I have been a frequent visitor of Ultima Online, since the summer of 1998. Ultima Online was one of the first really popular mass-player RPGs on the internet.
The environment on Ultima Online is very much like that of a MUD, except everything has graphics. The world is very dynamic, and there are jobs that your character can take up. So you won't just be killing bad guys, you will also be chopping down trees are making armour. In a way, economy is driven on UO, because the more items sold, the farther prices drop and vice-versa. Conversations can be taken up with even NPCs, as their lines are generated by what you say to them. Players can communicate with says and emotes, although there is no tells.
The view in Ultima Online takes an almost birds-eye perspective. Like all internet applets, UO is constantly lagged. Sometimes the lag can be generated by your connection to the internet (meaning just you is lagging but other people and NPCs continue to move) and some is generated by the internet and the game servers (meaning everyone is lagging - not just you).
Ultima Online offers lots of weapons, armours, items, and spells for your characters. Your character is skill and stat driven. The three stats used are: Strength, dexterity, and intelligence. Skills are increased by experience in using them. So, the more you chop trees down, the higher your lumberjacking skill becomes, AND also your strength increases. So skill-usage is the way to build your stats as well.
The laws in UO are very strict, being controlled by NPCs. Player-killing is allowed on in Ultima, but not in towns. Any person who attempts (doesn't even have to be succesfull...just initiating the fight calls the guards) to kill someone else in town will be dispatched. Also, thieves and corpse-looters will be killed as well.
Ultima Online offers a huge world to play in (can take hours to traverse) and many oppurtunities. There is always a new surprise waiting for you when you log on. Everytime you connect to UO, there is an autopatcher that gives you all the newest updates in UO. The gameplay in this world is largely effected by the other players and characters that interact with you.
Everyone wonders when they buy an online game like Ultima, whether the monthly cost is worth it. It is definetly a controversial subject that everyone will argue over but. As to my opinions, they are very petty but you may find some things interesting (and it will be useful if you are new to UO:
Ultima Online has lots of potential to be great long-lasting fun. It is the players in this game which ruin it all, and Origin (the maker) can work hard, but they can't keep up with the vandalism that occurs. For one thing, there is always bug abuse. There are those players that don't bother to roleplay and just want super characters. They exploit bugs in the game so that they will benefit...and sometimes they get off with it (I think).
Another huge problem in Ultima Online is the fact that Player-killers are out of hand. The reputation system that was implemented can lessen their numbers, but PKers still roam killing for no reason. Players on UO are constantly trying to find holes and chinks in UO so that they can boost their character.
It all comes down to the fact that there isn't that much roleplaying on UO. Some people don't enjoy roleplaying, and that is fine, but it those people who defy it and subtract from it that are terrible. From my view, there are three types of people: 1) the roleplayers - they are on UO to actually PLAY their character...they have backgrounds and histories, and fight for a reason; 2) the players - they play UO to build their character, roleplaying doesn't attract them, but it doesn't anger them; 3) these people have no name, they just come on UO to be annoying (PK you for no reason, steal mindlessly and endlessly) they fight for no cause, have no friends, and basically ruin the game.
It's not that helpful to say this, but it's up to you whether UO is good for you. You can try categorizing yourself to see how you would act in the game. But, it might be best just to try the game for a month or two to see how you like. UO is fun for those people who roleplay, and to those who are ambitious enough to make the best of what there is.
A word of advise to those who are starting to play: When picking your character name, use an original one. UO allows unlimited people with the same name. So don't pick a name from a book, or else you risk getting confused as someone else. I made this mistake, and still struggle with people thinking I was someone else. Also, watch out for NPKers - these are people who will kill you just because of your current status (red - murderer, blue - good, grey - criminal). And to those people who are not patient sometimes, UO may not be good because there often is lag in the cities, and there is lots of waiting around.