Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Written by: William Usher • Edited by: Michael Hartman
Updated Jun 3, 2010 • Related Guides: MMORPG | Elder Scrolls Iv | Mmorpgs

A review for one of the most highly anticipated games of year. Unfortunately the game doesn't quite live up to its anticipation.

A Mortal Waste Of Time

I don’t believe I have ever played a more frustrating game with such a cool concept than Star Vaults depressingly bad Mortal Online. This game is so bad on so many levels I almost don’t know where to begin, but I certainly know what I want to tell every gamer out there who even thinks about playing this game: Don’t ever think about playing Mortal Online!

Here's a few reasons of why you might enjoy Mortal Online, but you might be an anti-gamer if you think this is what you find to be enjoyable: Starting a game with pretty much no help on what to do or no direction on where to go or how to get anything done. Being robbed anytime you come across something useful while another player is around. Losing everything in your inventory every time you die. Traveling for hours on end just to reach a town. Constant PvP being active even inside towns. No clear enemies to attack other than animals and other players.

Now, I’m sure that fair warning will go unheeded so I’ll proceed to explain exactly why this is one of the worst MMORPGs ever made and why it’s a game worth avoiding, especially considering that the game has partial pay-to-play models in place, which is just thievery all the way around.

Concept
Rating

I did say that this game is frustrating and worth avoiding, but certainly not because of its conceptual design and adventuring. Mortal Online is an entirely open-ended game with the option for players to build their houses just about anywhere, attack anyone at any time and ultimately develop their character with no limitations on how they progress. On paper this sounds intriguing and in-game it seems refreshing, however, the execution of these ideas are as poorly implemented as ever. I don’t even know what game I could possibly compare Mortal Online to, in terms of how bad the concepts were executed…heck, it’s even worse than NIDA Online and that game was pretty darn awful.

The problem is that the non-targeting concept, large, explorable environments and seemingly real-to-life take on the MMORPG genre just doesn’t come together. It seemed like the developers finished playing Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and felt like making an MMORPG version of that game but didn’t bother actually trying to make the gameplay match what they put down on paper.

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guest Feb 13, 2012 12:54 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

reminds me alot of tibia in the good old days :)

WarHound Feb 9, 2012 5:17 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

lol, playing mortal for almost 2 years. and the guy who made this review is 2 things and 2 things only. 1. noobie who's hand must be held in the game. 2. he MAD. must be cuz GODLY or someone killed him in fab....

An Feb 5, 2012 9:54 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

You are everything that is wrong with fanbois. And don't you dare to insult UO by comparing it to this pile of garbage. You are defending a poorly designed game as a feature on purpose, while it is not. It is exactly what it is - poorly designed. To start without any directions is not hardcore or sandbox, it is simply bad design. Your so beloved sandbox would not be changed in the slightest if it introduced some handholding to get the new players familiar with the game easier, but it would greatly benefit new players. Nor such a feature prevents you from becoming what you want to be, once you actually understood how game works. You are cancer that is killing sandbox gaming, making developers think that the PvP is the only core they ever need, and scaring off the potential customers who would have loved the sandbox games such as Mortal online if only developers listened to sensible people asking for some user friendly features. What you need to learn is that annoying does not equal to hardcore and that user friendly features does not turn a game into a themepark.

Lars Feb 4, 2012 4:24 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Jesus christ I know this post is old but still. Don't flame a game you don't understand... Yes it doesn't appeal to everybody, but it is an amazing game. For us people who played ultima online in the early days this is a gift from above. If you find anything that is actually bad about the game please write about it, but complaining that other people can kill you and steal your stuff hardly makes it a bad game.. it makes it a challenging game, if you don't like it it's not because the game is bad, it's because the game is not for you. A review should be objective not subjective. Is the pvp bad? No. Is the thievery a pure annoyance? No, it adds depth and immersion to the game. Off to another town with a haul of valuable goods, get waylayed and lose everything makes you want to quit the game? Too bad, for many of us it adds to the excitement of the game. It brings people together and keeps you on your toes at all times. Friends actually count, and your enemies are really your enemies, they can actually harm you. Also you say that the game starts out without any direction, true, but it is a sandbox mmo after all. Just like in good old (pre p15 at least) ultima online, it places you in a large world to be whatever you want to be. It's as much a social experiment as it is a game. I've made every friend I have try this game and sure some don't get it and hate it. Some don't enjoy how unfair the game can be, some gets pissed of by the glitches. But most of them actually enjoys it! The game does have alot of glitches, but they are much fewer and less critical than in the beta. I've managed to overlook most of them. If you like me see great potential in the game, you must support the developers so they can actually improve upon these things. And my final word to anyone who might want to give this a try, don't be afraid to ask for help ingame the community is generally very friendly. Even many of the known playerkillers are friendly toward

David Sep 20, 2011 6:05 PM

Great game

To all real gamers if you like actuall war over land and fighting over resources in a real time action game with a high skill based combat system then play MO
map = huge and stunning
combat = Skill based and massive

To the cuddle bears who call them selfs gamers

and yes there are thieves but if your fast and not retarded you can stop them
all you have to do is push them
i know you actually have to do something? must be awfull

lawl you to cuddly? cant handle a game that wont hand you everything and hold your hand the hole way? haha pathetic why are you reviewing games if you dont like them? go play wow if you wana be cuddles some more and handed stuff just because you pay to play....

frootloops Sep 20, 2011 11:11 AM

cant even play

I was going to give this terrible game one more try but it wont even let me play there is an error after i downloaded 9GB!! Man these guys at star vault dont deserve to call them self game designers. I cant wait for the fall of MO.

Shorty Bible Sep 16, 2011 11:19 PM

Total garbage

I read this entire thread. I also purchased MO back in block D. Back during that time, the community so called hardcore players would always call anyone that was critical of MO care bear, or tell them to go back to WOW.
Now that there is no one to play with they are all asking players to do the trial. haha The game is still a glitchy bug fest where exploiters rule.
This review that was done 15 months ago was accurate and still is accurate. I wonder how many of it's defenders still play?
Don't waste your time on this steaming pile of dung.
Stay away stay far far away.

Schkagg Aug 9, 2011 3:47 PM

Try it.

Just saying.. Try it, its free. Dont be shy and ask for help, you will need it! But once u get the hang of it, it will ruin other games for you! I have never had as much fun as i have in this game, in any other game. And i have played alot.

Ruellis Jun 24, 2011 7:35 AM

to Anonymous

"be killed over and over again"? I don't know how low IQ one must have to be killed over and over again. It is no problem for me to stay alive, for very long time. On the other side you can be killed in many styles. Once I was killed by a robber who demanded money or life. so I choose fight and lose everything I had on me. The recent two times I was killed was in the forest by an elephant (compodon) and in the city when two guy setup a trap so I get gray and they called guard.

MO is the harsh and dangerous world, if you seek fight you get one. But if you avoid fight you can live long. There is no God mode, if it is what you want then I am sorry you will not find one. Is there any game that you don't get killed?

cc Jun 24, 2011 1:34 AM

Terrible

Do not spend even a min on this game, it was terrible when it was released and is just as bad if not worse now, its only good for the sociopaths out there, for you will be killed over and over again. Graphics 1/10 gameplay 1/10 concept 1/10 there is no story nothing to do, this is a fly by night company that is pulling every trick in the book to stay afloat, they are even 2x and 3x charging people, give me a break guys. I just hope the free trial will let everyone know what a total peice of garbage the game is.
Peace

anonymous Jun 24, 2011 1:19 AM

Terrible!!!

I just need to put my 2 cents in here. I got sucked in by the really good marketing of this game, the videos looked cool, and the game it self sounded amazing. So i payed for it on release and even threw in an extra 30 bucks because i thought i needed to have an active subscription when i did not. So 90 bucks later and ... Total Garbage!!!! I would not have spent 5 bucks on the game if I would have known how bad it is, everything from the graphics to the controls are awful. I tried my hardest to get into it, so i could justify my 90 bucks. I stopped playing less than a month in, sucked it up and went on with my life. Then I found out those clowns were giving refunds to unsatisfied customers well it was three
months since my purchase and was pretty much out of luck on that, what kind of company calls there bad and gives refunds back they never should have released that game, they just needed a cash grab and rolled with it. Now i hear they are double and tripple charging unsuspecting customers, and if you dont notice it you are hit out of luck. What ards, they say its not there fault because they dont handle the billing yeah im sure they have nothing to do with it. I downloaded the free trial they have to see if the game is any better its actually worse, still buggy and seems even more difficult to play, you will be killed over and over again no matter what you do. Graphics are still terrrible DO NOT BUY THIS PILE!!!!!!
I know your thinking to yourself this guy is just mad he spent money on a game he doesent like, well thats not the case i just dont want anyone else to wast any time on this crap when there are so many good mmos out there, just get ffxiv its totally free to play right now.

Ruellis Jun 16, 2011 11:01 AM

@Anonymous

You should start killing pigs (after cutting wood to gain some strength) if you want to combat. In this way you raise your stats and combat skill, and you can make money and food. Bows made with low skill are useless anyway as I learn when tried this route with one of my chars.

Anonymous Jun 14, 2011 11:00 PM

Here's the Great Big Story of My Experience with MO

So I began this game thinking that I would start a bow crafter, however I then found out that I needed wood and money to start that. So I chopped wood for hours, days even, and I eventually managed to save up enough money for a few skill books and some basic equipment. That's all good and well, however, when I went to actually make the bow, I found that the crafting table is bugged. Okay, no bow crafter for me.

"Well", I thought, "maybe I'll enjoy another aspect of the game, maybe something a little easier." I picked mining, slag hauling they call it in game. I succeeded at this and was soon bringing in some gold, it was even kind of fun, becoming a master of metals, slowly, one lore book at a time.

Soon after, Dawn came out, and I was so excited for the new content! "I'll start a cook!" I thought, quite innocently. Then, there were the constant crashes, the character screen bugs... "But hey!" I told myself, "the game is still good!" I needed to make the best of that subscription money.

So I start my cook, get her stats up a little with woodcutting, make a bit of money, the typical new character thing. Then I decide that I should send some money from my slag hauler to my lovely new cook. I use the suicide method, perhaps not the safest, but it worked for me so many times before.

What happened next was probably my own fault. With my newly looted gold I practically pranced over to the library to grab a few skill books, but before I knew it, somebody called "guard" and I was lying on the ground, the death screen being reflected in my dilated pupils. "My gold!" I thought, "I worked so hard!" I sucked it up though and went back onto my slag hauler, who was now starving and suffering from stat loss because of his recent death. Then I crashed.

I have since stopped playing Mortal Online. I really like the concept. A free world where I'm not forced into being completely focused on combat?! I'm in! However, working for weeks with no real gain is kind of ridiculous.

Richard Carroll Jun 14, 2011 12:46 PM

Mortal Online

Looking beyond the murders and criminal acts that occur in MO there are the bugs LOTS of them.Like one minute you are mining in the desert ,the next you are drowning in a mysterious lake. Since Dawn,the expansion it's like playing the beta version a year ago.Support has been spotty and unresolved,No way to comment on forums.No way to report bugs.can't go two minutes without crashing and most of my avatars can't be played because when chosen the game crashes.This game work? If it was I'd Quit.My subscriptions are due for renewal but I think my long standing patience has run out on this game

An Apr 13, 2011 9:49 AM

@Jay

Please don't insult Mount and Blade combat by saying its like MO. MOs combat is slow, clunky and unsponsive. It's shallow on content and should not be compared to UO either, specially considering how MOs "advanced" crafting just results in everyone using couple of FOTM weapons.

But you seems to be a bit of a masochist, and finally have found a game suiting your tastes atleast! =)

Jay Apr 13, 2011 2:01 AM

Great MMO

Played the trial for a few days, then bought the full subscription. If you played Ultima Online pre-Trammel and enjoyed it, you will love this game. However, if you play WoW or some other carebear game look elsewhere. Full loot and skill based, has the same feel as old UO with good graphics and a great combat (similar to Mount & Blade) and crafting system + completely player controlled economy = best mmo in over a decade. Thank you Star Vault!

Jdub Apr 8, 2011 10:37 PM

Old UO player

After playing UO, no game with any less freedom appealed to me. after uo, i plaqyed EVE online for several years, which is a pretty good sandbox game itself(which ill stick with). Ive been playign the trial for MO, because the video spo0ke of thigns i haadnt heard of SINCE uo. When i got in the game, i was frustrated with the lack of tutorial or direction (much like i was when i first played UO.."Hold tab and double click me!" said the guy.) But after learning soem basics and how to do things im enjoying the game immensly. I got PKed for the first tiem today too, i loved it.

~ Apr 5, 2011 7:55 AM

@William

As long as you consider it for a re-review I'm happy, and I'm no hardcore gamer, lol.

The game is actually fairly easy until you get into wars and such since guilds completely protect areas around towns and people sit in towns ready to help you with anything you need. You can easily avoid combat entirely and just craft, mine, hunt, etc.

