Here is the excerpt (with my translation) which interested me the most (and potentially touching on the combat timer debate):
When a weapon is armed after the wrestling timer is completed, the swing timer for the armed weapon starts to elapse. If the weapon timer is completed while the wrestling timer has not been used, the wrestling timer is discarded, but if the wrestling timer swing is used prior to the completion of the weapon swing timer, the elapsing weapon swing timer determines the next swing. If used right, you can swing twice consecutively. (Arm Halberd after wrestling timer is completed => disarm halberd => arm halberd in 3.8 seconds if the halberd timer resets in 4 seconds => swing halberd => wait the remaining 0.2 seconds on the weapon timer => swing halberd again). However, a slow weapon such as the halberd is not suitable for real combat. (Using the halberd in this manner is probably effective only at the beginning of the fight). This is an expert technique which can be used very effectively with a weapon with a delay of 2.0~2.5 seconds.□ 2Hit-Attack
Delayが溜まった状態で武器を装備すると、その装備した武器のDelayが溜まり始める。そのDelayが溜まってしまうと始めに溜めた分が失われるのだが溜まる前に相手と隣接すれば始めに溜めた分のDelayが消化され、武器装備してから溜めたDelayが残る状態となる。残りのDelayを溜めれば2回連続で攻撃できるのだ。(Delayを溜めてからHAL装備＞1回脱着を行う＞HALのDelayを4.0とすると3.8ぐらいまで溜める＞相手と隣接しHALを振る＞0.2秒立ち止まりDelay溜める＞再度HALを振る）という流れ。ただ、HALみたいに遅い武器だと実戦向けではない。(使用したのは開幕の時ぐらい）Delay2.0～2.5ぐらいの武器で効果を発揮する上級テクニック。
According to this player (and using the swing state information in this thread), the following chain of events could trigger a back-to-back halberd swing:
1. Reset wrestling timer => Swing State "Ready"
2. Arm Halberd => Start a new Swing State timer based on the armed Halberd, apart from the already elapsed wrestling timer
3. Disarm Halberd
4. Wait for Halberd-based combat timer become ALMOST completed, e.g. 0.5 seconds prior to when Swing State becomes "Ready"
5. Arm Halberd and swing (before the Halberd-based combat timer is ready)
6. Wait for the Halberd-based combat timer is COMPLETE => 2nd Swing State "Ready"
7. Swing the Halberd
Another Japanese UO player, detailing some aspects of the UO Yamato-shard, which talks about this 2Hit-Attack, is as follows:
Original Japanese http://suren.blog64.fc2.com/blog-entry-5.html
Google Translate http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... try-6.html
Excerpts of interest:
The above is a timeline of events this player saw on the Yamato shard:(1999.11)AbyssWar開催
(2000.1)Pre Cast・2連撃廃止、RO制限(フラグが立っているとリコールアウトができなくなった)
(2000.1)Pre Cast廃止反対集会
(2000.2)その場復活の廃止
(2000.3)skillバースト・小切手実装
(2000.3)ロードブリティッシュＵＯから旅立つ（リチャードギャリオット氏オリジン退社）
(2000.3)uolimpic4
(1999.11) Start of AbyssWar
(2000.1)Pre Cast and 2Hit-Attack abolished, Recall Out restriction (Players became unable to recall out if flagged)
(2000.1)Anti Pre Cast abolishment movement meeting
(2002.2)Resurrecting on spot (Insta-rez?) abolished
etc.
This shows that the Japanese UO players revolted immediately after the dreaded Jan 2000 patch.
(2000.1)(2000.1)
Pre Cast、2連激が廃止された事により、大量のPvP引退者を出す。
それらは一体如何なる技なのかを以下に説明する。
Pre Cast：Pre(「前・先・あらかじめ」などの意.)Cast(魔法をかける)の意味から。魔法詠唱直後から武器を装備し、詠唱開放カーソルも待機できるという仕様をPre Castと呼ぶようになった。
ゼロディレイ：当時はキャラクターが停止していないと、武器を振るために必要なカウントを消化出来なかった。そして武器攻撃できる状態になると、相手に接触した時点でダメージが入った。その延滞(ディレイ)が全く無い(ゼロ)状態をゼロディレイと言った。
2連激：ゼロディレイ状態から武器を持ち替えてもそのデュレイがリセットされなかった仕様を利用し、 2回目のデュレイが貯まりきる直前に武器で対象を殴ると、間髪いれずに２回殴れるという技。
で、Pre Castと2連激の複合技は以下（例）。
振りの速い素手で0ディレイにした状態からスタート
↓
例えばEB詠唱、カーソル待機
↓
ハルバードを持つ
↓
ハルバード装備後、0デュレイがたまりきる直前に相手に接触する
(すると、まず素手によって満了している0ディレイによりハルバードで殴る)
↓
(ハルバードにより2度目の0ディレイ状態が出来た瞬間に再度殴る)
↓
EB開放
Due to the removal of the Pre Cast and 2Hit-Attack, a large number of the PvP population declares their retirement of playing. These two techniques are as follows.
Pre Case: This term was coined from Pre (meaning "before, prior, preparation") Cast (casting the spell). The mechanic of being able to arm a weapon after casting a spell, and holding the target cursor, was called Pre Cast.
Zero-Delay: In these days, a character had to be stationary (not moving) for the swing timer to advance. Once the swing timer was ready, a character was able to swing immediately upon contact with the target. The ability to swing with no timer (Zero) delays upon contact (Delay) was called Zero-Delay.
