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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gatech!seismo!ut-sally!brian
From: brian@ut-sally.UUCP (Brian H. Powell)
Newsgroups: net.games
Subject: Re: Ultima IV
Message-ID: <3828@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Dec-85 23:23:44 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.3828
Posted: Mon Dec 16 23:23:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Dec-85 05:46:19 EST
References: <1061@bbnccv.UUCP> <18903950@uiucuxa> <1810@uwmacc.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 53
Summary: Sierra vs. Origin

In article <1810@uwmacc.UUCP>, oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicious Oyster) writes:
> >  ...
>   ..., but thought
> I'd take this opportunity to give my opinion about Sierra Online's version of
> Ultima I.
>    The game is unplayable.  Bugs (may be features, but the result is the same)
> do things like take away your money and weapons when you die (making it next
> to impossible to get more without dying several more times); resurrect you
> ... etc...
>   As a result of this, I have not and will not buy anything
> else by Sierra Online.
>    ...    (I own an Atari) ...
> 
>  - Joel ({allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster)
> 
> Disclaimer: I have no connection with Sierra Online or any competing software
> house, except as a concerned consumer.  Sierra Online and Ultima are most
> probably trademarks.

     First, I am afraid I have a small connection to Origin systems (one-time
REAL-small contract work for the Mac version of Ultima ]I[), and I have some
friends working there, so I'm kind of biased.
     Second, Ultima is indeed a trademark belonging to the original author
(formerly of Sierra, now with Origin.)  I shall be grossly negligent and omit
the (tm) that should follow every occurrence of Ultima (tm) that occurs in
this message.
     Thirdly, I too have heard of bugs with Sierra's versions of the Ultima
series (they do versions of Ultima I and Ultima ][, as I recall).  Usually
they are similar to those mentioned in the parent letter paraphrased above.
     Origin does versions of Ultima ]I[ and Ultima IV (forthcoming for the Mac
and PC (et al?)).  The guy who does the translations from the Apple ][ version
to the Mac/PC versions does as close to a literal translation as possible.
This means you don't introduce any new bugs.  From what's been said, (and from
comments from people inside Origin have said), Sierra doesn't do this.  Thus,
the new bugs.
     I also know that Origin playtests the dickens out of their games.  (While
working on the mac version, they found a bug in an Apple-supplied Segment
loader that caused the game to routinely crash after about 50,000 moves.  They
had this happen dozens of times.  That's a lot of moves.)
     I could go on about Sierra's serious financial troubles, but just let it
suffice that I don't like Sierra.  They don't do a very good job at what they
do.


Brian H. Powell
		UUCP:	{ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!brian
		ARPA:	brian@sally.UTEXAS.EDU

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