How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
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What class should the avatar-to-be be?
How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 4th October 2013, 10:49 pm
Except, some people thought they were "demony" (or whatever), particularly III, which had a demon on the cover. They said they had demonic influence, obviously never bothering to actually play the game (or, if they did, interepted it very oddly). One such group was the infamous Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons group, which was lead by an idiot parent. That is not personal opinion.
Anyway, if Wikipedia is correct (or what I got from it was correct), Richard basically said "fuck it". If people were going to make weird and unbased assumptions about his games, then they'll be good, damn it. And so, Ultima IV was born.
Ultima IV is (if TV Tropes is correct) the great-grandaddy of all modern RPGs. It inspired Dragon Quest, which inspired (if only somewhat) Final Fantasy. Anyway, it was one of the older RPGs, and for the computer. We're not playing that version; instead, we're playing the Sega Master System version. Mainly because I can't memorize all the hotkeys and shit. ._.
Anyway, some info and what I need you guys to vote on:
- The Virtues:
The Virtues encompass the main goal of Ultima IV. There is no final boss, so to speak: the only evil is with you. And, well, the monsters, but. This was revolutionary for the time; even the earlier Ultimas had final bosses! (Oddball ones, especially in the case of III, but I disgress.) Heck, there's still final bosses today! Ultima IV is an oddball. Anyway, you're to became masters of the virtues, which are formed from various combinations of the principles Truth, Love, and Courage. They were inspired by the Wizard of Oz, fun fact. Anyway, they are:Honesty - Y'know, being honest. Consisting solely of Truth, you gain it by...being truthful and paying what you should. You lose it by ripping off merchants and looting shit that isn't yours (treasure from mobs is fair game; treasure in, say, a castle isn't).
Compassion - Showing compassion to everything (or most of it, anyway). Obviously consisting solely of Love, you gain it by letting non-evil monsters (i.e. stuff that attacks you out of instinct like snakes, or humans) flee or giving gold to the poor. You lose it by killing said non-evil monsters.
Valor - Not fleeing in the face of danger. Courage, obviously. You gain it by killing (evil) monsters, but you lose it by running from anything. Even non-evil monsters.
Justice - The fusion of Truth and Love (as indicated by the color). I have no idea how you'd move up in justice, but losing it is akin to losing Compassion: kill non-evil shit and take what isn't yours. It was mistakenly (and painstakingly) labelled as the fusion of Truth and Courage in Ultima IX (which is a load of shite, but that's neither here nor there right now), but they at least made sense with it.
Sacrifice - Self-sacrifice, making that clear. The fusion of Love and Courage (because you typically love those you sacrifice for, and you need courage to do it). Giving blood (which is a hindering thing; more when we get to it) and giving gold to the poor (I don't know the exact mechanics of it; it could be every time or only when you give your last) makes you more sacrificial (?), and fleeing makes you less so.
Honor - The fusion of Courage and Honesty. Completing quests will get you honor, while taking gold (again, I assume only from townspeople) and getting the first strike on a non-evil being (I think) will hurt it.
Spirituality - is annoying to type because I did it in white. Which is its color, being a blend of Love, Truth, and Courage. It's, y'know, spiritualness. I dunno, Richard Garriot didn't know, so whatever. Anyway, you gain spirituality by visiting the seer who gives you a rough indication on how good you are on virtues and meditating at shrines. Hey, you try to decipher this stuff!
Humility - Humility is based on none of the principles, being the antithesis of pride. I guess. I dunno. Anyway, you gain Humility by...being humble in dialouge options. This might help, I dunno.
- Classes:
- Spoiler:
jesus christ this thing is huge
The classes are:
Mage - Hopefully I don't need to explain these, but I might need to explain how their tricks work...later. Mages tie in with the virtue of Honesty, which is ironic because they have something that will destroy your Honesty stat. If you give in, that is. And you probably will, because it's vital to mages.
Bard - They're in here because Richard Garriot had no other options, as thief was out. They have some - but not a lot - of magical ability (about 1/2), but they have large DEX scores.
Fighter - They're brutes that beat the shit out of stuff. 'Nuff said. They get a large bonus to STR, which helps them beat the shit out of stuff, so!
Druid - Think of them as semi-red mages: they wield a variety of weapons and can wield a nice deal of magic. They practice justice and protect the woods.
Tinker - These guys are aware of the amount of sacrifice needed in their line of work, and do it anyway. They have limited magical ability, but are pretty dexterious and have good strength.
Paladin - "What is a paladin?" ...anyway, these guys have the typical light magic ability and are awesome at wielding weapons.
Ranger - Rangers, being all spiritual and shit, have light magical ability (about the same as bards) and have small bonuses to everything.
Shepherd - ...nothing. Jack fucking nothing. They don't have any magical ability, nor do they have awesome-ass stats. There is nothing good that you get from being a Shepherd. (Until IX, where you kicked ass and chewed bubblegum...but Ultima IX sucked ass. Like Shepherds.)
