Lord of Ultima

Lord of Ultima
Company type	Free-to-play browser game
Industry	Video games
Founded	April 20, 2010; 16 years ago
Founder	EA Phenomic
Defunct	May 12, 2014
Fate	Discontinued
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Lord of Ultima (video game)
Owner	Electronic Arts

Lord of Ultima was a browser-based, free-to-play MMORTS (massively multiplayer online real-time strategy) title created by EA Phenomic and published by Electronic Arts. Its beta phase commenced on April 20, 2010. Although it carried the Ultima name, the game shared only a loose affiliation with the core Ultima series.

This 2D strategic experience bore similarities to games like Evony, generating income through the purchase of in-game "Funds" with real currency. These Funds allowed players to acquire "ministers" that minimized resource management, "artifacts" that enhanced resource output and accelerated processes, as well as defenses against attacks from other players.

Unlike many browser games dependent on Adobe Flash, Lord of Ultima was developed entirely using JavaScript technology.

Electronic Arts declared that servers would be shut down starting May 12, 2014, with support ceasing on March 1, 2014. By early March, the majority of servers were reportedly offline, leading to dissatisfaction among users who were encouraged to spend their remaining Funds since refunds were not offered. The game officially terminated service at 07:00 UTC on May 12, 2014.

After its discontinuation, the community quickly funded a Kickstarter project within just 17 minutes to revive the game under the title Crown of the Gods, maintaining core gameplay mechanics but implementing new visuals and narrative elements to circumvent copyright restrictions.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Lord of Ultima centered around gathering resources to expand cities and build armies, engaging in battles for dominance and reputation.

Players started with a single city shielded from attacks for seven days. They had the option to settle dormant cities or establish new ones once certain conditions were fulfilled. Constructing a castle enabled players to conquer other cities possessing castles; however, new players often prematurely fortified their initial city ("castling"), which frequently resulted in early defeat. Players without castles could participate in dungeon raids (PvE) but were unable to loot other players’ settlements. Joining an alliance was crucial for protection and economic collaboration.

The ultimate objective was to earn the title "Lord of Ultima" by collectively capturing and maintaining level 10 alliance palaces representing each of the eight faiths within the game.

Many players utilized third-party applications like city planners to optimize layouts for resource efficiency and improve standings on leaderboards.

Reception

According to GameRankings, PC Gamer UK awarded the game a score of 75%, while Game Vortex rated it at 82%.

MMOHut commended its "innovative strategic scripting" and well-designed city layouts but noted drawbacks such as "slow-paced gameplay" and a tenuous connection to the Ultima franchise.

IT Reviews characterized it as "too slow paced," yet acknowledged its complexity in urban planning, robust guild mechanics, and appeal to casual gamers, emphasizing its free-to-play structure.

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