I'm watching an Ultima retrospective series and it looks like an interesting, if archaic collection of games. Does /vr/ recommend them, and if so at what point should one start?
>>12001346most of them range from OK to god-awful, but if there's one to play it's VII. it is THE progenitor of all the western RPG tropes we've come to know.
>>12001346I think 1-3 aged poorly and are more historical games. 4 is the first one I'd recommend but it's tough to finish without a guide and is still outdated 6 is the first to feel like a modern CRPG with how the interactions and overworld combat works Underworld is also a good starting point and doesn't require any prior knowledge, but Underworld 2 is a direct sequel to 7
>>12001346V is my favourite
>>12001394>I think 1-3 aged poorly3 aged fine.
>>12001398Mine too. VI was simply too buggy and rushed. Which became a plague in VIII and IX.>>12001386Yeah, VII + Serpent Isle was peak (if you don't count IV-V).
Nah, don't bother.Play Wasteland.
>>12001346>Does /vr/ recommend themYes. I'd recommend starting with Ultima IV because that's where the series realy hit it's stride and it gives context for what happens later and who the fuck the Avatar is, plus there's a Master System port that is really good. It actually holds up really well, despite how old it is. Ultima 7 is also a good starting point because it's a very acessible game, especially if you use the source port (exult), and you can play the older games afterwards. Underworld is also worth checking out if you like dungeon crawlers, and Ultima Online private shards if you are into getting griefed by autistic old men.
>>12001386>VII. it is THE progenitor of all the western RPG tropes we've come to knowYou can tell this guy knows very little about RPGs.
>>12001635I'd mostly agree, though you can beat Ultima I in a weekend, it's pretty short.
>>12001346Only the complete Ultima VII. It's one of the best games ever.
>>12001346>I'm watching an Ultima retrospective series anSpoony or Majular?
>>12001346BETRAYAL
V, VI, VII are all great. Pagan is OK at best, feels unfinished though. IX is worth playing if you're a big fan, just so you can get pissed off at it.
>>12001386>>12001448>>12001394The only people who think like this are Linear thinkers.
>>12001346Martian dreams is good if you're into sci-fi parody stuff
>>12004209Majuular :^)
>>12001346IV, V, VI and VII (including VII part 2) are the essentials. All masterpieces and quite different from one another. Only problem is that the further back you go the more archaic the controls/UI/general vibe gets so I'd probably start with VII (which, interface-wise at least, is SUPER easy to get into) and maybe work your way backwards. Unless you're willing to dive into the deep end with Apple II era CRPG controls in which case start from IV but I probably wouldn't recommend it.Ultima Underworld is also a masterpiece and worth playing (as is Underworld 2.) It's almost it's own thing though and can be played at any time without any knowledge of the main series. Would also recommend checking out the original Wizardry and Dungeon Master too as well if you want the full history of CRPGs
>>12005925Ultima VII still looks great, the older games are a bit more dated as you go back. But Ultima VII (and SI) are still state of the art as far as pixel graphics go.
Ultima III was great. Sad it doesn't get much praise.
>>12001346Ultima is a great series, I'd personally start with IV. If you like IV play V and VI, if you don't like IV give VII or Underworld a chance.
>>12005925>Unless you're willing to dive into the deep end with Apple II era CRPG controls in which case start from IVJust play the Master System port of IV.
Ultima III has a NES port, but it's *very* different from the PC versions. It looks somewhat Zelda-esque.
There is a game boy color port of ultima 3 , it's comfy on my chink handheld. Theis is also master system port of ultima 4. Has anyone played it? Should i stick to pc?
would be great to see re-releases of these games so I don't have to fuck with dosbox.
>>12008534 >There is a game boy color port of ultima 3 That one's a homebrew, a mix of the DOS and C64 ports. The official NES one looks like a completely different game. >master system port of ultima 4 It has streamlined input, since it uses keyword-based dialog. Other than that, seems pretty similar to the PC versions to me. Some anon mentioned that, if you have an actual console, you can use the second gamepad for extra controls.
Ultima peaked as an crpg with 5. 3-5 are perfectly fine to play. exploration is still amazing.Past that Richard focused way too hard on "muh simulation" and neglected gameplay. Plus, the games got way too buggier.Underworld and adventure spinoff's are a different beast.Underworld 1 and 2 are still good today but are first person rpgs with a different focus than the originals.Adventure spinoffs are not worth playing. They are just ultima 3/4 with a slight adventure coat of paint.
>>12008539GOG distributes the games pre-patched. Alternatively, Ultima Patcher just werks with the original files.
>>12008584You forgot about Worlds of Ultima.
>>12008534Ultima 4 on MS is a very faithful port, just with streamlined controls to play on controller.
