Mortal Online One Year Anniversary Message and Dawn Video

Rohn

The MO Community Manager had this to say about the first year today, and included a much requested video of the Dawn expansion:

 

Today, 19:24	#1 (permalink)
Black Opal Community Manager     Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 368 Rep Power: 15	First Anniversary Dawns With the one year anniversary of Mortal Online, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us, we couldn't have made it without everyone. The first year was certainly a bumpy ride, but we have managed to clear a very important milestone. As a little celebration gift, I made a video for Mortal Online Dawn showcasing the facelift some areas received, as well as some new features. Also make sure to check out the screenshots section as it has been updated too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goBSceblHpY However this is not all; expect the Dawn Change-log to follow very soon, so you can get nice and specific with everything Dawn will be introducing. __________________ Share MO with others Opal Mini Tracker

 

http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/62623-first-anniversary-dawns.html#post1156651

 

 

The new screenshots can be seen here: http://www.mortalonline.com/screenshots

 

A few examples:

 

 

 

 

funkmastaD

+1, if for no other reason than the last 5 seconds.

Adhesive33

When is the Dawn expansion releasing?

Rohn

Originally posted by Adhesive33

When is the Dawn expansion releasing?

 

Still no set date that I'm aware of, but in the message from the CM, he said that the changelog would be getting published "soon", so I would imagine that the expansion wouldn't be too far behind that.

@FunkmastaD:  I really like the entire video, but you're right, the last 5 seconds or so are classic!

Slapshot1188

Originally posted by Adhesive33

When is the Dawn expansion releasing?

 Unsure.  They originally announced on April 1st that it would be release mid April.  That was pushed to mid May... That was then pushed to June.. last rumored date from the Community Manager was June 9th but now it looks like next week at the earliest.

Rohn

Originally posted by Slapshot1188

Originally posted by Adhesive33

When is the Dawn expansion releasing?

 Unsure.  They originally announced on April 1st that it would be release mid April.  That was pushed to mid May... That was then pushed to June.. last rumored date from the Community Manager was June 9th but now it looks like next week at the earliest.

 

They've published the notes for the expansion, so it's likely to come fairly soon.  Next week is probably a pretty good estimate.

Link to the notes: http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/62628-patch-notes-dawn-version-1-50-00-00-a.html

Adhesive33

Originally posted by Slapshot1188

Originally posted by Adhesive33

When is the Dawn expansion releasing?

 Unsure.  They originally announced on April 1st that it would be release mid April.  That was pushed to mid May... That was then pushed to June.. last rumored date from the Community Manager was June 9th but now it looks like next week at the earliest.

Ah, thanks. I didn't want to activate my trial account until it was released.

Moreplex

@ Adhesive  You can make as many trial accounts as email accounts you can create.  I did 2 trials and I will do a 3rd after Dawn.

 

Now we had a hype video like this once already.   The gameplay in that video is not in game.  Will the new hype video actually be the game this time??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYsUi80jOE4

Rohn

Originally posted by Moreplex

Now we had a hype video like this once already.   The gameplay in that video is not in game.  Will the new hype video actually be the game this time??

 

From my understanding, Black Opal took those gameplay videos directly from the version of Dawn that's been in testing.  I guess we'll being finding out if the video matches what's in the expansion soon enough.

I really like the animation work they've done on the horses.  The puking scene was "interesting" as well. 

deathshroud

Originally posted by Moreplex

@ Adhesive  You can make as many trial accounts as email accounts you can create.  I did 2 trials and I will do a 3rd after Dawn.

 

Now we had a hype video like this once already.   The gameplay in that video is not in game.  Will the new hype video actually be the game this time??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYsUi80jOE4

 

that is what is called an in engine render. Quite common in video games, especially using the unreal engine. They are cinematics created using the game engine in this case unreal engine and can be seen used in game like UT3. Dont tell me you actually thoguht MO would look like that trailer? In engine renders benefit from higher model complexities or models with more polygons with the same ingame textures. Heres some examples...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H7prHUApzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVVrl71-4I

 

Im guessing the being sick part at the end was due to eating something like granum or a raw weasel carcass

 

dawns release date is still unoffical however its likely to be next week or this week.

