Xref: utzoo comp.sys.apple:5185 rec.games.misc:1883
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!well!hrh
From: hrh@well.UUCP (Harry Henderson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple,rec.games.misc
Subject: Re: Ultima V (was: Desktop Bus)
Message-ID: <5611@well.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 18:45:55 GMT
References: <2656@charon.unm.edu> <3879@sphinx.uchicago.edu>
Reply-To: hrh@well.UUCP (Harry Henderson)
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 41
Summary: New features and tips

In article <3879@sphinx.uchicago.edu> kus3@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Bob Kusumoto) writes:
>
>As for the game itself, its amazing, its almost a prerequest to finish Ultima
>IV before starting on U5, only because the map is almost exactly the same as
>the U4 game, and if you start out fresh in U5, you have to complete the quest
>to become the Avatar, or you can transfer your old U4 character over to U5.

Not true, at least in my experience. I've created several trial
characters and they've all been listed as "level 2 avatars."
I *would* however recommend getting the list of shrines, runes,
mantras, etc. from Ultima IV (CompuServe games forum has one)
if you haven't played Ultima IV.
>Only complaints are that you go through so much food so quickly, real quick,
>in fact, its one of the major problems with big groups (more food eaten up).
>other than that, its real interesting game.

Yes, this is a problem. The documentation mentions "markets" where you
can get food, but they seem to be few and far between. Taverns and
restaurants don't have food "to go." You can harvest some food from
ploughed fields in towns, though, with the G)et command.

General advice (note that I'm just beginning). Do lots of S)earching.
Don't steal from ordinary citizens' bedrooms and closets (I think this
loses you "goodness" points--presumably stealing from guards is OK,
though.) Experiment with the "push" command--you can push items of
furniture around. Not sure how effective this can be, but it might
be possible to push something in front of oncoming guards.

It *is* a great game. I find the grinding of disk drive on startup
(due to copy protection, I assume) somewhat disconcerting. I wish
they would drop Copy Protection in favor of a code wheel.

One question: earlier interviews with Lord British suggested that
spell research was possible (combining power syllables in various
combination and presumably finding the right mixture of reagents).
Has anyone had any luck creating a spell not on the official list?
This feature would be great if it exists.

-- 
The opinions expressed are my own, but you're welcome to share them.
Harry Henderson (freelance technical editor/writer).
{pacbell,hplabs,lll-crg,hoptoad,apple}!well!hrh