Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)
Akalabeth and Ultimas I through V, including the Ultima I remake were
all designed for the Apple II line of computers. This means they were
written with the Apple II's graphics (280x192x6), sound (CPU controlled
pietzo tweeter), CPU (6502/65c02 @1.02 MHz), memory (48, 64 and 128KB)
and storage (140KB Single Sided 5.25" floppy drives). When the games
were ported the the IBM PC line, the machine had very similar
capabilities, graphics (CGA 320x200x4), sound (timer controlled pietzo
tweeter), CPU (8088 @ 4.77MHz), memory (64-256KB) and storage (360KB
Double Sided floppy drives.)
I have already identified the crucial gameplay differences between the
Apple II and IBM PC versions of Ultima I [the Remake] and Ultima II.
Here I would like to comment in general how they play compared to each
other. Origin (and Sierra On-line for U2) never took to the PC until
Ultima VI, when they embraced it. Until then their ports looked like
Apple IIs (in CGA mode at least), played like Apple IIs and sounded
like Apple IIs. Their ports included the minimum of features and made
no concessions to emerging PC technologies. Ultimas II and III could
have supported CGA's color composite mode to give these games color to
rival the Apple II and Atari 8-bit versions. Ultimas I, IV and V for
the PC could have had quit commands to facilitate running the games off
the hard drive. Fortunately they were formatted in DOS so they could
be installed to a hard drive. Ultima IV could Ultima V could have
supported the Adlib Sound Card or a midi interface, Mice and 3.5"
Double Density/5.25" High Density disk drives, all of which which were
in service in 1988 when it was ported to the PC. Finally, Origin could
have put some speed limiter so that the game would run at the same
speed for the user on an XT and the user on an AT (80286 @ 6 or 8MHz.,
256 or 512KB standard.)
In Origin's defense, it should be noted that Ultima I and IV supported
the EGA card in 1986 and 1987 when it was still a very pricey option.
The PC Ultima's IV and V 16-color artwork and EGA palette was used in
the graphically superior Atari ST and Commodore Amiga systems.
Upgrading an IBM PC through the official and semi-official channels
cost big bucks, which is why Origin is not the only developer slow to
warm up to the PC. IBM certainly didn't push the open architecture PC
very far before going off into its equally expensive PS/2 line.
The only way to play these games as they were meant to be played is to
do is on an IBM PC or PC/XT with an 8088 processor running at 4.77MHz
and with a CGA or EGA card depending on the game. (No 8086s or V30s
need apply.) Ideally you should run the games off the floppy drives
without installing them to a hard disk. This way the game runs at the
closest you can get to a standard speed. The sound effects, generated
by the PC Speaker, sound the closest to the Apple II's, somewhat higher
pitched in most cases. The graphics too are very similar to the Apple
IIs, even though the Apple II uses 14x16 tiles while every other port
uses 16x16. Animation, like water is generally faster than on the
Apple. The keypress buffers of Ultima I and IV record more keypresses
than the Apple II versions. The player moves and attacks somewhat
faster.
GH
Akalabeth and Ultimas I through V, including the Ultima I remake were
all designed for the Apple II line of computers. This means they were
written with the Apple II's graphics (280x192x6), sound (CPU controlled
pietzo tweeter), CPU (6502/65c02 @1.02 MHz), memory (48, 64 and 128KB)
and storage (140KB Single Sided 5.25" floppy drives). When the games
were ported the the IBM PC line, the machine had very similar
capabilities, graphics (CGA 320x200x4), sound (timer controlled pietzo
tweeter), CPU (8088 @ 4.77MHz), memory (64-256KB) and storage (360KB
Double Sided floppy drives.)
I have already identified the crucial gameplay differences between the
Apple II and IBM PC versions of Ultima I [the Remake] and Ultima II.
Here I would like to comment in general how they play compared to each
other. Origin (and Sierra On-line for U2) never took to the PC until
Ultima VI, when they embraced it. Until then their ports looked like
Apple IIs (in CGA mode at least), played like Apple IIs and sounded
like Apple IIs. Their ports included the minimum of features and made
no concessions to emerging PC technologies. Ultimas II and III could
have supported CGA's color composite mode to give these games color to
rival the Apple II and Atari 8-bit versions. Ultimas I, IV and V for
the PC could have had quit commands to facilitate running the games off
the hard drive. Fortunately they were formatted in DOS so they could
be installed to a hard drive. Ultima IV could Ultima V could have
supported the Adlib Sound Card or a midi interface, Mice and 3.5"
Double Density/5.25" High Density disk drives, all of which which were
in service in 1988 when it was ported to the PC. Finally, Origin could
have put some speed limiter so that the game would run at the same
speed for the user on an XT and the user on an AT (80286 @ 6 or 8MHz.,
256 or 512KB standard.)
In Origin's defense, it should be noted that Ultima I and IV supported
the EGA card in 1986 and 1987 when it was still a very pricey option.
The PC Ultima's IV and V 16-color artwork and EGA palette was used in
the graphically superior Atari ST and Commodore Amiga systems.
Upgrading an IBM PC through the official and semi-official channels
cost big bucks, which is why Origin is not the only developer slow to
warm up to the PC. IBM certainly didn't push the open architecture PC
very far before going off into its equally expensive PS/2 line.
The only way to play these games as they were meant to be played is to
do is on an IBM PC or PC/XT with an 8088 processor running at 4.77MHz
and with a CGA or EGA card depending on the game. (No 8086s or V30s
need apply.) Ideally you should run the games off the floppy drives
without installing them to a hard disk. This way the game runs at the
closest you can get to a standard speed. The sound effects, generated
by the PC Speaker, sound the closest to the Apple II's, somewhat higher
pitched in most cases. The graphics too are very similar to the Apple
IIs, even though the Apple II uses 14x16 tiles while every other port
uses 16x16. Animation, like water is generally faster than on the
Apple. The keypress buffers of Ultima I and IV record more keypresses
than the Apple II versions. The player moves and attacks somewhat
faster.
GH
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