Gamers have been buzzing with all sorts of conspiracy theories about the fate of Ultima: Ascension since the producer, Ed Del Castillo, left the company in a hurry. Many hard-core Ultima fans were worried that the game was going in the wrong direction as it looked as if the title was losing its classic RPG gameplay for a more action-adventure feel.

　　Late on Thursday, Origin released a FAQ to GameSpot News (as promised) answering some of the larger questions that gamers have been asking about the RPG and about what type of involvement Richard Garriott has in the game, and it also offers one small tidbit about baking bread.

　　Rather than try to summarize the FAQ, we've decided to post it in its entirety for you to examine.

　　Ultima: Ascension FAQ

　　What kind of game is Ultima: Ascension? Is it an RPG or an action adventure?Ultima Ascension is a role-playing adventure game that will redefine the genre. It is not an action adventure dependent upon personal dexterity. We are focusing on the tactical choices the Avatar chooses, not the player's dexterity and ability to perform them. It is more than a mere statistics-based RPG. It is a game in which you will truly play the role of the Avatar in the living world of Britannia. The game has character creation, statistics, inventory and all the usual aspects associated with an Ultima. In Ascension you will live in an immersive 3D world with beauty and variety. There will be mages who live in floating buildings, druids who live among the trees, translucent waves that lap up onto the shores and cool real-time magical effects. It has wind that blows branches and signs. The world is rich with sunsets, sunrises and starry nights. All the characters you meet have full speech in a world filled with 3D sounds. There are richly developed-characters and an epic plot worthy of the final chapter in the Ultima trilogy of trilogies.

　　Have recent personnel changes affected the primary design of Ascension? No. Richard Garriott has always been the project director, and is the creative force on Ultima Ascension. Although we have surrounded him with a great team and support staff, he remains the primary person driving the vision of Ascension. Richard and Origin are committed to ensuring that Ascension is the best Ultima ever.

　　What will be the system requirements to play Ascension?It is impossible to know for sure because we are not finished with the development. However, we are working hard to make the game as scaleable as possible so someone with the minimum system would get good performance. The minimum system we are targeting is a P200 with 32Megs of RAM. A 3-D accelerator board is recommended for the best performance. Of course, the faster the machine, the better the overall look and feel.

　　Will there be an adventuring party in Ascension?

　　In short, no…but this topic has been somewhat misunderstood. We will not have a party in the classic sense, but our plan is to have the companions in the game. They have their own wills and their own agendas. Companions will often travel with you for short stints or on specific activities. They will meet with you often and do deeds for you and help you do the many tasks required to complete your quests. We will make them even more real, as we are doing with the rest of Britannia.

　　Will you be able to bake bread in Ultima: Ascension?

　　Yes… you can bake your bread and eat it too. However, we are focusing our efforts on activities that are fun to do and have purpose rather than mere exercises in simulation that can be boring or tedious.

　　When is it going to ship?

　　This game is destined to be a breakthrough product and we will not rush it out the door. While our fans may be dying to get their hands on the game, we want to make sure it is a masterpiece. That is our top priority. We think you'll understand when you play the finished game.