Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn

The Kingdom Reborn (UO:KR) expansion was announced as part of the Inu Storyline. It is schedualed for release in spring 2007 and will feature a brand new 3D client. It has also been mentioned that there will be server-side enhancements, but there is no information about this yet.

Announcement Message

UO's producer Darkscribe hid the following announcement on UO.com, which players had to discover by decyphering clues and inputting the URL: Congratulations!

You are one of the very first to get a glimpse of a reborn Ultima Online. We won't be releasing more details for a bit, but we do want to let you know a few things:

We are completely re-building the Ultima Online client with new graphics and a new easier-to-use interface.

It is an in-place upgrade. That means you will be able to keep your characters, items, houses and everything else you've earned over the past nine years.

We are committed to maintaining extremely low system specs. They will be higher than what UO launched with in 1997, but will still be far lower than almost any other MMORPG on the market.

The launch will happen in 2007.

There are many, many more surprises in store.

The Ultima Online development team has been working hard for the past eight months to make real the vision of a thriving, vibrant Ultima Online. We are proud to finally let you in on our secret. Look for a full announcement soon.
I know you probably have lots of questions. Before this year ends, we will answer just about all of them, so keep watching www.uo.com.

Aaron "Darkscribe" Cohen Producer - Ultima Online

FAQ

What is Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn? Just a new client or more?
- We are re-drawing the graphics and building a new user interface that will be easier-to-use for players new and old. (At the same time, we’re working to give long time players UI options that will let them play almost exactly the way they play now.) We are also adding new content that you’d find in most other UO expansion packs, such as a new player race, new features, a new dungeon and other surprises. We will be polishing and improving some areas of UO game play, but the core sets of rules, systems and content will remain intact. The idea is to give current, former, and new players a vibrant, thriving world that looks and plays like it’s new, that also takes advantage of Ultima Online’s nine years of features, content and culture.
Will there be a beta? If so, when? How long will it be?
- Yes, we will have a public beta test. Dates will be announced on www.uo.com.
Is the new client 2d or 3d?
- Yes! In a way, it is both. It’s a 3D engine that will look and play like a 2D engine, except for some special effects, lighting and other small details. Our goal was to preserve the look and feel of Ultima Online, while also providing the benefits of a modern graphics engine.
Will we be able to rotate or otherwise change the camera angle?
- To preserve the charm and feel of Ultima Online, we’re re-building the world with highly detailed 2D tiles. This allows us to have the visual detail we want, but does prevent us from creating a rotating camera.
Will the new special effects be scalable? If I have a fast computer, can I enable more cool effects to make the game look better?
- There will be some effects that will be scalable according to what 3D card you have. However, our goal is to give players with low system spec machine a visually vibrant and inviting game.
Will we still be able to play with the old 2D or 3D client after Kingdom Reborn launches?
- Yes, we will continue to support the older clients after the launch of Kingdom Reborn. However, the long term plan is to support a single client for the game.