Ultima 4 - The Dawn of Virtue Interview

Garrett, 2002-07-01

Among the numerous Ultima remakes only two are using a new engine instead of the Dungeon Siege or Neverwinter Nights Editors. One is the First Person 3D Ultima 1 remake by Peroxide, the other is the isometric Ultima 4 - The Dawn of Virtue by Jaakko Peltonen. We have put several questions to the whole team, who gave us very detailed answers and a handful of new screenshots.

RPGDot: Please introduce yourself and your role in the Ultima 4 team to our readers.

Jaakko Peltonen: Greetings! I am Jaakko Peltonen, the project leader of Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue. I am 24, and Finnish.
I have many responsibilities on the U4:TDoV team. Besides project leader, I am the creator of the game engine and the lead designer. I also compose the game's music score and am the artist behind most of the current art in U4:TDoV, such as the rendered areas, interface and creature models.
When I am not working on Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue, my 'day job' is as a neural networks researcher. Some people may know me also from my previous work with Falcon's Eye, a completely graphical interface for NetHack. Every now and then I take time off to do unimportant things like eat and sleep. ;)

Laura Campbell: My name is Laura Campbell (aka Shadow of Light). I am the team dialogue writer.

Ewan Munro: I'm called Ewan Munro some of the time, Tailrace Dragon the rest. I do dialogue editing and some writing.

Bernard Ng: My name is Bernard Ng. I'm a 24-year old Malaysian studying at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. My role with the U4:TDoV team is 2D artist.

Jasmyne Poste: Jasmyne "Firetalon" Poste, 2d artist.

RPGDot: Why did you choose Ultima 4 for a remake? Is it your favourite Ultima?

Laura Campbell: A lot of fans consider Ultima IV to be the game where the series truly began. It's when the virtues first appear. Britannia's basic shape, its cities, shrines and dungeons are kept for the rest of the series. Ultima 4 is when you *become* the Avatar, perhaps the most important part of Ultima lore and Britannian history. The original game, though, is very old, and it ran on a limited engine. We want to resurrect it with the majestic art, music and dialogue such an epic deserves.

Jaakko Peltonen: As Laura noted, Ultima IV is a turning point in the Ultima series, and defined the theme of the entire series from that point onwards. Since the storyline had such great effects, it is a very interesting chapter to revisit in the remake, and one that anyone who has played Ultima games can enjoy. With modern resources at our disposal, we can bring new look at the story, and add new embellishments and details to the world. Hopefully, it will also introduce new players to the series.
Personally, I have enjoyed many of the Ultimas - my favourite would probably be either IV or Serpent Isle. The games build on each other, though, so it is perhaps best to consider them together as a continuing story.

Bernard Ng: Oh dear. It is with some embarrassment that I admit I've never actually *played* Ultima IV. I know the story in general, but that's only because I have played Ultima VII (which I loved), the Ultima Underworld series (which I absolutely adored), Ultima Online (which I had to quit playing so I could graduate... phew) The Savage Empire (which, by the mid-90s, seemed a little dated), and bits of Ultima VIII (I got stuck halfway and decided it wasn't worth figuring out). I'd love to have a go with this remake when it's done. I tried playing an emulated version of U4 once... but it kept freezing up when I entered buildings. Argh!

Jasmyne Poste: I'm just following orders. ;)

RPGDot: Why did you choose to use your own engine and not the DS or NWN Editor?

Jaakko Peltonen: There are several reasons for that. By using a new engine we are not restricted by the capabilities and resources in any existing one; that makes it easy to include any features we like in the game.
For example, we are able to choose the game's visual style - architecture, creatures, landscapes, interface - exactly according to the vision we have of Britannia. Also, this way we are sure the engine will support the level of detail and interaction required of a game like this, e.g. we can have complex interaction between characters, items and the environment, and in-depth conversations. In a sense, the game and engine are tailor-made for each other.
Moreover, this way we were able to start developing the game content into its final form at an early stage, instead of needing to wait for the release of these games and their editors. And since Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue uses its own engine, players who do not own one of these games will be able to play U4:TDoV.
Besides, on a personal level, I simply like creating a game engine. It is both a challenge and an opportunity. :)

Bernard Ng: I think that if you already have an engine you're familiar with (and the U4 engine is Jaakko's lil baby), it makes sense to go with what you know. And Jaakko gets more credit too. :)

RPGDot: What is your graphics engine capable of (zoom, turn camera)?

