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Darkfall kicks off its ultimate promotion
Whether you're currently playing Darkfall, a former player with interest in the state of the game, or an onlooker curious about the game, today brings you good news. Today is the start of the Darkfall Ultimate Promotion, an event slated to run until the game gets its major version 2.0 upgrade. That means that new players can start off playing the game for just the price of a month's subscription and all players can enjoy the discounted subscription rate of $9.95. The promotion isn't limited to the subscription fees, however; the game has multiplied skill gains by 20 as previously reported. Global loot drops are quadrupled as well, giving players plenty of opportunities for major rewards. If you've got any interest in Darkfall, today is probably the day to go back or head in for the first time, as these benefits will fade as soon as the game launches its major reboot.
Final Fantasy XI details big experience and skill gain increases
While we still don't know exactly when February's mini-version update will fall, Final Fantasy XI players are going to have two very big things to look forward to when the change goes live. Previous updates had promised adjustments to skill gains and experience points, but without any hard numbers to back up those statements, some fans were quite reasonably skeptical. But the team has spoken, and now we have some idea of what to expect -- Even Match monsters will give roughly double their current experience, and skill gains are possible on Decent Challenge or higher enemies. The former could well mean that the amount of experience seen by players will be doubled across the board, or it could simply mean that the scaling will work a bit differently. Similarly, the skill gains will allow players to level up weapons far more easily, especially with the promise of larger numbers for each gain, easing the pain of finally getting a 0.1 increase after half an hour of work. Players will have to wait a little while longer to see the specifics at work, but the two adjustments should give Final Fantasy XI's players a much easier leveling experience, especially for neglected jobs or subjobs.
Final Fantasy XIV improving skill gains
Leveling up is an important part of any MMO, but the task is a bit more difficult in Final Fantasy XIV than it needs to be due to the system of skill point gains. As it currently stands, the random nature of point gains can make leveling very productive or completely pointless, since killing an enemy is no guarantee of skill points. It's a problem, one that Square-Enix is addressing along with a host of others in the November version update. Skill points needed for leveling from 11 to 31 will be reduced, and skill point gains will now come after the battle alongside experience points, making gains a reliable and steady reward instead of the current random system. The newest update preview also outlines some of the ability adjustments due for the large update, all of which are universal buffs for class abilities such as Life Surge for Lancers and Sacrifice for Thaumaturges. A mini-FAQ has also been added to clarify some of the finer points of the previous update previews -- the added storage space in the update will be an automatic addition, enemy spawns will be increased by roughly 50%, and the habit of aldgoats and dodos to stare into your soul may be addressed in the future. Whether or not you're satisfied with Final Fantasy XIV in its current state, both of the previews paint a brighter picture for the future.
