Massively

The Daily Grind: Would you pay to interview a developer?

Brianna Royce — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Interviews, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind, Mortal Online, Community Q&A, Sandbox

Earlier this week, we reported on one of the stranger interview setups we've seen in a while. A player of Mortal Online who goes by the handle Aralis was given the chance to interview Star Vault CEO Henrik Nystrom about the state of the game. There was just oooooone little itty-bitty catch: Aralis landed the interview only because he'd been the top donator to the game in January. In fact, he'd ponied up $1000.

The interview is fraught with a few other issues, such as the fact that Nystrom dodges some of the player's questions and smooths over others, which'd probably annoy me if I had just effectively spent $1000 for the privilege of emailing a few questions off to a dev I admired (but then again, I'm pretty used to getting my questions ignored for free). Readers also pointed out the weirdness of "donating" to an MMO in an era of free-to-play.

But let's stick to basics. What do you guys think? Would you pay any amount of money just to snag a sit-down with your favorite developer? How much, and what would you expect, exactly, in return?

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: Would you pay to interview a developer? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online CEO interviewed by top contributing player

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, Mortal Online, Community Q&A

Each month, Mortal Online developer Star Vault rewards its top donation contributor with certain rewards for aiding development. In January, the top contributor was a player by the name of Aralis who was granted a custom "Champion of Nave" title showing that he donated $1,000 and was also given the opportunity to interview the development studio's CEO, Henrik Nystrom, in a one-on-one interview.

Some interesting points from the interview focus on future development, and Aralis pulls no punches when asking about a development timeline and the absence of promised content.

Check out the entire interview over at the Mortal Online forums, and let us know what you think about the Q&A.

Mortal Online CEO interviewed by top contributing player originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online is now free-to-play with a video to prove it

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Business Models, Free-to-Play, Mortal Online

The epic sandbox MMO Mortal Online has gone free-to-play today, allowing any interested player to have access to the entire game for the low, low price of zero!

The new business model allows for a free account as well as a Premier account status with a regular subscription rate as low as nine Euro a month (with discounts given to bulk time purchases and Facebook users). Premium status opens the skill levels to 100, while F2P players are restricted to 60. Premium accounts also allow thievery skills and expensive object looting and trading. Both free and Premium players have the option to expand the characters slots from one to four, but customers who bought the game before will be grandfathered in with three slots.

Be sure to check out all the details on the switchover over at the official forums, and enjoy the F2P trailer embedded after the cut.

[Thanks to all who sent this one in!]

Continue reading Mortal Online is now free-to-play with a video to prove it

Mortal Online is now free-to-play with a video to prove it originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: October 8 - 14, 2012

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

Awareness. Social, self, spatial -- whatever your flavor of awareness, it's a useful trait. And if livestreamers have got it, great. If not, well then Massively TV is just that much more amusing! Didn't notice that boss mob standing at your heels? Chuckles ensue. Was that actually a cliff two steps back? A good belly laugh commences. Yes sir, these things and more have transpired while all eyes were watching.

Don't miss out on the fun! Tune in this week to watch The Stream Team members as they brave a variety of worlds, or watch the classic episodes of yester-streams, so you can see for yourself how well the Massively livestreamers exhibit awareness. But what about you readers? How does your awareness measure up? You could test yourself with the basketball clip, or you can keep reading and take Massively's own awareness pop quiz at the end!

Continue reading The Stream Team: October 8 - 14, 2012

The Stream Team: October 8 - 14, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rise and Shiny: Mortal Online

Beau Hindman — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Bugs, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Virtual Worlds, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, Sandbox

There are so many issues and subjects to cover this week, thanks to the limited time I spent in Mortal Online, a free-for-all PvP sandbox by Star Vault. I've played my share of MMOs that are similar to Mortal Online, games like EVE Online, Darkfall, Ultima Online, Wurm Online, Salem, and others. Essentially the idea is to set players loose in a massive, open world that is closer to "realistic" than standard themepark MMOs. Players might spend time farming or fishing or hunting down other players or mobs. It's generally a good idea to prepare yourself for a lot of running around, hiding, and slowly figuring out what to do when playing a FFA PvP sandbox.

Games like Mortal Online provoke questions like "Why is nudity an option at all?" and "Why is there stamina (and other realistic features) alongside magic and no permanent death?" I've learned to forget those questions and just take each specific FFA MMO as it is. Mortal Online stands alone in many ways. Unfortunately, being known as a buggy mess is one of those. I've played many buggy MMOs in my time but have enjoyed myself immensely in some of them (remember, I hosted an early Vanguard: Saga of Heroes podcast!), so I wasn't scared of jumping into an MMO that was supposed to be rough to say the least.

What did I find? Well, I found a ton -- and I mean a ton -- of bugs. But I also found a pretty cool community (yes, I just said that) and some grand adventure. Let me break it down.

Gallery: Mortal Online revisit screenshots

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Mortal Online

Rise and Shiny: Mortal Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: October 1 - 7, 2012

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Guides, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

Ahh, October! A month of changes: the leaves, the clocks, the infamous fall line up... wait, don't change that dial!

You may notice that a new show has taken over MV Guide's time slot. Was that a gasp? There's no need to worry; Massively TV isn't going anywhere! All your favorite livestreaming info is still included here in this new weekly adventure. And that's not all! On top of the who, what, and where, you get not one, not two, but three action-packed sections highlighting livestream goodness, all rolled into just one weekly show!

So welcome to the pilot episode of The Stream Team! Grab some snacks, settle in, and check out this week's adventures (and the special guest star section) after the break.

