After the release of Ultima III: Exodus, the members of Origin Systems would pack up and move across the country to the chilly town of North Andover, Massachusetts. Here, they would buckle down and create the follow-up to the much lauded Exodus. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar would represent a sea change in the trajectory of both the Ultima series, and CRPGs in general. This video chronicles the story of Ultima IV's development, while also taking a close look at what makes the game so enduringly special.

This is the 4th video in my Ultima Retrospective series. Watching earlier parts isn't necessary to enjoy this video, but it is recommended. They can be found here:
Akalabeth & Ultima I:    • Akalabeth & Ultima I Retrospective | ...  
Ultima II:    • Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchant...  
Ultima III:    • Ultima III Retrospective | Origins & ...  

Thank you to Lazarus De Lis for creating the landscape used in the thumbnail! You can find Laz here:
  / lazarusdelis  

Links:
  / majuular  
  / majuular  

Music used in this video (with timestamps):
https://pastebin.com/8Tb4Hd18

Running list of sources used in the Ultima Retrospective:
https://pastebin.com/Nri8p0jy

00:00 - A Fresh Start
6:27 - Reimagining Ultima
9:50 - Collaborators & Concerns
13:50 - Ports & Preamble
16:16 - A Whole New World
22:27 - Character Creation
25:10 - Conversations
28:24 - Embodying the Avatar
32:05 - Halting the Minmax
34:26 - Virtues & Principles
39:34 - The Problem With Virtue
42:48 - Exploration
49:01 - Magic
53:01 - Companions
56:43 - Combat
1:00:34 - Runes, Mantras & Shrines
1:09:34 - Dungeons & Stones
1:20:08 - The Final Treasures
1:25:00 - The Stygian Abyss
1:27:19 - The Codex of Ultimate Wisdom
1:36:28 - The Impact of Ultima IV
1:39:48 - A Changing Industry
1:45:31 - Credits

Various Credits:
Hand Model - scribbletoad
Rose Model - Artem
Low Poly Sword - Fermin Morales
Key Sprites - BizmasterStudios
Large Key Sprite - CarmenMCS