In the lands of Evolution there are many wonderful and strange things happening without your understanding. While you are softly asleep in your bed, adventuring out and about, or just beginning to ponder your day to day; there is magic afoot. It starts off simply so: a dabbling of thought, a scribble of notes, and the final touch; a vision… by: Kane.


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Sturger:  Hello Kane, are you ready for some questions?
Kane: Hello. Yes, I am!


Sturger:  I’d like to begin today with some questions about: “The Myth of Kane”
Kane: (laughs) Okay.

Sturger: Like in all good stories there is at least one character, or group of characters, that stands out above the rest. With concerns to the story of Evolution Free Shard, I’d have to point out that you are one of those characters which stand out.  What I find lacking, however— and I’m sure it is a likewise feeling of many— are details which describe you, the myth, in better detail. That said; how long have you been playing Ultima Online?

Kane: I have enjoyed playing ‘Ultima Online’ since the first day I played it, pretty much since the game was open to the public, back in 1997. UO is a great game still, even 20 years after the fact, just like it probably still will be 5 years from now.

Sturger: Indeed! UO has always been a great game!


Sturger: Do you remember what brought you to the Evolution shard, way back when?
Kane: I was playing Ultima on another free shard, about four years ago, and decided I had had enough of the staff’s corrupt and questionable gimmicks there. Since then I have spent two years on Evolution as a player and the rest of that time as its main content developer.



Sturger: Have you enjoyed it thus far, being the sole developer here, that is?
Kane: Yes. Ultimately I love the coding aspect. I like being able to take a vision, of my own design—which is often a restructured idea I saw floating around in global chat—and turn it into code which pushes beyond your everyday Run-UO content.  Don’t get me wrong, free shard content has to start somewhere, but I dislike the idea of there being X amount of UO free shards and all of them are running pretty much the same content. I wanted more for the shard I developed. The first big difference was my idea to put out a fresh game patch each week, something unheard of even during OSI days. But here we are and it’s happening every Friday. There have been a few snags along the way, a couple hardware issues, one or two life issues, and of course several selfish people ruining the game by exploiting it. But that’s life, and nothing and no one is perfect. So, yeah I enjoy the vision and the coding process…


Sturger: I would have to agree with that last statement, especially considering how many patches you have put out, which is quiet impressive by the way. 150+ to date, correct?
Kane: That number sounds about right, though there might be a few more than that, but I’ve lost count a long time ago.


Sturger: (smirks) Kane, if you don’t mind me asking, how many years of coding experience do you have under your belt?
Kane: I started learning basic computer code right after I retired from the army in 1991. I believe that’s about 25 years of computer coding Evolution, if you see what I did there.
Sturger: Yes (roles eyes with a smile as he shakes his head) I did. 


Sturger:  As I mentioned before, you have done, about 150+small— and large— Evolution game patches; if you had to pick one thing, which you’ve added/created, from that list. What would be your favorite— by: Kane— addition to the shard, and why?
Kane: That is a good question. I’d have to choose the new pet trait system— as it stands thus far created— for my favorite (by: Kane) addition. Spoiler alert though, the pet trait system is not complete. There is more to come, so keep an eye out in future patches for all your taming extra’s.   


Sturger:  Exciting news to be sure, is there a why?
Kane: Simple. I want players to expect better, and to dream of limitless bounds when they play here. Again, like I mentioned before, I dislike the same old thing, day in day out. The new pet trait system, the new merchant contract system, and the new dungeon “The Tomb of Vecna”— we are about to launch in October— are all at a higher measure of that limitless boundary of better I’m speaking of. When new players come here—or an old veteran returns—they will see that we have moved beyond the boundaries of yesterday and that is what will make Evolution different from other shards. Do I think it makes us a better free shard than others; who knows. What matters to me is that Evolution is evolving into something unlike the rest.



Sturger: Moving on, if asked to choose between the following game play styles: player verses monster, player versus player, or house decorating… which style would you choose as your current favorite? Why?
Kane: I would have to choose player versus monster because, in my opinion, player versus player is dead—due to all the combat related scripts out there—and because I am not very good at house decorating. True story, when Dante asked me to join the team to develop shard content I told him we were going to need someone to cover the decorating aspects of UO. Lucky for all of us— staff and players alike— Domino has stepped into that role, and is doing an awesome job providing the shard with both new décor and fun new quests to indulge in. 



