How do you track UO Character Development?
Part of the beauty of Ultima Online is the lack of a tradional class+level system. Obviously players can define their class by their Skill choices and Level by rank in relevant Skills. How do you conceptualize your characters?
Here are my organized thoughts:
Mature characters have hit 225 or more in Stat total, Skills at 100+; gear has capped Resists, significant useful properties. Most character templates can make it here eventually and should be useful at Champion Spawns and Peerless, but not capable of soloing such content. Some templates may be limited to this catagory such as the traditional melee warrior ( Weapon, Parry, Tactics, Healing, Anatomy, Resist).
End-game - Over 230 total Stats, 120 Powerscrolls, Capped Resists, and capped other relevant properties such as HCI, DCI, Stat bonuses and Skills. This status represents significant investment or skill on the player's part. Capable of tackling group content solo, these characters will usually belong to a well-known and recognized template (ie the Sampire). Group content for these characters is the Harrower, Shadowguard, etc.
* Dexterity not important to Characters not using Weapon, Parry or Healing Skills.
** A Spellcaster would find Lower Reagent Cost or Lower Mana Cost more important than Resists at the Journeyman stage.
Here are my organized thoughts:
Development Stage
New (Young) characters have less than 80 Dex* , 0 to 50 in Skills and any equipment. Content for these characters is very limited.
Journeyman have at least 80 Dex*, from 50 to 100 in choosen Skills and armor granting capped Resists**. Most world areas can be visited by these characters. Weak combat templates will never pass this stage.
Mature characters have hit 225 or more in Stat total, Skills at 100+; gear has capped Resists, significant useful properties. Most character templates can make it here eventually and should be useful at Champion Spawns and Peerless, but not capable of soloing such content. Some templates may be limited to this catagory such as the traditional melee warrior ( Weapon, Parry, Tactics, Healing, Anatomy, Resist).
End-game - Over 230 total Stats, 120 Powerscrolls, Capped Resists, and capped other relevant properties such as HCI, DCI, Stat bonuses and Skills. This status represents significant investment or skill on the player's part. Capable of tackling group content solo, these characters will usually belong to a well-known and recognized template (ie the Sampire). Group content for these characters is the Harrower, Shadowguard, etc.
* Dexterity not important to Characters not using Weapon, Parry or Healing Skills.
** A Spellcaster would find Lower Reagent Cost or Lower Mana Cost more important than Resists at the Journeyman stage.
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Comments
A great place for journeymen fighter and mage characters is SW of Trinton. Lizardmen, Ogres, Ettins, Giant Spiders, and occasional Harpies all inhabit the area, but seldom so dense you have to fight more than one at a time (unless you wish to do so). Ant hives tend to be good spots too, once a character gets into his 60s. For young tamers and bards, going to the Jhelom "stable island" provides a dense spot to work with various animals. Journeying into the forest provides a few harder creatures, such as Giant Snakes.
My point is there is content available for low- to mid-level characters to raise their skills easily. This has always been the main goal of my guys not yet experienced enough to venture into dungeons and other higher level content. One just needs to know where to look.