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What does "Public Beta test" mean? |
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Our Public Beta Test is a timeframe in which we give our fans an opportunity to try out the game before release. This allows us to test the performance of different technologies and collect user feedback under real gaming conditions. In other words, it lets us gather the kind of information that will make Ultima Online a better game. |
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When will the Public Beta test take place? |
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The Public Beta test CDs have been sent out for duplication, so it won't be long before we begin shipping them out to our confirmed public testers. The latest Public Beta test announcements will be posted on the Ultima Online home page, so check there for additional information. |
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How do I verify that I'm registered for it? |
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We have a Beta Tester confirmation page up and running. You can check to see if you are registered as paid for Ultima Online's public test by visiting the Public Beta Test Verification Page. |
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What's new in the Public Beta as compared to Alpha? |
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The developers have made many changes since the first run of tests. The game you saw during the pre-Alpha test is the bare husk from which the team is creating a fantastic game. We've improved many features of the game — a better graphical interface, the character development system, 3-D terrain, a virtual economy and ecological systems. The artists have been busy creating new looks for bizarre and exotic cities, as well as new monsters. And the designers are hard at work playing god — creating the lands, people and events in Britannia. If you played in the pre-Alpha test, you will still recognize the game. Soon, however, you will see a great game shining from the polish of hard work. Expect the same high level of quality you would from any ORIGIN game. Remember, however, that the Public Beta test is still an unfinished product, so you will experience more instability than you might expect from a release version. |
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Is there any chance the Public Beta test has started? Am I missing it?
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No! We'll place a large note informing you of the test date in BIG BOLD TEXT on our website. Plus, we'll be sending out an e-mail alert to all confirmed testers before their CDs arrive. You won't miss it — we promise. |
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How long will the Public Beta test last? |
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We're not certain. The test will last for a minimum duration of one week. But as long as the test is productive and not hampering development, we may leave the game up for a longer period of time. |
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Will I download the new Public client, or will I get a CD? |
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The public version of the game is far too large for you to download. ORIGIN plans to distribute the game to Public Beta testers on a CD. ORIGIN will not ship the CD ROMs until the as yet undetermined Public Beta test date draws near. |
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Is the Public Beta test free, other than the fee for the CD? |
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Yes. |
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What do I do if I've sent my application, but not my $2? |
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We're sorry, but if you haven't yet sent in your money, you won't be able to participate in the Public Beta test. It costs too much to manufacture and mail the Beta CDs for us to send them out for free. |
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I've switched Internet providers and re-applied to test. Do I owe $2 again? |
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No, but we won't stop you if you'd like to send it in again. |
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How will I know if I was accepted for the Public Beta test? |
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Everyone who applied before the date on which we stopped accepting applications and has sent in the required payment will receive a CD. |
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Will ORIGIN erase my character after the Public Beta test? |
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We're sorry to say this, but all the characters will be destroyed. It will be a sad day to see the end of all your hard work, but allowing testers a "leg up" is not fair to all the other players who weren't able to take part in the Public Beta test. For the betterment of the game, we'll have everyone start off with new characters. In fact, we may have to erase characters several times during the Public Beta test. |
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I applied twice, paid once, and just got e-mail saying I still owe. Do I pay again? |
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You only need to pay once. If you've sent in money twice under the same name, we will destroy the second check. |
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What do I do if I find bugs during the Public Beta test? |
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We will let you know what to do when the time comes. We set up a couple of e-mail boxes for the Pre-Alpha test, and will most likely do the same for the Public Beta test. We'll make it as easy as possible for you to let us know about any problems you find. |
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Can we stress the server as we did in the Alpha's "Pantless Invasion"? |
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Personally, we hope never to see another Pantless Invasion. But in regard to your question, that is the primary goal of the Public Beta test. We must know how the servers will react to the stress of a heavily populated Ultima Online game so that we can make any changes with our servers that we need to before we release the final version. |
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How large is the Public Beta test world? |
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The world consists of one main continent with several islands. Although there's only one continent, the current Ultima Online map is about 100 times as large as the pre-Alpha map. This is, by far, the largest Ultima ever. |
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Is the current Ultima Online map identical to the final release map? |
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Because of the nature of product in development, we can't make any guarantees about what will or will not be in the final version. So, the map in the final version might be different from the map in the Public Beta test. (As a side note, the Atlas
section of the Traveller's Guide has more information on cities. |
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Which cities can I start from during the Public Beta test? |
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In this version, you will be able to select a starting city. Many of the cities you fondly remember from past Ultimas exist in Ultima Online. |
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Are Public Beta testers required to play a certain number of hours or at certain times? |
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No. Of course, we'd like you to play all the time, but that's not feasible. The longer you play, however, the more you'll learn about the game and about Britannia. |
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How anonymous will I be? Can other players see my e-mail address or real name? |
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At this time, there's no possible way for other players to discover any personal information about you that you don't tell them. So, you won't need to worry about Grunak finding you in the real world after you lop his head off in Ultima Online. |
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e appreciate all the work the pre-Alpha testers put into the first test, and hope the Public Beta test will be as successful. We are no longer accepting applications for the Public Beta test, but we will continue to update this FAQ as more information becomes available. 