Ive been throwing around the idea as well, but it just sounds like something I wont have the time for
I enjoy FFA games, but honestly to really enjoy them you need to be in a dedicated guild and do a lot of group orientated stuff.. well..pretty much all the time. Especially in a full loot game. Right now, personally im running a guild in wow, playing champions online, warhammer and going back and forth to AoC. If I were to ditch all of it, I think Id have a great time in darkfall, however im enjoying too much in the mmo world to get absorbed into a full loot FFA pvp MMO based around guild city building.
Id say if this is going to be /the/ game you're going to play and you have the time to invest in it (aside from its obvious first person perspective and near *twitch* style combat) this game could be "it"
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
If you have the money try it and you'll likely either love it or hate it. Either way, I say give it 2months before making a final decision on quitting it once you do try because for many people the first month is just learning how the game works (due to sandbox games not being common and the controls being different). If you do play though, read my guide to levelign your character and follow it. It will make the grind seem less like a grind and get you 1v1 ready.
Like xpiher said, you'll either love it or hate it. If you're in a position to give Darkfall a try (and you know what you're getting yourself into), go for it. I can honestly tell you I havn't enjoyed an MMO this much in a long time. Agon is yours to explore.
If you do end up playing and create an Ork, send me a PM here and I'll make sure you begin your journey with a nice start-up package, and as much advice as I can offer.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
I'm a 12 year mmo vet, and I tried Darkfall at release. It was a good game, but the hacking and, macroers ruined it for me.
I've since gone back and I'm loving it.
I'd like to give you some advice though ...
1.) Take your time to get used to the controls. It's very different man, and it takes a little while to get acclimated. If you have a 5 button mouse change the bindings: I recommend mouse 4 for F (Use), and mouse 3 for toggle UI (Right mouse button), and Right mouse button for parry / block. It feels much more natural with those settings.
2.) Wait for a bit before joining a clan. I know a lot of people say "Clans make the game" and I agree, just not here not right away. You see, when you're in a clan you can get war dec'd, and killed in town which blows if you're trying to get any crafting done. Take your time man, build up your crafting, make yourself tons of gear, weapons, mounts, etc. first.
3.) Don't trust anyone, ever. Yeah, you have a few good people here and there, but a lot of them are out for themselves and will take what you have in a heartbeat. Always bank, bank, bank ... and trust your gut. You are in danger ... even if you are in town.
I hope you give Darkfall a chance, and I'd love to see you do a re-review of it after a solid amount of game time.
*Edit*
Rayxor,
I'm not in a clan, and I'm still having a ton of fun.
Darkfall is what you make of it.
Some days I work on my crafting, other days I do nothing but hunt.
But the one thing I enjoy above all else is exploring .. and looking for chaos chests. You see, Agon is HUGE and full of interesting places. You can hop on your mount and ride for hours, gathering resources, looting chests, bumping into the occasional player and having a nice 1v1. Or you can make a raft and set sail, there are tons of islands full of mobs, loot, chests ... Heck, I've spent DAYS doing nothing but exploring and I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg.
This isn't a on the rails game where you have a set path, and only certain things to do. You really make your own fun. Give it a try, I think you'll be surprised.
Give it a shot, I think you will be pleasantly surprised... but remember, it's very addictive!
You have been warned =p
/signed
I've only felt this addicted to two other games, UO and pre-cu SWG.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
Do not team with anyone you don't 100% trust for anything, even if those goblin fighters are a bit tough, or if you do team up with a random, learn the leaving party command and learn to type it fast
I would say jump on in. You have a lot to look forward to with DF 2010 coming, and there is great support for new players right now. Just be open minded and don't have too many expectations going into it. Join the NEW clan, explore the world while looking for chaos chests which could yield an item that nets you more money than most have saved in months of playing, fight, craft, and be merry.
Bank often, and don't be scared of dying. You will get to a point pretty fast where you will always have backup supplies in the bank and your gold will grow steadily.
Harvest plants with a sickle to gather some casting reagents, and also for rare steedgrass which you can use to summon a mount, or trade for a mount. This also raises wisdom which increases your mana pool and helps with harvesting/crafting.
Harvest stone/metal with a pick which raises your Str/Vit. Metal yields iron which is more valuable as stone is mostly used for building guild items.