Continue reading The Stream Team: October 1 - 7, 2012

The Stream Team: October 1 - 7, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online welcomes back all former players for a free week

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST

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

MMOs change at a breakneck pace, but you don't always have time to check back in and see what changes have taken place. Mortal Online has just recently released its second major expansion, and the community staffers want everyone to check in and see how the game has grown, so they're giving you the chance to do just that. Starting today you can hop into the game and experience all of the improvements in Awakening for free if you previously subscribed to Mortal Online.

If you've played in the past but haven't been following the game recently, you might have missed all of the features added by Awakening, including new AI mechanics and a variety of new combat abilities. The free play period will last for the next week, more than enough time to patch the client and take a look at the latest update to the game.

[Thanks to Chris for the tip!]

Mortal Online welcomes back all former players for a free week originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online is due for an Awakening

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Mortal Online, Sandbox

Awakening is the latest free expansion for Mortal Online, and it's available on the live servers today. What does that mean? It means that the game will benefit from a new GUI, a new AI system for NPCs, a new region, and a whole lot of new options for players to enjoy the game.

Some of the UI changes include an easier system for making use of workbenches, the addition of slash commands and macro functionality for abilities, and a new method for determining the direction of strikes in combat. Players will also have access to new combat skills, new out-of-combat skills, and a rebuilt taxation system.

The update also contains several bugfixes, but the patch notes warn players that the large update will be a bumpy ride at first. Players are asked to petition the customer support team only when absolutely necessary. But even with the likelihood of bugs, there's a lot for Mortal Online players to appreciate in this expansion.

[Thanks to Chris for the tip!]

Mortal Online is due for an Awakening originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

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

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

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, Hands-On (Massively's), 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

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

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

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

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

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

Curious about Mortal Online? Ask the developers your questions

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, Mortal Online, Community Q&A

Mortal Online is a game we've been following closely here at Massively. Developed by Swedish studio Star Vault, the game promises some features that are unique to the realm of fantasy MMOs. But we've heard that all before, haven't we? In a time when MMO gamers tend to be more skeptical about new offerings, it's good to see some concrete evidence and first-hand information on games that fly the "unique" flag.

With Mortal Online's NDA lift last week, we figured this would be the best time to interview the development team before the game aims for an official launch. Following our recent tradition of gathering questions straight from the Massively readers, we want your questions! Email your Mortal Online questions to shawn AT massively DOT com before Thursday, December 3rd at 8am EST, and we'll gather up the ten best for Star Vault. Once they're answered, we'll post the complete Q&A here on the site.

Curious about Mortal Online? Ask the developers your questions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online lifts the NDA

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Previews, News Items, Mortal Online

Getting into a closed beta is usually good news for the player, with one unmistakable caveat -- the NDA. You can't talk about anything that's going on when you play the game, either the cool features that are encouraging to anyone on the fence about the game or the horrible problems that make it a miserable slog. Mortal Online has long been fairly quiet to the outside simply because of its NDA -- but that changes now. As of today, the NDA is lifted on the game and it can be discussed freely.

Henrik Nystrom on the official forums explains that while the game is still undergoing more polish, the core features have all been implemented and tested, which means that the developers are comfortable having the game discussed and dissected elsewhere. The post also states that the release date might be pushed back a little, as well as the plans for the game to move into a fully-open free-to-play beta as they move on to the next phase of testing. It's certainly good news for people interested in Mortal Online who didn't want to purchase the game sight-unseen. So, if you've been playing the game in beta so far, what are your thoughts? You can tell us all about it now.

[Thanks Mortal Online Radio!]

Mortal Online lifts the NDA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online devs appearing on MO-Radio

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New Titles, Mortal Online

MO-Radio, the fan run Mortal Online radio show, has boasted some familiar names as guests on their Tuesday Night Talk Show for the past few months. Quite a few members of the Star Vault development team have visited, including concept artist Hannu Kokkonen, programmer Max Lindgren, and sound design dev Henrik Ekholm as well as a few others. The weekly show topics have covered some great details of Mortal Online design, and it's great to see the dev team being so involved with a fan endeavor.

Their latest guest is Andreas Springare (level design). He will be appearing on tomorrow's show, titled "It's not the next level, it's the fourth wall!" While the show airs for the first time tomorrow, reruns will air three times on Wednesday for anyone who missed it. Take a look at the official show site for a full schedule, and on the Mortal Online forums for an overview of Tuesday Night Talk Show.

Mortal Online devs appearing on MO-Radio originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mortal Online interview explains game's concept and design elements

James Egan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, Crafting, PvP, Mortal Online

Mortal Online is a new fantasy MMO, presently in beta, from Sweden-based developer Star Vault. While Mortal Online is a game we haven't learned a great deal about so far at Massively, we have gathered a few things about the title. We know Mortal Online has an emphasis on PvP, with comparisons being made between this title and Darkfall, but it would be inaccurate to say it's only going to be a game that PvPers will enjoy. MO has a deep crafting system as well; in fact, all game items can be crafted by players. Star Vault is also dispensing with some of the conventions typical of fantasy MMOs in favor of new or different approaches: no levels or experience points; no quests or instances; first person view rather than third person; combat that requires manual aiming/targeting; no NPCs that drop items they couldn't possibly have -- bears won't drop golden coins, for example.

There's now some more info about the game in an interview at MMORPG.com with Mortal Online Creative Director Mats Persson. He explains some of the basic concepts behind the first-person sandbox of Mortal Online, and how it's "a niche skill-based fantasy game for a mature audience."

Continue reading Mortal Online interview explains game's concept and design elements

Mortal Online interview explains game's concept and design elements originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments