ULTIMA OBSCURA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is ULTIMA OBSCURA?

Ultima Obscura is a complete and total re-imagining of the entire linear canonical Ultima series with a dark gothic sort of twist. This Sossaria is much darker than any you've come to know and shares a completely different history. Things go bump in the night and all is not as it seems. The people and places will seem familiar but the similarity ends there. Be prepared to enter a bleak world on the brink of collapsing on a biblical scale.

What kind of name is ULTIMA OBSCURA?

Following in the tradition of Ultima the Latin language plays a large role in the name. The premise for the story line in Ultima Obscura is far darker than any of the classic Ultima titles. The word Obscura is Latin for Darkness. So in a sense the title is Dark Ultima which I felt was befitting title. If you want to get completely technical Ultima is Latin for vengeance so in a literal sense the title loosely translates to Dark Vengeance.

Why remake the entire Ultima series?

Why not? I'm a huge Ultima fan and have faithfully followed the series since its incarnation. I'm also a huge fan of dark gothic stuff and things that go bump in the night. Since I love stuff that combines different universes or alternate paths through the same universe (like Star Wars Infinities) I thought it would be fun to combine two things I love and create a huge what-if scenario. The only right way to do that is, instead of remaking one part or creating a new story to try and fit in the timeline of the existing canon (which is insane from the perspective of this project), to retell the entire story.

The other reason is that almost every Ultima in the series has at least one remake (most of them very well done I might add - Lazarus comes to mind). I felt that doing just another remake would be boring and provide too many creative constraints. In the end I have to be honest in saying that the project is more for me than any of the hard-core Ultima traditionalists. Like those who hate movies that don't faithful adapt a book and stick to the source material, there will be those who hate this project.

So if you're looking for a modern remake of any of the existing Ultimas with 3D graphics with a faithful storyline or a new story in the existing Ultimaverse, then Ultima Obscura is not the game for you.

How is ULTIMA OBSCURA being created?

Ultima Obscura will be created with an in-house developed engine. Originally we planned on using the RPG Maker line of products but have since found them too limiting in some areas. While the engine itself is not being exclusively developed for this project, we find that having our own engine does not back us into any design corners. In addition their are plans to port the player portion of the engine across Mac and Linux platforms.

The graphics will consist of custom 2D tiles that combine the best of both console style tiles and classic Ultima style tiles.

Why did you choose 2D tiles instead of a 3D engine?

Much like the reason I choose to do this project in general - I absolutely love the genre. I grew up playing the Ultima series and for me the 2D engines are one of the many things that embody the spirit of an Ultima (I could never get into any of the Underworld games in the series for that reason alone).

Can I play ULTIMA OBSCURA although I never played an Ultima before?

Absolutely! Since the story-line for Ultima Obscura is a complete re-imagining of the entire canonical Ultima universe, no prior Ultima knowledge is required. Now if you've played any of the original games (and I highly recommend you do if you haven't because they're awesome) you will definitely recognize certain overlapping story elements, plot points, locations, and characters. Otherwise the most you'll miss are maybe an inside joke or two.

Is ULTIMA OBSCURA a stand-alone game?

From almost every standpoint a resounding yes. Ultima Obscura will be built with a custom in-house engine which generates completely stand-alone games. You are not required to own engine or any of the existing Ultima games. In addition Ultima Obscura is a complete re-imagining of the entire Ultima series. With the exception of locations, characters, and some overlapping plot elements, the world of Ultima Obscura can not, does not, and will not jive with the canonical Ultima series - it is completely a stand-alone production.

How will Ultima's story be changed?

Without getting too deep into spoiler territory, the story will revolve around the player discovering new abilities and a secret world that most mundane folk never knew existed. Unlike the classic Ultimas the player is not originally from Earth and is not summoned at the beginning of each volume. You start in Sossaria each time however just who you are is a key part of the overall plot.

The main story of Ultima Obscura is divided into three volumes with each corresponding to similar events from one of the original three ages with short periods of time between each (not years like in the classics):

Volume 1: Covenants - events and characters from The Age of Darkness (Ultima 1-3).
Volume 2: Revelations - events and characters from The Age of Enlightenment (Ultima 4-6).
Volume 3: Nightmares - events and characters from The Age of Armageddon (Ultima 7-9).

Will the world be the same as any previous Ultima?

Yes and no. The world in Ultima Obscura is probably more closely related to the world in Ultima I from a terrain standpoint. The main world map includes Britannia, Serpent Isle, and Morgaelin. Serpent Isle and Morgaelin closely resemble the continents as they originally appeared (Ultima: Serpent Isle and Ultima: Pagan respectively) in scale and terrain. The continent of Britannia on the other hand more closely resembles the Britannia from Ultima IX because I happen to like that one. Even though I chose the Ultima IX Britannia I've tried to locate cities, castles, and dungeons as close to their original locations as possible (Ultima IX shuffled around a few locations which most don't like). In addition the world has frozen north and south polar regions.

