Inspirations for Deeds... Ultima I



The Ultima RPG series were games like no other of their time.  They might have been the most epic and complete RPG computer games of the 80's.  A little complicated but super fun with incredible story lines, they were made for several platforms, and a version of one of them even found it's way to NES (I own a copy).  There were Six Ultimas in the 80's starting in 81 with my favorite of the series Ultima I.  I will be honest, i didn't play this game until I discovered emulation in the late 90's but I did own a Pirate copy of Ultima IV as a kid, and played it to no end.  I never finished IV, however, thanks to the magic of emulation, I did manage to finish I.  I remember quite well the day I completed Ultima I.  I had just broken up with some girlfriend, and being a bit more youthful than I am today, I was upset.  I retreated to a friends home in the mountains of Southern California, and at an altitude of over 7000 feet, I played Ultima for three days straight.  Maybe it was the breakup or the thin air, but for some reason to this day finishing Ultima I is one of my personal favorite memories.  This game had it all... Castles and swords, monsters, ships, towns, a hot air balloon, and even a space shuttle and adventures in space.  What more could an RPG fan want?  Such a simple game with so much depth.  I can say with certainty that Ultima I is the game that most influenced "Deeds Of Yore".  It's the feeling I wanted to get across in the artwork.  The feeling of a world that is more than it seems on the surface, a world where a black background means infinite possibility and imagination.  If you have any love of vintage games just get a C64 emulator and play this one for a little while.  You don't have to finish it, but I do recommend that you see what it's like.

Ultima I on Gambase64

Ultima I on Wikipedia