Garriott, and more specifically, the Ultimas, are the sole reasons I became a programmer. I first played Ultima 5 on a monochrome C64 monitor. Seeing the technological leaps up until the 8th sequel was mind-blowing to a younger me. There was something there that sadly will never be replicated. The lack of an internet connection meant there was nothing available other than a box, a manual, and a map to feed the imagination. I was even further disconnected from the world given I grew up in the countryside where neighbors were scarce.

I remember me and my brothers all huddling around the screen on rainy days, the four of us trying to assume the identities of the default party members - it literally felt like looking into a portal to another world.