[27 December 2005]
Just one change, but it's a biggie -- Ultima V: Lazarus has gone gold and is available for download. This is reflected in the new version of Section 6.2.4 and a slight tweak to Section 6.2.
[16 November 2005]
Section 5.4.2 amended to reflect the eBay auction of another copy of Escape from Mount Drash. URLs of Underworld Dragon's websites amended. Ultima V: Lazarus is now nearing completion -- appropriate changes made to Section 6.2.4. Consolidated links in Section 8.1 updated.
[17 July 2005]
Further slight amendment to Section 5.16.6. Formatting changes.
[3 July 2005]
The possibility of saving Cantra in SI is now available under Exult -- Section 5.16.6 amended. Minor formatting changes.
[1 May 2005]
Overdue tweak to text in the index, reflecting recent updates at Ultima: the Reconstruction.
[21 February 2005]
Section 3.1.2 amended to reflect News.individual.net's forthcoming policy of charging an annual fee to access its NNTP server.
[29 January 2005]
FAQ maintainer's e-mail address changed.
[17 January 2005]
An original copy of the original Ultima game in its self-seal baggie appeared on eBay, selling for more than $1,000 -- Section 5.5 amended appropriately.
[17 October 2004]
References to Polychromic's mirror of Micro's old site moved to Sections 4.3 and 6.5. Minor formatting changes.
[16 October 2004]
There have been several changes of note since the last update. By section, they are:
* 1.4: MMORPG added to abbreviations list. It was bound to happen sooner or later. <:)
* 4.6: VDMSound and Cedega added to list of utilities that allow Ultimas to run on modern platforms and OSes.
* 5.8: The link for the U4 World Map Editor, hosted by Ram Dragon, is broken, and has been removed from the FAQ.
* 5.10.1: World editor for U6 added.
* 5.13.1: Sir Cabirus Dragon and Moscow Dragon's patch to run UW and UW2 under WinNT, 2000 and XP added; URL for UW1 MIDI patch amended.
* 5.18.5: Footage of gameplay from the PlayStation version of UW1 is no longer on the web. Link removed.
* 5.19.1: Rewrite of UO introduction; URL for UO: Age of Shadows removed.
* 5.19.2: System requirements for older UO releases removed and minimum specs for the latest release added.
* 5.20.1: Warning about owo.com being offline and resulting inability to download U9 patch v1.18.
* 5.20.3: URL for old U9 web-boards removed from list; link added to screenshots from original engine, hosted by Hayn Dragon.
* 6.2: Ultima: Aiera, a site designed to fill the gap left by infrequent updates of The Reconstruction, added.
* 6.2.3: Section amended to reflect cancellation of U4 remake project.
* 6.2.6: Section on Nuvie, a U6 engine for modern platforms, added; rest of Section 6.2 shuffled to suit and the now defunct Eriadain project removed from FAQ.
* 6.2.7: Section on Ultima 6 Online MMORPG project added.
* 6.3: Dragon Press UDIC fanfic site URL updated.
* 6.6.3 The URL for Shodan Dragon's Ultima Warcraft 2 PUDs is broken, and has been removed.
* 6.8: Ultima Resurrection entry updated; Ultima Prophecy -- the Ankh of Stars and third-edition Dungeons and Dragons conversion of U4 added.
* 7.4: Section on Ultima Ressurection (sic) Live realtime RPG added.
* 8.1: DOUG the Eagle Dragon's website, Polychromic's mirror of Micro Dragon's old site and UltimaDot added to miscellaneous links.
[13 August 2004]
Section 6.2.11 changed to reflect the fact that work on Eriadain has, for the moment at least, been abandoned.
[11 July 2004]
EA has cancelled development of Ultima X: Odyssey. Section 5.22.1 has
been appropriately amended, and Section 5.22.2, regarding the chances
of a UO2 release, moved to a now more appropriate location, in Section
5.19.5.
[28 June 2004]
Exult's version number altered from 1.1 to 1.2 in Section 6.2.8 and references to Exult in Section 6.2.9 amended. Contents corrected.
