TheCycoONE: Yes you can transfer your character from 4 to 5 (and 5 to 6). It involves copying the party files from u4 to the u5 path and using that option. You get nerfed quite a bit but if you have a well developed u4 character you still end up a couple levels ahead of a new character. It only transfers name, gender, stats, and experience, there's no tie to story etc.; and all new characters in U5 are avatars.
"Nerfed" in this case means:
- you retain 10% of your experience, which
will be over 6,400 if you beat Ultima IV, giving you a character of level 4 (400-800 exp) or 5 (800+) when newly-created characters are level 2
- your stats are halved, which is fine, since the stats in U4 are in a 1-50 range and the stats in U5 are 1-30; still, stat scores in the low 20s is better than anyone you recruit, and seeing as levelling up gives you
one bloody point in one of the three stats, a few points can make a very, very big difference
Beyond your starting ability scores, though, it's the same game. You don't even get better stuff as a bonus. Of course, it's a worthwhile adjustment, saving you from some early-level grinding (because, hey, you've obviously got a bit of a handle on the system, since you beat the previous game, so you don't need to relearn everything) and making the Avatar more the demigodlike being he or she is supposed to have become. Those few stat points really do make the Avatar stand out in the crowd of followers. They're not the be-all and end-all, since Origin knew how to balance their games properly; they just make the Avatar look like, say, Superman compared to the rest of the Justice League.
Of course, the enemy is well stocked with Kryptonite... Anyway. Enjoy.