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State of the game?
mayh3m
Member UncommonPosts: 79
Hi all,
Followed MO for a while and actually got into the beta and tried it out. It was certainly to rough for my liking at the time but I thought that the premise of the game had serious promise.
So my question is, how is the game doing now? Server stability, population, bugs, etc.
I know about the billing situation with preorders, so none of that please. Just want a good honest opinion of the game from someone that is currently subbed.
Thanks in advance.
Current: BDO
Looking forward to: Crowfall & Chronicles of Elyria
Comments
The game is still rough around the edges. Server stability isn't 100% yet (it goes down 6-8 time per day on average with maintenance included). It also still has its fair share of bugs, though they are slowly being eliminated, and in my opinion almost all of bugs are only of the "annoying" variety, and not gamebreaking.
The population is fine, however, with plenty of other people around to talk to, engage in trade with, and fight against - going outside the relative safety of the towns can be quite exciting. I will say this, though, that the flagging rules have made the world in this game less of the rabid gankfest that you'd find in some similar games (though ganking does indeed occur). The community is actually quite good, in my experience, though every game has its asshats.
Overall, if you played the beta, the game is probably better right now than you'd remember it. Not perfect, but things like desync, flying, warp-speed pigs, sticky weapons, etc, are gone. They do have more work to do, obviously.
One of the biggest considerations for someone interested in the game, in my opinon, is that MO is just the core of the planned game right now. This is what SV promised for launch, and what they've delivered. A lot of the bells and whistles - the sand and the tools for this box - are what they will be adding from this point forward. They recently added some rules and skills that start to crack into the etherworld, and things like thievery and guild warfare are supposed to be a couple of the next major features added (each possibly within the next few weeks).
Personally, I enjoy the game as it is right now. I expected the rawness and bugs (I played beta too), so they are at most an annoyance to me at times. I enjoy the feel of the virtual world they are building - the community, the fledgling economy and politics, the environments. And, I'm looking forward to experiencing the new features firsthand as they roll off the presses. Still, if bugs or the lack of more robust sandbox features are concerns, I'd always recommend waiting and watching some of the forums to see when the game might be at the right maturity for you. One of the good things about MO is that it isn't a grindy game at all, so it isn't hard to get a character to a competitive level skill-wise fairly quickly. In short, you won't be perpetually behind if you don't start right now, so that type of pressure shouldn't be a concern.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any other question you might have, and I'll do my best to answer.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
If the question is genuine you should read the threads over the past few weeks and you'll be able to figure out the rest.
The only difference between a person that is "currently subbed" and all the ones that bought the game for release is less than 1-week in time. More than 40% of those subbed in the first month are not now, according to every poll created on the fourm; seek and you'll find. There is a reason for that.
Good luck -CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
Thanks for the replies. I know the game has/had issues. I know lots of folks will be cancelling, but I wanted to see if the work that SV is doing is moving the game in the right direction or if it is treading water.
Current: BDO
Looking forward to: Crowfall & Chronicles of Elyria
Most of the issues SV claimed to be fixed in patches since release are not fixed. It is difficult to have a rational discussion about direction when the most basic requirements to play the game are broken. Server remains a mess; just look at the server status thread http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/47651-server-status-23.html Taming is frustrating as once one crosses a server line the pet bounces all over the place and you can't command it. I can go on and on but the reason I suggested you read other threads is because I thought that would be more worthwhile and revealing than where I suspected this one may go.
Tell you what, ask any one that tells you to sub to make a quick youtube video showing you what's fun in the game. No one will take me up on that request and hence no videos that show what the "fun" thing is people say who are playing.
-CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
Have to say I agree 100% with Rohn's description of the current state. Whether MO is suitable for you depends largely on what you want out of it. If you want guild warfare and territory control, forget about MO for now and ash this question again in 6 months. If you want server reliability roughly on par with AAA MMO's check back in a month or so. If you want a game that is a little rough around the edges but very playable, now is good.
As to server stability, Evoras has put a lot of work into compiling data, so for an objective view on that here are some links. http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/49013-server-hamsters-1-month-launch.html#post955485 , http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/members/evoras.html And here is the thumb-nail summary (as of July 7th) ...
