Darkfall "Released"

[Baldrake]

Well, we can be fairly sure that this will launch and quietly sink to obscurity within months.

But I think we do have to give them credit for trying something different. We all piss and moan about the WoW-clone rut other games have gotten into. Here they've clearly put their budget into systems - castles, construction, ships and ship-based combat, mounted combat, flying beasts. So I'll be following this if only to get the details of the design.

And ya, the graphics are a bit unfortunate. The animations look just a bit off. It shows how far things have come in the last few years.

[Signe]

I totally believe that all they do is fake videos to get investor money and if I'm wrong I don't care.

[tmp]

The biggest concern I had after watching the video was whether or not the last scene was scripted, or not.  I'm pretty sure it was, but I've learned never to underestimate the stupidity of MMO developers.  If they did include 1 hit kills, in a game with full loot, then they're just doomed.

It took one hit to kill that guy, but there's no indication what his health level was at that point. If i took enough damage that one further hit meant death, in the game with full loot, i'd be running away like a bitch too.

edit: videos are clearly fake btw, there's no single person bunnyhopping.

[ahoythematey]

If Darkfall actually becomes available in america I will take one for the team and sub to it, because I am absolutely certain that comedy will ensue.

[Rake]

Estimated time for Bat Country to stay in this game.

One fucking month like every other game.

Some of you baby killers here will love it though. I'm sure.

Looking forward to ganking your asses

[UnSub]

Looking forward to ganking your asses

Be sure to use the spanking paddle.

[schild]

You think there's going to be a Bat Country in Darkfall, Rake? What? Are you retarded?

(Well, there might be, but I'm not endorsing that shit.)

[K9]

Looking forward to ganking your asses

It would help if you were baiting people into a game that they'd actually want to play.

[Signe]

No, I can't imagine Bat Country being in this game, either.  I'm sure, if this game actually comes out in any playable form - which I seriously doubt- some people might play, but probably not F13 as a group.  I'm not sure I see a game on the horizon that would inspire a decent sized Bat Country again.  Hopefully, there'll be one out there before I get my Holodeck.

And Rake, Dude.  What the fuck is up with that sig?  Dude.  Srsly.

[LC]

They said no US servers at release because they lack a US publisher. So all Americans can expect to see their head flying off their shoulders before the enemy even appears on screen.


Someone should tell them about Acclaim.

[Rake]

Sorry for the baiting, but I am holding on to some hope that there could be a game to end the drudgery of the MMO as we've known it.

I'm getting too jaded as a game player. So, I've kept Darkfall as my great white hope.

If it sucks balls and fails miserably I'm gonna be pissed.

Maybe dreams are best never reached and they should string it out another 8 years or so. Reality never quite matches up I suppose.



Sig removed

[Rasix]

which I seriously doubt-

Yes, it confuses me when people talk about this game as one that's going to be released or at even the outside chance released and playable.

All of this praise and hope (and discussion of mechanics) for something that really doesn't exist...   

[mutantmagnet]

You're confused because you're jaded and biased.

What happened with the clan beta sucked but the devs said the game is feature complete, their publisher announces expectations for beta in October and they release a video with many visual flaws but does manage to show off many of their features.

If you are really itching to prove Darkfall is a scam you can fly out to Greece on your own dime and find their offices. They don't turn away visitors.

[LC]

Yes, it confuses me when people talk about this game as one that's going to be released or at even the outside chance released and playable.

All of this praise and hope (and discussion of mechanics) for something that really doesn't exist...   

I think it will surpass shadowbane in unplayability if it ever makes it to beta. I love a good train wreck, and this one is hauling a load of dynamite.

[Signe]

Don't do anything naughty!  (without telling me first so I can watch)

[K9]

If you are really itching to prove Darkfall is a scam you can fly out to Greece on your own dime and find their offices. They don't turn away visitors.

