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Mortal Online's CEO has high hopes for the game's subscriptions

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

A game company's CEO should always promote the company's games and be enthusiastic. There is such a thing as too much enthusiasm, however. Case in point: StarVault CEO Henrik Nystrom's comments during an IRC chat with fans. The chat was meant to cover the game's next major update, Awakening, but it included fan questions for future updates as well. It also included Nystrom telling a fan that he sees Mortal Online having roughly as many players as EVE Online in five years.

By way of elaboration, EVE Online currently has roughly 450,000 players. Mortal Online's subscription numbers have never been revealed, but estimates place it under 10,000 players.

An impossible goal? Definitely not, but certainly one that might be a bit overly ambitious. Fans of the game can still take a look at the chat for other interesting tidbits, however, including plans to add drugs and improve the new player experience in the future.

[Thanks to Sandboxer for the tip!]

Mortal Online's CEO has high hopes for the game's subscriptions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 May 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online hacked, Star Vault encourages users to verify accounts

Jef Reahard — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

If you've got an active Mortal Onlne account, you may want to think seriously about changing your password. A new post on the sandbox title's forum describes a security breach that led to the destruction of in-game assets and account status changes. The intrusion has since been contained, according to a Star Vault GM, and "additional security is in place."

The company says that customer payment information was not affected, but users are encouraged to verify their account status and passwords anyway.

As to the breach itself, details are understandably scarce, but Star Vault does say that a member of the GM staff had his account compromised and his details used to carry out the aforementioned mischief.

[Thanks to slapshot1188 for the tip!]

Mortal Online hacked, Star Vault encourages users to verify accounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online introduces political map, Chronicles of Nave

Matt Daniel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

Mortal Online players are going to have to wait a little bit longer for the game's The Dawn expansion, but in the meantime, Star Vault is busily working on the game's newly added territory control system. The newest addition to the system is a political map and a feature the team calls Chronicles of Nave.

The political map allows players to track which territories are under whose control in real time, so they always know where the fights are raging. The Chronicles of Nave, on the other hand, is a ladder ranking system, which ranks players and guilds according to a variety of statistics. The current system displays players' stats and builds, though there is an option to turn this feature off in case a player would rather keep his build a secret. Both of these features are still in beta, so players can expect them to be updated with expanded functionality. For the full details, check out the forum post over at the Mortal Online official forums.

Mortal Online introduces political map, Chronicles of Nave originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Vault reveals more Mortal Online territorial control details

Jef Reahard — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, PvE, Mortal Online, Sandbox

A couple weeks back we heard tell of Mortal Online's territorial control update. Today, Star Vault has elaborated on the new sandbox system via a news bulletin on the game's official website.

It seems that the feature is still fairly early in the development process, as the site says that internal testing is still in full swing. External testing, by way of a specially selected focus group, is planned for next week.

What's that, you want to hear more about mechanics? Very well. Keeps act as a "starting point" for guilds in the territorial control system. Each keep awards control points (CP) that can be spent on towers and "various things." Keeps also feature an overseer NPC who provides extra protection, sells goods and features, and more. Finally there's the prominence system, which involves earning prominence points (PP) through various methods including PvP and PvE. There's more, of course, but we don't want to deprive you of a chance to visit the Mortal Online website, so off you go.

Star Vault reveals more Mortal Online territorial control details originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online looking for a few good testers

Jef Reahard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

File this one under better late than never. Mortal Online is looking for a few good testers, and even though the game officially released more than a year ago, Star Vault is opening its doors to 20 individuals willing to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty with the fantasy sandbox MMO's collection of bugs.

"Because Star Vault is a small, independent developer, we do not have a very large QA department which often means that bugs will slip through the net resulting in many issues on the live server," writes GM Discord on the official forums.

Qualified testers will be 18 years old, be well-versed in Mortal Online, and have a game account that is in good standing. There will also be an NDA involved, and breaching it will not only result in the removal of your testing privileges but also a ban on your in-game characters. Full details are available on the official boards.

Mortal Online looking for a few good testers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online update expanding territory control features

Jef Reahard — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online's sandbox is about to get a bit sandier if a new territory control update video is any indication. The fantasy title from Star Vault has had a rough time in the court of public opinion since its June 2010 launch, but development continues apace.

The latest patch brings control structures to the table, and according to the video intertitles, said structures can be placed anywhere near territory that you already control. Occupied land then earns taxes and control points for its owners, and control points may be spent "to further increase the area of any of your control structures, increase their abilities, or build more of them."