Conclusion : One month in, there are certain conclusions to be drawn.
1. Total time the Server is up per/day and has risen to 22-23 hrs/day.
2. Server Stability has improved from a terrible low, but is far from good.
3. Offline-Mode still exists and accounts for some 25% of server restarts.
4. Uninterrupted play time is too low, being less than 4hrs before a restart.
Only a couple things I can add to that. When the server goes down, it is usually for 5-10 minutes at the most with little to no rollback. 25% is awfully high for offline mode compared to my experience
As for population, the 40% drop that Chinacat notes is of questionable accuracy (as with most forum polls). Also, most of the dropoff in subscriptions will reflect people who already aren't playing. Last time I was in Fabernum there around 20 people in town.
Sadly, Chinacat is probably the most well-informed, honest critic on this forum. No offense to CC intended, but a short review of his posting history will show a strong preference for another game. If Hercules or Slapshot check in on this thread keep in mind neither of them play they game. Rlmccoy has played but pretty clearly made his decision about the game several months ago (and is probably not going to comment in this thread, since he seems to be on one of his periodic breaks from the forum).
No offense taken but the fact I prefer DFO over MO wasn't a pre-determined position and my opinions based on some agenda. I purchased MO knowing the state of the game from those in my guild who tested it and reading the boards. In all fairness, I very much wanted MO to succeed and still do. That doesn't erase my opinion this game is not even close to ready for release, although it is released, or how my faith in the dev. team has nose-dived.
With regard to the numbers; I'm being kind & conservative by suggesting only 40% un-subbed and frankly I'm surprised you would dispute that given what we both know.
First poll http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/48244-mortal-online-you-resubscribing.html 451 votes with results at 50/50 but badly worded IMO. I then put another poll up some days later with a simple "Yes I will Renew, or No I won't Renew" which the mods mutilated by trying to merge with another thread but the mods themselves admit the percent no renewing is 40%. I can't find it and for all I know, knowing SV, was probably deleted by now but it's here on this forum and trust I don't need to look for it because you know I'm telling the truth. Then after that poll is done the steel exploit was discovered and covered up as is detailed in another thread here on this forum which without question drove some additional percentage away.
The games is in a horrible state and those holding on are hoping for the best which is great; but that's what a new purchaser is buying in to, "Hope" and nothing more. It's a shame, but it is absolutely the truth.
-CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
I totally agree with Rohn. The game is better on all levels now than during the open beta and even thou there still are some bugs in it, it is entertaining to play and SV have added lots of really great solutions for melee, crafting, etherworld, etc ... that makes the game exciting to play. Desync is fixed and performance is much better and as Rohn said several annoying bugs like flying mobs are fixed.
Those players you now see ingame have resubscribed. Expect even more people to join MO when the hot summer days have passed. MO isn't like any other game, it got it's own unique atmosphere.
This game will just become better from here.
The best advice you will get:
Since you have access to the official forums via your previous participation just look over the posts there. Check the general discussion, the support and questions/answers.. lastly check out the Community Discussions and Guild Politics sections. A thriving game should have robust community discussion in these areas.
If you like what you see.. go for it. If not.. simply wait for the inevitable free-trial. Remember.. they already cut the price of the game by 20% so I'd expect a free-trial to follow sometime soon.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
ChinaCat keeps confusing his opinion with "the truth". It isn't.
Case in point: Retention numbers from polls were consistently ~65%. For a person with an agenda, that number seems too high, so massaging it with a questionable rationale is the obvious thing to do. Then, simply come up with a manufactured number, and state it as fact, when it isn't. Political party activists engage in this sort of spin all the time.
The game is not in a "horrible state". While this is being stated as being "absolutely the truth", it is nothing more than an opinion.
As Osmunda correctly pointed out, it's always wise to consider the source of any information. Personal agendas, biases, and alliegences produce a warped lens for viewing reality, and lead to killing the truth more often than finding it.
