BG secrets

[terok00001]

never seen a ship around there, and ive never seen any pirate ships on FoV

[Gradilla Dragon]

I have FoV and the attacking pirate ship is there, at coordinates 132 South, 50 East (1437,2458). No idea about *yet another* pirate ship with the particularity that it doesn't attack

[Bomb Bloke]

There is a ship on the map just north of Serpents Hold.

Perhaps pirates spawn on it under BG.... I remember a boat with pirates, but haven't seen it lately.

I saw a complete Ultima VII set in a second hand shop once. It showed on the back of the box, a turlte much like the one which takes you to visit Erstam... However, it was covered in pirates!

... Or something. Pirates and turtle in same screenshot.

[MV]

I saw a complete Ultima VII set in a second hand shop once. It showed on the back of the box, a turlte much like the one which takes you to visit Erstam... However, it was covered in pirates!

... Or something. Pirates and turtle in same screenshot.

I asked about that one somewhere ages ago and was assured it was a faked picture.

[artaxerxes]

I have the screenshot at home somewhere.
What it shows is the back of the boxed version of Serpent Isle. You'd see pirates and the Avatar on the back of a giant turtle, wielding weapons in one hand and shields on the other.
The most interesting part is that if you study the game data, you will find the graphics for a shield held in a hand.... maybe worth a request feature?

Artaxerxes

[drcode]

I wonder if the artwork exists for shields-in-hand.

[TMNM Dragon]

In serpent Isle the shields have 2 additional frames. I think they are used for the wall mounted decorative shields in shops, but they probably could be used for shields-in-hand.

[artaxerxes]

DrCode wrote:
>
> I wonder if the artwork exists for shields-in-hand.


That's what I meant when I said:
>> The most interesting part is that if you study the game data, you will find the graphics for a shield held in a hand.... maybe worth a request feature?


Artaxerxes

[terok00001]

so wait does SI show shields in hands already? or do they just have the artwork for it, but not implemented (havent played SI yet)

[Gradilla Dragon]

The artwork is for hanging the shields on the walls. That artwork can't be for showing it on hand because their "facing" is the same as that of weapons, so when drawn on screen they would be in the same hand as the weapon.

[terok00001]

ah, yeah i cant imagine it looking right in u7, but they did a good job with shields on Ultima Online.... too bad EA took it over and made it into a horrible game... anyone use to play old school Ultima Online?

[The Viking]

Uuuhhh..
Origin was under EA control long before the planning of Ultima Online started...

[terok00001]

well, one way or another it started out fun then turned to crap

[Dupre]

Well, that depends on your point of view. When the game was first released, there were plenty of bugs to exploit. Personally, I felt it made for a very unbalanced game play. It probably was fun for the player killers and bug exploiters who enjoyed that kind of advantage. I had hoped for some half decent 'in game' quests, but that never really materialized. It just got more lame as time progressed, and I ultimately stopped playing. It never really was a true ultima.

[Chris Schumacher]

From what I understand the single best period of time to play UO was during the Pre-Alpha period (possibly the Alpha too, though I've never heard anything about that time). Which is one of the reasons why I think there should be even more shards with a fixed number of people who can be enrolled on them at any one time. That way it's at least possible to form a community. PKers won't last long if everyone knows who they are and go
after them on sight.

[artaxerxes]

Here is a screenshot using ExultStudio to show the artwork for Dupre's Shield (you can see it in the middle). As you can see, there is both artworks facing south and facing east, just like the rest of artworks.

http://si-french.sourceforge.net/images/shields.png

I'm thinking artwork-wise, everything is there.

Artaxerxes

[Gradilla Dragon]

But the shield will end up in the SAME hand as the weapon. It will overlap the weapon's graphic.

Do this experiment:
Enter the game and walk east. Notice what hand the weapon is held in. That's the bottom hand, which is currently the right. Now walk west. Notice what hand the weapon is held in. It's the left hand now, so the weapon keeps being held with the "botton hand".

Now walk north. Notice what hand the weapon is held in. That's the rightmost hand on the screen, which is the right hand. Now walk south. Notice what hand the weapon is held in. It's the left hand, so the weapon keeps being held with the "rightmost hand on the screen".

Now check those shield graphics. They would only work fine if the weapon were in the top hand when walking east/west, and in the leftmost hand when walking north/south.

Now check ALL character graphics and tell me what hand they use for attacking. Obviously, when facing east and west, it's the bottom hand; and when facing north/south, it's rightmost.

[artaxerxes]

then put the shield in the other hand, no?

Artaxerxes

[Bomb Bloke]

Er, I think he means that the graphics themselves face the wrong way.

...

I think.

I'm guessing it was an incomplete feature, partly implemented and then removed, which would explain the picture on the box. I don't remember shields being on it, just pirates and turtles. Of course, the picture could also have just been a preview mock-up.

[Gradilla Dragon]

Yes, Bomb Bloke, you got it right. The shields are facing the wrong way. Placing them in the top and leftmost hand will look awkward, if not silly. The shields would only look right if placed on the bottom and rightmost hand, but that hand is used for the weapon already.

Conclussion: In order to implement correctly-looking shields, the corresponding frames have to be drawn first.

[Bomb Bloke]

What if the weapons were to change hands? Would that work?

[Gradilla Dragon]

I already explained that. It won't work. Read above.

[Dominus]

but if you were to program that the shield and weapon don't use the same "hand"/side?

[Gradilla Dragon]

That's not the point, Dominus. The point is the graphics are not appropriate. Even if someone codes it so the shield and weapon don't use the same hand, it will look wierd because the character will be grabbing the shield from the front side, the one they are supposed to use for parrying.

Here: http://art-shrine.verge-rpg.com/webimgs/dupre.png

See?

[TMNM Dragon]

What if, when you face south you use the shield that faces south, and east for east. But for facing north and west, you don't see the sheild because it is covered by the npc.

[TMNM Dragon]

Or, if that doesn't look good, how about keep the ones when the npc hold the weapon in the right hand (north & east). Add the shield instead of the weapon when he faces south & west. This way you get consistant hand use, instead of the npc changing weapon hands every time he turns.

[Dominus]

ok, so shields need an extra shape for the backside "fron" and sidewards

[Gradilla Dragon]

TMNM, I think it's easier and more effective to just create the necesary frames for the shields.

[artaxerxes]

now I get it.
You could thus put the weapon on the other hand and all is fine!

Artaxerxes

[Gradilla Dragon]

No, Artaxerxes, you can't. The character frames for combat make it necesary to have the weapon in that specific hand. There are frames for swinging with that hand, and no frames for swinging with the other. There are frames for swinging with both hands at the same time, but that just won't look right, specially because it comes from the rightmost and the bottom side, depending on the facing.

I think it's best to create the necesary artwork for the shields.