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Some Assembly Required: Six reasons to love sandboxes in 2013
What a difference a year makes, amirite? This time twelve months ago, I was licking the wounds brought on by Star Wars Galaxies' unceremonious and premature departure from the MMO scene. It was bad enough that a profitable title was sacrificed in order to clear a path for one of 2012's biggest disappointments, but it was worse that said title was the premier sandbox in the genre's history. Frankly, the last few years have been abysmal for fans of non-linear MMOs and player-generated content, but thankfully, 2012 righted the ship and gave us more than a bit of hope for 2013.
Darkfall delays beta due to loot-eating bug
When you've repeatedly delayed the launch of the new version of the game, what's there left to do? You know you shouldn't have asked that because now you made the Darkfall beta go back in hiding. It was just waiting for someone foolish enough to ask that question. While Darkfall Unholy Wars' beta was scheduled to begin today, Aventurine decided to hold back on starting it for the time being. What's the hold-up? According to Producer Tasos Flambouras, a nasty bug's floating around that can, well, have an adverse affect on gameplay: "To simply describe the bug in question: It's a persistence bug. Some players, sometimes, will lose all their stuff." The team is attempting to reproduce and eliminate the bug but said that it will go ahead with the beta after a "few hours" whether or not it's found.
Darkfall video offers walkthrough for clan management system
Darkfall: Unholy Wars is one of those games that can be described as best enjoyed with a clan, so clan management is an important topic. In that vein, Darkfall is giving clans a consolidated interface with a variety of features to find, create, and manage clans. Players searching for a clan are given access to information about possible choices such as how much dominion the clan has accrued, leader names, the charter, and how many members are in it. Once you find a match, you can apply directly from the interface. Can't find what you want? Clans can also be created on the spot from this window, as long as the player has 2,000 gold in his or her backpack. Other features available through this interface are an accounting of clan members' PvP kills ranking, and dominion earned for the clan. Leaders also have the ability to grant clan permissions on an individual basis as well as review and accept or decline applicants. There is also a special politics tab that includes a clan kill-on-site list. Take a look at all these details and more in the video after the break. [Thanks to Bartillo for the tip!]
Darkfall Unholy Wars pre-orders available tomorrow
Aventurine has posted a brief update on the state of Darkfall's Unholy Wars reboot. The firm is "currently working on putting together the beta build," and there will also be some beta forums launched on Friday, December 14th. Pre-orders will also be available beginning tomorrow, and they'll set you back $14.95 if you're a former Darkfall customer. If not, you'll need to part with $29.95. In either case, you get automatic beta access and 30 days of free game time when Unholy Wars finally goes live.
Aventurine apologizes for Darkfall delay
Darkfall fans have good reason to be disgruntled at the news yesterday that Aventurine announced a major delay in the relaunch of the game. The studio has posted a brief explanation as to why the announcement cut it so close to the anticipated release date. "We want you to know that 55 people fought until the last minute to make that announcement unnecessary," Tasos Flambouras wrote. "This is not a matter of lack of respect towards the community; it's a matter of unfortunate timing." Flambouras apologized, saying that the delay allows his team "to do what's best for the game and for [its] players" and that Aventurine is not using Darkfall's transition onto Steam as an excuse.
Darkfall Unholy Wars delays release and opts for pre-order testing
Darkfall Unholy Wars developer Aventurine is notorious for running a bit long on projects, so it's probably not going to surprise longtime fans that the game is missing its revised release target tomorrow. Developer Tasos Flambouras informed players that the launch will be delayed most likely until January, although a firm date has not yet been established. He also apologizes for the last-minute announcement, citing a need for several different bits of cross-communication before the decision was final. To mollify those who just can't wait to start the game, a beta will be kicking off on December 17th for any pre-order customers. Returning players can pick up the game at the normal subscription price, while new players will still be able to get a discount by ordering. Flambouras promises that all pre-order players will receive a full 30 days of free time when the game goes live, as well as access to the beta during its duration. If it sounds like something you can't wait to jump on, keep your eyes peeled on Friday for purchasing details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Darkfall Unholy Wars dev diary addresses changes to the clan system
Another Darkfall Unholy Wars dev blog hit the interwebs today, this one focusing on the many changes to the clan system that will be coming with the game's reboot. One of the largest tweaks to the system is in the way that clan ranks will operate. Previously, a player's clan rank (and corresponding clan privileges) was determined by the number of enemy clan members killed. This will no longer be the case in Unholy Wars, which will instead allow clan leaders to set the ranks and privileges of each member, therefore allowing more control over who has the ability to invite new members, access the clan vault, and so on. The old clan rank system will still exist but will be known as military rank and will have no bearing on a player's privileges. In addition, the founder and leader of the clan are no longer tied together, so the clan's creator can easily transfer leadership to another member. Aventurine also wants to "give clans a greater sense of ownership over the world," so the studio is implementing a system that will "link villages to nearby clan holdings." By improving the rewards for village ownership, the team hopes that clans will consolidate their power thus creating more border conflicts as clans attempt to extend their reach. Aventurine realizes that villages "have always been hot-spots for PvP activities," however, so a resource-stealing mechanic is also being added. This will allow any player to steal resource rewards from a clan-controlled village, which means that clans will have to keep close watch over their domain to ensure that they receive all of their rightfully earned resources. For further details, check out the video below.
