The Ultima IV Upgrade Project

From Aradindae Dragon & Wiltshire Dragon comes the ultimate upgrade for Ultima IV, adding 256 color graphics and MIDI support to the original RPG classic. You may switch the graphics between new and old at will. Screenshots appear at the bottom of this page. What Does It Do?

Upgrades Ultima IV to 256 color graphics with MIDI support. The patch replaces the tileset, font, game, and cutscene graphics, as well as correcting several conversation bugs within the original .TLK files. Adds command keys to Reload the last saved game and Exit to the OS.



Can I Use These Graphics For My Own Project?

Yes, provided that you understand you may be sharing the base tile set with other developers. Download links are here. What You Need

You must have the game Ultima IV from Origin Systems, Inc. running under Windows 95 or higher. The patched version will not run in straight DOS. Download and Install

- Download the U4UPGRAD.ZIP file (632,072 bytes).

- Unzip to your Ultima IV directory.

- Run SETUP.BAT

- Run Ultima IV as you normally would, enjoying the new graphics and sounds.

- Three icon files are available for your Ultima shortcuts. Optional Installation Type:

Use with xu4 - Ultima IV Recreated

Follow this process if the patch doesn't work or you have general trouble running Ultima IV on a modern PC.

- Download and install XU4 from http://xu4.sourceforge.net.

- Download the U4UPGRAD.ZIP file (632,072 bytes) from this site.

- Place 'U4UPGRAD.ZIP' into the xu4 directory. Do NOT unzip!

- Enable VGA graphics within the options menu in xu4. Optional Components:

The Ultima IV Music Machine v1.0

Customize the music you hear in the patched version of Ultima IV.

(Patch version 1.2 or greater)

- Download the U4XMI.ZIP file (121,223 bytes).

- Unzip to any directory (the Ultima IV game directory works).

- Copy any midi file you want to use into the same directory.

- Run 'U4XMI.EXE' to create a custom music file from the midi files.

- Please see 'U4XMI.txt' for program instructions and midi file preprocessing rules. Important Note

If you are upgrading from the original 16 color Ultima IV Graphics Pack, you must not run PARTY.EXE. It is no longer supported and may corrupt the new graphic files. I am exploring new party icon-switching options.



Acknowledgements Auric 1,000 thanks for the server space! Lord British For changing the way I think about computer games... and life. Cabirus Dragon (aka Frank Wolter) has created some cool Ultima Icons, one of which he gave us to include in this patch. Check out his icon page, where the collection is available as "e-mail-ware." Current Version 1.3, of March 9th, 2001 Direct comments to: Wiltshire Dragon (Joshua Steele)

(Graphics, Web) Aradindae Dragon (R. Wiener)

(Music, Programming)