Shrines to each of the Virtues are scattered about Britannia, each requiring the player to possess the corresponding Virtue's rune before allowing entry. Virtue affects how NPCs interact with the player enlightenment in the Virtues is achieved through the player's actions as well as through meditation at shrines. This is also the first Ultima where playing as a human is necessary, eliminating other races such as the elves, dwarves, and "bobbits" found in previous games (however, even in the first three Ultimas where they could be chosen as player characters, there were never any non-player characters (NPC) of those non-human races).Īlthough each profession embodies a particular Virtue, to become an Avatar the player must achieve enlightenment in all eight virtues. For example, choosing Compassion creates a Bard, Honor a Paladin, Sacrifice a Tinker, and so on. These situations do not have one correct resolution rather, players must rank the Eight Virtues and whichever stands as their highest priority determines the type of character they will play. Instead of simply choosing stats to assign points to as in the first three Ultima games, players are asked various ethical dilemmas by a gypsy fortune-teller using remotely tarot-like cards of the eight virtues.
Though Avatarhood is not exclusive to one chosen person, the hero remains the only known Avatar throughout the later games, and as time passes he is increasingly regarded as a myth. Ĭonversely, actions in the game could remove a character's gained Virtues, distancing them from the construction of Truth, Love, Courage and the greater axiom of Infinity-all required to complete the game.
After proving his or her understanding in each of the Virtues, locating several artifacts and finally descending into the dungeon called the Stygian Abyss to gain access to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, the protagonist becomes an Avatar. The game follows the protagonist's struggle to understand and exercise the Eight Virtues. The object of the game is to focus on the main character's development in virtuous life-possible because the land is at peace-and become a spiritual leader and an example to the people of the world of Britannia.
Unlike most other RPGs the game is not set in an "age of darkness" prosperous Britannia resembles Renaissance Italy, or King Arthur's Camelot. Lord British felt the people lacked purpose after their great struggles against the Triad were over, and he was concerned with their spiritual well-being in this unfamiliar new age of relative peace, so he proclaimed the Quest of the Avatar: He needed someone to step forth and become the shining example for others to follow.
Eventually the world, now unified under Lord British's rule, was renamed Britannia. Īfter the defeat of each of the members of the Triad of Evil in the previous three Ultima games, the world of Sosaria underwent some radical changes in geography: Three quarters of the world disappeared, continents rose and sank, and new cities were built to replace the ones that were lost. Ultima IV is among the few role-playing games, and perhaps the first, in which the game's story does not center on asking a player to overcome a tangible ultimate evil.
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