Mortal Online

[Morreion]

Mortal Online - an upcoming MMORPG by the Swedish video game company Star Vault that is currently in the Beta testing stage. The game uses Unreal Engine 3 by Epic Games, uses a skill-based system and focuses on a sandbox-style of gameplay. It is scheduled for release during Q4 2009.

Mortal Online official site

A Brief Look at Mortal Online

Mortal Online information at MMORPG.com

Mortal Online coverage at Ten Ton Hammer

[Morreion]

Mortal Online lifts the NDA

Official announcement- lifting the NDA

MMORPG.com forums- NDA is lifted feel free to ask questions

I'm getting a 'Darkfall' feeling from this game...

[Regolyth]

Nov 24, 2009 8:02:55 GMT -5 Morreion said:

I'm getting a 'Darkfall' feeling from this game...

So it won't be out for another ten years?

[Morreion]

Mortal Online: CEO Interview (MMORPG.com)

MMORPG.com:

What are the biggest challenges in building this type of game from a development stand point?

Henrik Nyström:

There are quite a few challenges in building a game like this, especially with a small team. Game play wise there are built-in difficulties with the sandbox environment; you never know what the players will do without all the "usual" restrictions that come from levels, experience points, instances and the inability to attack or loot other players. Production-wise, it's frustrating not to be able to deliver all features as fast as you like with these limited resources. This means we've ended up in situations where we have to release feature A to test it in time, but without feature B that clarifies its purpose and "explains" its set of rules for the players, who sometimes go mad. If we had more time, more staff and a big QA team behind locked doors the facade of the game would have looked very different, but at the same time it's extremely rewarding to have the honest feedback of real players. Last but not least we constantly worry about finding and eliminating all bugs on major systems, and how to best prioritize the order in which we produce, polish and balance features to make "everyone" happy with our choices.

[Morreion]

Mortal Online's open beta starts February 1st (Massively)

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.

[Morreion]

Things look ‘meh for Mortal Online (Game by Night)

Is it just me, or is there a distinctly negative vibe coming from this release? When I read it, I couldn’t help but feel like they were saying “yeah, the game isn’t that good, it’s sucked for us too, but we have to launch, so buy the box and we’ll work it out.” Generally, these kinds of messages are sunshine and roses. This one sounded more like the kind of release that comes five weeks out of the gate and the developer is treading water. Replace “Mortal” with “Champions” and “SV” with “Cryptic Studios” and nobody would ever know the difference.

Color me disappointed. This game looked distinctly cool in an old-school kind of way. At this point, I couldn’t see buying the box until it’s less than thirty bucks and has another six months of development going for it.

Sounds all too familiar these days

[Morreion]

Mortal Online creates exclusive guild leader forum (Massively)

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.

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

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.

No punches pulled in this review!

[Morreion]

Mortal Online: Survivor Guy: Mortal Online Edition
In his latest Survivor Guy installment, MMORPG.com's Adam Tingle takes a look at Mortal Online. Mortal Online is one of those game styled along the lines of Ultima Online and Adam found a lot to like and to be wary of in his sojourn in Mortal Online. Check out Adam's thoughts about Mortal Online and then add yours to the mix on the forums.

"There is sweat on my brow and blood on my hands. Behind me are the unmistakable sounds of horse’s hooves and the angry patter of running-feet. An arrow whizzes past my left cheek and shatters into a tree trunk. I am not running quick enough; my stamina is running low and my combatants know this. My pace stalls, breathless and aching from pursuit I slowly but surely come to a fearful halt. Before you could say ‘retribution’ my head is parted from my neck and three fellows are digging into what remains of my corpse. Apparently in Mortal Online a posse of angry players will form if you spend the majority of your time murdering and stealing things. Who knew?"

Mortal Online: Survivor Guy: Mortal Online Edition Pt. 2
Last week, MMORPG.com's one and only Survivor Guy, Adam Tingle, gave the first part of his Mortal Online report. During his early time, Adam found the game to be much like Ultima Online with plenty to like even with potential death lurking around many corners. In Survivor Guy: Mortal Online Edition Pt. 2, Farming & Pig Taming, the Kindness of Strangers and more. If you've played or are thinking about playing Mortal Online, check out Adam's thoughts. Afterward, head over and post your thoughts.

"Battered, bruised, and broken I emerged from the shade of the woodland. Catching a glimpse at my feet I noticed they were bare and unclothed - the gang that had moments ago chased me out of town, killing me in the process, had taken my shoes, my shoes. While it is true that just hours previously these garments were in the comfortable possession of an over-confident woodcutter, I was still bewildered at the monstrosity of people. Putting on a brave face I set out into the wilderness; in my mind I was a hardened adventurer - my naked feet simply added to the illusion that I was the Mortal Online equivalent of John McLane. Yippi-ki-yay-mother-effers."

Mortal Online: Survivor Guy: Mortal Online Edition Pt. 3
MMORPG.com's Adam Tingle has been spending a lot of time playing Mortal Online. In fact, he's already written two Survivor Guy articles (Part 1 and Part 2) detailing his experiences so far. Today Adam reaches "The End of the Road" with his ongoing adventures in Mortal Online. See if things have gotten any better for Adam and then leave us a comment.

"Life in the world of Nave was treating me tougher than expected. My previous days of banditry and larceny were at an end, and I was now on the path of the straight and narrow – a reformed convict. After my disastrous time trying to make ends meet as a murdering brigand, I retreated back into the character creation tools and started afresh as Marr Second. I was now to be an upstanding and moral citizen; no more lazy player killing or fruitless revenge plots; I was going to do it right this time."

Good writing! Not sure I'm interested in playing, but the articles were well-done and entertaining.

"Survival in Mortal Online is tough and brutal. My time of endurance was fraught with danger but also excitement. Those that last the hardships of the game are surely warriors of note, but to paraphrase Rocky Balboa, Mortal Online is about how much you can take and keep moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to read my adventures in the world of Nave and I wish you good luck in any survival you may embark upon."