I'll leave this with a quote I'm thinking about using as my sig (with ChinaCat's permission, of course):
"There are always going to be some number of people that don't like a game for whatever reason or have different opinions. At some point, say "months" of constant complaning, regardless of opinion those folks lose all credibility and merely appear to be trolls. I mean really, who sticks around on a particular gaming forum for months, at times years, with nothing but bad things to say; except those with issues that go way beyond any a game would present. There comes a point where it's best to ignore them and let them talk to themselves."
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
Rohn - I linked the first poll that was up about a week prior to game time expiring and it clearly shows 50/50. Some days later I put up my own poll with two clear questions "Yes or No" and after that thread was mutilated by the inept attempt to merge it one of the community moderators themselves said the result was 40% voting "NO" to continuing. The only poll that comes close to the numbers you are using is one made a day or two prior to the initial subs ending and when most not returning lost interest in even voting.
The 50/50 poll http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/48244-mortal-online-you-resubscribing.html had 451 Votes. The next poll that was mutilated (if you can find it please link it as I think SV destroyed it) had over 400 votes with 40% leaving and that was prior to the steel exploit insanity. The only poll that had 35% leaving was the last one http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/49671-day-13-you-going-resub.html with just 333 votes, 118 less votes than previously. Now where do you suppose those 124 people went? Had those 118 people were actually still playing and voted the result would be upside down to what you claim resulting in 2/3 leaving and 1/3 remaining, which I think is far closer to the truth.
Finally at the end of this fiasco once the subs expired for those who left and ability to post on the subscriber forum terminated, another thread was started inviting those who renewed to post.entitled "If you HAVE resub'ed, let folks know..." http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/49803-if-you-have-resubed-let-folks-know.html Today is the 5th day of that thread and only 139 posts have been made and about 19 of them are duplicates from the same posters leaving approximately 120 players saying they resubbed.
Please stop misleading people.
As for quoting me regarding my pet peeve about those who try a game, leave it and continue to post for months and often years; my subscription ended a mere week ago and when I see misinformation here I am compelled to share some reality to contrast the fanboi picture of hope & prayers. Trust me, if the game survives another few months you will be free to claim any thing you want because in the absence of first-hand knowledge I'm not going to argue with you so relax, you will soon be able to solicit new money with flowery words. I'm still waiting on the videos that will give those not playing the slightest clue as to why they should.
-CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
Fanboi vs. H8tr turf wars are always fun.... But who has more motivation to skew the facts... people who no longer play the game who may be motivated by revenge, or those still playing the game who may be desperate for new players in the game?
Seems to me the fanboi has more to lose.
And honestly, OP, I think you're in the same boat I've always been... waiting, hoping, praying MO shows any sign it's worth paying for. The evidence for me has always been the fact that if you have to ask if a game is broken and/or crap anymore, it's probably not worth the risk.
At this point, nothing short of a free trial where I can see first hand the state of the game will be enough for me to even consider giving SV my money (though not my credit card number, if that's possible, lol).
According to a Facebook quiz, I'm a genius.
Are you referring to me? If so I fail to understand why you would reduce a comprehensive post backed up with links and factual data as one from a "hater". You are wise to wait for a trial, but please do not dismiss facts based upon whether one "enjoys" a game or "does not".
Thanks -CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
First off, you've link the same poll when citing two different examples.
Secondly, you've missed a couple of polls.
Here: http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/45778-resub-poll.html
And here: http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/46922-serious-subscription-poll.html
Both of which indicate a 63-65% resub rate, and both of which coming at a time well before the first subs would start running out on 14 July.
In examining the first poll I've linked (started on 16 June), it shows that 337 people voted, which is very similar to the 333 votes on the poll started on the 13 July. Given your rationale, this number should have been much, much higher. So, how can it be that's it's almost identical to one started 3 and a half weeks later?
Obviously, the second poll had even fewer responses, even though it was started on 22 June.
Just my opinion, but if you're going to attempt to evaluate polling data, there are a LOT more variables to take into consideration. In this case, exposure.
In the "cooked" poll you attempted to cite above (with 457 votes), the choices were leading - as the poll's creator admits to attempting to persuade or "inform" SV with the choices he intentionally and purposefully selected to be on the poll. Not surprisingly, the thread itself engendered quite a bit of debate, specifically because it was not a "yes/no" poll, and remained on the front page much longer than any of the other polls. It had a much longer exposure time, and therefore more opportunity for people to see it, and vote on it.
