Universal Century Gundam Online
A monthly-fee MMO set during the One Year War.
Universal Century Gundam Online was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Universal Century Gundam universe. It launched in 2006 and required a monthly fee of ¥1575 (approximately US$17) for 30 days of access. The game was shut down on December 15, 2007, and is no longer in service.
Quick Facts
- Launch year
- 2006
- Shutdown date
- December 15, 2007
- Developer
- Dimps
- Factions
- Principality of Zeon, Earth Federation Forces
- Expansion
- Space
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Players control an avatar in a third-person view and can pilot various vehicles and Mobile Suits. Combat involves fighting other players' Mobile Suits and vehicles, as well as NPCs. Each Mobile Suit and vehicle can be improved up to eight times and outfitted with equipment; most Mobile Suits carry between two and seven selectable weapons, though only one weapon is actively held and firable at a time. Players create an avatar on one of two factions—the Principality of Zeon or the Earth Federation Forces—each with unique cities, vehicles, and Mobile Suits. Attacking players of the opposing faction is allowed, but attacking fellow faction members marks the player as "Criminal," subjecting them to penalty-free attacks by all players. Teams can be formed to organize large groups and coordinate via a reserved chat channel. To engage enemies, players must lock on and initiate attacks, but all attack, dodge, shield block, and miss rolls are resolved automatically through dice rolls. The game is set in the Universal Century during the One Year War, featuring Mobile Suits, Mobile Armours, and vehicles from Mobile Suit Variations, 0083: Stardust Memory, and elements of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Development originally planned to encompass the entire Earth, with speculation that each continent would be a regional server. Space was released as the first and only expansion, adding space Mobile Suit variants such as the MS-09RS Rick Dom, space versions of the GM C Kai and GM G Command, High Mobility type Space Zakus, and vehicles like the RB-79 Ball and Oggo. Although Earth Federation Forces badges recolored as "Titans" badges exist in the game files, the Titans faction lacks other required textures and graphical files to be viable. The game's progression hinted at moving into the Zeta era, but the shutdown prevented that.
Community
Before closing, the game was primarily populated by Japanese players, with international players forming a minority. After the official server closed, community members created private servers to revive the game. One ongoing test server, http://www.ucgohost.com (2020 and ongoing), includes most elements of the "Final Version" of the emulated UCGO Private Server. Another site, http://www.ucgoserver.com, referred to as "UCGO Private Server" or "UCGOPS," is currently shut down but offers downloadable server files for hosting. The emulated server saw beta testing from 2009 to 2012, with the first server launching in 2010, followed by resets in 2013–2015 ("UCGO PS 2.0"), 2016–2018, and a final silent reset and shutdown in 2019.
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