Exult Forum

Thanks for the link. I agree with what LB is saying, but the big, BIG challenge here is how to make such "mundane" tasks interesting and fun enough to keep players captivated. I tried playing UO a few times, but I always lost interest rather quickly because I got tired of the endless grinding.

One of the comments mentions Minecraft, which I think is a good example for a game that somewhat succeeds in making mundane tasks enjoyable. Minecraft actually involves alot of grinding (bashing blocks with the pickaxe) but it is fun because you enjoy immense creative freedom with the blocks you have mined. Also, you are rewarded almost immediately for your "investment", as you can put the collected blocks to use pratically whenever you want to.

Good place to discuss this is on Ultima Aiera http://www.ultimaaiera.com/blog/richard ... mmos-lack/

I could never put my finger on it but that is it. Ultima Online was an MMO Ultima 7 using the Ultima 8 engine.

I was hooked on Ultima Online for almost a decade. Ironically just before its release in 97 I had a dream about a primitive MMO U7 where you could connect to the internet and control the different characters. I still play UO from time to time on free shards. No MMO since has really captured that feeling. Bare in mind when anyone says they miss Ultima Online, they are talking about the way it was before EA really started throwing a wrench into the mix.