ULTIMA ONLINE: MOONGATE TRAVEL

Fig.1: TownringMoongate Travel, as the name suggests, depends on the phases of Britannia's two moons, Trammel and Felucca. There are eight known moongates in Britannia, each near a town. It is possible to travel from any moongate to any other moongate - where you go depends on the phases of the moons at the moment you step through the gate.

There are two ways to determine the current destination of a moongate you want to use. One is to identify the phases of the moons directly (using a sextant???), and calculate when you should use the gate by the two rings on Fig. 1 and 2. The other is to know the precise time and to refer to the timetable (Tab.1). Clocks can always tell you the time, or you can ask an NPC using the word "time".

Rings

If you know the exact phase of both moons, you can use the rings for moongate travel. First, look at the Town Ring (Fig 1). Counting clockwise, begin with your current location and count how many steps it takes to reach your destination town. For example, counting from Jhelom to Moonglow is two steps. Counting from Moonglow to Jhelom is six steps. Be sure to count clockwise, not counter clockwise.

Fig.2: Phase ringNow look at the Phase Ring (Fig. 2). Find Felucca's current phase, then count the steps (still clockwise) to Trammel's current phase. For example, Felucca is a half moon waxing and Trammel is a full moon. Trammel is two steps ahead of Felucca. While that is the case (for ten or twenty minutes), you can travel from Jhelom to Moonglow (also two steps).

While the moons are at their current phases, all moongates will send you that many steps along the Town Ring. Keep watching the moons until Trammel is as many steps ahead of Delucca as your desired destination is ahead of your current location.

Timetable

If you know the exact time, you can use this timetable for moongate travel. First, look at the Town Ring and count the clockwise steps from your current location to your destination. Now, look up the number of steps you counted in the table to find out when you can next use the moongate to reach your destination (times apply to either daytime or nighttime travel).
 
Steps to destination Times you can travel
Nowhere 12:00-12:10 2:00-2:10 4:00-4:10 6:00-6:10 8:00-8:10 10:00-10:10
One step 12:10-12:30 2:10-2:30 4:10-4:30 6:10-6:30 8:10-8:30 10:10-10:30
Two steps 12:30-12:40 2:30-2:40 4:30-4:40 6:30-6:40 8:30-8:40 10:30-10:40
Three steps 12:40-1:00 2:40-3:00 4:40-5:00 6:40-7:00 8:40-9:00 10:40-11:00
Four steps 1:00-1:10 3:00-3:10 5:00-5:10 7:00-7:10 9:00-9:10 11:00-11:10
Five steps 1:10-1:30 3:10-3:30 5:10-5:30 7:10-7:30 9:10-9:30 11:10-11:30
Six steps 1:30-1:40 3:30-3:40 5:30-5:40 7:30-7:40 9:30-9:40 11:30-11:40
Seven steps 1:40-2:00 3:40-4:00 5:40-6:00 7:40-8:00 9:40-10:00 11:40-12:00

Shortcuts

You can always get where you want to go, but how long must you wait before doing so? At the most, the wait will never be more than two hours and less if you use the following shortcut: you can make multiple jumps that combine to send you where you want to go. For example, if it's 4:15 when you want to get from Trinsic to Yew (two steps), you can immediately jump from trinsic to Minoc (one step), then from Minoc to Yew (one step). If it's 11:30 when you want to get from Trinsic to Yew (still two steps), you can go from Trinsic to Magincia (six steps), from Magincia to Britain (six steps) and finally from Britain to Yew (six steps). You'll have to hurry, through, because at 11:40 the moongates shift their patterns and start giving seven step jumps.

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