Sturger: A vast majority of others use it in general chat, and I myself have pondered its true meaning often enough. So, we were all wondering, can you provide us with a basic understanding of what it means to be ‘Kane’n’ized’?
Kane: In simple terms ‘Kane’n’ized’ is one part randomness and two parts unexpected. Often times the coined phrase—Kane’n’ized—is me sticking to the vision in my head and coding new content accordingly. From [A] to [Z] if I plan to code something a certain way I stick to that vision. Examples might be random loot determined by which way you are facing when you loot the corpse box. Or imagine a grand list of 40 possibilities. Now, randomly, pick 10 items off of that list and paste them all into a 1 hour window of time. This is a Kane’n’ized loot table, and once that time limit is up the whole process begins anew.
 [Formula: start with a base of 40, pick 10 items from the list randomly, allows these choices to be possibilities for loot for about an hour, then once the time limit has expired rinse and repeat]

Sturger: Woah! This might be the first Q & A to ever include formulas… (nerds!)


Sturger: Truthfully now, (laughs) do you like hearing player character death throes?
Kane: (laughs) No, but the player base seems to enjoy the sounds made by their character’s death. Every time I have need of players to test out dangerous new content, with the possibility of death, I only have to ask once for volunteers. Each request manages to net me about 50 to 60+ potential casualties. Dying is another piece to the UO equation of fun. Eventually everyone is going to have their first— or one hundredth— death; it makes staying alive that much more of an enjoyable challenge in tough areas.



--Sturger Quotable-- And now for a break, but first a word from our sponsors. This Q & A is brought to you by:
Sturger: We talked a little bit about the changes to the Rock dungeon, prior to this official Q & A session. You called it the ‘Tomb of Vecna’ as I recall and I must admit it was exciting news. In that informative conversation you mentioned two things which I wanted to highlight for our readers in more detail.



Sturger: The first highlight I wanted to touch base on was about areas attuned to a player’s skill level. Does this mean there will be an area for beginners, and an area for veterans, within the Tomb of Vecna?
Kane: Yes. But it will be less restrictive then that sounds. Remove the idea of room [C] being for less experienced players to delve through, and room [D] for the more experienced players to conquer by the skin of their teeth. Instead the areas inside of “The Tomb of Vecna” are set up to be taken on as a progressive challenge. When any player is ready to move further into the dungeon they are encouraged to do so, but be prepared to be tested often— and be up to the tombs many challenges— along the way. Otherwise you might find your journey hindered until you can overcome that obstacle which slows down your progress towards completion, and potential loot. I mentioned loot right?!? (laughs evil like)
 Sturger: Ha-ha. Yes you did mention loot would be inside somewhere, (looks nervous) but I only have one clean death robe left in my closet.   


Sturger: As a follow up question, will the two areas be linked in progression. I.E. the beginner area must be completed by a veteran before they can go on to the area designed to challenge their acquired skill/gear set?
Kane: No. The idea is for the players to be able to go at their own pace and have fun doing so. See a door, open it; a magic portal, jump right in; a dangerous looking creature, best it along the way. Seek and discover what lies within “The Tomb of Vecna,” and what your character is capable of doing once unleashed inside. Meet the challenges which I have provided and along the way discover the rich rewards that Kaz and Vecna have discarded/died clutching in hand.



Sturger: The second highlight I wanted to mention was about what you called an ‘Instant Dungeon’; can you explain to the reader what exactly you are coding here?
Kane: Instant dungeons are dungeons that are unique in their: design, monster/loot selection, and replay ability. Currently, these dungeons are designed for the solo adventurer who is looking for something beyond the current selection of static dungeons to adventure in. First let’s understand that each time a player enters this type of dungeon—which I will refer to as dungeon X— they will find themselves alone. (No group/party mode feature, yet) Should someone else enter dungeon X they will be inside their own version, of “The Tomb of Vecna,” which has been randomly created from scratch. Next, we add Kane’n’ized monsters & loot tables, before closing all the doors, double checking their locks, and adding Domino’s decorations. Finally, after completing your first 'Instant Dungeon’, you realize you can go again. However, once back inside you realize everything is out of place or just plain wrong. Where once there were skeletons you now find a giant black dragon gnawing on some yellowed bones. A narrow passage leading to a locked door has now turned into a dead end. And wait just a minute is Lord Vecna wearing a tiara, with matching earrings, this time through…  You never know what you might find within, but you can always take another peak, if you're so inclined to.



Sturger: Amazing news! However, what about dungeons for players, with accounts, just above 21 days old?
Kane: ‘The Tomb of Vecna’ is the key to answering that question. It will be the foundation for creating many more fun filled ‘Instant Dungeons’ to come in future patches. The tomb itself has an ultimate end goal, which a player must decide on before entry is allowed. Players must choose to be a follower of Kaz or a follower of Vecna. After this choice is made players start the long journey of leveling up the hand, or the eye, of Vecna artifact. The potential power of these finished artifacts depends on what kinds of creatures were slain during the leveling up process. Veteran players will likely have stronger versions of these artifacts when they are finally completed, but this fact suits their needs in gear/item advancement. Fret not, however, if you are not among the paragon veteran elite, the less experienced/poorer equipped players will find their way to artifact completion as well, and be rewarded grandly. Though, the reward might not be as powerful an artifact granted to the paragon veteran, it will certainly suit the needs of an up and coming champion of the realm. Simply put, kill what you can to complete the tasks involved, and be rewarded according to the difficulty of what befell during that epic journey.

