Ultima Online: Samurai Empire Announced

Electronic Arts has lifted the curtain on their next expansion pack for Ultima Online entitled Samurai Empire. Here’s a full list of what the expansion will have to offer:

Ultima Online: Samurai Empire marks a new era in the legendary online RPG as it expands to include a new exotic land to explore and two deadly professions to master.

Key Features:

Become a Samurai Master — Dedicate yourself to the art of Bushido, with powerful new skills and deadly new weapons.

Join an Elite Ninja Clan — Submit to the discipline of Ninjitsu, mastering stealth, deception, and the art of assassination.

Adventure on a New Continent — Explore a new Japanese-themed land filled with scenic housing areas, mythical creatures, monsters, dungeons, and more.

Lay Claim to Exotic New Treasures — New weapons, armor, clothing, house tiles, magic and more will reward the adventurous.

Powerful New Guild Systems — Create a guild, set up ranks, declare wars on other guilds, and set win conditions. Recruiting new members and increasing your power have never been easier.

SAMURAI
Trained in Art of Bushido: Bushido grants a bonus to several warrior skills and special moves.

Samurai Special Abilities

• Honorable Execution: An attempt to eliminate an enemy with a single attack.
• Lightning Strike: A ferocious and fast single attack with a 50 percent hit bonus.
• Whirlwind: A samurai’s powers increase the more enemies he’s fighting.
• 4 other special abilities.

NINJA
Trained in Art of Ninjitsu: Ninjitsu grants a bonus to several fighting and stealth skills.

Ninja Special Abilities

• Mirror Image: Creates up to four mirror images of a ninja, confusing enemies.
• Smoke Bomb: Ninjas can craft smoke bombs, that when used, can cause them to (disappear).
• Animal form: Ninjas can take the form of seemingly harmless creatures (wolves, Serpents and others) that allow them to move freely among their enemies.
• 4 other special abilities.

MONSTERS

More than 15 new creatures, based on Japanese folklore.

• The Hai Riyo: A flying Dragon that’s extremely tough, but can be tamed and ridden.
• The Fan Dancer: Beautiful but deadly, her fans are as sharp as Samurai swords. She is said to guard her master’s treasures and secrets.
• The Lady of the Snow: An undead spirit, she haunts the frozen tundras of Tokuno. She can turn you into ice with but a touch.
• Other creatures include demons (oni), sea creatures, undead, elementals and many others.

THE TOKUNO ISLANDS

Rumors of its existence first appeared in Ultima 1, when it was known as the Land of the Feudal Lords.

• Three new locations for player housing
• One major city, full of shops and services. (New Samurai and Ninja start here)
• Two large dungeons
• Three Virtue shrines
• Several terrain types: Swamps, mountains, forests, jungles, deserts, frozen tundra and more

PLAYER HOUSING

A huge array of new options:

• Build Farms, Residences, Tea Houses, Pagodoas, Temples, and Castles.
• New kinds of flooring, Walls, doors, stairs, and roofs.
• New landscaping options, including sand gardens and rock gardens.