[29 May 2004]
URL to Contrapuntal Dragon's website updated in Sections 4.8 and 5.8.
[29 April 2004]
Another apparently complete copy of Escape from Mount Drash has appeared on eBay, probably flushed out by the $1,000+ price-tag its predecessor sold for earlier in the year -- Section 5.4.2 amended appropriately. Fallen Angel Dragon's U1, U3 and U5 maps with mouse-over detail pop-ups added in Section 6.7. Minor formatting changes so the FAQ appears properly in Google Groups.
[12 April 2004]
Another long-overdue FAQ overhaul, including formatting changes and broken links fixed (where possible -- thanks for Fallen Angel Dragon for considerable help with that). Alterations by section are:
* 1.4: Ultima 10 abbreviation added
* 3.1.2: URL for Berlin University's news-server account sign-up updated
* 3.1.2: Fortran Dragon's e-mail address updated
* 3.7: Gravity 2.5 download URL amended
* 4.1.1: Abandonware section added
* 4.2: Sub-sections rationalised
* 4.2.3: Section added to reflect other Ultima compilations
* 4.6: Section dealing with Linux/Windows 2000/XP issues added
* 4.8: Contrapuntal Dragon's AWE FAQ URL updated
* 4.9: "Ultimas under emulation" section moved from section 6.2 and references to Bleem! removed
* 5.3.1: Ultima timeline URL replaced by author's e-mail address
* 5.4.2: Section discussing Escape From Mount Drash added
* 5.6.2: Reference to Windows-native U2 moved from section 5.6.1
* 5.10.4: Comments on FM Towns U6 added
* 5.13.3: Section added to reflect UW1's release on Pocket PC
* 5.14.7: U7-Wizard URL amended
* 5.16.6: Note about Exult team's plan to plug SI Cantra plot hole added
* 5.19.1: URL for UO: Age of Shadows site added
* 5.19.2: System specs for UO and UO: The Second Age removed
* 5.20.1: URL for U9 patch 1.18f amended
* 5.20.3: The old OWO boards have been taken down -- URL removed
* 5.20.4: Download URL for U9 Power Tools amended
* 5.22: Section on U10 updated and promise of further details for Richard Garriott's (apparently vapourware) project X removed
* 5.23: UO2 comments rolled into section 5.22
* 6.2: Works in progress section moved from section 5.24 and reshuffled to accommodate removal of Peroxide's former U1 remake
* 6.6.1: Ophidian and Darkling Dragons' e-mail addresses updated
* 6.6.5: Swapped with section 6.6.6
* 7.2.2: Undernet FTP site address amended
* 7.3.3: New list of Ultima Dragon ICQ UINs added
* 8.1: Combined with section 8.2 to consolidated list of links
[1 February 2003]
FAQ URL and contact details amended to reflect maintainer's ISP change.
[5 January 2003]
Section 5.24.1 amended to reflect the change in direction of Peroxide's project, formerly the Ultima 1 remake.
[4 December 2002]
Excalibur Dragon's walkthrough page (Section 5.2) re-inserted -- the 403 error I received before must have been an aberration. URLs for Ultima Legacy (Section 5.19.4) and official U9 site (Section 5.20.3) amended.
[26 November 2002]
We've been long overdue for an update, so the sheer number of changes means I'll need to run through by section.