RedRocket

http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/62628-patch-notes-dawn-expansion-version-1-50-00-00-a.html

Read the comments to the patch notes before they get deleted!

EDIT: Well at least some of them. Opal is fast.

kallearses

Originally posted by RedRocket

http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/62628-patch-notes-dawn-expansion-version-1-50-00-00-a.html

Read the comments to the patch notes before they get deleted!

EDIT: Well at least some of them. Opal is fast.

 shit they deleted your jokes, but i think you will share it with us here 

RedRocket

Originally posted by kallearses

Originally posted by RedRocket

http://www.mortalonline.com/forums/62628-patch-notes-dawn-expansion-version-1-50-00-00-a.html

Read the comments to the patch notes before they get deleted!

EDIT: Well at least some of them. Opal is fast.

 shit they deleted your jokes, but i think you will share it with us here 

My jokes? Nah I can't post there. I just read for the lulz.

Moreplex

Originally posted by deathshroud

Originally posted by Moreplex

@ Adhesive  You can make as many trial accounts as email accounts you can create.  I did 2 trials and I will do a 3rd after Dawn.

 

Now we had a hype video like this once already.   The gameplay in that video is not in game.  Will the new hype video actually be the game this time??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYsUi80jOE4

 

that is what is called an in engine render. Quite common in video games, especially using the unreal engine. They are cinematics created using the game engine in this case unreal engine and can be seen used in game like UT3. Dont tell me you actually thoguht MO would look like that trailer? In engine renders benefit from higher model complexities or models with more polygons with the same ingame textures. Heres some examples...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H7prHUApzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVVrl71-4I

 

Im guessing the being sick part at the end was due to eating something like granum or a raw weasel carcass

 

dawns release date is still unoffical however its likely to be next week or this week.

I am sorry I actually posted the wrong video.  I meant when a=is this game going to release??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxmfwAz9L0

That was the hype video I meant.

raff01

Definatly a major improvement in the graphics department. Those screenshots for the 1st time give an impression of a real game.

However I doubt this will be half enough to compensate for all the rest. This game would at least need an entire additional continent + smaller islands etc, at least 10 more dungeons, boats, at least 100 more creatures, specially humanoids, real loot, lots of end game content, and a buttload of quests.

osmunda

Originally posted by raff01

Definatly a major improvement in the graphics department. Those screenshots for the 1st time give an impression of a real game.

You set an awfully high threshold for "a real game". 

raff01

Originally posted by osmunda

Originally posted by raff01

Definatly a major improvement in the graphics department. Those screenshots for the 1st time give an impression of a real game.

You set an awfully high threshold for "a real game". 

Is it such a high threshold to have decent graphics with a bit of variety in textures, basic foliage and realistic looking trees and environnement?

By "a real game" I meant also in opposition to a game that looks like an Unreal Tournament mod developped by amateur gamers.

Its not much about 3D engine and render effects, but more of level/world graphic design. WoW is the perfect example of a great work in that aspect : very plain very light 3d engine, and a great result via design.

To me really EverQuest "classic" (from 1999 to 2002) is the game any MMO designer should inspire on in terms of graphics :

with as little polygons and effect as possible, with low definition textures and not a single fancy effect, they did incredible.

Every zone of the game has its own character to it, dungeons are absolutely fantastic.

On these pictures, I finally see an effort on the variety of tree shapes, types of vegetation, texture and foliage.

But

deathshroud

Whilst i would like to see those additions to MO, i beleive there is already enough to keep me playing provided the devs fix and tweak the current gameplay of MO. Mainly the way the statloss/murdercount system works so that each kill needs to be weighed up against its consequence instead of just the first 5 kills. Adding skills to resist magic and changing magic so the spell releases the instant you finish charging it making it harder to aim the spell. Adding good loot to those sator(lisard men) in the jungle to encourage pve there.

