (1,TERMITE) BACK TO THE REAL LOUSY WORLD)? GA (1,TERMITE) OOPS...I MEAN MORE *FREQUENT* ACCESS. (1,LORD BRITISH) FIRST...I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE NOTICED BUT,... (1,LORD BRITISH) A 256X256 MAP AT ONE BYTE EACH LOCATION... (1,LORD BRITISH) TAKES 64K OF MEMORY.... (1,GM Humphrey) (I did.) (1,LORD BRITISH) SO THE OUTDOOR MAP CONTINUOUSLY GRABS LITTLE BITS... (1,LORD BRITISH) FROM THE DISK... (1,LORD BRITISH) KEEPING ONLY A SMALL PART IN MEM,... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT, THIS IS VERY, VERY FAST, NEARLY INVISIBLE.... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEN ONE GOES INTO TOWNS, ETC. THERE MUST, UNFORTUNATELY,... (1,LORD BRITISH) BE ACCESS. HOWEVER, THE AMOUNT OF ACCESS IN ULTIMA IV... (1,LORD BRITISH) SHOULD NOT APPEAR MUCH DIFFERENT. GA (1,TERMITE) WELL, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE TOWNS & ETC.,... (1,TERMITE) BUT OTHER "STANDARD" LOWLY ADVENTURES... (1,TERMITE) (I.E. INFOCOM'S) WILL LOAD IN A PIECE THE FIRST TIME YOU GO... (1,TERMITE) THERE AND THEN REPEAT IT FROM MEMORY LATER. OF COURSE,... (1,TERMITE) I SEE THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF... (1,TERMITE) THE LENGTHY PROGRAM SPACE AND 64K MAP SPACE.... (1,TERMITE) THIS IS ONLY A COMMENT WHICH I WAS... (1,TERMITE) THINKING OF THAT MY SECOND QUESTION WAS... (1,TERMITE) BASED ON. I'M DONE. BEEN A PLEASURE,... (1,TERMITE) AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT! GA (1,LORD BRITISH) THANKS TERMITE! (1,Scorpia) Looking down my list... (1,Scorpia) I see I have Lord Montor... (1,Scorpia) Contach, Mike Cohen, Allowyn... (1,Scorpia) Alex, Rolexian and Pyrofalcon.... (1,Scorpia) Have I missed anyone? (1,Scorpia) And now it's Lord Montor's turn.... (1,Scorpia) Go ahead, Montor. (1,LORD MONTOR) LORD, I AM TRYING TO WRITE A GAME... (1,LORD MONTOR) (GASP, COMPETITION)... (1,LORD MONTOR) AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, WHEN YOU WRITE A GAME,... (1,LORD MONTOR) HOW DO YOU START OFF (GRAPHICS, ETC.)? (1,LORD BRITISH) AHHH.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I PROGRAM MUCH THE WAY THEY TELL YOU NOT TO IN SCHOOL.... (1,LORD BRITISH) INSTEAD OF A TOP DOWN APPROACH, WHICH I HATE,... (1,LORD BRITISH) I START FIRST BY DECIDING MY MAIN OBJECTIVES... (1,LORD BRITISH) OF GRAPHICS AND PLOT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN I GET THE OUTDOOR GRAPHICS FUNCTIONAL... (1,LORD BRITISH) NEXT I MAKE A PLAYER WALK AROUND... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN LET HIM ENTER TOWNS, ETC. AND WALK SOME MORE... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN I ACTIVATE ESSENTIAL SHOPS LIKE FOOD AND WEAPONS... (1,LORD BRITISH) AFTER THAT I START MONSTERS APPEARING... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN I ADD THE PLAYER ATTACKING ROUTINES... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO HE CAN KILL MONSTERS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) AFTER THAT I MAKE THE MONSTERS HIT BACK... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THIS GRADUAL ADD ON PROCESS CONTINUES... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THE LAST THINGS TO GO IN ... (1,LORD BRITISH) ARE THE PLOT PHASES THEMSELVES! GA (1,LORD MONTOR) OK, SOUNDS LIKE WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING... (1,LORD MONTOR) ONLY I'VE ONLY GOTTEN TO TOWNS.... (1,LORD MONTOR) IF THERE ARE 64 MONSTERS BY 4 SHAPES,... (1,LORD MONTOR) HOW DOES EVERYTHING FIT IN MEMORY... (1,LORD MONTOR) (PROGRAMS, H-RES, ETC.)? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT CAN'T BE DONE. (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT'S NOT EASY BUT... (1,LORD BRITISH) THERE ARE 256 SHAPES, 32 BYTES PER SHAPE... (1,LORD BRITISH) TAKES ONLY 8K. BUT REALLY... (1,LORD BRITISH) I AM BARELY GOING TO FIT THIS ONE INTO A 64K APPLE.... (1,LORD MONTOR) 64K? (1,LORD BRITISH) THE TRANSLATIONS ARE GOING TO BE A BI***.... (1,LORD BRITISH) YES, 64K REQUIRED ON THE APPLE...GA. (1,LORD MONTOR) OK, ONE LAST THING, THIS GAME OF MINE WILL BE ENTERED... (1,LORD MONTOR) IN SOFTLINE'S CONTEST.... (1,LORD MONTOR) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?... (1,LORD MONTOR) (HOPE THIS ISN'T CHEATING TOO MUCH.) (1,LORD BRITISH) HA HA...I FORGOT I AM A JUDGE AREN'T I? (1,LORD MONTOR) YES. (1,LORD BRITISH) NO, BUT REALLY I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE ANY COMMENTS... (1,LORD BRITISH) AS YOU DEVELOP IT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DON'T FEEL ADVICE IS UNFAIR,... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I AM NOT THE ONLY JUDGE... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I WILL NOT BE BIASED. GA (1,LORD MONTOR) I'M DONE. GA (1,LORD BRITISH) THNX, L.M. (1,Scorpia) Ok, Contach, go ahead! (1,CONTACH) WILL YOU USE THE EXTENDED SOUND CAPABILITIES OF THE... (1,CONTACH) MACINTOSH LIKE SPEECH? (1,LORD BRITISH) SPEECH... (1,CONTACH) YES, THE MAC SUPPORTS SPEECH! (1,LORD BRITISH) ALL OF THE SPEECH SYSTEMS WE'VE USED SO FAR... (1,LORD BRITISH) STILL SOUND SO MUCH LIKE A COMPUTER... (1,LORD BRITISH) THAT I FEEL IT WOULD DETRACT... (1,LORD BRITISH) MORE THAN ADD AT THIS TIME!?!?! GA (1,CONTACH) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF QUESTRON? (1,LORD BRITISH) QUESTRON... A TOUCHY SUBJECT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, THERE IS A LONG STORY BEHIND QUESTRON... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE VERY, VERY SHORT ANSWER.... (1,LORD BRITISH) QUESTRON WAS SUBMITTED TO A NUMBER OF COMPANIES... (1,LORD BRITISH) INCLUDING ON-LINE WHILE I WAS THERE... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THEY DID NOT ACCEPT IT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN IT WENT TO BRODERBUND, AND THEY... (1,DW MAZE) QUESTRON IS NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS YOUR GAMES. (1,LORD BRITISH) THANK YOU.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEY ALMOST PUBLISHED IT UNTIL I COMPLAINED.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN, THINKING IT WAS ALL OVER,... (1,LORD BRITISH) SUDDENLY SSI HAD ALMOST RELEASED IT... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND WOULD NOT STOP WITHOUT A SUIT,... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO WE SETTLED OUT OF COURT... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I GET CREDITS ON THE BOX, DOCS & BOOT FOR... (1,LORD BRITISH) GAME STYLE AND A SMALL, SMALL ROYALTY. GA (1,CONTACH) THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!... (1,CONTACH) PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE MAC VERSION RUNS ON... (1,CONTACH) A LISA 2 SO I CAN PLAY IT. GA (1,LORD BRITISH) I EXPECT IT SHOULD. INTERESTING QUESTION, THOUGH.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I'LL CHECK WITH THE TRANSLATOR. THANK YOU AND GA SCORP. (1,Scorpia) Ok, Allowyn, your turn. Go ahead. (1,Allowyn) What is it in your background... (1,Allowyn) that provided the "inspiration" for... (1,Allowyn) the Ultima series? That is, are you... (1,Allowyn) an SF/Fantasy fan, did you get the idea... (1,Allowyn) while playing other computer games, etc? GA. (1,LORD BRITISH) ACTUALLY... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DON'T READ MUCH AT ALL. BEFORE THIS YEAR... (1,LORD BRITISH) I HAD READ ONLY 25 BOOKS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) ULTIMA IV, HOWEVER, REQUIRES A FAIR BIT OF RESEARCH... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I HAVE READ MORE.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I AM AN AVID MOVIE GOER AND DRAW A LOT FROM THEM.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN FACT THE TIME DOORS IN ULTIMA II AND MUCH ELSE... (1,LORD BRITISH) CAME FROM TIME BANDITS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DRAW A LOT FROM EVERYDAY THINGS,... (1,LORD BRITISH) DREAMS, AND OTHER SOURCES.... (1,LORD BRITISH) A GAME'S PLOT AND DESIGN CHANGES DAY TO DAY AS I WORK.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN FACT TODAY I DECIDED TO ADD MULTIPLE LEVELS... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO THE CASTLES... (1,LORD BRITISH) MAINLY BECAUSE MEMORY ONLY ALLOWED ME A 32X32 MAP... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND I NEEDED MORE IN THE CASTLES AND TOWNS... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO I'M BUILDING UP! GA ALLOWYN. (1,Allowyn) Thanks. GA, Scorp. (1,Scorpia) Ok, Alex, it's your turn now. Go ahead. (1,LORD BRITISH) THNX ALLOWYN. (1,Alex Krislov) Okay, I have two questions, and a quick comment.... (1,Alex Krislov) 1) Will the 64K game work with a ][+ and a language card... (1,Alex Krislov) or will a //e be necessary?... (1,Alex Krislov) 2) I've always loved "Akalabeth" as a quick play... (1,Alex Krislov) for a single evening... (1,Alex Krislov) and wondered if you'd ever considered another such... (1,Alex Krislov) "no save" game.... (1,Alex Krislov) Finally, if you get ideas from films, check out Gremlins.... (1,Alex Krislov) Might give you some interesting ideas for monsters. ga (1,LORD BRITISH) LOVED GREMLINS!!... (1,LORD BRITISH) YES, I ALSO AM DESIGNING A STORYBOOK FANTASY SYSTEM FOR... (1,LORD BRITISH) AN IN-HOUSE PROGRAMMER,... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND A II+ IS WHAT I USE SO IT WILL WORK. GA ALEX. (1,Alex Krislov) That's it, Richard. Thanks! Ga, Scorp. (1,Scorpia) Ok, Rolexian, you're up now! (1,LORD BRITISH) THANKS, AND GLAD YOU STILL LIKE AKA! (1,Rolexian) Well, one quick thing about Ult IV.... (1,Rolexian) Assuming the party still travels as one symbol... (1,Rolexian) on the playfield (am I right?)... (1,Rolexian) how is a mixed party of monsters depicted? (1,LORD BRITISH) A MIXED PARTY IS DEPICTED BY THEIR LEADER.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I HOPE TO IMPLEMENT A MORE USEFUL "LOOK" COMMAND... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE DETAILS ABOUT A PARTY. GA (1,Rolexian) Okay, that makes sense. And the other item.... (1,Rolexian) What made you decide on the format of the game Ultima... (1,Rolexian) i.e., as opposed to a more adventure-game or arcade-based game? (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I WROTE 28 FANTASY GAMES... (1,LORD BRITISH) ON THE SCHOOL'S COMP. AND A TELETYPE.... (1,LORD BRITISH) IN THESE GAMES (TOP VIEW), EACH TIME YOU MOVED,... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE COMP. RETYPED THE WHOLE DUNGEON MAP AGAIN.... (1,LORD BRITISH) (A HORROR! NO!). WHEN I GRADUATED, I WORKED... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOR A COMPUTERLAND AND HAD ACCESS TO AN APPLE II (NO +)... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND DECIDED... (1,LORD BRITISH) NONE HAD BEEN DONE AT THE TIME YET... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THAT BECAME AKALABETH MY FIRST GAME.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEN WHEN IT, QUITE ACCIDENTALLY BECAME PUBLISHED... (1,LORD BRITISH) I DECIDED TO GET PROFESSIONAL ABOUT MY APPROACH... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND DECIDED ON... (1,LORD BRITISH) MAKING THE OUTDOORS MORE DETAILED TOO... (1,LORD BRITISH) WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME WHAT WE CALL ULTIMA GRAPHICS... (1,LORD BRITISH) (14X16 PICS) GA (1,Rolexian) That's neat! (1,Rolexian) All right, thanks for your time & trouble... (1,Rolexian) and the best of luck to you for many Ultimas to come! (1,LORD BRITISH) THNX, AGAIN! (1,Scorpia) Ok, PyroFalcon is next. Go ahead, Pyro! (1,PyroFalcon) I have some questions.... (1,PyroFalcon) First, in the towns and outside, are you going to have... (1,PyroFalcon) line of sight... (1,PyroFalcon) and how many people to a party? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) YES, THE LINE OF SIGHT IS IN, BUT THIS TIME... (1,LORD BRITISH) YOUR VIEW IS EXPANDED. LAST TIME, IF A SQUARE... (1,LORD BRITISH) WAS BLOCKED AT ALL IT HID IT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THIS TIME, IF IT CAN BE SEEN AT ALL... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT SHOWS IT.... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALSO THERE WILL BE FOUR OUT AT A TIME,... (1,LORD BRITISH) ONLY EIGHT ON THE ROSTER.... (1,LORD BRITISH) YOU CHECK PLAYERS IN AND OUT OF THE INNS... (1,LORD BRITISH) FOUND IN TOWNS. GA (1,PyroFalcon) The dungeons...are they 8 levels?... (1,PyroFalcon) Do we have to go in them? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) WHO KNOWS? I HAVEN'T DONE THEM YET.... (1,LORD BRITISH) NO REALLY.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THEY WILL BE ESSENTIAL, 3-D, INTERCONNECTED,... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND, HOPEFULLY,... (1,LORD BRITISH) YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE CREATURES AT A DISTANCE. GA (1,PyroFalcon) Are there still ship-to-ship combat screens?... (1,PyroFalcon) and are they better? GA (1,LORD BRITISH) OH YES,... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE 256 SHAPES ALLOWED ME TO ADD MUCH VISUAL DETAIL... (1,LORD BRITISH) TO SHIP-SHIP.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE RANGED SHIP BATTLE IS STILL UNKNOWN. GA (1,PyroFalcon) What kind of transportion is there? (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE 3 DEPTHS OF WATER... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO FRIGATES (WHICH FACE THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT)... (1,LORD BRITISH) MAY SAFELY TRAVEL IN SEAS AND DEEP OCEAN... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT NOT THE SHOALS OR REEFS.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THE OARBOATS MAY GO IN... (1,LORD BRITISH) SHALLOWS TO SEAS BUT NOT OPEN OCEAN.... (1,LORD BRITISH) THERE ARE, OF COURSE, HORSES, AND A BALLOON... (1,LORD BRITISH) AND THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER NOW. GA (1,PyroFalcon) Are there any combat screens? (1,LORD BRITISH) OH YES, OF COURSE, AND MORE DETAIL OF COURSE! GA (1,ZANBAR) ? (1,Scorpia) Ok, Nightie, do you have a question? (1,PyroFalcon) Disk size? (1,Nightie) Scorp..yes. (1,LORD BRITISH) PYRO...4 SIDES. (1,Scorpia) Ok, go