City control is possible with the new update, as is the collection of guild points after completing "various deeds." Star Vault says that the guild points can be used for a number of actions including outlawing players in your territory or declaring martial law. Check out the video after the break and head to the official Mortal Online website for more details.

Continue reading Mortal Online update expanding territory control features

Mortal Online update expanding territory control features originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Vault partners with OnLegends for Mortal Online distribution

Jef Reahard — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

OnLegends, a Berlin-based "licensing and internationalization specialist" firm, has entered into a partnership with Star Vault, developers of Mortal Online. A new press release states that OnLegends beat out "many major publishers [...] to secure the global exclusive licensing rights" to the indie sandbox MMORPG, and is now in the process of preparing the title for worldwide distribution.

The release also states that Mortal has attracted over 170,000 players thus far despite the lack of any marketing presence, and OnLegends seems enthusiastic about Mortal's place in the expanding MMORPG pantheon. "We strongly believe that Mortal Online can play an important future role on both PC and console MMO markets and we expect Mortal to be one of the trendsetting next-gen titles," said OnLegends vice president Julian Migura.

Star Vault partners with OnLegends for Mortal Online distribution originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Vault releases Mortal Online Dawn features list, new videos

Jef Reahard — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online's first expansion was announced a while ago now, and players are still waiting on the mammoth patch to make it to the game's live server. Star Vault is no doubt anxious to placate its ravenous PvP-centric customer base, and the company has released a lengthy changelog on the game's official forums.

The listing outlines many of the features forthcoming in the Dawn expansion, but as post author (and Star Vault CEO) Henrik Nystrom writes: "This note may not be final." It's probably a good representation though. As such, let's take a quick look at what Dawn brings to the table. We've got new mechanics including the gene system, task/transport system, and housing friend system. We've also got new mail functionality, dynamic mounts, alchemy and cooking, and a load of bug fixes that we haven't the space to list.

You can check out the full changelog on the Mortal forums, and be sure to watch the one-year anniversary and Dawn preview videos after the cut.

Continue reading Star Vault releases Mortal Online Dawn features list, new videos

Star Vault releases Mortal Online Dawn features list, new videos originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online launches Facebook integration complete with discounts

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Mortal Online, Promotions

Facebook integration isn't exactly a new thing for MMOs these days, but it's not often that you can use it to outright pay less money for a subscription. But that's what Mortal Online is experimenting with, offering players of the game a discount based upon their friend counts. Of course, there's a slight catch -- said friends can't themselves be players. The integrated application will also announce your major achievements to your friends, making it a clear method for players to show off the game they're enjoying and give it a bit of advertising to boot.

The discounts, naturally, are a nice incentive. A maximum of 1.25 EUR will be deducted from the subscription price if you have 750 non-playing friends, but even five non-playing friends will net you a 0.25 EUR reduction. The discount begins to apply 12 days after you link your account, meaning that new players to the game can enjoy the discount right from the start. It's money off and a chance to show off what you've accomplished, and that should be enough to win over almost any Mortal Online player with a Facebook account.

Mortal Online launches Facebook integration complete with discounts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking 'Dawn': Mortal Online announces expansion

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, PvP, Mortal Online

It's the dawn of a new era -- and considering all of the bloodshed that goes on in Mortal Online, you may even call this a... Red Dawn? Wolverines? OK, sorry, but we had to get past the obvious puns.

Mortal Online's been on the down-low ever since last year's launch, but that doesn't mean that the Star Vault devs were sipping piña coladas on a gore-soaked beach. On the contrary, as the team's been hard at work on a new expansion that was revealed in its full glory earlier this week: Mortal Online: Dawn.

Instead of focusing on a new continent or a higher level cap, Dawn's adding several quality-of-life features to the game. These include an updated mount system that will eventually let you breed your ideal stud or mare, a cooking profession for the gourmet chefs out there, health reserves, a mail system, and a new player tutorial.

Henrik Nyström was on hand for a forum interview about the expansion and the meaning behind the title: "Dawn feels like it's the 'beginning' of us being able to deliver content without struggling with the core mechanics due to the network solution. We can finally enjoy the development in full and start passing the benefits of that onto the community."

[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]

Breaking 'Dawn': Mortal Online announces expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Vault kicks off Mortal Online free trial

Jef Reahard — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Mortal Online

FFA PvP sandboxes are increasing in number, and with Darkfall hogging the spotlight, Earthrise recently releasing, and Xsyon gearing up for launch, it's easy to forget about Mortal Online. The indie title from Star Vault has recently announced a free trial designed to draw more players to the world of Nave, and you can try out the game for 14 days sans payment (or even credit card information).

