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Das Tal boasts that it will 'do things better' than ArcheAge
Consider the gauntlet thrown down from one sandbox to another. Das Tal Head of Communications David Wells posted a new essay today in which he says that his title will best ArcheAge: "Unfortunately I, like a lot of others, have come to the conclusion that ArcheAge is probably one of the worst MMOs to come out recently -- but the reasons why are not straight forward. I am going to go over the good and bad, as well as shamelessly point out how our game will do things better." Wells says that ArcheAge stumbled with a messy housing system, bad monetization, cultural differences, hacking, heavy grind, lackluster PvE, no solid PvP, shaky server tech, and a lack of good communication by Trion. He goes on to provide a counterpoint for each these items, explaining how Das Tal will succeed where ArcheAge has failed. Or, if you're looking for a TL;DR version, "How we do it better: To put it simply, we give a s**t."
Das Tal's latest stress test happens this Saturday
Fantasy PvP sandbox Das Tal is hosting a pre-alpha stress test this weekend, according to developer Fairytale Distillery's latest press release. The test runs from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 22nd. Das Tal's previous stress test attracted a population nearly three times as large as a normal test, and as a result the devs have increased capacity which means that the "servers will be packed full of PvP." To get in on all the killing, you'll need to sign up as an alpha tester and then check your inbox for an invite. There's also a sneak preview available for viewing via the alpha test footage after the break.
Das Tal gets the Greenlight, sells supporter packs
The indie sandbox Das Tal is feeling a little more vindicated today, as the title announced that the community voted to Greenlight it on Steam following a three-month campaign. The studio said that it will now be figuring out "how best to use Steam's platform" as the alpha MMO moves forward. Riding high off of the announcement, the Das Tal team announced that it will not be looking for further funding through a Kickstarter but will be selling development supporter packages instead. These packs go from $30 to $200 and include trial keys, alpha access, name reservations, and concept art.
Watch the sped-up creation of Das Tal concept art
It's always great to get two things for the price of one, isn't it? Well, that's what you're going to get when you watch today's developer video from Das Tal, as it not only contains an interview with the game's art director but shows the sped-up creation process of one of Das Tal's pieces of concept art. Art Director Michail Mamaschew discusses his priorities for each day's work, what programs he uses, where he gets his inspiration, and all of the aspects of art that he has to consider as he creates pieces for the team. You can watch the formation of concept art and listen to his interview after the jump!
Das Tal launches merch while making a Greenlight push
If you're excited for Das Tal, now's a fine time to vote with or without your wallet. Yes, both work here. Voting without your wallet is as simple as moving over to the game's Greenlight page on Steam and supporting it if you haven't already; the developers have issued a statement claiming that the game is close to getting Greenlight status and just needs a final push. How can you vote with your wallet? Well, you can grab some Das Tal apparel, coffee mugs, or the like. The merchandise features art from the game's art director, so it's a good way to show off your affection for the game in physical form. You can also check out a video of the game's most recent test update just past the break, although you can't buy that on a shirt. It's hard to display video on a shirt. (It's the same video we covered recently, though, so if you saw it then you can safely skip it.)
Das Tal revamps skills, adds stealth and tracking
Indie PvP sandbox Das Tal has revamped its skill system in its most recent alpha update. Fairytale Distillery has also added stealth and tracking features as well as tweaked audio for both the game's ambient tracks and its attack sounds. There's an October update video and a copy of the full press release after the break! [Source: Fairytale Distillery press release]
Das Tal jumps to Steam Greenlight
It's a big week for the PvP sandbox Das Tal, as the title has hopped on board the good ship Steam Greenlight in the hope that it will gain more attention and support from the community. Das Tal has also finished up its first round of alpha tests in July, with more to come every Sunday in August. The team pieced together a video from the alpha to show off some of the title's looks and combat sequences. The devs stress that many of the graphics are using placeholder images, but if you can stomach that, you can get an early peek at the game after the jump.