...it just occurred to be that I spelled Shepherd wrong.
the Avatar-to-be's name
the gender of said person
and the class of your character, presented via questions of what you value.
So we need a vote of character class, name, and gender!
(You may notice that Paladin, Ranger, and Bard aren't on the list. This is because the people who join your party that are those classes are considered the canonical companions of the Avatar, and it just doesn't feel right, doing it without them.)
And if this is wordy - that's because it's an old CRPG.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Guest 4th October 2013, 11:18 pm
Which class has the cutest girls?
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 4th October 2013, 11:22 pm
I have absolutely no idea. 
I like Maria (who is the Mage) the most, but eh.
This is the list of all of the companions in Ultima IV. All eight of them.
I like Maria (who is the Mage) the most, but eh.This is the list of all of the companions in Ultima IV. All eight of them.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Guest 4th October 2013, 11:42 pm
Oh God...... This is the game with the creepy faces in it...... 
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 5th October 2013, 8:54 am
No, that was Ultima VI. This doesn't even have faces.
So we're using the earliest, non-creepy faces for reference.
So we're using the earliest, non-creepy faces for reference.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Guest 5th October 2013, 11:44 am
Ah, I see.
Eh, just go with Maria.
Eh, just go with Maria.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 5th October 2013, 11:54 am
...so, don't do a mage?
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Guest 5th October 2013, 12:19 pm
I thought you said she was the mage? 
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 5th October 2013, 12:24 pm
Yes, she's the Mage party member. The way the party works is that you can have (well, you need to have them if you have beating the game in your best interests) one character from every class in your party. This means that being a Mage would forsake us from having Mariah forever.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 6th October 2013, 12:16 pm
Fighter is good. I at least know how to kill stuff with it. 
protip: don't use axes or swords or stuff like that
Also, I love how interested everybody is. Probably shoulda stuck with Final Fantasy...
incidentally, FFVII is not dead, I just haven't had time to work on an update.
Also, I love how interested everybody is. Probably shoulda stuck with Final Fantasy...
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 6th October 2013, 10:07 pm
I hope there's somebody watching this. Otherwise I wasted time I could've spent on FFXIV.
I had no fucking time for XIV. I will flip if no one reads this. even if it turns out to be pointless anyway
Step 1: Find some bros
I had no fucking time for XIV. I will flip if no one reads this. even if it turns out to be pointless anyway
Step 1: Find some bros
- Or alternatively, bros and a ranger:
What? Erdrick's a good name for those dispelling evil.
I also put in the gender as male, as Erdrick is a guy's name, unlike Steve.
So, the Avatar-to-be has personal issues.
Britannia is doomed.
This sounds legit, actually.
Ah, relaxation seems nice. But when does the game begi -
Whoa. I can't show it in screenshots, but the blue rectangle rose up from the ground. I don't know why, it seems neat to me.
Again, it disappears by sinking into the ground. I have no idea why this fascinates me, but it does.
The ankh is the symbol of spirituality.
The book...
...and the map, can't forget about the map...
Erdrick knows how to read arcane languages.
Sweet.
...anyway, they're...
...um...
...swag obtained with the original game. I have a superior version of the map online, and...I have no idea what the book does besides ~flavor~. So.
Weird.
Oh. You know how those Renaissance Fairs are, sneaky as a ninja (ironically enough).
The worst part is that nothing resembling the Avatar (or what could assume to be the Avatar) is in the picture.
There we go.
Although I don't think we (I) know him...
Hrm.
Wait, why would he allow me passage with an ankh? Aren't those Egyptian?
Bah, people are weird.
Um.
Okay.
Didn't know we were - oh, these must be one of those phony-ass companies that try to give you advice on life.
Run, man, ru - oh, this is the opening sequence.
Goddammit.
C'mon, please?
Oh, this is where we determine class and shit.
Oh.
Anyway, a bit on how this works. The gypsy will read you a scenario and give you two virtuous options to chose from. The last one you chose marks the class you get, and thus the companion you don't.
The choices before then also make an impact on your stats. This is how it works - each principle is tied to one of the three stats (Love = DEX, Truth = INT, and Courage = STR). The virtue card you pick gives you a bonus based on the principle the virtue is founded on - Sacrifice, for example, would give +1 STR and +1 DEX, being Courage + Love. The exception is the virtues that are based on one principle, giving +3 to one stat.
Because we're aiming for Fighter and we can't transfer characters, we should pick:
- Valor (+3 STR)
- Compassion (+3 DEX)
- Sacrifice (+1 STR and +1 DEX)
- Spirituality (+1 all)
So let's begin!
Bah, of course we start out with the question that gives the +1 INT/+1 relevant stat for both. Eh, honor.
...?
Spirituality.
Valor!
Compassion. 3 > 2
Eh, in real life I'd say A). But Honor raises a non-relevant stat (INT), so Spirituality!
He's my fucking mortal enemy. Off with his head!
Trounce him!
._.
California, California, California...
...this isn't California.
Anyway, let's go over the screen, shall we? On the right is our character's status. He's doing fine, which is why the G is there. The 00 is his magic points. Being a fighter, he doesn't have any.
