Massively

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Vault memo reveals Mortal Online expansion date

Brendan Drain — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

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

Fansite Sandboxer.org reports that it has discovered the release date of Mortal Online's upcoming expansion The Awakening in a Star Vault report to investors. We had to do some digging to find the original Swedish document Sandboxer was referring to, but we were able to confirm that the memo does contain the expansion's release month and further as-yet unannounced information.

The Awakening is slated for an April 2012 release, with May and June dedicated to magic and balance updates. The company expects to break even on a monthly basis between July and August of this year and sign a deal with publishers in August. Star Vault's plan is to have the game published in China between July and September and then release an as-yet unannounced expansion in October, with another in April next year.

Star Vault memo reveals Mortal Online expansion date originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Some Assembly Required: A Mortal Online interview

Jef Reahard — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, PvP, PvE, Mortal Online, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox, Crafting

I recently had the opportunity to fire off a few questions to Henrik Nystrom, and the Star Vault CEO was kind enough to provide some interesting insights into the firm's Mortal Online fantasy sandbox.

Though Mortal is thus far renowned for its full-loot PvP ruleset, it's also got a number of nifty features that you may be unaware of, with more on the way. Join me after the cut for a lengthy discussion of the new Awakening expansion as well as a glimpse into Nave's future.

Continue reading Some Assembly Required: A Mortal Online interview

Some Assembly Required: A Mortal Online interview originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online announces a new expansion called Awakening

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

Mortal Online has already launched one expansion, but the game's second expansion in its two years of operation will soon join the first. Awakening has just been announced and is set to bring a variety of improvements to the game. The centerpiece is the introduction of Tindrem, the eponymous Tindremic capital and the home of the Emperor. The sprawling city encompasses several districts, but there's more to the city than the orderly facade it presents to travelers.

The expansion will provide more than simply a new city, however. It offers improved artificial intelligence and a better user interface to players, along with new dungeons in which players can test their skills against improved enemy intelligence. There's also a new set of special Trade Brokers in the cities, dyes for clothing and armor, and several other improvements that should be cheered by every Mortal Online player.

[Thanks to James for the tip!]

Mortal Online announces a new expansion called Awakening originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online plagiarizes EVE Online's terms of service

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EVE Online, MMO industry, Humor, Mortal Online

There's always that temptation in high school and college to simply copy someone else's work to get out of writing really boring papers. Still, no matter how great the temptation, it's good to abstain from such activities. While it's not only wrong, it can be extremely embarrassing if you're found out by the teacher and penalized for plagiarism.

We guess that someone over at Mortal Online really didn't want to work up an original terms of service (TOS) for the game, as a few sharp-eyed players noticed that the document not only was extremely similar to one in another MMO but failed to replace mentions of its source game. It appears as though Mortal Online took EVE Online's TOS and reworked it slightly -- and imperfectly -- for its own nefarious purposes, as you can see in the graphic above. The TOS has since been changed to eliminate the mention of EVE.

This recalls a similar misstep from last year, when Alganon was caught with its pants down after "borrowing" a press release from BioWare.

[Thanks to Jokkl for the tip!]

Mortal Online plagiarizes EVE Online's terms of service originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gamebreaker's This Week in MMO: John Madden edition

Larry Everett — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Lord of the Rings Online, News items, Opinion, Mortal Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2, WildStar

Video game enthusiasts, pay attention. Each week, Gary Gannon and the crew at Gamebreaker.TV bring you the latest MMO news with their weekly show called This Week In MMO. The show rotates through a panel of personalities to bring you the latest news and opinions from MMO gaming. Sometimes these panels include reporters from our very own website, like Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer; even EVE expert Brendan Drain and SWTOR columnist Larry Everett have made appearances on the show.

This week, Gary is joined by ZAM's Mike B aka Fony and Hillary "Pokket" Nicole to talk about PlanetSide 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, subscription models, WildStar, Lord of the Rings Online, Mortal Online, Astronaut the MMO, and why women don't like voiceover. First up: PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play, and SWTOR may be the last subscription MMO. Is anyone surprised? The panel weighs in on whether WildStar mechanics are more of the same or maybe this game has something new. Mike B and Pokket discuss how LotRO is making Isengard appear more epic. We also find out why Mortal Online territorial control is not for the faint of heart. Lastly, is anyone interested in being an astronaut anymore?

