Lifting the NDA

Henrik Nystrom · 23rd November 2009, 22:54

The last months have been a real rollercoaster ride here at Star Vault, albeit a very positive one. Most of the core features planned for release have been introduced and tested in a controlled manner, and we've been extremely eager to see the reception each time. We are now at a point where we feel that although there is still a lot of work to do, it's time to increase our efforts of marketing the game, and part of this process is the lifting of the NDA.

Mortal Online isn't easy to market in a very straightforward way. The rules surrounding the game and its design are complex in their nature and sometimes very hard to explain to players with no or little previous experience of concepts such as "full-PvP", "full-loot", "sandbox" etc.
Therefore we need the help of you, our faithful player-base, to help spread the word and reach places we can't due to lack of resources and time. The NDA is now lifted so that you can start sharing videos, screenshots, go public with your personal sites full of information (we know they exist

), and of course, be able to freely talk about and discuss the game on our own forums as well as all over the web. This phase will end with an open, free-to-play Beta where we hope that as many players as possible will find and decide for Mortal Online.

We have aimed for Q4 and the last features we promised for launch will be there before the end of the year. Mortal Online is a niche game and we feel certain that these features will make for a great start while we continue the development. However, we would be lying if we didn't admit we want more before official release. More polish, more tweaking, and of course, be able to walk those couple of extra miles that do make a huge difference, especially in an open-ended game where every new option is multiplied and multiplied again.

With this in mind we are approaching release, but the release date is not written in stone. Cynically speaking, the more people interested in and buying the game, the more time we will be able to invest in tweaking, polishing and even add more features before launching it. In turn, each day working on the game before release will mean more players stay thereafter. This will make the launch more stable, and a good economy base would enable us to progress the game even faster.

We hope you have enjoyed the Beta so far, thank you for your support and dedication. Now go out there and spread the word!

Regards,
/the MO Dev Team

StJudas · 23rd November 2009, 22:54

Mr Winter · 23rd November 2009, 22:55

Very nice!

Brodin · 23rd November 2009, 22:56

too long; didn't read.

Luceija · 23rd November 2009, 22:56

Excellent!

Balkin · 23rd November 2009, 22:56

Great News Henrik!

Now that the NDA is lifted lets see some of those great fan sites like Henrik said... I imagine some guilds will have some interesting stuff to show also...

Pwntzyou · 23rd November 2009, 22:56

Nice!

Branwulf · 23rd November 2009, 22:57

DaveTs · 23rd November 2009, 22:59

Yes!!!!

Shargas · 23rd November 2009, 22:59

Godspeed Starvault.

Zenir · 23rd November 2009, 23:01

: 7

Gl.

Let's hope it won't be a feast for the crows.

Nerr · 23rd November 2009, 23:01

Hopefully the right decision.

reavon · 23rd November 2009, 23:01

What the hell 3 minutes and no new videos on youtube yet?!

Demiseth · 23rd November 2009, 23:03

Good luck, guys.

DarkEclip · 23rd November 2009, 23:03

Youpiiii

Kopatch · 23rd November 2009, 23:03

awesome

Swarta · 23rd November 2009, 23:04

Great.

theiv · 23rd November 2009, 23:05

Awsome news

Karisma · 23rd November 2009, 23:05

Love to you guys, thanks for making such a brilliant game.

The promise of an open BETA makes me so happy, its unreal. Gives a proper chance to stress test, a chance to market it to other people, shows you're not afraid - which is a HELL of alot more than other companies can say.

Well done and thank you. Maybe after its released you can have a break

Gorganoth · 23rd November 2009, 23:06

Yupee!!!
Damn I've waited a long time for this! lol, ^^

Nerr · 23rd November 2009, 23:08

Will the beta-forums be public (-view?)?

edit: I mean with all the porn we shared there.... *kidding*

BlindMonkey · 23rd November 2009, 23:13

Great

Thanks for the lift Henrik and co, will enjoy spreading the word.

