“Where might I find Empath Abbey?”
Here you’ll find topographical inaccuracies in Ultima IX. I am well aware that there have always been great changes in the course of Britannia’s evolution, especially before and after Ultima VI, but things are simply taken too far in Ascension. The world was originally meant to be much larger and had to be cut later in development, apparently under time pressure. The sloppiness of the worldbuilders just blows you away. Look at the hidden maps in Ultima IX, and you’ll start to cry.
Technical shortcomings
-
Buccaneer’s Den is far too large. In all Ultimas prior
to Ascension, the isle is about as large as the Isle of Deeds, yet now it’s as least
twice as large. Since the Isle of Deeds has kept its previous shape, while parts of Buccaneer’s
Den have been flooded, this is not very logical.
(by Tribun Dragon) -
Why is Serpent’s Hold suddenly below the sea surface? If the Guardian
sank the whole Isle of Deeds into the sea, then why is part of it still above the surface?
There were no mountains next to the keep...
(by Angelo) -
Apparently, Lost Lake truly honors its name.
(by Tribun Dragon) -
Lord British’s Castle and Stonegate are higher than all mountains in
Britannia. (That was already the case in Ultima VII, but you just expect more from a modern
3D engine, don’t you?)
(by Lord Eternal Dragon) -
The location of Skara Brae’s Column on the map isn’t correct.
(by Tribun Dragon) -
Lord British has moved the equator, so that it runs exactly through his castle
now! Did that increase the value of his estate? I wonder what the cartographers thought about
it...
(by Tribun Dragon) -
What’s that isle with Minoc, Cove, Covetous, and the Shrine of Sacrifice meant to be?
The journal says it’s Dagger Isle. This can’t be correct for several
reasons, though:
- The small island to the south reminds one more of Dagger Isle, as far as its shape is concerned.
- You can rebuild towns, but you can’t move a whole dungeon to another island.
- Here comes the best argument: Why is the Shrine of Sacrifice suddenly located on Dagger Isle?
(by Jonathan) -
The Shrine of Honesty was previously north of Moonglow, not south of the town.
(by Hacki Dragon) -
Hythloth and the Shrine of Humility have jumped from the Isle of the Avatar
to the north of New Magincia. Is Hythloth really that big?
(by Hacki Dragon) -
The Shrine of Valor was in the southeast of Valoria (or Jhelom) in former
times.
(by Hacki Dragon) -
The Shrine of Honor was previously southwest of Trinsic.
(by Hacki Dragon) -
Ambrosia has moved from the northeast of Britannia to the middle of the world.
Wow! (I can’t prove that Ambrosia is really there, but I believe it makes sense.)
Or do the Gargoyles actually just call their town like this? The game never clears it up.
(by Hacki Dragon)In the patch, Ambrosia has been renamed - into “Baltergres”.
-
There has always been a moongate near Trinsic - but it was south of the town.
Nobody tells you the moonstone was buried somewhere else.
(by Hacki Dragon) -
Iolo’s Hut was formerly in Deep Forest, south of Yew... Did Iolo build
a new hut? (Hmm, there’d be a nice theory
for this...)
Of course, nothing of it is mentioned in the game.
(by Hacki Dragon)The patch at least tells us that Iolo has moved.
-
In former times, the moongate of Yew was located west of the city. (Nobody
mentions that they buried the moonstones somewhere else.)
(by Hacki Dragon) -
Despise was previously north of Britain, and now it’s to the east.
(by Hacki Dragon) -
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the worst geographical inaccuracy in the whole Ultima
series. I hardly believed it myself when I saw it the first time, but Empath Abbey
is now northeast of Stonegate!
For everyone who doesn’t know: Previously, Empath Abbey was located to the west of Yew. What evil spirits had possessed the designers’ minds? This is just enough to drive you crazy. A sad reflection of the developers’ skills. A disaster. Worldbuilding’s darkest hour.
(by Hacki Dragon)
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