If you like intelligent, fun discussion about the latest in MMOs (in video format), you should check out the recorded version of This Week In MMO right after the cut, or live every Wednesday evening!

Continue reading Gamebreaker's This Week in MMO: John Madden edition

Gamebreaker's This Week in MMO: John Madden edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Any minute now...

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, One Shots, Mortal Online, Sandbox

Today's One Shots screenshot comes to us from Richard, a Mortal Online fan. He snapped the image while helping his friend gain a new companion:

Here is a picture of my guildmate Morder trying to find and tame the elusive White Bear above the Northern city of Fabernum. The bear is on a very long respawn timer and resides in a small cave with blood and skeletons all over the ground.

We're revisiting an old favorite theme this week on One Shots: environments. The game world is an area that most developers put a huge amount of effort into, and it shows. Do you have a favorite landscape, particularly eye-catching weather effect, or hidden jewel in an out-of-the-way location? Snap a screenshot of your favorite MMO area, tell us a bit about what and where it is, and send it to oneshots@massively.com. In fact, environment week has been such a big hit that we'll continue it through next week, so keep 'em coming!

One Shots: Any minute now... originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Dawn a bit further off for Mortal Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, Previews, News items, Mortal Online

When Mortal Online first announced its far-reaching expansion, Dawn, it was a little hard to believe. (The day the news first came out didn't help matters, certainly, as it was announced on April 1st.) But it's a very real thing, and players of the game have no doubt been hotly anticipating its release. Unfortunately, as it turns out, the release date of Dawn has now been pushed back to the end of the month at the earliest and the beginning of June at the latest.

So what's behind the delay? The newsletter explains that there was a server issue which required some reworking, with the caveat that the required updates have ensured Dawn will be even better. Mortal Online players can assuage the wait at least a bit by reading the extensive article by Black Opal detailing several of the expansion's features, including explanations of the new gathering system, Task system, and new styles for housing and buildings.

The Dawn a bit further off for Mortal Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 May 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The MMO Report: Surprisingly Commando-free edition

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

It's the end of the week, and you know what that means! Not only do we get to ramp up to enjoy a weekend full of gaming, but it's also time for the latest edition of The MMO Report. This week Casey takes a moment to look at World of Warcraft's April Fools' Day prank and tackles the discussion of DPS players paying tanks to tag along so they can get into instance groups faster. On a more somber note, Casey notes the layoffs at Sony Online Entertainment, which resulted in the shuttering of three studios and cancellation of The Agency; he also mentions Square-Enix's games coming back online after the recent tsunami in Japan. Also noted is the upcoming Mortal Online: Dawn expansion, which should offer even more gritty, naked PvP fun for all.

From there, it's all silliness in Uncle Casey's Mailbag -- complete with some RIFT vs. WoW snaps, yet another edition of strange Schreiner shoops, and more silliness. We're also treated to a quick aside that reveals Casey has awesome taste in music -- much like our own. As always, you can check out this week's episode of The MMO Report tucked behind the break for your sanitary protection or over on the G4TV site every Thursday.

The MMO Report: Surprisingly Commando-free edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Are other game studios taking countermeasures against RIFT? [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Launches, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Mortal Online, RIFT, Promotions

If you didn't know, today is the head start launch of RIFT and the beginning of many strained household relationships as players finally dive into Telara for real. While we've known for some time that Trion Worlds' creation was going to be a major player in the MMO field, it seems as though RIFT's release has caused other MMO studios to step up and take countermeasures.

In the past 24 hours, there have been a few significant developments that seem suspicious in regard to timing, at least. The first is that Blizzard dropped World of Warcraft's next content update, Patch 4.1, on to the public test server in the middle of the night. Mortal Online's announced that its free 14-day trial program is now active for any interested parties. ~~We've also received numerous tips that EA Mythic disabled the cancel subscription option for Warhammer Online.~~

Although we obviously can't be certain that all of these events are due to RIFT, timing, as they say, is everything. Have you seen any other MMO studios stepping up their game today as a distraction from the new shiny?

