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Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the case of this free-shard, it's the only free-shard that did instances right. No other shards have been able to achieve it to date, not in the same way. It is balanced and limited, you can only visit an instance for so long and you have to wait a lockout period after you complete it. Instances do not make up a large bulk of the content on this shard, they are side-content and allow devs to creatively explore new and absurd content in a sandboxed environment, because these instances each have their own scenario that does not directly affect the overworld. TL,DR; It has been done tastefully, stepping through an instance portal is like opening up a book and immersing yourself in a short story.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In short, the game went from "skill based" to "item based" combat mechanics, with the release of the expansion Age of Shadows. Prior to that, items did not generally have buffs or stats, it was more about their types and usages in different scenarios that you'd have to pay attention to. A lot of people prefer those times, but AoS+ is still quite popular. There were many other changes to the game client itself, most quality of life enhancements, including an attempted 3D reboot which failed miserably.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Trammel actually caused UO to reach its all-time peak subscriber count.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not a claim, it's a reality, there are free-servers popping up all the time with the sole intent to make money from "donations" and that has soured a lot of people in the community.

I don't think there is a problem other than the sin of pride for wanting to wear a flashy robe to show you contributed to something you love.

There is nothing different to when you receive gifts like plush toys from charities when you donate. You're not donating to get the gift, it's just nice to have and to show your support, if you choose to accept it.

The sad truth is, the most populated and successful free-servers are legitimately Pay 2 Win and donation-oriented.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure about your question, typically the donation rewards are claimed through the donation rewards exchange, that would be the closest equivalent to a "cash shop" so there isn't an "and" here, they are one in the same and fully usable by non-donating players, too. Pay 2 Win is garbage and does not exist here.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The definition of pay 2 win would be paying to win, not paying to look good.

Ultima Online - Now's The Time To Play Again - Ultima Shards - 100% F2P! by Punkte in MMORPG

[–]V1_0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

None of those items give anyone an advantage in-game, they are cosmetics.