The Starting Towns

Red - Terfin
Everything there has always been evil, so I decided Exodus would be here too (underground, near daddy's skull).  I like playing them as  Inferno, but they can also be Necropolis.

Blue - Castle British
Yes, I know it was never called that, but I needed a unique name so the events wouldn't confuse non-Ultima junkies.  Secondary town is (predictably) Britain.  Watch out for Chuckles.  Always a Castle.

Tan - New Magincia
Taken from U4-era, it's always a Necropolis.  They're fun-loving and evil.  Secondary town is a made-up underground town call Ter-Ark (thanks to Gargish Dragon for the online Gargoyle language reference - have a link: http://Martin.Brenner.de/ultima/).

Green - Empath Abbey
Ah, the goody-goodies, always trying to make peace.  Poor fools.  Secondary town is Yew, always a Rampart.

Orange - Lycaeum
Taken from roughly post-u9 era, these guys have scholars and knowledge of previous Ultima lore, so they provide lots of good clues.  Again, a very predictable secondary of Moonglow.  Tower makes the most sense to me, but I also allowed Conflux.

Purple - Stygius
This is a made up town, located in the Great Stygian Abyss.  Bastions of neutrality and bureaucracy.  Many town types are available because they'd make sense for either Stygius or Skara Brae (its secondary).  I like Dungeon simply because they start in one, although it makes Skara Brae look pretty silly.

Teal - Serpent's Hold
Sure, they're great warriors, but I decided to make them paranoid as well.  Really paranoid.  Some events here contain a nod to one of my favorite B5 characters.  Secondary is Jhelom, on the other side of Destard (which Chad put here to connect them).  I think of them as Stronghold, but you can also choose Castle or Fortress.

Pink - Ambrosia
This is the u3 version of Ambrosia, before the stranger's arrival.  Features a whirlpool that leads to Buc's Den.  I like playing them as Conflux, but many town types make sense for them or Buc's Den.
 
 
 
 

The Dungeons

Terfin Underground
I guess there was one in U9, but this one really isn't based on it.  Contains a couple of Red's mines, the town of Exodus, and the Armor of the Damned.

Despise
Not much of a theme here, just your basic underground near Castle British, not too huge.  Contains the Angelic Alliance.

Hythloth
Like U9, it's near New Magincia.  Like most Ultimas, it's the largest and takes the longest to explore.  Contains most of Tan's mines and the made-up town of Ter-Ark as a nod to the gargoyles near NM in U9.  Also contains the Cloak of the Undead King.

Wrong
Located south of Empath Abbey, I went out to left field for this concept - basically it's been rebuilt by some elves to be a garden paradise.  Trouble is, they don't like trespassers and they hide in the trees.  That means some instant combat events on the map, but you will always be warned before stepping on one.  Contains the Bow of the Sharpshooter.

Deceit
This small dungeon is on Dagger Isle, north of the Lycaeum, and is reputed to be the secret home of the Protectorate.  They don't like you, and will attack without much warning.  That means a couple of instant combat events on the map, but you will be warned of anything more than a tiny token force.  Contains the Wizard's Well.

The Great Stygian Abyss
This is the starting point for Purple, and is almost as large as Hythloth (again I think I'm being appropriate here).  Bonus quest contains a nod to B5.  This is also the home of the Elixir of Life.

Destard
Destard connects Serpent's Hold to Jhelom, and like U9, offers the chance to fight dragons (not required to get to Jhelom).  Lots of them.  But they guard the Power of the Dragon Father, so it's worth it.

Ambrosia
Technically not a dungeon, but it's underground (or at least underwater).  Like U3, it's square-ish and contains places for the four cards.  At least it did until the four cards were mysteriously turned into the pieces of the Titan's Thunder.

Covetous
Not too big, but like U9 it's cursed and filled with undead.  The good part is that it contains the Cornucopia.

Shame
Also drawing on U9 for inspiration, this one is colorful and magical, although in this game it's for elemental magic.  In addition to walking on elemental fields and fighting tons of elementals, you can also learn all magic skills here.  Don't forget to pick up the Statue of Legion while you're here.

Pirate Cave
Taken from U7, this cave is right by Buc's Den.  That's right, Ambrosia gets two dungeons, but that's for two reasons: The Titan's Thunder is in my opinion the lamest of the town combo artifacts, so they get the opportunity to get two.  Also, they've got the whirlpool so they get first crack at the protection of the Admiral's Hat.  You can also learn Navigation here.

The Ethereal Void
Technically not a dungeon, but it does contain the Ring of the Magi, and it's heavily guarded.  Like every Ultima, the Void is mazy and difficult to navigate.  Yes, even with automatic pathing, it's still a challenge to navigate (insert evil laugh).  You may be asking yourself why any sane person would endure this for such a lame artifact.  The reason is that there's a hut near Minoc that will trade you something nice for it.  Another free tip: there's a stable near Minoc's moongate.  Use it and you might be able to get done with the Void in 3-4 turns.  If you don't use it, and you bring slow troops, you'll be hating life.
 
 
 
 

Miscellaneous Hints, Tips, and Spoilers

Every starting town gets Town Portal.  This is primarily because it's a huge map, and I didn't want it to become inconveniently huge.  The point is, always have someone with Wisdom and Earth Magic.  And if you're a Stronghold or Fortress you can always learn it from someone else...

No one gets View Air, View Earth, Fly, or Dimension Door without the tomes.  Guess where those are...

Stonegate is a good place to own.  Get there before the Shadowlords and receive a nice bonus.

Dawn is a good place to own.  Although it doesn't disappear and reappear like in U3, it does give a periodic bonus.

The Forge of Virtue is nice too.  Guess which blade you get...

Navigation is useful.

There's a surprise combat at the entrance to Deceit, but it's not tough.  Just don't go there with only one unit.

Part of the Stygius bonus quest requires you to die, but you can retreat.  Point is, don't send valuable troops, and split the armies into a few stacks in case the enemy gets a morale bonus.

Scouting and spyglasses are nice to have in the Void.  So is Logistics.

There are many, many pirates at Buc's Den.  If New Magincia can get the Cloak before Ambrosia takes the cave, they can get many, many Liches.

If you want more spoilers, just open it in the editor - I'm done here.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This site is ad-free and cookie-free, and will always be so.