Dark and Light: Interview #10

Dana · March 2006

We try to get to the bottom of some issues in this new interview with the developers of Dark & Light. Garrett Fuller and Dana Massey ask some tough questions and the team answers.

MMORPG.com: Settlers of Ganareth has simply let a lot of people down. Youve fallen from top hyped game to #32. In the last Q&A you mentioned people were expecting Dark & Light when you were giving them Settlers of Ganareth. The response was less than positive. Do you have any other theories why so many people are disappointed?

Dark & Light Team: The first point is that most people think that SoG is a beta test of DnL. We certainly did a bad job of communicating once we reached this stage. SoG is a specific game event, totally independent from the DnL beta.

Second point, we had a lot of server troubles at the SOG launch, with lots of lag. We quickly patched the game after its release with two important patches. These patches were key for us, but really disappointing for our players as they didnt bring real improvements to the game. Now our servers are much more stable and we encourage our registered players to come back and try again.

The third point is that players were disappointed by their first impression of SoG which included many bugs, content troubles and a not-very-intuitive interface. It took too much time to fix it, with patches that were too large.

These points did contribute to give a negative image of the game to our fans whove been waiting for DnL for a long time now. We sincerely apologize for these problems.

But if the starting of SoG was difficult, it didnt impede players from conquering the first territories of Ganareth. All the 90 baronies of SoG are taken now, and fans are still playing to win a fight in these occupied baronies. We can only recommend that players to come back in SoG; even if the balance and content are not at the level of DnL, the recovered server stability promises many fun moments in Ganareth.

You can read the entire Q&A here.

Shanks123 · March 2006

See i like this once again hes clearing up that sog is not a beta or Dnl. I think more people need to realize this. I never played beta so im not an expert but i think this will be a pretty cool game and more people need to come back.

RemyVorender · March 2006

Right...

So what you are saying is, SoG has nothing to do with DnL beta. Ok then, fine. Let's go with that for a moment shall we?

We have a "game" called SoG, which shares the same engine as DnL, but it only has about 20% of the size and content that DnL has. We watched in horror as SoG struggled to breath on life support, nevermind perform at an acceptable level.

The interview also mentions how SoG is in no way a beta test for DnL, then in the same breath talk about how SoG has helped them fix a lot of connection issues, bugs and gameplay balance. Isn't that the definition of BETA? lol...you guys kill me.

In conclusion, to say that SoG sucked but DnL will rule and have no major issues is laughable. If they can't get 20% of the game to work properly, how do you think the other 80% is doing?

ReRoller · March 2006

The beginning problems with server stability are not the issue for me. I simply don't see sog (and dnl) offering anything but a vast area scattered randomly with mobs to click on. Why level my character when here and over there is the same. Just more terrain and mobs to click on.

I am disillusioned. Does anyone see something currently in game worth coming back to SoG for?

Kregar · March 2006

Wow, big props to the two authors who asked these questions. I have never read such offensive questions on this site, but to be honest, it was really necessary to do it that way. The fact, that it took one and a half weeks longer fr the questions to be answered show me, that they really thought hard what to reply.

Anyway, well done, the best Q&A for D&L I have read so far.

annxii · March 2006

Originally posted by ReRoller
The beginning problems with server stability are not the issue for me. I simply don't see sog (and dnl) offering anything but a vast area scattered randomly with mobs to click on. Why level my character when here and over there is the same. Just more terrain and mobs to click on.

well that's because SoG hasn't got the features as is suppose to fill out.

I must admit I've lost a bit of my strong faith in DnL but the faith is still there. I'm really looking forward to the economy getting into play so the territorial PvP can have some kind of meaning. I'm still holding on to the hope that NP3 has some serious stuff on the internal side and that the beta will show it to the world (we have seen a single screenshot of a caravan a long time ago so something must be going on beyond our common vision)

...but ofcourse my vision might be very colored by the fact that I'm a Pioneer! wouldn't it be stupid to totally lose faith when you've already given them $60

Unknown · March 2006

Changing their toon yet again!!!!

There was a huge controversy about SOG being a beta for DNL.

Farlan came out and made a statement that SOG IS BETA after all of the crap going on. Its still there in their forums if you wish to search through a disabled search function. I believe however that their statement is again posted in the DNL forums here in this site about SOG IS BETA.

