Darkfall: Newbie Protection Program


Kill the newbie!

Last month I talked about Aventurine’s plans for Darkfall this year, more specifically the focus on making the new player experience much more of a soft palm and not a bronze-knuckled fist. I also raised concern that this is creating speculation in the Darkfall community that this will bring updates along the lines of the New Game Enhancements, Ultima Online’s Trammel, and Runescape’s trade restrictions. The fact that those updates went through with as cryptic a notice, and Star Wars Galaxies did a lot of damage to developer-customer trust, doesn’t help the situation. I noted that more information would be coming in the near future.

I can say what I want, but with a recent announcement by Aventurine, the usual group just got another reason to call care-bear on the title. In a message to the community earlier today, Tasos announced the specifics of the previously mentioned new player experience. With it brings a very limited protection program, where new accounts have what is called newbie protection, that protects them from other players. Lasting for only a few hours, newbie protection will only allow for combat against monsters, inside of the new player zone. You can not damage other players, nor can you use structures that cause damage to other players. Teleports, Runestones, portals, clans, mounts, and skilling up on other players is also disabled while Newbie Mode is active.

The NPE is optional, and can be turned off at any point. Luckily the Darkfall community as a whole is backing up this protection, and Tasos’ confirmation that it was implemented specifically “without softening the game.” Despite the outcry of the normal vocal minority, who still believe this to be a ‘slippery slop’ towards a Trammel-esque update, Aventurine is showing that they know who they are advertising to, but that those players should be helped as they get used to the game, not punished.

More on Darkfall 2010 as it appears.

Warhammer 40k MMO: Little Information, High Hopes


Warhammer 40k Online is one of those titles you don’t read too much about, except for plenty of speculation on the part of the public. Announced three years ago, we know now that the MMO will be slated for release in 2012 (Competing year with the Fallout MMO Beta). I’ve wanted to do an article on the Warhammer MMO because, as far as titles go, I feel Warhammer 40k’s hype may end up killing it before it comes out of the womb.

As it stands, Warhammer has a following of what I refer to as the disgruntled Ex. Players who left Warhammer Online, who are now looking towards the 40k MMO for everything they expected from Warhammer Online. Such conditions can only lead to even higher disappointment than what the players may have experienced had Warhammer Online never entered the picture. The 40k MMO will also have to pass the hurdle of being the “spiritual successor,” despite absolutely no links to the original game aside from lore, where the two face a level of comparison down to the microscopic level.

In the absence of information, people will fill in the void with their own speculation, and the end result is never good. THQ hopes to fill this void this summer at the Electronics Entertainment Expo where Warhammer 40k Online will be fully revealed in all of its splendor and glory. Until then, more on Warhammer 40k Online as it appears.

Dungeons and Dragons Online: Good Stuff Free


I Need a New DDO Image

Dungeons and Dragons went free to play earlier this year, and ever since then Turbine has been on the hot streak with the title. Apart from opening up a new server, Turbine noted a 40% increase in paying subscribers as a result of this program. Players are enjoying the game, paying for content, and the game has turned into an even bigger cash cow for Turbine. So I know what you’re thinking, prospective Dungeons and Dragons Online Players: Omali, how can this deal get sweeter? Does Turbine have an update, let’s call it Update 3, coming out that will make Dungeons and Dragons Online even better, even if I don’t want to pay?

That is an extremely specific question, and good enough that I have an extremely specific answer! The answer of course is yes. Turbine has raised the bar once again, offering more to free players while at the same time not detracting from the subscriber experience.

  1. Leveling sigils are no more, removing the limit on levels on free players.
  2. New high level dungeons for all players.
  3. Solo difficulty has been removed and replaced with “casual” difficulty. Essentially it is solo difficulty, but able to be used by groups.
  4. And new items in the item mall.

While you’re at it, take part in two new events in celebration of the game’s upcoming 4 year anniversary (February 26th).

Dungeons and Dragons remains among the best free to play games on the market, and if you have not checked the title out, now is as good of a time as any. Dungeons and Dragons Online still receives regular major content updates every two to three months.

Star Trek Online Launches to One Million Minus One Community Manager


Daeke! NO!!!!!

I have good news and I have bad news for you Cryptic fans out there, and in favor of the old journalistic value of stringing you along, I will start with the good news.

