20080411 - Answers to your questions

[Henrik Nystrom]

Hi everyone!

I find many interesting questions and ideas presented on these forums and I will try to give some answers on some of them in this post.
I’m sorry we haven’t been able to answer earlier than this but it’s been some really busy days at Star Vault.

There will be a lot more answers in time I hope you will be patient.

First of regarding the full loot question.
There is full loot in MO as in you can kill and loot whatever you want.
Of course there is laws in the world of MO that wont tolerate thefts and murders
However we have been discussing the partial loot as well when it comes to certain items that I think many players would also like to put out of the free loot system.
Our goal is to keep it simple with full loot as long as it works with the rest game mechanics, let’s get back to this one at a later point.

Question:
Hureel:
“One thing that buggs me with alot of the mmos is the constant "you cant do that since you are in combat"”

Answer:
I can’t come up with a scenario in MO where you can’t do that since you are in combat.

Question:
Sylian:
“-Just make the game fun, without any lack of enjoyable moment from the start you login till you exit the game.”

Answer:
I remember UOs “golden” days, it took me 2 minutes from I logged on my character and had some really fun moments at the “graveyard” PVP there was amazing.
We are trying to capture that essence for excitements when it comes to PVP or thieving etc.

Question:
“*Once exploration is completed, I should be able to travel anywhere I need to go in a very fast way. Even if the other place is at the other side of the world it shouldn't take more than 10minutes to travel there.”

Answer:
There will be ways to travel over the world, more details will come later.

Question:
Crom:
“My only suggestion to the Star Vault developers is to stick to your vision of "a Full PvP game with a sandbox environment." I cannot stress this enough. Please do not waiver from -- or alter -- this vision. Do not water down this game and change it to something completely different than what you are planning now.”

Answer:
This is very important to me and the team as well, don’t worry we won’t turn this away.

Question:
Ondor:
“Please, keep the "Item and luck" factors at a minimum in PvP, this is really all I'm truly begging for.”

Answer:
PVP is very much player skill based in Mortal Online as stated in our teaser.
Luck factor won’t interfere in any way it would in real life. The win factor also depends very much on how you read your opponent in combat.

Question:
Condor:
“You guys played UO, you know what I'm talking about. Although it would most likely be better off as a profession. And you'd then be able to start a pet store! (which could of course be plundered >8D )”

Answer:
Sure did play tamer in UO, this is something we will have in our game for sure.
We hope to make it balanced enough so it works in both PVE and PVP.

Servertypes:
It is too early to give accurate information about our server types.
As Mortal Online is very much player skill based on real time, ping time is important. This will only give us some choices when it comes to server solutions. Unreal Engine 3 provides us with excellent frame rate with amazing graphics but as ping time is one of the most important factor, region based servers looks the best way to go. We don’t want lag to make you miss when striking at an enemy do we? More information about this will come later.

PVP:
You are free to attack whenever and whoever you want, but there will be consequences. There are laws in the world to follow or not, this is your own choice to make. This may sound like a “quake match” for newcomers but it is not. There is a system that detects your action in the game that hopefully will balance PVP in an equal way it worked very well in UO. Playing a murderer will be a risky, hard life and they will probably get many enemies as in other players on the good side and from guards in the game. New players will be protected in towns and hopefully by other players.

Mounts:
There will be some different interesting mounts in MO for example the 2 mounts you see in the teaser, more details on mounts will come later.
Fighting on mounts is really fun in Mortal Online, as we play it today it changes to third person view when on mount to get a better control when fighting from mount. What I can add on this is that Mount and blades inspired us on some aspects when fighting on mounts. Our vision is also that your mount can get damage when you are riding it in combat, it may even die if not taken care of. Being able to steal mounts is also something we are discussing.

Race languages:
Every race has their own race language.
You will be able to speak your race language and also be able to learn other races languages with time.

[Shawk]

Awsome, thanks alot

Hate this answer with a passion, but I cant love everything I sappose..

