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Dark and Light: Our E3 Preview
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
We had a chance to visit the booth of Dark & Light in the Kentia Hall to take an hour long look at the game's demo as presented by members of the development team and Alchemic Dream. Here is our look at the future of this game:
;) Dark & Light has been on the MMO radar for quite some time. Originally announced several years ago and a veteran of the E3 show, the folks behind this game were found at the front of the Kentia Hall. This year they once again showed off their game known for its massive view distance, as well as a slew of more details on the game mechanics behind this title. As the game bares in on a launch date later this year, this may be the last chance we have to see it at the show before it hits shelves.
The main defining features of the game are its long view distance, massive world and single server approach. The team employs BigWorld technology and a layering system of LODs (level of details) to allow players to see a long way. Their zoneless world is 50 km2 and is inhabited by the four playable races, plus variants: Trolls, Humans, Elves and Lutins; the later being a small sneaky race. |
To read the full preview click here!
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Well there is at leat one error in it.. That one being that their world is 40,000km2 not 50km2.. IF i recall correctly that 50km was the maximum veiw distance.
The link on the mainpage of your site linking to the preview starts with "Boating" instead of "Boasting".
Also throughout the preview "later" needs to be changed to "latter".
Just a quick heads-up
True enough - my mistake.
If this is true, then someone will need to inform the representative I talked to at the show. I asked him twice to be sure. Note that it does say "plus variants" (IE: Dark Elf, etc.)
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
If they whore themselves and make a variation of their game after launch, 100% PvE with tons of instancing, I would consider the game.
I am to much of a big baby to try such a game as it stand now, but at least I like DnL, because they dont lie to try to Lure me in their game with false claims!
And before folks say : NEVER.
I dont mind if this ''whoring'' happen on ''another server'' like 6 months after release and dont interact at all with the initial community! 
In fact, they could even name the new server Light & Dark to show how different some stuff is, and it would only be better!
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
FYI:
Dana, just for future reference http://ap.ofganareth.com/forum/index.php?act=SF&f=22
Maybe a good starting point if you ever interview the Devs about features
Regards
I realize there is a lot of information online. I can only report on what the team told me on the show floor. If the information in that article (besides the one confusion with numbers that is now corrected) is different from what has been posted previously, then that either means they were mistaken when they spoke to me or they have changed things.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
English isnt their native language, and I guess they didnt understand your questions quite right, or you their answers. I've seen this before with these guys in interviews.
One thing that stands out and also needs clarifing, is your statement that this is "open" PvP*, which it is not. Two sides only, Dark V's Light + a "small" population of neutrals (reduced abilities + increased freedom)
*If by "open" PvP you mean kill anyone, because as it stands same faction can't kill each other.
Thanks for the information. I will be making a point to contact them and do a follow-up on this article since it seems that there may either miscommunication or the folks they had manning the booth were misinformed. Luckily, I'm fluent in both French and English - perhaps we'll try the former this time
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Your welcome.
Its great to get such a quick and honest response from you
Regards
mostly because of lack of progress and the 1th chapter (the E3 2005 trailer). I haven´t lost my faith yet, but i wonder by what i have seen how DnL will stand up again the other latest mmorp´s
You aint much, if you aint Dutch
www.mmozone.nl
I have followed this one for years. The community management is great. If ye read the forums of testers you know teh game is great. Its your freedom to go ... travel wise, class wise , social wise... etc...
To be honest .. I think its released to late... The minor point , big, is the graphics are out to date. I am a roleplayer who like sto identify himself with his avatar and surroundings... If i see the competition out there like vanguard, or heroes journey and dungeons and dragons...
well graphics isnot everything , see everquest 2 i quit after beta test there, but its a major thing to "feel" good in a game.
Auto assault, tabula rasa and such will also give them a run for their money..
Hope we see an open beta soon...
or more gamplay footage of combats
Have no fear, Xru is here.
The more I read of this world..Light & Dark..the more I feel unease about its future attraction to players. There are some very big questions about the forced grouping and vast empty land mass. I for one need a real lift in appeal. The graphic in places look very average. I don't mind being proven wrong and would welcome it, but it looks very suss.
