At this point: What is DEAD and what is STILL ACTIVELY DEVEL

[Bag-o-Peanuts]

Hi there,

you guys (especially Marzo) have done a great job of preserving U7 for modern systems, but I start to wonder if the mods, conversions and add-ons are still actively developed...

When looking at the Discussion, it seems like the more ambitious ones have been abandoned...

So, is anyone still developing? The projects I am thinking of right now are:

- U6 to Exult conversion
- Savage Empire conversion
- That Cyperpunk-themed add-on someone was doing artwork for
- And last, but not least, what happened to that massive, herculean effort of "The Feudal Lands"?
- I am not sure if there was someone working on a mod that would fix the butchered SI-plot.

I know that time is money (especially during economic times of crisis) and lots (or all) people have moved on to doing other things, but a little status-report on those projects would be nice.

Finally, what is in the pipeline for the Exult engine? Is there a kind-of-final version (like v2 or something) with a certain set of features/tools/etc. on the horizon that would require only small bug-fixes or does Exult have to be considered a continuous work in progress?

Am i right that with v1.2 out and most developers gone, this IS the final version and SI-Fixes plus Keyring the only mods that will ever see the light of the day?

Thanks and keep up the good work...

Peanut

[Scythifuge]

I'm still working on The Savage Empire, mostly concepts and minor sprite making due to job/baby/lack of help. Though I just loaded up gimp while checking the forum!

The Cyberpunk project is also worked on slowly. That project started as a way to practice drawing different types of sprites. If S.E. ever gets done, that project may be next. It is more epic in scope than S.E. though, so without dedicated help, I'm not sure if any projects will see completion. I have a lot of ideas that I will eventually ask the Exult team is they are possible to implement.

I also still have to finish up some shields if they are still going to be used in Feudal Lands. The main problem right now is finding the time to work on anything. Also, I've been playing a lot of Fallout 3 lately...

[marzo]

I am still working at a few things Exult-wise, and have plans for SI Fixes and Keyring; however, time has been an annoyingly restrictive constraint lately.

[agentorangeguy]

I am working on one as well. I won't reveal what it is yet because I don't want to be one of those "get your hopes up then lose interest" people out there. I have been working on it for months, and have a few towns completed or near complete.

[Lathlas]

Not that you asked about mine, but I'm still doing my faces. It's just time consuming and aggravating. Easy though, if I can keep from bashing my face into the keyboard every ten minutes.

[Crowley]

I've been lately working on... something which I won't go into too much detail about. Mainly playing around with GIMP. I should look into making code for some of the stuff I have planned next.

[drcode]

I'm certainly guilty of letting other hobbies take over my life. I'm feeling a little nostalgic for the days when we were getting the games to be playable.

[Scythifuge]

Quote:

I'm certainly guilty of letting other hobbies take over my life. I'm feeling a little nostalgic for the days when we were getting the games to be playable.

Sometimes, many things can get in the way. But no matter what, I appreciate very much all of the work that you, Marzo, and all of the others have put into Exult and Exult Studio. Both projects help me to realize two dreams. One, being able to play Ultima VII no matter what computer I have, and having the chance to be involved in any capacity with game development. Even if my projects are never completed, tinkering with Exult Studio allows me to work on developing new game ideas.

[Wizardry Dragon]

I have been slogging away at TFL, as Marzo can attest to, but I've been having a lot of difficulty staying online for more than a few moments at a time so I haven't been able to commit. As well, working a retail job during the christmas season, well, it takes up a lot of my time, lets leave it like that. I really should be making a better attempt to fight my insomnia right now, I have to be awake for an 8-hour shift in 6 hours and Ive not yet slept

In either event, once Christmas has passed, I expect to release the Feudal lands - likely in Feburary, to give myself time for testing. And I dont mean a bugfix patch for the alpha as I originally intended - that wouldn't be very fair. I mean something that is actually playable (though probably not all the way through). I will refrain from making specific quotes as this just ends up either getting pushed off till later or as Ultima IX and Serpent Isle infamously proved, rushed to completion, or incompletion if you prefer.

I don't think I will ever complete the Feudal Lands. There will always be something I want to add, something I want to change or rework, in the realms. It's something I take a lot of pride in making, and a lot of care. Hopefully it shows the work that I and Marzo and others have put into it. It's kind of my baby, and I feel a certain attachment to it, and an obligation to make it the best it can be. And there's always some way or another to improve it. I have all sorts of ideas where to go after TFL proper is done - so much so, in fact, that I have to remind myself that I have to finish TFL first

I think it's pretty safe to say I'll probably be developing TFL far after the U7 community goes the way of the dodo, if it ever does. I enjoy it, and even after almost a decade fiddling with it - in fact probably more than a decade - it hasn't lost it's appeal. And I think that is one of the appeals of Ultima to people. There's a certain sense of timelessness to those games.

Ah, but here I am in sleep-deprived rambling. I best stop myself before I get renamed Iolo.

Cheers,
Wizardry Dragon

[alagner]

BTW - what's up with Lazarus forums? Are they down completely?

[Dominus]

Please stay on topic

[Bag-o-Peanuts]

Guys,

I'm glad that things are going well and Exult (plus some of its mods) have not been abandoned.

In addition to your remarks concerning different projects mentioned in my initial posts, I have also written an eMail to "Mailmaker", who was working on a fantastic mod, at least up until early 2008.

Unfortunately, the mod is not downloadable anymore (broken link), but you can still check out facts and screenshots on his site:

http://mailmaker.tripod.com/u7mod/

I'll report back when (or if) I get a response...

Peanut

[Crowley]

I had completely managed to miss that mod. Thanks for the information, even if it is no longer being developed. This guy's worldbuilding skills look very good.