Awesome, if it's coming straight from Garriott and has no EA involved, there's a chance it'll be good.
Ultima was at its best when EA wasn't in the way.
I didn't play much of it before U7 and Underworld, but became a die-hard fan during those games.
As an aside, I started using the ankh as my "symbol of chivalry" long before I started playing those games, but seeing it used as their symbol of the virtues was something that resonated with me and helped get me hooked.
I do miss the cloth maps. I still have a few of them around here somewhere though.