 

Although the more resources and pve they add to the game the more reasons players have to leave the confines of their starter towns.

funkmastaD

Originally posted by raff01

Originally posted by osmunda

Originally posted by raff01

Definatly a major improvement in the graphics department. Those screenshots for the 1st time give an impression of a real game.

You set an awfully high threshold for "a real game". 

Is it such a high threshold to have decent graphics with a bit of variety in textures, basic foliage and realistic looking trees and environnement?

Its not much about 3D engine and render effects, but more of level/world graphic design. WoW is the perfect example of a great work in that aspect : very plain very light 3d engine, and a great result via design.

To me really EverQuest "classic" (from 1999 to 2002) is the game any MMO designer should inspire on in terms of graphics :

with as little polygons and effect as possible, with low definition textures and not a single fancy effect, they did incredible.

Every zone of the game has its own character to it, dungeons are absolutely fantastic.

On these pictures, I finally see an effort on the variety of tree shapes, types of vegetation, texture and foliage.

But

 

 

I think the point was, when did the quality of graphics / level design come into play when defining a game as a game (by calling it 'real')?

 

Hell, Pong is a game by anyone's standards, and the level design sucks in that game.  While the graphics in the Dawn video are indeed impressive, I never saw anything 'un-game-like' with the graphics before... I didn't really feel less immersed, and I certainly didn't feel like I was in a spreadsheet application...

 

I dunno, the problem is probably how reflexively we exagerate our criticisms...If one doesn't like how a gameplay feature is designed, no one says "these feature isn't designed like I'd want it to be", or "There are glitches that annoy me in this feature",   they say the feature is broken.  Sorry for the off-topic, we're back on the topic of the dawn video, not whether or not a game can be called 'real'.

raff01

Originally posted by funkmastaD

Originally posted by raff01

Originally posted by osmunda

Originally posted by raff01

Definatly a major improvement in the graphics department. Those screenshots for the 1st time give an impression of a real game.

You set an awfully high threshold for "a real game". 

Is it such a high threshold to have decent graphics with a bit of variety in textures, basic foliage and realistic looking trees and environnement?

Its not much about 3D engine and render effects, but more of level/world graphic design. WoW is the perfect example of a great work in that aspect : very plain very light 3d engine, and a great result via design.

To me really EverQuest "classic" (from 1999 to 2002) is the game any MMO designer should inspire on in terms of graphics :

with as little polygons and effect as possible, with low definition textures and not a single fancy effect, they did incredible.

Every zone of the game has its own character to it, dungeons are absolutely fantastic.

On these pictures, I finally see an effort on the variety of tree shapes, types of vegetation, texture and foliage.

But

 

 

I think the point was, when did the quality of graphics / level design come into play when defining a game as a game (by calling it 'real')?

 

Hell, Pong is a game by anyone's standards, and the level design sucks in that game.  While the graphics in the Dawn video are indeed impressive, I never saw anything 'un-game-like' with the graphics before... I didn't really feel less immersed, and I certainly didn't feel like I was in a spreadsheet application...

 

I dunno, the problem is probably how reflexively we exagerate our criticisms...If one doesn't like how a gameplay feature is designed, no one says "these feature isn't designed like I'd want it to be", or "There are glitches that annoy me in this feature",   they say the feature is broken.  Sorry for the off-topic, we're back on the topic of the dawn video, not whether or not a game can be called 'real'.

 

Well from a technical standpoint of someone who's worked as a video game 3D artist :

textures had no variety, usually one small tile of the same texture repeated like a chessboard over and over , that is very amateurish and usually when you see that its a sign that the artist wether really really really ran out of time / is a lazy ass / is an amateur.

