Museum of the Avatar - Richard Garriott Shares Some of the Challenges and Successes of His Games

See the history, the troubles and the Successes of Richard Gariott's (aka Lord British's) games.
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As you may or may not know. Ultima Online is the grandfather of all MMOs. Shroud of the Avatar has been made by Lord British aka in real life Richard Garriott. His vision and ideas changed the way we play games. I have high hopes for SotA and I'm glad to be supporting it.
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[@Claudia-lq3ns]

I started playing the Ultima series when I was 8 years old (I believe 1988), and IV Quest of the Avatar was my first game. I'm now almost 45, and I believe this game has shaped many of my virtues as I grew up. I mean, my parents certainly weren't great role models. I will always appreciate the Ultima series. Great to see this video. Thanks for sharing ⭐

[@cybrpypr]

Great Ultima Video History Tour! Every time Richard Garriott goes on a video I can't move till he is done. He is the true gamer. He is the true Game Master. I am so proud to be a Texan when I think of Richard Garriot. He just defines most of the fun I have had since 17 yrs old when I started playing online on a Radio Shack Color Computer on cassette.

[@christopherwood1591]

My one true hero

[@RetroDawn]

I agree with you. Did you play any of the Ultima-like games on the CoCo, since it never got an Ultima? There was even one from the UK for the Dragon (CoCo clone) that was almost exactly like Ultima I, but without the space travel and time machine SF-aspects.

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

the man, the myth, the legend, Lord British!

[@Claudia-lq3ns]

@joyela aeuvunyaLord British is genius, of course he's weird 👍

[@Tintamar5678]

Hes told these stories so many times and still happy to tell them :) He is a legend for sure.

[@josephmueller3752]

this bald genie unwillingly shaped my whole upbringing and values thanks for having created ultima

[@SirChristian100]

Markee, thank you for your interview! Good to see you and Richard again.

[@steppenwolf.j]

as a kid i had no idea ultima viii was unfinished. it was the first ultima game i ever played and i absolutely LOVED it.

[@ncinlv1507]

These were some of the first games I played in my life, and were just awesome! Thanks for the memories and extra content!

[@anorax001]

I've only just found this video. Great talk with one of my all time favorite game developers. I cut my teeth on Ultima IV and to this day it is still one of the greatest CRPG's ever to be released. I am currently enjoying Shroud and it is a fine game.

[@ShonenXIV]

Richard avoids talking about Ultima 9, very smooth Lord British

[@Drifyt]

A fantastic video really enjoyed watching. Whilst not a huge fan of the Ultima series, always had a soft spot for interviews with industry veterans and the legacy they have left behind.

[@Nike2141]

I’m now 39 years old and have been playing Ultimate Online since I was an 18 year old freshman in College. I feel honored to have been there at the birth of MMORPG gaming. I’m now half way through a professional career and I honestly could not imagine my life without titles like UO I’m in it. I’m a proud member of the oldest Online Gaming guild in the world and we are spread through all games and all over the world. What Richard created for us helped me through some very hard times and forged some amazing friendships which persist to this day. My family is now a gaming family with both my wife and myself playing UO to this day and my little girl tinkering with WoW at 9 years old. Thanks for this video MD! Your a legend my friend!

[@CakeForge]

Nice tour 👍 for Ultima franchise. Thank you for making it ! ( 31:40 Funny that you could hear Hearthstone - "Murluchs" )

[@unacomn]

Awesome tour. Thanks for recording this.

[@RunningDownMidAsTechies]

Great video Markee, loved the talk about EA and Ultima.

[@TheDevlynnHawke]

Absolutely loved this, my older brothers started gaming on Ultima 1 and 2. My first steps onto Britania was with Ultima 5 and 6... I played up until 8 and fell off probably due to the reasons mentioned. I got my girlfriend into gaming with City of Heroes... Thank you Richard for all you do.

[@tohopes]

The part where he talks about the players of his games wanting to be more evil than he had imagined is remarkable and may say more about society than he realized when he was saying it.

