Filed under: Darkfall

It's not often that we use this space for news recaps. Generally MJ and I have a particular topic (or game) in mind for Some Assembly Required's biweekly rotation. This time, though, I figured we should highlight some of the recent goings-on with a couple of pertinent sandbox titles simply because Massively news posts don't offer enough space to expound on anything other than the basics.

Join me after the break, then, for a rundown on what's new with Darkfall and The Repopulation.

Development on the next incarnation of Darkfall continues, promising big changes to the game's core mechanics. The latest update on the official blog addresses a variety of systems that hadn't previously been covered, starting with the game's large-scale UI improvements. The biggest revelation and item of interest, however, is the promise of the upcoming point system, which allows players to receive rewards for accomplishments that in turn fuel new play options.

Although the terminology used in the blog is a bit vague due to the fact that specifics on the system are under wraps, it's made very clear that the point system is not simply an achievement system (which will also be added). Rather, using points in-game will fuel certain abilities or grant access to new abilities, allowing players to open new paths as a reward for their accomplishments. There's also a few updates on the future of crafting, all of which should give Darkfall players something to look forward to when version 2.0 finally goes live.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work Darkfall's development team goes (and now that tune is stuck in your head. You're welcome.)! And as the game's 2.0 edition slowly takes shape, we're given yet another dev blog about the massive undertaking of this project.

Improved visuals are one of the priorities for the team, and players will be pleased to hear that SMAA -- uber-anti-aliasing -- should make the game's graphics shine. Weapons are being modified to have distinctive looks based on which rank they are, and the team reports that there are six weapons styles with nine ranks apiece, each requiring a unique design.

Also on the table for examination is the improved crafting process. Aventurine is introducing two new professions dedicated to converting one material into a more refined product. Tanning will take on skinning's former duty of taking hides and turning them into leather, and weaving will be the primary avenue to create cloth from cotton. On top of these new professions is the expansion of the crafting system to allow professions to "infuse" rare materials into common ones, resulting in special crafting mats for high-quality gear.

There are a lot of changes in the pipeline for Darkfall, but it's safe to say that whatever else changes in the game, magic will remain important. The newest development blog for the game discusses the revised state of low-level magic and some of the basics of more powerful magic as well. Every character can use the lowest tier of magic, which mixes both Intelligence and Wisdom as important stats and can be cast regardless of what the character is wearing. Known as Minor Incantations, the school contains only five spells, but they're all of basic utility, ranging from basic magical damage to a simple self-healing spell.

Beyond the earliest steps, the developers have taken pains to try to make magic more balanced and interesting. The biggest element in spell potency is the governing attribute of the spell (Intelligence or Wisdom), but the level of the spell, the staff being used by the caster, and the overall level of the magic school in question all come into play. Take a look at the full diary to get a better sense of where the game's mystical arts are heading in the future.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

This week's post illuminates three major systems on which the team is working to make Agon a more approachable world. With Darkfall 2.0, new players will start out in a safe training zone that is designed to teach the fundamentals of the game without the risk of imminent ganking. Plus, the devs promise "a nice adventure with an epic ending" to boot.

The other two systems are coming up with a way to protect mount theft and to encourage the player economy. Mounts in 2.0 will remember their owners for a time, and any thief will have to contend with being branded a criminal and coming under fire by guard NPCs. Finally, new markets will appear in all major cities and allow players to buy, sell, and place orders for others to fill. There is one catch to shopping, however: If you buy an item from another city's market, you have to either travel there personally to get it or pay a surcharge for delivery.

Aventurine continues its trek toward Darkfall's game revamp, aka Darkfall 2.0, and in a new producer letter, Tasos Flambouras drops a few interesting info nuggets to tide loyal players over until the job is done.

He states that the team is retuning each of the game's eight schools of magic so that each one feels more unique and focused. For example, air magic will be specialized to do more damage in close quarters against fewer targets, while fire magic will excel at long-distance AoE attacks.

The team also thinks it has figured out this pesky "death" problem by coming up with a more interesting limbo system. The way it works is that when players are taken down, they have a choice between either respawning back at a bind stone or waiting for a timer to count down to zero and initiate a respawn on the spot. If players opt to endure the limbo period, they can re-equip their characters from their bank boxes.

Aventurine continues to hire on new team members for the project, including a designer who will facilitate communication between devs and the community.

As Darkfall "sprints" down the road toward its second incarnation, bloodthirsty PvPers are looking to Aventurine for more information about how their favorite game world is being remolded. Tasos Flambouras came forth today with word that not only is the project still powering forward, but the development team is growing as new hires are brought on to assist in the efforts.