Personally, I can't believe that either of us has wasted time arguing the veracity of game website polling, but here we are.
To me, your analysis still comes down to this: "I think is far closer to the truth". At that point, a credibility check is in order.
In any event, I've given the OP my honest opinion of the game. You'll note, I do not claim to know the complete and objective truth. In my short review, I pointed out both the good points of the game, as well as some of the game's shortcomings - I don't believe I was hiding anything, or misleading anyone with a one-sided account or through the use of hyperbole.
You've given your honest opinion, which is great. Your honest opinion, however, is not "the truth", as you keep insinuating. Similarly, opinions that disagree with yours are not necessarily misleading or wrong. You do not have a monopoly on seeing or telling the truth.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
I was just notified by Mortal Onlne that my credit card was billed for one month of play.
I preordered the game a long time ago and was never really able to get in and play.
I figured I would give it a try since I was already "subbed". I spent all day downloading the game and patches.
I know it's supposed to be hardcore but there's a fine line between hard core and just a bad new player experience. I'm thinking MO was the latter. I unsubbed because I don't want to forget to but I may give it another try before my month runs out.
You're not alone. Threads on this issues:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/284437/General-Auto-Subscription-Discussion.html
and
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/284695
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
I was away on holiday when MO released and I found out when I returned that I had 9 days left of my sub. I emailed Support asking for an actual proper month to play (i.e. what I had originally paid for) to see if a continuing sub would be worth it and got a flat 'no' from them.
Releasing relatively suddenly like that and basically saying "screw you" to people who bought the game a year before release to support their efforts is not good business IMO.
Over the past 5 years I have played just too many games with loads of potential and small/inept Dev teams who never seems to realise it or who realise it in such tiny, slow steps that it just gets depressing.
MO is on my list to try if/when a free trial comes out, but I feel burnt by this company. Expensive game, released too soon and making subs run from day 1 of this early release with no regard as to whether that date would even be possible to make for their customers.
/QQ
I think it'll be another victim of the crowd it attracts just like Darkfall.
Not actually refering to you, just generally (there should be a way to actively point out one isn't quoting or responding to anyone in particular, like an anti-quote mechanism). More refering to the idea, really, the phenomenon. As in, anytime anyone says something on either side it turns into the same old fanboi vs. h8tr nonsense, whether it actually exists or not, whether both parties are actually even present or not.
Your posts were informative, for instance, and the response to you was 'u jus' h8tin cuz u want to see th game FAIL' (dramatic interpretation) which is of course absurd, but still fun. Ridiculous too, since the fanbois are actually the one's with something at stake.
As you pointed out, once someone is gone from the game and no longer up to speed with the game, they'll probably not waste time bashing it. Why would they? For the most part, they wouldn't. The 'h8trs', despite fanboi claims, are usually actually people still playing the game who're disgruntled and complaining because they love the game but it isn't working out for them (usually personally) or they wish the game would improve and think negative attention will light a fire under the company, or people who can't play, but wish they could. Very rarely do people actually waste time on something they hate and have no intention of playing. People don't get back with the ex they hate, they hate the situation they're in and get back with an ex they wish they could love. The biggest complainers and haters in the military are always the ones that always end up re-newing their contracts.
(clarify: not talking you here, but generally heh) I bet many of the most ardent anti-MO folks on these boards that seem to have personal crusades would actually jump at the opportunity to play the game were it fixed and the devs said sorry. Of course, they wouldn't admit to that, probably because they don't even fully understand the conflicting emotions they're having, which is why they act out. You know, wife beaters still actually love their wives, they're just broken individuals that have issues and can't treat people properly.
In conclusion, appologies, I was making fun of the blind fanboism mostly.
According to a Facebook quiz, I'm a genius.
Odd, that's something we warned them about a long, long time ago... the response (from fanbois mostly) was that if someone can't hack it, then the game just isn't for them.
Imo there's nothing fun about not being able to easily access or be informed of the GAME commands, bindings, functions, etc. Sure, the actual in-game world and gameplay can be 'hardcore,' but the out of game 'what the hell button am I supposed to press' shouldn't be a hoop somoene has to jump through to prove they belong in a 'hardcore' game.
Hardcore mechanics and gameplay are good. Hardcore learning curbe because information is a rare spawn is bad.
I think the response was that the new-player experience was on the list of things to do, but very far down the line... ummm, but at the beginning of a game all players are theoretically new. Doy.
Anyhow. I'm not bitter or wanting MO to fail, for the record... I want them to pull their heads out of their asses so we have a worthwhile game to play.
According to a Facebook quiz, I'm a genius.
You mean, because the devs making the game ARE the crowd it attracted? :P
According to a Facebook quiz, I'm a genius.
Edit: Thanks, I correct the links on my post and also corrected the loss of voters from 124 to 118..
You really owe those here an apology for being so incredibly misleading. If you genuinely wish to refute any of the backup I provided then clearly refute it line for line instead of making up fairy-tales. Instead you spew opinions and don't directly respond to fact linked with the backup to prove it wrong, but wait, you can't, because what I posted are the facts.
Let's take a close look at these IMPORTANT missing polls. The first you link above was created "1-Week" after release and means absolutely nothing when compared to the ones I linked that began 3-weeks after release when players could actually have a clue as to how to answer. The second link you provide above was created after those not renewing were terminated from the forum and that poll has a huge 39 votes at the moment which not only is a poor excuse as a reference link but is a pretty bad expression of player concern given the gross lack of participation in it.
-CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter
But it makes sense when you consider that folks are claiming a whopping "20 people in Fabernum" as evidence of a healthy population. It's OK.. numbers on a forum are really meaningless. Subscription money funneling in is what will make or break the game. People can claim 20,000 players... or 200 players on a forum. All that matters is the number of paying subs. Luckilly for this matter, SV is publicly traded.. so eventually the real numbers will be published.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
The "backup" you've presented supports a ~65% retention rate. Those are the objective facts, supported by polling data, supplied by you.
Your analysis - which is the ONLY thing that supports anything else - is not a fact. It's a guess. An opinion. Nothing more.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
I have to ask this much, do you really believe people that don't play the game are going to come and vote if they are resubbing or not?
The poll is skewed to show more people subbing than not, for obvious reasons -- because the people who gave up on the game entirely are not coming back to vote on a poll whether they are playing the game or not.
If 65% of active forum members are voting to stay in the game, logic dictates that the real number is probably quite a bit less than that.
The approx 50% Leaving & / 50% Renewing Poll http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/48244-mortal-online-you-resubscribing.html had 451 Votes.
The next poll that was mutilated (if you can find it please link it as I think SV destroyed it) had over 400 votes with 40% leaving and that was prior to the steel exploit insanity.
The only poll that had 35% leaving was the last one http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/49671-day-13-you-going-resub.html with just 333 votes, 118 less votes than previously. Now where do you suppose those 118 people went? Had those 118 people were actually still playing and voted the result would be upside down to what you claim resulting in 2/3 leaving and 1/3 remaining, which I think is far closer to the truth.
Finally at the end of this fiasco once the subs expired for those who left and ability to post on the subscriber forum terminated, another thread was started inviting those who renewed to post.entitled "If you HAVE resub'ed, let folks know..." http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/49803-if-you-have-resubed-let-folks-know.html Today is the 5th day of that thread and only 139 posts have been made and about 19 of them are duplicates from the same posters leaving approximately 120 players saying they resubbed.
From June 30th to July 8th the MO forum was able to attract 451 players to vote in the 50% leaving, 50% staying poll.
On July 14th when those leaving are out the door the forums can barely attract a little over 100 players to acknowledge they renewed on the last thread linked above.
Pick any percent you want to believe. The OP asked about the State of the Game and he/she can decide if this information speaks to it or not. He/she wouldn't be the first to find out for themselves; just a good idea to be honest up front to avoid rage on the way out. Opinion is one thing; deception quite another.
-CC
"Lately it occurs to me,
what a long, strange trip it's been". -Hunter