Ultima Online’s 21st birthday is creeping up on us here, which means the game is older than some of our readers and will soon be old enough to buy alcohol in the States. Feeling old, vets? Broadsword is planning hoopla in the form of a fall patch, publish 101, complete with anniversary gifts that introduce what’s effectively an astronomy system for the game, complete with an orrery and a telescope.
“Telescopes can be used to view constellations and other celestial objects. Constellations can be charted using the Cartography Mapmaker’s Pen to create a star chart. Constellations can be named via the star chart. A star chart can be turned into Willebrord the Astronomer at the Moonglow Telescope Astronomer’s Tent. Players that are the first to discover a constellation will have their discovery logged in the constellation ledger and be given a special title and recipe. All constellations are shard unique. Visit the Astronomer’s tent at the Moonglow Telescope to learn more about the origins of Britannian Astronomy and how to use the telescope.”
And with that, I think Broadsword just convinced me to keep my account going a little while longer.
October will see more goodies, including the Halloween event, a detective mystery quest, and the return of the Treasures loot event, though this one’s in Khaldun. New “caddellite” resources in the Lost Lands will also be usable in new craftables across many of the game’s crafting skills.
Publish 101 is currently on the test realm, but expect it to roll out to the live servers by the anniversary.
