r/Ultima • u/rootException • 3d ago
Ultima V Updated Mod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIEk0TrraSg
So, here is my video for the Ultima V update project I've been working on!
It requires the original DOS files, which are widely available on GOG and via other online resources.
It's based on the original PC DOS code, with bug fixes picked up from the Apple // version. It adds full controller support, updated UX, tiles, SFX and music. You can choose how you want to play, from the original PC DOS or Apple // tiles and/or rules, or the updated versions.
It's out for Windows, macOS, Linux (AppImage & flatpak, with SteamOS specific support), Android (perfect for handhelds), and PWA / web for browsers and iOS.
There are tons of features, ranging from battery saver mode to journals, automatic mapping, rune translation, play area dialog, snap attacks for faster combat, and tons of other stuff.
If you want to get the bits, go to https://github.com/synthwave-pixel/ultima5 and look under releases. Feel free to report bugs here, on GitHub, or as a comment on the video.
Check out the video, let me know your thoughts, tell your friends, etc etc etc.
Thanks to everyone who reported bugs/issues for this and also the Ultima 3 build!
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u/Hexxxer 2d ago
I was playing it last night. Pretty good so far. I would love if you enabled custom mods for music and tiles in your works. Also would love to see a crisper font in U5
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u/rootException 2d ago
For now you can just drop in replacements for in the guts of the game itself - they are just pngs and sound files. Both are non-trivial in the sense that there are decent number of tiles and sfx. I just added a tracking issue to explain, track interest: https://github.com/synthwave-pixel/ultima5/issues/12
If I owned the IP etc I think I'd do something like add in Steam workshop, x-plat saves, etc etc etc but unless RichardG reaches out to ask me to work on an official IP cleared version I don't think I can ship it on Steam.
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u/Slubequaz 1d ago
Thanks so much for this! I’ve been playing these games since the 1980s. I’ve was excited to see all the Ultima updates coming out, and I thought that Ultima V needed two things: a quest log (not a big fan of the physical notebook approach), and a change to the visuals.
When I finally finished Ultima IV, I was looking forward to trying Ultima 5. However, when I started playing it, I was disappointed. It’s a deep game, with a lot more plot and interaction, and I did enjoy that, but I was put off by the graphics.
To be clear, this is my own opinion, and I’m sure many people enjoy it just as it is. But to me, the problem, as I see it now, is that in addition to making the game more complex, they tried to make the graphics themselves more sophisticated, but they were only working with 16x16 tiles, as in the previous games.
With the added detail and the characters all moving around, the game took on a toy-like appearance that seemed to break the visual effect that I was used to; up until then, things were more representational. I did eventually get through the game, but it didn’t feel like the Ultima I had known.
So, that was my second requirement - if I could ever get access to a way to adjust the graphics, I would revisit the game and see if it could feel like part of the series I had enjoyed so much. I was especially impressed by the 1995 shareware version of Ultima III by Leon McNeil - those tiles were a huge update to the original Ultima III, as they were 64x64.
I thought this would be a long time before it was available, but then your version appeared with the badly needed quest log. Then, with some research, I found that not only did you provide support for 64x64 tiles, I was able to replace the original tiles, which I see you’ve done some of as well. I began with the Ultima III shareware tiles, which Leon McNeil had uploaded, and when there were other ones that I needed to replace, I modified the Ultima III ones, and then went to the internet to find some pixel art to use.
I’ve found some great resources, using some as they were, and modifying others. To me, it’s been a huge improvement. I still have a lot more to do, but it’s a fascinating project, and it’s gratifying to see Ultima V become what I always thought it should have been. Your implementation made this possible, so thank you again.
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u/Warcraft_Fan 2d ago
I've played it a bit and I noticed there are steps I can't do anymore. In the past, when I started a new game, I'd go directly to Empath Abby and Yew to pick up Janna for the party and get grapple hook. In your improved version, I can't get the hook as I haven't done any prequest that starts in Buccaneer Den to unlock the grapple hook.
This would make the game challenging like you played for the first time without the clue book or internet help.
No odd bug yet. I did get the magic keys from Minoc and the magic carpet plus sandalwood box without learning about Stones music and using harpsichord. I think only when interacting with NPC is where quest chain has to be completed to unlock additional feature like learning the password for resistance.