The Ultima Dragons Internet Chapter
The Ultima Dragons Internet Chapter (UDIC) is one of the oldest gaming fan organisations on the internet, founded in 1992 during the era of Usenet and BBS systems. At its height, UDIC had thousands of members who added the suffix "Dragon" to their online names - a tradition that continues today.
Membership in UDIC requires demonstrating knowledge of and passion for the Ultima series, and members traditionally adopt a "Dragon name" - a handle based on Ultima lore. The naming tradition is taken seriously: members research their Dragon names from Ultima's lexicon, runes, and lore.
Notable UDIC Members and Names
The Dragon naming tradition has produced some memorable names over the years. Members choose names from Ultima's vocabulary: Blackthorn Dragon, Ankh Dragon, Codex Dragon, Virtue Dragon, Moongate Dragon, and thousands of others. Many early internet gaming journalists and developers were UDIC members.
The Ultima Dragons are the real Ultima community - not Origin, not EA, not me. They kept the faith when the games stopped and the studio closed. Britannia lives in them.
Richard Garriott, speaking to a UDIC gathering
Online Communities
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Ultima Codex - Main Fan Hub
The central hub of the modern Ultima fan community. News, analysis, fan fiction, discussion forums, and the comprehensive Ultima Codex wiki. If you join one Ultima community, make it this one.
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Ultima Codex Wiki
The most complete Ultima reference online. Every character, location, item, and piece of lore across the entire series, maintained with scholarly care and primary source citations.
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r/Ultima - Reddit Community
An active subreddit covering the entire Ultima series and related games. Good for discussions, screenshots, questions, and connecting with other fans.
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Stratics - Ultima Online Community
One of the oldest gaming fan communities online, focused on Ultima Online. Active forums, news coverage, and guides for both official and free-shard UO servers.
YouTube Channels
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GVMERS
GVMERS has produced one of the finest documentary retrospectives on the Ultima series, covering the full history of Origin Systems and the games. Highly recommended for newcomers wanting to understand the series' significance.
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World of Longplays
The World of Longplays channel hosts complete, high-quality longplay recordings of the entire Ultima series across all platforms. Invaluable for games that are difficult to play through today.
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NintendoComplete
High-quality longplays of the NES and SNES versions of Ultima games, including the NES Ultima III and IV - different experiences from the DOS originals.
Discord and Events
Discord Servers
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Ultima Fan Discord
The primary Ultima fan community Discord server. Covers all games in the series with dedicated channels for each title, fan projects, and general discussion.
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UO: Outlands Discord
Discord server for the Ultima Online: Outlands free shard, one of the largest and most active UO communities today.
Community Events
The Ultima community has a tradition of gathering at gaming conventions, particularly at events where Richard Garriott appears as a speaker or panellist. Key events include:
- GDC (Game Developers Conference) - Garriott has spoken here multiple times about Ultima design philosophy
- PAX events - Ultima panels and community gatherings
- Ultima Online Fan Fests - Community-organised events celebrating UO's anniversary
- Britannia Manor Halloween - Garriott's legendary Austin Halloween party, long associated with the Ultima community