Tasos has released some update information about Darkfall today. Basically, they're hard at work and getting patches out for the current beta, which is great to hear! They've also been able to resolve issues with the DDOS attacks, meaning that now the forums are back up and working again. It's really too bad people felt the need to go so far as attack a development group that is working so hard on their title, but knowing that they've been releasing patches for the beta without issue at least allows us to relax and know that things are going as they should.
What's more, invites will continue going out every day until they have hit their limit.
The final thing that Tasos touched on was the need to continue with the NDA. I'm glad they have stood their ground and will continue with it, as they have every right to keep their product under wraps until they are completely ready to reveal it. As Tasos said:
"The NDA is still in effect, because this remains a testing period. Even though this is the release candidate client, previews based on this experience may not be indicative of the release quality of the game, especially not while you're consciously trying to break the game during stress testing. The game is still in debug mode so that we can deal with any issues that arise. Other than that, we are trying to simulate the launch, in order to better prepare for it. The testers in-game so far have been sending us very positive reports on their gameplay experience, even so, the NDA will be in effect while there's still testing going on. As soon as we're out of debug, the stress test is over, we'll lift the NDA."
Good luck guys, and here's to hoping the beta goes well and your launch is a successful one! For the full update details, look here.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Darkfall Update
Left 4 Dead: Hardcore play
In the early days of the Left 4 Dead demo, a set of game config files were made and spread around that could activate "Lone Survivor" mode, where all the bots in-game were removed, hunters could no longer pin, smokers could no longer strangle, and players were left alone to fend for themselves without bots covering their backs. Recently, though, L4D modder Doku has created a much more realistic Left 4 Dead play mode that is worth checking out.
More details can be found at L4DMods.com.
This kind of gameplay is exactly what major Left 4 Dead fans need. While the current map set is enjoyable and certainly has great replay value, a mod like this will allow for gamers ready to expand their L4D skills and their experience to have a unique new way to play a great game.
Also, if anybody wants to check out the Left 4 Dead lone survivor config files, you can get the basic one here. Feel free to modify it to allow for varied gameplay.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Online Games to Come: Shooters
I've been on a bit of a MMO buzz lately. I've not been satisfied with what exists right now, especially when considering MMORPGs that are out. Rusty battle systems pale in comparison to many of the single-player games that exist (especially Bethesda's titles), and gameplay doesn't seem as immersive and enjoyable as I feel MMOs have the potential to be. So, in a series of entries I will write up on future MMO titles, I hope to outline a few titles that are currently in development and what I hope to see.
So, to start, let's cover shooters.
The FPS genre of game was really the genre that brought games into the multiplayer phase. In fact, the very first game to be played between two computers was Maze War, a game that involved players navigating through a maze and shooting each other in a First-Person perspective. Major titles to push the multiplayer envelope after that were certainly of the FPS type, including the Doom and Quake series.
First person gaming created a real-time gaming experience that allowed players to feel as though they were actually in the game. Reaction time was melded with a realism that to this very day influences titles from shooters, to RPGs, and everything in between and has brought us not only into an age of multiplayer titles, but has brought us into 3D graphics as well. Unfortunately, major MMO titles don't seem to have taken advantage of the gameplay elements FPS titles have brought to the scene, until now.
I've mentioned games like Darkfall, which brings real-time battle elements straight into the fantasy MMORPG settings we have come to love. But, titles that are taking even more directly from the FPS genre are in fact MMOFPS titles such as Huxley and Global Agenda.
Huxley is a title I've been following for a while, and frankly, it looks great. Developed using the Unreal Engine 3, the game aims to bring all of the action of tournament shooters into a vast and changing MMO world.
Global Agenda is very similar, and is even being developed on the same engine, but looks to have a bit more of an open approach to its game world. Huxley has two factions, or races, that players can join and fight for. One is a group of humans, called Sapiens, and the other is a type of mutant human group called the Alternatives. Through the use of battle instances, Huxley allows for large-scale battles to occur between players from each side.
Global Agenda, on the other hand, employs a system where players become members of "Agencies" which interact with one another to try and take control of certain parts of the game world and establish reputation amongst other Agencies. The idea and how it will be implemented looks fun, especially as it is explained in this video at WarCry.
Huxley is supposed to be released in the near future, and Global Agenda is still very much in the middle of development. These titles, though, will likely draw its users from the same base and compete directly with one another. While the two are very much MMOFPS titles, they employ many RPG features and will certainly draw MMORPG fans to them, especially for those who want a title that provides more action to a vast game world.
Another title that is certainly worth mention here is Sony Online's "The Agency". The title is a spy/espionage/shooter MMO that differs from Huxley and Global agenda as it focuses much less on PVP and much more on instance missions. The game is very stylized and looks to very fluidly employ the FPS gameplay style that so much needs to be in MMO games. Oh, and an interesting side-note, The Agency will also utilize the Unreal Engine 3.
So, what does the future hold for MMOs? Certainly more action and improved battle systems that will make the boring point-and-click-to-attack-and-wait style most MMO games currently use a thing of the past. Thank goodness! Change is certainly going to be an important thing, especially considering how much major MMO titles of 2008 bombed. Let's hope we don't see that happen again.
Look for more articles on my blog in the near future on what's coming up in MMO titles!
