Darkfall NDA is down

This is what happens when you have classes all day.  You get home, turn on the computer, hop on ventrilo, and get spammed with “KEEN THE DARKFALL NDA IS DOWN!”

As of right now I’m in information overload.  I’m reading a lot (A LOT) of positive information from all the testers now and this goes hand-in-hand with the leaks that we’ve all been reading for the past few months. I’m also getting info from contacts who are willing to talk now and they’re saying the game is in a good place right now, with some issues that MMORPGs usually face at launch, but nothing any more severe than what we’ve seen the past few years in a launch.

A few things that people need to understand when it comes to looking at Darkfall.

  • It’s not for everyone.  If you don’t like PvP (especially open pvp), a Sandbox Style, or a skill based system then don’t comment on Darkfall – it’s not the game for you!
  • If you’re wanting the next graphical messiah and can’t stand looking at dated graphics (albeit not so bad, save for animations) then (in the words of Bartlebe) this is the game for you.
  • If you get attached to your phat loots and consider your sword a status symbol, then save yourself the grief. (There is full looting in Darkfall)
  • The game is not World of Warcraft.  It’s not Warhammer Online.  It’s not LOTRO.  Honestly, it’s not like any game currently being played by this generation.  It draws some influences from UO, Shadowbane, EVE  and some other older PvP/Sandbox/oldschool MMORPGs.  You’ve been warned.
  • If you don’t like grinding then this game is not for you.  You gain skills by using them.  If you’re going to B.M.C. about having to raise skills by using them over time as you play then this is not the game for you.  In Darkfall you can raise your skill by shooting a tree or shooting a player.  I choose to shoot players.   You have to work towards what you want in Darkfall – that gives it meaning and worth.   Again, if you see working for something as “a grind” then you’re probably not going to enjoy Darkfall.
  • If you want a Sandbox game that allows you to raise your skills by playing your way; a game that allows you to build cities and take them from enemies; become a crafter and sell your wares in a completely player driven economy; and most important if you want a game that is different in a sea of ‘the same’, then give the game a shot.


I’ve never experienced a game like this.  It’s a new.  It’s different.   It’s not for everyone.  It’s not going to be a best seller on Amazon.com and it’s not going to break any records (good or bad).  It’s not going to come anywhere close to this generation’s trumped up idea of “successful” subscription numbers.  BUT – there’s a good chance it’s going to be a lot of fun and at least give people a glimpse at something different.

Count me in.  We’ll see how it goes and I’ll be sure to let you all know.  For those interested, we’re recruiting for our Darkfall division.

Tags: , ,

  • Oh, one more thing.

    Since I was not in beta, you won’t find my beta impressions here but I highly recommend the following [I’ll update this throughout the week.]:

    MMOCrunch.com’s Beta Review (His experience with the game seems to match my predictions I’ve made based purely on friends/leaks/general info. Great read.)
    TheMercs Videos (Some great gameplay and epic battles not very edited)
    Amazing gameplay footage + a Clan city siege Video (Edited a bit for effect with fantastic footage showing updated animations. 2:15 in has a clan city siege)
    Live Stream of a guy playing (When he’s online and playing you can watch him play live and hear him talk to you and answer questions – all live. It’s great!)

  • Sounds cool, look forward to some reviews. I’m still jaded on MMO’s after AoC and WAR so I’m going to have to sit this one out for a few months and see where the chips fall.

  • If you’re skeptical enough to question whether or not you should get it then I recommend you wait. If you’re skeptical but still feel the urge to be an early adopter then I say go for it.

  • I’ve read so many different reviews that I don’t know what to believe anymore. Guess I’ll just preorder and try the game myself.

  • I spent the afternoon looking at a lot of the videos and blogs that have been written up since the NDA lifted. Definitely still interested. Only thing that might bother me are the small things like having to sheathe your weapon to loot. I can definitely see me writing quite a few external macros for this game.

  • Is the combat fun? I’m seeing a lot of 3 minute chase-a-thons with nothing but basic melee attacks.

    Is the combat balanced? I’ve heard that magic is incredibly expensive at the higher levels, but a couple of low-level spells are the best.

    Is the “endgame” stuff – player housing, etc. – implemented and implemented well (glares at AoC)?

    Still going to pass on the first wave, but I’m looking forward to hearing peoples’ experiences with the game.

  • “if you want a game that is different in a sea of ‘the same’, then give the game a shot.”

    Sounds perfect to me…let us begin by stealing a fleet of ships from some poor souls who have worked so hard to create them, j/k..well kinda serious 🙁

  • As a former beta tester I can tell you that Darkfall is a heaping pile of dung…but there apparently are some people out there who think it smells like roses. The funny thing is that many of those people disliked Warhammer. Bizarre.

  • “Again, if you see working for something as “a grind” then you’re probably not going to enjoy Darkfall.”

    Forget to mention that there is a huge, harsh and ridiculous amount of grinding. In fact one of the biggest complaints in the beta forums was about how much worse the grind is compared to other MMOs.

  • I think the diversity of opinions from one extreme to the next are proof positive of a few things.

    1. It’s not for everyone.
    2. If some people truly hate it and some people truly love it, then it’s worth checking out. They’ve obviously done something that warrants the attention.
    3. People want different things in a game and they all go about playing them differently. One man’s grind is another man’s reason to play.