[@Claudia-lq3ns]

He was always ahead of his time 👍

[@NaldinhoGX]

He always says concepts/ideas that have way deeper meaning to them than what he might've originally realized, haha. That's one thing I like about him.

[@NikStamps]

Follow your heart, Ultima 7 is still my allll time favorite game ever, I dream of it often and love to return to it like a classic book. I was in my late teens in late 90's and so I played 7, 8 and 9 then Ultima Online. Was an amazing world I digitally lived in!

[@ChronicGamerTV]

Ultima IV was my first but I did play some Ultima III to see what it was all about. Thanks for the video Markee and hello Richard.

[@ZapatosVibes]

Great tour! Shroud, even this early, is amazing!

[@MegaMindyLou]

So good to see Richard again and here the rest of the story. I used to be the one who would call him to restock Ultima when it ran out when I worked at Computerland. ❤️

[@hannibalsolo4409]

Best video in a looong time, Markee mark

[@Acobjum]

This was an interesting video about some of Ultima's history. I very much want to play Shroud of the Avatar and can't wait til Forsaken Virtues is finished.

[@Noodleydoo]

I never saw this before!! Love both you guys!

[@mcgeufer]

One of the very few people I look up to. I can't even express how much respect I have for Richard Garriott.

[@cyberdeckcipher]

I want to play Shroud of the avatar. What i have to do? What kind of access this game have? Is it Buy to play as SC, or Pay to Play as WoW? Man, Richard Gariott is my hero. He's one of the main reasons i've decided to work as game designer and here i am finally trying to create my own small game studio in Brazil. I really want to support his work! Who knows if i'll be able to personaly meet him some day :D

[@IsvRada]

Oi UlissesSigma! SotA is a b2p game, once you buy it you can play it for next months and years. The game has an official store with housing, fancy stuff, etc, but nothing that gives you more power skill/combat related. You can also get a house with ingame currency (gold). Its good and honest to say that this is not an UO2, is more like a Ultima game with MMO features and a big social part (events, housing. economy..). Regards from Spain.

[@cyberdeckcipher]

Thanks ISVRAaDa! :D

[@robertramos7923]

You can play it off line or on line... just started it, tying my Steam account to it

[@SteveAvidius]

Ultima 6 was the first one I played. It will always be the best one to me.

[@numbernine5418]

Are there any chance that you can redo the Ultima 8 as it should be???

[@BlacksburgEV]

I fucking loved this. I'm 34, was the youngest player at a UO Luncheon in DC in 98 : )

[@HeroGuide]

Thanks for this video.

[@yank3656]

thanks for sharing markeedragon

[@PcGameGold]

Every time I see U9 now i remember spooneys review lol

[@Wolfsheim23]

Spoony was such an ass in that review though.. He doesn't relate the game to when it was released and how advanced it was for the time. Most all his slanders are ones that are in tons of other games too. Just hated here him rant and the theatrics of it.

[@ShonenXIV]

XWolven Is that some way to excuse the many problems of the game like the lore and story? Did you miss that or it doesn't matter because it was "advanced" but ultima's world building. What's a Paladin? Codex of Ultimate Wisdom?

[@jakobfel2]

I haven't played U9, I've never even finished any of the games in the series (though I have them all) but I do think he was a bit harsh on the game. The main problem was the fact that Lord British was more involved in UO at the time and that meant that the team behind U9 had different ideals in mind. Plus, there's no way of excusing the fact that the Avatar in U9 has literally no memory or knowledge of his past experiences in Britannia. I know they did that so that new fans wouldn't have to go back and replay the entire series but when you have a continual storyline through a game series, it's kinda hard to make that work. Ways they could have done it is to either have the Avatar in U9 be a new character (perhaps explaining that the previous Avatar got lost in the Void or corrupted by Pagan or something), or they could have even gone the cheaper route of giving the Avatar amnesia so that the lack of knowledge would have been less grating.