Jaakko Peltonen: The engine uses isometric graphics, similarly to games like the Baldur's Gate series, Arcanum or the Commandos series. The backgrounds are based on prerendered art, with some animated objects like running fountains. All characters, other creatures and many objects are drawn as animated polygon-based 3D models; there are closeups of some of these models on the U4:TDoV website. In addition, there are special effects like particle-based spell effects and lighting changes due to day/night cycles. You may also have weather changes such as rain.
Camera turning is not possible because the background art is created at a fixed camera angle. Some limited zooming out may be included; this is partly necessary to allow the player to pilot large vehicles like ships.
I should note here that since the engine is developed to tell the story, there may be some new features added later on, before the final release of the game. For example, I have considered adding a more flexible lighting system, which would support things like moving torches lighting up the background art as they pass by. Whether I add it depends on how much it would help the storytelling.

Jasmyne Poste: It gives you super strength and laser vision.

RPGDot: How close do you keep to the original U4? What did you change (story, NPCs, other things)?

Jaakko Peltonen: Our goal here is to embellish and add to the content of the original game. I believe that the original storyline works well, and there is no need to make major changes to it. Besides, we wish to maintain continuity within the Ultima series.
Instead, what we are doing is crafting a detailed, life-like world to go along with the story, and adding new nuances to it in the form of history, side quests and character interaction. You will learn more about Britannia, and how the world fared between Ultima III and IV. The people you meet will have new things to discuss, both about things related to your quest and other matters, so that they become very personable characters.
With more detailed graphics, the world will also be constructed anew in detail, so that you will find new sights and places to explore, both above ground and in dungeons.
One of the special things about Ultima IV is that it is in part about philosophy; ethics and virtues. By adding more detail and more complexity to the world, we are able to explore this thoughtful aspect well. You will be able to gain and lose virtue both in conversation, through actions and through taking some of the many side quests we've created. This seems like a natural extension to the game's main quest, the Quest of the Avatar.

Laura Campbell: We're trying to keep as close as possible to the original story. All the original NPCs will be present, but some new ones will also appear. One of the big changes is dialogue. The original NPCs were lucky if their entire conversational capacity reached twenty words. In The Dawn of Virtue, they average around two thousand words.
Quests are also a big change, as all the original ones basically blended into the whole big Quest of the Avatar. We'll have many new quests that you can choose whether or not to attempt. Some will even depend on what character class you start off as.

Ewan Munro: It's basically the same as the original, but with extra NPCs, vastly expanded dialogues, new quests and subquests, fancy graphics, additional music, and so on.

Bernard Ng: All I want added is a singing dog named Bernie (and now that I've said it, it's likely not going to happen :p).

Jaakko Peltonen: The U4:TDoV world is a detailed and story-rich world and has lots of features to discover. But no singing dogs named Bernie yet. ;)

RPGDot: Is there a party or a single avatar party only?

Jaakko Peltonen: Your character starts the game alone, but as the game progresses, you will be able to gather more companions. In fact, some of the bigger battles in the game will be difficult to win without a large party.

Laura Campbell: There will be room for your character and seven companions, just like the original. In fact, this was a prerequisite for winning the game. ;)

Ewan Munro: Of course there's a party!!

Bernard Ng: What are you talking about? The whole thing will be one big party! *breaks out the cone hats, confetti, and tooters*

RPGDot: What is the character generation like? Are there gypsy questions?