Das Tal alpha starts July 20
Das Tal has tabbed July 20th as the official start of its alpha testing period. The build will focus on "good old-fashioned PvP combat," according to a Fairytale Distillery press release. Gameplay will feature clans battling to control five landmarks as well as three armor classes, three weapon sets, and "fast-paced and diverse combat situations." You can still apply for an alpha slot, and you can also read the full press drop after the break. [Source: Fairytale Distillery press release]
Das Tal secures additional funding, releases summary vid
Fairytale Distillery has announced that its Das Tal PvP sandbox MMO has received a $130,000 funding infusion that will speed up development. "A basic playable build will be available for public testing in July," the firm says via press release, and new alpha testers will be added to the current pool. If you want to be part of the game's testing process, you can sign up on the newly redesigned website. Finally, the dev team has a released a new video that summarizes what Das Tal has on offer. View it in full, along with the press release, after the cut. [Source: Fairytale Distillery press release]
Introducing Das Tal, a PvP sandbox where players make the rules
If your fun's been stunted by a sad lack of free-for-all PvP sandboxes, then might we suggest you're not looking very hard? Let us give you a start in this direction, at least, as Fairytale Distillery announced its upcoming project, Das Tal. Das Tal is a "fast-paced" sandbox that includes open PvP, full looting of players' corpses, a classless character system, and a constant struggle over resources and player settlements. Probably the most interesting aspect of this MMO is that each server will eventually reach a "climactic end event" and then restart, allowing players to vote on the rules and features for the next iteration. Das Tal is on Steam Greenlight, is currently in the pre-production stage, and will most likely be doing a fundraising campaign at some point. We've got a teaser trailer for you with the creepiest voice-over ever after the break. [Thanks to Skurvel for the tip!]
Stick and Rudder: Five reasons Star Citizen isn't a dedicated PvP game
Is it just me, or does a new PvP-vs.-PvE fight break out on the Star Citizen forums every five minutes? In fairness to everyone involved, the jousting we've seen over the past few months is pretty typical of every early adopter MMO community. There's plenty of preening, pseudo-intellectualism, and outright trolling on both sides of the aisle as two player groups make their preferences known early and often in a blatant attempt at influencing game developers to develop something more to their liking. With Star Citizen, though, and with the all-PvP-all-the-time crowd in particular, I'm constantly left wondering whether these people have bothered to research the game they're backing.
Some Assembly Required: Yet another FFA PvP sandbox
I dabbled in yet another alpha-state indie sandbox game this week. As you'd expect, the title is rough around the edges. Also as you'd expect, it boasts FFA PvP and the correspondingly godawful community for whom the game's "do whatever you want" mechanics immediately translate to "kill everything that moves first and ask questions later, if at all." Since it's still alpha, there's plenty of time for the devs to correct this unfortunate bit of business and separate this particular game from the legions of crappy FFA-PvP-with-zero-consequences titles clumping together in the vast litterbox of bad MMO ideas. Will they do that? Probably not, but at least I'll get a good rant out of it.
The Soapbox: Sandboxes and the cop-out of FFA PvP
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Last week, our own Jef Reahard mounted the Massively Soapbox with an article titled Sandboxes and the fear of FFA PvP. In it, he argued that open PvP was a natural and necessary part of any solid sandbox MMO. He also made waves by suggesting that FFA PvP is crucial to the roleplaying experience and that roleplayers should really face their "fears" and give it a try. I'm a sandbox gamer and a PvPer at heart. I played the early years of Ultima Online and lived the adrenaline rush of full and brutal PvP and thievery. Dark Age of Camelot's RvR sucked up another year of my life. Star Wars Galaxies remains my sandbox of choice, and I've braved a World of Warcraft PvP server since launch. I know this territory very well. I'll knock it, because I have more than tried it -- in several tasty flavors. And even though I'm an unabashed Jef-fangirl, I think there are a few debatable issues with his article. Hit the jump for some good old-fashioned counterpoints!
