I finally finished this game last year. I mean, I started a new game and for the first time finished it, not that it literally took me 25 years or so to complete a single run. Actually, once you've talked to enough characters and have a good handle on where to go, the game proceeds fairly smoothly and I found it stimulating to have to gradually piece everything together. I understand many players, especially younger ones, associate note-keeping with work and it's not what they want to do in video games but I find that it helps me build more of a connection with the game since I'm the one that's doing all the thinking and figuring out where to go next, as opposed to the game holding my hand with big arrows in the sky and "GO THERE!" highlights everywhere. Kind of funny, though, when my wife first watched me play the game and then told her friends and family about it: "What's he doing? Oh, he's playing this old computer game and he's writing down notes and everything. It's INTENSE!"

Wonderful game though out of all the versions made I think the Sega Master Systems was the best. I often wonder if Garriot would ever be tempted to return to his series either to do some remakes or correct certain parts (yep number 9!). A few years ago I picked up a copy of the Prima strategy guide for Ultima Ascension and it had one of the best histories of all the games ever made, including some fantastic interviews/developer tidbits that I recommend anyone pick up.