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Ultima IX: Redemption was, during the years it was in development, one of the most ambitious Ultima fan projects going; news from its developers (who came to be known as the Titans of Ether) was always greeted with excitement, and every new glimpse we got of their progress in remaking Ultima 9 suggested that we were in for an epic experience....whenever the mod was released, that is. But ultimately, Redemption did fold; it was cancelled, and its team instead opted to put their talents to use creating a new game.

So, in this episode, Chlorthos Dragon joins us again to discuss the storied, troubled development and cancellation of the project he helped found.

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Video games, especially those set in fantasy realms — and, occasionally, in a science fiction context, although this seems to be less of a thing in that genre — occasionally feature a made-up language which is spoken (or otherwise utilized) by the NPC populace thereof. In this episode, then, we take a look at some of the different languages that have been developed for use in video games, from simple substitution ciphers to actual languages that have their own glossary, syntax, and grammar.

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Linguistic Dragon and WtF Dragon discuss abstraction, and its importance to game design and the RPG experience. Because there is quite a gulf of difference between the actual, raw, terrifying experience of being lost in a hostile wilderness and finding one's way through it, and the rather more pleasant and fun-filled experience of navigating one's way through a game's open world whilst having to occasionally deal with the intrusion of a hunger mechanic.

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From a discussion of Jordan B. Peterson's musings on the importance of narrative and mythos as a foundational aspect of societies, to Hans Urs von Balthasar's musings on beauty, goodness, and truth, this is a wide-ranging discussion that attempts, ultimately, to examine one thing in particular: the perhaps unique staying power of the Ultima fandom, even though it has been just shy of two decades since the last single-player Ultima title was published.

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This discussion began with the observation that, having surpassed $6 billion in sales, Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 5 has not only out-grossed Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film franchise, but is also (apparently) the single most successful entertainment title in history (across all media forms). That may or not be true once you factor in some inflation-adjusted revenues for older games, but even so: it's still both impressive, and also mind-boggling.

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With Shroud of the Avatar now in wide release, it seemed fitting to put together an episode in which a few of the podcast regulars — those who've been playing the game — give their thoughts on it. The episode is structured in something of an interview style, and the various participants discuss at some length where the game does well, and where it needs more work.

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Because all attempts at recording other discussions fell through, WtF Dragon decided instead, and then at the last minute, to sit down with his eldest daughter, Ella, in order to introduce her to Ultima 6: The False Prophet. They walk through the character creation sequence, and then explore Lord British's Castle and the City of Britain, discussing the game as they go.

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Humility, as defined within Ultima lore, is "about perceiving one's place in the world, not according to one's own accomplishments, but according to the intrinsic value of all individuals. It is the recognition of the worthiness of all beings, and the perception of one's own place among them, regardless of one's own personal accomplishments or mistakes in the world." Which is a bit of a longer way of saying what St. Teresa of Ávila had to say about humility: that it is "living in the truth."

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If you can believe it, this episode was recorded in three — or possibly four! — different segments, but it all kind of flows together into one mostly harmonious conversation in which various co-hosts weigh in with their thoughts about Shroud of the Avatar, which — as Sir Klaus notes — may well be the last game series we will ever get from Richard Garriott.

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WtF Dragon, inspired by an episode of Catching Foxes (a Catholic podcast that he would recommend anyone over the age of about sixteen— Catholic or not — listen to), discusses the role humility must play in how a fan of a property approaches that property...whether it's Star Wars, or Ultima.

Full show notes at spamspamspamhumbug.com.