Jaakko Peltonen: Character generation is very much like in other Ultima games; it is a fairly quick process. There is first an initial screen where you select a name, gender and portrait for your character; there is a picture of that screen here: www.hut.fi/~jtpelto2/ultima4/create_character.jpg One new feature that we are including in U4:TDoV is the ability to import customized portraits for your character.
After the initial choices are made, you will be shown an introduction, and then, indeed, a series of gypsy questions. These determine your character class and starting statistics. During the game, your actions will change the statistics and skills as you gain experience; that way, your playing style will further customize your character so that e.g. he/she will be more proficient in certain weapons, armor and spells than others.

RPGDot: How does combat take place?

Jaakko Peltonen: Combat is real-time and happens on the same view as the rest of the game. You are able to pause the game anytime and give orders while paused, though. The system is similar to those seen in most real-time strategy games.
One thing to note is that missile weapons will have the possibility of hitting a friendly target; it is not an overly strict check, but archers should still try to find a clear line of sight before firing.

RPGDot: And what about Magic?

Jaakko Peltonen: The magic system is very interesting. Spellcasting is based on the 'eight circles' system used from Ultima V onwards: it is a two-stage process where you first construct (mix) a supply of spells, and then cast them using mana (magic points). Mixing takes time, so players need to think ahead what spells they will need before venturing into danger.
Spells are mixed by combining magic syllables and reagents. This is where we are adding something to the system: we are including several *variants* for each spell. The original game had some variant spells, and we are expanding on this feature. Characters will be able to experiment and perhaps learn improved or specialized versions of their favourite spell by changing the syllables or reagents. For example, creatures like dragons shrug off normal fire spells, but some variations may be able to breach their defenses.
Of course, spells are only part of the magic system: there are also magic items like magic potions, enchanted arms and armour, and spell scrolls. Since there is item interaction, players can do things like construct potions themselves.

RPGDot: And how about conversation with NPCs? There are multiple choice answers - do they affect the gaming world?

Jaakko Peltonen: Conversations are an important part of the game. They actually use a hybrid system with both multiple-choice and keyword options, so you aren't pre-given all the possibilities.
Conversations can have long-lasting effects on the game: you will be able to take on quests in conversation and complete some of them, as well as gain or lose virtue. People can also give your character items and vice versa. People's reactions can depend on what you have said or done before. Sometimes conversation can make the difference between a peaceful and a hostile encounter.

Ewan Munro: You can either pick your responses from a list (UW2 style), or in many cases type in keywords. I have no idea what you mean by "affect the gaming world".

Laura Campbell: NPCs will react to and remember what you say, so be careful. They will hopefully behave like real people in that respect, and they *are* the gaming world. You might be in trouble if someone gets angry and stops speaking to you. Worse trouble if the guards are called.
For some NPCs there are also keyword answers. You can type something in, and if the character has anything to say on the subject they will speak of it.

RPGDot: Is there an automap and a journal? What do they look like?

Ewan Munro: There'll be a journal that you can fill in as you trundle along, but I don't know about an automap.

Jaakko Peltonen: There is an editable in-game journal; it looks very much like the book in this screenshot: www.hut.fi/~jtpelto2/ultima4/book.jpg except that you can write into it.
We are not including automatic comments from the player character in the journal; many players consider that this makes it harder to identify with their character. Instead, you can add your own notes, and the companions that join the party will also add some of their own comments, each about subjects they know about. For example, fighters may comment on the weaponry and armor they have used.
The game will include a large map of Britannia (part of it is shown in this screenshot: www.hut.fi/~jtpelto2/ultima4/britannia_large2.jpg. This will be used as the primary overland map, so if you have a sextant you can see your location in it.
I am still considering whether to also include a detailed automap of nearby regions. It would show a zoomed-out view of nearby visited areas. However, I like the idea that you can actually become lost in dungeons or the wilderness, so visited areas would slowly 'fade away' from the map. There are some mockup designs for the detail automap, but I'm not sure how well they'd correspond to the real one, so I prefer not to show them yet.

RPGDot: The graphics look a little like the Infinity Engine (IE). Can the engine be compared to the IE games like Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale?