Scream112 · 23rd November 2009, 23:17

This will make the Tuesday Nights Talkshow on MO-Radio.com so much sweeter when the Star Vault Devs can speak openly about their work and what they do, and the game and... so much things

and so much stuff we can start doing we have been waiting for. mhm! this is golden. thanks for everything so far!

Denny Lindberg · 23rd November 2009, 23:18

Scream112 >> This only involves the beta testing NDA, our development NDA is still in effect. It essentially means you shouldn't harass us any more than usual.

Artorius · 23rd November 2009, 23:18

Cool

score · 23rd November 2009, 23:19

Shaun80 · 23rd November 2009, 23:19

Should i start downloading the game now for the beta ??

Nerr · 23rd November 2009, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demiseth

Where did it say anything about open beta?

Quote:

This phase will end with an open, free-to-play Beta where we hope that as many players as possible will find and decide for Mortal Online.

In the Text above and on: http://www.mortalonline.com/news/nda

Demiseth · 23rd November 2009, 23:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerr

In the Text above and on: http://www.mortalonline.com/news/nda

Appears I need work on my reading, alright then.

Nerr · 23rd November 2009, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demiseth

Appears I need work on my reading, alright then.

Well I didn't dare to say it, since I don't like insulting people, but I must admit that I thought it

Kamisama · 23rd November 2009, 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demiseth

Appears I need work on my reading, alright then.

To be fair i didn't see it myself, it's such a huge thing to say it would need a whole other news

Nerr · 23rd November 2009, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamisama

To be fair i didn't see it myself, it's such a huge thing to say it would need a whole other news

None of your excuses, Mr!

But I guess you're right... there are some friends that will be happy to hear this news *g*

Stewker · 23rd November 2009, 23:35

Cool. I'm sure we can expect to start seeing lots of new movies being released by guilds and players. I'm looking forward to releasing several!

kio1992 · 23rd November 2009, 23:36

oh wow. now.. how do i get a better fps rate.. mine is usually at 10-20 with fraps running on low detail, no shadow

Kuroi · 23rd November 2009, 23:38

Rallore · 23rd November 2009, 23:53

It is so exciting!

Slightlycampana · 24th November 2009, 00:10

Nice

I hope this means we won't see a launch before Christmas. I can't think of anything worse than the game launching and then having to go and be festive with the family. Should definitely be the other way round so I can enjoy both.

GaraP · 24th November 2009, 00:13

Gorganoth · 24th November 2009, 00:14

So.. what about the Beta forums? Are the two gonna mix or will they remain seperate or what's the plan?

m0rtis · 24th November 2009, 00:31

finally! ^^ i hope Open Beta will last long so that people can test it more and more new features and fixes would be added before the launch.

23rd November 2009, 22:54	#1 (permalink)
Henrik Nystrom Administrator Join Date: Apr 2008 Rep Power: 12	Lifting the NDA The last months have been a real rollercoaster ride here at Star Vault, albeit a very positive one. Most of the core features planned for release have been introduced and tested in a controlled manner, and we've been extremely eager to see the reception each time. We are now at a point where we feel that although there is still a lot of work to do, it's time to increase our efforts of marketing the game, and part of this process is the lifting of the NDA. Mortal Online isn't easy to market in a very straightforward way. The rules surrounding the game and its design are complex in their nature and sometimes very hard to explain to players with no or little previous experience of concepts such as "full-PvP", "full-loot", "sandbox" etc. Therefore we need the help of you, our faithful player-base, to help spread the word and reach places we can't due to lack of resources and time. The NDA is now lifted so that you can start sharing videos, screenshots, go public with your personal sites full of information (we know they exist ), and of course, be able to freely talk about and discuss the game on our own forums as well as all over the web. This phase will end with an open, free-to-play Beta where we hope that as many players as possible will find and decide for Mortal Online. We have aimed for Q4 and the last features we promised for launch will be there before the end of the year. Mortal Online is a niche game and we feel certain that these features will make for a great start while we continue the development. However, we would be lying if we didn't admit we want more before official release. More polish, more tweaking, and of course, be able to walk those couple of extra miles that do make a huge difference, especially in an open-ended game where every new option is multiplied and multiplied again. With this in mind we are approaching release, but the release date is not written in stone. Cynically speaking, the more people interested in and buying the game, the more time we will be able to invest in tweaking, polishing and even add more features before launching it. In turn, each day working on the game before release will mean more players stay thereafter. This will make the launch more stable, and a good economy base would enable us to progress the game even faster. We hope you have enjoyed the Beta so far, thank you for your support and dedication. Now go out there and spread the word! Regards, /the MO Dev Team __________________ CEO, Founder & Game designer Last edited by Maerlyn : 23rd November 2009 at 23:24. Reason: fixed Layout

