Updates on High Resolution Artwork Update, Community Relations

Let me just say up front that we are tracking this stuff with the UO Development Tracker. Over the past month and a half or so, there have been a lot of questions about the direction that UO is moving, about things like the high resolution artwork update (it’s still planned), and other issues, and for the most part, the UO team is remaining silent. They do respond to smaller requests, such as dealing with duplicate NPCs, shard issues, and some of the scripters/exploiters houses that are still on fire from being dealt with by a previous UO team.

However, players are being kept in the dark about the future of UO, and it’s very odd given the proximity of the 15th Anniversary. Many players aren’t asking about gifts or event (EM) arcs, but are asking about what’s being done to keep UO alive and what’s being done to actually attract more players. New gifts, items, and EM events are not going to attract former or possible players to UO, but the bigger things like the artwork update can and will, and UO needs more players above all else.

I can’t tell you why we are being kept in the dark about the things that could help UO grow, but I hope that everybody on the UO team is okay, and that they are just overworked and too tired to interact with the community.

Thankfully, Jeff Skalski, the Ultima Franchise Producer, has taken it upon himself to help out with community relations, and has responded to a few questions about UO’s future and about the community relations issues.

A few weeks ago, Jeff was asked about commitments he made in 2011 to improving community relations and he responded on August 11, 2012:

Just wrote a letter to the UO community. Hope to see it posted in the coming weeks.

Jeff was also asked about the high resolution artwork update and whether it was canceled. He answered on August 15, 2012:

I wouldnt say cancelled. Just not hitting our quality bar and we have more work to do to knock it out right.

The wording was odd, and he clarified it a few days later on August 18, 2012:

Planned. Our new artist needs to get upto speed first on other art pipelines in the game.

He was asked about the silence concerning the anniversary, and responded earlier today:

Check out http://uo.com for more info. Anniversary item details soon & we’ll be hosting a 15 year party at our studio.

I don’t believe he is talking about anniversary gifts, but items in the broader sense, such as what is being planned to grow UO. If the anniversary is just going to be some items, that would be bad news, but I do not believe it is.

On behalf of the UO community, I thank Jeff Skalski for talking to the players. If you have questions of your own, be sure to hit up Jeff Skalski on Twitter.