Tag: Update

Dungeons and Dragons Online!


I Need a New DDO Image

I don’t talk about Dungeons and Dragons nearly enough, but the game is the poster child for the typical crazy success story. Game launches, game goes partially free to play with a subscription and cash shop, game explodes in popularity. Not to say Dungeons and Dragons was hurting, just that not nearly enough people were giving the game the attention it warranted.

Needless to say, the move was a huge success. Turbine announced earlier this year that the initiative had brought in over one million new players, and more than doubled the number of subscribers, while the cash shop saw a huge boost in purchases. Since then, Turbine has done everything they can to accommodate free players, including the removal of leveling sigils, allowing anyone to make it to level 20, and introduced “casual” difficulty, for solo players. Two enormous updates (Update 3 and 4) have launched, with more updates along the way.

So what’s coming in DDO’s future? Guild airships! Players will be able to build bankers, auctioneers, vendors, and other bits in their guild housing, which will serve as transportation and quick teleportation to many dungeons and raids. The guild itself will have a leveling system by which players can access better airships. Even more stunning, the airships will be viewable in in-game airspace! Half-Orcs will become a playable race at some point this year as well, alongside a bevy of new adventure packs and other items hitting the Turbine store.

More on Turbine and Dungeons and Dragons Online as it appears. To those who have asked, no I do not have any new information on the lawsuit between Turbine and Atari.

Darkfall Isn’t Dead!


People think that I must hate being wrong when I write articles for MMO Fallout when, in fact, the opposite is true. Even though the main purpose of MMO Fallout is somewhat doom and gloom, I do try to balance that with articles on success and companies prospering. So it makes me glad to see the dedication to Darkfall that Aventurine has, with a vision that they are bringing into the world, to make the game in their image, while still being accessible to more and more players.

darkfall

On September 2nd, Aventurine released a balancing patch in preparation for an upcoming October Expansion. The patch tweaks quite a few mechanics of the game. Some important notes:

  • Ships are now cheaper, but with reduced hitpoints
  • Ships and Warhulks are slowed by damage.
  • Weaponsmithing leveling is faster creating higher leveled weapons.
  • New one handed clubs, and elemental bows
  • Shield blocking damage has been reduced
  • Spell trees level faster in preparation for adding more schools
  • Spells cost less, but have a lower AOE damage.
  • Villages bring in more gold, but have less hitpoints
  • Training on monsters gives triple the experience of fighting players

Darkfall is the closest thing you’ll get to the original Ultima Online, obviously barring the lack of an isometric view. Aventurine knows their target audience, and knows who they are not advertising to, and they are ok with that.

Darkfall Isn't Dead!


People think that I must hate being wrong when I write articles for MMO Fallout when, in fact, the opposite is true. Even though the main purpose of MMO Fallout is somewhat doom and gloom, I do try to balance that with articles on success and companies prospering. So it makes me glad to see the dedication to Darkfall that Aventurine has, with a vision that they are bringing into the world, to make the game in their image, while still being accessible to more and more players.

darkfall

On September 2nd, Aventurine released a balancing patch in preparation for an upcoming October Expansion. The patch tweaks quite a few mechanics of the game. Some important notes:

  • Ships are now cheaper, but with reduced hitpoints
  • Ships and Warhulks are slowed by damage.
  • Weaponsmithing leveling is faster creating higher leveled weapons.
  • New one handed clubs, and elemental bows
  • Shield blocking damage has been reduced
  • Spell trees level faster in preparation for adding more schools
  • Spells cost less, but have a lower AOE damage.
  • Villages bring in more gold, but have less hitpoints
  • Training on monsters gives triple the experience of fighting players

Darkfall is the closest thing you’ll get to the original Ultima Online, obviously barring the lack of an isometric view. Aventurine knows their target audience, and knows who they are not advertising to, and they are ok with that.