Question:
“*Once exploration is completed, I should be able to travel anywhere I need to go in a very fast way. Even if the other place is at the other side of the world it shouldn't take more than 10minutes to travel there.”

Answer:
There will be ways to travel over the world, more details will come later.

Originally Posted by Mulambo

Um, I hate the question more than the answer. Hopefully he's just being diplomatic, as he really doesn't say anything. if the 'ways' are ships, horses, and feet, then that's fine.

That's what I'm hoping too. I'm sure these guys know what they're doing.

[Zarquon]

first
edit second
Thanks for the response, I ask clarification on one thing, please explain what you meant by partial loot? I thought you said full loot was in, do you mean to say NONITEMS such as rep, or some other nontangible quality by such? IE nonphysical items.. blood money... or ability points... or some other such goodies.

Full Loot is just that full loot, now If you meant "Mostly" full loot, then that's worlds different than Full Loot.

[Dagger]

Auwh, I like most of these answers a lot. ^^,

Especially fond to see that you're taking lag issues seriously from the start, since this is my major concern.

[Wolfheart]

Servertypes:
It is too early to give accurate information about our server types.
As Mortal Online is very much player skill based on real time, ping time is important. This will only give us some choices when it comes to server solutions. Unreal Engine 3 provides us with excellent frame rate with amazing graphics but as ping time is one of the most important factor, region based servers looks the best way to go. We don’t want lag to make you miss when striking at an enemy do we? More information about this will come later.

I guess 2-3 servers might work...
Just dont have too many servers or this game wont be what most of us are waiting for...

= Full loot (or close to it), player driven market, huge ONE server world, 100% pvp based, etc...

For a player driven market, you really need a huge population. = one or very few servers...

[Wufiavelli]

sounds good

I hate insta travel even to places you have already been.

Connection between zones so you do not have to do insane journeys to some popular spots is ok. But recall type stuff in UO is just ridiculous. Worst off it lets PK panzy out after they kill crafting characters.

[SkullPizza]

there are a lot of questions:

full loot?

any instancing?

any city building?

player housing?

how many races?

are races specifically good or evil?

are there many artificial barriers? (can we climb the mountains?)

are mounts race specific?

are you guys going for an M rating? (ESRB)

can a new player still have a chance at killing a veteran depending on skill, or will character advancement make this impossible?

how important is itemization?

what are your plans for a crafting system?

how big is the world going to be?

how many classes are you planning on implementing?

i could think of more but i think that's enough for now.

thank you for your time

[Mulambo]

Originally Posted by Shawk

Awsome, thanks alot

Hate this answer with a passion, but I cant love everything I sappose..

Question:
“*Once exploration is completed, I should be able to travel anywhere I need to go in a very fast way. Even if the other place is at the other side of the world it shouldn't take more than 10minutes to travel there.”

Answer:
There will be ways to travel over the world, more details will come later.

Um, I hate the question more than the answer. Hopefully he's just being diplomatic, as he really doesn't say anything. if the 'ways' are ships, horses, and feet, then that's fine.

[mutantmagnet]

Thanks for the useful information. I'm a bit curious about how this murder system will work.

[Mats Persson]

Ok. To avoid any confusion:

Disclaimer: The following post regards what we are planning, working on and testing for Mortal Online. There is no guarantee the features discussed here will be included in the final game. Please read the Features or FAQ page at www.mortalonline.com where features will be listed one by one as they make it to the game.

Sorry, I had to write that as we're in the middle of production, but still want to talk openly about the design. Good to see so many questions, I'll try to answer as many as I can. And thanks for your "summary", SkullPizza, I'll be quoting it for my answers:

full loot?
I would say the majority of the physical items in the game will be lootable. The things that can't will probably be "items" that are connected to your memory i.e. your World Map or Spell Book. We also have some "items" that are intimately connected to game mechanics, that we are a bit unsure of where to put in this stage.

any instancing?
Depends on what you mean by instancing. I can't give you a full answer yet, but we certainly don't plan on any "instances" where you enter and can't be followed by any friend or foe.

any city building?
I'll have to come back on this later.