Now , they are saying no its not. And I agree, in the same breath say it has helped fixed issues with the DNL.....yeh right...not even they can tell the truth when they try!

And no, the server stability issues are NOT fixed.

The character stuck issues are NOT fixed.

The skills/balance issues are NOT fixed.

The spells/pets issues are NOT fixed.

Communication is STILL crappy.

Why in the hell would ppl want to come back to play a game that doesnt work, that isnt even what the end result is even near to, and in most cases, you have to pay for???

Why in the hell would you throw this crap you call a game out in order to bring people to a completey different game?

yeh, uh huh, makes no sense to me either.

Sorry Farlan, you gotta dig a little deeper and tell the WHOLE Truth -- then your credibility may bring just a few back. Again with the sugar coated lies -- crap as bad as the game itself.

Robbgobb · March 2006

I realised that I would not play this game unless was in bargain bin when they offered SoG pre-reg with special perks that only those people could get. The number they had was all that would get it and any other pre-reg would not. That type of sales turned me off and then seeing how many problems they seem to have makes me realise that I look at the information and know I made the right decision to drop it. I have more fun looking at the Age of Mourning site and know that after really messing up and having to refund, they are still trying to get the game right and release it again. I did not get Mourning the first time but will be thinking about it the second time around because they went down but got back up. This game though seems very much the same type of problem or worse.

Kregar · March 2006

If you compare the answers to older Q&A you'll notice, that they are a lot mor straight forward in this one. But now at least we know, that there will be a Beta again. And they said,

We just hope that our community will have a better opinion about DnL after the next beta test opens.

what could mean, that this Beta could have no NDA. So basically I think we can expect more info on the state of the game in March.

Cholayna · March 2006

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/load/forums/loadforum/508/loadthread/61766/setstart/1/loadclass/173

nuff said

EDIT: BTW - Kudos to the interviewer and mmorpg.com for hard hitting questions. Good interview this time -- too bad even when they are coming clean they still missed a few spots

Shanks123 · March 2006

Originally posted by remyburke
Right...
So what you are saying is, SoG has nothing to do with DnL beta. Ok then, fine. Let's go with that for a moment shall we?
We have a "game" called SoG, which shares the same engine as DnL, but it only has about 20% of the size and content that DnL has. We watched in horror as SoG struggled to breath on life support, nevermind perform at an acceptable level.
The interview also mentions how SoG is in no way a beta test for DnL, then in the same breath talk about how SoG has helped them fix a lot of connection issues, bugs and gameplay balance. Isn't that the definition of BETA? lol...you guys kill me.
In conclusion, to say that SoG sucked but DnL will rule and have no major issues is laughable. If they can't get 20% of the game to work properly, how do you think the other 80% is doing?

you should read the Q&A better because the guy said theya re using a new engine for DNL which means a different one from SOG

Alouisious · March 2006

Originally posted by Shanks123

you should read the Q&A better because the guy said theya re using a new engine for DNL which means a different one from SOG

So why keep SOG on the ever-problem-filled engine instead of the "new" DNL engine? Why hand out something that is totally different, substandard and difficult when you want people to come and play some secret yet-to-be-seen awesome setup?

Smoke and mirrors dude.

baal/mrheat · March 2006

This game is dead, wait on DARKFALL instead...

this is not even open pvp LOL.... might as well play WoW as this crap game....

Hashman · March 2006

&^%& if they don't even know themselves what game they are making what chance have we got?

It's like when you stumble across a website selling something you want at a reasonable price, you think "Do I really want to part with my money to a company I know little about?". It's just not worth it. DDO and DnL were high on my games to play list about 4 months, at least DDO is real and out there, although not to my taste. A very missible game, DnL looks likely to be.

JonathJCen · March 2006

I admire their honosty. They are not trying to cover up their mistakes like SOE has done in the past. They realise things went bad, and they are doing well on fixing things. I have faith still that DnL will be the game we've been looking forward to, I at least will deffinently give it a chanse. Obviously it would have been nice for them to have spelled it out clearer that SoG IS NOT the beta, but literaly is a prequal. Basicly, they wanted to share with us a small part of the game since they've had to push dates back and back. Consider SoG more like DnL1 and the actual launch to be DnL2. I remember back when Anarchy Online launched, how much trouble it had, how many functions did not work. many months after they fixed their game, and to this day remains one of my favorite MMO's of all time. It's harder for people now to accept such errors, as they feel other companies should have learned from the mistakes of the games of the past. To an extent this is true, but anytime a company new to the online business comes out, it's going to have its troubles.

I can forgive their errors, so long as they will definently have a great majority of their content out at launch. I hope others can do the same.

nahmon123 · March 2006

So there are less than two months before the game is set to be released, and they have YET to get to a closed beta let alone true open beta for the other 80% of their content?

Just like many others, I think SoG was their open beta and its almost complete failure isn't something they want to fess up to.

Jackdog · March 2006

So after 4+ years of development and 3 years of beta testing they deliver SoG in all it's ummm glory

, yet in 6 months trhey will deliver DnL with a ton more features and only a month of beta and it will be a great game.....right

blacksac · March 2006

FYI:

A couple of small things that are NOT in SoG, but something to look forward to in DnL

Siege Engine

Trade Wagons

Dragon picking up a mob with it's teeth and throw it to one side

Player made castles with detailed interiors

Tree City

This video (62mb) shows a Dragon picking up mobs with its mouth and throwing them (Other videos show fire breathing Dragons not in SoG). You will see mobs and players get blown off their feet from nearby explosions and Gollum foot stomps, and other smaller detailed things you will not see in SoG... enjoy!

http://www.darkandlight.net/videos/E3_Trailer_lowdef.avi

Grumpybear · March 2006

baal/mrheat: you have no idea what you are talking about.

SoG is more open in PvP than any other game out there aside from most major FPS games.

Plus, they did own their mistakes in this interview. The game is lightyears ahead of where it was on day one. The game is very playable right now. Maybe doesn't have all that crafting and whatnot, but I'd play this over Thang, Ferrentus, Silkroad, City of Heroes....the list goes on.

RedRab · March 2006

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

- Sir Walter Scott

blacksac · March 2006

I don't believe in pessimism. If something doesn't come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it's going to rain, it will.

- Clint Eastwood

The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds.The pessimist fears it is true.

- Robert Oppenheimer

I doubt anyone will ever see -- anywhere -- a memorial to a pessimist.

- Source unkown

This one cracked me up!

I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half- empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth.

- Janeane Garafolo

erlolo · March 2006

Well, this time they don't avoid the questions and answer what they want (like the previous Q&A), but i've something more to consider

1. Server stability is better, ok, but at least 40% of people of the begining isn't playing, and i really think the stability comes from here, from the people who left this .............. (fill yourself the gap).
2. They promised Religion, no, they promised AD will explain us about how religion will be managed, etc in the next days (before AoG were opened), still waiting the explanation and implementation (it had to be implemented).
3. The lvl 50 for players, still waiting it.
4. Social Experience, still waiting for it.
5. Pioner explorer special skills (were they're hidded :?)

I could also say that there's NO quests (AD said that had toons of them translated specially for SoG, and others only for SnL), but there're NO NPCs and NO quests, and no sellers (only in 1 city).

I'm sure all people who is still playing in SoG will be glad to know about all of this in special about Religion system and Permabugs (there're people who couldn't play for more than 1 month and with no support for NP3/farlain about).

And many thanks to Dana Massey for this Q&A, the better i've read about crappy/lied SoG

Jackdog · March 2006

They supposedly had 18,9991 people playing back in December. At a recent event one of the AD GM's said they had less than 500 logged on. Even doubling that figure to allow for people who could not be there I figure they have only a little over 5% of the original players left (1000/19000 = 0.052) so between this and the constant changing of their stories, add in that they released SoG after 4 years of development and what a mess it is. Now in less than 6 month of development they are going to release this new shiny version that has more bells and whistles than any other MMORPG released. What a fairy tale.

blacksac · March 2006

Originally posted by Jackdog
5% of the original players left (1000/19000 = 0.052)

If you want to be really accurate usually as a rule of thumb only about 10% of the active player base will be on at any one time (Particularly as this is a World server with many time zones), so if 1000 players are on or trying to be on, that would mean about 10,000 players are still realively active.

Shanks123 · March 2006

i think everyone will be eating their words when dnl comes out and its a Awesome freaking game

BronxChulo · March 2006

Good job MMORPG for asking those questions. Nice to see someone asking them the "real" questions that others would not ask.

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