Mortal Online 2’s justice system has become a breeding ground for the very behaviors that undermine its potential for growth and immersion. Griefing and exploitation aren’t fringe activities—they’ve become woven into the game’s culture, driving away new players and transforming many tenacious ones into griefers themselves. This isn’t just bad for new player retention; it’s a vicious cycle that reinforces the game’s insularity.
But addressing these issues isn’t just about implementing reforms—it’s about confronting the core barriers that make reform impossible. Before meaningful change can occur, Star Vault must first address fundamental flaws in the game’s mechanics that cripple any attempt at justice reform.
Criminal by Default: How Broken Mechanics Punish Lawful Players and Empower Griefers
Star Vault, the current justice mechanics in Mortal Online 2 don’t just fall short—they actively sabotage lawful players while empowering griefers to exploit every loophole. Two examples stand out: the “must enable criminal actions” mechanic for AOE abilities, and the nonsensical criminalization of necromancy.
Star Vault, we’re not asking for hand-holding or safe zones. We’re asking for a system that works. One that punishes actual criminals, not victims. One that supports lawful playstyles instead of sabotaging them. One that makes sense in the context of a hardcore, non-consensual PvP game.
Let’s fix this.
But addressing these issues isn’t just about implementing reforms—it’s about confronting the core barriers that make reform impossible. Before meaningful change can occur, Star Vault must first address fundamental flaws in the game’s mechanics that cripple any attempt at justice reform.
Criminal by Default: How Broken Mechanics Punish Lawful Players and Empower Griefers
Star Vault, the current justice mechanics in Mortal Online 2 don’t just fall short—they actively sabotage lawful players while empowering griefers to exploit every loophole. Two examples stand out: the “must enable criminal actions” mechanic for AOE abilities, and the nonsensical criminalization of necromancy.
1. AOE Abilities: A Trap for Lawful Players
Right now, any lawful player wanting to use AOE abilities—be they mage spells, necromancer skills, or tamed creature attacks—must enable criminal actions. This sets off a chain reaction of absurdities that leaves lawful players utterly vulnerable:- Griefers deliberately position themselves to be splashed by the AOE. Not that they even need to, given the game's utter absence of meaningful punishment for this behaviour, one could argue that this merely adds insult to injury. However, if the justice system is ever to be rendered meaningful, then this needs to be addressed as a prerequisite. So here’s the kicker: the griefer doesn’t even have to be grey. In fact, they’re almost always blue, thanks to how laughably easy it is to clear grey or red status. Once splashed, they can attack the lawful player without consequence, as the system marks the lawful player as the criminal.
- The lawful player can’t even give a murder count if killed. Why? Because the system sees the griefer as acting “lawfully.” The hapless mage or tamer, on the other hand, is flagged as the criminal, making the victimizer appear as the victim.
- This mechanic is easily exploited. A griefer can intentionally provoke this situation over and over, knowing the system will punish the lawful player and protect their own status.
2. Going Grey = Murder Count for Others’ Actions
If a lawful player accidentally goes grey—say, by unintentionally hitting a teammate or another lawful player due to the “criminal actions” mechanic—the consequences are nothing short of absurd. Consider this real example:- A group of players ventures into the Fabernum sewers. One player, a mage, has “criminal actions” enabled to use their AOE abilities. During the fight, they accidentally hit a teammate, turning grey.
- The group finds a quiet corner and waits five minutes for the grey status to expire. The mage turns blue again, and all seems fine.
- Later, the group is ambushed and killed by a notorious red. However, back at the priest, the game only offers a murder count option against the mage—now blue and innocent again! The red, who slaughtered the group, isn’t even mentioned.
3. Necromancers: Criminals by Default
As if AOE users didn’t have it bad enough, necromancers are flagged as criminals simply for existing. Every necromantic spell or ability is apparently deemed “illegal,” regardless of context. While this might make sense in a lore-driven PvE game like ESO, it’s utterly ridiculous in a non-consensual PvP game like MO2.- Necromancers are flagged grey the moment they use their abilities, opening them up to attack from anyone—even lawful players.
- Griefers can exploit this mechanic to freely attack necromancers in any situation, knowing the system gives them carte blanche.
- There’s no distinction between lawful and unlawful necromancers. A player could be casting a spell in a dungeon with friends and still be flagged grey, purely because of the game’s inability to separate lore from justice mechanics.
A System Broken Beyond Repair
These examples highlight a systemic failure to distinguish between player-to-player justice and NPC-driven mechanics. Instead of creating a balanced system that discourages griefing, MO2’s current mechanics actively encourage it by punishing lawful players for using their abilities while giving griefers all the tools they need to exploit the system.What Needs to Change
- Decouple AOE abilities from criminal actions. Lawful players should be able to use their abilities without being flagged for incidental damage. Simply make other blues unaffected by the splash damage. Yes I know that this opens up other avenues of abuse, because what's a game mechanic without players finding some way to exploit and abuse it, right? However, that's a bridge that one can cross when one comes to it. Regardless, without addressing this issue, MO2 will not, because it cannot, have a functional justice system!
- Stop treating necromancy as inherently illegal. Necromancers should only be flagged for harming other players unlawfully, not for playing their class, except possibly in a pure player to NPC type of context.
- Overhaul murder counts and grey status. Ensure that actual criminals—those who kill or attack other players unlawfully—are the ones penalized, not accidental greys or lawful victims.
The Bottom Line
Mortal Online 2’s justice system isn’t just broken; it’s actively working against the principles of fairness, immersion, and player-driven balance. Until these mechanics are addressed, the game will continue to alienate lawful players and empower griefers.Star Vault, we’re not asking for hand-holding or safe zones. We’re asking for a system that works. One that punishes actual criminals, not victims. One that supports lawful playstyles instead of sabotaging them. One that makes sense in the context of a hardcore, non-consensual PvP game.
Let’s fix this.
Last edited: