HP is increased through giving tribute to Lord British, and statistics are increased by offering gold to the clerk of the Hotel California in New San Antonio in 1990. Overworld monsters also randomly drop items, some of which are useless and some of which are vital to play, such as the ‘brass button’ that allows flying a plane, and ‘blue ribbon’ which allows the player to commandeer a pirate ship that will rarely appear on the coastlines. Playing the game consists primarily of fighting monsters on the overworld to build up gold, which is spent to buy equipment, food, hit points and stat increases. You are dumped into North America in the 1400s and must quickly find a town to buy weapons, armor and food at before you are ravaged by random monsters, and then figure out how to reach Lord British’s Castle via the Moongates, portals which open only at certain times and which become a defining part of the Ultima series. Features such as slipping between Earth’s timelines, the Timegate portals (later to be known as Moongates and a series staple element), and the strange dialogue and sense of humor are all fairly directly taken from the film, as well as the design of the game’s detailed cloth map. Garriott was heavily inspired by the Terry Gilliam film Time Bandits during the development, which adds greatly to the game’s flavor and general goofy tone. This is the only game in the Ultima series where the map is planet earth rather than the fictional land of Sosaria/Britannia, though this would later be retconned away into the game taking place in Sosaria. While the graphics are similar to the first game, it plays very differently and the setting features an even more bizarre amalgamation of standard fantasy and science fiction traits, as well as a healthy sprinkling of references to pop culture, Richard Garriott’s real-life friends, and other video games. Much like Phantasy Star III or Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Ultima II is often seen as the black sheep of the series. Now it falls to you to marshal your forces, gather resources, travel history, and defeat Minax! In the year 2111, civilization ended in a firey apocalypse you only avoided it by being in transit in the past at the time. The enchantress Minax, apprentice of Mondain, had built up her power by conquering the Time of Legends, and from the Moongates poured her minions to bring annihilation to the world. The most wondrous discovery of the age, the shimmering Moongates through which a man may travel through space and time, had both created a new renaissance era of learning and opened the door for evil to again enter the world. ![]() But it is not to last, for the rule of Lord British has brought the kingdoms together under a common flag of fellowship and goodwill, and the happy people turn a deliberate blind eye to the hints of darkness on the horizon. The world rejoiced! A great hero had come from seemingly out of nowhere to battle the wizard lord Mondain and end his reign of terror forever! Now free from his legions of hideous monsters, the earth settles into a happy peace.
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