Developer Advice: An Interview With Lord Blackthorn
(Ultima Online producer, Starr Long)

I recently had a chance to chat with Starr Long, the producer of Origin System's Ultima Online, to see whether or not he had any tips for new players and any advice for dealing with the game's shortcomings -player-killers and lag. Here's what he had to say:

GameSpot: For starters, is there any general advice you have for newcomers and those players having difficulty getting started in Ultima Online?

Starr Long: Ultima Online is a role-playing game, so you should try to determine what sort of role you want to play. When you begin the game, you should try to decide what your goals are. Do you want to amass wealth? If so, you might consider picking a trade and working at it to make money. Mining and smithing is a popular combination for making money. Tailoring too. Carpentry is another good one and a fairly easy one at that. You can find trees all over the game world.

If you want to build a strong character, a warrior, you should make sure that you train. And you definitely ought to take advantage of the many free training methods available in the game - particularly the training dummies.

GS: As a matter of personal preference, is there a particular skill you prefer to use?

SL: I like playing as a ranger-type character myself, with skills like animal training. You can train cats and dogs in town, then move into the wild to tame larger animals. Before long, you should be able to train a timber wolf, which can be a powerful ally.

Developer Advice continued...