Second,

Please know we drew out the story arc
several months ago and did our best to account for every bit of fiction
that has been drawn from the both the Event Moderators (they are a proper
noun), and the larger scope of Ultima Online.  However, we are
taking notice of some of the major pieces that players have been sharing
on the boards, and will endeavor to both give a solid foundation for
what we are trying to achieve for our march toward re-building Magincia,
as well as the overall intent of giving our team the opportunity to
find out exactly what evils the Ultima Online fanbase is capable of.

In the interim, I know the Event Moderators
have had some events piled up they would like to accomplish, so you
should be getting notices across your shards, as well as updates from
the GMs (for those players in Japan) for some homegrown in-game “joyness” J

Here is the meat of the sandwich:

We have collected data on 3^rd
party programs running in UO. At this time we are filtering the data
to make certain we are not getting any false positives. Also, please
know UO Assist and Mapper are not in jeopardy. We are going after very
specific scripts.  We have discovered some interesting trends,
and will continue to monitor for some time. But … you should know
how we will press forward with finding offenders.

All of the information is collected
server side. The server checks for scripts running on the offending
player. Please know that all the information is collected and verified
server-side, this insures the CSR has confirmed data than using his
or her “gut” to judge a violation. The server will check for any
scripts in violation that may be running on the offending player. With
that information, our Customer Support staff will be able to effectively
and efficiently take action to protect the integrity of UO and keep
it a fair playing experience for all.

We are hoping that as we identify and
action particular players, that the news will spread and other players
will join the cadre’ of those who choose to play the game as
it is intended.

Again, this is stage one. This effort
will take some time … and we know it’s taken a lot of patience
on the community’s part to get here, but we’ll continue to improve,
and we hope that this will generate renewed interest in the community
in a progressively “clean” and enjoyable gaming environment.

We’re trying to come up with something
creative, just, and yet… medieval for repeat violators. J

So a bit more meat before we close
this sandwich:

There was a bit of a furor (I love
that word) … on the boards in the U.S. over some actions that
took place regarding house design.

It is not the purpose of the dev team
to enforce policy for infractions. What we do however is provide content
to the game, and make the game experiences as sound as we can that allow
players to explore and have fun. 

Now in regard to house design, what
is illegal and what is not legal: the rule of thumb is … if it impedes
the freedom of other players to experience the game, it’s bad. 
Also, trapping animals inside your home is illegal. In the interim,
ask other players who have been around for a while what will get you
in trouble. One of the best features about Ultima Online, is its community. 
If you don’t know … you can always ask one of the vets.

This is a larger topic which I will
have to commit one specific letter to. Please know that right now, there
is no reason to take down any structures that do not violate the above
rule of thumb.  Also, there should be no unjustified actions against
any players for their homes or other decorative structures.

Should we decide to change the content
for tools, structures, and customized housing implementation we will
involve the broader community before actions are taken.

I think I have covered all I said I
would … now for the rest of the sandwich.

There is a new UO team member. 
Sylvana Lily, she was born Monday at 4:41 pm.  She was 9 pounds
10 ounces and 21 inches long. We’re going to have her write some fiction
next week, so if all of Britannia is covered in Gerber baby pink with
duck wallpaper, you’ll know why. 

See you on the boards,

Calvin "Uriah" Crowner