Adventurine Under Attack
In an earlier post I talked about Adventurine's title Darkfall. With all the things the game promises, the fan base has exploded and the anticipation has built up to critical levels. So critical, it seems, that a group that considers the game as "vaporware" due to a lack of in-game media to prove that the game is actually real, and due to a lack of an open beta. And almost most unfortunately, part of this group seems to have taken a negative approach to trying to get Adventurine to come out with more details on their upcoming title.
The Official Darkfall forums have been hammered for two days now with denial of service attacks, according to Darkfall's official news page. This is very concerning, as the company has had a strict NDA in place since they started beta testing, which means there is really no reason to believe that nothing is going on with development and that the malicious actions towards Adventurine and more likely hindering their ability to meet release dates. So, Adventurine, I hope you are able to resolve everything, and good luck!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Valve: Why we Love Them Pt. 1
Valve seems to be the gaming dev company that made all the right choices at the right time. So, why is it that Valve does so well as a company, even in times when other companies in the industry seem to have to cut back their projects? A lot of gamers love to speak of Valve's dedication to making games that are truly games for gamers, but I believe it goes far beyond this. Valve's games are not only made by guys who love to game, but by guys who know how to make a game interesting.
Valve has always done a great job at bringing new features and creative elements to games. An excellent example of this is with their recent title, Left 4 Dead, which was so well planned that every aspect of the game adds to the experience. If you haven't read Valve's Left 4 Dead blog, I really suggest giving it a look here. Everything from lighting, down to the look of buildings and how players hold their flahslights was considered, and reading about it is absolutely fascinating. It's this attention to detail along with Valve's love for the gamer community that really sets it apart.
Valve's dedication to great gameplay has been displayed in amazing titles, such as the Half Life series and Team Fortress 2. Yet, Valve has recently placed themselves at the forefront of yet another aspect of how we play games: digital distribution. With the Steam platform, Valve has not only made it easier to get games to your PC, but has made it secure for the vendors as well. Steam has become the best of its kind, and luckily so, as Valve feels very strongly that DRM is a negative thing, especially if done incorrectly, as forcefully stated by Gabe Newell. Today's PC gaming scene owes a lot to Valve, it seems, and they are really looking out for the end user. One important statement was made by Robin Walker, a Team Fortress 2 designer:
"You buy the product, you get the content. We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."
(via Eurogamer)
PC gamers can rest assured that Valve will treat them well. Look forward to some neat Team Fortress 2 updates, as well as additional content in Left 4 Dead coming up. And maybe we'll have another article in the Why We Love Valve series further down the line :D
Darkfall: MMORPG dream?
Dreams, while they can often be the most awesome things we experience, they can also be riddled with pain. Or perhaps they are much too fleeting for their greatness to be truly appreciated. Darkfall, with all its claims, would be a wonderful dream. But is it for real?
Some of you may have heard of Darkfall. Chances are, most of you haven't, and there is good reason for this, despite what Darkfall seems to offer. Darkfall is an in-development MMORPG that has an impressive list of features, including things such as real-time first person combat, unrestricted PVP, nearly (as far as we can tell) unrestricted crafting, enemy NPCs that create their own settlements and migrate to avoid hunting, and dozens of other things that really make it seem like the MMORPG I've always hoped would come along. Despite all this, though, something odd may be going on over at the developer studio Adventurine, and the situation is worth taking a look at.
Darkfall has been in development for over 7 years, which certainly isn't uncommon for some titles, but something about Adventurine's approach is a little odd. Darkfall is in its beta stages right now, which is great, and while there are thousands of people wanting to get in, Adventurine simply doesn't have the resources to allow that many people to play on their servers. This has created a community full of people who have been following the game for years who are often times unsure the game even exists. Stalwart hopefuls often cite that the beta testers are bound by an NDA, thus explaining the lack of gameplay videos besides the official ones, but many are quick to point out that this rarely stops a few people to post videos anonymously. So what gives?
The overall situation has created a cautious fanbase who hope that the beta is actually going on, but have little evidence to know whether or not it truly is. Recently, though, Adventurine has released a revised release schedule, dating an "open trial" to stress test servers for January 22, 2009 (today), and a final release for February 25th, 2009 in Europe, a change from their previous schedule which had the final release for January 22nd and no planned stress test besides the beta testing the is supposedly already going on.
Darkfall's official forums have already been flooded today, to the point where the forums are almost unusable. The response to the game is immense, and Adventurine has a bit of a publicity phenomena on their hands. So far they have made no official announcement regarding today's trial beta and what is happening with it, and most long-time Darkfall followers expect to hear little or nothing about it anyways. The true test will be whether or not the team meets its release date of February 25th.
While it does seem Darkfall is in a precarious situation with its fans, there are tons of screenshots and a number of videos that seem to prove that at least something is in development and is looking very impressive. Adventurine has every right to maintain its NDA and continue beta testing as it sees fit, as a company often feels the need to shield the common populace from its unpolished titles. I know, from experience, that titles that are too quickly opened up to the public in their beta stages can be ridiculed, judged, and left behind as though people were seeing a final product. The main problem Adventurine is having is its misleading announcements, which often leave fans thinking a chance to test out the game will come soon, even though that probably was in no way the plan to begin with. When it comes down to it, the company just needs to play into its release strategy a little more tactfully to avoid getting people so excited other nothing.
Darkfall looks VERY promising. It is breaking a mold that MMORPGs have followed for far too long. So, Adventurine, here's to your awesome game endeavor, and I hope to see some great release news come the end of February.