[@Yoni123]

I'm hoping Ultima X revolutionizes VR like VII did the 2D interface

[@gfox9295]

What a great guy. And a great gamer. And a great game dev. The perfect triple threat!

[@WillWorkForRic3]

This is my jam!

[@flashforward7363]

I hope Shroud works out. It's easy to tell Richard has a lot of passion for games.

[@TimmacTR]

Fascinating. Anyone knows how to play old Ultima games?

[@robertramos7923]

You can get a good deal on getting the whole series... though having issues being able to run game 9... though it seems maybe not worth it from what I here

[@walterjeffreys40]

Find em for free and download dosbox

[@nanodave1980]

Wow that was very interesting and amazing to watch. To hear those stories to know that Richard has had influence and some of the games I played throughout my life is unreal. Recently played the free trial Shroud of the Avatar feels a bit odd but I don't know if that's because I'm not getting the full potential of the game so when I do have some spare cash I probably will buy it. Great vid keep up the good work.

[@kevinfishburne]

I was zero years old when Garriott wrote his first code (1975).

[@luicecifer]

Is there someone playing "Hearthstone" at 31:40 in the background? xD

[@ToddJumper]

Think Markee got a text message.

[@kevinfishburne]

Ultima IV on the wall around 10:30 is sagging at the top like it has a cellophane layer.

[@havaranis]

Anyone that has played ultima 9 undestands why he did not comment on it.

[@JustForFun-dn1gi]

What's a paladin ?

[@sladewilson9741]

The codex of ultimate wisdom?

[@havaranis]

Your knowledge of the land shall be great!

[@jeffreynowak8866]

Ultima 4 is the best ultima confirmed...

[@grimcatnip]

;_; I wanna visit that place and get to ask him questions and such. Austin isn't that far from me.

[@woodygar]

great video

[@tonyd6853]

ooooh can't wait to watch the rest of this! I kinda feel like SoTA should have been an operating system for the next gen games from RG.

[@LTDANMAN44]

ultima 3 exodus is still my favorite

[@1jamarks]

That's the best add for Coca Cola I have ever seen.

[@231swift]

(Haven't fully watched this video yet) Hey Markee haven't really been watching your shroud of the avatar videos (sorry!) but could you give me a brief verdict in comparison to Ultima Online? can't seem to find a game that will replace UO for me :( I wonder what Richard's favourite game creation is, he's wearing a serpent necklace that is the serpent on the Order shield, or the Order of the Silver Serpent from Serpents Hold from UO, I would buy that.

[@markeedragon]

Shroud of the Avatar while it is not UO 2 is does have that feel to it. If you enjoyed UO you will very much enjoy Shroud of the Avatar.

[@slothens]

231swift sadly, i dont think shroud of the avatar will be the replacement for Ultima online :(

[@GreenSoap]

I don't see it as a replacement, but a fresh new alternative in the spirit of UO.

[@elffrog]

third party programs fpr u.o. are fun. try yet?

[@CitarNosis317]

It is very, very far from alpha, let alone from beta. They are making a very solid progress.

[@jimmywhyte7181]

Though LB was tall but here he looks quite small. Guess the photos of him are taken (as is often done) in a way that makes him look tall.

[@plewlonehitknown4812]

Wich one is the better ultima experience, "the black gate", or the "false prophet"?

[@bgzdarrell]

great video.. love richard

[@zoneseek81]

31:40 A..... MURLOC?!?!

[@jimmyboy630]

Ultima VIII my favourite despite its flaws. Amazing game

[@natela6787]

The man should have run a space program. Instead, he gave us Ultima.. fair trade in the long run.

[@JosephRawsonWorks]

Coleco Adam was a very odd computer for the time. Interesting random access cassette drives and a very loud daisywheel printer. IIRC, the Apple compatible basic was on tape, but the word processor was built in the rom.

[@Codethe_Road]

I wish I could be in a position to talk to this man-- give me a team, lets make a 2d version of Ultima Online 2.. :(

[@gootballe583]

Absolutely fascinating stuff and hardly anyone has seen this. Meanwhile Charlie bit my finger has a billion hits. Iolo

[@jaysmith5175]

Lord British I love you

[@MotiviqueStudio]

Love this.

