On Communities in Old UO

I started playing UO when I was young, maybe 12 or 13. My god was it spectacular.

To wander into this other world, at an age when everything is already whimsical enough, and to have the people inside of that world playing their roles with dedication was amazing. The medieval speech patterns, the behavior, the willingness to help me out and explain this massive world to me... it was all so exciting.

There was no guide, no quests, you had to actually talk to experienced players to learn about the game. I remember being in awe at my friends' massive homes and hiding in fear from other powerful players. The skill system alone was spectacular, I would spend hours just trying to tame animals to sell to other players as pets.

I think about the role-playing community and it makes sense now. They are generally a well written, polite bunch who take pride in their characterizations. We were basically playing with a bunch of amateur fantasy writers.

I think the demand is there for unstructured game worlds, but they have been mostly focused on survivalism and violence. Rust has no safe zones for peaceful discussion, it is a warzone, just like day z. Once a game comes out with freedom, consequence, and the opportunity for community and cooperation - we will see communities like those from UO once again.