* Preamble: The original version of this FAQ is no longer on the web; the submission e-mail address has changed
* 3.1.2: Newsreader.com's website is returning a 404, so it has been removed from the FAQ
* 3.2: Furcadia URL updated
* 3.7: Gravity download URL updated
* 5.2: Access is now forbidden to the www.cyberenet.net/~redjr/ website, so it has been removed
* 5.3.1: Paul Billows' name corrected; 404 errors from both sublimity13.student.cwru.edu/UltWeb/history.txt and www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/3871/storyfaq.htm, so these two sites have been removed
* 5.8: Ram Dragon's World Map Editor for U4 added
* 5.10.1: Jason Ely's patch for U6 music no longer appears to be hosted by pcgameworld.com
* 5.19.3: Reference no longer made to the RGCUO FAQ appearing at www.btinternet.com/~altea/rgcuofaq.txt
* 5.19.4: New section, mentioning private UO servers and citing Ultima Legacy as an example of such
* 5.20.3: The official U9 website, www.ultima9.com, appears to have been taken down
* 5.20.4: Xenerkes Dragon's Ultima 9 extended setup utility added
* 5.21.1: Arx Fatalis mentioned in connection with UW3
* 5.23: The website at origin.stratics.com/sections/lore/stories/prequel.shtml has been taken down, so it has been removed from the FAQ
* 5.24: Several changes in this section, primarily a note that Exult has gone gold with v1.0; also removal of Blackrock and Guardian engines; addition of Dungeon Siege-mod Ultima 6 Project, Underworld Adventures engine, Labyrinth of Worlds remake and Ultima VIII: Exile remake; Eriadain URL updated
* 6.2: Bleem! no longer has a website so URL removed from FAQ; Ultima emulation tips at www.en.com/users/fraley/ removed, since site is returning 404 error
* 6.6.3: Shodan Dragon's Warcraft 2 PUDs added
* 6.6.6: URL for Unreal Tournament UW map updated
* 6.7 Ram Dragon's U7 and SI world map wallpaper added
Phew!
[15 May 2002]
Finire Dragon's U6 sound effects patch (Section 5.10.1) and
Voyager Dragon's extensive summary of online Ultima development
projects (Section 5.24) both added.
[7 April 2002]
URL changes for the U4 download offered by Fortran Dragon
(Section 5.8), Televar Dragon's Ultima Collectors' Guide (Section
4.1) and the Ultima Ressurection (sic) project (Section 6.8).
[12 February 2002]
New Cutemouse driver download page added.
[24 December 2001]
URLs updated to reflect Paulon Dragon's new website. Some other links fixed.
[13 November 2001]
URL for Eriadain amended to reflect forthcoming website.
[30 September 2001]
Jason Ely belatedly joins the roll of Ultima celebrities to have appeared in RGCU* (Section 3.2) and information on the prequel story for UO2 added to Section 5.23. Additions made to Section 4.4 (Windows 9x/ME Issues) and Exodus Project notes corrected -- see Section 5.24.3.
[15 September 2001]
Information about the Ultima Ressurection (sic) pen-and-paper RPG added -- see Section 6.8 for more details.
[1 September 2001]
Guide to pronunciation of Companions' names (Section 5.3.2) and URLs of Underworld Dragon's Ultima Timeline (section 5.3.3) and UW1 Unreal maps (Section 6.6.6) amended.
Televar's Ultima Collectors' Guide (Section 4.1) added. Websites for U7-Wizard (Section 5.14.7), UIX Power Tools (Section 5.20.4), "New Moongates" (Section 5.24.2), Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue (Section 5.24.4), Ultima V: Lazarus (Section 5.24.5), the System Shock Hack Project (Section 5.24.6) and Eriadain (Section 5.24.12) all added.
SE and MD info added (Section 5.11). Some minor FAQ errors fixed.
[29 July 2001]
Ultima documentation site and Ultima Win9x desktop theme have moved -- URLs changed in FAQ (Sections 4.3 and 6.5 respectively).
[1 July 2001]
Minor formatting changes. Link to Paulon Dragon's UDICtionary added -- see Section 3.8 for details. U6 PC speaker issue
mentioned. Broken URLs fixed, where possible. The help of those
who offered replacement URLs credited.
[3 June 2001]
Minor changes to reflect the change in FAQ administrator.
[18 September 2000]
Gildor's World of Ultima seems to have disappeared for the moment. Until it reappears Paulon Dragon is kindly hosting the Ultima II and III color patches. See Sections 5.6.4 and 5.7.1 for more details.
[4 September 2000]
I've added The Ultima 3 Upgrade Project to the Works in Progress section. See Section 5.24.6 for more details.
I've added the Commodore 64 cheat for Ultima 6, courtesy of Tristan Miller. Dracos Dragon confirmed the Amiga version uses the same cheat codes as the IBM PC version. See Section 5.10.2 for more details.
I've added Telemachos Dragon's Ultima Underworld Viewer. See Section 5.13.2 for more details.
[20 August 2000]
The big news this update is the release of U7Win9x, a patch that allows you to run Ultima 7 in Windows9x (but not WindowsNT or Windows 2000). See Sections 4.4, 5.14.1, or 5.16.1 for more details.
I've added the Ultima 7 patch for the floppy disk version that fixes items disappearing from inventory and screen turning red. See Section 5.14.1.
I've added the Ultima 8 Adlib sound patch for those of you that still have a working Adlib sound card. See Section 5.17.1.
I've added the Ultima Underworld 1 patch that fixes floating and duplicating items, and stops the screen from turning red. See Section 5.13.1.
I've added the Ultima Underworld 2 patch that fixes the screen turning red, palette shifting, servant strike, melting moongate in the yellow Etheral Void, or sleeping with moonstone as cursor. See Section 5.15.1.
I've updated Section Section 5.25 with more information on the various works in progress that the FAQ tracks.
[25-27 July 2000]
I've made a number of small corrections to various bits of grammar
and spelling that had slipped by me earlier. Also, the verbiage between the HTML and the text version of the FAQ was slightly out of sync. I've made a major effort to make them identical again.
I've updated some of the URLs for the *.owo.com websites to the *.uo.com ones. Some of the *.owo.com URLs couldn't be changed because
there isn't an analog in *.uo.com (for example, the Ultima 9 boards). I have also changed the ultima-ascension.com URLs to the easier-to-remember-and-type ultima9.com URLs.
I've added more abbreviations to Section 1.4.
I've added a note about Usenet and newsgroups to Section 3.1 and Section 3.1.1.
I've added information on the major online auction sites in Section 4.1.
I've added a bit about the (happy) disappearance of the Encore Ultima 1-6 CD in Section 4.2.1.1.
Section 4.7.1 is now Section 5.6.2. It made more sense to have this information in the Ultima 2 section.
Section 4.7.2 is now Section 5.6.3. It made more sense to have this information in the Ultima 2 section.
Section 4.7.3 is now Section 5.6.4 and Section 5.7.1 (since the same program will work on both Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 IBM PC versions).
Section 4.7.4 is now Section 5.14.5. It made more sense to have this information in the Ultima 7 section.
Section 4.8 is now Section 4.7.1. I moved Section 4.8 under Section 4.7 since 4.7 is about problems that affect multiple Ultimas. Section 5 entries are about problems that affect a single Ultima.
I've added Section 4.7.2 which lists two versions of CTMouse (a small DOS memory footprint mouse driver) on Polychromic Dragon's utilities download page.
I've added Section 5.5.1, which lists a fix for a graphics problem in the IBM PC version of Ultima 1 on some graphics cards.
Because of the new entries in Section 5.6, I've removed the duplicate information in Section 5.6.1.
I've added Enzo Dragon's C64 Ultima V cheat to Section 5.9.1.
Section 5.15.3 is now Section 5.14.6. Somehow the armor and weapon ratings for Ultima 7 ended up in the Ultima Underworld 2 section. :(
I've updated Section 5.19.2 with the new minimum and recommended system requirements for Ultima Online: Renaissance.
I've updated Section 5.19.3 to point to Origin's UO FAQs page instead of just the Ultima Online: The Second Age FAQ.
In Section 5.20.2, I've added a mirror site for the Ultima 9 Technical FAQ.
I've started work on Section 5.24 - Works in Progress. I hope to give more exposure to the good folks working on these projects. This section is still under construction. I had enough other content changes that I wanted posted to leave this section unfinished.
I've added a substantial amount of text to Section 6.2, detailing many of the grey areas concerning emulators.