2Hit-Attack: Due to the mechanic that did not reset the "Ready" Swing State upon equipping another weapon, this technique involved utilizing the new elapsing weapon swing timer to swing back-to-back twice by releasing the initially "Ready" swing just before the second swing timer was "Ready".
Thus, a method using the two techniques are as follows:
Use the fast wrestling timer to attain the Zero-Delay state
↓
For example, cast an EB and hold the target
↓
Arm the Halberd
↓
After arming the Halberd, elapse the new swing timer slightly before attaining Zero-Delay status with it, and swing
(This causes the first wrestling Zero-Delay state to release the swing)
↓
(As soon as the Zero-Delay state is attained via the Halberd timer, swing second Halberd hit)
↓
Relase (target) the pre-casted EB
Both of these players explain the possibility of the 2Hit-Attack, and both explain that the Swing State "Ready" was attainable through two different timers.
Therefore, here is my theory (in a very broad sense. I'm sure there are various intricacies I do not know/understand):
1. If there are no current "Ready" swing states, based on the last armed weapon (or wrestling if disarmed), starts and elapses only if the character is on the same tile.
2. Once the timer is completed and the swing state is "Ready", the character was able to start a new combat timer with a different weapon. (Such as the Halberd)
3. If the second timer is completed prior to using the first "Ready" swing, the first "Ready" state was overrode by the second.
4. If the second timer was still ongoing, and the first timer was released prior to the completion of the second timer, the "Ready" swing state was attainable upon completion of the second timer.
I hope I made sense...
*EDIT*
Lycaeum.net, a well-known Japanese UO-related site, has a chronology of interesting events in UO. Supporting the idea that the 2Hit-Attack was possible until Jan 2000 is displayed as follows:
Original Japanese http://uo.lycaeum.net/archives/007093.html
Google Translate http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 07093.html
2000/01/24 Pre Cast and 2Hit-Attack abolishedExcerpt from timeline wrote:2000/01/24 プレキャスト二連撃撤廃
Another Japanese website (even though the website title reads Easy UO History, it has nothing to do with EUO) also marks the same date as the day when both the Pre Cast and 2Hit-Attack were gone:
*I'm starting to get worn out by translating, so I'll just pull the date. Google translate does a relatively decent enough job here.
Original Japanese http://www.bricities.com/pochi/EasyUoHistory.html
Google Translate http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... story.html
2000/01/24 Pre Cast/2Hit-Attack abolished2000/01/24 プレキャスト・２連撃廃止
*EDIT 2*
2ch.net, the message board which the initial 4chan was based on, and the most widely used anonymous "forum" by Japanese internet users, has this interesting tidbit. This is just to illustrate that Pre Cast and 2Hit-Attack did exist before these posting dates. I am including my translation inline because breaking each post with a <quote> will look messy.
Original Japanese http://www.mentai.2ch.net/hako/kako/965/965937838.html
Google Translate http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 37838.html
[/quote]5 名前： 名無しさん＠そうだ選挙にいこう 投稿日： 2000/08/14(月) 15:24
わろた
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milano-Aoyam ... UO0029.jpg
5 Name: Anonymous@Let's Go Vote Post Date: 2000/08/14(Mon) 15:24
LOL
*URL to a screenshot linked to Geocities Japan which is gone*
6 名前： Jeanne@wakoku 投稿日： 2000/08/14(月) 15:31
ネットゲーム板出来たんですね
UOより2chの方が重い気がするのですけど。。。。(^^;
>5さん
凄！
プレキャス廃止抗議デモのＳＳとかも面白かったなぁ
6 Name: Jeanne@wakoku Post Date: 2000/08/14(Mon) 15:31
I didn't realize that a Net Gaming Board was created
It seems like 2ch is lagging more than UO....
>To Poster #5
Cool Screenshot!
The screenshot of the rally against the abolishing of Pre Cast was also hillarious
This probably refers to the
7 名前： > 投稿日： 2000/08/16(水) 01:56
ぷれきゃすとってなに？
7 Name: > Post Date: 2000/08/16(Wed) 01:56
What's Pre Cast?
9 名前： Jeanne@wakoku 投稿日： 2000/08/17(木) 17:49
>7さん
プレキャストは、魔法をあらかじめ唱えておいて、後で使うって
感じだったかな？うろ覚えだけど。既に唱えてるからフリーズ
しないって利点があったり、なかったり。。。。違ったっけ？
例）パラ唱える＞ハル装備＞敵に突っ込みながらパラ発動＞２連撃
9 Name: Jeanne@wakoku Post Date: 2000/08/17(Thur) 17:49
> To Poster #7
Pre Cast was the ability to cast a spell, and use it at a later time. My memory might be a little off, however. Because you have already
casted the spell, you won't have to freeze (implying that the character does not have to stop to cast a spell if already pre-casted). Right?
E.g.) Cast Paralyze > arm Halberd > target the spell while running at the opponent > 2Hit-Attack
The Japanese refer to the 2Hit-Attack as
"2連撃"
or with a mis-represented character (incorrect "henkan")
"2連激"
The following is the url for the google search for the string:
"2連激 2連撃 ultima online"
http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&q= ... =&gs_rfai=
The search result will show various people reminiscing the good ol' days of being able to use these techniques (in Japanese, of course)
I hope there is a fellow Japanese speaker/reader who can cross-check my research in the Japanese UO community instead of people having to take my word for the translation.
Sincerely,
esteban