How does it compare?

[Omnibus]

So, after just finding this web site today and searching through past discussions, I didn't really see how Exult compares to the U7 version in the Ultima Collection. I ran the UC in Windows 98, and NEVER had ANY good luck with it. Even with the MoSlow attachment, which I couldn't get to work either. I could get U7 to run at about the right speed, but there wouldn't be any sound, or there would be sound but you'd run from Trinsic to Minoc in about 2 seconds! If it means taking the game apart piece-by-piece and reconstructing it for new computers, I'm all for it. Just show me where I can stash my magic wands, find a good boat, a nice magic carpet, a few blue trees and a way to bribe the Ferryman and I'll be in love all over again! (Maybe I can show my wife what I've been talking about for so long, too.)

Omnibus

[dag]

apart from exult itself, you can try dosbox which runs the original game quite well (http://dosbox.sourceforge.net).
it 's just a bit tricky to get it to run properly, for you have to get familiar with dosbox's configuration. but you could try a graphical frontend like D-Fend (http://members.home.nl/mabus) which can be a great help for beginners.

[Curiousis]

Exult is better though! I can't even stand to play the original any more.

[dag]

exult is far better in many, many ways, no doubt.
but dosbox does a good job when it comes to comparing good old dos times to speedy nowadays, shiny systems with exult.
(and it helps in bugtracking-issues!!)

[Tristan de Inés]

I think Exult still has some issues compared to the original.

Some plus and minus points IMHO:

Pro Exult:
+ Better graphics (scalers, paperdolls in BG)
+ New features (notebook, key-shortcuts in BG, life-bars)
+ Corrects some usecode-related bugs that are in the original
+ better sound and music
+ great support from the Exult team
+ Everything still can be changed in the future

Contra Exult:
- Combat still isn't as convincing as in original (original went faster, combat speed depended on dex.)
- Most of the NPC schedules aren't as polished as in the original (e.g. a waitress doesn't walk up to customers properly, asks them what they want, and serves food)
- NPCs do weird things sometimes (e.g. a waitress walks out of the pub and far away while asking "what will thou have?")
- pathfinding is weird sometimes
- I think some spells don't yet work properly (correct me if I'm wrong)

[marzo]

Combat still isn't as convincing as in original (original went faster, combat speed depended on dex.)

Try setting the avatar's dex to 1 then attack something to see what happens.

I think some spells don't yet work properly (correct me if I'm wrong)

I think the last ones were Death Vortex (worked slightly different from original) and Energy Mist (didn't work period), both of which I modified recently. If there is any other spells which are not working, please submit them as bug reports.

[Crowley]

The combat in Ultima 7 was never very convincing for me. Seems like almost all the fights were resolved by just turning on the combat mode and waiting to see what happens. Only something on the level of a dragon or lich required more thought.

[Tristan de Inés]

Am I the only person that likes U7 combat? Its fast! Its hectic! Its chaotic! There's limited control and lots of swearing! Just like in real life!

About the combat... I forgot that the DEX being taken into account has been implemented. Still combat in Exult looks "slower paced" than in the original. Load up DosBox & Exult to compare.

[Crysta the Elf]

marzo.. i submitted a bug report over a year ago under a different name about the Armageddon spell not working properly.. look at that one

[Crysta the Elf]

and unlike my other memories, i checked up on this one.. if you dont believe me go and test it yourself.. lol..

[Crysta the Elf]

er.. also.. while not quite a spell.. the fire attack Karnax uses against Thoxa (and indeed some similar spells) arent being used as they were originally.. its a lot slower than it should be.. i rememebr the originals going in a quick blur on a smooth line to their target.. making it seem like the spell was popping out and zooming at supersonic speeds

oh.. and you need to tweak the thrown weapon attack frames.. it looks odd having the characters go through the entire normal attack frame sequence (including pulling back) and THEN throwing the weapon

[marzo]

and you need to tweak the thrown weapon attack frames

Fixed.

[eternal light]

well, is the UC U7 the same compatibility as if it were the same game released in the early 90's? In otherwords do u have to use DosBox fro all of them?

[Dominus]

yes

[Crysta the Elf]

marzo! BIGass bug! im using a cannon in BG.. and .. its blowing up certain types of walls and floors! i KNOW thats not supposed to happen! o_O;

[Crysta the Elf]

make that "blowing up a LOT of types of shapes" o_O;

tables... ovens.. caulldrons.. walls... floors... this is CREEPY

[eternal light]

WEll that sucks. but they come with all the instruction manuals right? And it also sucks because when i had UU1 it said ems memory short. I called dell and asked they said my pc wasn't compatable.

[wjp]

Ultima Underworld 1 runs quite well in recent versions of DOSBox. You might have to fiddle with DOSBox' settings a bit to get it to work properly. (ems enabled, dynamic core, frameskip of 1 or 2 and cycles between 10000 and 15000 works for me.)

Incidentally, Ultima 1-6 also run well in DOSBox. Ultima 7 and 8 run as well, but they might be a bit too slow to play comfortably.

[yhevhe]

Crysta... I always dreamed with a cannon that could blow up things

[Crysta the Elf]

well.. if you get the current 1.4 snapshot you can have it.. XD

[wjp]

Hm, cannons even blow up Exult itself here currently

(segfault when aiming at nothing; maybe when the cannonball goes out of range?)

[marzo]

Strange... when I aim at nothing here, the cannon ball goes a ways off the screen and blows up normally; no segfault at all. But it still destroys things it shouldn't...

[Crysta the Elf]

this could have come up some time ago... or it could be new to the latest CVS.... if i had noticed it before i would have said somethin... only reason i even picked up a cannon today was to see just how well it kills LB

[marzo]

I *finally* figured out what was causing the cannon to blow up everything! The great culprit is the fact that the cannon's usecode destroys doors and detonates powder kegs... unlike every other explosion in the game. Anyways, I fixed it.

[SB-X]

Is there a patch we can use to reverse the fix and blow up everything again?

[Crysta the Elf]

woo! you go Marzo!

[marzo]

Is there a patch we can use to reverse the fix and blow up everything again?

Well, I can make one, yes.

[yhevhe]

I see it perfectly normal for a cannon to blow up a wall or a ship I just hated UO for not letting you sink ships =/

[SB-X]

But walls should get replaced with ruined walls and then rubble instead of disappearing.

[marzo]

There is the problem that -- if you get far enough away -- the destroyed area will reset to normal. So anyway it is done, walls and stuff will magically be repaired -- even abandoned houses.