The “Grab Bag” feature has, or so I gather, been missing from the Dark Age of Camelot website for quite some time, so apparently everyone is taking the sudden appearance of a new installment in that series of updates from the developers with some surprise. And it contains a few surprising statements about the direction that Broadsword Online Games plans to take the game in.

To wit:

Q: Is Broadsword going to do characters transfers between accounts? If so, do both accounts have to be open, and will it be a free or cost service?

A: This is the plan. Over 12+ years of game-play, players have several characters across multiple accounts and we would like to provide the opportunity to allow consolidation. This will be among the many updates and upgrades to the Broadsword Account Center that is currently underway. Currently, it’s planned as a premium service – but there are no details on the prices as yet.

Here, have another:

Q: I have seen a lot of art changes with the new patch. Have your resources in this department increased?

A: Yes it has! We’re thrilled about this. Those of you who have participated in some previous Grab Bags asked questions to which the reply often started with: “Unfortunately due to art resource constraints we are currently unable to…”

Under Broadsword, we have renewed investment in this area, and we’re really excited about updating art for various features in DAoC. Things we’re currently discussing are: fixes for art-related bugs, new maps, UI skins, new items, monsters, and more!

Oh…have one more:

Q: What does broadsword plan to do after the NNF patch?

A: Great question. I can’t give out too many details yet but we have a lot planned. For the next patch, we’ll be focusing on UI/UX improvements, art bug fixing and improvements (this includes the Labyrinth wall exploits!), and adding in a new long-term Live Event with a very cool surprise! Additionally, we’ll be responding to any feedback on the NF Update and making any warranted adjustments.

After all of that, we’ll be looking at the overarching goals of RvR (read: relics) as well as improving larger scale objectives (read: keeps/towers, and maybe new things!). On the PvE side, we’ll be looking at updating loot tables and mob AI on some of the more memorable encounters and finishing the Hub Quests to 50. Class Balance, as always, is an ongoing endeavor.​

This is all pretty significant; the game is obviously seeing a lot more development under Broadsword than it did under Mythic, whereat it had basically been put out to pasture. Now there are art updates (and more incoming!), planned UI overhauls, planned account transfer capabilities…and, heck, updates about the game’s development that amount to way more than “no comment”.

All of this makes me wonder just what Broadsword has planned for Ultima Online. A UI overhaul, perhaps? They did evidently contract Pinco, developer of a very popular enhanced UI for the game, to do some sort of work for them. Art updates? Those have been hinted at…or, heck, promised outright. There aren’t any details like the above posted on the official Ultima Online website at present…but one has to wonder.

It would seem, at least, that Broadsword is very interested in doing more than simply serving as a caretaker for these games in their present states.