Lord British’s Ultimate RPG

Richard “Lord British” Garriott will be presenting next week Ultimate RPG. Ultimate RPG is the current working title for a spiritual successor Ultima Online, without being called Ultima, unless EA allows him to do so. We have some vague info on what to expect from the game, which will run on PCs and mobile platforms, yes, this will be a mobile MMORPG. Keeping with the Ultima themes, it will feature virtues and could place you in modern times in which you travel through portals to these fantasy worlds.

Lord British created his canonized truths for this game, which are:

1) URPG will play on mobile (as well as PC’s), 2) URPG will have player owned Real Estate (as openly place-able as possible), 3) URPG will have interactive decorations (most everything that looks operable, should operate), 4) URPG will contain virtues and ethical parables.

He is also has taken feedback from the community on what they are trying to nail down, like PvP, the possibility of offline play, and whether to have an auction house or vendors (akin to UO). The following is a video playlist of a discussion concerning these elements.

He also wrote up his definition of what the Ultimate RPG is, and I’ve included the main points below.

• Graphic style is not the essential element of an Ultimate RPG.
• Participating in the world alongside you, is a valuable part of an Ultimate RPG.
• Detailed world interactions are part of the essence of Ultimate RPG.
• Cultural history, unique languages and writing are part of the Ultimate RPG.
• The Ultimate RPG can live in many worlds and settings.
• Physical game components can deeply enrich a virtual world.
• Connecting with the audience is essential in crafting the Ultimate RPG.
• Living and playing through detailed realistic worlds with stories about virtue and social issues, became the central essence of my Ultimate RPG.
• Holding a mirror up to yourself is part of an Ultimate RPG.
• Fiction supporting your journey from Earth to the new world is part of The Ultimate RPG.
• An original deep and consistent world is a critical part of the Ultimate RPG.
• Logically constructed internally consistent fiction is part of an Ultimate RPG.
• Multiplayer is desirable and very challenging in any Ultimate RPG.
• Overused, irrelevant & reused RPG elements are not the essence of my Ultimate RPG.
• Richard Garriott is an essential ingredient in the Ultimate Ultima!
• As I have said before many play styles and settings can be part of the Ultimate RPG.
• Proper social tools are compatible with the Ultimate RPG.

So what does this all really mean? For one, don’t expect elves or orcs in URPG, but a physical cloth map could very well be. While I do believe it will have a medieval setting, it won’t necessarily be limited to it. This will also not be the most graphically pleasing game out there, but instead focus more on gameplay. There is also a focus on allowing asynchronous play, in which you can play with friends without having to be on at the same time. You will also be able to play purely as a crafter, or other non-combat type roles similarly to UO.  Let’s see if he can make a badass mobile game. In the meantime watch his interview below and head over to the Ultimate RPG facebook page and post what you’d like to see in the game.