<s>
Ultima	B-Device
,	O
later	O
known	O
as	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
First	I-Device
Age	I-Device
of	I-Device
Darkness	I-Device
or	O
simply	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
,	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Ultima	B-Device
series	O
of	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
created	O
by	O
Richard	O
Garriott	O
,	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
first	O
published	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
California	O
Pacific	O
Computer	O
Company	O
,	O
which	O
registered	O
a	O
copyright	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
September	O
2	O
,	O
1980	O
and	O
officially	O
released	O
it	O
in	O
June	O
1981	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
completely	O
re-coded	O
and	O
ported	O
to	O
many	O
different	O
platforms	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
1986	B-Application
re-code	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
is	I-Device
the	O
most	O
commonly	O
known	O
and	O
available	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Device
revolves	O
around	O
a	O
quest	O
to	O
find	O
and	O
destroy	O
the	O
Gem	O
of	O
Immortality	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
being	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
evil	O
wizard	O
Mondain	O
to	O
enslave	O
the	O
lands	O
of	O
Sosaria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
the	O
endeavors	O
of	O
the	O
stranger	O
in	O
this	O
task	O
,	O
which	O
involves	O
progressing	O
through	O
many	O
aspects	O
of	O
game	O
play	O
,	O
including	O
dungeon	B-Application
crawling	O
and	O
space	O
travel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
world	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
is	I-Device
presented	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
overworld	O
is	O
projected	O
in	O
a	O
topdown	O
,	O
third-person	O
view	O
,	O
while	O
dungeons	B-Application
are	O
displayed	O
in	O
first-person	B-Architecture
,	O
one-point	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Character	O
creation	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
is	I-Device
not	O
unlike	O
a	O
simplified	O
version	O
of	O
traditional	O
tabletop	O
role-playing	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
this	O
portion	O
of	O
character	O
creation	O
has	O
been	O
completed	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
given	O
a	O
choice	O
of	O
four	O
races	O
:	O
Human	O
,	O
Elf	O
,	O
Dwarf	O
and	O
Bobbit	O
(	O
a	O
hobbit-like	O
creature	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hit	O
points	O
can	O
be	O
obtained	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
ways	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
acts	O
of	O
emerging	O
alive	O
from	O
a	O
dungeon	B-Application
and	O
of	O
giving	O
tribute	O
payment	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
eight	O
lords	O
of	O
Sosaria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
enemies	O
in	O
the	O
outdoor	O
areas	O
do	O
not	O
move	O
around	O
in	O
any	O
way	O
but	O
simply	O
appear	O
at	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
current	O
location	O
and	O
immediately	O
initiate	O
attack	O
;	O
enemies	O
in	O
the	O
dungeons	B-Application
are	O
also	O
random	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
move	O
and	O
follow	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
sports	O
an	O
arcade-like	O
first-person	B-Architecture
space	O
shooter	O
section	O
of	O
gameplay	O
,	O
an	O
element	O
that	O
only	O
appeared	O
in	O
Ultima	B-Device
and	O
not	O
the	O
subsequent	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
was	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Doug	O
Neubauers	O
Star	B-Application
Raiders	I-Application
,	O
released	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
years	O
earlier	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8bit	I-Device
,	O
that	O
both	O
programmers	O
enjoyed	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Device
is	I-Device
set	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
world	O
of	O
Sosaria	O
,	O
a	O
land	O
broken	O
into	O
four	O
different	O
continents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
quests	O
given	O
out	O
in	O
the	O
castles	O
—	O
one	O
entails	O
visiting	O
a	O
certain	O
location	O
on	O
the	O
main	O
map	O
,	O
the	O
other	O
killing	O
a	O
specific	O
type	O
of	O
monster	O
in	O
the	O
dungeons	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
world	O
has	O
dungeons	B-Application
to	O
be	O
explored	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
populated	O
by	O
forests	O
,	O
mountain	O
ranges	O
,	O
lakes	O
and	O
oceans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
towns	O
are	O
exactly	O
alike	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
are	O
all	O
dungeons	B-Application
(	O
their	O
maps	O
are	O
different	O
,	O
but	O
are	O
not	O
designed	O
but	O
rather	O
randomly	O
created	O
)	O
;	O
castles	O
differ	O
only	O
in	O
the	O
different	O
quests	O
that	O
may	O
be	O
assigned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
1986	B-Application
remake	O
,	O
more	O
variety	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
appearance	O
and	O
content	O
of	O
the	O
towns	O
and	O
castles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
main	O
characters	O
featured	O
in	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
are	O
Mondain	O
,	O
the	O
evil	O
wizard	O
antagonist	O
who	O
has	O
induced	O
a	O
reign	O
of	O
terror	O
over	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Sosaria	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
protagonist	O
,	O
a	O
character	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
choosing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
from	O
Richard	O
Garriott	O
's	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Akalabeth	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
characters	O
Iolo	O
and	O
Shamino	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
three	O
characters	O
become	O
staples	O
of	O
nearly	O
all	O
future	O
Ultima	B-Device
games	O
(	O
see	O