player housing?
Yes

how many races?
We will reveal them one at a time with a proper presentation.

are races specifically good or evil?
Depends on how you and the rest of the players play them. Also, most races have different characteristics, culture and history - resulting in different codex, behavior and hierarchy, but if that makes them "evil" or "good" is up to you to decide.

are there many artificial barriers? (can we climb the mountains?)
You will be able to climb mountains, if you train for it. But I can't give you a proper answer on "barriers" yet.

are mounts race specific?
No. But I can think of a few examples where you could argue that they are - as being able to ride a mount depends on size, mentality and skill set of both mount and rider.

are you guys going for an M rating? (ESRB)
I'm no expert but as it looks now we will probably be rated M.

can a new player still have a chance at killing a veteran depending on skill, or will character advancement make this impossible?
I see what you're getting at so yes, it's possible. But the veteran would probably win as long as he's not AFK, due to playing experience

how important is itemization?
Very important, in that you need to find a good setup to match your character's skills and your playing style. You are probably foolish (or very rich, or extremely skilled) to drag your best gear to a big battle though. For PvE (i.e. exploring, hunting, cave-strolling, beating specific creatures etc), itemization is important in the way you'll need the proper equipment for the specific "job".

what are your plans for a crafting system?
Oh my, this one requires a thorough answer. I'll get back to this later, but in short you need to work very hard to be a good crafter. You need to have the skills for it and know your resources, tools and recipes. Crafting may go wrong and experimenting will pay off.

how big is the world going to be?
Big enough, and it will grow. Also, some places will unavoidably be kind of desolate in the beginning, waiting for people to move in.

how many classes are you planning on implementing?
As with races, we will present them properly one at a time.

Thank you for reading!

Mats Persson
Creative Director

[Slaker]

Thanks for the answers.

[Dingo]

This is awesome, I hope you guys DO stick to your vision, and finally release an MMO that i can play, and have fun with(haven't had fun in an MMO since the Asheron's Call days)

[Korgy]

The open communication with the community is really fantastic!

[Shawk]

Did he just answer all those questions!? Loving all the answers so far,

One quick question if you don't mind, about the instances you explained, does that mean they will be more like zones? like Everquest/Daoc had for example as their dungeons/city zones?

I love you mats!

Why? Because, You posted Today, at 01:34. You arnt even working are you?

[Dingo]

If I may

What kind of weapons do you guys have planned for the game? Hopefully a lot of different ones(short swords, bastard swords, halberds, maces, morning stars etc)

[Brandulfr]

At least we get some answers.

[SkullPizza]

First off, I'd like to thank you for answering my questions so promptly. Now that you answered those I hope you don't mind if I present a few more and get a bit more specific on ones that may have been too vague.



Will the game world be mostly open or will there be instanced sections or "zones" that one must load into?

Are you planning on implementing mounted combat?

Will there be a limit to the amount of skill points you can allocate?

Is there a possibility that boss fight encounters will be GM controlled rather than AI controlled? (If you're fighting a Dragon will a GM control it so you can fight another person rather than generally predictable AI?)

Will character names be visible above the heads of character Avatars?

Are you planning on implementing marine warfare? (Boats)

Will the most powerful items in the game be craftable or will you to find them in the game world?

Considering the name of the game are you planning on implementing perma-death in any way? (I'm not a fan of perm-death, I'm just curious.)

Will a player be able to advance doing only PvP?

Will a player be able to advance doing only PvE?


Are you planning on implementing changeable weather effects? If so, will they effect gameplay in any signifigant way?

Are you planning on implementing pets that can help you in fights for any or all of the classes?

Will there be item decay? (Can items be lost permanently through use?)

How big are you planning on the largest battle to be? (How many players can fight each other at once?)

What is your position on stealth?




Well there's another fifteen questions for you. Once again, thank you for your time.

[Brandulfr]

^ What he said.

[Shawk]

Originally Posted by Brandulfr

^ What he said.

^ What he said about What he said.

