Patch notes for 1.1.5?

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

It's not 'mandatory' in any version, but severely ups the difficulty in the east if you don't do it, because it cuts the encounter rate for parties on the world map when cleared.

The lore inside it is also crucial to setting up part of the upcoming Orc campaign, and you should do it at least once to see that, if nothing else.

I also don't think there's much of anything there you could currently make huge complaints about, after it got tweaked in 1.1.4. I'd encourage actually VISITING it before making a judgement about it. A lot of the complaints were overexagerated, though your opinions might vary a bit.

[HousePet]

The lore for the Breeding Pits is actually quite good.
Need more lore in the east.

[Zizzo]

It's not 'mandatory' in any version, but severely ups the difficulty in the east if you don't do it, because it cuts the encounter rate for parties on the world map when cleared.

Meh, if that's the only problem it'll cause, I think I've got a better solution for that.

[Gamer-man]

Orc Breeding Pits are not, and have never been, manditory. There is no carrot at the end of the stick of not going through the Orc Breeding Pits, but nothing is forcing you to go through them.

I think the biggest problem is that people mindless went through them without feeling bad, and then at the end, had a reminder that they should have felt bad the entire time. So the ones that felt bad, rather than blaiming themselves for mindless slaughtering children without thinking about it, decided that someone else (the game deisgner) had to be at fault.

That, and the subset of people who are so obsessed with completionism, that they felt the game wouldn't be complete unless they went through the fully optional zone of OBP.

The second group is more understandable... the first group remind me of these ulta-preachy types who believe they are 100% right and moral, never questioning themselves, but compelled to enforce their ways onto everyone.

On a related note, i had just finished listening to an interview of Richard Garriot talking about why he kept in a controversial event in the Ultima games, despite everyone telling him to take it out.

[GlassGo]

I felt sorry for the orcs. Judging by the lore they are not a criminal, they are victim.

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

That's what they were aiming at. Halflings are the real criminals here, if anything. They're responsible for... everything, if you go back far enough. Including original sin.

[Mewtarthio]

When the Sher'Tul killed the gods, the halflings were right behind them. Of course, the Sher'Tul never would have risen up in the first place had the halflings not whispered sweet lies into Amakthel's ear, driving him to arrogance and tyranny...

[GlassGo]

If it was some kind of a joke, it didn't reached me. kokoko