List	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
characters	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
revolves	O
around	O
the	O
evil	O
wizard	O
Mondain	O
and	O
his	O
rule	O
over	O
the	O
kingdom	O
of	O
Sosaria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
stop	O
Mondain	O
's	O
dominion	O
,	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
searches	O
for	O
a	O
person	O
to	O
bring	O
about	O
the	O
wizard	O
's	O
end	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
exchange	O
for	O
the	O
gem	O
,	O
the	O
lord	O
will	O
ask	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
complete	O
a	O
quest	O
that	O
involves	O
traveling	O
into	O
a	O
dungeon	B-Application
and	O
killing	O
a	O
specific	O
creature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
Mondain	O
is	O
dead	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
transported	O
one	O
thousand	O
years	O
into	O
the	O
future	O
and	O
rewarded	O
by	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Richard	O
Garriott	O
started	O
development	O
on	O
Ultima	B-Device
after	O
the	O
unexpected	O
success	O
of	O
his	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
Akalabeth	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Large	O
sections	O
of	O
Akalabeth	B-Application
were	O
used	O
as	O
subroutines	O
within	O
Ultima	B-Device
in	O
order	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
first-person	B-Architecture
dungeon	B-Application
sections	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Towns	O
,	O
quests	O
,	O
a	O
plot	O
and	O
a	O
user	O
interface	O
were	O
all	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Akalabeth	B-Application
code	O
before	O
Ultima	B-Device
was	O
completed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
elements	O
were	O
also	O
added	O
,	O
including	O
spaceships	O
and	O
lightsabers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
was	O
done	O
during	O
Garriott	O
's	O
freshman	O
year	O
at	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Texas	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
a	O
friend	O
,	O
;	O
they	O
finished	O
it	O
in	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Device
was	O
coded	O
in	O
Applesoft	B-Language
BASIC	I-Language
on	O
an	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
computer	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Arnold	O
wrote	O
code	O
in	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
for	O
the	O
tile-based	O
graphics	O
system	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Akalabeth	B-Application
,	O
the	O
commercial	O
sale	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
an	O
afterthought	O
to	O
a	O
hobbyist	O
endeavor	O
,	O
Ultima	B-Device
was	O
approached	O
with	O
a	O
much	O
more	O
professional	O
attitude	O
right	O
from	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
called	O
Ultimatum	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
discovered	O
that	O
the	O
name	O
was	O
already	O
in	O
use	O
by	O
a	O
board	O
game	O
company	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
it	O
was	O
shortened	O
to	O
Ultima	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
California	O
Pacific	O
Computer	O
Company	O
published	O
Ultima	B-Device
in	O
1981	B-Application
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1990	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
earned	O
$	O
300,000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sierra	O
Online	O
re-released	O
Ultima	B-Device
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1986	B-Application
Origin	O
Systems	O
completely	O
re-coded	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
Assembly	O
and	O
re-released	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
1986	B-Application
remake	O
was	O
re-coded	O
entirely	O
in	O
Assembly	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
significantly	O
improved	O
running	O
speed	O
and	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
handle	O
superior	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
on	O
December	O
23	O
,	O
1986	B-Application
as	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
First	I-Device
Age	I-Device
of	I-Device
Darkness	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ports	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	O
64	O
and	O
DOS/EGA	O
were	O
also	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
releases	O
included	O
the	O
1989	B-Application
version	O
for	O
the	O
MSX2	B-Operating_System
,	O
published	O
only	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Pony	O
Canyon	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
specific	O
port	O
in	O
late	O
1994	B-Application
by	O
Vitesse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
the	O
DOS/EGA	O
version	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Device
was	O
released	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Ultima	B-Device
Collection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
a	O
visual	O
overhaul	O
from	O
modder	O
Jeremy	O
Abrahamson	O
that	O
used	O
the	O
Ultima	B-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Avatar	I-Application
tile	O
set	O
to	O
provide	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
consistent	O
look	O
and	O
feel	O
to	O
the	O
most	O
famous	O
entry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softline	O
stated	O
in	O
1981	B-Application
that	O
"	O
Ultima	B-Device
seems	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
best	O
"	O
available	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
role-playing	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deirdre	O
L	O
.	O
Maloy	O
reviewed	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Ultima	B-Device
is	I-Device
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
computer	O
fantasy	O
roleplaying	O
games	O
to	O
date.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
noting	O
the	O
"	O
unbalanced	O
combat	O
system	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
concluded	O
that	O
Ultima	B-Device
I	I-Device
was	O
"	O
a	O
classic	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
missed	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
