Andy Panthro's Ultima Textures for Minecraft Updated
Andy Panthro has updated his package of Ultima textures for Minecraft to support the latest version of the smash hit indie game.
He also supplied four new screenshots, which you can find — along with the updated download — at the project entry.
I’m wondering if this is in the hope that someone will create an Ultima game using Minecraft.
For some crazy reason, for maybe the last year, I’ve had this weird vision–almost a compulsion–of creating an Ultima throwback with graphics like Wolfenstein 3D but allowing skydomes and terrain textures. The primary color had to be black, and preferably the standard IBM clone 16-color EGA palette would be used (but with one-bit alpha to remove black square borders). Think of a Might & Magic I/II-style grid in OpenGL. The gameplay would be identical to Ultima IV/V but with added features like being real-time and having a dynamic natural environment (Sancti-style). Unlike Minecraft however, the game world would be flat other than multi-storey buildings.
Anyway, all that reminds me of the graphical style of Minecraft with these Ultima textures which is why I’m going on about it. Maybe it’s my nostalgia getting the better of me, wanting to amp up that old feeling with just a touch of the new. Visions are hard to shake sometimes.
I’ve actually thought about a similar idea a few times. Maybe not a perfect remake of the old games, but the implementing of Ultima mechanics into Minecraft. Moongates, reagent based magics, and maybe even a virtue system, not to mention playing within a world modeled after Britannia, complete with dungeons. (with Minecraft capable of creating worlds with 6x the surface area of the Earth, there could be a LOT to explore) Also, with its ability to produce procedurally generated content, including dungeons, it would be conceivable to have it create a relatively unique Britannia with each game, meaning that while things may be familiar, (locations of towns, dungeon entrances, geographical regions) you’d never know exactly what to expect. I’m not a programmer, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be impossible. Minecraft is extremely malleable, and it’s creators are very open to mods, though we’re still waiting on better in-game support that may, or may not be in the works. It’s mostly just a matter of someone with the know-how and the desire deciding to do it. I personally lack the former.
(Also, if anyone cares, I’ll eventually update my texture pack again as well. Just waiting for the next official release so I don’t have to do it 3 times again due to their last minute changes. Textures and features SHOULD be set as of October 18th, but they say they want at least TWO more releases before then! Then they plan on continuing to produce NEW content after the official release on November 18th. No one can say that they’re resting on their laurels! XD)
Given that Minecraft 1.8.1 already will generate villages and abandoned mineshafts, it’s not out of the question that you could include towns, cities, dungeons and so on.
I suppose it would be a bit like Daggerfall in that respect?
@Zeph – when you say two more releases by Oct 18th, do you mean two more pre-releases? I haven’t bothered to use those (I tend to play on a multiplayer server, so keep to “official” versions), nor do I update for those. It gets a bit silly with the number of updates, although I do enjoy them as a player.
@Andy – It already generates “strongholds” which are basically dungeons…if you can find them. I had to cheat to locate one. XD And yeah, Daggerfall is totally what I think of when it comes to that. Greatest idea ever, if sorrowfully executed.
I know 1.9 SHOULD be out soon, and there’s talk of a 1.10 version as well since many of the things that their working on are nowhere near finished, though it looks more and more like 1.9 will just be delayed until they are. They’ll just include them all making 1.9 the version the game will be officially released in. They’ve stated that October 18th is the cut off date for new features, so they can work on optimization and bug crunching until Minecraft’s official release on November 18th. (7 days later than was originally planned) I got the 1.8 pre-release because I was bored, but I haven’t bothered with the 1.9 as I’m tired of creating new worlds.