Harvest wood with an axe which also raises Str/Vit and is used for crafting supplies. All of these have chances to yield items that are casting reagents.
Pick the weapon you want to train in early on and find a supply of low grade weapons. (A lot of people will give away or sell for really cheap). Remember you need a R10+ weapon to skill up. Your newbie weapon and goblin weapons are R0 and will not raise your skills.
take it from a 12 year vet of MMORPGS... Darkfall is Caca and fail in the same sentence... dont be lured into to spending your cash on this crock.
Maybe it's just time you retire? Or you prefer the onslaught of cookie cutter, shallow, theme parks that we are getting hit with? I have to disrespectfully disagree with you.
I've played games all my life, and just about every MMO to date. For the past months I have played Darkfall more than any game I own and loved every minute of it. I can only suggest that someone give it a shot because a lot of people are and a lot of people are loving it, but if you think it's cool to come in here and tell me i'm not having fun and enjoying myself with this great game then I don't have anything more to discuss with you.
Updated characters models, updated armor models, more itemization, GUI overhaul, big plans for dungeons, and many other things. If you want to just keep an eye on it you can monitor the spotlight forums where they release bits and pieces of data over time leading up to the free expansions/updates.
"Negativity is perfectly fine and welcome on our forums. However, negativity without an opinion to back it up , such as, "This game sux!" is not acceptable, and is considered trolling. Colloquialisms such as "DorkFail" for Darkfall also fall into this category. If you do not like a game, explain why. Posting that you do not like a game in most every thread about said game is also considered trolling, and is unnecessary."
Please read the rules in the increased moderation forums before posting. Let's get back to the topic at hand now, shall we?
I've been playing MMO's since the inception of UO. I'm a crafter at heart, but I love to PvP even though I'm terrible at it.
I dont' own a single FPS game, because I have terrible twitch skills...
For 8 years, I thougth Darkfall was vaporware. I thought the community was zealotry incarnate, inarticulate, immature, and to be frank, stupid for believing in a product that showed every sign of of failure, and that opinion didn't change even AFTER the game was released.
Why am I saying all this?
To give some indication of my tastes and personality. These were my beliefs, and this was my experience. If you have a similar background and history or tastes, you might find my opinion useful. And if not, my opinion can be easily discarded.
With all this in mind, I say the following:
I bought it roughly 3 weeks ago, and Darkfall has been the best MMO experience I've had since the launch of UO. I don't know what it was like at launch - I only know what it's like now.
It's far more than I had expected. There is lots to do for a crafter (If you liked the way UO implemented crafting, which can be seen as grindtastic, but I loved that part of it) which blew me away when I got in.
I've found more than enough mature, articulate, and intelligent people who stayed away from the forums and are relatively quite in chat (Think WoW - Lots of people, but the annoying ones are always the loudest).
The best kept seceret is the customer service - A response to tickets posted on their site within ***MINUTES***, far better than I've seen in any MMO to date.
The UI is wonky and a little akward at first, and a real pain if you're like me and have less than ideal hand/eye coordination or no twitch skills.
And yes, I've been ganked, griefed, camped, and dry-looted by people I had no chance of beating. I've lost everything, started again..
And I've loved every damn second of it.
I think it's more than worth 50 dollars to try it out. I was pleasntly surprised, and plan to stay. I cant' give it a higher recommendation than that.
I started a week ago after months of looking for a replacement to a couple of MMOs I was playing (trying). I have subbed to many, from EVE (still subbed), CO/GW/WoW/EQII/CoX/FE/... but none kept me interested for more than a few days because something was missing. Looking back, immersion, sense of danger and thrill to explore, kill and be killed was never present (or not enough) in any of those games.
Darkfall is different. It has brought the right mix for that immersion I so desired. Yes it has flaws,yes its graphix are not revolutionary (although they don't need to be as the art direction works very well overall), yes it is still leveling (not toon level, but skill and stats). However, overall Darkfall delivers a nice rounded package of "mmorpg" stuff that glued together gives that sense of immersion I needed.
If I take 2 more minutes to rank the traditional functionality of an MMO:
- Graphix: 7/10. It works, it is pleasant, it makes exploring interesting.
- Animations: 7/10. They do the job but character animations especially could use some smoothing
- Sounds: 6/10 Needs more environment sounds (birds, ...). It's a bit limited riught now.
