New Player FAQ
How is this different from the Ultima Online you remember?
It is the 1998 game in your browser, with some new things added and some old things not built yet.
The same
- The 1998 map of Britannia and its art: the towns, roads and dungeon mouths where you left them.
- Skills that rise by use.
- The classic gumps, the paperdoll and the pack.
- The bank, moongates, recall and runes.
- Death as a ghost, with your body and everything on it left where you fell.
Different
- In your browser. Nothing to install. Press Play Now.
- One shard. Everyone plays in the same Britannia.
- Companions. Wulfric and Sister Nella hire on at Rue's tavern in Minoc. You give orders by speech: "Wulfric, follow me", "Nella, heal me", "Wulfric, give me the heater".
- Townsfolk with their own words. Now and then a townsperson answers in their own words instead of a set line.
- The Deeps. A cage run under Minoc: three floors, eight waves and the Heart of the Mountain, with a Warden who speaks before he strikes and offers bargains.
- Secrets with first finders. Twelve secrets under Minoc. The first to find each is named on this site and keeps a trophy.
- Nearings. Seasons in which a gate opens onto another Britannia for a week. The White Gate is sealed until the first one comes.
- Feedback that counts. Press F8 to send a note from inside the game; each one earns leaderboard points.
- Guards against monsters. Town guards strike hostile creatures that come inside the walls, not only criminals.
Not here yet
- Bags inside your pack.
- Weight.
- Locked chests and lockpicking.
- Treasure maps.
- Fishing for yourself (a fisher will catch you one).
- Most potions: heal and refresh potions only.
This is an alpha. Things change and break. Press F8 in the game to tell us; every note is read and weighed for what comes next.
- What do I need to play?
- A browser on a computer. Press Play Now, make a character and pick a profession: Warrior, Mage, Ranger or Blacksmith.
- How do I move?
- Hold the right mouse button down in the direction you want to go. The further from your character, the faster.
- How do I fight?
- Double-click a creature to attack it. Tab puts you in or out of war mode.
- How do I talk to people?
- Press Enter, type, and press Enter again. "hail Borrin" gets Borrin's attention. Double-click a townsperson for a menu of things to ask.
- How do I hire a companion?
- Go to Rue's tavern in Minoc and say "Wulfric, join me" (or Nella). Double-click your companion for orders.
- Where do I start?
- In Minoc, the capital. Every new character is set down at the foot of Minoc's mine road, a short walk from the bank, the forge, Rue's tavern and the mine yard.
- What are signature trials?
- At 70.0 in a fighting skill, that skill's master offers you a one-player trial. Pass it and the skill's signature move is yours for good. Every master and move is on the Signature Trials page.
- What do the names on my gear mean?
- A tier (Ruin to Vanquishing) adds damage to every blow; a property (Flaming, Frost, a slayer...) does something extra when a blow lands. Every tier, property and armour figure is in the guide, under Items and Magic.
- Where do I keep my gold?
- In the bank. Stand beside the banker and say "bank". Gold in the bank cannot be stolen.
- What happens when I die?
- You become a ghost and your body stays where it fell, with everything on it, for fourteen minutes. A healer can raise you; so can a companion.
- Can other players attack me?
- Not while you are Young: until your first clear of the Rotmire, or three hours of play.
- How do I tell you something is wrong?
- Press F8 anywhere in the game, then talk or type.