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- Aventurine S.A.
- Aventurine S.A.
- Aventurine S.A.
- Aventurine S.A.
Darkfall Online
Released On: Jul 13, 2009
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
7.3
All Platforms
Darkfall is definitely a good MMORPG. It's not for the new massive online game players, because the learning curve could be considered extreme and the PVP is based on the FFA loot system Ultima Online had, but hardcore players should enjoy their journey around the biggest world ever created for an MMORPG.
Its skill system is like a twisted version of EVE Online's, without the intricacy or CCP's talent. Its mise-en-scène is somewhere between the grittiness of Conan and WAR's orcs and humans. Underneath the lack of originality, there's a hole where the game should be: a loose, incongruous mess of bad controls, horrible user interface, and broken combat system.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
7.3
56% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
19% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 User Ratings
7.3
56% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
19% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Darkfall is one of the last vestiges of hardcore online gaming to experience, and to top it off it has an active user base that is extremely helpful. Are you tired of the boring experience current being offered by massive multiplayer online games. In reality, if you're a gamer, you've gone through hours and hours of gaming looking for an experience that is offered by Darkfall. You've got to hand it to the developers because they've got the equation down right. Crafting from start to finish
Economy where currency holds its value
PvP with corpse looting
These three things make for an experience not found since the days of early Ultima. The risk is the reward of this game and it's great to see people who hate it, because it's really not for everyone.
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This game is a great game, but definitely not a game for everyone. If you are used to the â
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This game bring a fresh air with new ideas to mmorpg genre but i think Aventurine has not the human resources to support them. The game is a hardcore pvp in a completely danger open world and in this game you will live some of the most massive battles in mmo. All of us the veteran of the game we wait for Darkfall 2.
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Darkfall is a PvP oriented sandbox MMORPG, based in real-time combat system (like Oblivion). Developer is Aventurine S.A., a small independent greek company. The game has gone retail only in Greece, as no official publisher has announced a worldwide retail version for up to date. Thus, the game is sold online through ****.
Basic details
In Darkfall, players can choose from 6 races: Humans, Dwarves, Mirdain (Elves), Orks, Mahirims (Werewolves) and Alfars (Night Elves). The game has an open world where PvP is allowed anywhere outside NPC city limits. Graphics have a realistic appearance, with handmade buildings and beautiful looking ships. Character models lack anti-aliasing, while the sound itself is ok with some environmental sounds missing. Gameplay
The gameplay is the strong part of the game. An open world means that you can actually move your character to dive into water or climb any mountain. Combat system is balanced, as there are no levels. Players only improve their skills from a 1-100 range. When they reach 50 and 75 in Melee and Archery masteries, they can buy new skills. Plus, when their magic skills reach 25, 50 and 75, they can unlock new magic schools and buy magic efficiency upgrades. In general, Melee, Archery and Magic combat can be combined all together as there are no limits on how to battle, cast spells or heal. Besides the open PvP, Darkfall is also a crafting based game, as all basic in-game items are crafted by players themselves. Differences between races only have to do with unique skills. For example, Dwarves can have durability bonuses to their items, Alfars and Humans can increase their maximum mana, Orks can increase their maximum health etc. A.I. of all mobs is also high, plus there are no clues of where mobs are hiding, which means players have to trust browser-based maps like the famous yourmom map (****/yourmom/compatible.aspx) to be able to find their desired farming spots and city locations.
Darkfall combines three genres in one: MMORPG, First-Person Shooter and Strategy. Camera is permanently in third-person view, but it switches to first-person when a staff or bow is equipped. Strategy elements only exist in Player Cities, where Generals can build buildings, upgrade them or build cannons. Clans and Sieges
Darkfall Online has two servers, European and US, both holding up to 10.000 players on each. There are about 100 player cities which can be captured by Clans. Sieges can take part in any time, 22 hours after the attacking clan has declared a siege. Battles are vast, with hundreads of players fighting all together. This also causes some server lag in certain areas. By collecting a vast amount of resources, players can create Ships Warhulks and Artillieries, which they can use in sieges to take advantage of their firepower. Naval battles usually take place during sieges or sea fortress sieges (Sea fortresses are captures temporarily for some days). Ships differ from small boats with 1-3 cannons, to huge frigates with dozens of cannons and floors on them. During battles, players can use cannons to fire, cast spells, swim across the enemy ship or dive and fight in the open sea.
Closing comments
With the largest and non-instanced world that has ever been created, Darkfall is perhaps the most competitive next-gen MMORPG. The fact that itâ
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Now, for why Darkfall ****.
I'm going to discuss these topics:
PvE and Quests
Content
PvP
Progression
Lets begin!
PvE and Quests
I am sure I don't have to explain quests in Darkfall. They are generic quests you'd see in an Asian MMORPG. Kill this many mobs, collect this many resources, time limit quests. Not very unique and noone really cares about quests do they? So it would be unfair for me to rate the game based on a flawed mechanic in MMORPGS.
PvE is also a bit uninteresting. There are no strategies or technique to kill mobs except exploit them if they are too tough or round up some friends to take it on. But who cares about PvE?
Content
By content, I mean what you can do in the game. So Darkfall is a Free for All Full Loot PVP game where anyone can kill anyone. Sounds cool, but where are you going to find anyone that isn't protected by Guard Towers or macroing in Guild Cities.
You can find the occasional harvesters but it's not fun killing people that are defenseless. Sure it's rewarding and theres nothing wrong with it but I want to be able to compete vs others.
Now that brings me to my next point. Where the **** is everyone? I can ride around the damn world without finding one damn person. Everyone is so damn concentrated. It's impossible to solo without resorting to constant naked raids in guild cities stealing mounts and killing afk macros for reagents and arrows (profitable, but boring).
You can ditch the PvP and try crafting. I do like the concept of crafting and how you can make the best equipment compared vs PvE. Sadly for me it takes eternity to get the materials to craft. It also takes eternity to skill up high enough where you don't fail and waste your reagents on something you really want.
Now you say, why don't you join a guild and do sieges?
Because I have to pay taxes. Taxes is what guilds use to build up there city. Which is understandable. But since it takes so damn long to get resources that I would be spending my entire time to harvest to pay some Roleplaying overlord his damn money.
So for content. The world is big, but not populated. You can only pvp with fun if your in a guild but you have to pay taxes. Loving it.
PvP
Now heres something that matters. PvP. Competition. Whos better then the other is boiled down to 1v1 duels. Who can outplay the other?
Not in Darkfall.
Character Skill surpasses any Player Skill unless your like Slayers_boxerS (if you don't know him your obviously an mmorpg noob that doesn't play actual quality games or genres).
Lets over simplify Character Skill vs Player Skill
Character Skill Advantages: More damage, Less damage taken, More health, More Stamina, More HP regen, More Stamina Regen, More skills to assist you (whirlwind, power thrust, magic)
Player Skill Advantages: More hits on the other, Less hits on you, Better stamina management, Better movement, Smarter Decisions.
Now, what everyone (including myself) would say Player Skill would demolish the MMORPG grinding noob. Except the gains and skills you "earn" (grind and afk macroing) are much too massive. It also doesn't help that Darkfalls Combat System is much much too easy. So the MMORPG grinding noob has as much capability as you do because the game just blatantly doesnt have enough room for skill to completely outplay everyone.
Compare the combat in Darkfall to FPS games such as Savage 2(infinite ways to outplay multiple opponents and single enemies), Team Fortress 2 (1 scout vs 2 scout is only winnable by only the best of scouts) CoD4(1v10 is possible with smarts, clutches, and skill)
Darkfall is too archaic to have any impressive outplays. You move too slow when you move backwards and 50% slower when moving to the sides. So you might as well tape down W and expose your back sometimes to outmanuever yoru opponent. It's just Character Skills that matter in this game, the Combat is just too simple.
One last note for PvP. Stamina is so poorly done in this game. Stamina is usually implemented to avoid spamming hits or abusing sprint. But in this game if you run out of stam you are ****ED. Whenever you get hit you lose stamina so you cant tank or walk dodge your way to enough stamina to finish him off. The stamina system in this game just doesn't promote skill.
Progression
Not much too say. Skilling up is excruciatingly slow and boring.
You may say, If you want to be a Fire Mage then use Fire Magic. Except you need to be extremely rich and grind reagents all day and then macro for 1 week to get enough Fire Magic to be useful.
Now Darkfall is a game where if you don't like being one thing, you can switch to the other. But do you really want to go through the system again? Once you specialize your that class until you die of Grind Boredom.
Don't you dare say you don't need to Macro or Grind in this game.
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There really are no good things about this game. From the graphics to the combat, the controls, the skill system, the spells. The game is lacking in all areas. Aventurine has been building an engine that they wish to license out at some point in the future. This game is a way for them to show off what the engine can do. Nothing more.
Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Recently they announced a rewrite of the entire game system. Skills, spells, everything. Along with this could well come a wipe of all current characters. Imagine if blizzard said they were going to have a wipe tomorrow ?
This is the Aventurine way.
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