Ultima Mythology
Introduction
The Ultima computer role-playing game series has been widely recognized as one of the most innovative and enduring of the entire genre. In fact, Ultima helped to invent the genre, and to keep it fresh for 20 years through countless developments in computer technology and gaming culture.
Some have liked Ultimas for the gameplay, which has always been challenging and usually quite enjoyable. [Except, of course, hopping across those accursed stones in Ultima 8 without the jumping patch!] Others have liked it for the innovation, from more or less inventing tile-based computer role-playing in the days of the first Ultima to the pioneering of Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games with the dawn of Ultima Online. As a former beta tester of online, I can say that I've definitely appreciated this and all of the other innovative aspects of Ultima. Origin's motto is "We Create Worlds" -- and indeed, their greatest prize, Ultima, has done a lot to create not only the worlds of their game, but also the world of CRPGs in general!
But to many of us, myself included, it was more than the gameplay and the technological magic that inspired us to keep playing Ultima. For these fans, it was above all else the story that kept us coming back for more!
Ultima is to my mind the first and finest example of a truly interactive mythology in a computer role-playing game world. For the first two or three Ultimas, this mythology was rather limited and primitive. As the series evolved, however, its storyline grew increasingly rich and prominent. There were recurring characters who slowly became more than just one- or two liners who provided comic relief or bare archetypal roles of king, villain, etc. There was an emerging storyline that drew together all of the adventures in all of the Ultimas into a single comprehensive mythology.
Perhaps most importantly, at the center of this mythology lies the player -- the Hero from Another World, the Avatar, the one person in the entire story who always seems to play a crucial role in the unfolding of history. The storyline is rich enough to show that events don't always revolve around this person, and sometimes rise up to work against them. As in any good story, there are more powerful characters, and characters who have little or no regard for the tale of this Avatar, is they will come to be known. However, even all of these seemingly unrelated threads weave the fabric of an entire world in which the player gets to be the central character.
In our favorite myths and legends, we're always excited to hear the tale of the great hero who goes through many trials and tribulations in pursuit of their Quest. In Ultima, the mythology is often just as rich -- but this time around, we are the ones who get to go on that journey, and the mythological world interacts with us differently depending on the choices that we make!
To me, it is this interactive mythology that has made Ultima a classic. This is much of my motivation in starting this Ultima Society, and much of what I intend to explore in this website. All other aspects of Ultima seem to be well-covered, and with your help, I intend to use the other sections of this site to acknowledge, explore, and at times mirror or backup the other Ultima content that exists out there. But part of what makes the Ultima Society unique is that it explores Ultima as a serious form of contemporary interactive mythology -- not just by writing fanfics, but by examining the mythology of the game series, discussing it amongst ourselves AS mythology, and contributing our own creative works to the mythic fabric of Ultima.
Given the real-world history of the Ultima series, the mythic fabric of Ultima is necessarily fractured and incomplete. However, any good mythology is rife with contradictions and inconsistencies. We who enjoy the tales told by the Ultimas can have a good time weaving it all together and exploring this timeless mythological landscape together.
|