Jaakko Peltonen: Well, although I have been very impressed with the Infinity Engine games, I am not knowledgeable about how that engine itself works. There would seem to be some similarities, though, most clearly the use of rendered graphics and the viewpoint.
I believe the engine in U4:TDoV can be compared to any similar isometric RPG engine; it is well suited for presenting such environments, from the visuals through audio to the interface.
One difference is that the U4:TDoV engine uses polygon models for the characters and many objects like doors. This makes it possible to create lots of animations, and to have large creatures like dragons, in a small amount of disk space. This is actually critical for a downloadable game.
Another difference is that the Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue outdoors world is continuous; wilderness and towns are all part of the same extensive map. The only time when there's a transition is when you e.g go indoors into a building or climb stairs, but otherwise there are no borders; the engine loads new regions seamlessly when you arrive near them.
The U4:TDoV engine is not based on any existing RPG rules; instead, the rules are determined mostly by how other Ultima games have worked and by game balance.

Bernard Ng: Hey! You didn't mention Planescape:Torment! Planescape:Torment was cool! And I think the 2.5D look of Jaakko's engine is just great for RPGs. And sure it can be compared to the IE engine... they both rock.

RPGDot: Overall, is the gameplay more action or more story oriented?

Jaakko Peltonen: There is plenty of both styles; I'd say that there is more story, but this depends partially on the region: some parts of Britannia will have larger amounts of monsters and combat, while others are more peaceful. Towns are mostly story-oriented, and the wilderness has more combat encounters. Dungeons are somewhere between the two; there is combat, but also puzzles and dialogue.
Where possible, we will try to make combat part of the story, so that when you encounter a group of foes, they have a reason to be there, instead of being just a random encounter.

Laura Campbell: I believe there will be a fairly equal balance.

Bernard Ng: I would hope it's more story oriented... I'm one of those people who loved having the 5 billion lines of dialogue they put into Ultima VII (I'm serious!). If I wanted an action-oriented 'RPG', I'd play Diablo *cough* *cough*. But a mix would be good too I guess.

RPGDot: What makes U4 the best remake among the numerous others in production?

Jaakko Peltonen: Well, I don't really view these remake projects as being in competition; they are mostly focused on different Ultima games and/or aspects of the series, so enjoying one of them doesn't prevent gamers from also playing and enjoying others. Our mutual challenge is to create an excellent game in the Ultima tradition; rather than other remakes, comparisons are best made with the Ultima series, and with RPGs in general.
Ultima IV: The Dawn of Virtue is built from the ground up, with finely- crafted all-new art and new music, so it will be a fresh experience. The world is detailed and lifelike, and players can interact with it in lots of ways, as required of an Ultima game. We have added much new lore, yet we are careful to be consistent with the series. Most importantly, we have a lot of dedication and the sheer tenacity to carry this project through. I believe these factors will show in the eventual released game.
Overall, I think players will have great fun adventuring again in the Britannia we present. That is the best goal to aspire to, and if we succeed, I will be content.

Jasmyne Poste: Because we're just so much cooler than other remake people. :)

Laura Campbell: Er, no comment. ;) I'm working with two other remakes so I can't play favourites. ;)
I must say, though, I was incredibly impressed with Jaakko's progress when I joined the U4 team. Creating an entire engine, the music and graphics is no easy task. As far as I know, the only other Ultima remake team not using a pre-existing engine is Peroxide (Ultima I: A Legend is Reborn).

Ewan Munro: With none of the remakes actually being complete yet, I personally have no idea which one will be best...

Bernard Ng: It's gonna be one big party! *hands out the cone hats and tooters*

RPGDot: What other features would you like to add to the game and which didn't make it and why?

Jaakko Peltonen: There are always so many. ;) Mostly, they are trade-offs. For example, I would have liked to try a completely polygon-based environment, but that would increase development time a lot. Rendered graphics limit the level of interaction somewhat below what I would like to have: for example, you can't push a table around. On the other hand, with rendered graphics there is no need to worry about things like polygon counts when constructing the environments.
Some other dropped features include combat on horseback (it would need many new animations and extra logic) and seasons (would need several versions of all outdoors art). Cutscene movies must be limited to keep download size and rendering time manageable.
There are also some plot points that we're not using. For example, we are keeping 'cameo' appearances by characters from later Ultimas to a minimum; individually, they may work well, but together, they detract from the originality of the separate games.
We may add some features yet, though, such as a new lighting system, as I mentioned earlier.

