Five on Friday has been posted on UO.com

For all previous Five on Fridays, organized by topic, please see the master list here at UOCodex.com

1. It’s great that the Treasures of Tokuno event is back. Do you have plans to do other events like this, but with new rewards?

Aaron “Darkscribe” Cohen, Producer:
Yes. There are a few variations that we are talking over and will experiment with. We’d like to make a system that isn’t just about combat, but also involves other disciplines like crafting, fishing, mining or others. That would bring players together with different interests and abilities and give them a reason to work together. We’re working on something along those lines and will roll it out when ready. I can’t give a timeline at the moment, but we like the idea a lot.

2. I love the 9th Anniversary stuff! Will we get to see any of this on the Test Shard?
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Confirming what was said earlier, there is, in fact a revival of the Treasures of Tokuno (2).

According to an Imperial Decree (UO.com - Britannia News Network):

Imperial Decree
Imperial Press Sep 28 2006 8:27PM

Be it known that on this day the Empire declares a state of readiness throughout the Isles of Tokuno. It is acknowledged that recent events in the kingdom of Britannia and its associated territories cause due concern to the Empress and Her people. In order to ensure the common defense the Empress declares the following:

1. The city of Zento shall be immediately fortified
Guards shall be posted at all points of entry to the city, including the moongate. However, travel to and from the city shall not be hindered at this time.

2. The Imperial Castle shall remain concealed
Travel to the island of the Imperial Seat, save for members of the Court, is restricted.

3. The Imperial Treasury shall be restored
The treasures of the Empire, lost on sunken ships after a raid upon Zento, are critical to the wealth and thus the defense of the Isles. The Imperial Minister of Trade shall continue rewarding those who seek these treasures with various artifacts and gifts of appreciation.

Let it be also known that the Empire has confirmed reports that yet more treasure from the sunken ships has since washed up on the shores of our islands. The monsters of our land appear to be attracted once more to that which rightfully belongs to the Empress, and all are urged to assist in a renewed recovery effort.

As it is spoken so it is written, as it is written so it is law.

Treasures of Tokuno (UO.com).

From UO.com

A proud legacy, a bright future

From the pen of Darkscribe…

Happy birthday to us! Ultima Online is nine years old, nine history-filled years. This game has defied expectations, pioneered new ideas, and built one of the most devoted, passionate communities in the MMORPG universe. To celebrate, a character from the Ultima single-player games will be making her first true visit to the worlds within the shards. That event begins October 6th (PDT). If you are a fan of Britannian history, you are in for a treat.

Also, you might have noticed the announcement of the 9th Anniversary Collection. We’ve tried to make available just about every bit of art we could for housing decor, some of it nine years old and yet never available in the game. The official website for the 9th Anniversary Collection is here.

Looking back on nine years is fun, and humbling, but looking forward is what has us truly excited. Ultima Online is on the cusp of a new age, and we’re glad you’re with us.

See you in Sosaria,

Aaron “Darkscribe” Cohen, UO Producer

I guess people really were waiting to see what all the goodies would be. Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection shot up to the top 5 on Amazon today (it’s hovering around #3 as we speak). Keep in mind that a week ago it was hovering in the #300-400 range, with it being in the Top Five and Top Ten in Japan fairly consistently. This isn’t simply in PC games, it’s all video games, and includes the actual gaming hardware (consoles, etc).

Right now, it’s #1 in Japan on Amazon.jp’s Top Ten list.

Just to give you a perspective, the top 11 at Amazon (USA):
1)Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive
2)Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe DVD

3)Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection

4)Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS2)
5)Nintendo DS Lite Onyx Black
6)The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack
7)Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team
8)Okami (PS2)
9)Final Fantasy XII
10)Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team
11) New Super Mario Bros.

For an update on this story, see Treasures of Tokuno II and an Imperial Decree

Yesterday it was mentioned that the Treasures of Tokuno started back up with the publish that just went through. One difference over the past ToT was that the dyes were no longer available as major artifacts.

It turns out there are dyes dropped as minor artifacts, however they are more natural in appearance and they are only good for one use. The color matches the bottle, and players have reported that they match the metals we have available to us (minus iron of course).

