1. PunkBuster can’t read English, decipher a tax return, or tell a financial document from a picture of your dog. It looks at blocks of data and compares them to blocks of data known to be in cheat programs. That’s it.
   
   
2. It doesn’t transmit any user data to any server. It merely sends a message that says: "This person has something we suspect to be a cheat program running. This is what program we think it is." When this happens in UO, in most cases it will keep you from playing until you turn the cheat program off. In some cases, it could flag a GM and a GM will investigate what’s going on with the player.
   
   
3. If you are concerned about the language in the PunkBuster license, you should read over the terms of service and licenses for any other MMORPG you play, as many of them have extremely similar language. You should also review what virus protection and spyware prevention programs do. Both of those work a lot like PunkBuster.
   
   
4. As I’ve said... We will be entering public beta in mid-July and will test for a month or more. If performance issues arise, we will either solve them or not use PunkBuster. I do know that ICQ, voice chat programs, UOAssist, UO AutoMap, internet browsers and various other programs UO players use while playing take up far more CPU cycles and bandwidth than Punk Buster.
   
   
5. UO Assist and UO AutoMap will not be flagged as cheat programs, nor will any program on the approved-for-use list. In fact, many programs that are basically harmless won’t be flagged. We are looking for programs that automate processes that shouldn’t be automated and programs that make your character faster, stronger or better than anyone else’s.
   
   
6. We do definitely need to improve UO’s macro system to take some of the unneeded drudgery and repetition out of certain tasks. That is something we are planning for a future update.
   
   
7. And yes, PunkBuster has been on my personal home PC for years. I’ve played 90 percent of the games PunkBuster supports and not once has PunkBuster gotten in my way. In fact, I simply won’t play on an open server. It’s just not fun to lose to cheaters.
   
   
8. As for what shard will be PunkBuster free, here are the options on the drawing board:
   • Test Center. (TC would still be occasionally wiped and would still get various rule sets depending on what we are testing.)
   • Siege and Mugen, and scripting would still be illegal and enforced by GMs. (Some rule modifications might have to be made to Siege if we did this, like restrict the use of bags of sending.)
   • Launch a completely new shard, where scripting would be legal. (This shard would be one you could transfer to for free, but never leave. We have been calling it Devil’s Island.)

1. I completely understand concerns about computer security and privacy. I wouldn’t put PunkBuster on my own machine at home (yes, the one with all my financial and personal records) if I didn’t feel safe about it. PunkBuster has been around for 10 years and almost single-handedly saved the multiplayer shooter genre from being torn apart by hackers and cheaters. In that time, we can’t find one instance of someone’s privacy being violated. EA has sold millions of copies of the Battlefield franchise all over the world, and 90% of BF players play on PB protected servers. In all that time, not one person has submitted a valid customer service complaint about a privacy or security violation.
   
   
2. Everyone concerned about privacy should read PunkBuster’s privacy policy at...http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=privacy.php. Keep in mind that if PunkBuster betrayed even one gamer’s trust, people would stop using it, game makers would stop supporting it, and it would be the end of that business. It is in PunkBuster’s best interest to protect the privacy of its players. They have been doing that for 10 years now with millions of satisfied customers.
   
   
3. UO’s subscription fees will not be going up.
   
   
4. We haven’t decided what shard or shards will be non-PunkBuster yet. We want to see the results from the beta test first, as well as collect feedback.
   
   
5. As for performance, let me re-state... If beta testing proves that PunkBuster has performance issues for a large number of players, we will consider another anti-cheat solution. Beta testing should start in mid-July.
   
   
6. As for the screenshots, it will only take shots of the actual game screen window, not anything else on your desktop. And, it does that only rarely. This feature of PunkBuster is mostly used to verify cheats that turn walls invisible or somehow alter the battleground to the cheater's advantage.
   
   

1. Pub 40, due out in April, will be chock full of PvP changes, fixes and perhaps a new feature or two. It is officially “The PvP Publish,” though some things we want to do could take multiple publishes. MrTact and the PvP Strike Team have been plotting for a few weeks now, and the plan they’ve put together is looking good. More news on that soon.

2. Throughout the year, our goal, our guiding motto, the slogan that will be tattooed to our forearms, is this… “More reasons to log in, more often.” That means we’ll be alternating between a variety of projects each publish, sometimes introducing new features or content, sometimes addressing old concerns. Dramatically improving PvP definitely qualifies as a “reason to log in” as do a new series of in-game events that the Community Team is putting together with help from the GM and EM teams. Those will be coming very soon.

What’s next you might be asking? Well, let me take a few minutes to explain. The Ultima Online Team is now focused on our next project, live improvements. We are taking stock of the game as we know it:

• Digging into our database of things we’d like to fix (or finish!)
• Researching suggestions (and gripes!) from the players so we can make Ultima Online better
• and generally spending time considering improvements that we’ve not had time to think about
• Working out ways to make the game more fun and more accessible to new players, and at the same time making sure current players continue to be challenged by the depth and variety UO offers.

The goal is to invest in Ultima Online and continue to keep it a kick ass place to play for all. We want to get new players into the game as much as we want to keep our beloved long time players happy. So, keep your eyes and ears open for our improvements!

Also, we have some new team members that we’ll be introducing to you in the near future. (A couple from the UO community, even!)

Also, can you believe that we are about to celebrate our Eighth Anniversary? I can’t! If you haven’t already checked out The Eighth Anniversary website, you should! This commemorative edition does two things: 1. Offers a lot of value to current players with more than $70 worth of Power Up services included, 2. Creates an attractive package that should entice newcomers.

Thanks again for your dedication and passion towards Ultima Online! We’re going to be talking a lot about what the future holds in the coming months.

The artists have created new art for more than 15 new creatures based on Japanese mythology. The designers have created new armor, helmets and items based on traditional Japanese weapons the Wakizashi and Shuriken; plus wearable gear including the Jingasa and Kimono. And, of course, the designers and engineers are refining the abilities and special moves associated with the two new professions: Ninja and Samurai.

Now, let me back up a bit. Since this is my “first appearance” in the newsletter and on the website, I’ll tell you a little about myself. I’ve been working in online production for nearly six years. Before moving to Ultima Online, I spent nearly 3 years on The Sims Online team. (Yes, a bit of a different game!) Previous to Maxis, I was working for an online edutainment company as a Program Producer.

You should know that I am a big sci-fi, cyber punk, and magic/fantasy fan. Besides UO, some of the other kinds of games I like: Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Ico, Super Monkey Ball, Rocky (after a stressful day at work, of course), plus, heaps of Game Boy Advance games. For board games, I play The Settlers of Catan most.

As for Ultima Online specifically, I really enjoy the extreme variety that the game offers. Considering the various combinations of professions, legendary fiction, and the option to battle it out with other players or monsters – UO is a creative game. (On that note, I am not saying the game is perfect.) There are so many details that I can’t help but feel like I am in another world when I play. I really like that. Plus, it is a really good feeling knowing that most other MMORPGs in the market got their fundamental start from this game.

I have to admit - this is the coolest experience, as a producer, to be a part of the UO team. I’ve been with Ultima Online for four months and I really can’t say enough great things about the team. I remember when I played the game for the first time just three years ago; those impressions are still with me and motivate me every day to make the game better and better.

Don’t forget, we’ve only released a small amount of the details for Samurai Empire. You should check the website in the coming weeks for new announcements or opportunities to chat with the UO team. I also want to add that just about everyone on the team reads the message boards. Though it may seem like we don’t have much of a presence (I have been on the other side) you can bet your Hooded Shroud we are talking about what you post.

Please hang in there as more game details are released.