Ultima IX Redemption: On Hold, But Not Gone
Corv, from the Titans of Ether, has a bit more to add to the penultimate post published to the Ultima IX: Redemption website, which announced that work on the project was being suspended. While this remains true, Corv explains what options for the future the team are looking at, and how you — yes, you — can help:
Yes we are on hold. My lack of time didn’t help either. But I promise, in one way or the other Redemption WILL be finished. But it only makes sense when we can do it right. And at the moment, in terms of our “work situation”, nothing is right.
I can understand if you don’t believe us. Too many projects have died already and we have been at this for about 10 years now. I can only ask you to be around again when you hear that we are back.
This would be actually VERY important. I realized how important it is for the team and for me to see that you are interested. So if you have been around only to read about news give yourself a push and register. Post from time to time. You have no idea just HOW much you help us with that!
Thanks for your support so far, even on the fan project vote: https://ultimacodex.com/2014/01/reminder-…ma-fan-project/
You guys are so amazing! Words cant express how grateful I am that you are/were around. Beside our passion it’s the only source of motivation we have.
I wish you all the best! You will hear from me!
…
Actually, I will post a bit more info:
A few months back I considered moving the project to Skyrim. I got the basic landscape done. You can see the result here: Skyrim CS Screenshot…
We ended up deciding against it.
We might continue in MW once openMW is done but the move to Unity or the Divinity editor (read this) is still in the air too.
So guys, please don’t give up on us, please support the team by registering and posting and please stick around.
Thank you!!!
So…there’s that. I admit to sharing Corv’s surprise — and gratitude — at seeing that Redemption suddenly shot up to near the top of the pile in the ongoing Fan Project of the Year vote, which is a damn nice outpouring of support from the community. Basically, don’t let that be the end of it…keep in touch with the team, and drop in on their forums once in a while.
I remember world-building New Magincia and writing dialogue for this project when I was in high school. I am currently completing my doctoral dissertation.
I have to agree with this sentiment. In fact, Forgotten World was sitting in a somewhat similar situation with regards to our flagship project a few weeks ago. Although, cancellation of the main project was on the table there.
Corv and team, I admire your fortitude and wish you guys smoother sailing in future. I want to see Redemption completed as much as any Ultima fan here. Keep at it and the tides will turn.
Let me end this by saying that I have faith that the you Titans will release Redemption one day and I still look forward to playing it.
I’m curious why moving to Skyrim was vetoed.
It seems moving to a newer version of Bethesda’s Gamebyro engine would allow you to keep a lot of the work you’ve already done.
Moving to a completely new engine (like Unity) seems like it would mean throwing most of the work out the window.
In following this project over 10+ years, it seems there have been at least a few times where plot went in a different direction, and work was recreated and then recreated and then recreated later.
Largely starting over again from scratch seems counter-intuitive to getting a release.
Hi enderandrew!
It’s me Corv from the Titans.
The reason we decided against it was that while I was able to get the basic landscape into Skyrim (and even that was a real pain) there were several problems. 3 main problems:
– the scripting work can’t be transferred (features, quests,…)
– while the basic landscape is there, all the detailed worldbuilding needs to be done again
– the 3D models need to be reworked
At first I was very excited about doing it in Skyrim, that’s why I put all the work in to get the landscape done, but in the end it would have been a shame to lose all the work we have done already.
Yes we rewrote the story twice and then had some revisions of parts of it over time ( a normal process I think). But we didn’t randomly scrap what we already put in the game and all this would have been for nothing in case of an engine change.
Actually right now a lot is going on internally. Now that I am back “full time” again we will make some decisions very soon. One was already made: We will not change engines at all but stick with (open)MW. You read it here first 😉
I think it’s a wise choice to preserve current assets by using OpenMW. It’s GPL3 which means even if OpenMW lapses you can still use it and others can still improve it (it can’t die). It also puts more momentum behind their project because their web site currently states no known OpenMW total conversions exist that use no Morrowind assets. I think being the first project to change that observation could be Ultima IX Redemption. The lack of Morrowind assets would also make distribution of the project legal, even in the US.
Morrowind’s engine, and hopefully OpenMW, are much more capable than what was shown in TES3. It has a lot of potential for an incredible Ultima game. Keep up the good work.
Corv, check your email. Emails, even.
om my, I just checked my gmx spamfolder and there you mail from the 29th was. No idea why it landed there. I will read it now.
There should be two messages in total. One pertains to your recent victory, and that one (at least) I need an answer to. Unless, of course, the team doesn’t want prizes. 😉
The other one may be a moot thing now, but check it out and get back.
There was only one mail from you. No idea what happened to the other. I whitelisted you so it should be ok now. I replied to the mail I got. Please send the other again, thank you 🙂