Whack a black bear with a club that is little more than a knobby stick, and the bear won’t get hurt – just mad. And if you really expect that flimsy wooden shield to keep those claws off you, think again. Final score: Bear 1, Game player 0 (either adopt the Monty Python “Holy Grail” chant of “run away, run away” or die).

Should you choose the noble profession of warrior when you launch Ultima Online: Third Dawn, that is what you are equipped with. However, you also have a sort of immunity, 1,000 gold pieces and a huge game board to wander through in your quest for weapons, skill and notoriety.

UO: Third Dawn, from Origin, brings an some new dimensions to the vast world of Britannia – among them, a new region to explore, some new monsters and new effects in the realm of magic, and – if this is possible – a kindler, gentler world. This is newcomer friendly, until you either level up enough, or renounce your ‘young’ status.

But don’t despair, there is help out there in the vast realm that is Britannia. UO: Third Dawn has instituted guides that will pop up when you least expect them (yes, they are freelance, roving help) to answer questions and point the newbies in the right direction. If any newcomers out there bump into Mint or Sir Thomas, give them my regards. I joined the guild of the latter, who trained, magicked and otherwise took a weakling – still am, but improving – and aimed that neophyte swordsman in the direction of a black-clad warrior who lives by the credo of honor and loyalty.

Let’s talk about what is new. The game boasts a new three-dimensional look, which is true in minute regard. The game does portray shadow and light better. And it has done a nice job in trying to curtail pk’ers – the folk you simply like to kill other innocent folks and steal their stuff. PK’ers have bounties on their heads, and you can check the bulletin boards in any of the game’s towns to find out whom to watch for.

Ultima Online was one of the first massively multiplayer online games on the market. It broke new ground in the realm of online play, and suffered for that. One of the areas that Origin (and parent company Electronic Arts) was overwhelmed by was the number of folks who would pay their $9.95 a month to interact in a fantasy world of weapons and magic with NPCs (non-playing characters or computer creations) and live people living out fantasy lives. In the original version of Ultima Online, there were server connectivity problems and lags. Ok, some of those kinks still take place. There are some players who fall into a lag, despite the addition of servers throughout the world. There are times when you log on and everything doesn’t work quite the way it should until you log out and return. In the past, that would mean finding a building with a bed, but in the new world, you just pop out wherever you want and pop back in at the same place.

While that may not be fun, it certainly does not diminish the experience. Consider it just like your ISP’s occasional down time – you live through it, and continue. The incidents, during the review period, of this game being slow to respond were negligible. However, this is a much harder game to play than the original was.

It takes time to work your way up from rookie to veteran of a thousand fantastic wars; you can’t do that overnight. But the people you meet, the ones willing to take the time to stop and answer your questions, are wonderful. All chat is typed, and different computers display the typed chat for different lengths of time (indicated as such in the options menu), but you have a journal that allows you to look at what was said.

Yes, the game has some new cool effects, and character motion-driven interaction has expanded, but in spite of the new realms, this is the same format as the original game. It has been cleaned up for newcomers to enjoy, but what this game really brings is interaction between players. Online games, like this, feature the opportunity to band together in fantastic realms, against fantastic monsters, and enjoy a discourse while seeking adventure. What could be better than that.

This game combines real-time and turn-based elements. The time passes as you journey the land, but combat is based things like weapon speed, dexterity, strength, fencing ability, or spell casting based on mana. Too little may mean too late. Having an ally that is strong in the mystical arts, and you may live to see the next battle.

The game features an improved player interface and some nice three-dimensional animations. It is quite something to be walking through a town and see someone stroll past with a giant white dragon trailing behind like a puppy eager to please its master. As a newcomer, just the sound of certain monsters is enough to make you turn in another direction.

The graphical elements are somewhat crowded, but still solid. Houses have popped up all over the landscape of Britannia, and the bank in Britain itself is terribly hard to get in to. Overcrowding is a problem. (Why would you want to go into a bank? you ask. Because you can store items there and should you die in combat, you won’t lose the valuable items you are not carrying on your being.)

The sound effects are very good (though a dying sheep sounds like a whaling human), and the game interface is somewhat simple to use. If there is a drawback to the latter, it is that some things are not explained very well. Like bandages, for example. You can’t draw the bandages from your inventory sack and place them on the paper doll, which represents you. You do that with every other piece of equipment, but with bandages, you need to double click and then click on your in-game character.

Ultima Online: Third Dawn is the type of game that beckons adventurers, but only if they are willing to be part of a group, rather than the lone ranger. This is about partnerships, and open-ended quests. You won’t become the conqueror of the known realms, but you may be a wizard or warrior who is respected and feared for prowess in battle. New features aside, this is the original Ultima Online spiced up a bit, but hoping to appeal to a new core of gamers. In reality, what this game offers is a cyber place to meet, greet and do battle.

This product is rated Teen for blood and gore, and violence.

Install: Medium.
This is a game that installs on your hard drive, but looks for updates every time you log into the game. That can mean a bit of a delay in entering the realm.

Gameplay: 8
UO: TD still suffers from occasional lags on certain, overcrowded servers, but the map board is huge, the world fraught with danger and, in a non-lag evening (which didn’t happen much during the review time), the play is flawless – even if your character is flawed through lack of experience.

Graphics: 8
Origin has upgraded some of the game’s graphics to a three-dimensional look, which is nice. The radius of transparency is also a nice feature. These are solid, interactive graphics, combining a host of players with an environment that is always changing.

Sound: 7.5
Though UO boasts new sound elements, the game sounds a lot like the previous incarnations, but with expanded monster roars.

Difficulty: 8.5
This is a time-consuming process. You can’t just jump into the game and be a hero. You have to work to improve your character. Even then, there are monsters you should think twice about before tangling with.

Concept: 6.5
A new land, new foes, enforcement of honor rules, and a seemingly tougher experience base have touched up the same old program.

Multiplayer: 9
Multiplayer is what this game is all about. You cannot play it without logging on. The first month is free and each successive month costs, but without that commitment, you will not be able to play this program.

Overall: 8
This is a game that is based on interaction with other gamers. You cannot succeed in this world as a solo artist. Fighting, living and dying together are the core of this product. You can join a guild or just a loose association of other adventurers, it doesn’t matter. A lot of posturing does take place, and some veteran players have little time for the newcomers to the realm. However, there are those within the game that are genuinely wonderful to associate with, and they make the experience fun and lively.