23rd November 2009, 22:54	#2 (permalink)
StJudas Community Administrator Join Date: Jan 2009 Rep Power: 16	Nice __________________

23rd November 2009, 22:56	#4 (permalink)
Brodin Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Rep Power: 1	too long; didn't read. __________________ No amount of scorn can overcome the laughter of a single person.

23rd November 2009, 22:56	#5 (permalink)
Luceija Lictor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tindremene Empire Rep Power: 4	Excellent! __________________ Aihm se törminador!

23rd November 2009, 22:56	#6 (permalink)
Balkin Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sacramento, Ca Rep Power: 5	Great News Henrik! Now that the NDA is lifted lets see some of those great fan sites like Henrik said... I imagine some guilds will have some interesting stuff to show also... __________________ Dev Tracker! http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/2...v-tracker.html Last edited by Balkin : 23rd November 2009 at 23:00.

23rd November 2009, 22:56	#7 (permalink)
Pwntzyou Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Rep Power: 7	Nice! __________________ >>>I support the Mortal Online Weapon Crafting Simulator<<< If something is underlined in red when you type it on the forums, take the extra two seconds to right click it and fix your spelling mistake!

23rd November 2009, 22:57	#8 (permalink)
Branwulf Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: United Kingdom Age: 19 Rep Power: 13	woot __________________ Pathfinders (EU-English ARAC) Recruitment is Open Pathfinders Promotional Video Interested in mapping the world of Mortal Online? Click Here

23rd November 2009, 22:59	#9 (permalink)
DaveTs Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somewhere in Nave. Rep Power: 1	Yes!!!! __________________ -------------------------------------------------- Comunidad Española de Mortal Online. www.mo-esp.org \|\| www.mo-esp.com

23rd November 2009, 22:59	#10 (permalink)
Shargas Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Valencia, Spain Age: 22 Rep Power: 3	Godspeed Starvault. __________________ Spanish community of Mortal Online

23rd November 2009, 23:01	#12 (permalink)
Nerr Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Rep Power: 1	Hopefully the right decision.

23rd November 2009, 23:01	#13 (permalink)
reavon Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Rep Power: 1	What the hell 3 minutes and no new videos on youtube yet?!

23rd November 2009, 23:03	#14 (permalink)
Demiseth Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Rep Power: 4	Good luck, guys. __________________ Spoiler for rape: [L]`Souljah> rape became funny a long time ago <@sebastian> pretty much the worst thing I have ever read

23rd November 2009, 23:03	#15 (permalink)
DarkEclip Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Québec Age: 30 Rep Power: 1	Youpiiii

23rd November 2009, 23:03	#16 (permalink)
Kopatch MMC'09 - 3rd place Join Date: Feb 2009 Age: 25 Rep Power: 9	awesome __________________ God has mercy. I don't

23rd November 2009, 23:04	#17 (permalink)
Swarta Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North-Germany Rep Power: 1	Great. __________________ ML Folklore: If it typechecks, it works.

23rd November 2009, 23:05	#18 (permalink)
theiv Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Finland Age: 20 Rep Power: 0	Awsome news

23rd November 2009, 23:05	#19 (permalink)
Karisma Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: UK Rep Power: 1	Love to you guys, thanks for making such a brilliant game. The promise of an open BETA makes me so happy, its unreal. Gives a proper chance to stress test, a chance to market it to other people, shows you're not afraid - which is a HELL of alot more than other companies can say. Well done and thank you. Maybe after its released you can have a break __________________ Pathfinders (English speaking - ARAC EU) are recruiting! "Using the twin guns of grace and tact, I have blasted our worthless enemies with a fair compromise" - Zap Brannigan.