William Usher Apr 4, 2011 11:47 PM

@Below

Well, I still have to moderate the comments for this article so it's not too hard (or time consuming) to spend less than a minute or two to comment.

If really hardcore gamers are looking for a game like this then they're going to play it regardless of what the review says. However, most gamers out there are casual gamers and MO will not appeal to them.

As it stands there are several other games in queue to be previewed, reviewed and have guides published for them, so even so Mortal Online would have to be post-poned for consideration of a re-review.

~ Apr 4, 2011 5:29 PM

@William

William, to those who are considering playing the game this probably WILL be the "be all" "end all" of the game to them, especially since this review is first on many searches and is commented on a lot. The review clearly doesn't favor the game and I myself have not played games entirely because of bad reviews. Since you've also replied to most of these comments I seriously doubt you don't have the time to change the article. I mean really, you've replied to my very comment within two days. As I agree with you that every game review cannot be changed after every update, however I think you can make MO an exception considering the enormous progress after a year and many complaints on this review.

Frankly this game has gotten enormously better and even has a free expansion on the way, and this review is probably turning many potential players away because they think the game is still like this.

Dino Apr 4, 2011 2:18 AM

Damn sry...

I didnt saw that the review was made right after the release.

THEN... i totally agree to this review hehe :) The game was in a very bad state.

But William, lets keep it short and say MO is hardcore. A broken hardcore game is not hardcore, its almost "raping" for the players. But now its a totally differant game and its not untypical to make a second review for a game. You dont have to delete this review but i swear, if you take your time for a new one this game will get 4 stars :)

Magnolia Apr 3, 2011 9:39 PM

Lack of Qualification

How are these critics chosen? It's laughable to read such ignorance coming from a so call expert as to what gamers are looking for.. This one truly missed the point when his cons are actually the selling point of what many want. I'm having a ball and you can consider me a vet in this kind of game as I was there at the beginning and nine years of UO. It is obvious to those of us oldies who knows what we like and a very refreshing younger group of gamers who are looking for the freedom of a sandbox game, that we don't believe everything we read.

William Usher Apr 3, 2011 3:58 PM

@Below

You need to understand that reviews are not the "be all" "end all" of a video game. Also, reviews reflect the state of the game when it's released.

If this review is updated or changed or deleted simply at the whim of every update MO receives, then the same would have to apply to EVERY SINGLE GAME that gets reviewed at any site.

No one has the time, money or resources to update every review based on every update a game receives. That's just how it works.

~ Apr 3, 2011 11:53 AM

@An

Exactly my point why this review should be changed/deleted.

Whether the game design is "good" is purely opinion. And Dino seems to be yet another who disagrees that Mortal "failed at it." I'm not sure if you've ever PKed with a group or even raided/defended a keep, but it's a lot more intense than any other MMO and rivals singleplayer games. Not sure if you realize that the point of a "good and smart" game design is that people have fun with it, and clearly people do.

An Apr 3, 2011 5:34 AM

@Dino

You do realize the review is quite old, which probably explains why you don't experience half of the issues William takes up in the review?

I could also spend half an hour explaining to you what good and smart game design is, and why MO failed at it (hardcore doesn't necessarily have to be annoying, mind you), but I don't think it will be of any use.

Dino Apr 2, 2011 6:32 PM

Dear William...

Your review is a big fail.

It seems like that you are a totally noob when it comes to sandbox mmorpgs with full loot and full pvp. There are 1000s of spots where you can gather without beeing killed and 100s of "save" roots. You absolutly failed to play intelegent. This is not WOW where nothing can happen to you and where the DEVs take your hand and carry you for every step you take. The problem with the Combat... This is the first time i ever heard that somebody gots problems with entering the combat mode or with the combat generel.

Its your site, its your review but if you dont want to blame yourself then get some game infos befor you are reviewing a game.

greets
Dino

~ Apr 1, 2011 4:34 PM

Boring - No, Repetitive - What game isn't?

I'm starting to think these "reviews" are being written by people who play the game for about 10 minutes. I have a lot of fun with the game along with the people I play with. I've welcomed many new players to the game so far and I have not seen one quit yet, they all say the game is spectacular compared to others they've played. The game is NOT boring, that is pure opinion and from what I've seen everyone thinks the opposite, and as for being repetitive you can look at all the other MMO's as this is a lot better than them.

I don't think any of you realize you can reach good PvP combat within a day or two of grinding, where as it takes months in other games.....I don't think you see that those people posting on the forums still play, they're just suggesting additions to the game. I do it myself, of course the game needs more things as all games do, but I still play because it's great as is.

Princess Apr 1, 2011 7:13 AM

I could link countless reviews from official forums basically saying one thing: Unique with potential, but boring and repetetive. But I wont, I think you know just as well as I that it is true.

~ Apr 1, 2011 3:58 AM

The game is great and fun, get over it

This post really needs an update as Mortal has grown much in the past year. This post was after Mortal had recently released, and we all know it was buggy back then. The fact of the matter is most of the lag and bugs have been fixed and it is now quite playable.

I started playing Mortal 2 weeks ago and the game is simply better than most other MMO's, especially with it's sense of realism and having a general good time. The losses you endure can get you angry, but it's better when you can work back up quickly. I'm already with friends on horses armored and armed hunting, PKing, raiding, or defending our own areas. The game is just generally fun to play and feels much more free. And the wide fields of crafting are great along with the house/keep/city building and guilds.

Frankly it looks like the arguments in this review highlight how it's mostly work and low graphics. But really, in many other MMO's you only work grinding with no real end-game fun, at least in Mortal combat is actually engaging. As for the graphics they're fantastic and realistic opposed to many other games. I'm running at a clean 1600*900 at max detail and I'm loving it, especially details like the sun's rising light over hills, characters, any objects even player weapons. The visuals of the game are just great, and when your riding on horseback through it all with no lag it's so much better.

Honestly, just look at the other countless comments outright disagreeing with this review. I only see about two people defending it, and one of them is the OP. The people have spoken.

Vexus Apr 1, 2011 2:57 AM

You sir, are a noob

So you're saying that Mortal Online is nothing like WoW, or any other MMORPG out there? I think this is like, the best review of this game I have ever read. The fact that it scores so opposite to what mainstream gaming has forced down our throats these past 10 years is why this game is so good. Yes, it is work, yes, it is hard, and yes, it will take forming real friendships and partnerships to survive.

Anonymous Mar 28, 2011 9:40 PM

@An

Excellent rebuttal. I don't think I disagree with anything you said. Mortal Online PvP is fairly simple in both scope and purpose compared to the major sandbox titles. To validate my interest in MO despite this concurrence, I can only assert that I believe that MO PvP will become increasingly complex and meaningful as the game evolves.

Considerring currently extant MMOs, EVE's PvP is almost unarguably the richest in terms of complexity and possibilty. However, it is notable that today's EVE grew from a terribly buggy and exceedingly less complex version of itself. In fact, early EVE was alarmingly similar to Mortal Online in terms of its bugginess, stability, and complexity. However, EVE perservered and grew to its current stature because of its unique design philosophies. Like today's Mortal Online players, those who played the earliest versions of EVE were more enthralled with the unique potential of the game than the actual game.

This is admittedly a weak argument in favor of the enjoyability of MO's current developmental state. I encourage everyone not to play games they find boring.

The point I hope to make is that it would be folly to conclude that this game lacks a potentially brilliant future. For reasons I don't fully understand, many players that quit playing MO bear a seething animosity toward the game and its developers. Regardless, this game is on a mission to become much more than it is right now, and it would be worthwhile to any former player to swallow their irrational contempt long enough to activate a trial every so often.

An Mar 28, 2011 4:50 PM

@Anonymous

I totally agree that PvP is the main point of the game. And that, imho, is the current problem of the game. MO was supposed to be a sandbox, not just a full loot PvP game.

But to answer your question.. Well, I have to agree, when PvP is done right it is way more satisfying, at least for me, to engage in, rather then winning over a scripted AI enemy (it is not easy thou, mind you, to coordinate 25 people).

Thou atm PvP in MO lacks bigger goals, it is more of random ganking over town control which doesn't give that much, when compared to other games like EvE or Planet Calypso.

William Usher Mar 28, 2011 3:27 PM

@Anonymous

Actually, the PvP in Mortal Online and the PvP in Allods Online are quite similar. If people can get over the "Themepark" hurdle they'll find that Allods is NOT the typical themepark game after you hit level 25.

The PvP in both games are very similar in terms of goals because the end-game of both games is entirely PvP oriented. The difference between both games is that Allods does it in a manner that goads you into playing more; to get stronger, to get better equipment and upgrade your astral ship to battle to control a sector.

I think Mortal Online's bleak endgame is what comes as a big turnoff because outside of standard PvP there isn't too much else to look forward to.

Anonymous Mar 28, 2011 11:04 AM

@An

PvP in Mortal Online is different from most other MMOs because the PvP is the point of the game. Amassing gear in Mortal Online is a means to an end, and PvP is that end.

In most games it is the opposite. People PvP so that they can be rewarded with gear. I ask you though, what is more pointless in a game - pursuit of the best gear or pursuit of victory over your enemy?

Being part of an organization that has the power to wage war and conquer land; to manipulate the game world and widely affect the player experience - is the point of Mortal Online. It is a pursuit of political, economic, and military power. In my view, that is far more meaningful than collecting phat lewtz.

Josh Mar 28, 2011 12:36 AM

Hilarious

This has to be the funniest game review I have read in a long time!

An Mar 25, 2011 5:08 PM

@Jeff

Oh yeah, the options are endless! But they all lead to only one thing: to fuel the pointless PvP.

Jeff Mar 25, 2011 2:00 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

This game rocks so much more nowadays. Remember that a review is just someones opinion. This guy is very biased, and even includes other carebear mmos for you to play. If you are at all interested, try the 14 day trial and for god sakes join a guild since they almost always have knowledgable players. The options in mo are endless!

mike c Mar 11, 2011 6:56 PM

@WIlliam Usher

Fallen Earth is a cool game, but not really the same as Mortal Online. The differences that stand out to me as unfavorable are as follows:
(1) In Mortal Online, pvp can happen anywhere at any time. In Fallen Earth, PvP can only happen in designated places. (2) In Mortal Online, players can build their own houses, shops, and cities out in the actual world. In Fallen Earth, there is no player housing or shops. (3) Crafting in Mortal Online is much more involved, requiring complete dedication of a character's potential skills, and producing an infinite variety of differentiation between products. Crafting in Fallen Earth is a condiment that anyone can do in addition to their normal combat profession and while every item in the game is craftable, there is no opportunity for an innovative player to create a new recipe for a uniquely effective product.

APB is free to play which makes it fundamentally different from a pay to play game. There is no real consequence in F2P, when people can sock puppet as many accounts as they want for free, and lose nothing but unpaid game time when they make a bad decision. This results in a less reliable player identities because players can assume several identities free of charge and a weak economy because everyone can make enough characters to be self-sufficient in their endeavors.

William Usher Mar 11, 2011 3:39 PM

@Jason

By playing them "ALL" you really mean you played every MMO out there right now? Because personally I'd have to say APB: Reloaded is far more intense than Mortal Online and everything you do does affect the game world you're in (including graffiti, notices, billboards, theme songs and gang/team ranks).

Another close comparison would be Fallen Earth, which is exactly like Mortal Online only in the future...and it works correctly...and it is noob friendly if you need it to be...and the combat system isn't available in any other game on the market. I understand you may enjoy MO but some people may walk away with the impression that it's a difficult but fun MMO, which isn't really the case.

Penumbra Overture had a difficult learning curve but was a very fun and well polished game. The difficulty in Mortal Online isn't in the learning curve but in the game being unpolished.

Jason Mar 11, 2011 7:48 AM

Sorry, completely disagree 10x over.

Sorry but this is probably the best MMO out there right now, and i've played them ALL. Even that new RIFT game out,uuuughghh what a waste on buying that one.

This game is rough, rugged, and extremely hard. Its in no way noob friendly as is not meant to be. The learning curve is filthy hard, but i'll tell you what-nothing beats the satisfaction of having EVERTHING you do in-game matter and effect your reputation.
You want quests? go play scripted WoW and the rest. MO allows you to live in fear and make your OWN quests.
I love the game, and its the only mmo i play now.

Good luck,

Daryn Feb 24, 2011 6:51 PM

A better game now

After being away from Mortal online for months, ive returned.
I have to say, the game has really impoved in a lot of areas.
I think this time Im actually going to keep my subscription going. Give it another try MO fan base!

mike c Feb 24, 2011 6:38 PM

@ An

You also make a bold and unsupported statements when you say "Sorry, but most of the features are simply design flaws." I have provided an ample list of features in my comment below for the sake of criticism. How can you conclude that most features are flaws based on your analysis of only one feature? Aside from the lack of a quest system and tutorial, which of the other features that I named are actually flaws?

mike c Feb 24, 2011 4:51 PM

@ An

The lack of questing and new player guidance is marginally important to the essence of realism. Starvault could impliment these features without harming the unique essence of their creation. By asserting that the lack of these desired features is by neglect rather than by design, you have implied that these features will eventually be implimented. In such a case, these features would not detract from the current players' enjoyment of the game, and would allow new players to enjoy the game even more, making the overall playing experience better.

An Feb 24, 2011 5:07 AM

@mike c

I hate to break it for you, but the lack of tutorial is simply a matter of lack of time. Devs mentioned several times that they agree that a tutorial is needed, and that new player experience is horrible.

As for the lack of quests.. Well, they did introduce the a "bring 10 mushrooms to a npc" tasks now, didnt they? But without a glowing ! above npc head, I see little difference. Well made quests by no means destroy player experience in any game, sandbox or themepark, bt instead enhance it. That SV doesn't have time to make such quests is another story.

Sorry, but most of the features are simply design flaws, and some are already being admitted by devs. You will see it in future, even now they had to add whispers and friends list. So much for that "hardcore" part, eh?

mike c Feb 23, 2011 9:42 PM

Not The Same Game

This game has changed quite a bit since June. I started playing last week after a several-month-long hiatus and since then, I have not been attacked once by another player. Additionally, I have only been pick-pocketed on one occasion. Once rampant in beta and early release, the chaos element of the community has been driven into hiding by the enduring consequence of the flagging system on now paid accounts. The amount of content that becomes enduringly unavailable to thieves and murderers forms a more effective deterrent now that players are paying to play.

Additionally, the interface looks a lot better, and a number of features have been added (ie. more creature types, qualitative differentiation between pets of the same type, player-owned vendors, mount customization). The physics and graphics are improved, though admittedly still not competitive with modern games. However, the core design concept which was present in the game since beta, is what makes this game distinct from anything else available.

The design philosophy of realism permeates the game as seen by the implimentation of the unchangeable 1st person perspective, the nudity, the raw materials (literally gathered from the earth) crafting system, the learn-through-practice and skill-based advancement system, the ability to determine your character's geneology, size, age, and the effects that those decisions have, the qualitative differentiation of weapons, armor, and pets, the day-night cycle (where night is truly too dark to navigate without a torch), the ability to attack whoever and whatever you want, the full loot system, the no-target-no-autoattack (aka "skill-based") combat system, I could go on and on. The game, in its pursuit to mirror the real world as well as it can, has incorporated an ensemble of "sandbox" features that dwarfs anything the gaming community has seen. There is a market for his level of choice, and the lack of quests and general guidance is a part of this design philosophy

An Feb 16, 2011 3:21 AM

@Rail

Resorting to insults in an argument just lowers the value of yours in other eyes, just saying.

You can go on and brag about MOs innovative ideas all day long if you wish, but the reality is harsh. You can find several long quitting posts by long time supporters of MO (From the very first beta till now), who quit simply because the game is pointless and lacks the tools a sandbox game should have. For example this post: http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/58980-one-last-bang-before-i-go.html

Yes, as I said PvP is pointless, ass they do agree with me. There is no bigger reward for it then just some loot and a mark on the map with your keep. No bigger objects that actually have an impact on the world to fight over, ect.

As for the lack of tools.. seriously? You bring up ability to build houses as as "tool"? Half of the themeparks nowdays have the dame ability, or incoming, and considering that you can't freely build whereever you want, I don't see much difference.

MO lasted this long thanks to players and FFA PvP which made game last lot longer then it should due to all the drama which is inevitable in a sandbox. But it just doesn't cut it in longer terms.

Almost everything you do in MO is to fuel PvP, and when it actually comes to pvP.. it have no point, other then random killing and to protect your keep.. what for? Nothing.

If you don't believe me, as I said, you can find several well made quit posts on MO forums of long time MO supporters.

William Usher Feb 16, 2011 12:46 AM

@Rail

I may not be a fan of fantasy medieval games but Allods and Baldur's Gate happen to be a few of my favorite games. Not liking the genre doesn't mean I dislike all games within it.

I review a broad range of titles and determine whether the game is good for a wide audience or a niche audience, and I'm sorry to say that Mortal Online wasn't ironed out enough to recommend even to niche gamers.

I'm glad you found some helpful people during your playtime but not everyone did (or does) and a game should have enough structure so that you can get in and play it without requiring a long drawn out tutorial. Otherwise the game will ultimately turn off many willing gamers who don't have the time nor the patience to dedicate to learning some of the simple aspects of Mortal Online. I haven't gone back to the game nor do I plan to, but if it shapes up the way CrimeCraft did with appropriate fixes and patches it may receive an updated review. But as I mentioned, this game still needed a few years of patchwork and fixing. It was a good concept, though.

Rail Feb 15, 2011 9:45 PM

Pointless PvP? Really?

Saw that and had to post one more, if PvP is so pointless then why do you get so much (all their inventory) off one kill? That's a lot more motivation than any other game.

Oh and the no tools to make content, LOL, what about the huge city customization aspect? Not to mention the highly player-driven economy...This is aimed at An, believe me when I tell you that Freddy is not the idiot here, I'm sorry but the "needed functions" and wrong mechanics is your opinion of what a game needs. Many of which I would love a game without, your basically just tapping into a WoW clone. The game seems to be doing well and there is plenty of content.

Rail Feb 15, 2011 9:36 PM

This guy's an idiot.

Stupidest review ever with the most bias I've ever seen. Most of the things you've listed I'd love to see in an MMO, universal PvP, player cities, losing everything with death, and numerous other things. The traveling is great and with mounts it can go a great deal faster, it makes getting there much more worth it. For the love of god taming horses is one of the first things I did in the game, it is SO easy. As for no guide when starting, I asked some of the nearby people (that kind of helps you know) and got started very quickly. Don't want to get ganked? Go hire a bodyguard to go with you or just go out with friends in numbers, they won't attack six of you opposed to one. The realism in this game is phenomenal, and people like you just ruin it. If you want an easy game, go somewhere else because Mortal is not easy.

I guess you like PvP where people just go suicidal when their bored pissing off everyone because death has no penalty. I guess you feel safe just auto-attacking monsters that can only kill you if they do a crit 100 times.

I'm sorry if this game isn't the standard, but it's nice not to see another clone out there. Basically it boils down to you being either stupid or a gamer that expects everything to be handed to you (that "this game felt like work" part made me laugh). I like difficulty in a game, especially when it's rewarding when you finish.

P.S. Ever hear of a bank? Jesus, you have to be an idiot...

P.S.S If your not a fan of fantasy-medieval games, why the hell are you reviewing one?

An Feb 10, 2011 10:05 AM

@Freddy

I am not William, I simply have enabled notifications by email to see another stupid fanboi comment posted, like yours.

It matters little if the game is indie, and what their long time goals are. Currently the game is bugged beyond normal and their core design is failing at every aspect. That, together with all the skeletons in SVs closet makes up a pretty bad image.

But I guess oldschool veterans like you are so hungry for anything with FFA PvP that you will neat any sh*t served on a silver plate. Talk about low standards.

William Usher Feb 10, 2011 7:01 AM

@Freddy

Ouch.

Sorry to disappoint you but I've never played World of Warcraft...I'm not a fan of fantasy-medieval games. Thanks for the suggestion, though. :)

Freddy Feb 10, 2011 3:21 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Could it be that William and An are the same person?? If not they are at least brothers.....shame on you

Freddy Feb 10, 2011 3:19 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

William go back and play WOW. MO is an excellent game of a little publisher. Of course some things are still not perfect but they are working very well and good on it. So instead of throwing our Dollars to the big companys we should help this little one. Its worth it.And William you can wait until Microsoft or Google build a new themepark game for you. Just do not think......

Cly Feb 8, 2011 6:03 PM

qq more

Too many trammies in this thread! How sad, go back to wow.

An Feb 8, 2011 4:33 PM

@Anonymus

I think the one worthy of being called for stupid is you, not the reviewer. Even SV now starts to realise that their "player driven" policy does not hold up in length, and consider adding a form of auction house.

Hardcore does not exclude player friendly design, and that is exactly what MO lacks. You should know that, if you have any experience in games at all. MOs core design mechanics are completely wrong, lacking many needed functions, and most importantly content.

Player driven game, eh? There is absolutely nothing to help players to do so, in that case. Only thing you can do is mindless and pointless PvP. This sandbox got no tools what so ever to create your own content, and even lacks its own premade content.

Anonymus Feb 8, 2011 10:59 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Is this reviewer an idiot or something!?
Don't you understand that this is an entirely player driven game...
The npcs now are vendors mostly but you're supposed to work for everything you don't get everything free like other themepark mmos. If you do not know about this plz quit rewiwving...

An Dec 29, 2010 4:59 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

In before raging fanbois yelling about fledging flag. Yes, there is a protection flag in game now for newbies, but that is beside the point, it wasnt back then.

William Usher Dec 29, 2010 3:47 PM

@One Among None

Nice comment.

In fact, I have not played Minecraft...yet. Though, it does sound interesting.

A lot of people were under the impression I didn't like the concept behind MO, but that's not true at all...it's the one thing I really did enjoy most about the game. It's the execution of that concept that really turned me off.

I love free PvP or battling other players to reap rewards, but like you said there should have been a (hourly?) cap for newbs just so they could get grounded. Walking outside of town and getting ganked or having to run for you life while you're still trying to learn how to play can get tiresome real quick.

One Among None Dec 29, 2010 3:31 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Honestly, much of what you said can be said about Minecraft and it seems to be very successful and hasn't even released a full version yet. From all of the descriptions I've read of Mortal, it does sound interesting. Every thing except for the rampant PvP.

From your article, the only bad thing I gathered from the game is the primal need for players to kill each other. I assume that what ultimately ruined the game for you. That and probably the missing targeting reticule. Sounds like a winner in my book if they at least gave new players a certain time period where they couldn't be killed by other players. It still something I want to see for myself.

Have you ever played Minecraft? Its like a world made out of legos. Maybe the world being made up of blocks makes this type of mmo better. And maybe the community who does play are better people.

An Dec 3, 2010 2:09 PM

@Siege Perilous Chicky Babe

Sandbox tag is not an excuse for lack of content, and even SV realize that now since they added a form of quests. So much for your "having game time directed". Be less of a fanboi.

Siege Perilous Chicky Babe Dec 3, 2010 6:47 AM

Trammy!

Aaw poor trammy hoe doesn't know what to do! 1 - 2 - 3 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW. If you need to have your gaming time directed by others go play wow with the rest of the pussies.

An Oct 29, 2010 2:12 PM

@Bear Carington

Just fyi, in FE you can screw up your chracter that much that it is basically unplayable, if you invest skills wrong. And there is no reset button. So much for carebear.

Bear Carington Oct 29, 2010 5:26 AM

Carebear Fallen Earth

Care Bear Care Bear!

Ruellis Oct 27, 2010 3:19 AM

@Anon

You are right that the game was very unfinished in beta and still unfinished now. On the other hand, people have tastes. If you like the game then you enjoy it even it is unfinished and you are not glad if you cannot play it because it is unfinished. You on the other hand may not enjoy MO even if it is finished to 100%.

Anon Oct 27, 2010 1:01 AM

Ripe off

This game is the worst game I've ever tested in Beta and bought. What a waste of money and if you're still paying to play this crap your an idiot. This should never have been released like this. Stealing money from people to play an clearly unfinished game.

Me...Duh Oct 3, 2010 12:50 PM

@everyone

unless you play the game, don't judge. Slinging insults makes you comment void because everyone concentrates on your insult rather than your message. it's a work in progress, so it'll steadily improve. most mmo's (including wow) start off horrible (especially lag). if you don't like it now, give it time and come back to it. the in game world will most likely stablize (at present it's like one big governmentless wilderness). this game is meant to be challenging. this game is meant to be free. if you don't want that in a game then simply pick a different game and quit flaming.

Ruellis Sep 22, 2010 2:58 AM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

"carebear" and "the game is not for everyone" were words used by some hardcore supporter of MO before beta to show their "hardness". The funny thing is that many of these hardcore players get bored and quit the game already. At the same time many "carebears" enter the game and actually enjoy the game.

Another funny thing is that some MO haters like "Anonymous" finnally find these frases and use them to describer MO.

Anonymous Sep 21, 2010 10:29 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Oh and for the record, there are tons on "sandbox" games that are good, sandbox is not a problem. Its not the fact that anyone here is a...carebear? (lol! what vocabulary morons will make up when they are in the wrong) its the fact that this game is a poorly coded poorly designed piece of crap made by a bunch of scrubs. sure, this game is not for everyone. If you enjoy having a fun time you should stay away!

Anonymous Sep 21, 2010 9:48 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

I love how these pasty white, shut in dweebs with no muscle mass are calling people "pussies" because they dont like their shitty game.

An Sep 8, 2010 7:41 AM

@Aidebra

Stop being stupid. Quests are never bad for a game, however SV just did not have enough time to implement them. I do agree that WoW style quests to kill xx amount of yy are boring, but if quests are done right they in no way make a game more "carebear".

Even on MOs feature list they promised "epic quests which do not repeat themselves", so MO did plan to have quests, however developers are to incompetent to make good ones, they have not even translated any of the supposed lore they have.

