Ultima IV
Pre-game dialogs
Wherein the Avatar's profession is chosen
Version 1.0.0, by Andrew Schultz
This extraction's comments are copyright 2000 Andrew Schultz. However,
the original material is copyright Origin and Richard Garriott(Lord
British) 1987. This questionnaire is not affiliated with Origin in any
manner. Please do not redistribute for profit without my prior consent.
This sort of listing has invariably been done before, but it's either a
hard-to-notice part of a larger effort or just hidden. For instance, I
have seen a CGI application corresponding to the beginning of the game,
but I wanted to show these details all at once. A basic text
transcription is not particularly tricky to find(either by disk
extraction or by trial-and-error), but it can be time-consuming.
However, the questions at the beginning of Ultima IV are very
interesting, and I hope anyone who reads this enjoys being able to read
all the questions together.
This and other artifacts intended to help the preservation of Apple II
games can be found at the following website:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games/games.htm
-------------------------------------------------
These questions arise at the beginning of Ultima IV when you create a
new character. Instead of hand-picking your profession, you are given
seven two-choice questions that lead you to one of eight professions in
Britannia. Each question asks you to choose between virtues; each
answer eliminates one virtue and hence one profession. The questions
are in "Elite Eight" format, i.e. each virtue appears once in the first
four question, each remaining one appears in the next two, with the
"championship" at the final question. To my knowledge the "brackets"
are chosen randomly and reshuffled after the first "round." The
questions below are also sorted, first by "higher" virtue, then by
"lower" virtue as is seen on the Avatar's Ankh below. There are no
right or wrong answers, of course, although you may feel differently if
you have the misfortune to start out as a shepherd :), or if you are
trying to engineer your character to a particular race.
Something else that's been done before but is here for reference:
Virtue |Profession/town you start by(from the top of the Avatar's
Ankh down)
------------+-----------------------------------------------------------
---------
Honesty |Mage/Moonglow
Compassion |Bard/Trinsic
Valor |Fighter/Jhelom
Justice |Druid/Yew
Sacrifice |Tinker/Minoc
Honor |Paladin/Trinsic
Spirituality|Ranger/Skara Brae
Humility |Shepherd/Magincia
Note: In all questions, answer A is the virtue higher on the ankh.
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Honesty vs. Compassion:
Entrusted to deliver an uncounted purse of gold, thou dost meet a poor
beggar. Dost thou A) deliver the gold knowing the Trust in thee was
well-placed; or B) show Compassion, giving the Beggar a coin, knowing it
won't be missed?
Honesty vs. Valor:
Thou has been prohibited by thy absent Lord from joining thy friends in
a close pitched battle. Dost thou A) refrain, so thou may Honestly claim
obedience; or B) show Valor, and aid thy comrades, knowing thou may deny
it later?
Honesty vs. Justice:
A merchant owes thy friend money, now long past due. Thou dost see the
same merchant drop a purse of gold. Dost thou A) Honestly return the
purse intact; or B) Justly give thy friend a portion of the gold first?
Honesty vs. Sacrifice:
Thee and thy friend are valiant but penniless warriors. Thou both go out
to slay a mighty dragon. Thy friend thinks he slew it, thee did. When
asked, dost thou A) Truthfully claim the gold; or B) Allow thy friend
the large reward?
Honesty vs. Honor:
Thou art sworn to protect thy Lord at any cost, yet thou knowest he hath
committed a crime. Authorities ask thee of the affair, dost thou A)
break thine oath by Honestly speaking; or B) uphold Honor by silently
keeping thine oath?
Honesty vs. Spirituality:
Thy friend seeks admittance to thy Spiritual order. Thou art asked to
vouch for his purity of Spirit, of which thou art unsure. Dost thou A)
Honestly express thy doubt; or B) Vouch for him, hoping for his
Spiritual improvement?
Honesty vs. Humility:
Thy Lord mistakenly believes he slew a dragon. Thou hast proof that thy
lance felled the beast. When asked, dost thou A) Honestly claim the
kill and the prize; or B) Humbly permit thy Lord his belief?
Compassion vs. Valor:
Thou dost manage to disarm thy mortal enemy in a duel. He is at thy
mercy. Dost thou A) show Compassion by permitting him to yield; or B)
slay him as expected of a Valiant duelist?
Compassion vs. Justice:
After 20 years thou hast found the slayer of thy best friends. The
villain proves to be a man who provides the sole support for a young
girl. Dost thou A) spare him in Compassion for the girl; or B) slay him
in the name of Justice?
Compassion vs. Sacrifice:
Thee and thy friends have been routed and ordered to retreat. In
defiance of thy orders, dost thou A) stop in Compassion to aid a wounded
companion; or B) Sacrifice thyself to slow the pursuing enemy, so others
can escape?
