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Greetings And A Happy New Year To All,

For the past nine years I have posted a year end letter in early January. Usually I reflect on the year past touching on both world and personal topics that happen through the year and also changes and new history made in the realm. I could ramble on about the exciting new things we acquired in 2011 like the change in Shame, our amazing EMs, the wonderful Stratics staff, holiday gifts, ect ect ect. This year I decided to focus on the upcoming year and mainly dragons.

Dragons, different types of dragons, play a large part of the realm we call Ultima Online.  Just ask any tamer how important their Greater Dragon is. Often on hunts a call goes out for the need of a Greater Dragon or two, even three.

This month starts the Year of The Dragon throughout Asia and celebrated all over the world. Tet in Vietnamese, Seollal in Korean and Chun Jie in Mandarin Chinese are all known as the first day of the lunar calendar. January 23 is the day and marks ENTER THE DRAGON. Feasts, parades and drumming all assist in this entering. Last night while laying in bed I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if the EMs, game Devs or even player run events somehow focused on this special year and also highlight dragons in some manner.  If anyone is listening out there please think about this.

A new year often inspires people to play and/or create new characters, change thier ” looks ‘ and also change thier plot design. MOA on Great Lakes has done just that. MOA is the oldest and longest player run auction house and keeps its plot design  for extended periods of time so a new look is refreshing, shocking and I must add rather well done. Then again MOA does everything well.  For anyone out there feeling the after holiday blues think about tearing down that old plot and give yourself a new attitude.

MOA on Great Lakes

MOA on Great Lakes

As a gal that has been around a long time I still look forward to a new year in the realm. Over the years I have heard countless times by a wide variety of people on a wide variety of shards ” I’m bored “.  This comment always baffles me as there are so many skill/character types to choose from and such a huge choice of locations for hunting, people to talk to and things to create. One can truly be creative with Ultima Online and that is the reason why I have stayed with it for so many years.

I wish you all an amazing creative 2012 in and out of the realm!

Fondly, Lady Lava