This news concerns Star Trek Online, which launched just yesterday. Despite the fanfare of the vocal minority on the Star Trek forums over the open beta and head start, Star Trek Online opened to better than expected numbers, one million accounts. Aside from being on the top 10 lists on Amazon, Steam, Direct 2 Drive, and other venues, Cryptic’s latest title has been doing so well that the company will be beefing up the server capacity in order to contain it all.

Unfortunately, where there is good, there is bad. While Star Trek Online players prosper, Chamions Online players are met with sorrow. Those of you who play Champions Online, and are at least moderately active in the forums, will likely know Daeke, Cryptic’s Community Manager. No, Daeke was not pulled out of a ship through its open hull (well, he wasn’t killed by it, but that is another story entirely. Daeke has left Cryptic, on unknown terms he is either not willing to talk about or unable to legally.

I think even those who constantly complain about Cryptic will be sad to see Daeke go, although the conspiracy train is already trudging out of the station. The speculators believe that Daeke was fired due to his slipping of the information that the next expansion in Champions Online would be a paid-for expansion, a factor Cryptic may have wanted to keep under wraps, especially considering the uproar the announcement has caused.

More from the Cryptic Future as it appears.

Cryptic Says: Ask Us Anything


Gustav says: Don't say anything without a lawyer present.

Being the purported Cryptic employee that I am,  I have to take as much opportunity as possible to spread uncertainty among those who would otherwise believe such claims. Granted, a talk with Cryptic will offer more specific results than, say, a talk with Jagex’s CEO Mark Gerhard (Ask him anything about the game, assuming he even acknowledges the question, the answer will likely be “I can’t talk about that at this time.”), but the question still remains as to whether or not Cryptic takes player feedback to heart. Take, for example, earlier last year I reported on Cryptic’s seeming lack of recognition towards their own test servers, not only making the mistake of having a two hour cooldown during the Blood Moon event, but after lowering the time making the exact same mistake on the Winter event.

Ask Cryptic is back, on this forum thread, you can literally ask Cryptic anything you want, on any subject, as long as it is respectfully worded (No, you can’t ask “why are you guys such Nazi nickle-and-dimers”). If the question is related to upcoming content, your odds of getting a straight answer are much more likely. Otherwise if you’re going to be giving a little bit of advice, you may be better off doing it on the feedback forums where you can be ignored on a more fulfilling level.

Not to say Cryptic doesn’t care about its userbase, but they have had something of a breakdown in communications ever since Champions Online, that is yet to have been corrected. Moments that make you wonder who in their right mind green-lighted that move.

Star Trek Online: Expanded Servers And Guinness


The tag on this Borg says...Made in China?

Star Trek Online’s launch feels like it was just yesterday, although that may be because it was in fact just yesterday. Despite the normal outcry from the usual vocal minority, the player response to the title has been great. So great, in fact, that Cryptic is rushing to get better server capacity to the title. The following surfaced on the main Star Trek website.

Hey folks,

We just wanted to update you on our in-game server capacity status. Throughout Head Start we noticed the overwhelming response to the game and we are working on changes to further increase the number of people who can play Star Trek Online at any given time. Our current plan is to have these changes in place sometime this coming weekend. We will, of course, keep you updated on progress as it happens.

Really, we just want to thank you all again for your continued support and patience. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here.

-The Star Trek Online Team

Meanwhile, do you live near London? If not, can you get there on February 14th? Cryptic is holding an attempt to get a spot in the Guinness book of world records for most people gathered in one place dressed up as Star Trek characters (with a fork in one hand, a small dog under the other arm, and two eggs balanced on a drink hat, in case the category wasn’t specific enough). Best dressed cosplayers are up for prizes, including lifetime subscriptions to Star Trek Online.

I think it’s about time to don the old borg outfit and head down to London to start assimilating.

Server Merger Off The Port Bow!


Batten down the hatches!

Pirates of the Burning Sea launched two years ago this January following an elongated development period on the part of Flying Lab Software. Despite the factors of player run economies, developer immersion, a surprising balance in classes, and player vs player ship combat, the game fell short of a hot launch due to the steep learning curve and lack of documentation for new players. Despite that, reviewers called it innovative, and an example for other MMOs to follow, rather than a “reskinned Everquest.”

As I have pointed out in the past, reviewers can say what they want, an MMOs’ success comes down to one thing: Player retention. In late 08, in order to increase server populations, Flying Labs shut down seven servers, reducing the final number down to six worldwide servers.

