Editing Ultima Online (section)

==Development==
[[File:Richard garriott starr long raph koster rich vogel gdc 2018.jpeg|thumb|right|Garriott (left), Long, Koster, and Rich Vogel at the 2018 [[Game Developers Conference]]]]
The game had an initial development budget of $2.5 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92114262/austin-american-statesman/|title=Austin company takes online games to limit|newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|page=36|date=July 7, 1997|accessdate=January 8, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> ''Ultima Online'' is the product of [[Richard Garriott]]'s idea for a fantasy game involving several thousand people who can all play in a shared fantasy world. Prior games allowed hundreds of people to play at the same time, including ''[[Habitat (video game)|Habitat]]'' (beta-tested in 1986), ''[[The Realm Online]]'', ''[[Neverwinter Nights (AOL game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'' (the AOL version) and ''[[Meridian 59]]''; however, ''Ultima Online'' significantly outdid these games, in both graphics and game mechanics. Garriott commented that "it was very important to us that ''Ultima Online'' be a game with a theme, and story, and quest - and then support larger, grander activity. We don't want it to be just player controlled and dominated; we want it to be an ''Ultima'' experience, with all the qualities that people expect from that. ''Ultima Online'' will be, I believe, the very first ever completely virtual world for the mass public to go live out alternate lives in."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Is Richard Garriott Really Building a Better World? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=27 |volume=3 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=March 1997 |pages=8–12 |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration27Mar1997/page/n9 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> The goal was to offer the player as much freedom as possible.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/xTK-wncSx1c Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191116022844/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTK-wncSx1c&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |title=Electric Playground: Season 1, Episode 8 |date=January 26, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTK-wncSx1c |access-date=April 13, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 

The initial team was composed of Garriott, [[Starr Long]], Rick Delashmit, Scott Phillips and, a bit later, [[Raph Koster]], who became the lead designer. Koster wrote public "designer letters" and usually went by his nickname of Designer Dragon. Koster drew inspiration from prior online games,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.raphkoster.com/games/insubstantial-pageants/a-definition/ |title=A Definition: Part One: The Play's the Thing |date=May 5, 2014 |publisher=RaphKoster.com |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> such as ''DartMUD''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.disinterest.org/resource/MUD-Dev/1997Q3/msg00293.html |first=Raph |last=Koster |title=Koster MUD-Dev Posting |date=July 30, 1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928124810/http://www.disinterest.org/resource/MUD-Dev/1997Q3/msg00293.html |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=April 13, 2019 |quote=DartMUD was influential on me, certainly—ought to have been for everyone.}}</ref>

The project started in 1995 and was presented to the public at [[E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)|E3]] as "''Ultima Online: Shattered Legacy''" in May 1996. Origin claimed to have more than 3,000 participants in the preliminary [[alpha testing]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yee |first=Bernard |title=Joyriding |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=18 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=June 1996 |page=24}}</ref> The development cost was much greater than for previous, offline computer games; it relied on people accessing servers via modem. ''Ultima Online''<nowiki/>'s initial features included persistent player housing, skill-based character progression (without levels or classes),<ref>{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Thor |title=Massively Multiplayer Game Development |publisher=Charles River Media |year=2003 |isbn=9781584502432 |page=24}}</ref> a craft-based and player-driven economy,<ref>{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Thor |title=Massively Multiplayer Game Development |publisher=Charles River Media |year=2003 |isbn=9781584502432 |page=22}}</ref> and unrestricted player-versus-player combat.<ref>{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Thor |title=Massively Multiplayer Game Development |publisher=Charles River Media |year=2003 |isbn=9781584502432 |page=91}}</ref>

An artificial life engine was supposed to be implemented into the game. A preview announced that ecological events in the game would affect animal behavior, potentially creating new adventure possibilities in an organic manner.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Trent |title=Ultima Online Preview |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ultima-online-preview/1100-2559974/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=December 2, 2003 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> However, this feature never made it beyond the game's beta stage. Richard Garriott explained: {{blockquote|We thought it was fantastic. We'd spent an enormous amount of time and effort on it. But what happened was all the players went in and just killed everything; so fast that the game couldn't spawn them fast enough to make the simulation even ''begin''. And so, this thing that we'd spent all this time on, literally no-one ever noticed – ''ever'' – and we eventually just ripped it out of the game, you know, with some sadness.<ref>{{cite web |title=Web Extended Interview - Richard Garriott |date=March 1, 2011|url=https://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/webexclusives/?year=2011 |publisher=ABC Television, Australia |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref>}}

