Linguistic Dragon

In no particular order: Linguist, writer, storyteller, gamer, EIC at @thepixelsdotcom, musician, punster. Welcome to my little corner of the Internet.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

It's official! I've long appreciated @thepixelsdotcom's take on games writing, both as a reader and a writer, so it's an honor to take up the mantle of editor-in-chief, walking in @ProfNoctis' wake! Come check us out, we've got some exciting things in store!

[Red @theWellRedMage]

Looks like @thepixelsdotcom is BACK ONLINE so today's the day we make a very special announcement:

Peep this introduction from our new EIC @DragonKetea! I also want to say just how thankful I am for @ProfNoctis bringing about a Renaissance of publishing in his time as EIC, too!

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@exQUIZitely Most *iconic?* I think I'd say Secret of Monkey Island. But dang if I don’t have a soft spot a mile wide for Loom - that's a world I would have loved to inhabit a little longer and learn more about.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@SargeSmash1 @theWellRedMage What's most amusing to me about that space section is that Garriott explains its presence with what amounts to "there was still room on the disc and I wanted to fill it with something." XD The presence of Sudden Sci-Fi elements is such a staple of the era, it seems.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage Technically speaking? For the first time, a couple months ago!

...the 1986 DOS remake, now that's practically been an annual tradition since college, but the Apple II original, yep, first time. :P

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

Happy 45th, Ultima!!

[Red @theWellRedMage]

This month in RPG history...

Origin Systems and California Pacific released Ultima for the Apple II in the US in June, 1981. Richard Garriott's iconic fantasy became a core foundation of the budding CRPG genre. It was later known as The First Age of Darkness. Have you played it?

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@exQUIZitely That late 80s-to-early 90s visual leap is *wild*, I think similarly about the transition from Ultima V to VI!

Loving III so far, once I had a session or two to get familiar with it! It's exciting getting to the III-VII stretch, I've seen all of those often cited as favorites.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

Only had my first experience last year with an M&M1 run, but was so enamored with it that this year's gaming goal is a full series playthrough (currently on III)! I love the palpable power growth and that it doesn't take itself too seriously, just fun romps.

[exQUIZitely 🕹️ @exQUIZitely]

Were you a fan of Might and Magic?

It started in 1986 and ended in 2014, making Might and Magic one of the longest running game series in history.

I played from Book One in 1986 through to Darkside of Xeen (part V) in 1993.

Tried to get into Mandate of Heaven (1998) but didn't like the new style anymore. I prefer classic left/right, forward/backward controls and 90 degree angles. The "open" 3D world didn't feel right anymore.

The massive jump in graphic quality from part II to part III was absolutely incredible.

I: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, 1986
II: Gates to Another World, 1988
III: Isles of Terra, 1991
IV: Clouds of Xeen, 1992
V: Darkside of Xeen, 1993
VI: The Mandate of Heaven, 1998
VII: For Blood and Honor, 1999
VIII: Day of the Destroyer, 2000
IX: Writ of Fate, 2002
X: Legacy, 2014 (not in picture)

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage My favorite of the series! Loved the new variations and angles the Battle Frontier added, wish there were analogues to it in more recent entries beyond just Battle Tower-esque challenges.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@exQUIZitely Fair about U9! I appreciate the ideas behind it but fully admit there's a lot of flaws in the execution, too.
M&M1's the only one I've played in its entirety, but I've dabbled with the rest - love the more jovial tone, the sense of exploration, and how you *feel* the power curve!

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage @kryfton Calling things overrated is overrated.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage PREACH

I don't know why this particular malapropism rankles especially hard for me, but it does XD

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@kryfton All the best to her! Here's hoping for a swift and comfy recovery afterward.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

45 years of Ultima! 4's my fav, though I'd say 6/7 is the series at its strongest, 6 for narrative/theme, 7 for exploration/immersion. Weakest? Probably 2 for its lack of coherence, but I'd still replay it over 8.

And for the record, for all its (many) flaws, I quite like 9.

[exQUIZitely 🕹️ @exQUIZitely]

Ultima I was released in 1981. Ultima IX came out in 1999. It’s arguably one of the best - if not the best - roleplaying franchises of all time. Among the options below, which was your favourite and which did you consider the weakest?

My favourite was Ultima IV; it felt very different (and still stands out as pretty unique today). I wasn’t a fan of Ultima VIII anymore and subsequently never touched Ultima IX.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage I mean I am admittedly a touch biased on that point XD Seriously, though, not just the one entru either! The number of stories I've heard about U5's documentation and how the most crucial points of it are reflected down to the last detail in-game-- it packs a punch!

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage If the pile of well-worn manuals I have hanging around here somewhere isn't indication enough...

*HOOOOOONK*

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@SargeSmash1 @theWellRedMage I'd argue half the appeal is that they provided a means of immersion (yeah I know that's a loaded term) that was outside not just the game, but the electronics entirely. A well-written manual wasn't just informative - it drew you into the world before you even turned the game on.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@SargeSmash1 I half-wonder if it'd have the Final Fantasy problem of Ultima reinventing itself so much that no matter what you do an ample portion of the fanbase will go "that's not MY Ultima!" But I can dream!!
In any case, much as I love it I know it can be cumbersome - glad you enjoyed it!

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage ...*you* put in no small amount of work, because it was a cause that mattered on a personal level. And I was glad to contribute how I could.

So framing it as something someone else ran for you is... very much misrepresenting.

[Linguistic Dragon @DragonKetea]

@theWellRedMage ...in ways specific to *Hawaii.* I remember you reaching out and coordinating items for giveaways, I remember the call you sent out, wanting to do a week of Polynesia-themed articles for the site to highlight the need even further, I remember contributing one myself. In short...