New Darkfall video previews the Elementalist role
Aventurine has unveiled another teaser video for its Darkfall Unholy Wars reboot. This time we're treated to a look at the Elementalist role, which features the Air School staples of wind and lightning. The clip is narrated by Al Stellakis, who also serves as Darkfall's lead writer. Stellakis has two and a half minutes' worth of class information to disseminate, so click past the cut to get started. Don't forget that you can look forward to downloading Darkfall on Steam in the near future, as the game has been greenlit by Valve's community.
Darkfall Unholy Wars hits Steam Greenlight, debuts shiny new video
Aventurine is making a bid to get Darkfall Unholy Wars on Steam, by way of Steam Greenlight. You can now vote (provided you have a Steam account) for the game to be a part of the ever-growing Steam stable. Because just one blog post a day is for the weak, the Aventurine team also put out a new video, which takes a good look at the Brawler School. Brawlers are part of the Skirmisher role and are equipped with skills to increase their efficiency, sprint speed, leap, evade, and reflexes. If covering dizzying amounts of ground and controlling battle through movement sounds like your thing, you might consider checking out the video. We've included it below the cut because we're just that nice. [Thanks to savvy webizen Bartillo for the tip!]
Newest Darkfall dev blog shows off Unholy Wars' streamlined UI
In any game, a clunky, unintuitive UI can hamper players' ability to enjoy a game. But in a game like Darkfall where mere moments can be the difference between life and death, a bad interface can be a deal-breaker. In the latest dev blog, Coordinating Designer Tork Shaw explained some of the changes coming to Unholy Wars to give the game a fast-paced UI that won't impede combat. The video portion of the blog demonstrated some of the new features, including the new radial menu, which Shaw called "a whole new way to interact with the game." He said, "It allows for much more action-based combat, so players who are familiar with FPS games or action-combat games will be much more at home playing Darkfall." The new UI will allow also players to switch between the different roles, such as from warrior to caster, at will. The dev blog also offers more details on the feat system (which rewards players for acts of bravery, skill, exploration, or development) as well as the new personal and clan currencies. You can read more on these changes in the dev blog and preview the new UI in the video after the break. [Thanks to Bartillo for the tip!]
Darkfall posts a new preview of the Battle-Brand role
You should know your role in Darkfall Unholy Wars. After all, your role determines a lot of what you're capable of doing at any given time, so it's pretty important. The newest development blog on the game gives a preview of one of the updated re-release's new roles for the Warrior, the defensive school known as the Battle-Brand. This is not a role for going out and making people miserable; this is a role for ruining the days of those trying to make you miserable. The Battle-Brand's abilities include two self-buffs to reduce magical damage taken and reflect a portion of damage taken back to the source. It also features Foebringer, an AoE pull for all nearby enemies, and Bandage, a self-healing spell to keep the Warrior up longer. Last but not least is the ultimate ability, Stoic Defense, which makes the Warrior entirely immune to damage for a short time while consuming mana and stamina. Take a look at the role's abilities in action in a preview video just past the cut. [Thanks to bartillo for the tip!]
Darkfall Unholy Wars video details the Fire Mage
Fire School is in session! Aventurine has released a new video that shows off the skills of one aspect of Darkfall Unholy Wars' Elementalist role, and casters and and pyros-at-heart will enjoy a look into the Fire Mage. Feel like swimming through a bubbling lake of lava? Cast a self-buff and dive right in! Like to lob flaming balls at others and watch them catch fire? Then Fire Mage is the class for you! Like its name implies, this particular mage uses an arsenal of fiery tricks to best opponents. The class focuses on medium- to long-range combat and incorporates knockbacks and area effects into many of the spells. For a demonstration of Dragonbreath, Magma Bomb, Heat Stroke, and other skills, check out the sizzling video after the break.
New Darkfall dev diary vid talks art direction, Unholy Wars changes
So Darkfall 1.0 has come and gone, as Aventurine has officially closed the servers in preparation for the Unholy Wars reboot. The firm has also released a five-minute dev diary video featuring creative lead Adam Oikonomopoulos, who talks at length about the game's art direction updates and AV's expanded creative vision. The video boasts a bunch of fly-through shots that show off Agon's new textures, higher polygon counts, and improved shaders, many of which are a marked improvement over the originals (that date back to the game's genesis in 2002 in some cases). Oikonomopoulos also mentions that Unholy Wars and the original Darkfall are set "several hundred years apart," which accounts for some of the changes in both the landscape and the game's architecture.
