I admit I haven't played an "Ultima" game since around 1983-84, and thus my memories of the game are hazy, but I do have some possibly-relevant inputs into the discussion. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever read "praise" that covered this aspect of the game, so maybe my viewpoint is unique! :-)
My high-school computer club was basically a video-game oasis during school hours when members had "study hall" periods. (Hmm, I wonder if that had anything to do with me doing poorly in classes and such?). Among the games that were played heavily on the club's Apple II system was "Ultima II & III." (There were MANY other games, since we had access to lots of pirated Apple II software).
The "Ultima" games look primitive today, but the low-tech approach (by even then-contemporary standards) may have something to do with its appeal! There were no super-cool graphics (most of the gfx consisted of stick figures and simple icon-based imagery), heavy animation, smooth-scrolling maps, complicated battle systems, or heavy resource management/inventory systems. While this sounds like criticism of the game, it actually stripped the game down to bare essentials and made the game FAST-PACED!
I can't think of a faster-paced RPG than Ultima II (or III), even accounting for modern RPGs. Your character, free from "walking" animations or smooth-scrolling maps, was able to ZIP around the map at nearly "Sonic the Hedgehog" speeds! Technically, your "hero" was faster than Sonic, since he was technically travelling hundreds of miles in a second! As fast as you could hit a movement key, your character sped across the terrain! This allowed you to "fast-forward" past the usually snooze-inducing travelling and get right to the good parts (battle, conversing with NPC's, etc.).
Battle pretty much consisted of "attack" and "run." Again, it was fast-paced, and could almost be arcade-like as you ran away, with other monsters trying to surround you and cut you off. If you were surrounded or trapped against the terrain, you were toast! It was very exciting; the simplistic battles pretty much threw out all the usual RPG strategies and was more about positioning yourself against your enemies.
NPC's generally were either informative or amusing (or both!). There was a whimsical feel to these Ultima games that made them appealing. They didn't take themselves too seriously, yet were not "cutesy" in a "JRPG" way.
The sound effects were minimal (at least in the non-soundcard-enhanced versions), but the attack and especially the "hit" sound effects were effective. When you got hit, the odd "buzz-scream-crunch" sound effect (that's the best way I can describe it) made you "feel" it!
The graphics were primitive, but the large world-map made exploration fun and intriguing, especially since you could explore it so speedily! The world-map exploration also set this fantasy RPG apart from the other "dungeon-crawl" RPG's of the time, which seemed like mere maze games in comparison. Rogue? Maze game. Wizardry? Maze game. Temple of Apshai? Maze game. (Hey, wait a minute, I liked Temple of Apshai!) The large, varied map gave Ultima an EPIC feel! Could you travel the seas and fight in a ship in these other games? No. Could you explore entire continents in these other games? No. Could you explore entire towns in these games? No. And so on and so on. Plus, you didn't have to "map" your way around like you did in games like "Wizardry," which was a plus for lazy bums like me.
Ultimas II and III were fast paced, approachable, uncomplicated, light-hearted fantasies for the masses. "Wizardry," its closest competitor, was highly technical and "hardcore" in comparison. Needless to say, I've never played "Wizardry," and was bored to tears watching other club members play it.
I don't remember the "3D dungeon crawl" parts of Ultima II at all, but reading "Dungeons & Desktops," I think I realize why: they were boring and irrelevant to the gameplay, which is why we probably didn't enter them much. It was much more fun to speed across the countryside and hack away at monsters....
(BTW, I did play a "freeware" knockoff of "Ultima II" on the Amiga many years ago, and I played it to the end. I forgot what it was called, though, but it is available on Aminet and it was very fun!)
"The Legend of Zelda" on the NES was clearly Ultima-inspired, but in trying to be "modern," it took away much of the "speedy" fun of Ultima, and thus I didn't like it.
I admit I haven't played an "Ultima" game since around 1983-84, and thus my memories of the game are hazy, but I do have some possibly-relevant inputs into the discussion. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever read "praise" that covered this aspect of the game, so maybe my viewpoint is unique! :-)
My high-school computer club was basically a video-game oasis during school hours when members had "study hall" periods. (Hmm, I wonder if that had anything to do with me doing poorly in classes and such?). Among the games that were played heavily on the club's Apple II system was "Ultima II & III." (There were MANY other games, since we had access to lots of pirated Apple II software).
The "Ultima" games look primitive today, but the low-tech approach (by even then-contemporary standards) may have something to do with its appeal! There were no super-cool graphics (most of the gfx consisted of stick figures and simple icon-based imagery), heavy animation, smooth-scrolling maps, complicated battle systems, or heavy resource management/inventory systems. While this sounds like criticism of the game, it actually stripped the game down to bare essentials and made the game FAST-PACED!
I can't think of a faster-paced RPG than Ultima II (or III), even accounting for modern RPGs. Your character, free from "walking" animations or smooth-scrolling maps, was able to ZIP around the map at nearly "Sonic the Hedgehog" speeds! Technically, your "hero" was faster than Sonic, since he was technically travelling hundreds of miles in a second! As fast as you could hit a movement key, your character sped across the terrain! This allowed you to "fast-forward" past the usually snooze-inducing travelling and get right to the good parts (battle, conversing with NPC's, etc.).
Battle pretty much consisted of "attack" and "run." Again, it was fast-paced, and could almost be arcade-like as you ran away, with other monsters trying to surround you and cut you off. If you were surrounded or trapped against the terrain, you were toast! It was very exciting; the simplistic battles pretty much threw out all the usual RPG strategies and was more about positioning yourself against your enemies.
NPC's generally were either informative or amusing (or both!). There was a whimsical feel to these Ultima games that made them appealing. They didn't take themselves too seriously, yet were not "cutesy" in a "JRPG" way.
The sound effects were minimal (at least in the non-soundcard-enhanced versions), but the attack and especially the "hit" sound effects were effective. When you got hit, the odd "buzz-scream-crunch" sound effect (that's the best way I can describe it) made you "feel" it!
The graphics were primitive, but the large world-map made exploration fun and intriguing, especially since you could explore it so speedily! The world-map exploration also set this fantasy RPG apart from the other "dungeon-crawl" RPG's of the time, which seemed like mere maze games in comparison. Rogue? Maze game. Wizardry? Maze game. Temple of Apshai? Maze game. (Hey, wait a minute, I liked Temple of Apshai!) The large, varied map gave Ultima an EPIC feel! Could you travel the seas and fight in a ship in these other games? No. Could you explore entire continents in these other games? No. Could you explore entire towns in these games? No. And so on and so on. Plus, you didn't have to "map" your way around like you did in games like "Wizardry," which was a plus for lazy bums like me.
Ultimas II and III were fast paced, approachable, uncomplicated, light-hearted fantasies for the masses. "Wizardry," its closest competitor, was highly technical and "hardcore" in comparison. Needless to say, I've never played "Wizardry," and was bored to tears watching other club members play it.
I don't remember the "3D dungeon crawl" parts of Ultima II at all, but reading "Dungeons & Desktops," I think I realize why: they were boring and irrelevant to the gameplay, which is why we probably didn't enter them much. It was much more fun to speed across the countryside and hack away at monsters....
(BTW, I did play a "freeware" knockoff of "Ultima II" on the Amiga many years ago, and I played it to the end. I forgot what it was called, though, but it is available on Aminet and it was very fun!)
"The Legend of Zelda" on the NES was clearly Ultima-inspired, but in trying to be "modern," it took away much of the "speedy" fun of Ultima, and thus I didn't like it.
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