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“The point is not whether youhave strong enough muscles orbig enough guns to win, the issueshould be: What have you learned?What wisdom have you gainedfrom the beginning through to theend that really means you’re nowthe appropriate person to solvethe problem?”- Richard Garriott,Ultima IV’s Project LeaderCreating yourcharacter withthe Gypsy’sTarot cards. Yourchoice is alwaysthe right one....for you.Enlightenment in virtues brings visions critical to theend game.Conversation has always been a staple of the Ultimas.An important aspect here is that people giveyou information because they like you, trust you, orrespect you. This is trust or respect you earn by youractions during play. The closer you are to the idealof Avatarhood, the more likely people are to tell youthings.There is none of the “quid pro quo” that infectsso many games. You know: “So, you want the locationof the +30 Sword of Instant Death? First, you musttravel to the lair of the Dread Funny Bunnies, andbring back to me the Drum of Ages (batteries included).”Nowhere in Ultima IV are you ever someone’s“gofer”. People don’t send you off to retrieve lost/stolenitems as though you’re some sort of pet dog. Nordo they ask you to do any “favors”. Everything youlearn, every item you obtain, is for your own use.Beyond all the above, perhaps the most iconoclasticpart of Ultima IV is the ending. As a friendof mine put it, “It’s the only game where the goal isto read a book.” Not trashing Foozle, not saving theworld (again), but penetrating to the depths of a dungeonto read the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. Therehave been other games with nonviolent endings, butnone so original as this.For all that, some of today’s gamers may find thegame unplayable. The graphics are primitive. Thereis no log, no journal, no automap, no big loot drops,no hand-holding. Patience and extensive note-takingare crucial, because there is so much to learn. You’dbetter learn it all too; you’re tested throughout thefinal dungeon to ensure you know what it means tobe the Avatar.However, if you’re looking for a unique experience,a game that doesn’t rely on hack’n’slash orendless “side jobs”, then Ultima IV is the one for you.Happily, it has been made available to run on modernPC systems from Good Old Games (www.gog.com)free when you sign up (also free). Ultima IV, still oneof-a-kindafter all these years. SCThe ParodyCreated by fan Chris Hopkins, Ultima IV Part 2:Dude, where’s my Avatar? is a parody of the Ultimaseries. It takes place in the gap of time betweenUltima IV and Ultima V, and tries to answer someof the unresolved questions from the series, such aswhat happened to Mondain, Minax, and Exodus andwhere did the Guardian really came from.Grab it here: www.80sgaming.org/ultima-parody23