Sum up: stop having a phobia for quests, they are good when done right. period.

Aidebra Sep 8, 2010 4:30 AM

Learn how the game works b4 reviewing??

It is always relally funny to see ppl review a game and knows nothing about it. Really, Quests: 1/5. There will never be quests lite WoW. Go back to that carebear game and review that. I play the game, and has been since the beta, and it is still the game I get the most out off on the market today. The people "makes" the quest in game, there is no carebear "!" over the npc's in game. Learn how the f*ck the game is supposed to be b4 handing out grades like that. This only means how poor the this site is. It is like letting a jew reviewing the nazi's behaviout under the 2 WW. Jesus... The game is awesome, try it out for your self and you will see!

foo fighter Sep 2, 2010 9:29 AM

It's not a Game

MO is a great mediaeval fantasy simulation, absolutely fantastic, just dont call it a game. It's also no sandbox, it just tries very hard to be the pure opposite of WoW.

An Aug 24, 2010 6:27 AM

@Ruellis

There are no currently released UE3 mmos, true. But for example TERA which is using it been only getting positive reviews and have no problems with features. There are also two other games like Blade & Soul and DC Universe online that too, are based on UE3 and are functioning without issues. I just dont see how come MO got so many issues with it. But anyway..

I am currently playing MO, and while it is still as buggy, hacky and unstable as ever they do start to constantly add new features to the game which is nice. Some of them are far from finished or broken (You can heal siege machines.. wtf), but they are trying to add new stuff.. However I cant say the community overall is to positive atm.

Ruellis Aug 24, 2010 2:58 AM

@An

Is there any released game using Epics Atlas engine? MO is too dependent on Epics total solution so even it is SV who develops MO, without some good efforts from Epic the game will fail. So "who is responsiblel for problems" is more a rhetoric than the way they should do to fix the problems.

Are you playing MO and what do you think about the current state of the game and its direction?

An Aug 23, 2010 7:31 PM

@ Ruellis

You are right about them wanting first core in, but I am talking about the result I see in a released game, not the reasons for it, since Im a paying subscriber and not just an observer. As for the Patch from epic.. tbh, who are developing the game, SV or Epic? The engine works flawless for another aim based seamless MMO TERA.

And yes, by user-friendly I mean interaction and UI, minimap and teleportation would just ruin MO.

Ruellis Aug 23, 2010 5:47 PM

@AN

Sure MO had much few features two months ago. But it was because they had stability and bug problems. Many features were pulled back. The stability is much better and many bugs are fixed now therefore features are now reintroduced at a rapid pace. There are still bugs and stability problems, many of them may be EPIC engine related and can only be fixed by an engine update. We may be supprised in the future by how fast Star Vault can put features in game. But it is not magic, they simply already made it.

For many game the grinding is the Game. But for MO you can max out relatively fast. The challange part is to give players incentives to keep playing by player interaction and some "meaning of playing". Since many game features are not in yet, many hardcore players feel nothing to do and take a pause now. MO has to have more well designed features than any other games.

What do you mean by user friendly? If you mean UI, I agree. There are much to improve. If you mean mini map, teleporting etc, I don't think these things should exist in MO.

An Aug 23, 2010 4:56 PM

lol @ Pajker

You are a fanboi and nothing else. First of all this review was done months ago, when MO was in much more unstable state (yes, I know its hard to believe it was even worse) then now, with basically no features. "This is sandbox without grind"?! Are you high? All you do in MO is grinding pigs for money or mining for hours. THAT aint grinding? Your hypocrite..

As for "learning by your self", there is a difference between hardcore and annoying. A game should be user-friendly despite if its sandbox or not. period.

Pajker Aug 23, 2010 12:50 PM

reviewer?!

This is one of the most misguided reviews I have ever seen. I have played MO and sure sometimes its lagy BUT there are other things that make it up for lags. For example unlike yourself people might welcome that they have to learn by themselves (there is Help button in game) or that there is open PVP. I mean this is called a SANDBOX for a reason. This is exactly the kind of game I've been waiting for all those years. If you're a grinder (someone who likes to kill same monsters on one place that they constantly respawn on) then I say that you should not review sandbox games. Please go play a wow or guild wars.

Funzi Jul 27, 2010 11:05 AM

FanBoys dissing WilliamUsher

Ok so Wiliam probably should not have mentioned sandbox and fallen earth as synonymous, and marking the game down for not having quests is a bit norrow minded...however I think he hit the nail on the head with the rest of the review.

I wanted to like this game, I really did. Had been signed up and participated in the forums a year before this game went open beta and was so excited to have an up-to-date UO nostalgia game...except it wasn't.

I actually loved that there were no quests or hand holding when I first entered the game, a tru sandbox! Unfortunately this is where the good ends.

The graphics are dated (I'm not one that usually cares for graphics) and they feel much like EQ1 when it first came out 11 years ago. Combat feels clunky and weird, full nudity is a joke and I agree with the question "why?". The sound is horrible and unecessary, from the sound fx to the music it is all so random and doesn't help the immersion factor AT ALL.

There are still a good amount of crash bugs if you get hung up on a certain wall or graphic, I still can not log onto my original character, who crashed due to trying to jump over something I wasn't supposed to during OB.

Lastly, during nostalgic UO days...thieving could be done in town but it took a skilled thief and even then they would often get the "guards" called on them. Also murdering wasn't possible. Here you can be murdered in town, and getting stolen from is the norm and a skilless ape could due it (look up youtube videos of how simple it is). It is one thing to have a danger factor outside of town, it is another to not have a safe haven from the minute your character is created.

Charging 59.99+ monthly fee for this game is a jokeThe game was released a year or two earlier than it should of and is complete fail. All in all this game feels like a game an undergrad student made in a semesters worth of time so he/she could graduate. Another fail game from a new company that is sure to fail.

Ruellis Jul 22, 2010 5:09 PM

Good enough for me

The game is good enough for me in the current state. It is a vast world. I still have not explored much of the total area. The feelings are so realistic that you sometime recall them in your real life. Graphics are however under my expectations right now but there are no serious bugs.

Ben Jul 14, 2010 3:19 PM

This game is trash.

This is the worst GAME I've ever played. Not even MMO, I've played a lot of them, WOW probably the least. So, it's not at all based on WOW, Darkfall is 1000 times better than this game. There is absolutely nothing good about this game IMHO. I'm going to ask them for a refund immediately.

Mister R Jul 6, 2010 5:55 AM

rubbish

Whatever the review, this game is indeed one of the worst MMO's ever.
It is an insult to Ultima Online.

Anonymous Jun 19, 2010 6:45 AM

Hmmm

I don't care for MO, but the fact that you recommend Fallen Earth, of all things, just discredits you as a valid journalist as a whole.

Fallen Earth is fine is you like a game with average graphics, a boring crafting system, and below average gameplay. And when I say gameplay, I mean the battling, cause it is truly terrible.

Also the fact that you think Allods Online (rofl) has better PvP than MO is laughable, to say the least. Guess the PvP is fun if you like continuously being ganked by level 40s in Holy Lands. Good luck getting passed level 23.

Your credibility is so low at this point that it isn't even worth mentioning.

One more thing; You tell us to get with the times? Do you tell people who like The Godfather Part II to get with the times? What about people who enjoy classic rock or classical music? Your logic is so flawed - literally on anything you have written in this article - it almost hurts. I really hope this isn't your day job.

An Jun 17, 2010 3:14 PM

@Uffeg

"Mo is not for you". Why do I keep on hearing this crap argument every time anything negative about MO pops up.

Is it so hard to accept that a game can be both sandbox and not a pain in the ass?

Is it so hard to accept that MO is just plain bad in his opinion, and not try to blame the reviewer for being a carebear and for not being suited for such games?

At the moment it seems that if you don't like MO you are flamed as carebear. For gods sake, people can be hardcore sandbox lovers AND think that MO is plain crap (for the lack of stronger words due to the filter). Only because you think that MO is the holy grail of sandbox doesn't make it one.

William Usher Jun 17, 2010 3:03 PM

@Uffeg

The thing is, the game is available now and the review is based on what players will experience about the game in its current state.

As I mentioned, if you want everything MO has but done better, try Fallen Earth (i.e., and both games are indie titles it's just that one is far more polished than the other.)

Uffeg Jun 17, 2010 11:31 AM

Not for you

I've read your review, and it do have some points - however my feeling is that you missed the actual game.

MO is not for the player, that expects everything to be served on a platter, with a tutorial and a quest agent telling you what to do. My point is that MO is beyond that, its about the feeling that you get when cought in the pitch dark night without a torch, or when lost, and having to spend hours trying to find your way back - or even carrying too much, falling to helpless to the buttom of the river you tried to cross.

No - MO is not for you, and its not meant as a flame when I say that my oppinion is that you are not qualified to review it.

MO is the only MMO i've seen beside eve that have unlimited potential, but at its current state its empty, filled with bugs, and to say the least, not friendly to the player just starting - the players that try MO should be prepared to cope with that, otherwise wait a year or so :)

Jasdemi Jun 13, 2010 4:56 PM

Not better after release

Your review seems to be really valid.
So I purchased the game in hope seeing huge improvements they promised, but compared to August '09, there were barely any improvements.

Nearly no features are working correctly. PvE is almost impossible. PK flagging system is totally bugged. Inventory is bugged. The NPC AI works like coded by some high-school students.

The devs released the game and went on a vacation right after this, so barely any bugs were fixed after release.

If you're thinking about buying the game, wait at least few months. The game most likely won't survive so much, but it will save you 50€. This game is totally not worth 50€.

Anonymous Jun 11, 2010 9:45 AM

Scarletrose

The reviews says some little truths here and there... but all the rest is completely biased or from a very strange point of view.
It's true that instructions in the game are not so clear and well explained ... you are not "left alone with no help" but they sure can do better in that way...
Anyway the criticism comes frome someone who can't play without quests or without the game telling them what should he do.
I'm afraid that Wow, guild wars and the like are now taken as Standards for what a MMORPG should be ...
It is also a HUGE display of ignorance to say that never before a MMO was devoid of quest or goals given by the game itself.
Nothing like that appened in Ultima online and STILL Ultima is the way a MMORPG should be made...
StarVault is not Origin or Electronic arts and that's clear for everybody ... they lack teh details and the production value of a big softwarehouse but they still have done a hell of a job.
I'm not going to say "go back to WOW" in a Denigratory way but If someone is not able to play without being assisted at every step a sandbox game is not for him...
Is not about being more HArdcore and Cool or being a Better GAmer overall...
There are people who wants a straight path paved before them ... there are others who want to pave their road on their own.
Mortal online is made with these ones in mind.
A game that doesn't give you Option A B or C but gives you the tols to CREATE your own options from scratch..
Just look at the weapons ... you have no swords or axes or anything ... you have materials, you have shapes and you combine them however you want...
If someone like a simpler game with a few clear options is looking in the wrong direction.
If someone wants complexity he can try mortal online provided he is ready to learn the game step by step...

By the way... since the release I NEVER been attacked once... and I turned gray a couple of times from wild swings.
Nobody ever tried to get advantage of that yet.

Where are all those griefers?

Anonymous Jun 10, 2010 3:06 PM

Chimp

Sounds to me that you just review games on how easy they are to play.
Man up, learn how to play video games, then review this again. Stop being such a sissy like the rest of these "review" sites.
You people make me sick.

Kinyajuu Jun 10, 2010 10:44 AM

Wow, flame wars.

It's a good game with a niche style of gameplay. If you are great at WOW please don't consider yourself a "hardcore" gamer. With that in mind this game is for hardcore gamers that want realism back in thier MMO's. If you do not like it, it was not intended for you, plain and simple. No quests as it's not needed. There is more than enough to do if you look around and make a friend. PVP issues? Find another newb and talk to them, become friends, safety in numbers. I am by no means a "fanboi" as I am actually more interested in APB but I like MO and waste an evening here and there raising a few skills. I want to land rush and get mah house :D.

Again though, don't bash the game. It's left open on purpose as that's the effect they are going for. I want nothing to do with NPC's other than drop off my junk to them. I REALLY don't want some quest line/or lines, dragging me all over the continent when I'm happy where I am for the moment.

So, make some friends, take 20 min to look at the menus and help files, then just DOOO things... It's fun if you get around that whole, overwhelming, "Where do I start?", feeling. I happen to have friends that play and a map on my ipod, never found the game easier. Night travel is fun, I can't count the times I've walked right into the lake, then decided to buy a torch.

This game is fun for a specific audience. It is a bit buggy here and there. But it IS more difficult to develop an unscripted game than it is to develop a scripted one.

And whoever keeps asking to be able to edit terrain, shutup. It's an open MMORPG, not CitiesXL.

Both sides quit whining, write a review in fact, "This game does not hand hold at all, has a steep learning curve, constant possible PVP, and may not be for most." is more informative than your whole "review".

Honest and unbiased, now yall shutup.

Cefka Jun 8, 2010 4:48 PM

Ha!