- UI: 8/10. For what it is supposed to do it once again fits very well in my opinion (ie be part of a semi-realistic setting where everything you do takes time, including changing weapons or looking for something in a bag)
- PvE: 6/10. There isn't much besides some quests and the grind-fest Title quests ( I have done 3 of them, for +wis2, +str2 and +str4).
- PvP (solo): 7/10. I would rate it 8 if the difference in stats between old vs newcommer wasn't so obvious in combat. It is not only about skills sorry, it's about stats and the gear you could grind on mobs.
- PvP (group): 9/10. It really gives a sense of battle, chaos, and death. Second time (after WoW vanilla 5 years ago) that I find such a sense of EPIC group combat.
- Crafting: 7/10. It is conventional, it is about grinding mats and leveling skills. But again, while not innovative it works and makes it interesting enough to spend some time crafting.
- Variety (gear): 7/10. There are many types of armors, but we could use more (diversity in graphix for armor types would be great)
- Variety (spells): 9/10. I am 76 lesser and 40 greater magic, there are another 8 or so schools of magic to explore. More than enough for me.
- Leveling: 7/10. Skills are great. Stats are slow, too slow.
So, I might have missed some key stuff (and I will definitely post an extensive review soon), but I know some will wonder why such ratings justify my initial statement. Well, that's the thing with Darkfall. It does what WoW did to me 5 years ago: it brings a whole lot of good features together in a package that actually works. The final product fun factor is greater than the sum of its parts...
I will expand later on. Taking my kids to brunch now
yes I want to take a crack at this game. I know it sounds funny, but I have not played Darkfall. It has Orcs, which for me is reason enough to play. Any thoughts on this? I know there have been strong opinions on the boards.
It's all about what your tastes are, would help if you listed a few games you like/dislike and why. I'll do my best to do a summary of the sheer gretness that is Darkfall,
Combat is pure FPS, it's like an FPS but swords and sorcery, you point at your target and hit the left mouse button. You need to dodge, run around, hide, ambush and do all the things you do in any FPS to win.
Character progression is slow, much like the old days of MMORPGs but this increase the sense of accomplishment by alot. No "ahh I'll grind for a couple of days then come back and PWN this spawn solo".
Crafting is a case of getting the materails then going to a bench with the tools and making it. You need to skill up to make better gear (which takes along time unless you get the mats quickly) and as your skill improves so do the armour protections and durability. Your name is also in the armour/weapon info after it's made.
Sandbox, it's an open seamless world. Clans build there own cities have ships for sea warfare and shore bombardments, you can ride a mount from day one and go where you please in Agon. The world is very large with no instances and a few zoned dungeons.
5 races and 3 factions. An alignment system to prevent you from killing your own race, not applicable if at war though. Player alliances, different races have different racial bonuses. Character models aren't very good but are getting an upgrade this year.
Graphics, with settings high and shadows on it looks pretty stunning in my opinion. More of a realistic world than anything else. However most people don't have a great GPU so it gets turned down and for large battles I have to put it to minimum too.
Siege warfare, this is what it's all about massive sieges of player cities for control. Hundreds vs hundreds, trashing an enemy city or yours being trashed by them have a look at these I made click and click a siege and a raid. Pretty awesome stuff and the most fun I've ever had in an MMORPG.
Finally,
it IS your destiny!!!!!!
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
yes I want to take a crack at this game. I know it sounds funny, but I have not played Darkfall. It has Orcs, which for me is reason enough to play. Any thoughts on this? I know there have been strong opinions on the boards.
Well its improved alot sinds launch, and its one of best out there if you like sandbox free for all pvp plus game is not like 99% out there so should be great playing something thats so different from all other games.
Seek a good clan(who dont macro/exploit) and you can have a blast and alot fun.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009..... In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
Welcome. Dont play too long otherwise you will get addicted like me !! As before said, dont trust any one and dont join any clans first 2 weeks at least. As most clans got wars and that makes your life harder, as you can get killed. A pitty that you want to roll orc! Dont want to go red by killing you hrhr
It would be nice if you could give us a review of new "Newb protection", which was implemented recently. Was it helpfull? Was it too short? Your opininon. Stuff like that.