Foliage was almost inexistant, and when it was added, it was just 1 type also repeated over and over and didn't really give a feeling of grass, also didn't match with the ground textures. The vanishing effect was also pretty ugly and gave the feeling that grass would grow as you walked forward.

Terrain design felt like it had been auto generated, some parts of the world were really a big pile of polygons.

Before speedtree, trees looked absolutely nothing like trees. After speedtree, trees were better but they would have only like 5 types of trees and all were the exact same tree repeated with the same size and orientation.

I don't know if I am clear with what I say...Anyways, it looks much improved now.

deathshroud

well i would argue that MO has superior graphics to 90% of the current mmos out there. So i dont see how any of your posts are relevant raff but thats just me.

raff01

Originally posted by deathshroud

well i would argue that MO has superior graphics to 90% of the current mmos out there. So i dont see how any of your posts are relevant raff but thats just me.

 

Superior 3D engine and render yes. Superior overall graphics, no, at least not pre-dawn. Did you read my comments about the flaws of level design?

deathshroud

unlike you raff i actually still play the game, i walk around/explore and look at things ingame. I have done this in many mmos including

AOC

EVE

SWG

UO

AO

Planetside

EQ2

And i have to argue that aside from AOC none of the others come close to the graphics of MO pre dawn. But i guess this just proves that graphics are something personal, so you have ur opinion and other people have theres doesnt change the fgact that some like MO's graphics and some dont, i personally think the textures especially since after the epic patch are certainly high quality, whilst its abit of a mixed bag its by no means bad.

Talk to any member of the existing community of MO and im sure the graphics are one of their least concerns with the game. Because theres nothing wrong with them and many feel the graphical changes in dawn arent really needed.

raff01

Originally posted by deathshroud

unlike you raff i actually still play the game, i walk around/explore and look at things ingame. I have done this in many mmos including

AOC

EVE

SWG

UO

AO

Planetside

EQ2

And i have to argue that aside from AOC none of the others come close to the graphics of MO pre dawn. But i guess this just proves that graphics are something personal, so you have ur opinion and other people have theres doesnt change the fgact that some like MO's graphics and some dont, i presonally think the textures especially since after the epic patch are certainly high quality, whilst its abit of a mixed bag its by no means bad.

Well I have played :

LOTRO

DarkFall Online

WAR

WOW

EQ2

EQ1

Vanguard

Dawntide

AoC

Guildwars

 

I have played MO from release to October, but I keep watching screenshots and video on official forums from time to time.

And games such as : DFO, LOTRO, AoC, Vanguard, Dawntide, Guildwars and WoW offer better overall graphics. So of course taken from the perfect angle, because of the 3D engine, the particle, light effects bump mapping etc, some pics of MO can look like graphics are amazing, but its the level design and global graphics that suck for the reason mentioned in earlier post from me.

DAS1337

Yeah, they often work on things that aren't really needed.  Horse breeding system, a crafting system that makes even einsteins head spin, dynamic weather system, and now better graphics when they were already pretty good in the first place.  It's really a shame, I'm an old UO guy.  If they went with 3rd person and made the animations decent, I'd probably be playing right now.

deathshroud

like i said its a personal opinion you dont like them i do and others have their own opinion. However the level design is actually good, IMO morin khur is an amazing looking city that makes sense the levle design within that city makes perfect sense in the context and bnackground the city has, nothing really looks out of place. The same goes for meduli its a great looking place. Also gk works great, looks good makes sense and is fun to visit. The hurgar cave is a wonderful looking dungeon inside and 1 of my favorite places. Cvecamp looks great ot me and reminds more of the scottish highlands for some reason. Even the risar dungeon looks nice inside and interesting so again i am not getting your point at all.

 

imo 3rd person would ruin the game . Like 3rd person looks to me like its gonig to ruin the immersion of deus ex 3. i agree they need to imporve the animations thoguh they arent great but at least they arent as terribad as darkfalls.