===Beta and assassination of Lord British===
[[Lord British]] was [[Richard Garriott|Garriott]]'s in-game [[alter ego]], who was killed during an in-game appearance at ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s beta test on August 9, 1997. During a server population stress test, a player character known as Rainz cast the "fire field" spell, killing Lord British. Producer [[Starr Long]] blamed it on human error: Lord British's character, like others, had been made invulnerable to this kind of attack, but by design, the invulnerability did not persist over several game sessions. When the server crashed shortly before the incident, Garriott forgot to reset his invulnerability status. Shortly after, administrators banned Rainz's account from the beta test for repeatedly exploiting, rather than reporting, bugs.<ref name="5BM">{{cite magazine |title=Five Biggest Moments in UO History |magazine=Computer Gaming World |issue=220 |date=November 2, 2002 |url=https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_220.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_220.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=April 13, 2019 |page=104}}</ref> According to Origin, he was not banned for the assassination but rather for prior complaints against his account highlighted by this incident. Beta testers protested Rainz's ban as well as subsequent actions of Long and other developers, during which his in-game character used a spell to indiscriminately kill other characters who observed the assassination.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2002/06/make-love-not-war-games/ |title=Make Love, Not War Games |first=Brad |last=King |date=June 8, 2002 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> September 23, 1997 was the last day<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ultima Online - UOGuide, the Ultima Online Encyclopedia |url=https://www.uoguide.com/Ultima_Online |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.uoguide.com}}</ref> of the original [[beta test]].{{clarify|date=July 2016}} The beta ended with a bang, as players were treated to an "end of the world" scenario with Shadowlords, demons, and other evil creatures slaughtering every character in sight.

===Origin era (1995–2004)===
In September 1997, ''Ultima Online'' launched and opened the first game servers to the public.<ref name="folly">{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2003/03/04/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ |title=Electronic Arts' online folly |first=Chris |last=Morris |date=March 4, 2003 |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> Upon release, ''Ultima Online'' proved popular, reaching 100,000 paying subscribers within six months, causing severe [[lag (video games)|lag]] problems. In 1999, servers opened around the world to support the rising popularity of the game, in [[Japan]], [[Europe]] and [[South Korea]]. In 2000, Garriot resigned from Origin, taking Lord British with him. Game players created their own [[fanfiction]] speculations as to why the Lord had vanished. In February 2000, a large in-world event had a massive army of undead lay siege to the Britannia city of Trinsic. The event ran concurrently on all servers over several months. Another server opened in [[Australia]] during this time. In May 2000, ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s second expansion ''[[Ultima Online: Renaissance]]'' dramatically altered the game. It split the game world into two mirrored worlds called Trammel and [[Felucca]]. In Trammel all PVP was required to be consensual, while in Felucca players could be attacked by others players without consent. In November 2000, ''Ultima Online's'' first official fanfest was held, called the UO World Faire in [[Austin, TX]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_199.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_199.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |page=32 |title=UO Fans Get Medieval – Wine, women, and song at the Ultima Online World Faire |first=Mark |last=Asher |publisher=Computer Gaming World |date=February 1, 2001 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> In March 2001, ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s third expansion ''[[Ultima Online: Third Dawn]]'' was released and introduced graphics which attempted to reproduce a three-dimensional effect. It added a new area to the server called Ilshenar which could only be accessed with a new game client that launched with the expansion. The original game client could be used in the previous server areas. In January 2002, ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s second official fanfest was called Online Worlds FanFest, also held in Austin. Players were able to meet the developers, as well as guest speaker [[Todd McFarlane]]. February saw the release of ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s fourth expansion ''[[Ultima Online: Lord Blackthorn's Revenge]]''. Notably, it enabled access to the areas previously only available to the newer ''Third Dawn'' game client. In February 2003, ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s fifth expansion ''[[Ultima Online: Age of Shadows]]'' was released. It was the most game changing update yet including: offering players the ability to custom design their game homes, a server area that doubled the amount of player housing available, and overhauled the item system. 

''Ultima Online'' was the first MMORPG to reach the 100,000 subscriber base, far exceeding that of any game that went before it.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 24, 2006 |title=EA Announces Ultima Online(TM): Kingdom Reborn (Working Title); The Game That Firmly Established the MMORPG Genre Receives a Massive Visual Overhaul and New Content in 2007 |url=http://investor.ea.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=314331 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405222406/http://investor.ea.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=314331 |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |access-date=April 13, 2019 |publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]}}</ref> Subscriber numbers peaked at around 250,000 in July 2003, but then began a steady decline.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Subscriptions (SS) and Active Accounts (AA) with a peak between 150k and 1m |url=http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/Subs-2.png |access-date=April 13, 2019 |publisher=mmodata.blogspot.com}}</ref> In February 2004, [[Origin Systems]] shut down. ''Ultima Online'' no longer had a named studio managing it. Development headquarters moved from Austin to [[Fairfax, Virginia]].