Signing up is as easy as visiting the official website, and you'll want to note that trial players are limited to 600 skill points and a skill cap of 60. You can also get a leg up on creating your avatar by taking a look at the community-produced character creation tutorial after the cut.

Continue reading Star Vault kicks off Mortal Online free trial

Star Vault kicks off Mortal Online free trial originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online creates exclusive guild leader forum

Jef Reahard — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Mortal Online

It's no secret that certain members of MMORPG communities are quite determined in their push to influence a game's direction. Whether it's early adopters jockeying to get their ideas heard while a game is still in development, or the leaders of large and influential endgame-oriented guilds that garner developer attention via their content-clearing prowess, it's not uncommon to see small groups of customers attempting to rub elbows with decision makers. Rare individuals have even parleyed these relationships into professional careers.

What is unusual is when a game company publicly endorses such behavior. Star Vault, the independent developers of the PvP sandbox title Mortal Online, has set up an invitation-only forum called the Council of Patriarchs, wherein guild leaders (and only guild leaders) can interact with developers regarding larger game matters. While it isn't unusual to solicit player feedback, it is interesting that the forum is not visible to most paying customers. Whether or not it was Star Vault's intention to open up an "us versus them" can of worms, discussion on the official boards is currently trending towards the divide between solo and group/guild players.

Mortal Online isn't the first game to dip its toes into the exclusive forum club. Some of you may recall that Matrix Online had a private retreat known as the Champagne Room, which, while similar in catering to a small subset of players, was not publicly advertised by the developers.

Mortal Online creates exclusive guild leader forum originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How do you like your PvP?

Jef Reahard — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion

Ah, PvP. Personally I kinda hate it, even on those rare occasions when I manage to emerge victorious. In small doses it's OK, but usually it consists of getting face-rolled by a player who knows the game systems much better than I do. That said, minigame PvP is quite enjoyable, particularly Age of Conan's variety, as well as the scenarios in Warhammer Online.

For a carebear like me, the only way to make PvP even semi-palatable is to grant control over when and if it happens. Sure, we may still lose and provide a good belly-laugh to the seasoned killers who view us as their game content, but at least they're not barging in on an otherwise productive session of questing, crafting, or exploring.

What about you, Massively readers? Do you prefer your PvP in spurts such as minigame instances or battlegrounds, or do you like the open-world FFA option common in games like Darkfall and Mortal Online?

The Daily Grind: How do you like your PvP? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mortal Online announces June 9th launch date

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 14 May 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, PvP, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online has seen its share of ups and downs this spring as Starvault worked through a rocky beta period, ultimately deciding to delay launch as they ironed out some major bugs. Fans of the game were left wondering what was going to happen, even as many of them applauded Starvault's decision to hold off the launch date until Mortal Online was in better shape.

It looks like the team at Starvault thinks it's finally good to go: Mortal Online is scheduled for launch June 9th. According to the latest newsletter, they've solved the infamous desync issue (one of the most prominent issues during testing) with the help of a new engine build.

Open beta testing is now over in preparation for launch, but you still have until Monday, May 17th to take advantage of the open beta discount. You can check out all the details in today's Mortal Online newsletter.

Mortal Online announces June 9th launch date originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 May 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Don't go AFK in good gear

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, PvP, One Shots, Mortal Online

In some games, character physics can be a real pain in the butt. In old EverQuest, people stood in doorways, stopping others from getting in or out. In City of Heroes, NPCs walking by on the sidewalk can shove you out of the way -- no matter how super-strong you happen to be! Today's One Shots from Mortal Online may not immediately look like too much, but once you read the story that goes with it, you'll see why we mention crazy things that happen due to game physics.

Xaan writes in to give us the scoop: "It was in the middle of the night (Starvault had recently added an amazingly realistic day/night system to Mortal Online) so me and a bunch of other players were socializing in the NPC shore city of Meduli. There was this guy who seemed to be AFK, so we dragged (or rather pushed) him outside of town and out of guard range and started killing him for his armor. Unfortunately, some of his friends came to his rescue and as a result we had this awesome night fight in the middle of the desert. Simply epic."

From big to small games, we love to see all your MMO screenshots! If you'd like to take part, then send those in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post them out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: Don't go AFK in good gear originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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