Category Archives: MMO design

Fans of hype, fans of gaming.

Posted on June 2, 2009 by SynCaine

Hype in the gaming industry is a form of entertainment all its own, and history has shown that plenty of people LOVE getting wrapped up in the pre-release fanfare. This is not only something that consumes people in their search … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, beta, Diablo 3, EVE Online, Mass Media, MMO design, World of Warcraft | 8 Comments

Urge to play… fading

Posted on May 29, 2009 by SynCaine

I’ve stated all along that one of my favorite aspects of playing an MMO is the continual progression, both from an individual perspective and for the game overall. I like knowing that as I play, I continue to get stronger … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP | 27 Comments

Big DarkFall update, Aventurine-style of course

Posted on May 28, 2009 by SynCaine

It’s not often (ever?) that Aventurine gives it’s fans a preview of what’s ahead for everyone’s favorite and 100% perfect MMO, Darkfall, yet we got just that yesterday from Tasos. Or at least, we got a long post with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, Mass Media, MMO design, Patch Notes, PvP | 8 Comments

DarkFall: US server population (non)issue

Posted on May 27, 2009 by SynCaine

With the all-but-confirmed US-1 (or NA-1) server being geared up for release, many in the DarkFall (and ForumFall) community are wondering if the player base can support two separate servers, using the current in-game population as a barometer. The all … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, Mass Media, MMO design, Patch Notes | 7 Comments

DarkFall: 3 month review

Posted on May 21, 2009 by SynCaine

Edit: My newer, one year review of DarkFall can be found here. DarkFall has been out just shy of three months now, and for me it’s been the most interesting three months of any MMO since UO, for a variety … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP, Site update | 23 Comments

Fear the MMO reaper

Posted on May 14, 2009 by SynCaine

Fear of death is a tough emotion to create in an MMO. If you die while working on a “kill ten mobs” quest, is it so devastating that you completely rethink your approach to the quest? Hell, did you go … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, EVE Online, MMO design, PvP | 13 Comments

Giving credit when it’s due.

Posted on May 13, 2009 by SynCaine

It’s very easy to point out flaws in a game or it’s developer. When a server crashes, it’s impossible not to notice. When you are in a login queue, you know it. If your current class/race is underpowered, it affects … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Conan, Darkfall Online, EQ2, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, PvP, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 39 Comments

Games I actually play (DarkFall) update.

Posted on May 11, 2009 by SynCaine

Out of all the easy criticism a ForumFaller might make against DarkFall, why are so many people getting so worked up about the game not being on sale 24/7? If you know DarkFall is not the game for you (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, MMO design, PvP | 17 Comments

DarkFall: Giving the skill system some direction

Posted on May 7, 2009 by SynCaine

The skill system in DarkFall is one of the more hotly debated topics among players actually playing the game (and not just playing ForumFall). Some believe it’s too long a grind (oh nooz, you are not maxed out in two … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, MMO design, Ultima Online | 9 Comments

FreeRealms: Gay Simulator, 2/10 score after 20+ hours played.

Posted on May 6, 2009 by SynCaine

I want to write a bit more about the whole Eurogamer ‘review’ of DarkFall, because I feel some people are missing exactly why this is not just ‘someone not liking your game’, but actually a much more damaging two pages … Continue reading →

Posted in Darkfall Online, FreeRealms, Mass Media, MMO design, Rant | 22 Comments