Darkfall Online - New Gameplay Trailer

[c4tastroph3]

The concept of the game (no safe zones, full looting) is what I like. Like an old style of UO.

Looks very stiff though, like that guy running into the castle/keep moved like his plate set was rusted together.

I heard they focused on game mechanics first and not so much on the graphics, since I think it's pre beta right now? Most likely it'll get better, but I have had my eye on Darkfall for a while.

[Kaldur]

The day when PvP in MMOs becomes Skill > Equipment is when our characters will be running naked all over the place.

PvP skill in MMO's doesn't exist, even in those were you have memorized button mashing as in AoC.

Real PvP skill is in PC FPS's (Console FPS's are the playdoh versions, so don't come crying about it, yeah HALO is a joke)

[c4tastroph3]

Originally Posted by Kaldur

The day when PvP in MMOs becomes Skill > Equipment is when our characters will be running naked all over the place.

PvP skill in MMO's doesn't exist, even in those were you have memorized button mashing as in AoC.

Real PvP skill is in PC FPS's (Console FPS's are the playdoh versions, so don't come crying about it, yeah HALO is a joke)

I totally agree. I don't buy MMO's for skillful play. FPS and RTS are the skill games.

But back in Ultima Online days, the early days, you could literally skill up and mage duel people naked. Skill determined the winner then. Other than that, I haven't seen a real balanced PVP scene in any MMO.

Darkfall looks like it could have some potential. Other than the tinman movements.

[Kaldur]

123567890iop

[Myz]

I just kind of found it sad how horrible DF, as far as graphics are concerned, was portrayed in that video, and thus also about the response that it received here. Darkfall has one of the best, if not the best, art direction going for it that I have seen in an MMO to date. The only MMO that I believe to have potentially had better looking landscapes and art direction would have been Ryzom (oddly enough, Ryzom was recently re-opened as a F2P mmo, so maybe you guys may want to check it out and see what I mean when I tell you that the game is GORGEOUS, Ryzom - Science-Fantasy MMORPG Emphasising Universe, Freedom, Roleplay and Community).

Anyways, Darkfall developers have told time and time again that the graphics look considerably better in-game, especially in comparison to those seen in this new video. Just look at some of the new screenshots that they recently put up.




The gallery: Darkfall Gallery :: Darkfall Screenshots

You don't consider that to be good graphics?

Yeah, the video quality blew, but, seriously, I strongly recommend you guys reconsider your stance about whether or not you hate Darkfall and all that it encompasses after seeing that video. The point of it was to just show that the systems were real, that the game was real, and that it functioned. ****, I have given up MMOs and doubt I will even play Darkfall (I know 100% that I am not going to play Aion; that is why I left my moderator post on these forums months ago), but I just thought it could use a little defense, because it is probably the one MMO that is coming up that really deserves to be played.

[Sokar]

Originally Posted by Myz

I just kind of found it sad how horrible DF, as far as graphics are concerned, was portrayed in that video, and thus also about the response that it received here. Darkfall has one of the best, if not the best, art direction going for it that I have seen in an MMO to date.

Are you serious? You like that art direction? It's bland, it's dark, it's cookie cutter orcs and goblins. I see nothing innovative or fascinating about that art direction. It literally looks like a dozen other failed MMOs out there. If you read my previous posts, i actually think darkfall will be a decent game if it really lives up to it's Skill based combat. But as far as art direction goes, this game has to seriously be one of the worst games i've seen O_o

Seriously, put 2 of darkfall's best screens up against *ANY* Aion screen and you'll see there is no comparison. Aion's art direction is clear and unique. It sets itself apart from the droves of other MMOs out there. And say what people will about WoW, it too had a unique and solid art direction that initially helped it stand out from the crowd. NCsoft and Blizz are masters of creating definitive art styles that draw people in from the start.

As for Darkfall, i guarantee you nobody will be drawn to the game from the art direction...... the gameplay maybe, but that's a stretch as it takes more than skill based pvp to make a game.

-Sokar

[Myz]

Originally Posted by Sokar

Are you serious? You like that art direction? It's bland, it's dark, it's cookie cutter orcs and goblins. I see nothing innovative or fascinating about that art direction. It literally looks like a dozen other failed MMOs out there. If you read my previous posts, i actually think darkfall will be a decent game if it really lives up to it's Skill based combat. But as far as art direction goes, this game has to seriously be one of the worst games i've seen O_o

Yeah, I really do like it.

