Ultima Online is a massive, feature-packed experience. It's not even a game you can 'win', per se - there are always greater heights to aspire to, be they in the form of more money, reputation or something else entirely. Its problem is that you begin at such a lowly level on the virtual food chain.

The features that, potentially, make Ultima Online so compelling are almost all beyond your reach. To improve your skills you need to practice certain tasks. To get essential funds you have to use your character's trade. In short, both equate to virtual work, and lots of it.

It takes literally weeks of regular play to enhance a character to a level that allows you to properly enjoy Ultima Online. Prior to that point, it's an oft-arduous and frequently unsatisfying occupation. Those who chose to be a lumberjack, for example, can earn around 200GP per real hour as a newcomer. An hour of relentless point-and-clicking for a sum that would barely buy you a decent sword and breastplate? Madness.

But let's say that you do chop trees for an hour, then go out and buy a sword and shield. You wander out into the wilderness for a scrap... and are vanquished by, for example, a common pig. Did you forget to spend ages point-and-clicking at a training dummy to raise your fighting stats? You did, didn't you? Of course, while you stumble around in the spirit world en route to a healer capable of restoring you to the physical plane, some bastard nicks your hard-earned possessions from your abused corpse.

Virtual life can be so cruel.