I agree, OP. I played the exact same timeframe on OSI servers as you (Great Lakes). The possibility of being murdered, robbed, otherwise f**ked with, made old-school UO worth playing! Props to PKs who have some mercy and gate, rez, etc. Most of these guys view other players as mobs to kill and loot -- there no better source of gold than a PvMer who is unprepared for a run-in. Anyone complaining of being PKed would be well advised to always have magic reflect on, carry/macro trapped bags, a couple cure/heal pots, and have recall bound to their mouse. Learning the art of escape works wonders!
I Yeah I’ve been there...a quiet, relaxing 30 min of farming, I start to look at IRC, maybe check out the forums for a moment (because of course just because they haven’t shown up yet means they won’t, right?), next thing I know they are already in range and pre-casted...