I completely empathize and understand where you are coming from when you say that "it's bland, it's dark, it's cookie cutter orcs and goblins," because, yeah, well, I understand where you are coming from, but I also disagree, and use the simple and safe counter-argument that this is all a matter of perspective. I believe that while it does have its cliche and tritely used centerpieces such as its orcs and goblin-eque style, I see within the scapes and scenes that have been shown to us various evidence that the artists put A LOT of time and effort into their creations. I just find the flora and buildings quite stylistic, and think the color palette chosen does a really good job to de-blandify "bland" environments.

Originally Posted by Sokar

Seriously, put 2 of darkfall's best screens up against *ANY* Aion screen and you'll see there is no comparison. Aion's art direction is clear and unique. It sets itself apart from the droves of other MMOs out there. And say what people will about WoW, it too had a unique and solid art direction that initially helped it stand out from the crowd. NCsoft and Blizz are masters of creating definitive art styles that draw people in from the start.

Okay:


But I am not comparing Darkfall to Aion. I DEFINITELY think Aion LOOKS good. Why else would I be here if I didn't find Aion attractive? It wasn't Aion's gameplay that first brought me to it; I'll tell you that much.

I just believe that Darkfall deserves more respect than has been shown in this thread, that's all.

WoW did (does) have a nice, unique style to it. It pulled me in too pre-beta and during beta. It just had nothing new to put onto the table for a MMO vet. But you would probably agree with me here.

Originally Posted by Sokar

As for Darkfall, i guarantee you nobody will be drawn to the game from the art direction...... the gameplay maybe, but that's a stretch as it takes more than skill based pvp to make a game.

This is quite a harsh and limited statement. Your previous points were mature and well-presented, but this one is just, well, stupid and fanboy-ish. It can be proven false just by examining how vaguely wrong it MUST be. Regardless, I don't think stating that its userbase will be pulled in because of its gameplay is a negative thing, especially given the current state of MMOs, and how so many people only judge a game by its looks. Further regardless, I still think Darkfall looks wonderful. ****** in that video, but, with faith, wonderful to play.

[Sokar]

Well, lets consider what "art direction" truly means:

Art direction is the personality and flow that a prescribed entity entails.

As a gallery director of over 14 years, and someone who sells fine art for a living, i can actually explain a lot about marketability in regards to Art Direction.

Now all art is subjective, lets get that out of the way. Aion's style while appealing to me personally will also not appeal to a great number of people due to it's very korean influence. Same will be said for darkfall. However, art direction is not subjective. Successful art direction is something that needs to be clean, concise, and universal. And to further add to that, in order for an art direction to be Marketable it must be unique enough that it stand out in a crowd when placed near other images in a similar genre.

As for the actual direction of Darkfall, it is solid. It has a universal look that flows throughout the whole land. The problem is with the marketability of the game and monotony. If you put this MMO up against countless other MMOs, it does *NOT* stand out. Using the same dark style that most medieval mmos have taken from (tolkene-esqe) it actually looks like the images could have been taken from any of them. You'd have to actually remind people that the game was a different one. An Example of that is actually a few DIE HARD fans of Darkfall who saw pics of the game and thought they were looking at LOTRO. That's not a good Sign.

You have to understand, although people are drawn to playstyle quite a bit, they are first drawn to the universe in which the game plays. This is why Art Direction is used to help distinguish one game from another. An excellent example of this would be Castlevania. That is one series where everyone KNOWS what to expect because the art style is so distinctive and marketable.

Same goes when i Market and manage artists in my own world. Some of my artists are not my favorites... i find that they're style is not as interesting as others and they could stand to learn a thing or 2 about traditional art. But.... if they have an art direction that makes them stand out in a crowd, they will make 3 times more money than artists twice as talented as them but do not know how to create a clear and universal vision for where their art is going.

Art direction can easily make or break a game. And unfortunately, from what i have seen of Darkfall, it has done little to make itself stand out in the crowd. Even their website is abysmal. They need to find a way to make the game look unique when presented in a crowd. As of right now, from everything i have seen of Darkfall, almost *EVERY* city looks identical, and every newly-created city used in the PVP system uses the same exact graphics over and over and over. Even the armors and weapons have been put through a cut-and-paste overload. For a game that is theoretically to be released before he end of the year...... They have MUCH to do before they are done.

