Normally when I say I’m lost in a game I’m referring to the games atmosphere and gameplay, but this time I literally mean I’m lost. I’ve wandered out from one of the game’s cities into the wilderness and have been lost for about an hour or so. I have no idea where in the game I am or how to get back to where I came from. I haven’t seen a single player, NPC or Mob the entire time other then a few pigs or rabbits, which are scarce at that. For those of you who haven’t played Mortal Online yet, there is no in-game map, so you never really know where you are or where any city is. There are no sign posts on trails or at outposts pointing to a cities direction, or at least I haven’t found any. Considering Mortal Online is set to release this month, within 2 weeks, I’m shocked at the lack of content outside the cities.
A few weeks ago I wrote how the Mortal Online open beta was a dud due to the lack of content, however one reader replied back with “I’ve killed minotaurs, lizard men, terror birds, been in giant battles, wear full plate and have steel weapons. Plenty to do in the beta.” My question to this reader is, where? I’ve been walking around in all directions for over an hr and I haven’t seen one mob, not one. I did find two outposts, but they were completely empty.
I now have about 6-8 hrs worth of gameplay in the Mortal Online open beta and while the games mechanics such as fighting, stealing, crafting and other systems are all working very well, I don’t really have anything to do. I think the main issue I’m having is not having a map. I don’t know where I am in relation to other cities and I don’t know where any thing is. Just finding NPCs to buy and sell items takes forever because you have to search the entire city to find where they’re located. I’m not saying I need a map with NPC icons everywhere, but a map that shows where the market is or where the smiths are located would be helpful.
Mortal Online does have some big content issues, but the game mechanics and rules are a breath of fresh air. This is the first game where I’ve been able to steal items directly from a players loot bag, yes I’m playing as a thief and love it. But aside from stealing items from people, I can’t seem to find anything else to do.
Update: I was not offline or desynced, after around 2 hrs I finally ran into a group of people and they pointed me in the direction of a city. This is also not a review, we do not review games in beta.
Use your imagination son of Jor-El !
I agree that for several hours, I’ve spent it wandering around with absolutly nothing to do! I don’t mind the lack of a map but to have absolutely no clue where I am or where to go, it’s just a endless walk with nothing to see or doing, so boring!
Hey! Sounds like my experience! I played for maybe 4 hours total. I saw more zone walls than I did players. I did find 2 animal camps but everytime I walked near they teleported away. I don’t mean they ran away.. I mean they literally blinked out and appeared a hundred feet away.
When i tried to draw my weapon it apparently happens 2–30 seconds after you hit the button.
No map? seriously? My character is 30 years old and has no clue where anything in in his hometown?
ROFL.. only good thing i can say is that it was free for beta… so it didn’t cost me anything.
LOL @ “I’ve killed minotaurs, lizard men, terror birds, been in giant battles, wear full plate and have steel weapons. Plenty to do in the beta.”
Pigs will kill you in 5 strikes, wolves in 3 strikes. New player will never be able to tale on lizardmen nad such – they are considered as “high end” content.
I saw about 4 Risars after running through an empty landscape foe 30 minutes.
This “game” is nothing more than a scam. Avoid it by all means. Its a shame that in 2010 some one offers the market this crap under a guise of a “sandbox”
You were desynced, you were actually walking around in an empty world.
Auutumn: that’s why there’s a noobguide on the main site for yout to download and read, while patching the client.
For starters read the forums. It is still in BETA.. and that means glitches and bugs for your information. I have NEVER in my time as a gamer read such a STUPID review… EVER.
If you did have the brains of an adult you would search the Beta forum. There is all the answers you need.
FAIL MMO Crunch…. you just lost your cred.
If you took the time to do a bit of research instead of writting this before divin in you may of found your time in game a bit more fun
There Are player made maps Guilds and a ton of other stuff for Noobies Like your selfs to find Ask around In the Irc if your lost.. i was lost got lost quite a few times and people were nice enough to help me out when i asked.