This review doesn't sound any different than how a trash-talker at a high-school might whine after a bully came up and punched him in the mouth.

You would feel helpless and useless. You would feel like a child who lost his parents. That's because you're a sissy!

Why don't you just go back to world of warcraft. Log in, and Mommy and Daddy Blizz will protect you from the big, mean players who make you feel less than adequate!

DAMN! I love this game! And I love murdering idiots like you IN IT! ha ha ha!

An May 19, 2010 5:04 AM

Well, I guess each one to it's own about how good/bad a part of the game is. I think that even thou it may be first attempt after UO to create a "hardcore" Sandbox, so far they are long from being done.

I've said it before, and I will say it again. This sandbox is lacking it's tools for my taste. While the core of the game may be all right, sadly, there is little outside of it. If they will successfully release the game, I don't doubt they will add more tools such as territory control ect in, but for the moment it's beyond boring, for _my_ taste.

Now, there is less then a month until supposed release, and almost nothing changed except for desync, which should be fixed according to them.

As for lag.. depends what kind of lag we are talking here. If fps, sure, better hardware helps in a long way, but if we are talking game lagging on connection to the server, ram/cpu/gpu doesn't help at all.

I don't think I have anything more to say tbh, so An out ^^

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 11:35 PM

2 of 2

Ok, as far as lag goes it can be caused by many things, but what bothered me was the comment "it’s something that may or may not be fixed." GPU, CPU, and RAM can all have an impact which is where settings adjustments come in. Another is connection speed of course. And you're correct that the server quality and state of the game are very important. Regarding specs, I have tested many games where prior to extensive optimization they wouldn't run on anything by the highest end machines we could get our hands on, so system specs do play a part. For example, before I went from 2-6 gigs of RAM I used to have to turn off shadows at Meduli. Adding RAM made it run fine. No, I am not an engineer but have had a long career in the game industry and worked on many PC projects from graphically intensive RTS titles to the upcoming Star Wars Old Republic MMO and have had to get creative improving framerate and server lag due to the multitude of possible causes and how several factors compound to make a game unplayable.

I now have an 8800GTS, 2.4g dual-core CPU, 6g RAM, and 55mbps connection so not top end by this years standards but upper-mid range. I can run almost any part of the game on max settings.
StarVault has done a lot of optimization and there is more they can and will do.

Installing the game is another pre-release issue. There is an installer that worked well when I installed the beta client a few weeks back. The final won't be a torrent so this is a non-issue.

To reiterate my primary point, the game is great for people who learn how to play and like these kinds of games. 'Most' UO fans for example absolutely love this game and the penalties for being an indiscriminant ganker are enough to dissuade a lot of players. I see reds as a challenge I have to deal with, similar to a boss. Most of the time reds are decked out in good gear so if you kill one then not only are they out of commission but you get good loot.

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 11:29 PM

1 of 2

Thanks for the maturity in your response.

So, what is truth? Doesn't always mean fact, I meant the truth based of my experience/knowledge with the game which is more than the reviewers who doesn't have time to play a game he doesn't like for hours on end but some statements were outright false like "talking to an NPC is a chore" (R key), "no targeting reticule" (Tab key), and "it's nearly impossible to get to a town after mining goods" when many basic resources are harvestable within safe zones, and protraying all towns and murderous PvP free for alls.

There are faults with the game, like any, just thought this review was very harsh and didn't properly factor in the stage in development which is why it struck a chord.

In my humble opinion, the hunting and wood/ore harvesting is tolerable compared to quests in other games. I say this because crafting doesn't take a lot of resources and most crafters charge a small fee for crafting and the customer provides the materials. It takes a few minutes to get 300 wood/ore, and this can be used to make several sets of weapons/armor (ore being different because it has to be converted to metal), and the same thing with bone, a few animals makes several sets in most cases.

Beta testers do have an advantage but withholding certain things minimizes that. The plan is to have rare/one-time creatures, bosses, etc., and more mobs. That's the plan and it's unfair to assume it won't happen.

A point I forgot to mention is that there's a quick guide PDF to download (it's right next to the game download) and is basically an alpha manual, which I referenced every time I had a question. That and the help menu (which needs improvement) were sufficient for most and after figuring out the basics the game really isn't complicated. I found LoTR more complicated to be honest, because there are so many more menus and what not.

(cont.)

An May 18, 2010 8:35 PM

Bullcrap or not 2/2

This line below is the most interesting one..

"Again, if you are at min spec then adjust your settings to min settings. "

-You must be quite bad at techs when saying that having lag depends on the user.. Sure, it may depend if he is sitting in the africa, but I am 50 km from where MO servers are hosted, on a 24mb line.

MO running bad on majority of the computers has nothing to do with system specs, but with game being badly optimized. I am sitting on i7 build, yet I had troubles with it.

Want proof for my words? The first big test battle they hosted failed big time, most players lagged out/freezed in a battle which barely had 100 people. After that, they done some tuning to the game, and woops, magically, the next battle they hosted with approx 200 people caused lot less issues to people.

As you can see, game running badly has a lot to do with the game itself, and very little to do with system specs. I infact found MO very light.

Not to mention that installing game is a hell and often gives lots of errors for majority of users. In some cases they are light errors like missing DX, but sometimes there were no solutions found.

So long story short, please dont blame that MO runs bad on low system specs, that is just stupid. I am sure reviews PC is good enough.

An May 18, 2010 8:29 PM

Bull or not 1/2

Tbh the only reason I wrote "bullcrap" is because I reacted strongly on that you represent your opinion as "truth", that's it.

I won't comment on every single of your replies, but there are few points which I'd like to comment.

"Hunting isn't required to progress like it is in repetitive themepark game quests. "

-I dont see any way to become successful trader or fighter without having to hunt or to grind wood/ore. What I mean is that "freedom" in MO is illusionary (And well, in all games). Sure, you can become a thief and steal weapons and armour, that gives us the total of three ways of advancing in MO. That's it. Only one gives you ability to avoid hunting/grinding.

"This is so that people who took part in the beta test can't get a upper hand by getting a group together and running off to the bosses and get an unfair advantage over people who haven't played the game prior to public release."

-Beta testers already have a huge advantage over newbies by knowing how things works and what materials are best, so they will be first to find those bosses. Sure, some newbie may stumble upon a boss by mistake, but I bet they will spend first week in town figuring stuff out.

"What do people want? A tutorial? In a sandbox game? The essence of the game is that you play how you want and set your own goals, which is what a lot of people like about it."

-Once again you mix together user friendliness and sandbox.. The two can exist together without issues. Yes, I want a tutorial on how the hell to control the game, how does profession works, what is available to me. Yet, tutorial does not sets any restrains on me to create my own goals, but in order to play the game I must know how it works. Not everyone wants to figure out basic stuff for hours..

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 7:48 PM

More bullcrap 4. (I'm verbose)

Your 'opinion':
How does "game isn't done" is any kind of excuse? he reviews the _current_ graphics, not what they promise in some far away future. The environment looks empty and dull, with barely any foliage at all.

My 'opinion':
My comment is relevant because this game was reviewed as if it was a finished product and the reviewer suggests that readers never try this game, ever, instead of pointing out that it will likely improve before release. As far as the foliage, are you walking around in the desert? There are lush forests and jungles on the continent. Not every part of the world looks the same, like not every part of Earth looks the same.

Your 'opinion':
maybe the review realize that some stuff are just unnecessary in a rpg game one may want to play in public?

My 'opinion':
I get this and don't care for the nudity but it doesn't bother me. Makes for some funny corpses. Again, if you don't like it play a PG rated game. MO is for a mature audience.

Your 'opinion':
That is probably the most stupid thing I've ever read on those comment. You know what you do first as soon as you got your starter axe? You kill PIGS. Over and over. Then when you finally got some armor, you die, and gotta repeat this tedious work over and over. There is no difference to quest grind in themeparks, MO does require a lot more repetitive work.

My 'opinion':
You're missing the point. Hunting isn't required to progress like it is in repetitive themepark game quests. I kill when I need to; its never felt tedious. At times woodcutting/mining felt repetitive but again, its not required to do for any other reason other than you want the benefit. Should everything you use in the game be given to you?

Your 'opinion':
Try for once going out in the night with such full moon as nave have. You can read outside, I am not joking you.

My 'opinion':
I noted you can use moonlight. When you're in a forest and there are tree canopies blocking moonlight then you need a torch, as in real life.

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 7:36 PM

More Bullcrap 3/3

Your 'opinion':
There are no real bosses ingame atm. There is no "ect", only animals and well hidden humanoids.

My 'opinion':
Most combat is PvP and there's no shortage of people to fight from what you guys are saying. Creatures come in many different difficulties (ever tried taking down a razorback with less that 3 people?). About 'bosses' that actually drop boss loot, the locations are hidden during Beta but be added in the release build. This is so that people who took part in the beta test can't get a upper hand by getting a group together and running off to the bosses and get an unfair advantage over people who haven't played the game prior to public release. Darn those pesky developers for keeping things fair. Any reviewer who is going to publicly trash a game should know the facts before making false statements like the game won't have bosses.

Your 'opinion':
He probably meant red cities. Neither does it mean only because you can guard them, there is no PvP.

My 'opinion':
Yes, we know this is a PvE everywhere game. That means that you can swing your weapon at anyone, anywhere, That also doesn't mean that there aren't safe zones though. Anyone who can't defend themselves should avoid unguarded cities (Gaul Kor) if they are afraid of them. You're not forced to go there. Nor are you forced to even play this game.

Your 'opinion':
Game is indeed very unclear on how to get started or on what goals one may have.

My 'opinion':
What do people want? A tutorial? In a sandbox game? The essence of the game is that you play how you want and set your own goals, which is what a lot of people like about it. If you don't like that, then don't play it. Stick to Wizard101 or something lame like that. As I stated before some stuff takes time to learn so instead of being lazy experiment a little when you first start playing, that's all that needs to be done.

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 7:31 PM

More Bullcrap 2/3

Your 'opinion':
None of the red gives a crap about priests not ressing one, nor are they afraid of going red, that is the reason they kill you, for the fun of it. The punishment for being red is almost none existent, and the whole game is a giant gankfest atm.

My 'opinion':
My exact words were "most players don't kill indiscriminantly." This is the case. Of course there are gankers. If you can't defend yourself against the occasional ganking or are going to cry when it happens then go find a game where you're protected every second of the way. Plain and simple. If you don't like the game play something else instead of making a choice to play about a PVE everywhere game and whine about PVE. Regarding reds, if a red is strong enough to kill me then they have invested some time in their player and if his death is "permanent" then the negative is that you lose time spent on your guy. Of course there is more of this going on during beta just because it's free and stat gain is sped up for testing purposes but there will surely be fewer griefers after release so the key to everything you just said is the acronym "atm."

Your 'opinion':
Majority of the players still experience lag or other tech related issues.

My 'opinion':
Again, if you are at min spec then adjust your settings to min settings. I can run the game with settings maxed in most areas without problems and I have a mid-grade PC. Anyone who is still experiencing horrible lag should look at a few things: 1. their connection speed. 2. their system specs.

Your 'opinion':
Pretty hard to understand that targeting is not only used for combat, I guess.

My 'opinion':
What are people looking for here? If you press Tab and you get a reticule and info about what it being targeted (which the reviewer said didn't exist). Are you talking about auto-targeting? Again, this isn't a hand holding game. You turn and face what you want to target.

Guttersnipe77 May 18, 2010 7:30 PM

More Bullcrap 1/3

Ok, I'll start by saying here that the only reason I wrote my other posts and the only reason I'm writing this is because instead of providing unbiased data the reviewer tore the game apart with many points that were not valid, or worded in a manner as though there was no way around them. For example basically saying that it's a PvP free-for-all inside of cities. I offered information from a different perspective, yet we are both biased in the sense that I like the game and he hated it. Not every game is for everyone but if I had read this shoddy review before trying the game for myself I might have believed some of it and been less likely to give it a chance. it simply comes down to the fact that safe, easy, themepark games are boring to some people and games more like Mortal Online are just more fun. That is my opinion, and I am not here to push it on anyone, simply stating my experience with the game in it's current state.

So An, here is what I have to say in retort to you deciding that everything I have to say is BS simply because you don't agree or simply didn't bother to try to understand the points being given. I'm not lame enough to get into a flame war. The reviewer offered his opinion. I offered mine. You offered yours. Anyone who loves great games should try this for themselves rather than listen to any of us. There's a reason the game has a large following already, because it is a breath of fresh air after having the same formulated crap come out for the last decade.

To touch on your points, and I don't completely disagree with them all please read the next post.

An May 17, 2010 6:45 PM

Bullcrap 2/2

Bullcrap:
"Maybe because the game isn't done and polished? It has gotten much better. Hi res textures still not implemented but will be. Even without them the graphics are pretty good. Just look at screenshots online."

Truth:
How does "game isn't done" is any kind of excuse? he reviews the _current_ graphics, not what they promise in some far away future. The environment looks empty and dull, with barely any foliage at all.
-
Bullcrap:
"There is no anus. There is genetalia but if I take off all of my clothes at home I have genitals too. Maybe the reviewer feels inadequate or jealous of the models?"