Totally disagree Join a guild... ASAP ( but make sure its a good guild thats helpfull and has a home base)
Join them and live with them doing pve / pvp together.. Solo is just so boring plus its more dangerus and the rewards are smaller.. Killing trolls / goblins gives you small gold rewards.. Not to mention if you join a good guild they will have armor and weapons you can buy (probally cheaper than market value + without needing to craft all / mine all day everyday to grind to the point wear you can make armor and weapons that you need)
Please contact me if and when you decide to make the leap. I would be willing to help teach you the ropes and help you get through the learning curve. I'd be willing to hook you up with my vent to answer your questions and possibly a guild, which is essential to getting the most out of this game.
I'm thinking of giving Darkfall a try myself, it's break from the norm but the most off-putting thing I'm thinking of is how long it would take you to reaquire your equipment should you get PvPed?
Also a short list of pros and cons would be appreciated thank you!
I'm thinking of giving Darkfall a try myself, it's break from the norm but the most off-putting thing I'm thinking of is how long it would take you to reaquire your equipment should you get PvPed? Also a short list of pros and cons would be appreciated thank you!
I'm thinking of giving Darkfall a try myself, it's break from the norm but the most off-putting thing I'm thinking of is how long it would take you to reaquire your equipment should you get PvPed? Also a short list of pros and cons would be appreciated thank you!
This is a huge question for me too.
It depends on what gear you lost but the starting gear can be replaced quickly off mob drops. If you craft gear for yourself (I recommend to be self-sufficient) then you can make better stuff and it won't hurt much at all when you lose your stuff. I haven't found it a problem at all, in fact I need to do some bank cleaning soon because I'm piling up stuff. Yes, you will lose your stuff from time to time. But if you play smart (bank often) you won't have much trouble. But take away that adrenaline rush of watching your back constantly and this game is just like every other.
The game isn't for everyone though so if losing gear is going to break you I'd suggest a game that doesn't have full loot PvP. But if that excitement entices you, this is a must have IMHO.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
Comments
Ive been throwing around the idea as well, but it just sounds like something I wont have the time for
I enjoy FFA games, but honestly to really enjoy them you need to be in a dedicated guild and do a lot of group orientated stuff.. well..pretty much all the time. Especially in a full loot game. Right now, personally im running a guild in wow, playing champions online, warhammer and going back and forth to AoC. If I were to ditch all of it, I think Id have a great time in darkfall, however im enjoying too much in the mmo world to get absorbed into a full loot FFA pvp MMO based around guild city building.
Id say if this is going to be /the/ game you're going to play and you have the time to invest in it (aside from its obvious first person perspective and near *twitch* style combat) this game could be "it"
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
Give it a shot, I think you will be pleasantly surprised... but remember, it's very addictive!
You have been warned =p
If you have the money try it and you'll likely either love it or hate it. Either way, I say give it 2months before making a final decision on quitting it once you do try because for many people the first month is just learning how the game works (due to sandbox games not being common and the controls being different). If you do play though, read my guide to levelign your character and follow it. It will make the grind seem less like a grind and get you 1v1 ready.
Games:
Currently playing:Nothing
Will play: Darkfall: Unholy Wars
Past games:
Guild Wars 2 - Xpiher Duminous
Xpiher's GW2
GW 1 - Xpiher Duminous
Darkfall - Xpiher Duminous (NA) retired
AoC - Xpiher (Tyranny) retired
Warhammer - Xpiher
Like xpiher said, you'll either love it or hate it. If you're in a position to give Darkfall a try (and you know what you're getting yourself into), go for it. I can honestly tell you I havn't enjoyed an MMO this much in a long time. Agon is yours to explore.
If you do end up playing and create an Ork, send me a PM here and I'll make sure you begin your journey with a nice start-up package, and as much advice as I can offer.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
Garrett,
I'm a 12 year mmo vet, and I tried Darkfall at release. It was a good game, but the hacking and, macroers ruined it for me.
I've since gone back and I'm loving it.
I'd like to give you some advice though ...
1.) Take your time to get used to the controls. It's very different man, and it takes a little while to get acclimated. If you have a 5 button mouse change the bindings: I recommend mouse 4 for F (Use), and mouse 3 for toggle UI (Right mouse button), and Right mouse button for parry / block. It feels much more natural with those settings.
