Category Archives: MMO design

Beyond flamebait, why Aion’s struggles benefit me.

Posted on November 2, 2009 by SynCaine

On Friday I tossed out some flame bait with my post about Aion, and while it was mostly posted to cure Friday boredom (and not because I was upset, my sickeningly happy friend:) ), there is a very real aspect … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Rant | 45 Comments

Monday Morning quick thoughts

Posted on November 2, 2009 by SynCaine

This is a good read from a returning player to DarkFall, with the most important point coming in the comments: just like in any good sandbox game, you have to go out and find the fun rather than wait for … Continue reading →

Posted in beta, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Patch Notes, Random | 14 Comments

Aion: Eminem’s “Kim” track, final verse, final line.

Posted on October 30, 2009 by SynCaine

Watching Aion bleed out in record time is, to be honest, enjoyable for me. Part of that just comes from my general dislike that the genre of gaming I enjoy most has, on the AAA level, gone from persistent worlds … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP, Rant | 60 Comments

DarkFall: Bounty Hunter event aftermath.

Posted on October 29, 2009 by SynCaine

Last night the NA DarkFall server saw its first major player-driven event, a bounty hunter chase that went off very well considering it was the first of its kind in DF. I was able to log on just after the … Continue reading →

Posted in crafting, Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP | 6 Comments

More Aion vs Fallen Earth observations

Posted on October 26, 2009 by SynCaine

The trending examples provided by the recently released Aion and Fallen Earth continue, and some interesting if not entirely unexpected observations can be made. Today’s topic is player reaction, and how it differs when comparing a niche game (FE) versus … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, Fallen Earth, MMO design | 33 Comments

DDO: Too fast?

Posted on October 22, 2009 by SynCaine

Am I the only one who thinks DDO would be a better game if everything inside a dungeon was at 50% speed? I think they have a great combat system, one that is both a little action hack-n-slash and also … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, DDO, MMO design | 13 Comments

More DarkFall expansion details

Posted on October 21, 2009 by SynCaine

The bad news about the next DarkFall expansion/patch is that is has been delayed until mid-November. The good news is we have some more info about what it will contain. Clicky here to read the Spotlight piece and all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, crafting, Darkfall Online, MMO design, Patch Notes | 3 Comments

Dealing with the undesirables of any MMO community.

Posted on October 20, 2009 by SynCaine

Yesterday’s post was about the theory/dream of a persistent world with a reactive ecosystem, among other features. One of the very valid arguments against this setup is the possibility of the players themselves not playing nice and ruining everything. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design | 42 Comments

What the MMORPG genre could (and should) be.

Posted on October 19, 2009 by SynCaine

Last Friday’s post, and the links in the comments to Raph Koster’s posts (here, here, and here) (Thanks Brian) about the old Ultima Online eco system have sparked some old memories of what got me interested in the MMORPG genre … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, crafting, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, Housing, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 64 Comments

What buying Aion says about you

Posted on October 16, 2009 by SynCaine

The MMO genre has many unique aspects that separate it from other gaming genres, with perhaps the ability of fans to shape future content being among the greatest. Everyone has at least some idea of their perfect game, and while … Continue reading →

Posted in Aion, beta, Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft | 51 Comments