Ultima IX Redemption by Titans of Ether
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The winner of the contest is Thanatloc. Congratulations! :)
I posted the description of
our skill system as a dev diary (click).
So if you want to know more about the unique Redemption system go there and read
carefully.
Since this will most likely be the last news update this year the Titans of
Ether wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Corv
We are having a new contest!
In tradition of Ultima 6 the winner will be a part of the newest Ultima! In this case of Ultima IX
Redemption. This means your face will be on a character of the game and he/she will have your
(nick)name,
Since we didn't release a game and therefore you can't find a rune in it's box
to win (like in Ultima 6 boxes) you will have to do a bit more to win ;) But
don't worry, this time you don't have to work hard for it like in our first
contest, this time you can play to win! And here is how it goes:
Register on the board if you haven't done so yet, then click on the "Games" link
on top of the board. This will lead you to our new flash games site. There click
on the "character page" link an create a character. It's easy, you can choose
the name, class etc... It's important that you create this character because
else you can't collect the GE (game experience) points you need to win.
After you did that just play the games! There are over 20 flash games waiting
for you. Some of them might bring back memories of old Amiga or C64 days ;) I
will add at least one new game every day, so everyone has a chance.
Everytime you beat your own highscore you will get 3 GE points. Everytime you
win a trophy you will get 8 GE points. The one who has the most GE points on
the 3rd of December 2005 at 11 pm CET is the winner!
Btw: Don't buy character upgrades in the "character shop" with your GE points
until the contest is over! Because else you obviously have less points on the
3rd of December than you could have had.
If you have any questions concerning the contest ask them
here on our board (click).
Other news:
- The skill system and the magic system are done!
- Our board style has changed. It fits to our logo now and it also works better
with the version of phpBB we use.
- As you read in the contest news, we have a games section on the board now. You
can play flash games there. Your highscores will be saved, you can create a
character to collect points, challenge other board members etc.. Games in
tradition of the old Amiga, Super Nintendo games are wating for you :)
Corv
I added a game status page for Redemption - just click on the
Status link on the left
side. Please remember that those bars can only give you a rough overview. If you
want to know details about the development check out the
forum
regularly.
There is a Titans chatroom for all Ultima fans online now too. Use the
link on the left side or the one in the forum. You have to register there (easy).
We will also have team-fans chats there in the future. But feel free to use it
whenever you want to chat with other Ultima / RPG fans.
This is, after the change of the Forum layout, the next step to make this place
a home for all Ultima fans, not only Redemption fans. More will come in the next
weeks and months.
Corv
I read about Redemption on other boards and/or sites and
realized that some things people think about Redemption are
wrong or at least not true anymore. I can’t blame them, the history of this
project can be quite confusing. So I want to make some very basic things about
this project clear (instead of talking about details as ususal ;) ). It was
discussed on our board already but of course not everyone reads the forum posts
so here we go:
Ultima IX Redemption is about one year and a month old, not more and we, The
Titans of Ether team, made it
from scratch (with very, very few exceptions like the title and a part of the
game setup).
So now you might think: “Why is that? I read about it in 2002 already.” Here is
why: Some years ago a Ultima fan called Avatus started a project and called it Ultima IX Redemption. First it was planned for Dungeon Siege but
then they switched to the Morrowind engine. After a good start the project went
downhill. It’s not really important why, but fact
is that the project was as good as dead in 2004 with very little progress made
over a long period of time. At that time I finally started my own project,
Ultima X - The New King with a bunch of very talented people.
After working on it for two months I realized that Redemption
really wasn’t going anywhere anymore and so I thought that we
could help together to get those projects finished even faster. The Redemption
team agreed and so I founded the Titans of Ether Team with members of my team
and the old Redemption team.
At that time I thought we can finish Redemption quite
fast because I expected to get a at least half-finished game to work on, but
unfortunately that was very far from the truth. The old Redemption team went
through an Armageddon or two and what was left was not much and that wasn’t
useable for many reasons. I tried to fix things for weeks but the decision to
start over again was the only way to go. In this phase the story of Redemption
was secondary and so I didn’t even try to see if it’s good or bad. We had basic
work to do, basic textures, models, etc… you get the
idea. When this starting phase was over (and the work we did on The New King
before helped a lot to speed it up) I finally had time to go into the story
Avatus wrote and
I struggled a lot with it. It didn’t feel right, it wasn’t the story you would
expect form the last game in the trilogy of trilogies. I won’t go into detail
why, you just have to trust me here. So after I tried to work things out in the
old plot to make it better and after weeks of headaches I decided that it is
much better if we do the same here as we did with the game files: start over. We
kept one basic idea of Redemption (the Atarkan invasion – and therefore a part
of the set up) and the title of the project.