Flambouras uses the post as a progress report and To Do list all in one. Perhaps the most exciting teases that he mentions are new methods of progression in the game. "These are significant and exciting changes to the way the game is played because they add more purpose to player freedom," he writes.

Currently the art team is adding and revamping many of the game's objects and animations, while the world builders are hammering away at Mahirim. As part of Darkfall 2.0, introductory dungeons will be integrated into the game to help newbies get a foothold in the cutthroat MMO.

The team is also experimenting with "alternatives" to player respawn time after deaths, as well as a brand-new market system and improved trading experience.

As I've well established both here on Massively and elsewhere, I'm somewhat of a nut for video game music. Whereas others might collect vintage hair metal tracks or the latest Justin Bieber opus, I'm always digging through obscure (and not-so-obscure) official soundtracks to games like Wipeout and Kirby. Video game scores can be right up there with the best that the film industry puts out, and the fact that they tie into personal experiences that we've played through can lend them sentimental weight.

So for the next two Perfect Tens, I scoured all the MMO theme songs that I could get ahold of in an attempt to formulate a list of the very best. It was originally slated to be just one list, but after an hour or so of listening to tracks and having friends and fellow staffers weigh in on the subject, I knew it was impossible to keep it there.

Two important things to note for this list. First, I wanted to keep to just the title/login screen tracks so that I wouldn't be working on this for the next 2.5 years. Second, unlike most past Perfect Tens where there's no significance to the order of the list, in this case we're going to have a genuine countdown to the best MMO theme song of all time. And I expect to take no flak about it, do you hear me? Good. Let's begin.

If you are perusing this column, chances are you are a fan of virtual worlds and the sandbox genre. Join the club! (Dues will be due on the third Tuesday.) The aspect that compels many aficionados to delve into a game is the ability to make an impact on the world in some small respect instead of making them into Hive Member 1593072 running a static, predetermined gauntlet. How that impact is accomplished, however, varies; there are multiple features that can facilitate it, and which ones are considered most important depends on the player.

With the loss of one of the best sandbox games just last month, some players may be feeling a void. Others still are looking/hoping for the "ultimate" sandbox that contains nearly every virtual world feature. Certainly, there are some upcoming games that make some drool-worthy promises, but what about playing something now? There are actually games out on the market that have at least one aspect of the genre, if not more.

To start off the new year, Some Assembly Required looks at some of the top features of virtual worlds and lists games that incorporate these features. While this list isn't exhaustive (considering the sheer number of games when you include all of the smaller free-to-play titles, I'd run out of column space!), it is a comprehensive enough overview to point you toward some games worth playing that perhaps you hadn't considered before.

Well, it seems as if Darkfall hasn't fallen off the face of the earth even though Aventurine's game updates have been pretty sporadic of late.

As of today there's a new video on the official site that gives us an early glimpse of Agon 2.0. It's worth mentioning that Aventurine has been slaving away on a completely retooled Darkfall client for months now, and even though today's clip clocks in at a relatively paltry 47 seconds, it's good to see some of the fruits of that labor.

Hop past the cut for a look at new water effects, dynamic lighting, a human NPC city, and a new dungeon. Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras also notes that the team plans to issue a development update sometime next week.

If you've ever wanted to see what all the Darkfall fuss is about, this weekend would be a great time to clear your calendar. Aventurine is making the fantasy sandbox accessible to everyone for free, and the devs are also quadrupling the normal experience gain through Sunday.

Previously active accounts have been reactivated, and new players can sign up on the game's official website prior to rolling a character. Darkfall is set in the harsh realm of Agon, a huge medieval fantasy world filled with dungeons, dangerous mobs, and open PvP. The game also features full corpse-looting, crafting, and clan-based warfare.

Check out our Darkfall Choose My Adventure series for an in-depth look at the title's gameplay and community, and be sure to hit up the gallery below for the latest screenshots.

[Source: Aventurine press release]

What's up in the lands of Agon recently? Quite a lot if the latest Darkfall dev update is any indication. The lengthy wall o' text touches on current development tasks including the possibility of an improved third-person camera, momentum mechanics, and ragdoll physics for the game's animations.

Starter areas are also getting a makeover, and Aventurine producer Tasos Flambouras says that new and more powerful guard towers will deter newbie ganking without creating full-blown safe zones. Additionally, there's a bit more explanation regarding the ongoing siege and clan tweaks, and the devs continue to work on Darkfall's new armor specialization mechanics.

Unfortunately there's still no word on either character wipes or a timeline for Darkfall 2.0's release, but there is quite a bit of other info available to peruse on the game's official site.