Enhanced Client Guide
The Enhanced Client (EC) was released in 2009 as the successor to the Kingdom Reborn (KR) client. The EC is also referred to as the Stygian Abyss Client in some of UO's files and folders. The EC's userinterface (UI) gives players significant control over how they interact with the game, while also being customizable. In appearance, the EC mixes graphic layers from Kingdom Reborn with graphic layers from the Classic Client (CC). Base terrains and creatures are KR, vegetation and structures are CC, etc.
Unfortunately, the EC does not use KR's high resolution graphics. When building the EC the development team downscaled KR's artwork to more closely match the low-resolution art of the CC. KR was known for performance issues and the developers felt lower resolution art for the EC was one method to resolve some of those performance issues. Lower resolution art was also intended to reduce the visual disparity between EC and CC. However, the down-scaling process left much of the art appearing blurry/fuzzy. For some time, the development team pursued implementing the higher resolution KR art into the EC, starting with base terrains. The hopeful endpoint of the effort was that players would be able to switch between lower and higher resolution graphics. Yet, as time passed plans changed and higher resolution art layers never materialized for the EC. Only a few comments remain from developers of the time discussing the intended higher resolution art upgrades or the original reasons why the KR art was downscaled to begin with.
EC files can be located in two places on your computer. The installation directory, normally something like
This PC> Local Disk (C:)> Program Files (x86)> Electronic Arts> Ultima Online Enhanced> UserInterface
and the Documents folder, normally something like
This PC> Local Disk (C:)> Users> UserName> Documents> EA Games> Ultima Online Stygian Abyss
Within the installation directory you'll find the UserInterface folder, which contains all the bits to customize the client. Within the Stygian Abyss Documents folder, you'll find the Screen Shot folder with all of your screenshots and the User Data folder with all the information for your individual characters, including window positions, hotbars, macros, etc. To take a screenshot in game, just press the Print-Screen button and that screenshot will be placed in the Screen Shot folder.
When first released in 2009, the EC was bare bones. It worked but could be difficult to use and was quite limited as to what it offered in terms of functionality. In 2014 the development team worked with UO community member and EC modder Pinco to release a significant upgrade to the EC with Publish 86.
Features of the Enhanced Client
- Character file This file contains all the data for your character: window positions, hotbars, macros, agents, hotkeys, etc.
- Customizable User Interface The appearance and functionality of the Enhanced Client can be modified by players.