[@jeffreynowak8866]

Still got the rat tail braid.

[@robertramos7923]

I am a new comer to the Ultima universe and am not as emotionally tied to the franchise... and staring from Ultima 1, it is a very fun game

[@theguardian8317]

Nice interview with some very interesting info. People used to pay money for the privilege of beta testing UO while it was in development? So that means Origin also pioneered the way games such as Battlefield are developed and sold? Only back then was 5 bucks and now people can pay > 110 USD for the "privilege" of testing what I like to call the Early AAAccess games and the "privilege" of funding the development of the rest of the game (commonly known as season pass). Speaking seriously it's very interesting what Richard says about what he wanted to do in U4 with the virtue stuff. I believe now a days there's a big issue in game development from both publishers and developers themselves: Publishers avoid to take risks and have the "the client is always right" mentality and many developers are joining the dev philosophy bandwagon of "we have to do what the fans want because the game is for them".

[@BabaDka]

Great Video! thanks... I also was one of those who send in $5 :) Pre-Alpha Destard Server

[@FractalPrism.]

Some games are played where the player views the character as an avatar bc they want to use the character creator to make a version of yourself. Others are an escape from reality where you are something other than yourself, like when you play a psychopath in GTA. Other games have a morality system, where you play it more than once to see "what if?" and explore what outcomes are possible. Its not a problem with a 1size fits all solution, some ppl just want to break whatever the game tries to force on you.

[@singletownbachlor]

Like go into a bar in Tabula Rasa and order a drink...

[@Luchia1602]

Did anyone go to his Halloween Party, at the Manor, that he had years ago? It was dynamite.

[@TheBrazilRules]

Sorry for this blunt question, but Who are you? By this question, I mean, do you work at the game industry or just makes vídeos about it. You look like someone that has a lot of Experience in the field.

[@Whatever4690]

Loved ultima 4, garriot did good. But someone needs to remind garriot that yes combat is important. You could have darksouls level of combat in an instanced world, and it would be a first. Oh well seems richard is in a not listening to anyone mode, or its beyond his resources.

[@Pukwudgie_Surprise]

I heard that murloc...

[@jimiseverus]

he looks baked

[@alexandrsharov3965]

Why he never speak about lineage 2.

[@manueldeabreu1980]

I remember when EA was a good company. That was YEARS ago. Ultima 3 will always be the grandfather of all RPG games. 2 was too lame and 4 was too complex. I didn't get into them after that.

[@PipeandTamper]

Mark, does Richard smoke a tobacco pipe? There’s plenty of them in Shroud and that’s why I ask.

[@uulwyn]

Ultima 9 was terrible and im suprised Richard said he did it his way, i always thought ea messed this. Game up

[@Wolfsheim23]

So what went wrong? Why is this game so bad? So bad still? It's been out a year or more and still it runs terribly. Or is it still early access?

[@gamerzero7735]

Rule Brittania!

[@doctoralzheimersacademiama]

...still no real job... U7, best game ever!

[@Codethe_Road]

markeedragon is an old awkward person with little humour.. poor richard.. he did his best to manage this

[@Codethe_Road]

plz don't hate on me, I used to download the mp3 "radio" show this guy did back in the day.. just giving an opinion.

[@DrSmugface]

this video is sponsored by coca cola and nerds ... jk i love this video

[@MegaRugster]

Had no idea there were so many ultimas.. I only played uo and that was it. Later I made the mistake of buying tabula rasa.. Now 2.5 yrs later and shroud of the avatar is a boring, dull, dead.. game. Good thing it's free...

[@Yoni123]

He framed all stuff that about himself? Bit of an egomaniac mayhap...

[@senjinomukae8991]

is coke paying him for this?

[@AaronClancy]

Love Garriot but uo is more important than him

[@danz409]

sponsored by coke?

[@Sheltemz]

Ultima history is awesome SOTA is completely junk!!