Ultima X: Odyssey

Origin Systems
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Defunct	June 30, 2004
Fate	Shutdown and workforce reductions
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Ultima X: Odyssey (cancelled)
Owner	Electronic Arts
Parent	Electronic Arts

Ultima X: Odyssey was an intended massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set within the Ultima franchise, developed by Origin Systems and published under the EA Games label.

Development

Revealed on August 22, 2003, Ultima X: Odyssey was designed as a direct follow-up to Ultima IX rather than a successor to the commercially successful Ultima Online. This title represented the first Ultima project after the departure of series creator Richard Garriott from Origin and was the second attempt at an Ultima MMORPG to be cancelled, following the termination of Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (also known as Ultima Online 2) in 2001.

Originally planned for release in 2004, the game was discontinued on June 30, 2004, coinciding with Origin’s shutdown and workforce reductions. EA announced a strategic pivot to concentrate efforts on maintaining and expanding Ultima Online, reallocating resources accordingly. This cancellation mirrored a wider industry pattern during that period, where multiple MMORPG projects such as True Fantasy Live Online, Mythica, and Warhammer Online were either shelved or postponed.

After the cancellation, no official statements clarified future directions for Ultima Online beyond ongoing expansion content, leaving unclear how these plans related to ending development on Ultima X: Odyssey.

Engine

The game was planned to utilize the renowned Unreal Engine and, consistent with typical MMORPG models, would have required a monthly subscription fee. Its design sought to reinvigorate the MMORPG genre, which had been criticized for producing numerous EverQuest imitators, by introducing more dynamic combat systems surpassing standard "auto-attack" gameplay. The setting, Alucinor, was crafted by the Avatar following events of Ultima IX, featuring Moongates for rapid travel and enabling players to teleport friends.

Building upon the single-player Ultima heritage, Ultima X integrated the Virtues of Ultima alongside traditional elements such as skills, experience points, and character levels. Players could cultivate eight Virtues—Compassion, Honesty, Honor, Humility, Justice, Sacrifice, Spirituality, and Valor—and achieve peak strength comparable to the Avatar by mastering them all. EA demonstrated this system through quests involving ethical decisions that influenced Virtue advancement and player capabilities.

Storyline

The plot continued immediately after the conclusion of Ultima IX, focusing on a merged entity of the Guardian and Avatar locked in a struggle for dominance. The world of Alucinor—meaning "Wandering in the mind"—resides within the Avatar’s consciousness. Its inhabitants endeavor to embody all eight virtues to empower the Avatar in overcoming the Guardian.

Music

The orchestral soundtrack was composed by Chris Field, who produced an album entitled “Ultima X Odyssey: Music by Chris Field” performed by an eighty-one piece orchestra recorded at Bastyr Chapel in Seattle. The album featured thirty-three compositions, with approximately six tracks later incorporated into the online game Lord of Ultima.

References

External links