ahead Nightie. (1,LORD BRITISH) HI NIGHTIE! (1,Nightie) M'Lord....what do you program in? (1,LORD BRITISH) 6502 ASS. USING THE LISA ASSEM.... (1,LORD BRITISH) I KNOW THE LISA ASSEM. IS NOT AS SLICK AS MANY NEW ONES... (1,LORD BRITISH) BUT IT IS VERY MODIFIABLE WHICH I NEED. GA (1,Nightie) Okay...do others then... (1,Nightie) translate the program into other machines' codes? (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL, FORTUNATELY, THE APPLE, ATARI, AND C64... (1,LORD BRITISH) ALL HAVE THE SAME PROCESSOR... (1,LORD BRITISH) SO THOSE ARE RELATIVELY EASY, AND THE TRANSLATOR... (1,LORD BRITISH) JUST MODIFIES MY SOURCE. THE IBM AND MAC... (1,LORD BRITISH) ARE *TOTAL* REWRITES!!! GA (1,Nightie) Yowza! Okay, thanks. GA (1,Scorpia) Ok, now, it's *my* turn!.... (1,Scorpia) .... (1,Nightie) (1,ZANBAR) HEHE (1,Scorpia) Lord B., I'm not gonna tell you how many times... (1,Scorpia) I've messed around in the dungeons of U1, U2 and U3... (1,Scorpia) and there I am, somewhere way down below... (1,LORD BRITISH) OH NO. (1,Scorpia) and then, something happens.... (1,Scorpia) I have to leave the game.... (1,Scorpia) and I *CAN'T SAVE IT*!!!!... (1,Scorpia) Do you know how frustrating that is???? (1,Nightie) (1,PyroFalcon) Hear hear! (1,Scorpia) Why don't you have a save feature for dungeons??? GA. (1,LORD BRITISH) WELL... (1,LORD BRITISH) FORTUNATELY... (1,LORD BRITISH) I HAVE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM,... (1,Scorpia) (1,LORD BRITISH) WHEREAS IN THE PREVIOUS ULTIMAS... (1,LORD BRITISH) IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE, THIS TIME, ANYWHERE BUT COMBAT... (1,LORD BRITISH) SHOULD BE FINE!! SO THERE! GA (1,Scorpia) Great! (1,PyroFalcon) Yeah! 2! (1,Scorpia) Now, I think I saw Zanbar slip in a ?... (1,Scorpia) So, Zanbar can ask his question... (1,ZANBAR) YES. (1,LORD BRITISH) I DO APOLOGIZE FOR MY PAST PROB. (1,Scorpia) And then we'll close out the CO... (1,Scorpia) since it is getting rather late now.... (1,Scorpia) So, go ahead, Zanbar. (1,ZANBAR) HI RICH... (1,LORD BRITISH) HI. (1,ZANBAR) FIRST, THANK YOU FOR MY PET PEEVE BEING SOLVED FROM U III... (1,ZANBAR) WITH THE INNS TO CHANGE ROSTERS.... (1,ZANBAR) NEXT HOW ABOUT USING TWO DRIVES?... (1,ZANBAR) I HAVE AN ATARI. GA (1,LORD BRITISH) TWO DRIVES, COMING UP....DONE! HOW WAS THAT!? (1,ZANBAR) OK THNX! (1,LORD BRITISH) YES, THAT ALL ZANBAR? (1,ZANBAR) GA (1,PyroFalcon) ? (1,LORD BRITISH) PYRO? (1,PyroFalcon) The game will work on the Atari 1200xl, right? (1,LORD BRITISH) OH YES, DEFINITELY! GA (1,Scorpia) Ok, then.... (1,PyroFalcon) That's all for now. (1,X) (laying head on Scorpia's shoulder...falling asleep.) (1,Scorpia) I think that's it for the CO tonight.... (1,Scorpia) The CO is over.... (1,Scorpia) Thanks for coming! (1,LORD BRITISH) THANK YOU ALL! (1,Rolexian) I think you've got at least 8 prospective customers here!!! (1,PyroFalcon) Yeah!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!! (1,Rolexian) Just wait until next December! (1,DW MAZE) WHEN WILL IT FINALLY COME ONTO THE MARKET? (1,LORD BRITISH) XMAS. (1,Scorpia) The character sheet is in XA2 *NOW*.... (1,Scorpia) ULT4NP! (1,Nightie) Oh, yes! Go to XA2 and do an R ULT4NP! (1,Rolexian) Great! I'm downloading it right now! (1,LORD BRITISH) PLEASE ALL, FILL OUT NPC FORMS AND SEND TO ME SOON! (1,Rolexian) You'll hear from us! (1,PyroFalcon) Yes, bye! (1,DW MAZE) DON'T LEAVE US!!! (1,LORD BRITISH) BYE! [End of File] This transcript is copyrighted (c) 1984 by Scorpia and Patricia Fitzgibbons.