[Update: The Warhammer subscription option was a bug that should be resolved today, according to the devs.]

Are other game studios taking countermeasures against RIFT? [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP

Jef Reahard — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, EVE Online, PvP, PvE, Opinion, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Guess what! Sandbox games are for roleplayers. I don't mean that in an off-putting or elitist way, but rather I mean to say that people who enjoy and seek out sandbox MMORPGs are roleplayers whether their testosterone levels allow them to self-identify that way or not. The corporate thieves, spies, and meta-gamers in EVE Online? They're roleplaying. The gankers and hyper-competitive PvPers in Darkfall? Yep, they're roleplaying too, even when their names are variations on Loves2spooge.

The other day I was talking to one of my closest friends about MMORPGs, roleplaying, and PvP. The discussion rolled around to Darkfall, as most of my discussions these days do, and his ears perked up when I waxed on about the freedom, the skill system, and the huge world that invites you to go your own way and is remarkably unlike traditional themepark games in terms of immersive potential. Eventually I had to break the news that yes, Darkfall does feature FFA PvP, and if that wasn't bad enough, corpse looting. The horror!

Continue reading The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP

The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Darkfall or Mortal Online?

Jef Reahard — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Mortal Online

Massively's been taking a long, hard look at Aventurine's Darkfall lately, but it's not the only free-for-all-full-loot-PvP-semi-sandbox game vying for the title of heir to Ultima Online's throne. StarVault's Mortal Online is in the running too, and despite a horrific launch and less than stellar reviews over its first few months, Mortal is still around and has nowhere to go but up.

While it's debatable as to whether either of these games will ever achieve the gameplay variety that Ultima boasted in its heyday, the similarities are there, and there aren't a whole lot of additional choices for folks in search of a traditional 3-D fantasy sandbox MMORPG.

So what'll it be this morning, sandbox fans: Darkfall, Mortal, or something else?

Fight!

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Darkfall or Mortal Online? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Anti-Aliased: I can finally stop playing Mortal Online now

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, New titles, Opinion, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Anti-Aliased, Mortal Online

A long time ago, well before Mortal Online launched, I was really looking forward to playing the game. The first-person only perspective made me drool, the Unreal Engine 3 powered graphics engine looked top-notch, the endless amount of customization of weaponry made me giddy, and the sprawling open world made me bow in awe. This was a game that sat at the top of my "WANT NAO" list, and I'm not even a person who's really huge into PvP. I just wanted an Elder Scrolls/Ultima Online inspired sandbox.

Upon finally playing the game, however, all I found was a nightmare of errors, glitches, and missing systems. Mats Persson, one of the developers of Star Vault, was right: this game does lack polish, user friendliness, and many systems that could turn this sandbox into a true sandbox. Instead, all I found was a buggy, glitchy, never-ending, pointless deathmatch in an MMO world. Keep reading, and I'll be more than happy to explain every aspect of my time with Mortal Online.

If you're interested in commenting on this article, then you have to trek all the way to page 3 this week. Just a heads up!

Gallery: Mortal Online Screenshots

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: I can finally stop playing Mortal Online now

Anti-Aliased: I can finally stop playing Mortal Online now originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda

Beau Hindman — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Video, Events, in-game, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, MMOFPS, Global Agenda, Humor, Rise and Shiny

PvP is a funny thing. Essentially, it is a glorified game of tag. There are variations on the theme, of course: freeze tag, Marco Polo, or Hide-and-Seek. Most of us have had the pleasure of spending a summer evening playing it with our friends. I know that when we played it, we added the dimension of The Woods (as they were known) and all that hiding in those woods on a dark summer evening implies. It was intense, I remember. Once, I hid under a pile of leaves for 40 minutes, scared out of my mind, while my buddy tried to find me.