I've added Section 7.3 which briefly discusses ICQ, where to get the Windows client, and Geomorphic Dragon's UDICq list.
I've just noticed that my tenure as the rgcu* FAQ maintainer is now longer than Erratic's tenure. That seems strange. Well, onward and upward. :)
[23 July 2000]
I've updated the URL Underworld Dragon's The Collectible Ultima website.
I've updated the URL of the Ultima Dragons Newbie FAQ.
I've updated the URL for the Ultima Archives maintained by Origin.
I've cleaned up some of the ambiguous grammar in Section 4.3.
I've removed the comment about the Ultima 6 map in Section 6.7.
I've updated Section 6.3 with a link to The Lair of the Evil_Freak.
I've updated Section 6.6.3 with newer information about Shodan Dragon's Warcraft II PUD.
I've updated the email address for Darkling Dragon, Ophidian Dragon,
and Silly Dragon to the email addresses they now use on Usenet. If
anyone want me to use a different email address please let me know.
I've added the Akalabeth port by Dung Dragon and MinerJr to Section
5.4.1. (Now if only Ophidian would grace us with his port. ;))
I've updated Section 1.4 with new abbreviations for Ultima Online 2,
a.k.a., Ultima Worlds Online: Origin and both Runes of Virtue games.
I've updated Section 5.19.3 with the new rec.games.computer.ultima.online FAQ location and mirror site. I've also added the entries to Section 8.1 which was somehow overlooked earlier. :(
I've added Section 5.23 which has a bit of information on Ultima Online 2/Ultima Worlds Online: Origin.
I've added new information to Section 5.18, the console Ultimas.
Thanks go to Paulon Dragon for the bulk of these updates.
[8 July 2000]
I've updated a number of links (Thanks Paulon and Gaseous). I've added information on the Windows Native Ultima 2. I've made an annotation in Section 5.21.1 and Section 5.22.1 about Richard Garriott leaving Origin. I've updated Section 5.20.2 with a pointer to DarkSharp's and WindForce Dragon's Ultima 9 Technical FAQ.
Now here's a question for anyone that has bothered to read this part of the FAQ ;-): would folks be interested in seeing FAQ entries on 'works in progress', such as Exult? Is there anything else you think the FAQ should contain?
[17 April 2000]
I've updated all of my links to point to my new web address.
[3 April 2000]
I've updated the link to Lost Dragon's PC Slowdown page. I've also added an extra warning courtesy of Paulon Dragon about the final Ultima IX patch and save game files from earlier versions.
Finally, I added Bill Jensen, aka Arbuthnot Dragon to the Ultima Celebrities section. Rainbow Dragon relayed the story about him and a nice bit of Ultima trivia concerning the origin of the Ultima 5 Codex coin.
[6 February 2000]
I removed the links to the first two Ultima 9 patches and added a link to the final Ultima 9 patch released by Origin. I also indicated that the Ultima 9 discussion boards are now closed, though some of the technical content is still available.
[27 December 1999]
I added links to the two Ultima 9 patches released by Origin.
[29 November 1999]
On November 23, 1999 Ultima IX shipped. I was hoping to have more detailed troubleshooting information in the FAQ, but the reports are still all over the place. Hopefully the next update (in two weeks) will have concrete solutions.
[31 October 1999]
I added another link for Ultima Online information to section 5.19. This is the FAQ for the newsgroup rec.games.computer.ultima.online.
I've replaced the references to Sith's old Ultima 9 FAQ site with Terilem's new Ultima 9 FAQ site. (Thanks to both Sith and Terrilem for all their efforts!)
I've updated Section 5.8.1 with the new combined Ultima 4 graphics and music patch from Aradindae Dragon and Wiltshire Dragon.
I've added a link to Paulon Dragon's maps for Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, Ultima 7 and Serpent Isle in Section 6.7.
I've also added a link to Paulon Dragon's superb Ultima Gameplay FAQ in Section 5.2.
I've updated Section 4.2.2.1 with new information on the budget release of the Ultima Collection.