This “review” is a perfect example of why people spoiled with WoW and similar MMOs should stick as far as possible from Mortal as with lack of imagination they will never find anything to do in sandbox MMO.
You want to be handheld and told to go from X to Y constantly? WoW is open for you and needs you!
You have imagination, you are creative, you can use given tools to get yourself something interesting to do? MO is for you.
I can agree that its not yet finished content wise and will not be for a long time, but to say there is nothing to do is plain simple bias and lack of understanding the game.
Advise for the future reviews:
Do not comment on something you do not understand.
Reminds me of Anarchy Online just after launch. I tried to run from one city to another and it took me three hours before I gave up, lost in an empty (albeit beautiful) wilderness.
And DAoC launched with huge areas for level 30 to 50 built but completely unpopulated. They tried to fill them up before players levelled that high but of course players always level faster than expected.
I think the most empty at launch of all MMOs I played, though, was Horizons.
The person who wrote this review has no imagination whatsoever, no patience, no initiative, and for sure hasn’t played the game for the right amount of time – because after 2 days you should know your way around the world.
Also, that person needs a good spanking.
A couple of things.
One, it is still a beta game, and a lot of content is being saved for release (no point spoiling the surprise!).
Also, optimisation is still being done, and as things improve, more content is being put in.
Finally, it is a Sandbox! Therefore, you make things to do. I have been playing since block A beta, and I have yet to struggle to find something to do. You need, as Jay said, to use your imagination.
Mike, I usually don’t write about a game until at least 10+ hours of gameplay. I usually know what I’m doing in 2 but 10 seems to be the breakpoint of functionality of most mmo newbie periods.
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Wow, no map? Cool, stop being spoiled as we have gotten over the years and do like we used to do. Go get a piece of oaktag or graph paper and make one!
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Do you at least get a compass? That is a necessity in my opinion, a fully functional, detailed map is expected from the start but in reality it is a luxury.
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I’m sorry your not enjoying your time in MO, you probably paid a lot of money to be in the beta. Give it some time. SV is a young indie studio.
it sounds like you should just stick to games like WOW where its all so easy and if ppl want to change things just whinne on alot of forums and they change things lol.mortal online is hardcore mmo and its not a game for ppl that want a free ride you need to work hard and you need to really get to know the games basic.another thing is that from what you type it sounds like you where desync while running arround.it is still beta you know :P
you, my good sir, are a bad gamer.
You’re used to those cookie cutter MMOs that hold your hand and dance with you all the way to level XY so that you can grind to stay competitive.
mortal online is the best MMO of this decade, where immersion and player skill (and brain) actually matter. It’s impossible that you didn’t stumble upon a single road or a signpost, cause there are plenty.
being lost on a journey is one of the game’s features. Try to fail a bit less next time.
Is this previewer retarded?
Mainly this preview is about u being lost. There will be player created maps in the game later, as a profession.
And secondly, the game is like in real life when it comes to navigation…it means u have to use ur brain a little more than u didn in wow, no GPS radar system here.
Look for geographical clues, like mountains and rivers…as I said, use ur brain.
It takes u about 2-3 days, depending on how much u explore to, to learn the continent. Running around for 5 hours isnt going to help u too much simpy because its a big continent. But there are several distinct areas like forest, desert and jungel.
And really, I find it stupid that u have access to writing this preview when u clearly dont seem to have the patients, brains and understanding to play this game.
Mortal Online is not a game u preview after 6 hours of play.
-regards beta tester since closed beta
Open Beta is Free and there is no compass But i think they are going to add it later and i think its gonna be player Crafted
where is the excitement in having a map? where all the locations are laid out for you.
jeeez, i certainly wouldn’t want you as my navigator mikey. im sorry but when i started playing beta.. this was the first thing i admired about the game. no map meant you had to keep it all up there.
im not sure how you could have got so lost to tell ya the truth, considering the map is 64 squared kilometers. its really not that big and if you were anywhere near the center of the map (you seemed a little shy of, judging by the pics) you would have been able to see right across the world.
and yea if you really do want to spoil yourself, there are maps made by players and you can snatch these by browsing the forums like any other supporter of beta usually does.