Keep in mind this: Back on the April 7, 2006 Five on Friday Questions, MrTact answered this question:

3. Are you ever going to add Tokuno dyes back into the game?

MrTact: Not per se; we intend for those colors to stay rare. I would love to add metal dyes in a variety of additional (common) colors as an alchemy craftable, though. It’s just a question of finding the time to get it into a publish!

If you purchase the Collection during the first 30 days of release during their Early Buyer program, you get to pick nine items from the following collections (note - there is a link to a large image of all items at bottom of page):

These three collections we’ve already seen:
Ultima Online 7th Anniversary Items
Ultima Online 8th Anniversary Items
Evil Home Décor Collection

These two collections are new:

The Broken Furniture Collection (2 sets of items, 1 shown below)
The civilization of Britannia has lived for uncountable centuries, seen days of amazing glory, and nights of epic tragedy. When that much time passes, and with millions of citizens coming and going, it’s only natural that sometimes the furniture will wear out. Available for the first time, this collection of broken and ruined furniture is available for you to create your own lived in look.

- Broken Covered Chair
- Ruined Bookcase
- Standing Broken Chair
- Broken Vanity
- Broken Chest of Drawers
- Broken Armoire
- Ruined Bed
- Broken Fallen Chair

All Broken Furniture Items

Ultima Online Heritage Collection (7 sets of items, 1 shown below)
The Heritage Collection features items from nine ages of Ultima Online, none of which has ever been available to citizens before. Some of these items can be seen in Lord British’s Castle, others come from the wilds of Illshenar, and others from the recently discovered Tokuno. Now, these relics of beauty and history are yours.
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“Two new sets of housing tiles-complete with furniture-allow you to create a palatial abode in enviable style.”

Larger Image

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All Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Images

The official Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Collection site is now online (www.uo.com/uo9/).

Gamestop, EB Games, and Amazon.com are among the official pre-order sites, with international ordering information coming soon.

Official Description and Contents:

Fame, fortune, and power await
you in a fantasy world like no other.

This is your chance to experience the legendary game that launched the massively multiplayer RPG genre. In the Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection, join a global online community and enter a world teeming with adventure and excitement. Discover distant locales, battle fierce creatures, and befriend fellow travelers. You can even design, build, and decorate your very own house within the living world of the game.

FEATURES

* The Definitive Ultima Online Collection
- Quest for adventure in one of the biggest, deepest MMORPG’s in existence. The entire UO universe, including the content and features of seven expansion packs, is yours to explore.

* Embark on a Hero’s Quest
- Hundreds of monsters to battle, human players to fight, treasures to hunt, artifacts to discover, real estate to claim, dragons to tame, powerful weapons to craft, fame to earn, fortunes to win, and much, much more.

* Exclusive Crystal and Shadow Housing Sets
- Build a home of dark stone carved from the black depths of a demon-infested mountain. Or, create a gleaming castle with walls of crystal grown in magic fields with the help of specially trained mages.

* Command Your Personal Attendants
- Four servants await your command: The Fortune Teller predicts your past and future. The Herald announces your noble presence. The Dealer rolls dice of all shapes and sizes, and The Guide makes sure you never get lost.

* Try It Today for Free
- New accounts get 30 days of free gameplay with this package.

* Early Buy Bonus!
- Purchase during the first 30 days of release and choose nine gifts from a selection of rare items from the history of Ultima Online. Select from more than 50 items including the Ultima Online 7th Anniversary gifts, Ultima Online 8th Age gifts, and a wide array of unique items, décor, and collectables.

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All shards will receive the same publish that Origin and Pacific have already received tomorrow, during their normal maintenance times, according to the UO.com Update/FYI Page:

On Friday, September 29, 2006, we will be deploying a publish to all shards during their respective maintenance times.

The update will contain the following changes:

* Shard stability fix
* Live event content

We expect this publish to cause no additional downtime.

Currently the Treasures of Tokuno program is once again running on Pacific and Origin with the possibility that it will be running on all other shards after their maintenance periods tomorrow.

If you have noticed an incorrect account age on your paperdoll, the Shard issue page at UO.com has the following information:

We’re aware of the issue with incorrect account age’s being displayed on your paperdoll. You do not need to contact us if you are experiencing this problem, as a fix is in the works.

We appreciate your patience while we solve this issue.