@~Julian sent in reviews for The Black Gate and Forge of Virtue
@~and I still had mine knocking about which had previously been
@~used in Red Herring. I didn't get far into the games at all, so
@~Julian's review are more detailed, but here they are anyway,
@~after his. I have rewritten a few sections to bring them up to
@~date.

  Ultima 7 Part 1:The Black Gate - Mindscape/Origin RRP œ39.99
                       (RPG for PC)

                Reviewed by Julian Gregory

First of all I have to acknowledge that I am prejudiced in favour
of all the Ultima series. So when Sue asked if I would review
Ultima 7, naturally I jumped at the chance.  Most people with a
computer in recent years must have heard of the Ultima series and
its creator Richard Garriott. Each game shows a definite
improvement over the previous one, partly because technology has
progressed so quickly in recent years. The best I have played so
far have been 4 and 6, each of which shows a significant
improvement over earlier ones. I would however advise playing the
series in order so as to appreciate the complete world which has
been created with its emphasis on the highest principles of
honour, truth, courage etc.

Ultima 7 is the biggest game in the series so far and also the
most memory hungry. It needs at least a 386 machine with 2 meg
RAM, some sort of sound card, at least VGA capability and takes up
about 24 meg on the hard disk. I had some difficulty in loading it
in the first place. Apparently it needs 561,144 bytes of DOS
memory and also conflicted with my expanded memory manager.
Fortunately I am running DOS 6 which enables me to have multiple
config and autoexec files, so I set one up so as not to load any
managers and then had no problems. So was all the effort worth it?
In my opinion it most certainly was.

All the Ultimas have a fairly linear path which is quite easy to
follow. However there is nothing to stop you wandering around the
world on foot, horse, ship or even flying carpet. Each game has
numerous sub-plots which normally have sub-plots as well. There is
a vast amount of travelling between the various places in
performing the tasks which are essential in order to build up your
experience levels so that you can cast higher levels spells.
Believe me you will need them!

Because the game is so vast it is not easy to put together a
solution. Tasks can be, within reason, performed in any order you
like.  The story is that in Ultima 7 you have been summoned back
to Britannia after 200 years to combat the Guardian who is
threatening to enslave all the inhabitants. The introduction is
wonderful.  The first time I heard the speech it actually made me
jump as I wasn't expecting it. The speaker, you will learn later
in the game, is the Guardian and I don't think it is giving too
much away to say that it would be wise not to believe everything
he says, particularly at the beginning. Most of the friends you
made on your previous visits are still there just rather older. I
think that your present party should differ slightly from the one
you had in Ultima 6, but you may find it may not matter.


The game is mainly mouse-driven. The left button deals with
actions using the hands, such as fighting, eating and for
manoeuvring items into backpacks. The right button deals with the
feet and is used for movement.

The puzzles are mainly fairly easy and will usually involve
interrogating the right people when you have found out some piece
of information. If you have performed the correct action first you
will find that the choice of words you have to converse with will
have altered. There are hundreds (or so it seems) of people in the
game and you can talk to all of them. Whether you get a sensible
answer is a different matter! Things only start to get more
difficult towards the end (thanks Sue) when there is a lot of
fighting to do and you may not have enough spell points available
to heal all your party. There is a way round this, which I won't
reveal so as not to spoil any future enjoyment.

When Ultima 7 was first issued I believe there were a few bugs in
it. I had no problems with the version I have so I guess they have
been found and removed.

The main attraction I found is that the game scenario is so
believable. I lost countless hours playing it, it was easy to lose
yourself in the game. Because it is so big there will be many many
hours of pleasure and I must recuperate before tackling Ultima 7
part 2.  There is also an add-in disk which loads into the main
game and gives another section to explore. I have not yet got too
far into this but it certainly looks reasonable and is not too
expensive.  Ultima 7 is not cheap, (œ26.49 is the cheapest I have
seen) but there is so much game-time it has to be recommended. I
would have to include it in my all-time top 10.
------------------------------------------------------------------
           Forge of Virtue - Origin RRP œ15.00
                  (Add-on for above)

           Reviewed by Julian Gregory on a PC.

Most of you must know by now that I have a favourite RPG series;
the Ultimas. There is now an additional disk available to use


with Ultima 7. The disk is described as the first 'add-in' as it
loads into the existing Ultima 7.