MO is the future of rpgs online in my eyes and im going to support SV all the way.
I must say ive had expected are more reflected preview from a gamesite, let alone a mmo game site hehe.
But I guess its why ive never heard of this gamesite, cos this preview is just silly.
First u complain about being lost, which is just embarrassing on ur part. After 2 days of play I pretty much learned the roads and directions in the game. Are u looking down in the ground when u run around?
And complaining about there being nothing to do…djiizzes, its a sandbox! U have to find out what to do, learn the game, decide what direction u want to go.
I generally get the impression that this previewer has only played themepark titles before.
All in all this preview just shows the incompetance of the previewer when it somes to playing a mmo.
There is really only one thing to say to this previewer:
GO BACK TO WOW
You really have no business writing a review when its plain obvious you didn’t do ~ANYTHING~ whatsoever to inform yourself about the game you’re playing. And no, “Im playing Mortal Online” doesn’t count as informing yourself.
IF you bothered to inform yourself to get an educated opinion on what the game is TRYING to deliver, and then based on in-game time made an educated review of what it actually offered, that would be a completely different story.
Where did that player find Minotaurs, giant battles, steel weapons and armor, and had plenty to do in Beta?
For starters he didn’t spend 6 hours playing the game in offline mode – which is what you’d recognize IF you had taken the time to inform yourself.
Nothing to do other then stealing, eh? Ask yourself this:
If I wake up in a mysterious world by myself and decide I want to have some fun, what is the best course of action? Steal from people? Or maybe MAKE SOME FRIENDS? You won’t be getting much done by yourself in this game. Kind of weird when you think about how it is out of place in an MMO rpg.
I myself have logged over 100 hours, most of it just exploring and map making for MY FRIENDS. There are plenty of things to see outside of the city.
If you were walking around and no NPCs were appearing, you were in offline mode, simply relog.
Yes this game is supposedly releasing this month, yes patches are coming out to fix issues and they are taking the server down and up to fix problems. Despite this being so close to release, this is still beta and things are being tested.
As for getting lost, yes you can… its great. In time, like real life, you learn landmarks and can navigate yourself about the map. Just takes learning, time and patience.
This game is not for everyone.
P.S.
With this sort of article I was expecting you to say something about banks not being global and not realising local banks are a feature… maybe you can include that in your next review.
it just came to me in a funny way mikey.. but.. you ever wonder where all those items were coming from? you know the ones you steal from people?
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somethin tells me you are missing more than you can steal.
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this article is a very poor one. you shouldn;t be able to post an article after playing 6 hours of a game. especially when you cant find anything to do with those 6 hours in a game that is close to release.
U havent seen a single player…but later ur saying ur stealing from ppl?
fail
LMAO!!
So you don’t manage to find your way? Seriously… You should be a poor scout :p
There is a map in the forum, created by fans, it can help, but honestly, you shouldn’t need it. use your personal orientation skill :)
Map will come in game later, as a crafting skill.
@Inktomi
I’ts not just that theres no map, there’s no compass and no sign posts anywhere. Even some random sign posts would be enough.
And no I didn’t pay to get into beta, its an open beta :0
Deleting posts what you do not like eh?
Anyway, there are quite obvious and visible landmarks-its easy to navigate, just not for a first timer, but do you know a single person who can navigate in new area when its there for the first time?
NVM my first line in the post above, I’m blind :(
BTW this isn’t a review or preview. We do not review games in beta and we don’t preview games with only 6-8 hrs worth of gametime.
This is commentary on the fact there is no map, compass, or sign posts and a lack of content outside the cities.
Maps will be craftable, as will compasses. They aren’t in yet.
Finding vendors in town isn’t hard, they’re the only npc’s.
There’s content in the world, just not a lot. As one person said, they aren’t releasing everything during beta, they’re leaving a lot for release.
Looking at the replies from the fanbots saying “use your imagination!” are just pathetic.
This game is a disaster and I hope that Starvault goes bankrupt and closes due to how unprofessional they have been.