Myz, my *BUSINESS* is art. I manage, publish, market, and sell it for a living. I know what sells when i see it. You may think my comments near the end are childish, but they are more realistic than anything. It's a gut feeling i've learned to listen to over 14+ years in this business. I do not wish ANYTHING bad for darkfall, as i think the developers have a fantastic idea on their hands. I truly hope they succeed. But it will not be the art direction that makes them succeed, it will be the gameplay. Granted, they may resolve some of the monotonous issues with the art direction in the future, but from what they have currently released, it might as well be any number of cookie-cutter F2P mmos.

-Sokar

[Livvy]

The day when PvP in MMOs becomes Skill > Equipment is when our characters will be running naked all over the place.

no, because guild wars has everyone wearing the same armor statwise so that is truly skill> equipment.

[Fleiva]

The graphics are just pushing technology in those screens, nothing outstanding art wise, but a lot of polygons which nowadays every engine comes from (basic templates). What Im more worried about, graphics wise, is that they considered throwing a bald guy in basic robe out of a waterfall with no animation whatsoever other than moving the character through the axis, worthy enough to be shown on a "hyper" video.

That Aion screen is hella old myz :P

[Terpsichore]

Originally Posted by Myz

WHAT THE HELL FEMALE DWARF???

[johneone]

Originally Posted by Sokar

I've got a friend who's really been following this game, and the concept is purely on the gameplay. It's a pure PVP styled game designed to revolutionize how fighting is handled. There will be no auto-attacks and everything must be done manually, so it's TRULY about skill and not just who had the better gear. In Darkfall Skill > Gear and Gameplay > Graphics.

-Sokar

Hmmm that sounds oddly familiar... Oh Yeah!
sounds just like AoC did, and we saw how well that worked...

[Myz]

Obviously I have been using too many words to get my point across.

All that I am saying is that Darkfall most likely will look and play much better in-game than what we saw in this newest video. That is all.

I respect your credentials, I respect and find your points extremely valid. I debate not and care not about Darkfall's marketability. From what I have concluded from our debate, I simply place more faith in Darkfall's developers ability to market their product. I agree that they have not really made much of an attempt to get word out about Darkfall's existence, though I also know that they have purposefully not tried, instead putting their focus onto the product itself. But yes, I do worry about their PR skills, and that is all left to be seen in the next few months. Maybe they will even get you a little bit excited about their game. I know that they are working on a new website, for example, so that qualifies one of your qualms.

Onto the reason we have this disagreement:

I believe that everything is subjective. Every word and every opinion. Success and expertise... everything. You say that art direction is not subjective, I obviously disagree. How can one ever tell another that two colors do not go together? Why must I agree that the sky is blue. It is a philosophical issue that we seem to disagree over, and this is oftentimes the reason that people find themselves arguing with my words. The problem is that I leave everything open to debate, and see more errors in my own points than another person ever will. I place no infringement over another's right to disagree, especially my own, and so oftentimes... disagreement occurs, and I love it.

I could say that 14 years worth of experience is nothing, and that I believe no worthy credibility will occur until one has been in a certain field for 15 years. It is all perspective, all subjective, I think. You believe that an artist must make him or herself stand out in a crowd, I believe that there are artists out there who try to keep themselves hidden.

And in response to my attack of your statement regarding art direction in your previous post ("i guarantee you nobody will be drawn to the game from the art direction...... "): well, my business is words, and so when I see a flaw in a statement, especially a vague one, I take pleasure in ripping it apart. All I was really getting at was that if one were to logically consider your statement, one would most likely be able to predict that at least ONE PERSON on this planet will see Darkfall's graphics and be drawn to the game because of them. You used the word nobody, and that was just silly. :P

Thank you for a well thought out and written response, seriously.

Originally Posted by Fleiva

That Aion screen is hella old myz :P

Lol, I know. But it is still an Aion screeny.

[Veni]

Sokar said basically everything I was going to say...

For me the art direction of a game more then its technical graphics prowess determines if I enjoy the look of a game. It was like when everyone raved how lovely AoC was and how it made WoW's look like crap...Well Im sorry but I think AoC is boring as all heck looking where as WoW still has wonderfully immersive art direction that I still enjoy looking at all these years later.

Still I hope they succeed because theirs been too many failed MMO's lately it seems...

[Riku]

No. I'm gonna have to pass on this one.