Good PvP can be like that, but bad PvP can ruin your evening. Bad PvP, like a rainstorm during a campout, usually ends with one or more participants taking the event way too seriously. But when you spend a few hours in good PvP, running around shooting at strangers, throwing mines at each other and getting shot down by automated turrets, your heart will race and you will realize that you have had a smile on your face most of the time.

Global Agenda has that effect on me, like a good game of tag.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda

Rise and Shiny recap: Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Beta burnout, spoilers, and testing TOR

Jef Reahard — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The recent hubbub surrounding Star Wars: The Old Republic's closed beta invites got me to thinking. Perhaps I should reconsider my recent policy against signing up for the betas of games that I'm planning on playing long-term, not only to get a sneak peak at the most anticipated title in years (purely for journalistic purposes of course), but also to help test and make my voice heard while the game is still somewhat malleable.

Then, I recalled my experiences with betas ranging from Vanguard, to Mortal Online (alpha?), to The Matrix Online, all titles which at one point or another were at the top of my list of prospective "main" MMORPGs. In each case, the testing period soured me on the games before they even launched, and while each case was different, the ultimate outcome was the same: come release, I really had no desire to be there. That changed quickly with Vanguard, and I did ultimately end up playing the release client for quite a while, but as a result of the other burnouts, I've adopted a policy of signing up for betas of those titles that don't really interest me long-term.

What say you, Massively readers? Are you prolific beta-testers who lend a bug-hunting hand to every title that comes down the pipe? Or are you more like me, selective and prone to avoiding those games you know you actually want to play at release?

The Daily Grind: Beta burnout, spoilers, and testing TOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online launch day roundup

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New titles, News items

Ever since Star Vault initially announced Mortal Online back in 2008, we've been curiously awaiting the launch of the game. With the promise of lush graphics wrapped around a heavily sandboxed PvP game, it's looked like the niche game that many players have been hungering for. Now, after a handful of setbacks and decisions to hold the release date, players will have the chance to start playing Mortal Online in earnest -- and we've got a launch-day roundup that's chock full of some of the highlights from the last two years for you!

Quick Mortal Online preview
The game appears to hail from the open world school of design, offering open looting; real-time, Elder Scrolls-esque combat; and level-free advancement (it's still a class-based game).

Mortal Online presentation puts all you want to know in one place
The Mortal Online team decided to create a PowerPoint presentation (available here -- the .rar file is 100mbs and includes some videos) to explain to the world what their game is. As it turns out, the presentation begins with a list of what their game isn't. The short version is that they're trying to make a very different MMO experience.

Continue reading Mortal Online launch day roundup

Mortal Online launch day roundup originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online enters final release stage

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online is on track for their June 9th release date -- the dev team has further confirmed that by updating their site with a countdown timer and a list of goodies for enthusiastic fans.

There's now a fansite kit for those of you who are inclined to make such a thing, a new lore section, and several announcements of things upcoming. Before launch, the forums, EULA, TOS, and naming policy will all get an overhaul. Finally, they've added a hiring announcement to the site -- Star Vault is looking for a Project Manager, a Senior Programmer, and Graphic Artists. Check out the jobs page for contact information.

One warning when you go to see all this: the new front page is set up for high resolution and does not allow scrolling. If you're running something smaller than 1600x900 you'll have to zoom out to see enough of the front page to navigate any farther.

Mortal Online is available for pre-order now.

Mortal Online enters final release stage originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What are your summer MMO plans?

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

After too many snowstorms, blizzards, blizzageddons, snowmageddons, ice storms, dreary days, and martyred meteorologists to count, we've emerged from winter as timid fleshlings, blinking in the bright spring sunlight. It's hard to imagine that in just a few weeks, we'll usher in the summer season -- traditionally a dry spell of new game releases. Still, many of us will get off school or college, or enjoy a vacation away from work, and have a chunk of gaming time open up.

So what are your MMO summer plans? Will you invest more time in your current favorite title? Are you planning on exploring old favorites, perhaps in preparation for upcoming patches and expansions? Did you miss out on a recently-released MMO, such as Star Trek Online, Global Agenda or Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, and are considering a one-month pass to check it out? Or mayhaps you're holding out for one of the rare summer releases, such as Mortal Online and APB?