Truth:
maybe the review realize that some stuff are just unnecessary in a rpg game one may want to play in public?
-
Bullcrap:
"How many games have you played with quests like "Kill 10 of this NPC" now kill 10 of this other NPC, now kill 10 of this other NPC, now go find 10 of these reagents, now kill 10 more of an NPC that you already killed 10 of 4 quests ago. This is tedious work and is common in most MMO's. In Mortal Online you kill/gather what you need, when you want."

Truth:
That is probably the most stupid thing I've ever read on those comment. You know what you do first as soon as you got your starter axe? You kill PIGS. Over and over. Then when you finally got some armor, you die, and gotta repeat this tedious work over and over. There is no difference to quest grind in themeparks, MO does require a lot more repetitive work.
-
Bullcrap:
"Use a torch. They're cheap. If I walk into the woods at night without a flashlight I don't expect magic beams of light to guide me. Moonlight is actually helpful in open areas as well. I usually find myself doing other things at night."

Truth:
Try for once going out in the night with such full moon as nave have. You can read outside, I am not joking you.

An May 17, 2010 6:39 PM

Bullcrap 1/2

Bullcrap:
"You can be robbed but after killing 5 innocent people you get red-flagged. At this point Priests won't resurrect you, guards will kill you if caught in a town, etc., so most players don't kill indiscriminantly."

Truth:
None of the red gives a crap about priests not ressing one, nor are they afraid of going red, that is the reason they kill you, for the fun of it. The punishment for being red is almost none existent, and the whole game is a giant gankfest atm.
-
Bullcrap:
"Read system specs, adjust graphics appropriately, etc. I never had this problem after optimization and there's more optimization to come."

Truth:
Majority of the players still experience lag or other tech related issues.
-
Bullcrap:
"You hit in front of you. Pretty hard to understand for this reviewer I suppose."

Truth:
Pretty hard to understand that targeting is not only used for combat, I guess.
-
Bullcrap:
"There are NPC mobs, bosses, etc., just have to look."

Truth:
There are no real bosses ingame atm. There is no "ect", only animals and well hidden humanoids.
-
Bullcrap:
"False statement. Simply type GUARD in a town and criminals are executed."

Truth:
He probably meant red cities. Neither does it mean only because you can guard them, there is no PvP.
-
Bullcrap:
"You have to look at the help menus if you've never played before. However, there are simple creatures outside of all starting villages to kill for some easy money to get started."

Truth:
Game is indeed very unclear on how to get started or on what goals one may have.

Guttersnipe77 May 17, 2010 6:09 PM

Part 2: Elaborating on my previous post with better points and data.

Part 2/2 (need to meet character limit).

Review comment:
"the environments so awful looking"

Truth:
Maybe because the game isn't done and polished? It has gotten much better. Hi res textures still not implemented but will be. Even without them the graphics are pretty good. Just look at screenshots online.

Review comment:
"I didn’t really understand why there was a need to add fully detailed genitalia. Was an anus really necessary"

Truth:
There is no anus. There is genetalia but if I take off all of my clothes at home I have genitals too. Maybe the reviewer feels inadequate or jealous of the models?

Review comment:
"I’ve never played an MMORPG before that felt like work"

Truth:
How many games have you played with quests like "Kill 10 of this NPC" now kill 10 of this other NPC, now kill 10 of this other NPC, now go find 10 of these reagents, now kill 10 more of an NPC that you already killed 10 of 4 quests ago. This is tedious work and is common in most MMO's. In Mortal Online you kill/gather what you need, when you want.

Review comment:
"There’s a disproportionate amount of time required in scavenging/mining/wood cutting to make any decent cash"

Truth:
This is my favorite because it proves that the reviewer didn't play the game much at all. You can't sell wood/ore to NPC's. You use what you gather for crafting or you sell it to another player so they can craft with it. You can easily make quick money by killing a few pigs and selling leather/bones to some NPC's though. Some people use resource gathering to build up their strength but it's not required.

Review comment:
"trying to play the game while it’s at night (in-game) is a real chore because it gets so dark that it’s almost impossible to see anything"

Truth:
Use a torch. They're cheap. If I walk into the woods at night without a flashlight I don't expect magic beams of light to guide me. Moonlight is actually helpful in open areas as well. I usually find myself doing other things at night, like so

Guttersnipe77 May 17, 2010 6:08 PM

Part 1: Elaborating on my previous post with better points and data.

Part 1/2 (need to meet character limit).

Review comment:
"Starting a game with pretty much no help on what to do or no direction on where to go or how to get anything done."

Truth:
You have to look at the help menus if you've never played before. However, there are simple creatures outside of all starting villages to kill for some easy money to get started.

Review comment:
Being robbed anytime you come across something useful while another player is around

Truth:
You can be robbed but after killing 5 innocent people you get red-flagged. At this point Priests won't resurrect you, guards will kill you if caught in a town, etc., so most players don't kill indiscriminantly.

Review comment:
"Traveling for hours on end just to reach a town."

Truth:
If you have no idea where you're going and get lost then this is possible. Even on foot it's never taken me more than about 20 minutes or so to get to a town. There are these things called horsed though that you can learn to ride that makes travel safer and faster. Imagine that. However, you don't start with them, you have to play a little and you character usually needs to read the right books to get required skills.

Review comment:
"Constant PvP being active even inside towns."

Truth:
False statement. Simply type GUARD in a town and criminals are executed.

Review comment:
"No clear enemies to attack other than animals and other players."

Truth:
There are NPC mobs, bosses, etc., just have to look.

Review comment:
"there is no reticule or targeting system"

Truth:
You hit in front of you. Pretty hard to understand for this reviewer I suppose.

Review comment:
"the lag is so awful you can die before you even know you get hit"

Truth:
Read system specs, adjust graphics appropriately, etc. I never had this problem after optimization and there's more optimization to come.

Guttersnipe77 May 17, 2010 4:11 PM

Decide for yourself, don't listen to this review complaining about bugs in a pre-release game.

Much of what was mentioned are simply bugs, most of which have been ironed out already. Now if you just don't like the premise or are too lazy to go out and make the game an individual experience, then that's fine, just don't whine about bugs to a point where you are turning people away from the game because again, these are just bugs, they are getting addressed constantly, and they are not the core of the game.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Mortal Online since I signed up for the open beta. It took a couple of hours to figure some stuff but after a bit of experience with the skill system, learning what to do when I'm first dropped in the world, and finding a good guild to play with (solo isn't advised for this game in the long run), the game caught me hook, line, and sinker.

You want a quest, make one. Example objective is that you want your guild to have the best armor, you guys figure out what the crafter needs and go gather it as a team. Go kill some direwolves if you need ironwool for example. Here's another "quest": Build a keep with your guild. How do you accomplish it? Kill some bosses, make some weapons and sell them, gather resources to sell, and along the way you learn skills and improve your character.

This game has true immersion if you're willing to use your brain a little bit. I personally don't want to be told how to play or what to do, so this is right up my alley. It might be up yours too if you can get past other people's opinions and try it for yourself.

Thanks for listening.

An May 17, 2010 2:30 PM

@Silent

Silent, you are a perfect example of a butthurt fanboi :)

MO is not hardcore, just bugged to hell, boring, and lacking any features except for PvP. And think is a game worth playing? Dont make me laugh.

And your comment about "manning up and figuring it out" just shows you know nothing about games. Only because it is sandbox, it doesn't means it needs to be user-unfriendly, it is just SV failing to do good intro.

Silent May 16, 2010 10:08 PM

What a load of Sh^t

You seem like another cry baby who needs his hand held ever time he's not sure on what to do.
BOO HOO for you. Man up and figure it out.
Its people like you that bash games that are actually worth playing. Congratz, your a pu$$y.

An May 15, 2010 5:22 AM

Terrible Rage quit review

This review is totaly off. Although it is a good example of why Mortal is so good. There is massive opportunity for unfairness and huge adversity to overcome but it is totaly dependant on the skill of the player and people and friends you make within the game that will help you along and ultimately... well thats the great thing. there is no ultimate goal. The whole world is there for you to do whatever you want in. It is incredibly emersive and liberating knowing that you can do anything you want although there is a steep learning curve if you have played any WoW type mmo before. You naturaly feel that you have to have some sort of direction and never look to the future or the potentail of what you could achieve and so, like this reviewer, you go and chop wood for half an hour and get board. I got my friend to give it a try instead of lotro while it was in open beta and he was the same. I had to ride for about 20 minutes to get to where he was so he started chopping wood. Decided thats all there was to it and never played since. It totaly depends upon what you do as to wheather or not you will have a good time with the game as with all sandbox games such as Crysis. The whole element of it being and mmo aswell means you can do almost anything within the meagre limitations of the game. You can build almost anywhere other than certain landmarks, the only other limitation is the types of building you can create and starvault have already stated that they have plans to add new types in the future.

Another critisizm I have heard is that it it close to impossible to do anything by yourself. This is true, however this is the same in real life and in almost any situation where there is a large number of people in an area :P. If you play by yourself there is a good chance that you will get killed and get you stuff taken a few times however, this just serves the games sense of threat and realism that you just dont get in other mmos. Emersive ect ect, Character limit reached:D

An May 10, 2010 6:04 PM

Follow up

Not to mention that there is little to "experince". All you can do in this "beta" is gank and craft. Good job SV.

If we are to speak about immersion, Dark messiah did it 10 times better then this crap.

An May 10, 2010 6:02 PM

Well..

Well Star, what can I say? There are some weird people out there who enjoy the pain in the ass :)

Star May 10, 2010 9:58 AM

Best game in the last 10 years

I have never experienced such a gaming experience and immersion since UO and EQ1

Mill May 3, 2010 6:08 AM

The truth

The people who are complaining about this game are the people who are afraid of open-ended games. They are usually not very competitive individuals, and most likely have not played any sports in their lives, or quit once their parents stop hassling them. I am tired of faction driven games, which destroy the purpose of clans. MO is my liberation from the WoW's of MMO's. I do not want to feel safe, I want to loose my crap out in the woods[even if it takes me a hour to get it]. I do not like the idea that i am going to be equal to everyone, some people are just better then others, it is life get over it.

Medieval merchants did not have the opportunity to "accept a duel" from a bunch of thieves along their travels, and unlike WOW they were able to communicate with their assailants. I've been taking history courses at university and so far all I have learned that in comparison to MMORPGs, the real-world is a scarier place. MMorpgs in general have been made for uncompetitive, and frankly scared kids (who hate the concept that they may not get picked for a team).

An Apr 10, 2010 7:50 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

To bad this "sandbox" misses it's tools. Imho it is just a lazy excuse to not include quests, which are, as I said are great tools for introducing lore.

Quests doesn't need to hold your hand through the game. It is a shame that every MO fanboi just take every crap devs say for truth.

Only things ingame atm to do is either craft, or gank others. As I said, this sandbox got no tools atm to make it interesting and long-lasting, sorry to disappoint.

Jackalope Apr 10, 2010 5:10 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Q: IS Mortal Online another clone of "that game"?
A: Definitely not. Mortal Online is a true sandbox game with a focus on a realistic graphic style, complex character skills and player interaction. There are no NPCs or quest lines to direct the action. Decisions made by players determine the outcome of every encounter, and the world changes and reacts dynamically to their actions. Every time you log in you will have a unique experience.

Jackalope Apr 10, 2010 5:05 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

@An

least Im not stupid

An Apr 10, 2010 9:47 AM

Pathetic..

@Jackalope
You are pathetic, if you think quests are there only to tell people what to do.. As I explained previously, quests are excellent tool for Devs to introduce players to lore. I am sad that you cant see it, I guess you are one of the wowphobic players.

balint szabad Apr 10, 2010 6:31 AM

Sandbox ?! where ?

Is Mortal online themepark ?! really ?!
And what makes it to be sandbox ?!
Cause you can't for terrain,you can not build where you want to build etc.
The lack of content and rules are not giving sanbox.
And yes i agree this is the worst mmo ever made.
Campana is just an other fanboy trying to deffend the game, maybe that way he feels less stupid to play a worthless game.

Jackalope Apr 9, 2010 10:26 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Q: What is a Sandbox Game?
A: Most MMOGs are “theme park games”. They create a very carefully designed “park” and shuttle you through all the rides in a nice orderly fashion. They are usually very gear dependent and focus primarily on Player vs. Environment encounters with pre-determined gear upgrades given as prizes for completion of milestone events. The levels and gear dependency create a level of separation between characters that cannot be overcome by player skill. That same separation inhibits the social aspects of the MMOG because of the division between different play styles and experience levels. Theme park games also feature an “end game”, usually by imposing a level cap and/or events that become progressively more difficult until players eventually confront and defeat the “ultimate evil”. Sandbox games are the antithesis of theme park games. They are called “sandbox” because the developers essentially build a virtual sandbox, fill it with sand and provide the toys and tools that the players need to create whatever they desire. Story lines are open-ended and player driven. There are no levels, no pre-designed classes, and few (if any) quests. Gear and weapons are useful, but not a goal; player skill has a much higher impact on the outcome of both PvE and PvP confrontations. Because players can do and be whatever they wish, all play-styles are embraced and social interaction is highly developed. Players are intended to make their mark upon the world, usually via player owned housing, reliance upon player crafted items, a player-driven economy and the ability of players to deal out their own justice. Hardcore PvPers, die-hard crafters and PvE-centric players all co-exist and rely upon each other, creating an economic and social balance that is rarely seen in theme park games.