Everything else is new. There was no concept before, only a story idea which
didn’t take into account what can be done (and what should be done). But
now after those decisions were made
we had a project which has a solid base and parts which actually fit together.
Redemption was born. Actually I am still working on the plot for
Redemption.
So this project is NOT a continuation of the project started by Avatus. And I
also want to make clear that the Redemption story is not based on the Bob White
plot and also not at all on the plot of Ascension. It IS a true original story
which has the original stories / lore of Ultima 1 – 8
as base. Redemption is no remake; Redemption is a new Ultima IX.
So the work on Redemption is quite different from the work of other Ultima
projects which are remakes and therefore have the story for their game already
and can’t go wrong with it.
Creating a new Ultima IX (story / game design) with the clear goal in mind to
deliver a game experience like classic Ultimas (5, 6 and 7), to enhance this
experience, to push it to the next level as we all expected Ultima 8 and 9 to
do, to deliver a story which is worth being the story of the Ultima which ends
the trilogy of trilogies … all this is not easy and you can believe
me, we all put a lot of effort into it. We don’t make it easy for us. If we have
to decide between an easy path or a more difficult path that we know leads to a
better result, you can be sure we always take the difficult one. Not only for
you but also for us: When we release Redemption we want to be sure that we did
everything we could to make it the best game we can possibly make – else the
years and months we spend working on it would be wasted.
Why do I tell you all this? Two simple reasons: like I described above the whole
process of making this game isn’t an easy one, a lot of people spend many hours
of their lives working on it and I want to make sure that the right people get
credit for it (Titans of Ether team – read the team roster if you want to know
more about the sections each member works in). The other reason is that you
should not get a wrong impression of the whole production. What we did so far
was done in 1 year, after the project was (re)born, it has nothing to do with
the old Redemption project (before September 2004).
Thank you for reading!
Oh and another little info: the forum is not only there for Titans of Ether
projects, it’s also for Ultima in general (even with its own sections) and has a
Tavern section where you can talk about whatever you want. So it’s worth using
even when you don’t want to talk about Redemption. It’s a place for all Ultima /
RPG fans.
Corv
We have two new Titans on probation: Inition is a very talented 2D artist and
Daedra Lord will model new unique weapons for us.
I updated the feature list (5 new entries), the FAQ (little update concerning
the recommended system) and the Team roster.
Corv
There are 8 new screenshots in the Media section (6
random shots and 2 shots from New Paws).
I also uploaded 6 new tunes (from Michikawa).
Corv
Today is our birthday! :) Yes, the Titans of Ether are now exactly 1 year old... and
so is the new Redemption.
There are 3 new wallpapers in the media section!
Not simple logos like the first one, but wallpapers with yet unreleased
screenshots of Britain, Valorian Isles and the Gypsy Camp. They were done with a
little "painting" effect.
I also finally uploaded a Redemption FAQ. Just click on the new FAQ link on the
left side. It's not final, but a start. There is also a new version of the
Enilno FAQ below it!
Corv
I hope you all enjoyed the new (final) timeline.
Now is your chance to decide how two of the Redemption features will be done.
Make sure to check out the following two threads in the forum and vote for the way you
want to see those features in the game:
eating-drinking and
the magic system.
Corv
The final version of the
timeline is ready for you to read now. Happenings,
which are important for you to know about before you play Redemption, have been
added between 364 A.B. and 375 A.B. Some things we were not sure until now if
they will end up in the final plot or not have been changed or cut out. So if
you really want to know the back story of Redemption read everything beginning
with 364 A.B.
4 of our 5 members on probation are full members now! Congratulations Deto,
Sage, Grogdon and alienstookmybeer! :)
I also uploaded 4 screenshots of New Magincia at night. They are the last 4 of
the NM screenshots in the
media section. (btw: you will be able to turn
the streetlights off and on of course)
Corv
The last (and for Redemption most important) part of the
timeline is finished. It includes everything that
happened between the end of Serpent Isle and the beginning of Redemption (starting
with 364 A.B). We highly recommend reading at least this part of the
timeline since Redemption is no 'simple' remake of Ascension but a whole new
Ultima IX. And till now no one outside of the team really knew what will be
going on in the game. This timeline will help you get a picture of what you can
expect in Redemption, and it will help you understand (and enjoy) stories I will
upload in the future.
I also uploaded 25 (!) new screenshots. We updated New
Magincia and so most of the old shots were replaced. You can also see new Deep
Forest shots and first screenshots from the Isle of Deeds (Serpent's Hold) which
was the first goal of the Atarkans. (All the new shots are marked with 'new')
You can also find the first Redemption wallpaper in the
media section :)
I hope you enjoy it all...
Corv
As you can see I updated the site.
Most important update is the addition of the Redemption Fiction Section on the
left side (now directly in the navigation column) and its first entry, our
Ultima timeline! It includes all important happenings up to the end of Ultima
VII Serpent Isle so far. The next update will include all happenings
up to the start of Redemption. This will give you an idea of what will be going
on in Redemption, but you still have to be patient a bit till this updated comes.
For now we hope you enjoy our timeline!
Besides some font changes and the addition of our projects on the right side, I
updated the 'Other Ultima Projects' list and added some 'Ultima Links' which are
essential for Ultima fans.
The project itself is progressing very well and the new team members slowly find
their way into our way of development.
I started the scripting / implementation of the actual main plot which marks a
big new step in development. Since we planned it out very well the
implementation goes along very smoothly (beside being suprised by the mysteries
of the MW scripting enginge all over again after working with it for over 2
years now). I want to asure you that we put alot of thought in the design of the
plot and quests and that we know that this is the most essential part of the
game. Our project is neither only a graphic demo nor only a collection of
dialogues like some other mod projects out there. You will be challenged in many
different ways and you will be amazed because of many different reasons... :)
Zini is writing a program which generates scripts he invented for the schedule
system. So you can be sure that Redemption will have a very alive world with
NPCs that actually follow their daily business (not stand around at the same
place day and night like in Ascension). But you know that already from the dev diary...
I almost forgot, the news up to the end of July 2005 can be found in the Archive
section now.
Corv
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Thursday - July 28th, 2005 |
Many of you won't know it but our Forum is now exactly 1 year old :)
The team Titans of Ether celebrates its birthday a bit later: on the 17th of
September.
Ok, the more important news:
Many people followed my call and sent in applications. Thanks to all of you! Not
everyone made it into the team but I am proud to announce that we have 5 new
team members! They are still "on probation" but I don't think anything will go
wrong. The new members are:
Sage: dialogue writer
Deto: 2D artist
alienstookmybeer: dialogue writer
Grogdon: worldbuilder
Muddro: dialogue writerThis makes a total of 15 Titans (teamroster has been
updated)
Sage is the former leader of the
Ultima 2 remake project Enilno. So also Enilno joins the Titans! Yes Enilno
is the 3rd Remake in line (read more about it in the
dev diary).
I changed the titles of the team members on the board (and the graphics for it)
so you can see quickly what the job of each Titan who posted is.
Btw: If you are from Europe (and can read German) and still don't have Morrowind and the expansion
packs (which are needed for Redemption) then use the link on the left to get it
(the game of the year edition of Morrowind includes both addons)
A site update with new links etc. will follow.
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
As promised you find 2 new screenshots in the
Media section. They are both a small
teaser of the Lord British Castle in Britain (at night). And you can also
download a new tune which will be played in Britain (called "Britain").
I also updated the team list.
Btw: the forum is down from time to time because the provider seems to have
constant SQL troubles. It is unpleasant but we get unlimited transfer and only
pay € 20 a year, so I guess it is acceptable.
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
Yes we are alive and working :)When we started the project I wrote that we
will finish it, no matter what. The core team is dedicated and if no one else is
anymore we will do it "alone". This hasn't changed. When I wrote this I knew
that a lot of people outside of those core members will come and go constantly
if I like it or not (and trust me, I don't like it at all). After all we don't
get paid and people who just thought it would be fun to help will think the
opposite some time later. We lost some members again because of this dilemma. To
make it short: The Titans of Ether are recruiting again!
We need new members in following sections:
- Writing (dialogue, books)
- Worldbuilding
- 2D design
- 3D design
If you are willing to sacrifice some hours a week for this project and if you
know what you are doing (in your section) then please
SEND AN APPLICATION (click) .
We need some kind of example of your work to be able to decide if you are the
one we are looking for or not. Please understand that we have no time to train
beginners to help us, you should already have quite some experience.
(Some new tunes and screens will follow soon...)
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Monday - April 25th, 2005 |
Most Team members (including me) had to deal with lots of other less important
stuff like paid work and school the last few weeks - more than usual. But the
project was not on hold. We just had to step off the gas pedal a bit and work at
a normal pace. Anyway, we're all driving at full speed again and so I finally
even had the time to make a site update.
