From: Edmond L. Meinfelder
Subject: Ultima Online Pre-Alpha Testing
Date: Friday, February 16, 1996 9:07 PM


Well done my friend.  By applying to test the pre-Alpha version of Ultima
Online, you not only get to experience and exciting new world, but also
help us make the world more stable and enjoyable for all.

There are a few things you should know, however.  Pre-alpha means the game
is not finished -- far from it, in fact!  Almost daily, the look and feel
of Ultima Online changes.  For example, the lands seen in the pre-alpha
test will be fairly flat, but the final game will have rolling hills,
mountains and cliffs.  What you see now is not what you will get later, but
instead, merely a taste of what is to come.

Combat, skills and most of the game-system are in their primal stages.
You, as a tester, are not only welcome to comment on what you see, but
encouraged to do so; please keep this in mind when you visit us online.
Despite the early state of the gaming system, we plan to include a few
quests and some interesting things to do.

The setting for the upcoming test features only a map of the city of
Britain, which is limited to 250 players at one time.  We regret this
limitation, but at this early stage we do not yet have multiple maps up
and running.  In the future, Ultima Online shall support a huge number of
maps and players, all limited solely by the number of computers available
to run to the server software.  Ultima Online will be the largest Ultima
ever.

Right now, the Ultima Online client only runs on Windows '95.  Perhaps
later we will port the client software to many other operating systems,
but for now Windows '95 is a requirement.  Another requirement is Internet
conductivity.  Your machine must be able to send and receive TCP/IP packets
to and from sites on the Internet.  If you can run either Netscape or
Mosaic, chances are very good you can play Ultima Online.  Because Windows
'95 is a substantial operating system, we recommend a system with the
following requirements:

	Pentium 60, 486dx4-100 or better
	12 megabytes of RAM
	Slip/PPP or direct Internet	connection connect at 14.4k bps or better
	PCI Video
	CD-ROM Drive, double-speed (or faster)
	16 bit Sound Card (or better)
	
Please note these optimum requirements are for our currently unoptimized
software.  In fact, we padded the above requirements with a wide margin for
error.  As a tester, another of your jobs is to tell us how well the client
software works on your system.

As we get closer to test-time, you will receive another electronic mail
message with information on obtaining the client, reporting bugs, and
commenting on the state of the game.  Barring unexpected delays, the test
date is sometime in mid-March.  For now, we shall use your email address
and a password to allow entry onto the game.

There is no charge to test.  After all, you are helping us to create a more
solid product, and for that, we thank you.  so, get ready to step into a
new, but familiar world and stay as long as you wish.  We sincerely hope
you like our new vision of Britannia.

The Ultima Online Team.