Forge of Virtue adds a complete new section to Ultima 7 and can be
played alongside the main game.  The new tasks can be completed as
you think fit, either immediately or later.

I played it when I had almost finished 7. The instructions as to
what is required are provided by Lord British when you visit him
for the first time after the game has loaded. The object is to
pass tests of Love, Truth and Courage. These are set on an island
which rises up from the ocean when the game starts. The first two
tests I found were very easy. The Test of Courage is more
difficult. Having enough reagents to be able to cast the proper
spells is important.

Having passed all the tests you then have to manufacture the
ultimate sword which is needed to send Exodus back where he came


from. Exodus is the enemy from Ultima 3 and the continuity
between the different games is one of the reasons I so like the
series. It all helps to add a sense of believability.

When Ultima 7 first came out there were a number of bugs which
have been well documented in the various magazines. Running Forge
provides the up to date version and converts all your saved
games. Sometimes it will not be possible to convert all the
saves, but the instructions are well written and the procedure is
quite clear.

Forge of Virtue is not large. I managed to finished it in about 3
days. Indeed the finish is rather an anti-climax. But if you are
an Ultima fan I can certainly recommend it to you. The cost is
reasonable (about œ14 -œ15 I think). You obviously need Ultima 7
as well, but Forge will prolong the game-play to make a great
game last even longer.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Ultima VII: the Black Gate and the data disk, The Forge of Virtue
       Origin, PC only, œ39.99, data disk about œ15.00

                 A flying visit by Sue

With the size and complexity of modern RPGS and my limited time,
it is, unfortunately, impossible for me to do more than skim the
surface of such games to do a review.

The Ultima series is now up to 9 games (since Ultima VII comes in
two parts), 11 if you count Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, plus two
add-on disks for Ultima VII, one for each part.  I've dabbled
briefly in all of them except U7 part 2 and its add-on disk and
Pagan (U8) but only completed the first (what an admission!). But
when Alan came back from the States with The Black Gate and the
data disk nestled in his luggage, I wasn't going to be
strong-willed and wait until I'd finished the earlier games. Maybe
I should have ...


The series has progressed a long way in the 11 years since Ultima
I first appeared. Gone are the stick-figure graphics which could
only be told apart by wider shoulders for fighters or a grasped
cross for a cleric. Gone are CGA or EGA graphics. Gone are the
days of one mingy 5.25" disk and the inability to install the game
onto a hard drive. Ultima VII needs a minimum of a 386SX, 2 meg of
RAM and its own memory manager called Voodoo, a hard disk with at
least 21 megs of space, VGA graphics, an optional mouse (I'd like
to see anyone manage without one and stay sane) and an optional
Soundblaster or equivalent for the music and digitized speech. The
game comes on 6 high density 3.5" disks with an option to exchange
for 5.25 disks and it unARCs as it installs. Add the data disk too
and you'll need 4 meg of disk space to install it though the final
space taken is only 1 meg.

The opening sequence is superb as you, the Avatar, are challenged
by the Guardian whose face emerges from your monitor and taunts
you. As previously you travel to Britannia via a moongate but this
time it's red in hue. Quite appropriate since, on your arrival in
the town of Trinsic, you find two grisly murders have taken place.
A local man called Christopher and a gargoyle, Inamo, have been
'done in' in spectacularly gruesome fashion (courtesy of VGA
graphics) and your first task is to investigate the murder.
Luckily your old friend Iolo is conveniently at hand when you
arrive and will happily tag along.  Other characters will join as
you progress.

Your detective skills being good enough, you'll soon have the
right answers to satisfy Finnigan, the Mayor of Trinsic, that it
would be worth your travelling to the capital city, Britain, to
make further investigations. If you don't succeed in this early
task you'll be stuck in Trinsic for the duration since you'll need
the password from the Mayor before the town's gates will be opened
and you'll be allowed to leave. Travel can be by foot, horse and
cart or by boat.

Starting to explore further, you'll meet loads (and I do mean
LOADS) of people, each of whom seems to be a fount of knowledge
about themselves, their friends, neighbours, enemies, the state of
the economy and many other topics. (Not knowing what info will be
useful, I made copious notes). You'll also meet Lord British,
another old pal who has a lot of your equipment safely stored away
...  so safely that it took me two days to find it!  But now
equipped, it was time to get on the road again.