What are you going to do in MMOs this summer?

The Daily Grind: What are your summer MMO plans? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 May 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online busting out tremendous banhammer on hackers

Krystalle Voecks — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Exploits, Game mechanics, PvP, News items

Hackers beware. The team at Star Vault have their eyes on you, and it's time to stop any and all shenanigans you've got going on in Mortal Online. Or else, you say? Or else the banhammer awaits you -- and according to their most recent update, it means an instant, permanent ban that could leave you staring at the login screen in frustration.

According to a post by Maerlyn on the Mortal Online forums, there is currently no set date on when software monitoring will come into play, or even what method they'll use to monitor for third-party applications or changes in the game files that are being reported. A follow-up posting by Tazaterra in the same thread indicates that anyone who has modified game files needs to stop at this time.

With the game still being tweaked pending release, we're glad to see the team at Star Vault is taking a proactive stance on this before the floodgates officially open. In a game where PvP is everything, players need to know that anyone using exploits, hacks, bots or the like to tip the game balance will be dealt with swiftly and before it causes game imbalances.

[via TTH]

Mortal Online busting out tremendous banhammer on hackers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online delayed another month

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, PvP, Mortal Online

The world has shuddered to a halt today, as news of a delay for Mortal Online's impending launch hit stock markets and internet forums everywhere. Of course, perhaps it only felt like that to fans who have been eagerly awaiting this game for years at this point. Although the hardcore MMO was scheduled to launch in March, Mortal Online's Henrik Nystrom posted on the forums yesterday that technical issues were forcing an unfortunate yet necessary delay of an additional month:

"As you know we have been working hard to solve our desync issue within the game to have a proper release of Mortal Online. We have made some progress but we think we have hit the limits on the current version of the network solution we are using. We believed we had the solution before end of March but we now see that this is not possible at the moment therefore we have to postpone the release for another month. We have been working very hard day and night now for some years and finally started to see the goal and release, we just have to put another gear in before we are going to release Mortal Online. Thank you for your feedback and support that helped us to take this important decision. We will announce a final release date at a later time."

You can read the full announcement on the Mortal Online forums, and stay tuned to Massively for upcoming first impressions and a firm launch date of this PvP title.

[Thanks Bartillo!]

Continue reading Mortal Online delayed another month

Mortal Online delayed another month originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online to launch this month

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, PvP, Mortal Online

If you've been watching the development of Mortal Online, you may know that open beta has started at the beginning of February, and the guys at Star Vault have been hard at work improving and polishing the game. Players watching the progression of the game have been pretty curious to know when launch is. Well, we have our answer, and if you're in a hurry for launch to arrive you are going to be pretty happy. Word came to the Mortal Online site yesterday that the game will launch in March of this year.

That gives Star Vault just over two weeks to finish all of the final touches, a situation that might make those familiar with the game so far a bit nervous about what to expect at launch. No worries, say the guys manning the controls:"The largest part of problems in the game right now is directly related to the desync between client and server. We are confident that with the next patch on Monday most, if not all of those problems will be solved."

More details are in the official announcement, and there's a brand-new game trailer for you to look at after the jump!

Continue reading Mortal Online to launch this month

Mortal Online to launch this month originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Famous last words

Krystalle Voecks — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST

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

When it comes to sandboxy PvP games, people have been checking out the Mortal Online open beta. With a wide-open world where anything could happen, and often does, it's undoubtedly going to draw players. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the game is quite lovely to look at, such as today's Mortal Online One Shots from Xaan. He writes in to relate his recent experience in the beta:

This picture shows my character, Xaan, overlooking the main district in the NPC shore city - Meduli. I had just killed someone's deer and in order to avoid someone calling the guards on me, I went into this butchery building where I found some stairs leading up to a balcony from which I took this shot. Right after I took the shot, I heard someone taking out a sword from behind me. I turned around and I saw this guy with some metal armor, pointing his sword at me. I waved at him, and he said, "you killed my Gazelle." With that, he finished our friendly conversation and cut my head off.

