A new free-to-play game based on the Ultima role-playing series puts players in control of a medieval city.

The browser-based Lord of Ultima, a massively multiplayer strategy game, was launched Tuesday by Electronic Arts.

For lack of a better term, I've come to call games like Lord of Ultima "Travian-likes," due to their similarities to the German browser game. Newcomers to the genre be warned: These games are all about forming alliances with other players and leveraging the power of numbers to your advantage. Play a game like Lord of Ultima as a loner and you're doomed to the role of punching bag.

The Ultima games were created in the '80s by role-playing legend Richard Garriott. After launching the pioneering MMO Ultima Online, Garriott parted ways with Origin Systems, the company he founded, leaving the Ultima line in Electronic Arts' hands. EA has kept the Ultima Online flame alive since 1997, recently updating it with new content called Stygian Abyss.

Image courtesy Electronic Arts

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