No, I've never played them. I didn't play SSI's Dungeons and Dragons RPGs either. But I've always wondered about them. Come the DRM sail, they're a bargain for the nex 23 hours or so. I want to buy them however I have some concerns.

My first computer was the Amiga. So, I'm a member of the 16-bit generation. The thing is, anything older looks too old to my eyes, which is the case with the first 6 Ultima games. I know graphics don't make a game, but for me, the plot does. So, how deep is the plot/setting? How graceful have the game mechanics aged? As a gamer whose first priority is the plot, then the RPG design, should I buy this? Is there anything else I should know (difficulties to run, bugs, suggestions on how to play the game)?

Any comments will be appriciated. Thanks in advance.

If plot is your first priority, then you can probably give Ultimas 1-3 a pass. Their plot basically consists of 'here is an evil wizard/sorceress/incomprehensible monstrosity, now go figure out how to defeat it so peace can rule the land again.' That's pretty much the extent of it, there's little dialogue to be found, only hints as to what you need to Defeat the Boss.

Ultima 4 was where the series really started to develop its storyline, and 5 and 6 built on that. The three games together are referred to as the 'Trilogy of Enlightenment' in Ultima lore, and that's reflected by the philosophical bent in their stories. How 'deep' the stories are really depends on what you define as deep, but they're certainly unique, both for their time and by present standards. Ultima 4 sets up a system of virtues, the land experiencing something of a philosophical Renaissance now that the Big Baddies are gone and peace reigns, and your goal is to become the Avatar, the example and paragon of these virtues - the game's 'plot' centers around journeying around the kingdom, learning about the virtues and how to demonstrate and practice them, culminating in a venture into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous dungeon to show all that you've learned and view the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. Ultimas 5 and 6 expand on these ideas, exploring what happens when virtues are taken to extremes and mandated by the government, and when they clash with another culture holding different values, respectively. They're less focused on 'defeat the Bad Guy' - Ultima 4 doesn't even /have/ one, Ultima 6 has you take the diplomatic approach and seek compromise rather than full-on warfare - and more on exploring the moral side of things.

Game mechanics, again, opinions vary. There's some things that probably haven't aged very well (the magic system can be a little overcomplicated for some, combat can be a little clunky at times and gets somewhat simplistic once you get to be high enough level, the day/night cycle can obstruct view too much, to name a few). There's a lot of commands, and a thorough reading of the game documentation is pretty much necessary (although this is another thing I love about the Ultima series, all the game manuals are written from an in-universe perspective, while the commands are listed on another reference sheet).

Bottom line, if story is your main interest, then give 4-6 a shot. The game mechanics may not entirely be to your taste, but there's no way to properly know that until you've given it a go, and the stories of the three games are unique and well worth a look. Ultima 4 in particular remains among my favorite games, and it's older than I am.

As I've posted in another thread, Ultima 6 is MUCH more approachable than the rest of the early games in both visuals and gameplay. I'd recommend trying it first, and if you find it enjoyable, you can always step back to Ultima 5 or earlier to give them a try.

I've played Ultima 4-6 the past few years.
I found both U4 and U5 still playable, but I found U6 and U7 much harder to get into, mostly due to the UI and small play area. But I really enjoyed the Dungeon Siege mod The Ultima 6 Project. There's also a similar remake of Ultima 5 called Lazarus. If you find the original U5 and U6 too hard to get into, try the Dungeon Siege remakes.

Thanks people. I bought the bundle. Roaringlion510, I want to especially thank you for your detailed response. You helped a lot.