That's the point though, nobody would ever care enough about Darkfall to do this, except for the odd diehard fanboi, and they have a whole other agenda :p

On another note, I ran into a Gnome mage called Signe in AV earlier.

[Signe]

It wasn't me.  I am not a gnome.  I don't know where AV is.

[Stormwaltz]

I'll admit it; I like the video.

Rough spots? Scores. Questions about gameplay? I have dozens, at least.

But the mechanics they displayed rekindled my flagging interest. Presumably, that was the intent. So mission accomplished in my case.

No, I'm not convinced it will work. But I like that they're trying, and I hope they keep trying.

[mutantmagnet]

If you are really itching to prove Darkfall is a scam you can fly out to Greece on your own dime and find their offices. They don't turn away visitors.

That's the point though, nobody would ever care enough about Darkfall to do this, except for the odd diehard fanboi, and they have a whole other agenda :p

Damned if you do/don't paradox. In July we got a report from someone who visited their offices because it coincided with a vacation his friends planned and he has been ragging on the game before hand because of the waiting. Not everyone visiting the devs has to be a fanboy.

[Ghambit]

The graphics are too shytty in this game for it to fail. 
Seeing as how no one here cares about graphics right?  Odds are in our favor for a game that concentrates on gameplay rather than visual bling.  To this end, I'm optimistic... but the wacked out graphics and animations will be a turnoff to most of the world (especially america, which is probably the real reason there's no US pubby).

The only way you can have a game like Darkfall is with crappy graphics unless you want AoCish whiners complaining that their rig breaks down.  I'll be impressed if their world is even slightly prettier than WW2O's, which still breaks rigs even though it's like playing tank command on an atari.  And Darkfall's world is supposed to be larger, but I'm pretty positive it isnt.  The largest fantasy world yes.  The largest world, no.

[Nija]

Was that dwarf side-stepping cannonballs on the docks?

I like what they're trying to do, I just know they can't do it.

[krazyk]

The video I saw seemed to showcase all of the features they said were in the game. They may not be polished, but they are there and they seem to be working as intended. I don't see how that sets the game up for failure. If it fails it will be due to some other issue, but it won't be the gameplay and it won't be the graphics. All that remains to be seen is if their servers/client can handle large scale combat. If DF pulls that off it will succeed, if it doesn't then it will fail. Hopefully the beta will give a good indication of that.

Personally I hope it succeeds. When I first started getting into MMOs I thought games like DF would be the future and instead we got WoW. I am glad it satisfies the needs of 10 million+ people, but for me if DF fails I am done with online gaming and most likely gaming in general. Single player games for me haven't been fun since the SNES.

[schild]

Well, you're certainly krazy.

[Falwell]

I'm debating whether this will equal or exceed the cluster fuck that was Dark and Light.

[UnSub]

I'm debating whether this will equal or exceed the cluster fuck that was Dark and Light.

No-one remembers Dark and Light. Let's hope Darkfall is spectacularly memorable, one way or the other.

[Bzalthek]

I'd like to see something worthwhile, honestly. It seems every iteration of fail to date has tried to reinvent the wheel.

[tmp]

I'm debating whether this will equal or exceed the cluster fuck that was Dark and Light.

I'm expecting another Wish, personally.

[Vinadil]

I'm debating whether this will equal or exceed the cluster fuck that was Dark and Light.

I'm expecting another Wish, personally.

Yea, they have not done enough publicity about how revolutionary and genre-defining their game is going to be... for the last year or more... for it to be a D&L.  Their fans have been pushing it for a while, but Aventurine has been nice and quite until recently.  Time will tell of course, but if it is just a slightly polished, skill-based Shadowbane then I will expect my guild to be spending some time there, especially once it goes free to play like SB!

[Lantyssa]

I'm expecting another Wish, personally.

Mention of Wish always makes me sad.  I miss my chicken, Feathers.  She always had an egg for me.  Probably because threatening to harvest her with a sickle would scare anything enough to lay an egg.

