2010-06-28: Siege Perilous

Siege Perilous

Posted by Calvin "Uriah" Crowner, May 28, 2010 on Stratics

This note is to let you understand my current interest in Siege:

First, you should know that I did not do all my research simply based on posts and player surveys. I’ve actually consulted the developers who were behind the development of Seige and UO before the 3rd Dawn Expansion. I know some of the players have been around that long, but I also think you need to understand two things:

There have been many updates and changes to the game since that time, and many changes to the Dev Team and expectations on what makes a solid game.

Given this: the initial intent of siege was not pain and grind … The intent was to paraphrased “Add a game layer” to the [then] anarchy of Ultima Online. Anarchy, meaning that yes there was risk and peril, but from the perspective of the development team at that time UO had become a place where the fun was not thoroughly about the exploration but the “challenge” in doing that exploring. Many folks have fond memories of that time because the game concept and the thrills and emotions it evoked were new.

However, it seemed that while the intent to lay a bit of order over the chaos, with some form of structure was good intentionally, it may have fallen just short in its execution. In addition, over time the shard was not supported.

That brings us to now.

I’ve read the emails, and I’ve contact Bruin directly and given my feedback on both expected development time and what it would take to commit the resources to that.

Before we began work in earnest on Stygian Abyss there was an update to RoT … it did very little to increase PCU (peak current users) or increase the population or interest on Siege. Mildly, turning up the heat on the frog may not be the best solution. Sometimes incremental changes are not so easily felt or appreciated. In addition, those changes to insure balance and not breaking other things took two months of “behind the scenes” development and testing.

I have stated this before: We often do not share what we are working on because when we do we are suddenly held to what at the time may have been a feasible timeline, but things happen … and dates are very unforgiving once set.

One thing that my team knows about me is that once I set my teeth into something I rarely let go of it. Example: Stygian Abyss, the EM program, player memorials and a few other decisions that remain in the ether. I am 95% certain this post will be met with “believe it when I see it” and a certain amount of discord. You don’t have to trust me, I am not asking for trust, nor am I asking for patience, I am asking you honestly set your mind on what you want and to be absolutely certain it will have the impact you expect.

Yes we’re developers, and it is our responsibility to make these kind of decisions, so if this list is what you can agree on, then for our part we’ll determine the best use of our resources to bring the best of these ideas to fruition. There are 25 other shards … Siege is the independent ruleset that we’ve been given to nurture and maintain. It will then be up to you to help us determine how you move forward.

Happy hunting.

Calvin Crowner Producer, Ultima Online