U6 Project - February Update

M6 Release Coming in April

The Ultima 6 Project is nearing completion, and the scope of the project is such that we’re going to have to cut back on some non-critical items in order to be able to complete the game with our current resources. The final release will not have all the music or portraits completed. We are therefore asking the community to contribute portraits and music, and will host a site for them to be shared. Instructions on adding them to the game will be provided, along with the list of NPC’s needing portraits, and the areas needing music. In the meantime, any musicians or portrait artists who would like to join the team would be most welcome. We are also looking for play testers to help us find bugs so we can get rid of them.

The team is currently working madly to finish the Milestone 6 (M6) release, which is scheduled for the April time frame. Since the M5 release, the gargoyle lands and all the Britannia dungeons have been built, and the last three Gargoyle dungeons are in the process of being completed. The world is now huge, and a small preview of some of the new areas you’ll be able to explore is provided below.

The Lycaeum now has its library, built by our master dungeon builder, Alfie. It somewhat reminds me of my college library, which was so extensive that people used to get lost, and there were always rumors of folks who had never made it out. In the 1st screen shot below, you get a feel for how vast the library is. There are lots of areas to read and study; lots of stairs going every which way. Any bodies lost in the stacks down there I wonder?

Nicodemus and Wyrdweb did the decorating in the library, as well as in most of the dungeons, and they did a beautiful job. Those mages have a gorgeous library. In the next screen shot, you can see the the Avatar’s party in the scribe’s room, with library areas and the mage’s council room in the background. Looks as if  the mages must have just arrived for a council meeting, and they obviously didn’t use the stairs!

Zephyr and Alfie have completed building the Gargoyle lands, with Aletys doing the decorating. The gargoyle lands will be accessible for you to travel to for M6. The first screenshot below shows the Gargoyle’s Market House and the second shows their Hall of Knowledge.

Alfie has created, not one, not two, but 16 new dungeons, finished a 17th, and is currently working on the last three. Be prepared, Alfie does not believe that dungeons should be either small or easy. Some quotes from team members testing one of his creations: 

“I’m lost!”  “Help! My party is only level 3!” (after encountering a few surprises). 

“You think they are leaving all the loot unguarded?”

So, all ye explorers be prepared before you enter into any of the dungeons:  Make sure your party is strong; make sure you are well equipped; and come prepared with lots & lots of potions.

The screen shot below, taken in Pirate’s Cave, shows one poor soul apparently didn’t take the warnings seriously.

And, where did that dragon come from?

The next two screenshots show the Avatar’s party in the Cyclop’s Cave. Mmm … those Cyclops have a pretty fancy dining room, and a very well stocked larder. And the Cyclops don’t seem too happy to have dinner guests. Or … are they perhaps thinking that dinner has arrived?

The picture below shows a small bandit hideout somewhere in Britannia. Looks like a these bandits have a pretty cozy nest!

This is a very small preview of what you have to look forward to.

Be sure to visit the Project Britannia website (http://www.projectbritannia.com/), where you can download the latest milestone release to play, and check out the forums.
Also check out the Ultima 6 Project main site (http://www.u6project.com/) for profiles of the Project team members, and to look at additional recently posted screenshots from the game.

If you like what you see, and would like to contribute to this great game (and help us get it out faster), the team is looking for a 3D modeler. We are also looking for writers, 2D artists (portraits/textures, etc.) and music creators. And, of course, we're always looking for play-testers. Contact any of the team members on the forums if you'd like to join the team.

About The U6 Project

The Ultima 6 Project was formed in 2001 by Sliding Dragon to develop a remake of Origin's Ultima VI: The False Prophet with newer graphics and a more immersive engine. Soon assembled under the banner Archon, the team members, who hail from all over the globe, have set about recreating the world of Britannia, adding an enhanced storyline to bolster intraseries continuity and building on the Ultima legacy in a way that will please fans new and old.