Jackalope Apr 9, 2010 9:17 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Quests are what stupid ppl need to tell them what to do.

An Apr 9, 2010 7:53 AM

Be less blind..

@Campana
"You want there to be quests"
Shows how little you know about the game you play. MO is supposed to have epic quests, it is even mentioned in features "Epic quests doesn't repeat them selves".

I would appreciate if fans stopped trying to defend the Devs incompability and lack of time to make good quests as "Quests are not hardcore enough for us". Quests ARE a must for good game with lore, and quests CAN be hardcore. It is all down to devs in order to make them good.

It is a great shame MO lacks quests.

My point is- Quests are good, and the lack of them has nothing to do with Devs visions but with them not having time/skills to do them good. RPG game without good quests is a bad thing, sandbox or not.

So what he was trying to say is that MO is missing one of most basic features, which are quests. ANd once again, it has nothing to do with quests not being hardcore enough.

Same goes for nudity. The hell is wrong with you guys, so hard to accept someone's opinion that he dislikes nudity? You dont have to like every single feature in the game.

William Usher Apr 8, 2010 8:38 PM

@Campana

I actually enjoy games with full loot PvP, it's one of the reasons I liked Ran Online, which is far more intense than MO given that you could spend months earning cash to acquire high-grade items and lose it in a PvP battle:
www.brighthub.com/video-games/mmo/reviews/63268.aspx

I don't mind games that don't have quests, as stated in my reference to DarkEden, in which the entire game is about open-world PvP and nothing more. But MO not only does not have quests but no real direction for any of its gameplay. Are players rebuilding a world? Is there some war or lore players should be aware of in the game? There's literally nothing for new players to grasp onto once they enter the game world...nothing at all.

And contrary to belief, the one thing I highly praised Mortal Online for was its concepts. It was the execution of those concepts that proved to be the biggest problem for Mortal Online.

Campana Apr 8, 2010 8:18 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

I don't think you should write reivews of games which you dislike the concepts for. You don't like full nudity, you don't like full loot pvp, you don't like exploring or discovering things, you want there to be quests. If that's the case, why on earth are you reviewing MO?

Bob Apr 8, 2010 4:21 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

qoute"I know what open-world sandbox games are about" end quote

Yeah Im really starting to doubt that and come on mate thats a bit silly to say

Bob Apr 8, 2010 4:14 PM

OMG

Yes Because all open sandbox games should be the same!!

Do some research before playing the game I mean if you spent 1 min reading the FAQ on the web site its not to hard to understand

well maybe it is for you anyway

William Usher Apr 8, 2010 1:48 PM

Morrowind this game is not...

I suppose all the Elder Scrolls games were theme parks, too? And Rohan and DarkEden are theme park games according to your standard?

In actuality, you might want to try playing some of the newer open-world games like Fallen Earth:
www.brighthub.com/video-games/mmo/reviews/62822.aspx

I know what open-world sandbox games are about and this game doesn't even come close to what Fallen Earth had to offer. Heck, Age of Conan felt more complete than Mortal Online and that game has become popularized for being buggy.

Serith78 Apr 8, 2010 10:50 AM

Reviewer needs to take into account game type and intended audience

This game isn't intended for the "masses". It's intended for players who like harsh, open worlds. If you're a skilled player, MO lets you advance way more quickly then "themepark" MMOs do.

My previous experience with games of this type was open PVP full loot RP muds...and with that background I really had no problem picking up MO. Yes there are issues with the game such as lag but the core concept is good - it just harkens back to older days of gaming where if you weren't a good player you never made it to real power.

And it's actually even now far more "playable" then other sandbox games - EVE online exempted most of them have far heavier amounts of grind involved.

I think this site really needs to review sandbox MMOs on their own merits with reviewers experienced in that type of gameplay, not someone who seems really into themeparks. Not intended as an insult - I myself would never review themepark MMOs because I can't stand that style of game by and large.

Dan Apr 8, 2010 1:27 AM

This review is perfect

I have no clue what these other people are commenting about, but after playing this game you've hit the nail on the head.

This is, in fact, the worst mmorpg ever created in the history of mankind. That is a title not easily won, but there's no debate at all on who has it now.

They should be ashamed of making something like this.. might I suggest capital punishment for everyone payrolled in the company?

I think so!

HORRIBLE GAME PEOPLE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!

Bob Apr 7, 2010 12:03 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

Quote "performing simple tasks like talking to an NPC is a chore"

yes because it is so hard to push tab then "R"

I mean really

I dont know what game you are comparing this to or why you think it should have quests?

oh and the night thing try leveling up as it improves night vision.

Oh and only animals around well that actually just shows how much you played this game

It takes you hours to get any where? what are you running around in circles or something (I think you would nearly be able to do a lap of the place in that time

Bob Apr 7, 2010 11:50 AM

really

Sounds like someone got ganked and had all his stuff stolen do you need a tissue.

And I think the word you where looking for is preview.

William Usher Apr 6, 2010 8:43 PM

@Kraver

How is a game not released when it's obviously available in open beta? From beta to gold the game is practically finished other than a couple of bugs, glitches and balancing issues that need to be adjusted. However, it'll take a lot more than a few patches to fix all what's wrong with Mortal Online. The game needs another five years of development.

Kraver Apr 6, 2010 7:32 PM

WTF!?

First of all you cant REVIEW a game that isnt released.

And second, please read about what the game is about before saying stuff that is not true.

An Apr 6, 2010 4:24 PM

Lol, the fanboi tears

Dont listen to the crying fanbois, seeing their ship sink. The review is spoton, and that is what you can expect if you gonna play the game without being a diehard fan of that pain in ass game.

Holly Apr 6, 2010 4:22 PM

Oh, about the open beta.

I forgot to mention in my last post. If you DO decide to try the open beta, be careful. When you try to sign up, it asks for your CC info in a sneaky attempt to get you to buy the game. Go past it without entering your details. If you do buy the game ,it also auto-subscribes you. You don't get a choice on when to use your free month (it starts the moment the game goes gold), and you're actually already enrolled in a subscription plan that you need to manually turn off.

Trustworthy, right?

Holly Apr 6, 2010 4:12 PM

Spot on review.

If you're stumbling across this review, taking the time to read the comments, and starting to question the review based on the number of 'fail' comments, please rest assured that the reviewer is completely right.

MO's community used to be composed of people that criticized the game, some that called it the best game ever made (keep in mind this was during early, early beta, when everything was even more broken, the world was devoid of life, things looked even worse, and there wasn't even a magic or pet system in yet -- to call that the best game ever should tell you something about their mindsets), and people on the fence. Eventually, the people criticizing left, people on the fence left, the fanboys took over, and that's the community that exists today. The people who, on IRC, literally treat the devs like gods and offer them beer and women just for restarting the server. It borders on fanatical.

This game is pure crap. If you're expecting something close to Oblivion Online, stay away. I made the mistake of buying into the hype, pre-ordering, telling my friends to pre-order, and watching this 'game' (even at this point, it feels like an alpha) go down the crapper. As someone who has been playing since Block A, I can tell you that the devs don't know what they're doing. At all. They're winging it. It's their first game. The lead programmer's experience consists of making mods for fun, and the CEO is just a kid himself. Oh, and a fan on the forums created the patcher for them. Which might explain why it's so awful.

I called my credit card company and got a refund. So did my friends. And the funny thing? The lady says they've gotten a lot of complaints about that company.

Do yourself a favor, reader, and try the open beta. Don't pay them a cent. See how bad it is yourself.

On a sidenote, I received the boxed copy of the game months after I cancelled. Incredible. It contained a DVD with an old client you can't update. It's like sending a blank CD.

honk Apr 6, 2010 3:48 PM

I laughed

When I watch a review on gamespot (or any major gamesite) I expect that the reviewer knows what he talking about, I expect the reviewer to know the game pretty well so he can give me accurate information and not some misunderstandings of his own. In fact major gamesites dosent review games long after they have been released.

Basically u make the excuse that ur just reviewing the game from first impressions....had this been pac man back in the 80`s that would probaly suffice, but this is not pac man....

This review is a fail william, infact its just a subjective opinion about MO. U dont like sandbox mmo`s and ur review is about bashing the sandbox elements of MO. As numerous ppl have commented here u are clearly not the right person to review this game. Ppl that will play this game come for the sanbox elements and a review that critizise the game for that is really stupid.

William Usher Apr 6, 2010 2:20 PM

Well, all is said and done...

I review every game equally. And that means NOT going to the forums, NOT getting detailed backstory on development progress and NOT finding out what other people thought about the game or what it's supposed to be. Because in real life the average gamer will hear about a game and want to try it out without getting heavy into the details of the game and hands-down Mortal Online is not good for average gamers. I went into this game like I do every other game and if you need a dictionary sized amount of text just to "understand" and what Mortal Online is about and how it's supposed to be played then it's not a game for majority of gamers.

For every MMO I play I usually make several characters and play different types and explore different areas of the game before making any final thoughts on the product and the same applied to Mortal Online. Nevertheless, all of it is pointless to explain because for people who just go in with no expectations they will be sorely disappointed. No matter where I started and no matter what class I was the same thing happened. You can disagree with the review all you want but don't try to convince the masses that anyone looking for an open-world RPG will find something remotely similar to Morrowind, Oblivion, DarkEden, Red Dead Redemption or Fable in Mortal Online.

bollasture Apr 6, 2010 12:46 PM

this review is fail

"I’ve never played a game that makes players feel so helpless and useless all at the same time. It’s like children with no parents, no rules and no laws and someone told them “Go out there and survive…survive anyway that you can”. You can think of that as the main quest of the game"

Atleast u got one thing right william, if u dont want this, MO will not be for u. Now how about u get someone that actually likes sandbox mmos to rewrite the whole (premature!) review?

Dude Apr 6, 2010 12:23 PM

Idiot

"And no, even though I played MO as much as I did, I did not get "far" in the game according to the measure of profit because of all the reasons listed in the review. Every day I played the game and the same thing occured and it became tiresome and boring. "

And you didn't once thing of either

1.) Going somewhere else? No, not all towns have guards, they are lawless towns. That is where the worst of the worst hang out. . . Go somewhere else, there are plenty of places where most of the people are not dicks.

2.) Make some friends. If you have friends around, you don't have to worry about some dude killing you as much.

Also, the nights are SUPPOSED to be dark, if it's not dark, why even bother. It opens up options for other types of gameplay. This game is about options, not stroking your E-Peen with l33t loot.

I know the game is not perfect, hell, its a very long way from perfect. But it's not nearly as bad as you make it out to be. And it certainly doesn't deserve to die and fall off the face of the earth.

Your reviewing skills are what need a lot of work. You should at least know a little about the purpose of the game you are reviewing before you review it.

Johnny volk Apr 6, 2010 11:52 AM

Nostalgia

I read the same lines about UO back in 1997. "I lagged, i had to search forums, i died, i got looted, i got killed, i got lost, didnt know what to do. The dying is The worst graphics"

bulldog Apr 6, 2010 10:14 AM

fail review

just another themepark loving reviewer reviewing a sandbox....

Molluck Apr 6, 2010 9:41 AM

Wow what a fail review!

Come on, reviewer!
Play the game for MORE than a day before you review it! Try MORE than one character - maybe you'll find that you don't have to waste three hours mining before actually getting out there, spend MORE than 30 minutes of the game's official forums and perhaps you'd understand that there are no quests but there will be tasks, and that nudity is a part of the lore, and not there to be vulgar.

Whenever a reviewer has to write in the comment section to defend his review, it is clear that he hasn't done his job.

You sir, are a fail reviewer.
Goodbye.

pookz Apr 6, 2010 9:26 AM

False information.

Its a game in beta, and you failed to miss all points about mortal online..

why no map? why should you have one? adventuring with a map is no adventure, its a set route where to go each time. discover your own ways in the world and places.

Why so dark? You ever been outside of the city at night? you wont see sht either.

Why thieves and pvp? thats how poor people made an bit of gold that didnt know better. and pvp with full loot drop, makes it a lot less funny to be killed so increases the adrenaline once you get attacked.

These things happen more often as we're in BETA, the skill gain and resources will be a lot slower once live, this has been stated by dev's on the forums (if you take the time to read that stuff).