How about if they made a No PVP / Full PvE starter kingdom for each side that alone was the size of the entire world of Everquest (1/12th of 40,000km^2)? And you were able to play and do everything you ever wanted from inside this safe zone. If that appeals to you then, I think you'll be happy to hear it will be included with the release.
If the devs stick to their word there will only be 2 servers EVER. One for Asia and one for the rest of the world.
Well I'm not surprised that the preview isn't overly enticing for DnL, since it's not an SOE game, which the MMORPG.com people seem to love to tout but as a player thats been long awaiting this game I can't wait.
Massive world asside, I think the single server solution will do wonders if done correctly, the towns and soical system will finally put character into a genre that's quickly being hit over the head with repetitive clones of clones. Throw into the mix a dynamic environment with a growing story line based around involving players together, some wonderful pve and pvp sceens and I think this may be one of the farthest reaching MMO's to date.
Thats my hope anyways and I know many others are wanting the same for the future of this game.
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Quote from article:
****With a world this big, the game was 90% generated, partly using satelite imagery. On this front, they mask the lack of hand-crafting well. The world does not appear ridiculous. I am sure a geologist would not agree, but in the end Ganareth is a fantasy world and some of the stranger world anomolies make good sites to behold. On the downside, the team has no plans to include dungeons and underground areas in their initial launch.
Am i reading this right? no underground areas....no dungeons?
no dungeons = no play
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!
Its good that this so big world with lots of freedom, damn it would be nice to for example build little house in wilderness, maybe in forest, hunt a little. have a dodo near it, living as a traper, coming to town to sell furs and so on, i hate forced questing + grouping as in everquest 2... hell thing i liked best in everquest 2 was crafting, combat was nice but kiling same monsters respawning over and over make me dissapointed, here if it will be at relese animals will roam, so good hunting spot wouldnt be same for long time, landscape will be changed (by players, or winter for example) so same trip after a while could be far diffrent from first, i hate same looking place over and over and knowing that no matter what i do i cant change anything, here if they dont say false things i will be able to live in some villige, partly npc partly players, could hire npcs to protect my house if i will be playing as trader, or doing caravans... this i like: possibilities and feeling i could change world if i try hard enough and lack of this is what makes all new mmorpgs so flat for me that i cant hang there for more than few months... everyone must remember graphic isnt everything, looking on same no matter how beautiful place that dont change isnt fun on long run... its just my "few cents"
Definitely a game I am looking forward to. Any game that is PVP centric, and goes against the ubiquitous template that is Everquest is a step in the right direction in my book. I'm a big dungeon crawling fan. No dungeons on release is a huge minus, just like it was in Shadowbane.
dungeons, who needs them, if this game is gonna be as big as it says it willl be there will be no need for them.
a huge world larger then anything before and u want dungeons?
You aint much, if you aint Dutch
www.mmozone.nl
There has never been, nor will be forced grouping. Where did this come from? You can even hire NPC retainers and gourds for **** sakes, Forced grouping..WTF?
When doing a report on this game you really need to remove all your past experiences with MMO's.
None of the features in this game are typical to anything else. (races maybe, but they did that on for a reason as not to confuse players with some unnamed un famillure race).
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
The game also relies heavily on groups and social behavior. Although it is possible at early levels, the game is not designed for solo play.
This is NOT good. We had quite an experience in EQ2 that almost "died" because of lack of solo content. To be depndant on the group to advance in the game its the worst thing there can be. It will hold up for a few monthes, but then things will go down. And what was it, did I see a broken MOON in the sky??? A la EQ2, moon of luclin? Weird, developers all over the world make similar MMORPS and expect to have some sort of success? They WON'T be successfull.
So you just revived a 6 month old thread to troll the game? Wow..
_____________________
I am the flipside of the coin on which the troll and the fanboy are but one side.
I am not a regular poster... Just stated my thoughts. Was going through the list and decided to leave a comment.
BTW it's not a trolling the game. If developers won't change their mind about heavily group oriented content they WILL lose it. But they never read experienced players reviews. So, whateva... I am not gonna play it anyway, and to answer a question why posted then - so devs don't waste their time, but yet again they are not gonna read here, then... well no actual point.
just revived a post to troll the game... LOL