Ultima Forever Quest for the Avatar is coming to the PC and iPad in the near future. Contrary to most of the previous entries, this version of the title will be aimed at an online audience. The last time the series saw a major release was with Ultima Online and with EA and Bioware Mythic building things, you can expect the game to hit a pretty solid level of quality, especially since few online games have endings!  The online only game will be based loosely off the classic, Ultima IV, in which the main character explores and quests throughout the world to embody 8 virtues to allow them to become the Avatar.

It has also been announced that the title will feature cross-platform play, so iPad and PC gamers can play together, or, you can take your game on the go when you can’t sit at the computer any longer. The game will be free-to-play, with a focus on keeping limits to a minimum. Most of the paid features will include vanity items, though some time savers for character progression are planned. A note that may excite the iPad fans, and may put a grimace on PC gamers faces here will be that the game is being developed to take advantage of touch screen controls, then pushed to use a keyboard and mouse. How that will play out for those not playing on the native control scheme is yet to be seen, but is hopefully a very minor issue.

The traditional Bioware style morality system will be in the game, so prepare to have to make hard choices as you progress through quests. Other than the game including real-time combat, a fighter and mage as character choices and some very minor story elements, very little additional information is known at this time. The Ultima series has had some pumps on the road from the first title in the series through current day, but ultimately, it is a well respected franchise and the hope is that this new entry can bring back some of the magic and addiction that the previous titles were so good at creating. There is no firm release date on the title just yet, but you can expect it to show up sooner rather than later.

source[toucharcade]

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