Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar Magazine Preview
-
Category: News ArchiveHits: 1714
The article does go into a bit more detail about the game's free-to-play implementation (which, in addition to paid vanity items, will seem to limit the number of keys free players have access too in a certain time period; keys can be used to open chests to obtain high-end loot). She also highlight's Barnett's explanation which was in his GDC talk of why certain mechanics (wind, food, etc.) that were present in Ultima 4 are absent from Ultima Forever: to avoid the appearance of wanting to monetize these gameplay elements.
There are also a handful of soundbites from Barnett later on in the article, which offer some additional insight into the game's mechanics and contain a few amusing quips. Like his labelling of Britannia's main continent as a (Croissant of Joy).
O'Neill also penned what amounts to a second article, in which she attempts to explore Barnett's claim that Ultima Forever is his attempt to tailor the best parts of Ultima 4 for the modern gamer, and his concern that too many modern gamers are unwilling to embrace the more punishing mechanics and lengthy grind of Ultima 4 proper. To do so, she enlists the help of her five year-old son, with amusing and frankly charming results.