[Stormwaltz]

[No-one remembers Dark and Light.

I do, actually. As an engine without a game.

I still have a bunch of the "sightseeing" videos on my hard drive. I had crazy dreams of it being the next AC1.

[LC]

I do, actually. As an engine without a game.

I use the same description for AC2.

[UnSub]

[No-one remembers Dark and Light.

I do, actually. As an engine without a game.

I still have a bunch of the "sightseeing" videos on my hard drive. I had crazy dreams of it being the next AC1.

Dark and Light was powered by the BigWorld engine, so it really WAS an engine looking for a game.

I think 38 Studios and some others have picked up BigWorld (a former BigWorld dev set up InterZone and is making a soccer MMO using BigWorld, for instance) so perhaps it will actually create a game. One day.

[Mrbloodworth]

[No-one remembers Dark and Light.

I do, actually. As an engine without a game.

I still have a bunch of the "sightseeing" videos on my hard drive. I had crazy dreams of it being the next AC1.

Dark and Light was powered by the BigWorld engine, so it really WAS an engine looking for a game.

I think 38 Studios and some others have picked up BigWorld (a former BigWorld dev set up InterZone and is making a soccer MMO using BigWorld, for instance) so perhaps it will actually create a game. One day.

Incorrect. Dark and light used the Vworld Rendering engine, and the big world server tech. Everything that was in Dark and light was already in the vWorld Engine.

[UnSub]

Ahh, okay - I knew BigWorld was involved somehow.

Here's a list of BigWorld projects that I'm linking just to show that someone has named a title Twinity. 

[mutantmagnet]

To all those people who say the devs haven't made a damn thing in 7 years aside from videos (looking at you  Signe) want to retract that statement before playtesting begins?

Via MArketwatch

Aventurine to Launch New Game on GNi's Leading Multiplayer Game Hosting Platform
GNi Selected for Convenience and Scalability


Last update: 9:07 p.m. EDT Sept. 16, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sep 16, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aventurine SA, a developer located in Athens, Greece has selected GNi, a leader in infrastructure-as-a-service, to host their groundbreaking game, Darkfall Online, which is scheduled for release later this year.
"True to our game development philosophy, we demand uncompromising quality for Darkfall's hosting needs. We want it all: world class service, hardware, and bandwidth, while offering competitive pricing and terms flexibility. We also demand game industry knowledge and experience, and, more importantly a shared vision for our game and a long-term relationship. We've found all of this in GNi. We're very impressed with their professionalism and their commitment to the success of Darkfall and Aventurine. We feel very confident we made the right choice and are pleased to be working with them in bringing Darkfall to our customers," said Jade Mehdawi, CEO of Aventurine SA.
"Aventurine is a creative, energetic, quality organization and we are excited to have Darkfall Online running on our platform. The game looks great, offers compelling new experiences and freedom players don't often see with some of the most widely played MMOs. Darkfall offers a rich variety of experiences that will appeal to MMO veterans and new players alike," said Derek Wise, founder and CTO of GNi, Inc.
Darkfall Online Offers Highly Immersive Experience
Darkfall Online is a massive multiplayer online (MMO) fantasy role-playing game featuring a fun, fast-paced, real-time combat system, massive battles, clan warfare and empire building. Darkfall combines role-playing, action, and strategic gameplay. Darkfall has been designed to create intensely realistic and highly immersive combat and a challenging, realistic environment for a more immersive experience. With full collision detection battle lines really matter and well-aimed spell blasts will send opponents flying. Darkfall's goal is to provide players with a fun and challenging experience through a seamless and zoneless, non-instanced, "sandbox" game world.
Game To Be Launched Simultaneously Across 50 Countries
With a projected usage of over ten thousand concurrent users per game world, Aventurine's massive investment in Darkfall will pay off for players across the fifty countries where it will be launched.

I'll stop beating this dead horse now.