I really hate fanbots from this game, they blindly defend everything that Starvault has done.
Fail fanbots, fail!
Getting lost does suck, but when will MMO review sites learn to use reviewers who understand the game type being reviewed?
Mortal Online won’t have blips on a radar screen that tell you where to go, and thank god for that.
I hear SV will be adding more content, but let’s be honest; if someone needs quests, raids, and monsters w/ loot to enjoy an MMO then Mortal will never be for them.
lol, what a n00b review, seriously, you should try to learn about the game you test before posting a review online so maybe you don’t look like such a n00b.
You were probably just in offline mode or desync wich are well known bugs being worked on.
I have been beta testing MO for months and I find myself having way more things to do in MO than in some other released games like STO…
But if you don’t fix objectives for yourself and use your imagination, you will be bored very easily. This game doesn’t hold your hand.
The lack of maps or quests is not a missing features, it’s intended. Well, maybe we will have some player crafted maps later on but don’t ever expect to have mini-maps like WoW. MO aim for a hardcore gamer niche. Not for the average WoW (or wow clone) player…
Finding your way around with landmarks, the sun, etc. is actually a feature a lot of people enjoy!
Mike you are in a sandbox game whit not allot of sand but still u can make what u want also get in a damn clan solo players wont survive in MO
Dont worry Mike sounds like you had a first day like myself.. Don’t listen to most these jackasses.. There all flaming fanboys,but like the other guy said you were out of sync. My guess is if you werent you more than likely would of been pk’d by now runnin ghosted. This game is extremely rough but alot of fun when you figure it out!
Do not play with sh*t games like Mortal Online.Its just gonna give you a headache.This game is just a worthless piece of …
Content zero.
The game doesn’t need any type of map. The game is made for a niche, people that enjoy having to learn things about the world they’re playing in, not be informed on everything. There is also a slight issue that they’re working on heavily at the moment with desync from the server. They’ve finally started getting somewhere with that, so once it’s fixed, more mobs will be implemented. Mortal won’t be easy, you won’t have your hand held. Once you’re in the game, you’re in, and it’s all on you to take care of yourself. You need a map? Memorize the landscape, it’s all very unique once you start exploring. It hasn’t yet been implemented, but there will be a Cartography skill in the game, when the figure out how to get the game going.
Just so all of you guys know, us fanboys are more fans of our developers then the game. I mean we like the game too. Our devs might be a little unprofessional, but thats kinda what makes them great. They talk to us, play the game with us, and really listen to us when it helps them with there vision. They are a small team, and whatever all the guys disapproving of the game, they’re doing a great job with what they have.
-Revir
LOL. Did somebody post a link to Mike’s ‘not a’ review and all the fangirls came running to scream shrilly, stamp there size 4’s and pout?
Kudos Mike, thats one way to drive up site visits ;)
I’ve never played the game, and given my first impression of the community based on said shrill harridans I don’t think I’ll bother wasting the bandwith to download it. Like him or Loathe him Mike is a gaming blogger (who i don’t always agree with) so he does spend a lot of time playing various MMO’s over the years. And if a veteran MMO gamer spends 6-8 hours in game and can’t find his way around or even any content to throw sticks at then the game has a lot more issues that just a numpty-esque community on first looks ;)
Thats the one time I stick up for you Mike :p
Hi Dread,
I have to admit that the fanclub has arrived but that does not in any way make this ‘review’ better. Mike has clearly entered a _beta_ and expected a finished game he also hasn’t even bothered to check the forums and peeked at the biggest problem at the moment, the desync. I guess this veteran MMO gamer could not make the assumption, do a tiny bit of research, ask on iRC or see the big “PRESS H FOR HELP” when he first logged into the game. This is an open beta for testing purposes, not a promotional beta to create hype, Starvault clearly stated this in the beta announcement. Oh well, I guess Mike didn’t pay enough attention.