[Protonix]

1. Will players be required to use a last name in their character?

2. I apologize if I missed this, but will there be city seiging a la shadowbane?

3. Will the developer forum interaction remain as stellar as it has been thus far?

and thanks!

[Ethnine]

I'm very new to this game, and this thread has some wonderful information. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, I believe I've found my MMORPG for the next few years

I do have a question to add though:
I'm a huge solo/PVE fan, and I'm not a hardcore gamer at all. But like I said I love PVE, and a little PVP mixed in is cool with me. Most games think of end-game PVE as just being huge RAIDs that take hours to gather, and take hours to work through. I'm not a fan of this at all, in fact I'm totally against raiding on a massive scale since it takes to long and I'm still in college. I also think its just watered down end-game PVE, when there is much more that could be done with end-game content. So will MO have massive scale RAIDs? Will that be the only thing offered as far as end-game PVE? What other options will there be, besides the PVP? How much content is being invested into end-game PVE/PVP?

Thank you!

-Ethnine-

[0rnJ]

few questions

1. Im a big class based fan, so im wondering how much variety there will be..


2. Will u be able to multiclass?


3. will there be instant kills (like throat slitting)

4. how are the skill trees work without lvling?


5. with the religion system, how will having a powerful god affect gameplay?


6. can u rob banks?


7. can u eat you mount? (lol)


8. will the admins allow a guild or clan to control regions with influence?


9. will weather and enviornmental events effect character performance?


10. will there be flying mounts?


11. will mods take the roll of some npc's?


12. when will beta begin?

[arcanearts101]

Originally Posted by SkullPizza

Are you planning on implementing mounted combat?

Are you planning on implementing pets that can help you in fights for any or all of the classes?

The first has definitely already been answered. I'm pretty sure the second has as well.

[Dagger]

I thought I'd answer some of the questions that might not be answered a second time. Please, read through the forums properly if you are going to ask a bunch of questions...

Originally Posted by SkullPizza

Are you planning on implementing mounted combat?

In the first post of this thread, mounted combat was somewhat confirmed as of this moment.

Originally Posted by SkullPizza

Will there be a limit to the amount of skill points you can allocate?

According to the FAQ section, you don't allocate skills. You train them by using them and by playing the game. I don't know whether there's a limit though, but I see no good reason why there would be.

Originally Posted by SkullPizza

How big are you planning on the largest battle to be? (How many players can fight each other at once?)

I assume the only limit to this will be lag, which they will probably test more during a future BETA.

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

1. Im a big class based fan, so im wondering how much variety there will be..

They will reveal more of races and classes when they feel ready to reveal them, as already stated.

From the FAQ:
"You will have many different classes to choose from ranging from the traditional warrior, thief and mage types to some special classes intimately connected to the game world. Also, some classes are reserved for veteran players."

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

2. Will u be able to multiclass?

Yes.

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

4. how are the skill trees work without lvling?

I am pretty sure you have to use the skills to make them better. For example, if you hit something with a 1-handed sword, you get better at using swords (probably hitting slightly faster?) and perhaps learn some special moves when achieving certain levels.

From the FAQ:
"Action Skills will typically be trained by being used in the game, while the majority of Learning Skills are trained in the background and requires some time."

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

5. with the religion system, how will having a powerful god affect gameplay?

From the news/features:
"Choose to believe in one of the Gods and watch its power grow. Fight heretics and burn their temples to rob their Gods of power. Or start a new cult: with enough believers your God might be powerful enough to enter the Pantheon."

So I'm guessing that there might be various buffs or perks related to being part of a good cult and destroying other cults.

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

6. can u rob banks?

I am guessing, no. If it's possible, it will probably be made so that it would not be worth it. It would otherwise discourage PvP and make the banker a sort of raid boss.

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

7. can u eat you mount? (lol)

lololo u funneh!!1

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

11. will mods take the roll of some npc's?

This is either really unclear, or just a really stupid question to ask.

Originally Posted by 0rnJ

12. when will beta begin?

No date is set/published yet. When they have decided to publish it, they will - not a moment sooner no matter how many times you ask.

[Ondor]

he called me Condor : /