Next time you write a review, dont think about other games and do some investigation before writing bullsht. as you missed all points that make mo a good game.

on your to self stated question: what this game resembles at? Ultima Online (1998-now) but i guess thats far before you went into online gaming;)

Please next time get into the game a bit more before your write a review (wich should be PRE-view as its in beta). These game developers are working their asses off to get something off the ground with all their heart, and love. and giving them bad publicity like this wich is not needed wont help anyone.

on the other end, yes the game is still in beta stage, and will be even the first few months of going live. They are working on every part of the game as we speak day and night (30hours a day with overlapping of different teams, stated by dev team). not everyone works on the desync, only 3-5 people of their team.

anyways, play it, or don't. but if you do see it as a new game, and not as something you played before.

-Pookz

An Apr 6, 2010 7:37 AM

Bullcrap

@A person
Your compare about steak and cow is irrelevant. What we are looking at, is a steak already being cooked. What we have now, is what we will pretty much get in release, so it is very well ready for reviews.

As for quests, there are no quests in AT THE MOMENT, and that is the problem, who cares about what they promise in some distant future..

Dudeman Apr 6, 2010 5:49 AM

MO Fanboys, stfu plz kthx

I have been playing MO since Block A beta, and even though I am one of the best pvpers in beta, I think the game is seriously lacking, the combat is severely flawed, unbalanced, and the first person view has a far too limited field of view, something like 70 degrees, its wretched. This reviewer barely scratched the surface of whats wrong with mortal online, and its when you get maxed strength constitution and dexterity, with top tier armor and spears, when you realize that you might as well be a god, because NOBODY, regardless of their twitch skill, can kill you. The game is heavily based on items, and character stats, I would say twitch/aiming/fps skill makes for 10% of the entire combat system. Take an 8 year old kid who has never played an FPS before, give him a good spear and armor, and a horse, and he'll kill ANYONE that doesnt have equally matched stats and armor, which, for most people, would take a looooooooong time to acquire

An Apr 6, 2010 3:59 AM

Hardcore!=pain in ass

@ Skel & Jesse.

You guys are a perfect example of wowphobia. Only because wow got something, as soon as any other game does it, it makes it a themepark? Give me a break. MO is not challenging, it is a pain in the ass.

I love challenge. But endless grinding for wood and stone, pitch black nights, and overall buggy design is NOT a challenge. It is just plain annoying.

I am sad you cant see that, but I am happy MO will keep such players as you from destroying other games with your point of view on "challenge", so please, please, stay in MO and dont try other games.

The game is a big grind, and most features are just a pain in ass, and far from hardcore.

A person Apr 6, 2010 3:52 AM

A wise man once said...

Criticising a game that is in a beta is like judging a steak dinner evening by looking at the cow in the field.

It seems you haven't really know why each concept/feature is the way it is in the game. I suggest you read up on the game, ask around on the forums.

As there are quests, just not the kind you are used to. They can be put into 2 different Cats.

EPIC quests
Where these quests will effect the lore of Nave(Mortal online), you don't have to take part it in. And they only happen once in awhile (Not in yet, but will probably will have one at release).

Or Tasks
Where your asked by a NPC or yourself or another player, to do something, and in return they will give you coins(NPC, Player, or self), or an item(other players/yourself). Which doing these tasks will increases your exp in the skills you use to complete these tasks.

As well as there are is a lot more you should learn about the game before you even write a review.

Cronnix Apr 6, 2010 3:47 AM

Good review

Good review, you should prepare yourself for income of raging fans who will flame this simply because you didnt like their "omg so awesome" game.

Also, being is beta IS NO LONGER AN EXCUSE, they been trying to release it several times, they just fail at fixing desync, thats why the delay. The gameplay wont change. The features wont change.

Slapshot Apr 6, 2010 3:35 AM

Spot on review!!

The review was spot on and anyone that doubts it should take advantage of the last few days of Free Open Beta to see for yourselves. Be careful though, the Beta Signup is tricky and will (at least used to)take you to a place where it asks for your Credit card info.. DO NOT ENTER IT. You can still play beta without entering the info. Also. it seems that everyone that pre-orders the game is automatically setup for renewal of a subscrition even if they don't choose one. Once they have your CC info on file....

On the forums people have asked for clarification but no response has been forthcoming from StarVault that i have seen.

I also encourage anyone interested to view the following review of the Boxed edition which was purchased:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3tVXpLyMx8

Bottom line... the game is totally unfinished, buggy and empty. They claim that you will have all your Primary PvP skills leveled to max in 2 weeks.. and that secondary skills will take longer but have minimal effect on PvP. This means that after 2 weeks the game essentially becomes a persistent world FPS with some crafting and basic housing thrown in. There is no content as you are supposed to make your own... but there are no tools to do so. The sooner this game dies.. the better. Companies must learn that they cannot charge AAA prices for half finished, buggy, empty shovelware and hide behind the "we're a small indie company" excuse.

Lastly.. beware that if you DO order the game you will instantly be charged and they do not offer refunds. People that ordered the game in July were charged 9 months ago and still the game has not released... Requests for refunds are denied, despite the numerous delays. Caveat Emptor!!

William Usher Apr 6, 2010 3:28 AM

@Lunatic

The idea of a review is to generally gauge how well it will appeal to a broad audience.

As I mentioned, if you enjoy player-killing and making it tough for new players to enjoy the game then Mortal Online is perfect for sadist looking for a past-time.

In all honestly, I hated Mortal Online because it felt like work, not a game. Three hours mining just so someone can run up and kill me before I can put it in storage and then kill the NPC so I couldn't put it in storage is not my idea of fun, especially when I spent another two hours mining just for the same thing to happen again.

Some towns have safe zones but not all towns are safe. I thought this was asinine as some players would continually kill the NPCs whenever some newbs would try to interact with them.

I played the game enough to conjur up an opinion of hate towards the game. I have never in my life played a game where I dedicated so much time into something with no reward other than being killed and robbed every time I earned something.

And no, even though I played MO as much as I did, I did not get "far" in the game according to the measure of profit because of all the reasons listed in the review. Every day I played the game and the same thing occured and it became tiresome and boring.

I toughed through the awful grinding in Rohan (a game I also hate but gave a much higher score than Mortal Online) for an entire month but still found some redeemable qualities about it. I just can't imagine constantly putting in 40 hours a week so I could keep getting robbed or respawning out in the middle of nowhere and trying to find my way back to a town.

It's obvious fans of this game love it but the review reflects what's in store for hardcore and non-hardcore gamers and that's why the score is as low as it is.

Lunatic Apr 6, 2010 3:07 AM

Ill-informed.

While Mortal is by no means perfect nor even in all that great of a state at the moment, the reviewer is unable to meet the basic parameters for reviewing a game like this.

Rather than encouraging the rather unique and different presentation of an MMO world, the reviewer laments the game for not having tired and overused features, so much so even one of the headings for the review sections is titled "Quests".

Why the reviewer feels an option feature should be a corner stone for the view, I have no idea. Quests, ultimately, are a feature. Features are not on par with "Gameplay", nor "Concept". Mortal decided not to have quests. You should be examining what it has instead, what alternatives it has in place and commenting on how this is different from other games, not saying "This other game has this, therefore this should too".

In a basic sense what you're saying is "Aion has flying combat, therefore this game should too."

Your comments towards the PVP system are also misplaced, you comment upon how players can kill you, not mentioning that there are safe areas in which they cannot, nor mentioning that with decent equipment (I assume you didn't get this far.) you can with ease defend yourself.

Did it not appear to you at some stage, that, if you're a player who wants quests, doesn't want open world PVP and doesn't like to work to get far into a game, then perhaps, reviewing a game like this, was a bad idea?

While you are not wrong, lag is an issue (However, much less than you have mentioned.) and there are still balance issues in the game, your comments are completely out of proportion.

Comments on night-time are also misguided, nights are fairly light and visibility is pretty clear. With the exception of moonless nights. You have a torch, use it.

Also, citing the forums as a source of information is terribly unprofessional. This is your review, your opinion, don't say "Well, the forums say it too."

William Usher Apr 6, 2010 1:07 AM

For the people who don't know...

Everything I mentioned in the review is also mentioned on the forums with players complaining about the same problems:
http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/mortal-online-discussions/

William Usher Apr 6, 2010 12:59 AM

Zekk

You have to understand not everyone enjoys waiting at an NPC and robbing other players in order to make a profit.

I played the game each day for several hours to get the feel for it and it felt like a broken version of Oblivion.

This review is a warning for anyone out there thinking that this game might be like Oblivion, because it's not. And each town is not a 10-20 minute walk away. Depending on where you respawn it can take up to an hour depending on where you're running from.

Again, not every player is a gung-ho player-killer who robs at every turn (which seemed to be the only players I encountered) and for people who enjoy stalking new players and killing them every chance they get, those kind of people will probably enjoy Mortal Online.

Zekk Apr 6, 2010 12:36 AM

Fail Review.

#1: Traveling for hours on end just to reach a town. (Traveling between certain towns without a horse can take up to 10-20 minutes depending on where you are running. There are multiple maps available online to ease this).

#2 Constant PvP being active even inside towns. (Towns are not a complete safe zone [i.e. thieves] but there is definitely not constant pvp inside towns. )

#3 The help screen is completely useless and unless players spend hours-on-end scouring through the forums to find out how to execute simple things within the game then you just won’t ever find out how to do it. (A simple search on the Wiki or through the forums isn't really the most difficult thing to do. Most information can be found in either of these places with ease. If you still can't figure things you, people are available to answer your questions on IRC. Again, a cursory scan of the website forums stickied posts can show you the way. Obviously, you think the game should just tell you what to do. You have mistaken sandbox for themepark. An understandable mistake from the game revie..wer...wait. ... that's not right. Lol.)

#4 “Go out there and survive…survive anyway that you can”. (This is totally true and I love it. QQ?)

#5 While there is no reticule or targeting system like other MMORPGs. (Hold down tab for targeting reticule)

#6 Now trying to get to any NPC to sell them is kind of pointless because trying to live to get to an NPC or town is almost impossible without help, and most players are generally out to help themselves, which means if they see you they'll basically try to kill you, rob you and run off. (Is this a joke? Did you actually play the game for more than 10 minutes? Wow. If you can't make it back to an npc to sell items...I mean...Wow. Lol.)

#7 If you spot out the greenery in the game and get up close you’ll notice how blocky everything looks, which was just really disappointing. (Speedtree hasn't been implemented yet.)

I'm out of words now

William Usher Apr 5, 2010 11:56 PM

Ultima is old...

Get with the times people, this is 2010 and games like Fallen Earth and Anarchy Online have pioneered new ways of open world interactivity and PvP. Comparing Mortal Online with an old game like Ultima just shows how outdated and bad the concept is compared to the hundreds of MMOs out there that have far better PVP (i.e., Allods, Rohan, Lineage 2, Dark Age of Camelot, Red Cliff, DarkEden and Ran to name a few)

Also, to the person who posted that the game is in beta...it's OPEN BETA. All the reviews on any MMO site is from the game's open beta. So your point is moot. Added to this, the game will not spend another three years in development (although it should). And it does have partial-pay-to-play measures in place with the pre-order program, which is complete thievery.

Check around Bright Hub for a bunch of other MMOs out there that have done open-world and PvP mechanics 100 times better than Mortal Online.

peck Apr 5, 2010 10:18 PM

Bad game, but bad review...

While I'm no fan of MO, the review misses on a few key things.

1. No mention of it being in BETA

2. There is no "partial pay-to-play models in place"
(Mo is currently in Free Open Beta and will be a P2P when it goes live)

3. Not all mmorpg fans need their hands held. UO had no quests or real direction and it pioneered MMOs.

Skel Apr 5, 2010 1:58 AM

Agree with Jesse

It's honestly sad that players now a days never want a challenge. It's a sandbox game (which means you do what you want) and apparently you never found the help feature they gave you. You start how you want, you go where you want, why would you want the devs telling you where to go, it takes away from the freedom and purpose of the game. As far as quests I'm sure it will be implemented in the future, but as far as right now goes I love the game. The fact that you can be killed at anytime (outside of town) gives it a sense of suspense, always having to look around and know your surrounded. As for lag, I live in the Great Plains area and have no problem with lag and have cable.

I hope this game will become what UO used to be pre-facets. Before like all other games, protect the players from anything bad happening to them.

William Usher Apr 4, 2010 10:58 PM

RE: Mortal Online MMORPG Review

I'm not so sure about that.

I personally loved DarkEden for the simple fact that it was PvP anywhere at anytime. It was awesome.

The problem with this game is that new players are thrown out there and really have nothing to grasp onto. If you enjoy money-raping players by ganging up on newbs who have no idea how to play the game and consider torturing new players enough so that they quit as a fun time, then I'm inclined to think you may need a little help.

Jesse Apr 4, 2010 10:38 PM

sounds like this guy never heard of UO

so basically this review is saying that if you like WoW. You won't like this game. Fortunately this will be a relief to most pvpers and people that actually enjoy sandbox games. No 'theme park" rides here kiddes. I find that refreshing and revoultionary. Much like UO was, (and as a side note it was also one of the first MMO's to be made) I just wish that the kids with the training wheels still attached will stop whining at the real riders because we won't let them win.

Mortal Online MMORPG Review

A Mortal Waste Of Time

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