Nearly four years after the last continuation of the series, and a staggering six since the release of Ultima Online, Electronic Arts has finally announced that the venerable series will be making the transition to modern gaming. The next title, Ultima X: Odyssey, will once again be an online venture. However, during this go-around, the creators of Ultima will be borrowing some technology from the FPS arena and basing their design on the popular Unreal Engine. In addition, they will be including a number of features which are quite new to the MMORPG arena.

One of the more intriguing of these is the "Odyssey Adventure System," which will allow players to request private zones for adventuring or quests, and will deliver said quests to players automatically while customizing it to their wishes. In tandem with this, players and groups will also be able to set up special zones specifically designed for player interaction, where epic conflicts like guild wars can play out free of interference.

One of the features which has always set the world of Ultima apart is its constant focus on the eight "virtues." Ultima X: Odyssey will be no exception to this trend, and much of the in-game character customization is planned to focus on these traits. Using virtue abilities or experience points, players will be able to imbue not only themselves, but also their weapons, armor, and even guilds with special virtue derived powers. In addition, the weapons and armor themselves will also gain experience and level up alongside their users.

Finally, for those truly hardcore players, there will be the ultimate option of mastering every single virtue in the Ultima world. With each mastered virtue, players will gain access to a special power and the ability to create disciples of their virtue. Anyone who actually puts for the time and effort to master all eight virtues will have the ultimate reward of Ultima as their prize; the final ascension to Avatarhood.

Ultima X: Odyssey is currently scheduled for a release this winter. RPGamer will cover further details on the title as they develop.