23rd November 2009, 23:06	#20 (permalink)
Gorganoth Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Brussels. Uccle. Rep Power: 3	Yupee!!! Damn I've waited a long time for this! lol, ^^

23rd November 2009, 23:08	#21 (permalink)
Nerr Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Rep Power: 1	Will the beta-forums be public (-view?)? edit: I mean with all the porn we shared there.... kidding

23rd November 2009, 23:13	#22 (permalink)
BlindMonkey Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cambridge (UK) Guild: Hybrid Age: 23 Rep Power: 21	Great Thanks for the lift Henrik and co, will enjoy spreading the word. __________________ Hybrid is recruiting all playstyles We love diversity

23rd November 2009, 23:17	#23 (permalink)
Scream112 Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Rep Power: 11	This will make the Tuesday Nights Talkshow on MO-Radio.com so much sweeter when the Star Vault Devs can speak openly about their work and what they do, and the game and... so much things and so much stuff we can start doing we have been waiting for. mhm! this is golden. thanks for everything so far! __________________ Tuesday Nights Talkshow \| The 112 Show \| Beauty and the Beast MO Radio Web Comic \| We need you! \| Free VOIP Server for your guild

23rd November 2009, 23:18	#24 (permalink)
Denny Lindberg Animator/Technical Artist Join Date: Apr 2008 Age: 22 Rep Power: 19	Scream112 >> This only involves the beta testing NDA, our development NDA is still in effect. It essentially means you shouldn't harass us any more than usual. __________________ Don't PM me with technical problems - I'm not a support manager I hate couch developers.... Francis imitation

23rd November 2009, 23:18	#25 (permalink)
Artorius Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Quebec Rep Power: 7	Cool

23rd November 2009, 23:19	#26 (permalink)
score Newbie Join Date: Mar 2009 Rep Power: 1	cool

23rd November 2009, 23:19	#27 (permalink)
Shaun80 Newbie Join Date: May 2009 Rep Power: 1	Should i start downloading the game now for the beta ?? __________________

23rd November 2009, 23:35	#33 (permalink)
Stewker MMC'09 - 5th place Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: America Age: 23 Rep Power: 7	Cool. I'm sure we can expect to start seeing lots of new movies being released by guilds and players. I'm looking forward to releasing several! __________________ "Confidence in yourself is the first step to success." FRC is recruiting! Apply Today! FRC Bible MOFO Thread

23rd November 2009, 23:38	#35 (permalink)
Kuroi Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Italy, Naples Age: 22 Rep Power: 1	__________________

23rd November 2009, 23:53	#36 (permalink)
Rallore Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pensacola,FL Rep Power: 1	It is so exciting! __________________ Do not judge me by my avatar. I assure you I am immature and only semi intelligent.

24th November 2009, 00:10	#37 (permalink)
Slightlycampana Lictor Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: London, UK Rep Power: 13	Nice I hope this means we won't see a launch before Christmas. I can't think of anything worse than the game launching and then having to go and be festive with the family. Should definitely be the other way round so I can enjoy both. __________________ FAQs \| Beta FAQs \| Access beta forums \| Forum Rules Spoiler for IRC Quote of the Week: <Magree> gamers dont get the idea of games being only for certain people <Magree> which is why they dont play but forum troll that the game is horrible

24th November 2009, 00:14	#39 (permalink)
Gorganoth Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Brussels. Uccle. Rep Power: 3	So.. what about the Beta forums? Are the two gonna mix or will they remain seperate or what's the plan?

24th November 2009, 00:31	#40 (permalink)
m0rtis Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Rep Power: 1	finally! ^^ i hope Open Beta will last long so that people can test it more and more new features and fixes would be added before the launch.