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WARNING, Fans of the Ultima Series and Serious CRPG players.

Origin and EA have begun shipping the final version of Ultima Online,
despite the furious outcry from Ultima Fans and Beta testers that the
game is not ready for consumer use.

Many Beta testers do not yet feel that Ultima Online is a _PLAYABLE_
game.  There were major issues that were totally un-addressed during the
Beta test and Charter Edition players have confirmed that these issues still
remain.

Ultima Online, even in the current version is still subject to CONSTANT 
server crashing, horrible Lag (even with T1 or better connections) and 
frequent Patching and Upgrades that will require your character being 
wiped permanently from the database.

This is not the game you see advertised in Magazines like PC Gamer or
the game described on the back of the box.  This is the same game that 
Beta testers were complaining about only a few days ago, check the newsgroups
and the Major Ultima Online sites and you will find them plagued with 
complaints and issues that Origin and the OSI programming team have not
yet addressed.

If, you decide to purchase this game, you will be paying an average of $64.95
and $9.95 a month to help Origin beta test this early product.  In effect, you 
will be an unpaid employee, providing them with the mass of bodies they need 
to test the server - at your own expense.

This is an Early Beta product.  It is not even as stable as the Alpha Test 
they ran a year ago.

You will experience horrible Lag.  During peak times (6 to 10 PM) you will
be unable to play the game, finding your character bouncing back to his 
starting point every time you try to move.  Many people cannot even move
during these peak times.

The servers are prone to constant crashing.  As it is now, the server will 
crash on an average of every 4 hours.  When it crashes, you will lose between 
1 and _THREE_ hours of gameplay (that you paid for), since the save game 
feature is not yet currently functional.

The Pacific Time Zone server did not function at all last weekend.  It crashed
every 10 - 15 minutes despite their attempts to bring it online.  Are you 
willing to spend $75.00 to play on a server that has not even been tested
for more than a few days?

Please _DO NOT_ purchase this early beta product.  You will be rewarding a 
large corporate giant for releasing unfinished buggy software.  And when your 
copy of the client suddenly crashes in the middle of a battle, you will loose 
your character, and everything he was carrying.  This happens on a fairly 
regular basis, about once to twice an hour.

Employees at Origin have approached me, warning me not to continue posting 
these informative warnings�.This alone should tell you how seriously flawed 
the game is at this early stage.

The longest the server has been online without a crash is 16 hours.  Is this 
the kind of game you want to _PAY_ to play???

I am only a serious Ultima Fan who is severly let down by Origin and 
Electronic arts.  Origin has even taken the Development Journal offline, so 
that prospective customers cannot see the messages about constant crashing, 
daily patching, and bugs that the game is still prone to suffer from.

Only a week ago, Designer Dragon and the other OSI employees (Including our 
beloved Lord British) lied to us�saying the game would not be released until 
complete.  And one week later, they pulled the beta in the middle of testing 
and released it to the public.  Is this the act of a responsible company who 
cares about consumers???

I�m trying to save you over $75.00.  Most computer stores have a return policy 
that states that you cannot return opened software.  If you purchase this 
product, it will not operate as advertised, and you will be unable to return 
it.

Consider yourself warned.  I have attempted to do the gaming public a service 
by bringing you this announcement.  I have only given you facts about the 
crashing and the early state of the product.  I have not given you any opinion 
about the lack of fun, and the frustration of horribly repetitive clicking 
required to advance in skills�these things you will hear from
other users.

This game does not function as advertised.

You may be an Ultima Fan, or a Computer Role Playing Game fan, but please do 
not fall  victim to the corporate Hype machine.

EA has spent millions to dollars to make this seem like a fun game�don�t let a 
bunch of multi-colored ads make this seem like an attractive and fun product.  
They will only line their pockets with your cash and try to sell you the next 
shoddy � finished product.

Please _DO NOT_ purchase Ultima Online.

Thank you.

-Bishop

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