Over that, F: 0300 is his food rations. It goes pretty slowly while we have one guy, but it depletes quicker when we have more.
The left is simply the world. On top of it is our current gold, while next to that is the moon phase.
The bottom of the screen is the log. It records everything we do - even in what direction we go.
Playing is pretty similar to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.
Here is your menu! Talk and Attack are (almost for attack) exactly what you'd expect them to be. So is Get Chest (chests are the main source of coinage). Use...uses an inventory item. Ready is equipment, Search...searches (where you are), and Camp...
Well, Erdrick isn't an idiot and doesn't throw away his Tent after he uses it. So unlimited resting! ...that can be interrupted and doesn't always restore HP to full. But still nifty. New Order changes the order (but Erdrick *must* be in front), and you must know the other two.
So we
just to get a ranged weapon for Erdrick. Jhelom sucks otherwise.
Yeah, you have to get something from here, and there's Geoferry (pretend I spelled that right) if you aren't a fighter. But I need magic to get that - something I lack now - and Jeffy isn't here.
O:
I was wrong, but crossbows > slings
Unfortunately, I lack the funds for one. What are the funds, you ask? I have no fucking idea.
So we ditch this place
And wait.
Wait for what? For the first moon to be First Quarter and the second moon to be...something not First Quarter.
Why?
Remember this? This is a moongate. Where they are depends on the phase of the first moon, and where they go depends on the phase of the second moon.
You need a guide to know where you're going.
Moongates are animated, but I'm lazy, so here's it from the original PC version (which is more impressive, all things considered):
Anyway! It's Last Quarter, so we're going to...
Skara Brae! "Slow progress" is what happens when you go through a forest. Being like PMD, I think everything else gets two turns.
And near the entrance is the guy we're looking for!
I had some hand-drawn stuff, but I lost it. ._.
So instead: things from everything but Ultima.
: Hey Shamino.
: How do you know who I am?: Almost-not-really Avatarly magic! ...anyway, I want you to join me on my quest to kick ass.: ...fiiiiiine. In the original version of Ultima IV, you didn't want to be a ranger at all because Shamino would still spawn and you couldn't talk to the ankh (yes, the ankh can talk) which was needed to progress (at the time, at least). You had to kill him, but that's a loss in Virtue.
Anyway, Shamino joins us. He's a ranger, which means he actually has some magical ability! Not enough, but eh.
He also comes at level 2. We started at level 3. Kinda weird for a Richard Garriot self-insert, eh?
Oh, and Shamino = Richard Garriot. Many Ultima characters are inspired by people Garriot knew. He knows himself, so why not?
Here's Erdrick's stats, too. It sucks that his DEX is lower then his INT, but eh. Most importantly is his STR. If this was a later Ultima, it would almost be maxed out (the stat cap is 30).
I dunno, it seems awesome. If only because he'll hit the max STR at level 7 (out of 8; shocker, huh?).
See?: ohmigod it's an ankh...um, I dunno. Job?
☥: I keep the secret of the Rune.: Rune?
☥: Mantra?: OM.
☥: Search for the Rune of Spirituality in the treasure vault of Britannia!: Darn it.: How did you know that?: Let's face it: one of the mantras was OM.
Would you guys care if I searched up the mantras, or would you rather me look legitly?
: Name?
: I am Carlyle.: Job?: I write magic. Dost thou believe in magic?: Yeah, though I'm not inclined to use it.: Iceball needs Pearl and Mandrake Root!: Bah, screw it, Mandrake Roots are rare. Magic?: Why are you asking him about magic?: I don't know!: One lives by believing in something.: Believing?: Great discoveries are made by those whose feelings run ahead of their thinking!: That was nonsensical.
: Job?
: I quest.: Quest?: Many quests are very dangerous! Art thou fearless in all things?
This answer is humble.
Humble answers give +10 humility.
If what I believe is right, you need to get 100 points in a virtue to become a partial Avatar.
So repeat that last bit of the conversation 9 more times. I'm humble as fuck.
Now we're waiting for a Moongate at either *consults map* Gibbous Waning or Crescent Waxing. Skara Brae is Last Quarter, remember.
We're in!
aaaand where the fuck are we
Goddammit, Shamino!
Wait, I remember here! Shamino, you're not a fuck-up!: Why are you targeting me?: Because you are a ranger that started at level 2.
Combat is pretty much the same this as the overworld, except this time you can attack things and get good results!
And no saving. Or camping in general.
Oh, and! EXP is only given to the killer.
Then the thing started acting up and I had to do all of that again.
...bah, screw it. I'll do it later. I'm fucking fed up right now.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Guest 7th October 2013, 1:01 am
Someone's thinking of Luma.Lief wrote:
California, California, California...
...this isn't California.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Truthseeker4449 7th October 2013, 7:15 am
I thought Luma lived in Alaska.
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Re: How to be an Avatar - Ultima IV
by Lief Katano 7th October 2013, 8:20 am
No, she lives in California. We went over this.
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