I always wanted to test out Ultima VII and I'm floored by it

[Mondain]

Damn what a masterpiece. It hasn't aged that badly today, and it plays pretty well with the Exult add-on. Sure the game is a bit slow and it isn't as responsive as it could be, but everything else seems just about perfect.

Is it just me, or this is game the basis for EVERY SINGLE COMPUTER RPG THAT FOLLOWED? The equipment configuration represented by a virtual you split into various body parts with items that you drag and drop seems to have been implemented in Diablo and dozens of other games that followed. The free-roaming world and open-ended gameplay in Fallout and all games in the Elder Scrolls series. The real-time combat system in the Baldur's Gate games, and so on and on...

The dialogue is really great, and the NPCs some of the best ones ever. I love the way in which the party is managed, and the way that sometimes some of your party members will start giving their opinion in the middle of a conversation with an NPC, and the NPC will reply back to him.

[tiesto]

Ultima games = best WRPGs ever, imo...

[disgruntled_jojo]

Most of my friends and I couldn't stand them after Exodus.  Especially when things got all crazy in that you could pick up every single fork and apple on every table in every house in every city.  SOME THINGS DO NOT NEED TO BE SIMULATED IN GAMES.  See also: encumbrance. ><

That said, I'd be curious to see how the 3D one stands up after all this time.  Surely there's some hardware that will actually run it now?

[Mondain]

they have such an intelligent premise too, it's so out there, I don't think that any videogame even comes close

[Smooth Groove]

You're not a real RPG connoisseur if you haven't tried Ultima 7.  Too bad most gamers seemed to be too dumb to appreciate such deep RPGS anymore. 

[Narag]

I never got far in this game but loved it for how detailed it was. I think I ended up employed as a baker at one point. Mind blown at the time.

[Van Cruncheon]

serpent isle is even better

[Vrolokus]

Ultima VI and VII are probably the best RPGs I've ever played.  Not only do they hold up great, I honestly don't know if anything since has even really compared... the Elder Scrolls games are the closest modern equivalent, but nothing else even comes close.

[Smooth Groove]

Elder Scrolls games lack the storytelling and interesting NPCS of Ultima. 

[Vrolokus]

Elder Scrolls games lack the storytelling and interesting NPCS of Ultima. 

I agree totally.  But I can't think of another RPG series that comes as close in terms of fleshing out a living, breathing world.

My feeling is if Bethesda could write an Ultima-level plot and really spend time on characters, they'd come closer than anyone else has at having a modern Ultima title.

[Mondain]

Elder Scrolls is such a direct Ultima VII rip-off

and has anyone tried the Ultima V Lazarus Dungeon Siege mod?

[BlueTsunami]

Richard Garriott and Ultima + Oblivion engine would = Sweet, sweet sex

[tiesto]

Richard Garriott and Ultima + Oblivion engine would = Sweet, sweet sex

I wish EA would sell off the Ultima license back to Richard Garriott and he would make an all new single-player Ultima, instead of going off making MMO's

[BlueTsunami]

Seriously. If anyone states EA isn't evil, I'll just point to their non-activity with the Ultima License (oh wow, Ultima MMO Expansion).

[Mondain]

I think I've read that while EA owns the license Garriott owns the right to most characters and thus as the two aren't going to reconcile then that means no more SP Ultima

[BlueTsunami]

I've been snooping around and what is the "old franchise" that Starbreeze is resurrecting? There's some ramblings that it could be Ultima or something but as Mondain stated, that doesn't seem possible.

[ToxicAdam]

It's all over for Western RPGs. Those good ole days are never coming back.

 :'(

Dragon Ages: Origins is going to be a mess. Streamlined combat and shallow story. Count it.

[Joe Molotov]

I think Obsidian is getting better. At least I'd like to believe this.

[disgruntled_jojo]

It's all over for Western RPGs. Those good ole days are never coming back.

I actually strongly prefer the recent Bioware RPGs over those old Ultimas.  Game design has evolved in many important ways since then, largely for the better.