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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.
Wizardry Online launching January 16th
Don't have enough vitamin hardcore in your diet? Then make a new year resolution to try out Wizardry Online. SOE announced that the permadeath-happy fantasy title will release on January 16th. Wizardry Online is the latest in the long-running Wizardry series and features many mechanics not typically seen in modern MMOs, such as the aforementioned permadeath and friendly fire. Massively previewed the title at SOE Live and more recently got to take it for a more extensive test drive. SOE will be talking about Wizardry Online's release date and other launch details in its webcast at 7:00 p.m. EST this evening. You can catch the webcast on Twitch.tv. [Source: SOE press release]
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.
Wizardry Online adding tons of info to official wikia
If you've had questions about some of the nuts and bolts of the upcoming free-to-play fantasy game Wizardry Online, the incoming update to the official wikia might just give you some answers. From controls and settings to shops and dungeons, this update will offer more information on a variety of game mechanics and features. Did you know that you can pick up the body of a fallen player to be deposited at the Quopaty Temple once you travel back to town and pay a fee to increase the odds of revival once there? Or that you'll need entry permits to enter dungeons? Or that shopkeepers will identify items for adventurers? You will when you read through the details of this substantial wikia update! You can also learn more about Wizardry Online by checking out Massively's hands-on experience. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
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.
Mortal Online is now free-to-play with a video to prove it
The epic sandbox MMO Mortal Online has gone free-to-play today, allowing any interested player to have access to the entire game for the low, low price of zero! The new business model allows for a free account as well as a Premier account status with a regular subscription rate as low as nine Euro a month (with discounts given to bulk time purchases and Facebook users). Premium status opens the skill levels to 100, while F2P players are restricted to 60. Premium accounts also allow thievery skills and expensive object looting and trading. Both free and Premium players have the option to expand the characters slots from one to four, but customers who bought the game before will be grandfathered in with three slots. Be sure to check out all the details on the switchover over at the official forums, and enjoy the F2P trailer embedded after the cut. [Thanks to all who sent this one in!]
Wizardry Online explains permadeath specifics
Our knowledge of SOE's upcoming Wizardry Online is growing by leaps and bounds. A little later today, the official wiki will be rolling out a huge info update that will include specifics on many of the game's systems, including the ever-so-popular permadeath and PvP. Some of the interesting tidbits that we've learned include the fact that resting in inns is essential to leveling you up, enemies can and will attack specific parts of your body, the game has a pretty traditional skill tree, and you'll be unable to move if you exceed your carrying weight capacity. Permadeath can happen only if your character meets several criteria: You've reached soul rank two or higher and you've failed two revive attempts in a row. Likewise, the game's free-for-all PvP might not be as harsh at it initially sounds. If you're killed in PvP, you have a much greater chance of being revived, and player killers (PKers) will become criminals who can have bounties placed on their heads. If you're curious about Wizardry Online, why not read our hands-on with the title?
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!]
Yup, you're dead: Hands-on with Wizardry Online
Wizardry Online, an upcoming fantasy-based MMO from Sony Online Entertainment, is a "hardcore" MMO. I know this because the word "hardcore" shows up on the game's official beta sign-up page no fewer than three times (once in all caps). The website promises that thanks to Wizardry Online's "insane difficulty," my "greatest challenge" will be found somewhere in its universe. Perhaps in one of those "complex mazes" packed with "unrelenting mobs." Now, I'm not one to back down from a challenge. In fact, I love a good fight, especially if it can potentially end in my suffering an embarrassing and expensive defeat. So I hopped into the brutal world of Wizardry Online to tempt fate and see just what this game was all about. As it turns out, it's about dungeons, permadeath, and missed opportunities to make either worthwhile. %Gallery-125949%
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!]
Wizardry Online revealing class and chat info this evening
If you have more questions about Wizardry Online than have been answered to date, hopefully you'll start to fill in those gaps come this evening. The devs are preparing to release a post on the official Wizardry Online Wiki that will shed some light on the various classes as well as the in-game chat system. The classes set to be revealed are the melee Fighters, healer Priests, hard-hitting Thieves, and ranged Mages. The studio is giving each class a difficulty and survivability rating, as well as the alignment and requirements to roll one. It looks as though Wizardry Online will handle its game population through automatic world instances called channels. New channels will be created when the number of players demand it, and players can choose a specific channel, a type of channel, or the first available channel upon logging in. Keep an eye on the wiki for the dev blog to go live at 6:00 p.m. EST tonight. [Source: SOE press release]
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.
Wizardry Online is the subject of next SOE webcast
Wizardry Online is a peculiar beast. One one hand, you have the familiar IP of Wizardry to bring in any and all old school fans, and on the other hand, you have that infamous feature known as permadeath. SOE is looking to take the Wizardry franchise and make it into a seriously hardcore MMO next year with beta now in full swing. But we're sure you have questions about the game, aside from those answered in our own recent in-depth coverage. Luckily for you, SOE will be hosting a live webcast with Senior Community Manager Eric "Piestro" Cleaver interviewing Senior Producer Todd Carson and Senior Global Brand Manager Omeed Dariani. It all goes down this Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 7 p.m. EDT on SOE's Twitch.tv channel.