===Electronic Arts era (2004–2006)===
The sixth expansion, ''[[Ultima Online: Samurai Empire|Samurai Empire]]'', launched in November 2004, was Japanese-themed. It offered two new professions, the [[Ninja]] and the [[Samurai]], as well as new Japanese-themed housing tile sets. New lands, the [[Tokuno Islands]], were added, with the cities being styled after ancient Japanese cities.

Expansion number seven, ''[[Ultima Online: Mondain's Legacy|Mondain's Legacy]]'', launched in August 2005. It featured the second player race, [[Elves]]. The quest system received a major upgrade, as did the crafting system. Spellweaving was added to the skills. Many new [[dungeon]]s were added. This expansion was the first that was only available online (offline versions on CDs could be ordered). ''Mondain's Legacy'' was the last expansion for several years, with updates becoming more irregular after that point.

===Mythic Entertainment era (2006–2014)===
In June 2006 Electronic Arts purchased [[Mythic Entertainment]], the creators of ''[[Dark Age of Camelot]].'' Mythic was tasked with managing EA's MMORPG portfolio, including ''Ultima Online''. That month it was also announced that the anti-cheating software [[PunkBuster]] would be integrated into ''Ultima Online''. This marked the first time PunkBuster would be used with an [[MMORPG]] to help curb [[cheating in video games|cheating]] and [[Exploit (video gaming)|exploiting]]. However, it was never integrated into the game, and in November 2006, Electronic Arts put the PunkBuster integration on indefinite hold.

In 2008 the game had around 100,000 subscribers.<ref name=":0" /> As of April 2008, ''Ultima Online'' held a [[market share]] below 0.6% of the massively multiplayer online game subscriptions.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 2008 |title=MMOG Subscriptions Market Share |url=http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart7.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605194653/http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart7.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |access-date=April 13, 2019 |publisher=MMOGchart.com}}</ref> This may in part be attributed to the 2004 release of [[World of Warcraft]], which quickly established hegemony over the MMORPG market and has attracted scores of players from all preexisting games in the genre.

In August 2007 ''[[Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn]]'' was released. This was the first major overhaul of the client and artwork systems since ''[[Ultima Online: Third Dawn]]''. The final expansion was ''[[Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss|Stygian Abyss]]'' (2009), which focused on the gargoyle race. After ''Stygian Abyss'' the development model shifted from expansions to "booster packs" that were intended to be smaller updates released more frequently. However, the first booster pack ''[[Ultima Online: High Seas|High Seas]]'' of 2010 was also the last.

===Broadsword era (2014–present)===
It was announced on February 6, 2014, that development of the game would be transferred from Mythic to Broadsword, a new studio, that would take over future development.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uo.com/2013/04/16/producer-letter-3/ |title=Producer Letter |date=April 16, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref>

====Free-to-play model====
In 2018 the traditional free fourteen-day trial was replaced with "Endless Journey" which allowed free playing indefinitely, but with large restrictions as to what players can do and where they can go.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uo.com/wiki/ultima-online-wiki/beginning-the-adventure/endless-journey/|title = Endless Journey – Ultima Online| date=April 4, 2018 }}</ref>

====Ultima Online: New Legacy====
In 2020, Broadsword announced a new shard that would focus on returning ''Ultima Online'' to its fundamental roots as a roleplaying game. The shard is to have seasonal rulesets, whereby the shard will be reset via an in-game cataclysmic event and restarted with new rulesets in place. Broadsword stated that at the end of each season, characters will be able to transfer off of the ''Ultima Online: New Legacy'' shard onto a live shard with all skills, stats, and legacy progress that was earned.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uo.com/ultima-online-new-legacy/|title = Ultima Online: New Legacy| date=2020 }}</ref>

The alpha testing phase for ''[[Ultima Online: New Legacy]]'' is currently underway, with plans for the beta phase to commence during the summer of 2024. [[Broadsword Online Games]], the development team behind the game, has announced their intention to launch ''New Legacy'' in September 2024, coinciding with the 26th anniversary of the original ''[[Ultima Online]]'' release. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mailchi.mp/broadsword/uo-newsletter-18|title = Ultima Online: New Legacy| date=2024 }}</ref>