What if everything you know about open-world gaming started with a 1992 RPG that nobody talks about? Michael Stevens reveals why Todd Howard considers Ultima VII the true godfather of games like Skyrim, and how this forgotten masterpiece solved problems modern developers still struggle with today. 🎯 What You'll Discover: • Why Ultima VII's NPCs had more realistic daily routines than most 2024 games • The revolutionary physics system that let players bake actual bread and murder anyone (including the main quest giver) • How a 30-year-old game's AI scheduling system directly inspired The Elder Scrolls series • The technical wizardry that packed full voice acting onto floppy disks when most games were still text-only 👤 Perfect for: gamers and history buffs who love discovering the hidden origins of things they think they know. This isn't just gaming nostalgia. Stevens connects Ultima VII's innovations to modern game design, showing how Richard Garriott's team created solutions that developers are still copying three decades later. From emergent storytelling to consequence-heavy player choice, this episode reveals the DNA of every open-world RPG you've ever loved. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Michael Stevens opens with Todd Howard's bold claim [01:45] The NPC revolution nobody saw coming [04:15] How to break a game and why that's actually genius [06:30] Physics systems that put modern games to shame [08:45] Voice acting miracles on ancient hardware [11:00] Why we're still catching up to 1992's vision 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow When Rome Burns on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and your next favorite rabbit hole is just one tap away. 🔍 Topics: gaming history, RPG evolution, Ultima VII, Todd Howard, open world design

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