@fan boy killer
this is not about being a fan boy i will admit i am a fan of this game but this artical is completely wrong, he didnt spend long enough to really get a feel for this game and didnt take the time to do a little research before hand that would of made his time a hell of alot better.
as i said i am a fan of this game and would probly full under your fan boy cat but i will admit that there are problems with the game atm wich Star Vault are working on
This Game Is the Funnest MMO iv played in years but this game is not a WoW copy that you and the Writer are use to
Holy crap all kinds of fan boy rage.
I love the drama these type of games cause.
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!
Holy hell..
I haven’t seen so much fanboy hate about a reviewer.
Kiddies, please grow up. Mortal Online is a bad game no matter how you look at it. I know it sounds hard for you, but try to look at the game from an objective point of view. “Beta” and “Sandbox” are not good excuses for “Lack of content” and “boring”. I could care less about not having a map either. Everquest did not have a map and it was quite enjoyable, at first.
If he was stealing things from people… where were those players getting that stuff?
I believe I understand what the author is getting at… it is too difficult for him to get started. The inherent flaw with most open worlds is that there is a limit to how much information you can be given…. otherwise you might as well be connecting the dots.
How much should a player figure out and remember himself… and how much should be saved for him to look up later.
Mortal does not make it easy on a player just starting out… true… but players should be required to put in some effort to understand the world around them.
This article does not do make this site look good.
Mike turn around and post another screen shot, I bet we could tell you right where you are and where the nearest town is.
This is a bad review. You got some parts right, it still needs some more npc’s and mobs, but that will be implemented ofc, but it seems you were playing offline or desynched, since there are many mobs already.
What you are absolutely ‘wrong’ about:
– Lack of content to play. MO doesn’t give you a NPC with a exclamation mark above it that tells you what to do, it offers you a vast open, no-instanced world, where you can do whatever you feel like. If you don’t have imagination, i’m sorry, but you actually have -a lot- to do.
– You’re complaining about not knowing where the other cities are, and where are it’s vendors, cause you don’t have a map. Actually, travelling and discovering things on your own, without having a detailed mini-map or world map makes the game even more enjoyable. Discovering it’s world is one of the best aspects of MO. You will have maps, but they will be player-made.
The game is all about it’s community, making everything player-driven as possible, so it does offer you a lot to do, once you get to play with more people (that’s the meaning of a MMO after all).
It seems you misunderstood the game’s goal, or you’re just not that into it’s style. Even so, this critic is very bias, was expecting a lot better.
unfortunate for ur offline experience, maybe some comments about mortal online online would be nice.
1st few days i played i never had a clue, i was on the forums more than ingame. it maybe in beta, there may be not many mobs around, but i have never seen a game with so much to learn. the amount of books is almost ott
this game has alot going for it. a nice although smallish community (which is actually wot i like). an amazing economic network between trades and professions. every1 is dependant on sum1 else. UE3 graphics. its very own team and not just sum licenced company, and SV team will show nuthing but TLC. an innovative combat system (which cud use a few tweaks). and the future of army zerg guilds versus army zerg guilds (wud remind me of the old legend of mir sabuk wall guild wars)
Mike’s entitled to his opinions. Calm down folks!
I got a good laugh out of the reply that said “You just don’t have enough patients or brains”
Patients? LOL! Someone who spells it “patience” shouldn’t also be making fun of someone elses lack of brains. ;)
Oh, please, lack of content? I have done so many things that, phew.. Explored the contents, fought many mobs, (skeletonmen, snakemen, wolves/dire wolves, wisents, horses, etc.) I have crafted weapons, armor and bows. I have refined metal, mined ore and cut wood. Stolen a bit of stuff, fought against players, put up walls, an house, furnaces. The things you can do in Mortal online are limitless, its just all about the imagination. Sometimes, common sence also helps.
well you know what? don’t go to places you don’t know your way back from.
its easy as that? why did you run around like a headless chicken if you didn’t know your way back?
you must release yourself from the set of mind other games made us.
hell, if ill go to any country, country side and walk for 3 hours outside the village ill be lost, wont see anyone or any directions without a map. so im staying to places I know, and go venture while always keeping in mind where I am related to the village, its not that hard you know….