EUO

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EUO is an Ultima-based ORPG with many influences, varying from Diablo-style hack'n'slash to NetHack quirks. It is closely tied to the Origin Ultima V RPG.

Created originally by eggmceye to be a rogue-like game named Balrog in 1998, it was quickly turned into an Ultima-like game with the discovery of an Ultima 4 tileset created by Josh Steele, giving the game its retro feel. Over the past seven years, it has slowly evolved into an ORPG with a small but growing fanbase spanning two servers, each one incorporating slighty different gameplay. In those seven years, the game has grown from a four player only server to one that incorporates a full Ultima V magic system, including the Runic alphabet, crafting and creature taming. It also contains numerous easter eggs in tribute to NetHack.

1 "Grind" server (Reg)
2 "No Grind" server (alpha)
3 "Permadeath" server
4 Clans
5 EUO Wiki
6 External links

[edit] "Grind" server (Reg)

This server is level-based (like most RPGs, i.e. kill monsters, do quests, gain experience) and is the server which has the most players. Also, like most RPGs, there are a set of classes which your character can become. Classes are determined by a player's current skills, rather than by strict templates. There are three base stats (strength, dexterity, intelligence), as in Ultima V ; on top of these is a percentile skill system.

Fighters specialises in close-combat skills (maces, axes, polearms, longswords, unarmed combat) and tactics
Mages specialises in the use of magic (both offensive and defensive)
Rogues specialises in stealth, locks, traps and a range of weaponry (shortswords, foils, ranged weapons)

In addition to levels, each player can specialise their character with the above skills. Contrary to the meaning of percentage, there is a 125% limit to what can be allocated to class skills - meaning you can spend 100% to become a complete fighter and 25% to enable you to use either mage skills or rogue skills, or 75% in rogue and mage skills.

The magic system follows the Ultima V version, with eight circles of magic, each with familiar spells (such as Vas Mani and Xen Corp). It is split into three parts: sorcery (offensive), piety (defensive) and magery (misc spells, such as In Por (blink) and creature summoning). The magic system uses the Ultima runic alphabet, and spells are cast by typing in the spell name in runic: e.g earthquake is cast by typing in the first letter of each component, which is In Vas Por Ylem. Spells (and other functions) can be bound to F1-8 as hot-keys.

In a counter-point to the Diabloesque gameplay, there is a full crafting system, with an attempt at a player driven economy. Crafting skills include: Woodcrafting, blacksmithing, mining, fishing, alchemy, inscription (making magical scrolls), tailoring, cartography (with randomised treasure hunting), animal taming (with pet ownership, feeding and loyalty ingame) and enchanting amongst others. There are player merchants, and magical items above a certain level can only be created by players.

NPCs are based on the Ultima V parser system, with many quests triggered via the key word system familiar to those who've played the Origin RPG. The current NPC list is over 200 separate conversations. There is also a functioning criminal system, with unjustified PvP attacks flagging a player as a criminal, causing NPC guards to attack the player, and NPC merchants to refuse to trade with them.

There are over 20 dungeons, some of which are over 6 100x100 play areas, interlinked. There is a map editor available, and player made dungeons have been added throughout the game's history.

Levelling is done via Shrines, which closely matches the Ultima V system: there is a shrine to each Virtue, with each giving a different stat bonus. E.g. The shrine of Valor gives +6 strength.

[edit] "No Grind" server (alpha)

This server was used for testing the engine and additions to the main game, and has since closed. However, eggmceye has recently discovered Lua programming language so it is likely that any new projects will be tested on a new alpha server. Currently, this looks to be an Apocalypse mod, using the same engine with the benefits of Lua scripting. The Apocalypse mod is being discussed as a tribute to classic post-WWIII games such as Wasteland (also by Origin) and Fallout.

[edit] "Permadeath" server

The Permanent death server is an alternate server for those to get away from the regular server and the alpha server. The PD server is an oldschool server which was taken down when the arrival of the alpha server came along, but was soon brought back up because of the interest in the oldschool PD server. The Permanent Death server now uses the alpha server skill system, with the exception of the armor skills. The PD server's skills and experience/levels are much faster than that of the regular server.

Players gain skills 13 times as fast and experience ten times as fast. There is also an optional remort option, which a player can choose at level 75. If a player chooses to do so, he keeps his level, but his experience is reset as if he was level 1 again, making it faster to level up. The character loses 2/3 of its stats, but the player can choose where to put the last 1/3, and also receives a 200% class cap instead of the original 125%, and two resurrection stones (thus granting the player two additional lives.)

Don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of times you die. The current record holder for deaths (sum of deaths on any character any server) is Zeddicus.

[edit] Clans

There are a handful of clans, most have their own map called a guild hall which is used just for show. Clans benefit from being able to play in clan CTF matches, amongst other things.