Well, depending on how you want to see it, the consolidation was either a huge success, or just a temporary fix to a bigger issue. Flying Labs is at it again, and in the latest developer blog, the developer detailed plans to reduce the server count further, to two servers (Antigua and Roberts), one server in North America and one in Europe.

The servers will be live until March 5th, when they will be taken down. Until then, players are able to transfer their characters to one of the two remaining servers. More on the server merger as it appears.

City of Heroes: Free Transfers Until Feb. 28th


This is not a sign.

NCsoft would like to remind you that the free character transfer program, unlike some developers, that was originally scheduled from December to the end of January, should not be taken as a preclude to any servers shutting down or merging. That being said, NCsoft would also like to announce that said free transfer program will be extended until February 28th.

There are certain limitations to the transfer, however. You will have to change your name if it is taken on the new server, only six characters may be transferred per week, you cannot transfer between North American and European servers, not all possessions will transfer and you will lose super-group affiliation, prestige, and your supergroup base items. If you need more information, it is in your best interest to ask on the forums, as the knowledge base link NCsoft has provided is currently dead.

For more on City of Heroes and its not-preclude to a server merger, stay tuned to MMO Fallout.

Hello, February!


Expansions, Releases, Shutdowns?

Today is the day we look at January and say “See you next year!” Yes it can only be February, and February can only mean another Everquest expansion is releasing.

February starts off with two titles releasing: Global Agenda and Star Trek Online, on the first and second respectively. An important thing to remember about Global Agenda is that the game does have a single player and multiplayer free component, and that the persistent world AvA is the only portion that requires a subscription. Whether this subscription will maintain or go the way of Cities XL and Crimecraft is yet to be seen.

Star Trek Online, on the other hand, will be seeking the approval of Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike. Considering its place at the top of Steam’s sales list for the past few weeks, if Cryptic can keep the retention rate high, they will have a highly successful title on their hands. As for the myriad of preorder exclusives, we can only hope they will be available at some point on the Cryptic store.

This month also brings us some interesting news from Star Vault and the oft-delayed and much trolled Mortal Online. This month, today in fact, Mortal Online will be going into an open beta phase, where everyone can join! Although relegated to their own open beta server, that may or may not be capped, alongside a 5 euro discount in the box copy, anyone can join in for free and start playing. And by playing, of course, I mean jumping on the forums to textually assault those who paid for beta access by preorder. Mortal Online will stay in open beta until the game goes gold, when it will start charging the monthly fee and you will be required to own the game.

There’s no time for that, Omali, you say! Everquest 2 has a new expansion coming out this month! Sentinel’s Fate brings with it your normal expansion goody bag. New zones, new dungeons, a higher level cap (90), new loot, new weapons and armor, and new quests. Four hundred quests to be exact, and thousands of new items.

As for MMO Fallout, I decided to prune a couple of categories from the Live list due to clutter and inconsistency of updates. The Anarchy Online, Tibia, and Ragnarok Online categories have been deleted. Hopefully the Live category will be that much less cluttered.

Surely this can’t be all that is happening in February, you say. Of course not, but if I told you everything now, what reason would you have to keep coming back until next month? I see your trickery, internet, and I will not fall for it. Not after all of those lost buffs.

Why Not A Cryptic Pass? NCsoft Pass? Turbine Pass!


So-eeeee.

Whatever you think about Sony, you can’t deny the deal they have going for their titles. For the price of only two MMOs per month, you can access virtually any Sony game you own. Everquest, Everquest 2, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Planetside, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Free Realms, and that console Everquest game. That’s 8 games for the price of two!

Going over Sony’s station pass got me thinking: Why don’t other developers have a similar deal? I would love to see an NCsoft Station Pass, that could bundle Aion, City of X, Lineage, Lineage 2 in one package. Or possibly a Turbine deal, a package of Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Asheron’s Call. How about a Funcom pack, with Age of Conan and Anarchy Online in one deal?

Now, some will say that developers will be losing money on this, but I wholeheartedly disagree. In fact, Sony’s Station Pass has shown to be a way to coerce people into spending more than they normally would on subscriptions. To believe that even a fraction of the players who have the Station Pass would spend the over hundred dollars a month on each game’s subscription separately is absurd to say the least. Having such a pass could also breath life into the older titles on the list.

Jagex has an offering similar to this. Although not an MMO, players can subscribe to Runescape and FunOrb for a discount. When Stellar Dawn is launched, it is expected that players will be able to opt for an additional discount.

This may all be wishful thinking, but I would certainly pay for a Turbine Station pass.