An interesting use for Exult 3D.

[Kensu]

For those who weren't here, or forgot, once upon a time a member of the Exult community created a 3D client for Exult. They eventually gave up on it though because, as cool as it looked, the map data simply wasn't intended to be viewed that way, so there really wasn't anything to it besides the novelty....

I think I've found a good use for this code. What if the dungeons were redesigned to be 3D, as they were in Ultimas 1-5? We would essentially create a bunch of new map data which would make use of the 3D perspective to allow the use of things like ladders, spinners, false doors, magic winds that blow out lightsources, etc (all that fun stuff from Wizardry that Ultima never managed to get quite right.) Whenever the Avatar entered a dungeon, it would switch to this new perspective.

Since GOG came along, the only real reason for using Exult is for the handful of enhancements that the Exult team and modders have made. I think 3D dungeons could put Exult back on the map.

Does anyone else think this is a good idea?

[Alexander Meltinus]

You forgot one of the most important reasons to use Exult: The extremely well performance. I don't blame GOG for the crappy way dosbox handles this game, but I simply cannot understand how anybody can be masochistic enough to play through it that way.

I think what you propose would change the gamestyle drastically and while it could add complexity to the dungeons it would collide with the game's very particular aesthetics in my opinion. And after all, Ultima isn't Wizardry because it sets different priorities (telling stories). Just my two cents.

[Dominus]

1. not GOG made Exult obsolete, Dosbox did (if you think Exult is obsolete, that is)
2. Dosbox (which GOG hides) can play U7 very well, IMO even better than a real machine back then (I first played it via a Pentium 100), as long as you tweak the cycles a bit.

3. Exult 3D wasn't given up due to the reasons you state. The author lost interest, especially after we refused to make him an Exult team member right away (it was a bit like "either you make me a member or I'll abandon it"). Having to actually make the patch work with SVN (or probably CVS) seemed to put him off as well. (Same as the rotate code which seems to be abandoned).

4. I hated the first person view dungeons in U1-5

[kensu]

That should've read "hidden door", not false door. However I do remember Ultima 1 had those (you open them up and there's nothing behind them!)

Also, remember how the survivors of the Abyssal colony from UU supposedly set up another one in Despise? That would make a pretty awesome nostalgia level.

[Gunther1987]

@Alexander Meltinus:

this guy did:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 2261BE70A9

Also, there are many people there posting @!#$ about Exult, saying how they gave BG strict rules. Now these posts are from 2009 and I've been playing U7 since 2012, but what are they talking about?

It's mostly about nicking things. He hardly has any guards after him or people hounding him. Which did kinda answer one of my own question (why I couldn't rob stores in the middle of the night without guards showing up (only succeded once around 2:30 AM).

[Gunther1987]

And it seems that a certain word got blocked by the Exult forum filters

[Gunther1987]

And I never understood why he uses "Great Douse" on a Fire Field even at the end of BG...

[Dominus]

Funny, didn't know we have word filter

Exult DID make stealing a bit stricter than it was before but nowhere as strict as the original AFAIK (or we made it more equal to the original).

[Gunther1987]

That's why I always steal when they have their backs turned to me.

Or Hack Mover when I wanted the Triple Cross Bow. Which was stupid of me, since there is one at the Test Of Courage inside a corpse.

Also, I should just go to Buccaneer's Den for money, instead of robbing the mint. Did this for the first time in my last playthrough and that was quite fun. Especially if you know how you can always win. ;P

[Gunther1987]

Also, this might sound stupid, but what's an AFAIK?

[Dominus]

sorry for doing this to you, but http://lmgtfy.com/?q=AFAIK

[Gunther1987]

Oh, it's an acronym, like iirc. I personally thought this was something technically from the game itself, since I never heard of this.