How the world itself works is a bit different than that of classic Ultimas. Magic is not as common and most people don't even believe in it for the most part. Hordes of non-human creatures (such as trolls, ettins, orc, undead, headlesses, dragons, etc), while they do exist, don't run rampant in the game world - in fact they're the stuff of nightmares. The role of magic and that which these creatures play is actually part of the plot.

Another element that will be different (and one I'll probably get some heat and much criticism from the traditionalist for) is the setting. I've bumped things up from the Medieval time period to the Victorian era. Yes that changes a lot of stuff - from housing to equipment and weapons.

Will I be forced down a virtuous path or can I be evil?

You can indeed be evil if you so choose. However I can't guarantee the game with be completable should you follow the dark path as virtues in some form do play a role in the plot.

Will ULTIMA OBSCURA feature single or dual scale maps?

I've choosen to use dual-scale maps as opposed to single scale. The reason being is I always felt the dual scale maps made the game world feel much larger. Maps for locales can consist of more than one map in a more linked Zelda like fashion instead of being a fixed proportion. This is one of the many great features of our custom engine and keeps locations versatile in the sense that they can grow in certain directions without the worry of having too much unused space.

Will dungeons in ULTIMA OBSCURA be 3D or 2D?

Dungeons will be more consistent with the Ultima 6 and 7 style 2D dungeons.

Will combat be turn-based or real-time?

While combat and action are not heavily focused on in Ultima Obscura conflict does inevitably happen. To address combat a turn-based system in the spirit of Ultima V's combat system is being designed.

Will ULTIMA OBSCURA feature optional side-quests?

Absolutely, this is one of the many things I've always loved about the classic Ultimas.

Will ULTIMA OBSCURA feature console style mini-games?

No. Personally I find mini-games distracting and take you out of the story. Unless there's an interactive activity relating to the plot that can be misconstrued as a mini-game (such as baking bread or creating items or participating in a town activity) then there are no mini-games.

How much of an RPG element will ULTIMA OBSCURA feature?

I'm a plot kinda guy so you'll find that Ultima Obscura reflects that with strong emphasis on story elements over combat, stats, and leveling. While the later exists to some degree, they are not the driving points of the game. Like Ultima IV forward, character growth in Ultima Obscura is done in ways other that just building stats.

Can I choose the gender of my character?

Undecided at this time - However I haven't run across any outstanding arguments against it.

Will the gypsy play a role in choosing my class like other Ultimas?

Yes but not quite like in classic Ultimas. She will ask a series of questions and the results will affect certain aspects of your character. But don't expect it to be anything immediately visible - you'll still start in the same location and classes are non-existent in Ultima Obscura.

Are you adding new weapons and spells?

Of course. With a Victorian era setting expect more firearms and less swords and sorcery though.

Are all of the original NPCs going to be used?

There will be plenty of familiar names throughout Ultima Obscura. Some doing the same stuff they've always done and others in surprisingly new roles.

Will NPCs have schedules?

Yes. NPC schedules is a specific feature of the custom engine.

Will there be branching dialog?

Yes. The engine will feature a custom branching dialog system.

Will the companions be included?

Yes and some will even join your party.

Will I get to travel to other worlds?

There are specific plot elements related to this I'd rather not spoil.

Does ULTIMA OBSCURA use existing Ultima maps?

Mostly when possible. The world map of Sossaria has been expanded to include Serpent Isle and Morgaelin.

How big is the game world?

Huge... If I had to take a guess I'd say at least three times the size of Ultima VI. Since we are still early in the design phase thats subject to change.

How linear will the ULTIMA OBSCURA be?

The opening chapters will be a little bit linear. But once you are past that point the world opens up and most quests can be done in any order.

Will you reuse any of the original music?

Not directly. Most of the original tracks were a little too chipper for the atmosphere of Ultima Obscura. There are a handful of tracks from the Ultima 5: Lazarus project which I aim to get permission to use. Outside of those an entirely new soundtrack will be written as well as darker versions of some of the more classic material.

What will I need to play ULTIMA OBSCURA?

System Requirements for ULTIMA OBSCURA will be the same as the custom designed engine. It is too early in the design phase to nail down any specific requirements just yet though.

How much will ULTIMA OBSCURA cost?

Absolutely nothing. No really, it will be TOTALLY FREE. In fact if I even dreamed of charging anything EA would shut this project down in a heartbeat.

How large will the download be?

Since we are in early design it's really hard to say. But being that the entire soundtrack will be recorded in MP3 audio (sorry I don't do MIDI tracks), expect a pretty hefty download. In the end each volume should fit easily on a CD so definitely no more than 700MB tops (and thats a worse case scenario) each.

When is ULTIMA OBSCURA going to be released?

This is a fan production and is worked on during precious free time. So it will be done when it's done.

My question wasn't answered, how can I find out more?

Drop me a line at avatar@ultimaobscura.com