Compassion vs. Honor:
Thou art sworn to uphold a Lord who participates in the forbidden
torture of prisoners. Each night their cries of pain reach thee. Dost
thou A) Show Compassion by reporting the deeds; or B) Honor thy oath and
ignore the deeds?
Compassion vs. Spirituality:
Thou hast been taught to preserve all life as sacred. A man lies fatally
stung by a venomous serpent. He pleads for a merciful death. Dost thou
A) show Compassion and end his pain; or B) heed thy Spiritual beliefs
and refuse?
Compassion vs. Humility:
As one of the King's Guard, thy Captain has asked that one amongst you
visit a hospital to cheer the children with tales of thy valiant deeds.
Dost thou A) Show thy Compassion and play the braggart; or B) Humbly let
another go?
Valor vs. Justice:
Thou hast been sent to secure a needed treaty with a distant Lord. Thy
host is agreeable to the proposal but insults thy country at dinner.
Dost thou A) Valiantly bear the slurs; or B) Justly rise and demand an
apology?
Valor vs. Sacrifice:
A mighty knight accosts thee and demands thy food. Dost thou A)
Valiantly refuse and engage the knight; or B) Sacrifice thy food unto
the hungry knight?
Valor vs. Honor:
During battle thou art ordered to guard thy commander's empty tent. The
battle goes poorly and thou dost yearn to aid thy fellows. Dost thou A)
Valiantly enter the battle to aid thy companions; or B) Honor thy post
as guard?
Valor vs. Spirituality:
A local bully pushes for a fight. Dost thou A) Valiantly trounce the
rogue; or B) Decline, knowing in thy Spirit that no lasting good will
come of it?
Valor vs. Humility:
Although a teacher of music, thou art a skillful wrestler. Thou hast
been asked to fight in a local championship. Dost thou A) accept the
invitation and Valiantly fight to win; or B) Humbly decline knowing thou
art sure to win?
Justice vs. Sacrifice:
During a pitched battle, thou dost see a fellow desert his post,
endangering many. As he flees, he is set upon by several enemies. Dost
thou A) Justly let him fight alone; or B) Risk Sacrificing thine own
life to aid him?
Justice vs. Honor:
Thou hast sworn to do thy Lord's bidding in all. He covets a piece of
land and orders the owner removed. Dost thou A) serve Justice, refusing
to act, thus being disgraced; or B) Honor thine oath and unfairly evict
the landowner?
Justice vs. Spirituality:
Thou dost believe that virtue resides in all people. Thou dost see a
rogue steal from thy Lord. Dost thou A) call him to Justice; or B)
personally try to sway him back to the Spiritual path of good?
Justice vs. Humility:
Unwitnessed, thou hast slain a great dragon in self defense. A poor
warrior claims the offered reward. Dost thou A) Justly step forward to
claim the reward; or B) Humbly go about life, secure in thy self-
esteem?
Sacrifice vs. Honor:
Thou art a bounty hunter sworn to return an alleged murderer. After his
capture, thou believest him to be innocent. Dost thou A) Sacrifice thy
sizeable bounty for thy belief; or B) Honor thy oath to return him as
thou hast promised?
Sacrifice vs. Spirituality:
Thou hast spent thy life in charitable and righteous work. Thine uncle
the innkeeper lies ill and asks you to take over his tavern. Dost thou
A) Sacrifice thy life of purity to aid thy kin; or B) decline & follow
thy Spirit's call?
Sacrifice vs. Humility:
Thou art an elderly, wealthy eccentric. Thy end is near. Dost thou A)
donate all thy wealth to feed hundreds of starving children, and receive
public adulation; or B) Humbly live out thy life, willing thy fortune to
thy heirs?
Honor vs. Spirituality:
In thy youth thou pledged to marry thy sweetheart. Now thou art on a
sacred quest in distant lands. Thy sweetheart asks thee to keep thy
vow. Dost thou A) Honor thy pledge to wed; or B) follow thy Spiritual
crusade?
Honor vs. Humility:
Thou art at a crossroads in thy life. Dost thou A) Choose the Honorable
life of a Paladin, striving for Truth and Courage; or B) Choose the
Humble life of a Shepherd, and a world of simplicity and peace?
Spirituality vs. Humility:
Thy parents wish thee to become an apprentice. Two positions are
available. Dost thou A) Become an acolyte in the Spiritual order; or B)
Become an assistant to a humble village cobbler?
-----------------------------------
Credits:
Origin and Richard Garriott(Lord British) for such a wonderfully
different and clever beginning-of-game concept.
arnold.c64.org for a working/non-corrupt copy of Ultima IV. Alas,
asimov.apple.net is not infallible!
Versions:
1.0.0 finished 5/22/2000 with commentary and all 28 questions
E-mail me with comments at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Files : 2, NeW:31.05.00, oLD:31.05.00
uL Node : 1, NFo:NONE, D?Z:NONE
