On Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at approximately 6:00PM PDT (September 14 - 1:00AM GMT), we will deploy client patch 5.0.4d.

Details for the patch are as follows:

* Vet Reward Player Statues no longer have health bars
* Players can no longer access the Virtue Gump from a Player Statue’s paperdoll
* Added 9th Anniversary splash screen and entitlement check
* Adjusted the location of the progress loading bar for the 3D client splash screen
* Updated text strings and localization for Live Event

If patched correctly, your current version will display 5.0.4d for both clients. If you have any difficulty receiving this patch, please check the following:

Check the “Patch” directory within your Ultima Online directory (the default location is C:\Program Files\EA Games\Ultima Online\Patch). This directory should be empty. Any files in this directory should be deleted.

Run a virus scan on your computer. Undetected viruses may cause conflicts with patching Ultima Online. For information on up-to-date virus detection software, please visit http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/vso/default.asp.

If after trying the above, you are still experiencing difficulty patching the Ultima Online client, please visit this web page.

Previous Client: Version 5.0.4c (August 29, 2006)
Associated With: No Particular Publish.
>> Full Client Timeline List

Over on the FYI section of UO.com, information was posted about a client patch that was deployed today.

On Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at approximately 6:30PM PDT (August 30 - 1:30AM GMT ), we will deploy client patch 5.0.4c

Details for the patch are as follows:

* Fixed a display issue with the Red Soulstone animation
* Improved the error message players see when they try to recharge their Weapon Engraver and don’t meet the requirements to do so
* Updated text strings and localization
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Information about a client update has been posted to UO.com - FYI.

On Tuesday, August 23, 2006 at approximately 6:00PM PDT (August 24 - 1:00AM GMT ), we will deploy client patch 5.0.4b

Details for the patch are as follows:
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The June 9, 2006 edition of the Five on Friday is up on UO.com. The first question, about the hideous looking duped clothing.

1. My eyes! Are you looking into this sudden influx of garishly colored clothing?

Darkscribe: Ah yes, the dreaded duping bug that creates eye searing hues on some items. We will be fixing that as soon as we’re able.

2. It’s really hard to sneak around these days. Do you have any plans to take a look at stealth vs. passive detect?

Wilki: Definitely. The stealth/hiding/detection system needs to be readjusted so that it’s possible to sneak around other players and monsters without such a high chance of detection. We’ll also look at detect hidden, and the reveal spell as well. We’ve seen some good ideas from the community, so please feel free to comment more on the forums.

3. Occasionally I have noticed that my client has been crashing since Pub40 was released. Is this something that will have to wait until Pub41 to get fixed?

Ando: The QA team has reproduced two separate crashes. The first one involves the targeting system and the Dev team is currently working on a fix for this. The second appears to involve Elven containers, and the QA team is in the process of providing the Dev team with all the information they need to locate the root cause of this issue. The Dev team would like to release a fix for these issues as early as next week if possible.

4. What will Pub41 consist of and when can we expect to see a Pub41 Test Center?

Ando: Since Pub41 will be a fairly small publish, we should be able to get a Test Center up sometime next week. At that time we will be providing details of what the publish will consist of.

5. Are there any possible plans for the 9th anniversary?

Darkscribe: Yes! There will be a new boxed product that we will be announcing shortly that will go on sale in September, just in time for the anniversary. There are a couple remaining details to work out before we can give all the details. This new product will contain not one, but two new housing tile sets, both of which are quite different from anything currently in the game. And no, this anniversary box isn’t the secret that will be revealed when you solve the puzzles surrounding Inu. The spring flowers are still very much in bloom.

It’s that time once again - Five on Friday from UO.com, from May 19, 2006. Questions of interest - PvM becoming more difficult, and some more information about the Inu the Crone plotline.

1. Would it be possible to have a beta test client that everyone can download if they choose that is separate from the main client?

Darkscribe: Yes. On occasion, we will be making beta clients available to test new functionality before release to the entire player base. Sometimes these will be small tests of 10-20 players. Sometimes they will be large beta tests available to almost everyone. It depends on the functionality we’re adding and how deep we need to test it.

2. I really like the new targeting and buff/debuff systems. Are there any more improvements in store for the client?

Darkscribe: Yes. There probably won’t be any major client changes in Pub 41, which is dedicated to features and content that will require more server-side work. More on those soon.

3. Some of the changes that have been proposed are going to make PvM more difficult, especially when it comes to the peerless bosses. Are there plans to rebalance PvM after combat has been changed?

MrTact: If we were to tweak weapon and spell damage values as part of the balancing process, it would pretty much mandatory for us to review monster stats in that light.

4. Will we ever see a Guild Message of the Day feature in UO?

MrTact: Hopefully! I would very much like to implement this, but it’s not on any schedule atm.

5. I’m seeing a lot of new faces (NPCs) related to the Inu the Crone plotline. Do you have any hints on more ways we can interact with them?

Draconi: *smiles* When I meet new people, one of the first things I like to ask them is their name and a little about their job! This usually gives me enough that I can make much longer conversations with them, rather than just randomly saying something. Also, it really helps if I seem interested in what they’re saying! If I just sat their and spit out one word responses to someone, they’d get tired of it pretty quick. So try to think about what they’re saying, and sometimes phrase things with a few more words than you normally might - in fact, sometimes try to think of things that they didn’t exactly say!

Oh! Sometimes people like to receive gifts or have you run errands for them. Right now there might not be too many of that sort hanging about Inu, but you never know.

The April 28, 2006 edition of the Five on Friday is online at UO.com. Some of the questions answered include future enforcement of the TOS (in regards to scripting), as well as changes concerning targeting and the client.

1. Kudos to EA for announcing the recent scripter bans on uo.com. Will we see more announcements like this in the future?

