Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss
Important Note: During the open beta from August 14 to 23 the Stygian Abyss related pages will be updated frequently.
The Stygian Abyss will be UO's eighth expansion. It launches on September 8, 2009 at an upgrade cost of $29.99. A new player pack will sell for $39.99, which includes 30 days of gametime.
The expansion was developed alongside the Stygian Abyss Client, a re-branding of the much maligned Kingdom Reborn Client. Both the 2D and Stygian Abyss clients will be able to access all expansion content, including the new areas.
Players who purchase Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss from September 8th – 29th will receive multiple Alteration Tokens to transform current characters into Gargoyles, an exclusive gargoyle craftable pet, and decorative Stygian Abyss mob boss statues.
Open Beta
This section will include links to the latest news, pages, videos, images and information found during the beta.
- New Tamables - http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=152534
- Maps of New Areas - http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=152302
- New Stealables - http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=152199
- http://www.youtube.com/user/jcthebuilder - Videos on a variety of expansion additions
2D Client Changes
- New Make Max/Make Number buttons in crafting menus
- New mark as quest item in crafting menus
- "Altar Item [Gargoyle]" option in crafting menu
- Racial abilities book in Paperdoll next to profile scroll
Gargoyles
- Gargoyles are unable to ride mounts
- Gargoyles can not wear Leather/Plate/Chain/Studded armor, only new Gargoyle Armors
- Gargoyles can not equip most weapons (War Fork, Katana, Staff, etc.)
Monsters
New Champion Spawns
Slasher of Veils
- Found in Stygian Abyss abandoned city
- Champion - Slasher of Veils
Abyssal Inferno
- Stage 1 - Horde Familiar and Chaos Daemons
- Stage 2 - Stone Harpy and Arcane Daemons
- Stage 3 - ?
- Stage 4 - ?
- Champion - ?
Primevil Lich
- Stage 1 - Gore Fiends and Vampire Bats
- Stage 2 - Flesh Golems and Dark Wisps
- Stage 3 - ?
- Stage 4 - ?
- Champion - Primevil Lich
New Peerless
- Medusa
Features
- Gargoyle Race - A new player race. One ability includes being ably to "fly" (cross certain obstacles and move at mounted speed). Gargoyles can not learn Archery or use bows.
- Ter Mur - The Gargoyle homeland. Players will be able to place Houses in this area.
- Stygian Abyss Dungeon - The largest and most intricate added to date. Based off the one seen in Ultima Underworld, the entrance is found on Fire Island on both facets. Creatures found inside include the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon. There will also be non-consensual PVP combat areas inside the abyss.
- Imbuing - A new crafting skill that allows players to manage the properties added on a crafted weapon or armor piece. This will also include the ability to harvest magical properties from existing items.
- Mysticism - A Gargoyle form of spellcasting complete with it's own set of spells.
- Throwing - A new ranged weapons skill utilizing throwing weapons and consumes no ammunition. Can only be learned by Gargoyles.
Minor
- Gargoyle Architecture - Nine new housing tile sets showing off the style of Gargoyles.
- Scroll Binder - Combine power, stat and transcendence scrolls into more powerful ones.
- Staining - Create your own color dyes from plants.
- Custom Carpets - Complete a quest to gain access to a carpet vendor.
- Battle Chicken Breeding - Raise the perfect chicken and send them into battle.
- Basket Weaving - Weave baskets with tinkering.
- Snake Charming -
- Pet Resurrection Changes - NPCs can now raise dead pets for a fee
New Quests
- Coming Soon!
Development History
The expansion was announced a week early with an accidental posting, which is no longer available, on the Japanese Ultima Online Stygian Abyss website. The following message has been translated by athos_uo on the Stratics forums and may not be exact:
"Ultima Online Stygian Abyss" is the first expansion that will be released a few months later after the launch of "Ultima Online Kingdom Reborn". You can buy it in a package on the shelf or downloading it.
New features and contents
- Gargoyle race comes back to Sosaria, having escaped from the subordination that lasted hundreds years in the harsh land, unfortunately through which a part of the harsh land was brought to Sosaria. The Stygian Abyss opens its mouth and unfamiliar and bizarre creatures stalk on the ground. But you can find adventures only there, where there are risks. Abyss would offer the treasures beyond imagination to the braves who made their way into it.
The new playable race that players can select to play: The Gargoyle race
- They appear already in a part of the story since Ultima III and are mystic and thoughtful race which is known for their ability to control, infuse or transform energy.
The largest dungeon in the history of UO: Stygian Abyss
- It was through Abyss that Gargoyle race came back from the underworld. This dungeon is several times as large as any other current dungeons in UO and offers various dangers, new monsters, new tricks and new treasures.
Originally, Stygian Abyss was to have been launched a two months after Kingdom Reborn in summer 2007. The release of the expansion had been delayed due to poor performance of the new client. At a Town Hall Meeting in Seattle on August 30 2008, it was announced as targeted for sometime in 2009. On April 29, 2009, it was narrowed to a Summer 2009 release window.
The official Stygian Abyss website was unveiled September 9, 2008.
Beta tester applications were open for submission via UOHerald.com on May 7, 2009. The first batch of Beta tester confirmations were sent out to selected UO players on June 4, 2009. Open beta began August 14, 2009 and lasted until August 23.
Concept Art
The following was distributed to the press for the announcement message. It should be noted that works of concept art are not actual images from the game, but an artist's rendering of possible game elements. Click for full view.
See Also
- http://www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss - Official Stygian Abyss website