The ubiquitous Publish 16
Posted July 17, 2002 - 12:37 PM PDT by Hatshepsut
Sneezing profusely, I brushed the thick coat of dust from Hatshepsut's dress, and headed for the Destard Champion Spawn. Having been away from UO, for the past few months, I was rather intrigued by how Publish 16 has, or has not, affected the ethos of Felucca dungeons. What I experienced both delighted and disturbed me.
It was quite refreshing to see so many blues in a Felucca dungeon, as I have not seen such a 'sea of blue' since UO:R. If other dungeons are (and stay) as busy as Destard, then the issue of Felucca server utilization is moot. Only time will tell.
However, all is not well in Mudville, as mighty Casey only drew a walk. The risk to reward ratio is now unbalanced in favor of blues. This is evident in that blues loose nothing save gold, gems, "cursed items" and delayed entry back to the dungeon. Reds suffer the same set of restrictions, plus they loose 50% of their goods. In addition, rez killing at Chaos Shrine is in vogue, as packs of righteous bank-sitter heroes compete to get "Knight of Virtue" titles. Talk about cowardly behavior for meaningless labels!
To improve Publish 16, we need to make some changes that will even the playing field just a bit. Here're my suggestions:
1) Blues that die in Fel dungeons should loose 1/3 of their stuff. Reds will still loose half.
2) Reduce dungeon delay timer to 5 or 10 minutes.
3) Allow thieves to steal in dungeons. I hate thieves, and wish them all one-way trips to Pandemonium, but Felucca is incomplete without the pox-face scum.
4) Allow reds to remove a short-term count, if they successfully pk a blue in a dungeon. The benefit of this suggestion is it will allow more non-consensual pvp outside dungeons, as reds can get counts removed simply by playing the game. However, we should set a limit of one count removal per day, so this doesn't get exploited.
5) Make reds that resurrect at the Chaos Shrine immune to attacks for 30 or 45 seconds. This will allow them the time to gain some mana and recall away. The idea is to prevent cheap rez killing at Chaos and to make things a bit fairer.
6) Make characters inside a dwelling immune to Earthquake, Chain Lightning and Meteor spells. This will enable RP evil guilds to run events in peace.
Publish 16 has made RP evil and pks endangered species. UO needs an Endangered Species Protection Act, and I think these proposals, though admittedly modest, are a good starting point.
Hecate
Staff Writer
GUL Network News
Philosophy of Honor; Contemplation of Humanity
Posted July 2, 2002 - 8:59 AM PDT by Adam Ant
Ansidion, came to our board the other day to post this. I don't know him, but I thought it was really nice for someone to take the time out of their day to thank The Guardians of Undead Lords guild for their contributions to UO.
I heard about GUL about 2 years ago from some long lost friend I met on UO. "Their cartoons are really cool (or was it k3w1!)!" He sent me the link and I casually clicked it, not knowing what awaited me on the other side of cyber space.
What I found was a guild based on the protection of the Liche. An interesting concept; a concept that intrigued me, but little more. I looked at the tales. Numerous they were, and very exciting (or as exciting as graphical combat can be I suppose). These tales also intrigued me, but little more. Then I read the posts of the numerous GUL/IUL members. Intelligent group...not the "usual" 15 year-old group who griefs while under claims of some weak excuse of roleplaying. Do you know what I saw? What I saw as an individual? What I perceived as a 16 year old lost in the thralls of technology, education, pressure, and life? Well...I saw honor. And that might be logically impossible, but to confuse the mind even more I FELT honor.
I recently read the posts concerning Mianoumi. You might say that his post sparked my mind. I tossed around my beliefs about GUL...my thoughts about honor. Isn't that odd? Correlating a 3 letter acronym with a human moral concept called honor...boggles the mind. Doesn't that say a lot? GUL...honor.
I think about the different perceptions of honor. The plethora of definitions given to a multi-faceted word. Duty, respect, integrity, fairness...all terms that can be categorized with honor. Indeed, all terms I've known GUL to represent.
I probe a bit deeper while reading the GUL forums, day after day, week after week, month after month...even after quitting UO. What is this guild? A group of individuals who meet in a virtual fantasy game to defend a mythical being? Technically, that's right. No...damnit, that isn't right. It's that part of me, that part of my humanity and soul, that screams "THESE PEOPLE REPRESENT HONOR IN A VIRTUAL WORLD!" How strange...the internet gives us the capability to commit deeds in secret, privacy...without punishment or reprimand (to a degree). We see children, and indeed grown adults, griefing others, exploting others, cheating others, being cruel to others...we watch this. I watch this...I watched it for 4 years. And I ask myself this: What is humanity? What do we represent? What distinguises us? I ask these questions as I watch man degrade his fellow man and then gape as they blurt out in form of excuse, "It's a VIDEO GAME! LOL!"
And then I go back to the link bookmarked in my favorite places with the title of "GUL Forum". I go back to the stories of honor. Honor in a virtual world. Honor in a game of fantasy, of ultimate freedom...of ultimate choice. I think of the pain I see in the real world...is it all that different from the pain seen in the gaming world? I ask myself, "Why come to this site...you aren't part of GUL. It's not real. Hell, you don't even play UO anymore. Yet you always click this link, Ryan (that's me). You get up everyday, and you click this link." And you know what? I think I have the answer. I come to this site because it represents the ideal of humanity which I strive for. Honor. Integrity. Respect. In a world blemished by horrors, both real and virtual, I look for solace. I look for a sacred place to rest my head. Perhaps I am not part of GUL, but you know what? GUL is a part of me.
I contemplate what it takes to affect a young man's life. To reach inside him and quell the storms of tribulation, of pain, of confusion. To make him feel at ease in a world of utter hatred and distrust. What composes serenity? What touches the heart of man? What helps him view humanity as more than evil? I'll tell you...I once was that young man. Hell, still am in truth. And you know what helped me get up everyday? You know what affected me so deeply that I didn't even know it till I watched an arrogant man claiming honor try to demean it? GUL affected me. That 3 letter acronym that represents the true form of human honor. That virtual guild that represents a virtue I don't see represented today in the "real" world, the world that "counts".
We all ask ourselves the "ultimate" question at some point in our lives. What's this life for? I, being more melodramatic than most, ask myself that question almost everyday. I still haven't found the answer, so I move on to another question: Why live? Well, heck...there are lots of answers to this. Raise a family, know true love, become wealthy, famous, and wise. Myself? I live for those rare moments where I glimpse the utter ideal view of humanity at it's moral climax. Those times where you feel GOOD about being here. Not those physical times where you need to induldge in drugs, alcohol, and sex to bring about a feeling of completion. Those times when your metaphysical being feels whole...at peace. And call me a romantic, but honor is an integral part of my soul, my being. To put it simply, honor helps give me definition AND reason to life.
Thinking...it's all I ever seem to do. I think and I feel...and I continue to click my "GUL Forum" link so that I can feel tranquility amidst the chaos...so that I can wake up and say, "Humanity isn't a waste".
Thank you GUL for helping your typical lost teenage American male identify with something he will be able to hold on to for the rest of his life. Thank you GUL for helping me through the roughest times of my life by representing what is most dear to me: Human morality.
-Ansidion
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