You find new screenshots in the media section. First shots from the Deep Forest
(5) and Cove (3), a new Cape of Heroes shot and a nice shot of some horses you
can buy. All the new shots are marked with "new" (they are not all on top of the
site).You also find new music tracks there! 2 from Chlorthos (including the
character creation track from the video) and 4 from Michikawa.
So dont hesitate and jump to the Media section to dowload the 10 new
screenshots and the 6 new tracks, you wont regret it (I hope).
Finally I updated the Team section. Zini is our new lead scripter, some
people are back, some are gone.. but look for yourself.
Thanks for visiting the site without having new things to see here the last
few weeks. Its great to have such a loyal fanbase!
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Friday - February 18th, 2005 |
You will find the first character screenshot in the Media section. Its Iolo.
There is also a new shot of the plateau in New Magincia with our newest grass
model.
I am happy to announce that we have another musician in our team now. Matti
Paalanen (Michikawa) will help Chlor to make the best possible music for
Redemption. You can download an example of his work in the Media section. We
also have a new worldbuilder, Dennis, who is well known in the German MW
community for his awesome work.The team roster is updated again. We count 19
active members at the moment.
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Tuesday - February 1st, 2005 |
The last weeks were very busy. I can savely say that we beat our record in
progress again. The team works together perfectly! We definitely have a dream
team here. In my opinion the strongest in the MW mod community.
We managed to do
companion horse riding. This means that all your companions will ride with you
on their horses when you ride; one more thing which never was done before in the mod
community (and also not in any 3D RPG so far, if I remember right). The new
animation of the flora (grass, bushes etc) brings much more atmosphere to the
already very immersive world. The fletching system is in the game now too (detailed
like never before - not even in my Ranger mod). Some improvements will still be
done there though. You can read more detailed about progress in the different
areas in the last dev
diary.We also have new team members:
- Neloth who was working on the highly anticipated model and texture improvement
mod "Morrowind 2005" stopped that project and became a Titan now. All his
models done so far are exclusive for Redemption (example models:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5) and I am
looking forward to future results of his work.
- Dragan who worked on Wesmar like Diddy will make Ultima character faces (Iolo
etc) now and later start to build interiours. I am sure he will do a great job
too.
- Barabus the maker of the also highly anticipated house mod for MW is also in
the Team and I cant wait for his high quality art.
- Alex also will share his drawing talent with us.
UltimaDot released a
Redemption Progress Report and updated the
status report of our project on their site.
The Redemption Competition is over and I will announce the winner within the
next few days on our board.
Finally I want to remind you that Redemption needs Morrowind and both expansions
as base - so buy them as long as they are easy to get (game of the year edition
for example).
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Saturday - January 8th, 2005 |
Diddy is now a full member and will work on the "Deep Forest"!
I made some site updates:
- the links on the right site are updated and I also added other important
Ultima sites.
- On top you can see a "Morrowind Top 100" logo. Its a list of the best
Morrowind projects. So it would be great if you could clcik on the Morrowind
Icon above everytime you visit this page. This way more people
will be aware of our project. Thank you!
- the team roster is updated
- all the 2004 news are now in the archive
- 2 new game features added in the features list!Don't forget the Quest Contest!
Read more about it in
this forum thread!
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Wednesday - January 5th, 2005 |
They are here! So go and get them!
Yes, the first moving pictures of Redemption wait for you to download!
Its a 3 min VIDEO in which you can see how it is to wander around about half of
New Magincia. The island is still in the early stages of production. More flora
will come and you also will see no NPCs or monsters in the video BUT you will
get a first impression of how it will be to wander around in our version of
Britannia. And while you see how it is you will also hear how it is because
there are parts of two never before released remakes of classic Ultima songs in
the video. So don't hesitate and go to the
media section to download it! :)
Titans of Ether also need new members. We are looking for more worldbuilders, 3D
designers (who can also texture their creations) and a coder (C++) who can help
Mayday with some things. If you think you can help us in any of those sections
then
CLICK HERE to write a mail (including sample work if youre a 3D designer
or worldbuilder)!
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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Sunday - January 2nd, 2005 |
Happy New Year! :)Wrote some new year thoughts into the dev diary (and btw
you can now also reply to the dev diaries). But, more important, you have more
time for the quest competition! I made it one month longer (January) so that
there is enough time for more people to participate. Oh, and if you have time
check the
poll in the forum and vote (video or work) ;)
And before I forget it: 2 new New Magincia screenshots in the
media section!
Corv, Leader of Titans of Ether
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