Zippy
Razor Creator
Appologies, goodbyes, etc...
Dear RunUO and Razor users,
First, I'm sorry I didn't write this a long time ago. It is fairly obvious to most people that I no longer have time in my life for Ultima Online.
I originally began "working" on UO back in early 1998, before I even knew how to program. Through the desire to make tools and servers and webpages for those I forced myself to learn programming "the hard way." Virtually everything I have come to know about programming, including the drive to major in, and subsequently get my Master's degree in, Computer Science is owned to Ultima Online. Without it and the opportunities for fun learning and exploration and the friends I have made, I would be completely and unrecognizably different from the person I am today.
But back in early 1998 I was just a high school freshman. I spent my weekends and summers slaving away on code for years upon years. I wrote Razor largely over fall and summer semester of my junior year in college (about 5 years ago now).
But times, and people, change. I've been out of graduate school now for almost 3 years. I have a wife (for 4 years now), and a house, and a "real" job. I just got back from spending 6-months overseas for work as a matter of fact.
As has become apparent to many over the last year or two, I no longer have time to dedicate to the game I love so much, and to which I owe so much. Like anyone who has worked on UO for so many years, I have "quit" and come back several times. I am 100% sure I will still lurk the forums when I get bored, I will still answer questions, and I will still help out the RunUO core devs and others whenever I can. But I think this time you will probably not see me "come back" like I used to. Adult life, as much as we'd like it to, does not allow the long nights, weekends, and vacations spent on making games. That definitely goes beyond the realm of a hobby.
This shouldn't come as a shock, I've been gone for a while. This letter is more a formality. I still think about all of the good times I had creating worlds, helping players and budding developers, and just having fun. I suspect I will always, how could I not when UO has given me so much?
Your friend always,
"Zippy"
Dear RunUO and Razor users,
First, I'm sorry I didn't write this a long time ago. It is fairly obvious to most people that I no longer have time in my life for Ultima Online.
I originally began "working" on UO back in early 1998, before I even knew how to program. Through the desire to make tools and servers and webpages for those I forced myself to learn programming "the hard way." Virtually everything I have come to know about programming, including the drive to major in, and subsequently get my Master's degree in, Computer Science is owned to Ultima Online. Without it and the opportunities for fun learning and exploration and the friends I have made, I would be completely and unrecognizably different from the person I am today.
But back in early 1998 I was just a high school freshman. I spent my weekends and summers slaving away on code for years upon years. I wrote Razor largely over fall and summer semester of my junior year in college (about 5 years ago now).
But times, and people, change. I've been out of graduate school now for almost 3 years. I have a wife (for 4 years now), and a house, and a "real" job. I just got back from spending 6-months overseas for work as a matter of fact.
As has become apparent to many over the last year or two, I no longer have time to dedicate to the game I love so much, and to which I owe so much. Like anyone who has worked on UO for so many years, I have "quit" and come back several times. I am 100% sure I will still lurk the forums when I get bored, I will still answer questions, and I will still help out the RunUO core devs and others whenever I can. But I think this time you will probably not see me "come back" like I used to. Adult life, as much as we'd like it to, does not allow the long nights, weekends, and vacations spent on making games. That definitely goes beyond the realm of a hobby.
This shouldn't come as a shock, I've been gone for a while. This letter is more a formality. I still think about all of the good times I had creating worlds, helping players and budding developers, and just having fun. I suspect I will always, how could I not when UO has given me so much?
Your friend always,
"Zippy"