Darkscribe: On occasion, we will announce developments when it comes to enforcing the rules and dealing with rule breakers. I want all UO players to know that we enforce the rules, ban accounts when needed, and are working hard to make the game fair for everyone. On the other hand, I don’t want to keep hammering at that message and make the game seem like a police state. We’ve got a lot more fun things to talk about.

2. Why did you decide to change how targeting works?

Darkscribe: The old targeting system just wasn’t as easy and responsive as we wanted it to be. I know a lot of existing players have grown used to it and are quite good at using it in even the most hectic of combat situations. However, that old system just isn’t as good as it could be. I think once the complete server publish is rolled out with Pub 40, when targeting hostiles is working and a few other polish issues are taken care of, the new system will become quite popular. Personally, I find it much easier to target what I want and when I want. And, we are listening to the feedback and are figuring out ways to make the system better.

3. Using lightning strike with a heavy crossbow on the Pub40 TC can do over 100 damage. Is this intended?

MrTact: Nope. In the last few days before the server publish, we’ll be looking at this and issues with other systems as they are on TC, including swing speed.

4. Are you planning another client patch to address some of the problems we’ve been having with the new targeting system?

MrTact: Yup. And we will be looking at ways to do broader beta tests of publishes in the future, so we find these problems before we go worldwide with the client.

5. What’s the status on hunger, remove curse apples and corpse skin?

Wilki: We’re going to adjust hunger, that’s a given. Remove curse apples will also be brought into balance by the hunger adjustment, since you won’t be able to eat tons of them repeatedly. In the meantime, the changes to corpse skin have been reverted, so there will be no change in Pub40.

Now online - the April 21, 2006 Five on Friday at UO.com. Make sure and read the question about codes (gametime, etc.) being sold…

1. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Inu the Crone puzzles. Will my friends on Asian shards get to participate in the event too?

Darkscribe: Absolutely. The Asian shards have separate community teams that will be running the events. The key plot elements will be the same, but delivered in different ways and at different times. We’re going to try and keep all the shards as consistent as possible, but there will be deviations.

2. Are you guys at a point yet where you can finalize the list of pub 40 changes?

Darkscribe: We are very, very close, and just about everything in pub 40 is public now. I expect the entire “code complete” publish to be on test center next week. When it’s up on the TC, you’ll be able to sample all the new stuff, including the new buff-de-buff system and the new targeting system.

3. Can we see what the new buff/debuff system looks like?

Wilki: Yes, you sure can. Click here for a preview.

4. Sometimes I see codes (gametime, gender change, etc) being sold for less than I can buy from from EA. How is this possible?

Wilki: While I suppose it’s not completely impossible that someone might buy a bunch of codes and sell them for less than they bought them for out of the generosity of their heart, I’d say it’s about as likely as finding a check for one million gold lying around the Luna moongate at 8pm on a Saturday night. In the past, we’ve discovered codes bought with stolen credit cards. We then make an effort to find accounts that used the stolen codes and occasionally ban those accounts as well, depending on the circumstances.

If you need to buy a code, it’s highly advised that you only buy them from www.uogamecodes.com, otherwise caveat emptor. You wouldn’t meet a stranger at the crossroads in Felucca to trade your unblessed rares collection for an artifact, now would you?

5. I think Inu is a virtue short of a full codex. Is she ever going to make any sense?

Inu the Crone: I make plenty of sense. It’s not my fault that you can’t add two and two together; or any other combination of numbers for that matter.

*mutters* Non dignus.

This week’s Five on Friday is now online at UO.com. Among the questions answered - information about proficiency and Publish 40.

1. I saw the new targeting system thread in the Developer’s Corner, and I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if that example was the way it is going to look in Pub40?

TheGrimmOmen: Not quite. What you saw in that thread was an early prototype to demonstrate the functionality of the new system. We’ve been working on the art for the targeting reticule, and should have something new to show you soon.

2. How will armor resists work with the proficiency system? Can I still have all of my resists at 70% if I want?

MrTact: Under the current plan, no. However, the armor proficiencies are one of the more controversial elements of the proficiencies system, and are likely to undergo some changes before deployment. There is an active discussion of this in the proficiencies thread on Stratics.

3. Do you still plan on putting a timer on changing proficiencies?

MrTact: Yes. The model I’m basing this on is the Soulstone. However, I am open to the idea that playtesting may show this to be too painful. If so, we can always relax that requirement.

4. When can we expect Proficiencies to be on a Test Shard?

Ando: Most of our focus at the moment has been on Pub40. We would like to try and get a Pub40 Test Center up for players to start testing some of the PVP fixes as soon as we can. At this point, there is only one technical issue remaining that needs to be addressed before we can do this. We are also working hard to get the Pub40 client ready so players can get their hands on the new targeting system and buff / de-buff system.

I don’t see us putting up a Pub41 proficiencies Test Center until after we release a Pub40 client. This is mainly due to the fact that logging into a Pub41 shard using a Pub39 client displays a lot of text errors when trying to test the proficiencies. I will also point out that when the Test Center does go up that it will probably only contain the tier 1 proficiencies at first.

5. The Basket of Herbs in the Spring Décor Collection doesn’t give a bonus if you are at GM Cooking. Is it supposed to be like this?

Wilki: It was designed that way, yes. However, after reading your comments, we’re looking into allowing you to exceed the 100 cooking skill cap with the basket, much like how mining gloves work with mining. No promises that we’ll definitely do this, as there may be some hidden issues that won’t be apparent until we try the change, but it most certainly is being looked at.

From the Updated Center at UO.com, there is a new client being rolled out in a few days, version 5.0.1i.

It ties directly to Publish 39.
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