The whole intro sequence to Ultima IV was kind of creepy when you think about it. This woman just sitting there JUDGING ME on the spot for not knowing how to answer those damn cryptic questions. What did they do in the game, anyway? I could never figure it out, but then again Ultima was always a little bit complex for me. Actually, anything this side of Pong is a bit complex for me.
The Master System version was a bit meh, but it was awesome they tried anyway!
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The trouble with humor is that if you’re doing it right, you’ve probably offended someone. Take this present situation. As someone who was recently welcomed into the BDSM community, I feel I must object to this comic strip’s portrayal of the gypsy woman…
“And by that I mean answer some ethically tricky multiple choice questions for no apparent reason”?
C’mon, it’s not that hard to figure out.
The entire point of Ultima IV is to define what it means to lead a good life. But what does that mean? Often good men can argue bitterly over the definition of good. Embracing one ideal, means turning your back on another.
It’s a heady concept for an 8-bit game, but it was the only honest way to answer a challenge from a fan of Ultima who was offended by the 3rd game’s lack of morality. In that game, you could murder innocent townspeople, steal all they owned, and if you escaped town, you were fine.
It was the Grand Theft Auto of its day. Yet it wasn’t enough.
By embracing the challenge of truly defining morality, and rewarding players who understood the challenge of it, this game, despite it’s flaws, was going beyond what a movie or book could offer the player. This is one of the first games to demonstrate that interactive entertainment might not just be art, but could offer more than that…
Unfortunately, the game itself wasn’t very fun, I’m assured, by most people who’ve tried it.
Like those who dedicate their life to the pursuit of always doing the right thing, it’s much easier to respect than to actually like…
Huh, I never played 3, so that’s really interesting how the morality system was brought in as a counter reaction to that. Thanks for letting me know!
I kept trying to play Ultima IV because I knew it was ambitious and I enjoyed what I played of Ultima V, but it just didn’t work for me. I have to admit that when I played IV first the morality system was just…weird. I had no reference to wrap around it. I was just a dumb kid that had no real grasp on larger issues.
Although I really loved an obscure C64 game where you were a judge and you had to determine sentences on cases presented to you. It would be nice if someone did something with that concept…
To answer your question, the responses to the 8 questions actually affect the starting stats of your chosen character class.
http://ultima.wikia.com/wiki/The_Gypsy
I’ve finished the game two or three times now as an adult (but never managed it is a kid!), and only just found this out.
I’m quite enjoying your comics, by the way. Keep up the good work!
Thanks very much! It always makes my day to hear people liking this stuff.
These days with modern games hitting you over the head with every. single. instruction. until. you. think. the. developers. think. you’re. a. moron. who. can. barely. hold. a. controller…something as subtle and nuanced as the Ultima IV character creator is a lost art!
is Ultima IV still worth finishing? I always meant to finish Ultima V…
I played 3 all the way to completion on Amiga. The only Ultima game I actually completed. Loved that you could wipe out people in towns and then flee as all the uber-guards tried to wipe you out, till you were tough enough to take them also. Ultima 4 shitted me… much too much tedious work managing your reagents and trying to balance all your good deeds… Amiga wasn’t powerful enough to handle 5 – you really needed a PC at that point.