  • I’m going to buy the game and hope for the best, but from what I have seen so far I’m not that impressed.

    From what I see from combat you can shoot an arrow, swing a weapon, or shoot a blue blob at someone. Having magic, archery, and melee are fine as forms of damage, but I hope they have more depth to them than what I see in the videos.

  • I’m not exactly concerned about the game to be honest. What worries me is the community I’ve seen on their official forum. Usually when you go there with ideas or , oh mi god, you are trying to suggest that something doesn’t (how is that possible?) actually is a good idea and could be better what you are called? Usually carebear, GTFO, shut up idiot. I mean that’s not a community I would like to sink in.

  • awesome, grinding….
    really, without that part it could’ve been great, if i wanted extreme grind i would play some korean MMORPG

  • I really hope Darkfall is a success and finds its niche. Insufficient spaceships for me, but looks promising.

    I worry about the Goonfactor though. With no carebear highsec, their fanatical devotion to grief could be game-breaking.

  • Why all say the same
    darkfall is a sandbox, is’t no for everyone, all know this but we want know the REAL GAME STATUS.

  • “1. It’s not for everyone.”

    Indeed, the question is, do they truly know their niche market, or did they just pull a Mythic style blunder and give people literally

    “2. If some people truly hate it and some people truly love it, then it’s worth checking out. They’ve obviously done something that warrants the attention.”

    Have they, really? All they’ve done is created a 3D UO clone, and let their policy “non-hype” hype build up

    “3. People want different things in a game and they all go about playing them differently. One man’s grind is another man’s reason to play.”

    I suppose. I think this statement represents a point of contention: “You have to work towards what you want in Darkfall – that gives it meaning and worth.” That statement amuses me, because it’s a wonderfully vague generality meant to take a the dumbing down of the MMOs (attributed to WoW), but seriously, the important question is what are you working for and why?
    As an example, take death knights in WoW and their epic land mount. People will get bent out of shape because they spend months farming for their mount, while death knights get it via an easy quest. From my perspective, the riding skill and mount are just tools, designed to help you move faster because the size and number of regions you need to visit to level have expanded. So, the riding skill and mount are necessities. Where the value actually lies is in the mount you use itself.

  • If ‘all’ they did was create a 3D pre-trammies UO clone, that alone will make the game fit the niche they are going for.

    As long as the ping is decent from the US to Germany (should be fine), this will indeed be something interesting. WAR will still be a good place for more relaxed PvP, but hopefully DF will be that game with meaning like UO/AC-DT/EVE were/are.

  • I live in Kansas in the US and my ping stays around 130-150. It runs quite well and the client is very stable. I stay at about 60 fps with a 3Ghz Core Duo, 4GB ram and 2 Sapphire 1GB 4850s in crossfire.

  • I’ll keep my on it because it sounds something up my alley.

    One question, is it open-pvp like L2 where anyone can kill anyone and clans/allies are made up of all races or is it realm/race based where you kill people from opposing realms/races?

  • @allthesame: I can’t provide that yet. Check out the links in comment #2.

    @hirokana: That’s the internet in 2009 for you. You’ll find that the online message board communities are mostly all like that. Heck, some people have even taken to posting that way here on my comments and all I’m doing is saying “hey, check this out because it might be neat”.

  • @Keen: Fair points! And regarding the term ‘sandbox’, I used the literal definition cause it amused me and I thought it would get a few cheap laughs 😉 Love your blog btw!

  • “As a former beta tester I can tell you that Darkfall is a heaping pile of dung…but there apparently are some people out there who think it smells like roses.”

    Well, I´m so glad that people like you are telling me that DFO is a heaping pile of dung. Apparently there is no romm for arguments from other beta players in your argumentation. If you could not contribute anything new – and I know you could as a former beta player – please leave us alone with your brainless statements.

  • I have personally been looking for a fresh, new, steaming pile of MMO dung to jump into so I’m quite excited! I might even name my toon PezzyDung?

  • I look forward to hearing what you think of it, but still have no intention of jumping over to it. WAR, while rocky at first, still has the best launch in my gaming history, and their record of communication, fast response to problems, willingness to listen to their players, and just general ability to polish quickly seems glaring in contrast to Adventurine, particularly given some of the reviews I’ve been seeing so far.

    I hope the game does well, I’m a fan of Sandbox/Skill based games. SWG at launch is still one of my favorite MMOs ever. However, I think that lack of funding and high aspirations are going to be detrimental to their end-goal.

  • Hey Keen,

    I’m not sure of any other way to get in touch with you. No offense was intended with my post on We Fly Spitfires. Most of my comments didn’t have anything to do with anything you’ve posted on it. You’ve been fair in your assessments, the only thing I brought up was the post preceding this one were more critical than what I’ve seen recently but that could be my own subjective reading. I also didn’t realize they’d done a graphical upgrade as, like you, I didn’t follow it as much figuring it would never see a real release.

    Hope I didn’t piss you off too much, it wasn’t my intention 🙂

  • ShaodwWAR said:

    “and their record of communication, fast response to problems, willingness to listen to their players, and just general ability to polish quickly seems glaring in contrast to Adventurine, particularly given some of the reviews I’ve been seeing so far.”

    This contradicts what the majority of beta-testers have been saying.(no idea what reviews you’ve been reading really) According to them the DF developers are quick to fix bugs that are reported and listens to their player’s feedback.