Darkfall Unholy Wars launch pushed back to December 12
Fans who were counting down the days until Darkfall's rebirth as Unholy Wars will have to wait longer than expected. Instead of launching November 20th as planned, the reboot will debut on December 12th. Aventurine producer Tasos Flambouras posted the announcement this morning, citing a combination of external factors, last minute issues, and final testing feedback for the decision. Although the launch date is delayed, the development schedule is not; players will lose access to Darkfall on November 15th when the game goes offline as originally planned. Apologizing to fans for the inconvenience of the postponement, Flambouras committed to using the extra three weeks to improve the release version.%Gallery-139865%
New Darkfall Unholy Wars video demonstrates gameplay in HD
With the launch of Darkfall's brand-spanking-new incarnation Unholy Wars right around the corner, Aventurine has released a short HD gameplay video to show off what players can expect in-game come November 20th. Starting with serene music and players slipping quietly through the water, the video breaks into a burst of battle scenes from various vantage points. Besides showing off a few melee, ranged, and magic combat arts, viewers are also treated to some beautiful environmental graphics. Take a look at it after the break.
Aventurine clarifies concerns about safe areas in Darkfall
If there's one thing that carries across every game in every genre, it's that players excel at abusing systems. With that knowledge in mind, it's only reasonable to expect that certain fans of Darkfall expressed concerns when they were told about the no-PvP "safe zones" that will be part of the game's large-scale revamp to Darkfall Unholy Wars. Aventurine has taken the time to address some of those concerns. It "will not be possible" for people to exploit the border of no-PvP zones by switching in and out of safety as they please, because of the timer that kicks in upon entering and exiting the PvP zone. That timer controls whether or not a player is protected: Players will remain unprotected for a short while upon entering no-PvP zones and will stay protected for a short while upon exiting them. This protection prevents damage both to and from other players. Players will not be able to stay in protected areas to farm materials and skip the excitement of looking over their shoulders for a foe every time they pause to harvest a resource node. Safe zones will have relatively common resource and "next to no rare resources." The rarity and value of resources will go up depending on how dangerous the locale is, so players will have plenty of incentive to move away from safe zones. Get the full word on safe zones and how they're totally not going to be even a bit exploitable at all on the official forums.
Darkfall: Unholy Wars turns its sight to the Deadeye
Still having a hard time trying to decide what you're going to roll when Darkfall: Unholy Wars releases next month? Well, here's another candidate for your approval: the Deadeye. The Deadeye is a sub-class in the Skirmisher role that focuses on ranged damage. A trusty bow is all the Deadeye needs to bring the pain to single and multiple targets. Some of the class' skills include an unstoppable arrow, a ranged debuff, a salvage of arrows, an exploding arrow, and a dead-on Trueshot attack. Check out the Deadeye in action after the break!
New video shows off the role system of Darkfall Unholy Wars
The large-scale revamp to Darkfall is on the horizon, but players looking forward to Darkfall Unholy Wars have gotten information in drips and drabs regarding how the game will play after the revamp. Luckily for those players, an official development blog has recently been posted detailing the new version's system of roles while showing off a bit of the gameplay in a new video. Every player will choose a role, and will then choose two schools from within that role: one as a primary and one as a secondary. Both schools have four abilities and an Ultimate ability, but the Ultimate is only available from the primary school. The secondary school abilities will also be a bit more restricted in their use. Want to see some of this in action? Then check out the video just past the cut, showing off some of the abilities of the Baresark school from the Warrior role. If you like hitting things with a large weapon, it's your sort of school. [Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Darkfall temporarily goes F2P before Unholy Wars launch
In preparation for Darkfall's upcoming Unholy Wars relaunch, Aventurine is giving all players past and present the chance to play the game entirely free from October 17th through November 15th, when the servers will shut down in anticipation of the relaunch. On November 20th, Darkfall: Unholy Wars aims to redefine what the three-and-a-half-year-old MMO has already done for the genre by rebooting entirely. You can find out more on what this relaunch will mean for the game in our recent interview with Aventurine. [Source: Aventurine press release]%Gallery-139865%
Aventurine on Darkfall's new UI, possible payment models, and more
So Darkfall: Unholy Wars is a few weeks away, and we've managed to corral Aventurine for a quick interview on the state of Agon. The development firm has been pretty tight-lipped about its fantasy sandbox reboot in recent months, but as the November 20th launch date draws nearer we're starting to see some new info. Join us after the cut as AV General Manager Tasos Flambouras talks about an updated GUI, possible microtransactions, and more.%Gallery-139865%