2.) Wait for a bit before joining a clan. I know a lot of people say "Clans make the game" and I agree, just not here not right away. You see, when you're in a clan you can get war dec'd, and killed in town which blows if you're trying to get any crafting done. Take your time man, build up your crafting, make yourself tons of gear, weapons, mounts, etc. first.
3.) Don't trust anyone, ever. Yeah, you have a few good people here and there, but a lot of them are out for themselves and will take what you have in a heartbeat. Always bank, bank, bank ... and trust your gut. You are in danger ... even if you are in town.
I hope you give Darkfall a chance, and I'd love to see you do a re-review of it after a solid amount of game time.
*Edit*
Rayxor,
I'm not in a clan, and I'm still having a ton of fun.
Darkfall is what you make of it.
Some days I work on my crafting, other days I do nothing but hunt.
But the one thing I enjoy above all else is exploring .. and looking for chaos chests. You see, Agon is HUGE and full of interesting places. You can hop on your mount and ride for hours, gathering resources, looting chests, bumping into the occasional player and having a nice 1v1. Or you can make a raft and set sail, there are tons of islands full of mobs, loot, chests ... Heck, I've spent DAYS doing nothing but exploring and I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg.
This isn't a on the rails game where you have a set path, and only certain things to do. You really make your own fun. Give it a try, I think you'll be surprised.
MMO Strategy Guides
/signed
I've only felt this addicted to two other games, UO and pre-cu SWG.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
Do not team with anyone you don't 100% trust for anything, even if those goblin fighters are a bit tough, or if you do team up with a random, learn the leaving party command and learn to type it fast
/partyleave
That took 2 seconds, is it enough to survive?
EDIT: Actually 1.XX
I would say jump on in. You have a lot to look forward to with DF 2010 coming, and there is great support for new players right now. Just be open minded and don't have too many expectations going into it. Join the NEW clan, explore the world while looking for chaos chests which could yield an item that nets you more money than most have saved in months of playing, fight, craft, and be merry.
Bank often, and don't be scared of dying. You will get to a point pretty fast where you will always have backup supplies in the bank and your gold will grow steadily.
Harvest plants with a sickle to gather some casting reagents, and also for rare steedgrass which you can use to summon a mount, or trade for a mount. This also raises wisdom which increases your mana pool and helps with harvesting/crafting.
Harvest stone/metal with a pick which raises your Str/Vit. Metal yields iron which is more valuable as stone is mostly used for building guild items.
Harvest wood with an axe which also raises Str/Vit and is used for crafting supplies. All of these have chances to yield items that are casting reagents.
Pick the weapon you want to train in early on and find a supply of low grade weapons. (A lot of people will give away or sell for really cheap). Remember you need a R10+ weapon to skill up. Your newbie weapon and goblin weapons are R0 and will not raise your skills.
ENJOY!
Maybe it's just time you retire? Or you prefer the onslaught of cookie cutter, shallow, theme parks that we are getting hit with? I have to disrespectfully disagree with you.
Could you give a brief overview of what DF 2010 is? I keep hearing this term. Is it a patch? Expansion? Overhaul?
I've played games all my life, and just about every MMO to date. For the past months I have played Darkfall more than any game I own and loved every minute of it. I can only suggest that someone give it a shot because a lot of people are and a lot of people are loving it, but if you think it's cool to come in here and tell me i'm not having fun and enjoying myself with this great game then I don't have anything more to discuss with you.
Could you give a brief overview of what DF 2010 is? I keep hearing this term. Is it a patch? Expansion? Overhaul?
A good deal of information can be found in Paragus's Q&A blog here:
www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Paragus1/012010/5564_Darkfall-Community-QA-with-Aventurine
Updated characters models, updated armor models, more itemization, GUI overhaul, big plans for dungeons, and many other things. If you want to just keep an eye on it you can monitor the spotlight forums where they release bits and pieces of data over time leading up to the free expansions/updates.
forums.darkfallonline.com/forumdisplay.php
"Negativity is perfectly fine and welcome on our forums. However, negativity without an opinion to back it up , such as, "This game sux!" is not acceptable, and is considered trolling. Colloquialisms such as "DorkFail" for Darkfall also fall into this category. If you do not like a game, explain why. Posting that you do not like a game in most every thread about said game is also considered trolling, and is unnecessary."
