Mortal Online 2 MMORPG Developers Discuss Upcoming Changes
The developers of the MMORPG Mortal Online 2 have announced that the PTR (Public Test Realm) for the next major update will launch on Wednesday, February 25th. Before testing begins, the team will publish a special post containing participation instructions and a full list of changes.
One of the key areas of focus has been the modernization of the voice chat (VoIP) system. The team has made significant progress in implementing new features. Now, players' voices will change depending on conditions—for example, if a character's head is underwater or if they are wearing a helmet that covers the face or mouth. Additionally, the system will be able to account for obstacles between speakers, such as walls or corners. However, the developers warn that due to the high complexity of implementation, some planned features might not make it into the final release—to preserve the game's stability and performance.
Significant changes are also coming to the armor system. For a long time, there has been an imbalance in the game. Some heavy armor styles, particularly Mercenary Plate, noticeably outperformed others, rendering them practically unused. In the upcoming update, the characteristics of less popular armor styles will be brought closer to the "leaders," while preserving their key distinctions. The difference in parameters will become smaller—making the choice of armor more of an aesthetic decision than a strategic calculation. For example, the Draconigena Armatus style will still provide the best protection against piercing attacks, but its vulnerability to slashing attacks will be significantly reduced. The developers plan to actively gather feedback on this change during PTR testing, including through a special questionnaire.
Another notable addition is a reputation penalty for killing pets. This mechanic is intended to curb abuses, such as killing pets to check their inventory without fighting the owner. Killing a pet belonging to an innocent player will now incur an instant penalty of -2 reputation units—provided the action does not occur in the wilderness, and the pet's owner did not attack first and is not a criminal. Only the player who directly committed the kill will receive the penalty. The goal of this addition is to reduce the number of unpleasant situations and limit pet killings in "lawful" cities, where a negative rating can lead to banishment. Player opinions on this matter will also be requested in the PTR questionnaire.
Changes will also affect the Prominence system. The developers have decided to significantly increase the Prominence cost for a number of valuable structures. The reason is that the current values are so low that they practically have no impact on gameplay. After the introduction of daily quests, the average guild income from Prominence has noticeably increased—it now exceeds the daily upkeep cost for most structures. Exact adjustments will be announced in the PTR patch notes, and according to the developers, they promise to be significant.
Finally, the arena in Tindrem is also due for updates. Although the ultimate goal is to expand it with new features like organized and automated matches and various events, this patch will focus only on intermediate improvements. In the "fighter barracks" zones on both sides of the arena, banks and red priests will appear, and stationary but very powerful guard sentinels will be installed—they will suppress disorder. Murderers and players with negative reputation will be able to enter the arena, but upon receiving a "gray" status, the guards will attack them. After the update's release, the first event is planned for the arena—a gathering of players for duels and socializing. In the future, the area will remain open for the community to organize its own events.