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Parcival
Rightful Heir To The Throne
Joined: 27 Jul 2002
Posts: 153
Location: The Netherlands |
Moa dragon made the brave, but sad announcement of the dead of his Eriadan Project. There will be no Ultima 9 following the Bob White plot.
<br>Here is the text of his announcement from <a href="http://groups.google.com.mt/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.games.computer.ultima.dragons" target="_blank">rec.games.computer.ultima.dragons</a>
<br><blockquote><em>Greetings.
<br>
<br>It is with a lot of sadness that I'm bringing news
<br>from the Eriadain "team". I think you all guessed,
<br>the project is dead.
<br>
<br>It has been that way now for several months. I am saying
<br>"team" because I am now the only one left, since the others
<br>left the boat before me.
<br>For months now, I kept insisting to some people that Eriadain
<br>was still going on, although I hadn't touched the game for
<br>days...weeks... and now months.
<br>
<br>The reasons ? I started Eriadain when I was 17, right after
<br>Ultima IX's release. I am now 21. At this time of life and in
<br>4 years a lot happens. You grow up, change, evolve and
<br>so do your interests. Even if you don't, 4 years it's a pretty
<br>long time for an amateur game development.
<br>As much as I continue to love Ultima as a series, as much
<br>as I love the idea behind Eriadain and what we were trying
<br>to accomplish, I have to face the fact that working on Eriadain
<br>doesn't feel like fun anymore. It felt more like a burden I was
<br>carrying because I didn't want to face the bad reactions of calling
<br>the project dead. Because I also didn't want to leave 4 years of
<br>work uncompleted. Because of personal pride too.
<br>
<br>But sometimes you just have to admit defeat and failure. And this
<br>is what Eriadain is right now. I am sad to leave my version of Britannia
<br>behind, and sad for not being able to bring my vision of Bob White's
<br>plot to life. It is kind of funny when you come to think of it.
<br>I thought the reason OSI wasn't able to implement that was because
<br>of time,financial and engine constraints, and that I, as an amateur,
<br>wouldn't be a victim of these constraints. It turned out that the
<br>Eriadain team faced the same troubles in some ways : 2 engine changes,
<br>and some internal team problems, sometimes because my vision of
<br>the game couldn't be understood. Eriadain was never meant to be "U7
<br>in 3D" and I actually liked U9 very much, believe it or not !
<br>But OSI couldn't do it, and neither could I.
<br>
<br>I am even more sad for disappointing people who trusted in that
<br>project. I am thinking especially of John Watson , former lead
<br>designer of U9 who sent me a very moving and encouraging mail,
<br>and Richard Garriot, which according to some echoes was aware of
<br>the project... and Bob White of course. I am also thinking about
<br>the people who were looking forward that game.
<br>
<br>But you have to face it, as of today, there aren't many of them left...
<br>People who got NWN installed and are also Ultima fans. The Ultima
<br>remake community, as lively as it seems only appeals to a niche
<br>of fans. U5 Lazarus is now reaching alpha releases and the reactions
<br>to it are rather limited compared to what the project was a couple
<br>of years ago. Even rec.games.computer.ultima.dragons didn't react much
<br>to it. This helped me realize that there wasn't too much point spending
<br>so much effort in Eriadain, as great as I hoped it would be. I was
<br>not looking for fame and glory of course with such a project, but, heh,
<br>you know... you don't make a game with the intention that no one will
<br>play it... well, I don't. I also came to see Ultima as a closed book.
<br>
<br>If you are looking for an U9 remake, you may still be interested
<br>in the U9 Redemption mod for Morrowind founded by U9 former team
<br>members. It is not based on the Bob White plot, but they may
<br>still have the skills and talent to bring a good game. I am also
<br>wishing good luck to any of the Ultima projects right now and hope
<br>them better fortune than Eriadain's.
<br>As for Eriadain's fate, it will be uploaded some place thanks to
<br>someone who offered the necessary 1 GB. I will post the link soon
<br>and thank Ken from Lost Sosaria for that. Check out his projects,
<br>they might be worth more than a shot  Eriadain will be uploaded
<br>"as if" with its current hak paks, this is why it takes so much
<br>place. I could of course fire it up again in the editor and
<br>delete what I find to be the unneeded data, but I am afraid
<br>of breaking something... that and of course the fact that
<br>it would be a painful thing to do. You will notice that although
<br>it is far from start, it is also far from finish. Dialogs are 99%
<br>placeholders, the story is only half scripted, towns
<br>are empty... and there are way too much
<br>dungeon maps A lot of maps are done though..
<br>and oh well, curious minds with time to lose or
<br>interest can check it out. I am not even sure myself of what's in
<br>there besides "A lot of work but definitely not enough".
<br>
<br>I do not mind if someone wants to pick up Eriadain again, as
<br>a totally new project, or as an evolution of what has been
<br>currently done. If no one volunteers (which I would understand
<br>very much ) , I "might" (and only might) pick up the project
<br>again, but that won't be before years and when
<br>I am finished with my current project.. and it would be a very
<br>very very different game. Do not count on it.
<br>
<br>It's funny, I'm feeling all shaky right now.
<br>
<br>-Moa Dragon
<br></em></blockquote>
<br>
<br> |
Tue Aug 17, 2004 3:03 am |
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Withstand the Fury
Head Merchant
Joined: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 50
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada |
Although Eriadain in its current form has indeed perished and gone the way of Adventures of Blackthorn, I am both sorrowed and pleased to announce that Eriadian has not gone to the Graveyard, but to the Orphanage.
For now, feel free to visit the temporary Eriadain preservation site (little more than the same good-bye message Moa posted to Usenet, although soon there will be links to...more...) at Time Immortal, and continue to check back. Somthing is coming, soon...
...the Orphanage will soon open.
 WtFD |
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Tue Aug 17, 2004 3:08 am |
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