Ep.94 – An Open World Awaits Us: The Origins and Legacy of Ultima
Ultima (1981)
A Trip Down Memory Card Lane · David Kassin and Robert Kassin
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Show Notes
In 1981, Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness brought open-world exploration, first-person dungeons, and even space combat to the Apple II. We look back at Richard Garriott’s high school programming experiments, including Akalabeth: World of Doom, and how they evolved into one of the first commercial CRPGs. The episode highlights Ultima’s tile-based overworld, quests from lords, stat-building, and the unexpected mix of swords and space shuttles. Our conversation explores critic reviews praising its ambition, player reviews that debated its simplicity and quirky genre mashups, and the legacy Ultima left on role-playing games. We also cover Garriott’s later adventures, from founding Origin Systems to space travel, court battles, and even NFT MMOs. Join us as we quest, grind, and time-travel on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.