Please read the rules in the increased moderation forums before posting. Let's get back to the topic at hand now, shall we?
My favorite games so far have been:
UO
DAoC
WoW
I've also played:
Atlantica Online
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Aion
Warhammer Online
Shadowbane
Countless MUDS
I've been playing MMO's since the inception of UO. I'm a crafter at heart, but I love to PvP even though I'm terrible at it.
I dont' own a single FPS game, because I have terrible twitch skills...
For 8 years, I thougth Darkfall was vaporware. I thought the community was zealotry incarnate, inarticulate, immature, and to be frank, stupid for believing in a product that showed every sign of of failure, and that opinion didn't change even AFTER the game was released.
Why am I saying all this?
To give some indication of my tastes and personality. These were my beliefs, and this was my experience. If you have a similar background and history or tastes, you might find my opinion useful. And if not, my opinion can be easily discarded.
With all this in mind, I say the following:
I bought it roughly 3 weeks ago, and Darkfall has been the best MMO experience I've had since the launch of UO. I don't know what it was like at launch - I only know what it's like now.
It's far more than I had expected. There is lots to do for a crafter (If you liked the way UO implemented crafting, which can be seen as grindtastic, but I loved that part of it) which blew me away when I got in.
I've found more than enough mature, articulate, and intelligent people who stayed away from the forums and are relatively quite in chat (Think WoW - Lots of people, but the annoying ones are always the loudest).
The best kept seceret is the customer service - A response to tickets posted on their site within ***MINUTES***, far better than I've seen in any MMO to date.
The UI is wonky and a little akward at first, and a real pain if you're like me and have less than ideal hand/eye coordination or no twitch skills.
And yes, I've been ganked, griefed, camped, and dry-looted by people I had no chance of beating. I've lost everything, started again..
And I've loved every damn second of it.
I think it's more than worth 50 dollars to try it out. I was pleasntly surprised, and plan to stay. I cant' give it a higher recommendation than that.
I started a week ago after months of looking for a replacement to a couple of MMOs I was playing (trying). I have subbed to many, from EVE (still subbed), CO/GW/WoW/EQII/CoX/FE/... but none kept me interested for more than a few days because something was missing. Looking back, immersion, sense of danger and thrill to explore, kill and be killed was never present (or not enough) in any of those games.
Darkfall is different. It has brought the right mix for that immersion I so desired. Yes it has flaws,yes its graphix are not revolutionary (although they don't need to be as the art direction works very well overall), yes it is still leveling (not toon level, but skill and stats). However, overall Darkfall delivers a nice rounded package of "mmorpg" stuff that glued together gives that sense of immersion I needed.
If I take 2 more minutes to rank the traditional functionality of an MMO:
- Graphix: 7/10. It works, it is pleasant, it makes exploring interesting.
- Animations: 7/10. They do the job but character animations especially could use some smoothing
- Sounds: 6/10 Needs more environment sounds (birds, ...). It's a bit limited riught now.
- UI: 8/10. For what it is supposed to do it once again fits very well in my opinion (ie be part of a semi-realistic setting where everything you do takes time, including changing weapons or looking for something in a bag)
- PvE: 6/10. There isn't much besides some quests and the grind-fest Title quests ( I have done 3 of them, for +wis2, +str2 and +str4).
- PvP (solo): 7/10. I would rate it 8 if the difference in stats between old vs newcommer wasn't so obvious in combat. It is not only about skills sorry, it's about stats and the gear you could grind on mobs.
- PvP (group): 9/10. It really gives a sense of battle, chaos, and death. Second time (after WoW vanilla 5 years ago) that I find such a sense of EPIC group combat.
- Crafting: 7/10. It is conventional, it is about grinding mats and leveling skills. But again, while not innovative it works and makes it interesting enough to spend some time crafting.
- Variety (gear): 7/10. There are many types of armors, but we could use more (diversity in graphix for armor types would be great)
- Variety (spells): 9/10. I am 76 lesser and 40 greater magic, there are another 8 or so schools of magic to explore. More than enough for me.
- Leveling: 7/10. Skills are great. Stats are slow, too slow.
So, I might have missed some key stuff (and I will definitely post an extensive review soon), but I know some will wonder why such ratings justify my initial statement. Well, that's the thing with Darkfall. It does what WoW did to me 5 years ago: it brings a whole lot of good features together in a package that actually works. The final product fun factor is greater than the sum of its parts...