If you're taking part in a beta you think is pretty cool (make sure the NDA is down) why not send us a screenshot? We'd love to see it. Just send it 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 it out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: Famous last words originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online releases new game trailer

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, New titles, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online's open beta began yesterday, but closed beta players have been enjoying the game for a while now, right along with the development team.

The Mortal Online team has been collecting game footage from closed beta and working on a game trailer for the past few weeks. They're drawing the suspense out by showing it to fans in parts, and part one was released today. They do warn us that it's not super polished, as it was created using the then-current build of the game, but it's still a great look at the world of Nave.

You'll see a fair amount of players, as the video is composed entirely of in-game footage from beta, and Mortal Online sent out a big thank you to all the players who participated in the production. Take a look at part one of the trailer after the jump, and we'll keep an eye out for the next two parts!

Continue reading Mortal Online releases new game trailer

Mortal Online releases new game trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online's open beta starts February 1st

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST

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

The upcoming sandbox MMO from Star Vault, Mortal Online, is finally entering its awaited open beta on February 1st. While the game has been in testing for quite some time, getting beta access meant pre-ordering a copy of the game, which turned several people off from the idea. But not only is the game going to become easier to take part in testing starting on Monday, there are two carrots thrown in to help entice players.

First off, any existing beta characters will not be wiped upon the commencement of open beta. That means anyone already playing, whether in the closed beta or as part of the game's recent stress test, will get to keep their character that they've worked on. Second, while in open beta the game's price will be dropped by five euros (about $7), which means that if you like the game, it's even easier to decide to make it a full-time home.

Downsides? Only one - as community manager Maerlyn points out, the testing will be based on a single server cluster in Stockholm, so their may be server caps or slight connection issues depending on distance. But that's hardly enough to take away from the good news. If you've been waiting for Mortal Online, your day is almost here.

[ Thanks to Bartillo and David for the tip! ]

Mortal Online's open beta starts February 1st originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online gearing up for stress test

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST

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

The last bit of news we heard about the upcoming Mortal Online was the sad news that the launch had been pushed back to early this year. Luckily, today's news is significantly happier for fans of the game, even if you're not currently in the beta. The official word from community manager Maerlyn is that they're beginning a limited open beta early next week: specifically, a stress test of the game's servers. They want to get as many people online as humanly possible, and that means anyone with an account set up can log in -- beta tester or not.

Maerlyn emphasizes that the event is not meant as an "entertainment" event, although it still promises to be fun -- most likely meaning that those of you hoping to run around unrestrained will be slightly curtailed. The stress test will follow the deployment of a brand new patch to the game, although the content and updates of that patch are as of yet undisclosed. Still, any Mortal Online fans looking forward to the open beta -- or to the release of the game -- should be more than a little excited. Keep a close watch on the official forums for the announcement of exact dates and times.

[ Thanks to George for the tip! ]

Mortal Online gearing up for stress test originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online newsletter announces launch delays, holiday discounts

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New titles, News items, Mortal Online

We all know that launch dates for an MMO are loose targets at best and long shots in the darkness at worst. While it's disappointing when a game doesn't hit the target date, by and large players are used to it and all but expect it to happen -- it's part of the cycle. But it's still more than a little depressing to see that Mortal Online, the upcoming game from Star Vault, is going to be delayed by a month. That's the word in the latest newsletter for the game's fans, which is a bit of a depressing way to lead into the holidays, to say the least.

The Limited Editions of the boxed game will also be seeing a slight delay, due to production issues with the artbook included. To compensate purchasers of the Limited Edition, an extra week of free playtime is being added to make up for the delayed ship. And to help take the sting off the entire sad process of delaying the game, Star Vault is offering discounts on both digital downloads and the last boxed editions of the game. Mortal Online's fans and beta testers are still likely to be sad about the delay, of course, but a few little bonuses never fail to take the edge off.

Mortal Online newsletter announces launch delays, holiday discounts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments