Ultima IV/Trivia
- Executive Meddling: Averted... twice. At the time, his brother and parents were the only 'executives' to meddle, but they had two objections. 1: Fan mail indicated people loved slaughtering whole towns, stealing from people, and other decidedly unheroic actions. Garriott's parents and brother argued that Video Game Cruelty Punishment would alienate the fan base. 2: The child room. This is a room in the final dungeon where pulling a level opens cages with children in them... who then proceed to attack you. It's not actually a virtue test. The engine treats the children as monsters and doesn't penalize you for killing them, which one beta tester took to be an endorsement of child abuse (Garriott pointed out that you could use Cherry Tapping to make them run away or put them to sleep, but still). In both cases, Garriott did the equivalent of holding his breath until he got his way. Nobody complained about either in the final release (though Spoony would bring this up in his retrospective), and it led to a running gag where every Ultima game afterwards had an area somewhere where you could be 'forced' to slaughter children.
- Port Overdosed: The most widely-ported game in the series, and one of the most widespread computer RPGs ever made. The game was commercially released on at least 15 different platforms.
- Schedule Slip: PC and Android versions of Ultima Forever were planned to be released at the same time as the iOS version, were delayed to an unspecified later date, and were never released.
- Vaporware: PC and Android versions of Ultima Forever were announced but went unpublished.
- What Could Have Been:
- A sequel, Ultima IV: Part II, was planned around 1986. A fan parody used the same title.
- Ultima Forever was planned to be released simultaneously with a PC and Android version. Only the iOS version was released.
Becoming an Avatar was... tricky. You had to bulk up 8 different Karma meters. Here's how (this got simpler in later games).
All credit goes to Dan Simpson and his FAQ at Gamefaqs.com (http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/562660-ultima-iv-quest-of-the-avatar/faqs/1807). Yes, I e-mailed him. Anything in {brackets} are my elaboration.
Note: Non-evil creatures are: spiders, insects, rats, bats, snakes and seahorses.
Compassion:
+2 ... giving to beggar
+2 ... fleeing from Non-evil enemy {in the Fight Woosh combat zone. If you saw them far away on the Overworld and ran, it didn't do anything and they would chase you. Running in the Combat screen caused them to mysteriously vanish from the Overworld}.
+1 ... letting Non-evil creatures flee.
-5 ... attacking non-evil creatures. {Only in the Overworld. You have to push (A)ttack while your Party in My Pocket was standing next to their Actually Four Mooks. Killing non-Evil creatures after they attacked you and entered the Combat Fight Woosh did not detract, nor add virtue.}
Justice:
+2 ... being honest to herbs (reagents) woman
+2 ... fleeing from non-evil creature
+1 ... letting non-evil creatures flee
-1 ... stealing a chest
-3 ... attacking non-evil creatures
-10... cheating herbs (reagents) woman
Honor:
+5 ... solving quests (finding items)
+3 ... giving to a beggar
+2 ... being honest to herbs (reagents) woman
-1 ... stealing a chest
-3 ... attacking non-evil creatures
-10... cheating herbs (reagents) woman.
Valor:
+0/1 (random)... killing an {evil} enemy
-2 ... fleeing from {evil} enemy
Sacrifice:
+5 ... giving blood at the healer
+1 ... getting killed
-2 ... fleeing from {evil} enemy
-5 ... not giving blood at the healer
Honesty:
+2 ... being honest to herbs (reagents) woman.
-1 ... stealing a chest (in a town or castle)
-10... cheating herbs (reagents) woman.
Spirituality:
+(3 * cycle) ... meditating at a shrine
+3 ... talking to Hawkwind the Seer
-3 ... using wrong mantra at a shrine
Humility:
+10... Talking unproud (humble)
-5 ... Talking proud
All Virtues:
+10... Throwing the Skull of Mondain into the Abyss
-5 ... Using the Skull of Mondain