Interview with EM Petrichor!
1. What made you decide
to start EMing?
I am very taken with the complex lore of the game. I think the game is best
when it leans into its rich history, its backstory, and the elements that set
it apart from other fantasy media. Getting the opportunity to contribute to
this lore, even in a small way, was very appealing.
2. What is your
favorite part about EMing?
As an EM you have the opportunity to complicate the mundane in fun and
surprising ways. After so many years, our players have become very adept at
recognizing when something is amiss in this on-going world. When they pass the
same spot in Britain day in and day out for 26 years they know that spot
completely. But adding something to that spot, for an event or some other
interaction, and watching them stop and readjust their perception about what
that spot should look like is incredibly gratifying.
3. What is your
favorite memory thus far of EMing?
When I still EM’d on Atlantic, in between my regular setup work I’d try and
keep an eye on Twitch to see if there was anyone streaming. One day I saw that
there was a stream in-progress at Shadowguard. And so throwing on the Minax
costume as fast as I could, I popped in to heckle the players as they came out
of each room. At first they thought I was an NPC, but watching their reaction
live over their stream as I began to call them out by name and their “pathetic
Britannian efforts” was wonderful.
4. What is your most
memorable moment playing UO?
I’ll never forget the night housing opened in Trammel and I beat out the other
people standing around to place my first small stone tower. Even though I was
super thrilled to have won the spot I still yelled “sorry!” as they recalled
away.
5. What is your
favorite thing to do in UO?
I think our Britannian game map is a work of art. From the southern swamps past
Trinsic to the great trees in Yew, to the beautiful coasts, island cities, and
little abandoned ruins dotting the world: it’s beautiful. I’ve spent hours and
hours wandering the overworld on many different shards.
6. Is there a specific
event that you've done that is your favorite? What is it?
I’m very proud of the community collection event I designed. Our players had to
gather an unmanageable amount of yeast, fruit, bottles, and other items for a
new royal wine harvest. I was able to tie it into the lore of the game map via
the vines in Yew, challenge them to work together in a non-combat way, and also
portray our King Blackthorn as being perhaps a little.. too.. enthusiastic
about his merlot.
7. Was a drop you made
that you favorite most out of all of them thus far? What is it?
I’m going to go against conventional wisdom here and actually say that I don’t
always care for the drop rewards. They usually end up being the last element
worked out in my designs. If anything, I think some of the pages of lore books
my players have been able to put together over events is far more gratifying to
me and better represents what I want players to take away from the experiences
I design.
8. Is there a specific
story that comes to mind about UO that has stuck with you to date?
It’s definitely fallen into folklore at this point, but I often think about the
Great Slime Attack on Trinsic. In 1999 a player utilized enough magic arrow
scrolls to create an army of slimes (which would split into two mobs with the
right amount of minimum damage). After creating his army he tried to extort the
good and honorable citizens of Trinsic into paying up, who bravely refused him.
Unfortunately, his massive slime army ended up crashing the shard.
9. Do you have any
words of wisdom for the players out there? New and Old?
I’m always taken aback when I see players speak of UO as a stagnant entity.
Like it’s frozen-in-time, preserved in death and glory. They complain about
design choices from 20 years ago, or they refuse the idea of a revamp for a
system that hasn’t changed since the dialup era. Let go of this mindset! Our
world is ever-changing. Don’t cling to your nostalgia, embrace the potential
for the new.
10. Is there anything
else you'd like to add to the players out there?
Ultima Online is a machine that makes connections; it always has been. Years
from now when someone thinks back fondly about their time in-game they aren’t
going to think of their pixels, they’re going to think about you, and the times
you had together. Be worthy of that.