Sturger: I am sure you get all types, suggesting this and that be added to the shard. Can you name a few player suggested items, or additions, which have been added to the shard?
Kane: (pauses for a moment) Well, there are many, player suggested, ideas involved in pages worth of patched content that comes to mind; the ‘Everlasting’ series of items for starters. To name a few more: there is the Kas gear set, the new merchant contract system, and of course the pet trait system I talked about earlier. Yes, the pet trait system is my own design/vision, but it stems from several players idea’s I overheard—or read somewhere— and thought I could build upon. You may not believe me, but I have a note book full of player suggestions, or ideas of my own which were brought about by player suggestions. All I need is time, and I’ll get around to all 1001 of them. (laughs with a sigh) Time…


Sturger: Well said, Sir. Might you share your views on what makes a suggestion a good one, worthy of consideration?
Kane: I find that good (organized) detail and reasonable balance are a few of the things that come to mind when I’m considering a suggestion. If only I could read minds…

Sturger:  Indeed!    


Sturger: Let’s continue on; Shinangyo asks if it is possible to add the necromancy reagents to the Evolution Key? If the answer is no, could you please explain why for the readers?
Kane: The answer is no, unfortunately, for Shinangyo. I believe the reason is due to a players need for both power progression and a balanced economy. In my opinion fun is derived from both of these categories, and one or both lend themselves to a player’s enjoyment of any MMORPG game out there. At the end of the day who knew that players wanted to better themselves, and sell their wares to get rich? Sounds like a familiar game, that I used to play, but I can’t remember what the name of it was. (playful, sarcastic tone)  Oh yeah… Life!


Sturger: The splendidly named, Jiggyfiggy, wants to know if a Master Rune book can be added to the shard. His idea is to have a master rune book which will hold more than 16 runes, at a time.  Is this something there are plans for already, or that might be coded in the future?
Kane: Yes. The ‘Master Runebook’ is something I’ve wanted to add, but keep in mind the Run-UO version will not be what the players get in the end. I have my own ideas on how to make a ‘Master Runebook‘ and the one I’m planning on making won’t be unstable causing the server to crash.
Sturger: True, down time is frown time. At least it is for me.



Sturger:  Jiggyfiggy also suggests a public vendor stone. Is there anything in the works, like this, to benefit all players who have vendors pedaling their wares somewhere in the realm?
Kane: Yes, I am up for making improvements to the vendor system; however I have seen/used public vendor stones/systems on other shards, and the search and undercut mentality is the main reason why I am saying no to a public vendor stone, for the time being. A vendor system like this allows anyone to simply search for an item and undercut the prices of already listed items. Eventually, items of value are being sold for a mere fraction of their worth. Evolution needs its economy healthy in order to thrive. So, at the end of the day, player economy is a must for the shard to prosper; there is just nothing else to be said about it.



Sturger: Recently there was a petition, written on the forums, concerning the recent changes to recalling and marking runes inside of Trammel dungeons. Can you explain to me, in simple terms why this change was done?
Kane: The Evolution free shard has about 400+ active accounts. That’s a lot of dungeon foot traffic, on a daily basis. A good measure of that dungeon traffic is from new accounts traversing old stomping grounds, being invigorated by nostalgia, and getting a feel for their new UO-home,  on “Evolution.” Throughout, all of these goings on, a situation arose which needed looking into. Needless to say I took the time to do so. While I was considering possible resolutions to the issue, the situation escalated from a few complaints, here and there, to about 7 to 8 complaints a day. This was all due in part to one common dungeon reoccurrence. Veteran players, with grandfathered runes, were recalling into the depths of dungeons where newer players, without their own sets of grandfathered runes, were fighting hard to explore. Once inside the dungeon Veterans would down a few choice kills and recall out. It was an unfair advantage towards players without their own grandfathered rune sets and the best  solution—at the time— was to even the playing field by turning off those grand fathered runes recall function.



Sturger: Fair enough, though, some readers might wonder why the new players didn’t mark recall runes of their own. That being said, I guess it is left to me to ask the ultimate question, one more time, for the record: “Why was the ability to mark runes, within any of the trammel dungeons, turned off?”
Kane: The short answer comes down to bugs, and exploits. A few examples, from my list of reasons, include: runes being marked in the hue room, players marking runes inside the archeology tombs and looting them at will, and finally the druid soil spell. This spell is buggy, and allows players to mark runes, and thus recall back, to places which were never meant to be interacted with in such a way. Don’t lose hope just yet, there are a few ideas in the works to allow players to recall in and out of dungeons once again —and when the need arises— those ideas might be put into play. As of now, things are working as they were intended. Walking isn’t so bad you know… though running might be a better choice in some cases.   

Sturger:  We have come to this reporter’s favorite part of the Q & A session. In this section I’ll be asking a final question—or three—which concern my interests in UO, as a player, or on the forums, as an author/reporter.


Sturger:  For today’s ‘Reporters Choice’ I’d like to point out that the cleric book quest is a difficult quest to complete these days. Is there anything in the works to make the quest more complete-able?
Kane: The answer to that is both yes and no. Please let me explain. First let me say I never liked that quest, and in the future I’d like to change it into something more fun and challenging. This is the yes part. The no part is that I will not be changing the way the current quest mechanics work, for the time being. In the mean time I do have plans to remold this quest in the future, but until that time has come I am focusing my coding time on important up and coming matters; like "The Tomb of Vecna.” Somewhere in there you might find a potential Halloween invasion to start things off. This invasion is planned for some time around the 31^st, and if things happen according to plan, it should be a fun time for all who attend.

Sturger: The last question, of this evenings Q & A session, has finally found its way onto the page. Someone, on the forums, wants to know if it is possible to add the magic books [I.E. Spell book, Necromancy book] to the paper doll as a worn item. The purpose would be to gain the ‘Worn Item’ benefits while being able to wield a melee/ranged weapon?



Kane: Currently, the answer to that is no. The way the client is structured prevents what is being asked for to be done without a sloppy work around being present. In order to cast a spell, the game client requires the spell book to be in your main backpack or in the characters hands. Sure, I can code it so a characters paper doll has an additional slot on it to hold the spell book, but you as the player would have to change all of your macros to read [CS {insert spell name here} in order to cast any Mage or Necromancy spells successfully.
Kane: As of right now I am working on the new item creation system, which includes the creation of spell books and much more. Once I have this item creation system in play, and working without issue, I might concern myself with adding additional slots to the paper doll to hold spell books. However, it is fairly unlikely; a wizard should be surrounded by— and supplied with— wizardy items, and the like. So, for now, just wear the spell book in your main hand to get its added affects… it still works that way you know.  (laughs)


Sturger: Thanks for your time Kane. It has been quiet the evening!

Kane: Yeah no problem, it was fun.


Sturger:  This ends the first chapter of: ‘The Kane Files’
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In closing disregard, this reporter’s side banter— and anything in parentheses—  if you must, but try to remember that things of fantasy must need a certain element of entertainment attached to them at their core; so this is how I write...


  Doing this interview has brought to light a whole plethora of unimagined imaginings due in part to the man of the hour, Kane. It is said, often in dark corners of private teamspeak chat rooms: “you either love him, or hate him,” and this is probably truth to some degree. I’ll admit it; I’m a big fan of the myth we know as Kane. To me he plays the villain and hero so smoothly, and without concern for his prides reputation. Hard choices must be made, and new adventures need a humble code master to sit in a room and make things happen for others to enjoy. Let us never forget his genius, which has brought to the screen so much of what we love today, and all the hours he spent cleaning up the place after a cataclysm of sorts brought what we loved, in the past, to ruin. Each week he provides us with good news; something is fixed, often improved upon, or brought to being for the first time; allowing all of us a new way to be entertained and once again left with endless bouts of fantastical fun. He doesn’t do it all alone, of course, and he admitted it to me often during our teamspeak interview. On behalf of Kane and myself, I would like to take this time to thank Dante, Domino, Zoe, Expo, and all the rest of the staff present. and past. for keeping UO alive for the rest of us nerds. Without all of them there are only unkindled embers smoldering amongst the ashes of what UO used to be for the rest of us. It is through their separate, and joined, passions for UO that dying embers come to be rebuilt into a healthy flame which shines its light as a steady beacon for those who are seeking to evolve and add their embers to the blaze which is EVOLUTION.
 








[Notice] The Kane Files will be an interview style Q & A chat between Kane, the myth, and me—played by Sturger—reporting on, any and all, factual information Kane is willing to share. It will last as long as I have the ambition to report on such matters which Kane is willing to divulge to me. I hope you have found some humor, a small amount of good writing, and of course plenty of facts, according to Kane, inside these pages. If you must flame, remember I have a sharp tongue, and much patients—like Rome this wasn’t written in a day—so be advised. (flames are always welcome though; because they keep me warm at night when I sleep)