The Tabula Rasa team announced today they are preparing to shut down servers after celebrating the game's one-year anniversary this month. Live service will end Feb. 28, 2009 and the game will be free to play starting Jan. 10. This news follows Richard Garriott's announcement on Nov. 11 that he was leaving NCsoft.

Last November we launched what we hoped would be a ground breaking sci-fi MMO. In many ways, we think we've achieved that goal. Tabula Rasa has some unique features that make it fun and very different from every other MMO out there. Unfortunately, the fact is that the game hasn't performed as expected. The development team has worked hard to improve the game since launch, but the game never achieved the player population we hoped for.

It's always a shame to see an MMO come to an end, but the Tabula Rasa team seems to be putting the players first as they plan some fun things in-game in the coming months to go out with a bang. Also, current subscribers will have access to some parting gifts, including three free months of City of Heroes and Lineage II, and Aion beta access.

Keep reading after the jump for the full farewell letter and how this will affect subscribers.

Richard Garriott announced today through a letter on the Tabula Rasa Web site that he will be leaving NCsoft. His recent trip into space has sparked new interests, which triggered his departure.

Many of you probably wonder what my plans are, now that I have achieved the lifelong dream of going to space. Well, that unforgettable experience has sparked some new interests that I would like to devote my time and resources to. As such, I am leaving NCsoft to pursue those interests.This news is difficult for me to deliver. I am honored to have worked with the team I've had and I'm grateful to the community who makes this game so unique and fun.

Read the full letter here or below.

Take a great look back on Tabula Rasa's first year (Happy Anniversary!) with this Feedback Friday!

First of all, thank you to everybody who helped us contain the invasion on Sunday night. It was an amazing display of unity in the face of adversity and a great opportunity for General British to come back and join our fight all the way from Russia.

While we have a ton of courageous Soldiers fighting for the common good every single day on Foreas and Arieki, there are also a lot of people out there who haven't had the opportunity to experience the universe of Tabula Rasa. They haven't seen it grow and develop into what it is today, so here's a little recap of what you can expect to see in today's Tabula Rasa!

    * Tabula Rasa is all about the survival of Humanity, but you can still get a taste of what other species are like. The solution: become a Hybrid.
    * Enjoy our new Crafting stations: simple yet efficient

It's been quite a year, and there's more to come!.

GM Vagabond is going to be holding another TR 101 !

Attention, Soldiers (especially you Recruits!): Next week I will be hosting Tabula Rasa 101, a Q&A session for new recruits that will address some of the basic mechanics of the game and commonly asked questions in Tabula Rasa. No need to sign up, just meet at Alia Das in Wilderness(1) at the following times for your server. Make sure to bring your questions!

Read on for the schedule, and let's hope for a great turn out!

Tabula Rasa celebrated its one-year anniversary on Nov. 2, and the development team recently posted a narrative account of the Bane's massive assault that day. The Alliance of Free Sentients emerged victorious, and the developers thanked the players for their efforts and support of the game.

Developers and Game Masters were online to personally thank all the players in game for their participation and to deliver various goodies for their diligent efforts. Many thanks to all who participated in and helped celebrate the one year anniversary events of TR. The worlds of Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa are safe for now, and even though it only began a year ago, the battle for control of the cosmos still rages on as we begin to fight our way back home to Earth.

The full post can be found here or after the jump.

In honor of Halloween, this week's Feedback Friday post gives us some treats: previews of upcoming camera changes.

The changes are all part of a new camera system and include first person view, weapon scopes, a mech cockpit view and increased camera distance from characters.

There is nothing better than walking around in a hulking mass of metal and firepower. That is, unless you are sitting in the cockpit of one. Yes, that is right! Click zoom yourself into a cockpit of walking death and lay waste to your foes. Try not to step on your squad.

Read the full post on the Tabula Rasa Web site or below.

Richard Garriott is back on Earth after his ride into space as part of Operation Immortality. You can look back on his adventure at RichardinSpace.com, where you can watch a video of his return.

Also, the Tabula Rasa Web site points us toward an article and video interview on the Times Online of the UK. The full article is also copied below. Personally, I'm glad this whole experience was a success for Garriott. It was an important and historic event.

In similar news, the TR team's Feedback Friday post gives a little taste of the first Earth map in the upcoming Deployment 15. It looks like Richards' not the only one returning to our home turf.

Richard Garriott is currently onboard the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting Earth as part of Operation Immortality. Today at 1:20 p.m. EDT (in less than an hour), he will be part of the NASA-sponsored videoconference with Expedition Crew 18. Check it out at www.richardinspace.com .

There's a multitude of ways to keep track of Richard's trip this week before his return on Friday, Oct. 24. Here's all the links straight from an NCsoft press release:

The site is constantly updated with details on Garriott's adventure and includes rich videos and photos of Garriott throughout his training, launch and current spaceflight. Visitors to www.richardinspace.com can track his exact location as he orbits Earth; pose questions to Richard ; view the multi-media gallery, which offers an inside look into what it takes to go to space and back again; and check out awesome video links like Garriott's ZERO-G weightless training and water landing training.

The full press release can be found after the jump in case you want more background on Richard's trip. It really is an historic endeavor, and Allakhazam founder Jeff Moyer's DNA is even in the mix.

Just when you thought you'd heard about every Halloween MMORPG event, here comes another. Tabula Rasa's festivities will be held from 11 a.m. CST on Monday, Oct. 20 to 11 a.m. CST on Monday, Nov. 3.

Get the festive missions from AFS Soldiers located in Foreas Base (Concordia Divide), Irendas Penal Colony (Torden Plains) and Fort Defiance (Valverde Plateau), and distribute Halloween goodies to get your special Halloween masks in return. There will be 9 masks to collect and keep, but this is for a limited time only, so be sure to be in-game during the Halloween celebrations!

Also, designer Jason Ford has outlined his revamp of Raksha Robotic Facility's final encounter in D14. Raksha Robotic Facility on Torden Incline features a new group encounter, a Wardenbot Control Point called the Central Dispatch Unit, that is recommended for squads of players between level 25-32 and is repeatable. For more information, check this Feedback Friday post or keep reading after the jump.

Deployment 13 is now live! Here's just a small sampling of the updates:

It features the new Crafting System, our Series 3 Laser Pistols, purchasable tabs for your AFS Footlocker, the new map and radar style, and much much more.

Check out the full patch notes here or below.

Also, according to this announcement, a bug making it impossible for new players to obtain the Wilderness Target of Opportunity should be fixed by early next week.