Category Archives: Darkfall Online

Level one, and god-mode already?

Posted on September 11, 2009 by SynCaine

Why do we assume the first mob we fight in an MMO should be an easy kill? I’m serious, how many MMOs can you name where the first mob you face has a legitimate chance to kill you? I mentioned … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Gaming, Darkfall Online, EQ2, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 35 Comments

The other side of open-world accessibility.

Posted on September 10, 2009 by SynCaine

I wrote yesterday of the benefits of DarkFall’s smaller power curve and how it allows a new player to jump right into playing with his friends/guild, and today I want to talk about the other side of that equation, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP | 11 Comments

Day one accessibility from an unlikely source.

Posted on September 9, 2009 by SynCaine

It’s something that has been said before, but it bears repeating: an MMO without levels is just infinitely more accessible than one with, yet the majority of the AAA MMOs out today feature level-gating, and rather than deal with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP, World of Warcraft | 31 Comments

What clearing your HD tells you about the state of gaming

Posted on September 8, 2009 by SynCaine

My main gaming PC was in need of a purge (and it looks like I’m not the only one with that idea), and so on Friday I did a hard drive wipe and a fresh install of Vista (which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Blood Bowl, Darkfall Online, The Casualties Guild, Warhammer Online | 24 Comments

The fear of impact in the MMO genre.

Posted on September 4, 2009 by SynCaine

The MMO genre is a funny place. On the one hand, it promises to let you play with thousands of other players and share adventures together, while on the other it sets you up to be a hero doing some … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 26 Comments

Silly small indie dev and your tiny patch changes!

Posted on September 2, 2009 by SynCaine

As was the case with ‘State of the Game’ posts a few days ago, it also seems not all patch notes are created equally. Keep in mind this is a pre-patch, setting the table for Aventurine’s next BIG patch for … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, Patch Notes | 10 Comments

DarkFall: Battle Report

Posted on September 1, 2009 by SynCaine

Yesterday I talked about a successful one on one PvP encounter in DarkFall, and sure enough today I have a story about a not-so-successful small group encounter. Following this pattern I fully expect Hammerdale will be sieged tonight and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, PvP | 11 Comments

Maybe it’s time to return to WoW?

Posted on August 31, 2009 by SynCaine

Well this past weekend I decided to resub to WoW and check out everything new, rolled up a hunter and I’m loving it! No I’m kidding, but seriously, is EVERYONE from the blog world back in WoW right now? Failbears … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood Bowl, Combat Systems, Darkfall Online, Housing, PvP, World of Warcraft | 44 Comments

When it comes to open beta, timing is key.

Posted on August 28, 2009 by SynCaine

Out of all the open beta discussions that I’ve seen (is it a free trial, should it be given a pass because it’s a beta, etc), I’ve yet to see anyone mention that timing of an open beta could play … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Aion, beta, Blood Bowl, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Warhammer Online | 9 Comments

Speaking of expansions that sounds good…

Posted on August 25, 2009 by SynCaine

Not all State of the Game posts are created equal. Even in the cesspool that is ForumFall (and I mean that in a good way, its entertaining stuff) this updates was well received, and for good reason. The way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, crafting, Darkfall Online, Housing, MMO design, Patch Notes, PvP, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 24 Comments