Ewan Munro: The game isn't done yet, so there's still plenty of time for the inclusion of new features.

RPGDot: Will there be more remakes by you?

Jaakko Peltonen: Possibly; the engine is suitable for many purposes, so I might be interested to use it again in another setting. It also depends on how U4:TDoV is received. I will listen carefully to what people think about the upcoming demo and about the final game.

Laura Campbell: I'm doing dialogue for U5:Lazarus and U9:Redemption as well, so that's sort of a 'yes'. If Jaakko needs a dialogue writer in the future, though, he knows how to contact me. :)

Ewan Munro: No idea. I like to take one remake at a time.

Bernard Ng: I have no plans to hop on board any projects in the future. If this turns out to be a good experience, I might try to lend my services to something else later on.

RPGDot: What is your opinion about Ultima being an online game only anymore? Do you think one can put the Ultima RPG idea into a MMORPG?

Jaakko Peltonen: Well, there are several aspects to the Ultima series. One of them is to create an immersive, life-like world, and I believe this can work very well in an online game. Other aspects - grand, heroic quests, the philosophy - are also possible; this depends on what the players are interested in.
Cooperation is important - if people have different abilities, so that everyone's help is needed, and they are willing to work together, grand cooperative quests can work. The same goes with Ultima history and philosophy; if players are all aware of it and take it into account, it can give more significance to quests, events and treasure. It might not work for everyone, but for interested players, certainly.
I think the Ultima setting has great possibilities for role-playing, and providing such possibilities is definitely a good idea. In a massive setting, there will always be different interests, and different kinds of play. When people like their time there, there will be some who like the ideas as well.

Laura Campbell: Hmmm... I haven't played Ultima Online in a while, but it did little to inspire me the way the series did. It even shocked me, a little, to learn from some of the UO players that they had never heard of nor played the Ultima series. I think the key element for making a MMORPG into a true Ultima rests with its players, and, with the kind of players you get on the OSI shards, that is nigh impossible. The concept of the virtues are pretty much unknown, and (until recently) players walked in constant fear of being killed and robbed by other players.
Fortunately, there are a few player-run shards, like Legacy, dedicated to Ultima role-playing. Because all the members are fans of the series and the shard is based on Ultima lore and history, I have great hopes that this is what UO should have been.

Ewan Munro: I haven't played UO, but from what I've heard about it, there isn't any similarity between it and an Ultima (other than a few names).

Bernard Ng: I kinda wish they'd continue the single-player Ultimas in some form, but I don't see anything wrong with UO either. What it comes down to is what you want for your gaming time. If you want an open-ended social romp, UO's the way to go. If you want to *be* the avatar and save the world, you may be better off playing any of the single-player Ultimas.

Jasmyne Poste: RPGs were originally meant to be played with other people. Although there is no 'Avatar', I think Ultima can survive just fine online as it can on a single PC.

RPGDot: Do you have problems with EA and may they force you to cancel your project?

Jaakko Peltonen: Not at all. I haven't had any trouble. I have contacted Electronic Arts about the remake; I have not received permission from them yet, but I very much hope to do so. I have also contacted Mr. Richard Garriott, and received his permission. I have always intended to create this remake in an honest and above-board manner, respecting the copyrights and trademarks involved, so I hope that we will be allowed to proceed with it.

RPGDot: When do you expect to have the game finished?

Ewan Munro: Well, whatever we tell you now is bound to be changed later... :)

Jaakko Peltonen: The game is scheduled to be completed near the end of the year. Before that, we will release a playable demo; we are currently preparing that.

RPGDot: Thank you for the interview!

Jaakko Peltonen: You're very welcome!

Laura Campbell: Thank you for your interest. :) Happy gaming!

Bernard Ng: Thanks!