As in previous games there are loads of places to visit including
several islands. Lord British will give you a ship to sail to the
Isle of Fire if you have also installed the data disk. This
contains four more quests and the ability to raise your attributes
and forge a powerful weapon.  Even sticking to the mainland
there's plenty to do as you'd expect with 21 meg of info stuffed
onto your hard disk. Even the smallest towns can take ages to
explore. Near enough everyone wants to chat, several want favours
done and it's hard to know whether you should be concentrating on
the murder or, for instance, taking an important Council Bill to
Cove to be signed. It's a hard life being an Avatar!  Sometimes
you feel more like an errand boy - or girl, as the case may be.
Yes, this time you can pick your sex. You have to be a blonde
which is a bit hard on us brunettes but never mind.

I'm still trying to work out my real task. Somehow the murders
just seem to be one gruesome part of a general change in Britain.
The poor have got poorer in the 200 years since Ultima VI; magic
is generally unreliable and the moongates positively dangerous;
though the gargoyles are starting to be integrated into human
society there are still disturbing anti-gargoyle notices to be
found all over the place. Drug abuse and pollution are rearing
their ugly heads - and what about the rise of The Fellowship?
Seemingly a harmless bunch of do-gooders, one can't help but feel
that they aren't quite what they seem to be. As for the Guardian,
I know he is going to cause me problems sooner or later.

Probably, my confusion may not be helped by the fact that I
haven't completed the earlier games. Morally I'm in a bit of a
quandary too. How Avatarish should I be? For instance, after much
fumbling about, I found a shrine. On it was a ring. Should I pick
it up? If I'd played the earlier games, would I know whether to
pick it up or not? Oh well, let's try. I collected the ring and
waited ... no bolt from above fried me. Tried to give the ring to
the woman who tends the shrine. Did she throw up her hands in
horror at my possibly sacrilegious act? Nope, no reaction. Decided
to don the ring and hope that in 6 weeks time someone doesn't say
"What are you doing with that ring?", followed by a fatal zap or
getting into everybody's bad books.

Visually the game is very impressive with a slightly angled
top-down view (works great with the human characters but horses
look a bit odd at that angle) and fully animated. My 16 MHz
struggled a bit when there were too many people moving about on
the screen, but then Origin do recommend 20+ MHz, and the hard
disk is constantly accessed. Having now got 4 followers, even just
those 5 characters moving about can slow things down considerably.
Add a few townspeople and it's sl-o-w - but not unplayable by any
means. Little extras like changes in the weather are impressive
too - the shadow of clouds scudding overheads, the gentle patter
of rainfall, lightning and so forth.

Controlwise the game has a few flaws. Manoeuvring that darn horse
and cart was a real pain. Sometimes it was quicker to walk. Once I
stopped the cart next to a child, talked to him, and when I drove
off his little body was stuck to the cart as if by superglue. I
drove him all round Vesper but he dangled there until I next left
the cart. Getting on and off the cart can sometimes be a problem
too. Your companions can get in your way leaving you perched on
top of a wheel with them jostling you from behind and with you
unable to go forward or back. Once they got so snarled up, the
game seized and had to be rebooted.

Since the game is ideally mouse-controlled, all actions are of the
point-and-click variety. Conversations use keywords (as in the
last few games), objects are manipulated by double-clicking.
Feeding the gang took some working out. They kept moaning about
being hungry, I kept giving them food but still they complained. I
discovered my error much later when I checked their backpacks -
full of food. Instead of giving them food to eat, I'd been
transferring it into their inventories! Fighting and spellcasting
are well implemented though.

Bugs - not counting the cart, I haven't seen any yet though there
are evidently a lot in earlier versions of the game. My disks had
several patches. The data disk also had the option to upgrade the
program to the latest version using yet more patches. (Beware, if
using an old version of U7 and later adding the data disk, if you
choose to have the program upgraded, you'll lose all your saves!)

In conclusion, I'd count this an impressive game though not as
user-friendly as Might and Magic III because it tries to be TOO
clever.  All the wandering about may grate after a while and it
would probably help to have played the previous games to
understand the other characters and relevance of certain places
and objects. Worth a look though, especially if you have a fast
machine.

[As I said in the intro, that was written some time ago and I
haven't been back to the game since. One day ... one day ...]




                              - o -