[2 August 1999]
I updated the URL for Contrapuntal Dragon's AWE 32 web site (sections 4.8 and 8.1) and Ultima IV download web site (sections 5.8 and 8.2).
[7 June 1999]
I fixed the link for the Ultima 6 Adlib/Soundblaster timing problem fix in sections 5.10.1 and 8.2 to an existing site. It was a link I missed when Erinnyes Dragon's web site ceased to exist.
I updated sections 5.17.1 and 8.2 to an existing location for the
Ultima 8 patches. The Origin Ultima Archives doesn't have the patches.
I fixed the link to the Weyrmount FAQ in sections 7.1.3 and 8.1.
I fixed the link to Excalibur Dragon's Ultima Walkthroughs in Section
8.1.
[23 May 1999]
I added to section 5.6.1 the new Ultima 2 patch by Arthuris Dragon.
I updated section 5.15.1 with the new URL.
I added section 5.16.6 which is the ever popular "How do I save Cantra?"
I added section 6.6.6 which points to two sets of maps for Unreal based on Ultima Underworld 1's first level and the Pits of Carnage in Ultima Underworld 2.
I added the new maps to section 6.7 that have been created by Xe Dragon and Ynnad Dragon.
I fixed the title of Gaseous Dragon's Ultima 7 For Beginners web page in section 8.1.
I fixed the incorrect URL to the Director's Cut of Serpent Isle Introduction in section 8.2 (it was correct in the main body of the FAQ).
Sadly, I removed all reference to Erinnyes Dragon's web site since it no longer exists.
[28 March 1999]
I updated the links to Contrapuntal Dragon's AWE FAQ and his Ultima IV download page to reflect his new web site address.
I added a section about the IBM PC versions of Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 when booting to DOS in Windows 95/98.
I updated the links for the MIDI patches for Ultima Underworld 1 and 2 created by Panzer Dragon to Paulon Dragon's web site. The original web site seems to have disappeared. Thanks go to Paulon for noticing the web site disappeared and for providing a new home for the patches.
[14 March 1999]
I made a number of minor changes while I HTMLized the faq.
[13 March 1999]
Paulon Dragon pointed out the new URL for the Director's Cut version of the Serpent Isle introduction by Denis Loubet.
I also dropped the entries about the UO beta test and filled in the entry for the system requirements for UO: The Second Age.
I've included a section on the Lost Vale addon for Ultima 8: Pagan.
[2 December 1998]
I fixed a problem posting the FAQ with Microplanet Gravity by switching to slrn.
I changed Darkling Dragon's email address at his request.
I updated section 7.1.3 with the location of the new Weyrmount FAQ and maintainer. I also updated the command for getting help while on the Werymount.
[29 November 1998]
I added an entry for QFix which deals with the problem Ultima 7 has
with the Riva 128 video boards.
I added the Ultima map entries and the Director's Cut of Serpent Isle
Intro.
[31 October - 3 November 1998]
I changed the URL for the U2/3 CGA Color Fix, added the General MIDI
Patch for Ultima Underworlds 1/2, and corrected a typo in section 5.17.2. Thanks to Paulon Dragon for pointing these things out.
I made sure all of the URLs mentioned in the body of the FAQ are now in the Summary (Section 8).
[29-30 October 1998]
I added the angle brackets to all URLs and email addresses. I have corrected Vulcan Dragon's email address. I've also made some minor changes suggested by the moderators of the *.answers newsgroups.
I've also decided against posting the FAQ in multiple parts now that I have seen what it looks like and after deciding that I would rather see the whole FAQ propagated instead just parts of it. Oh, the joys of experimenting. ;)
[10-28 October 1998]
I have updated the FAQ to include all of the changes since Erratic's last update (October 15, 1997). This update mainly includes the release of the Ultima Collection, Ultima Online - The Second Age, the new Weyrmount, Ultima 4 availability, and the official
sites for information on Ultima: Ascension (nee Ultima 9).
I have also reformatted the posted FAQ to make it fit (where possible) within 72 columns and checked out all of the URLs to make sure they are still working.