I will expand later on. Taking my kids to brunch now
Cheers.
It's all about what your tastes are, would help if you listed a few games you like/dislike and why. I'll do my best to do a summary of the sheer gretness that is Darkfall,
Combat is pure FPS, it's like an FPS but swords and sorcery, you point at your target and hit the left mouse button. You need to dodge, run around, hide, ambush and do all the things you do in any FPS to win.
Character progression is slow, much like the old days of MMORPGs but this increase the sense of accomplishment by alot. No "ahh I'll grind for a couple of days then come back and PWN this spawn solo".
Crafting is a case of getting the materails then going to a bench with the tools and making it. You need to skill up to make better gear (which takes along time unless you get the mats quickly) and as your skill improves so do the armour protections and durability. Your name is also in the armour/weapon info after it's made.
Sandbox, it's an open seamless world. Clans build there own cities have ships for sea warfare and shore bombardments, you can ride a mount from day one and go where you please in Agon. The world is very large with no instances and a few zoned dungeons.
5 races and 3 factions. An alignment system to prevent you from killing your own race, not applicable if at war though. Player alliances, different races have different racial bonuses. Character models aren't very good but are getting an upgrade this year.
Graphics, with settings high and shadows on it looks pretty stunning in my opinion. More of a realistic world than anything else. However most people don't have a great GPU so it gets turned down and for large battles I have to put it to minimum too.
Siege warfare, this is what it's all about massive sieges of player cities for control. Hundreds vs hundreds, trashing an enemy city or yours being trashed by them have a look at these I made click and click a siege and a raid. Pretty awesome stuff and the most fun I've ever had in an MMORPG.
Finally,
it IS your destiny!!!!!!
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
CS Lewis
Well its improved alot sinds launch, and its one of best out there if you like sandbox free for all pvp plus game is not like 99% out there so should be great playing something thats so different from all other games.
Seek a good clan(who dont macro/exploit) and you can have a blast and alot fun.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
ummm...sorry, it doesn't have Orcs.
It has Orks. If that's fine by you, then give it a shot :P
@Aggri Funny that you use the word carebears as you are in the biggest zerg clan ingame
@Garrett
Welcome. Dont play too long otherwise you will get addicted like me
!! As before said, dont trust any one and dont join any clans first 2 weeks at least. As most clans got wars and that makes your life harder, as you can get killed. A pitty that you want to roll orc! Dont want to go red by killing you hrhr 
It would be nice if you could give us a review of new "Newb protection", which was implemented recently. Was it helpfull? Was it too short? Your opininon. Stuff like that.
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Totally disagree Join a guild... ASAP ( but make sure its a good guild thats helpfull and has a home base)
Join them and live with them doing pve / pvp together.. Solo is just so boring plus its more dangerus and the rewards are smaller.. Killing trolls / goblins gives you small gold rewards.. Not to mention if you join a good guild they will have armor and weapons you can buy (probally cheaper than market value + without needing to craft all / mine all day everyday to grind to the point wear you can make armor and weapons that you need)
Please contact me if and when you decide to make the leap. I would be willing to help teach you the ropes and help you get through the learning curve. I'd be willing to hook you up with my vent to answer your questions and possibly a guild, which is essential to getting the most out of this game.
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I'm thinking of giving Darkfall a try myself, it's break from the norm but the most off-putting thing I'm thinking of is how long it would take you to reaquire your equipment should you get PvPed?
Also a short list of pros and cons would be appreciated thank you!
This is a huge question for me too.
This is a huge question for me too.
It depends on what gear you lost but the starting gear can be replaced quickly off mob drops. If you craft gear for yourself (I recommend to be self-sufficient) then you can make better stuff and it won't hurt much at all when you lose your stuff. I haven't found it a problem at all, in fact I need to do some bank cleaning soon because I'm piling up stuff. Yes, you will lose your stuff from time to time. But if you play smart (bank often) you won't have much trouble. But take away that adrenaline rush of watching your back constantly and this game is just like every other.
The game isn't for everyone though so if losing gear is going to break you I'd suggest a game that doesn't have full loot PvP. But if that excitement entices you, this is a must have IMHO.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky