The folks over at Aventurine have released an update on the progress of their pre-launch test, telling us that improvements have been made and that another round of invites should be going out.

The folks over at Aventurine have released an update on the status of their upcoming MMORPG, Darkfall. According to the release the trial, which from this reporter's perspective closely resembles a Closed Beta, has been making strides in terms of player feedback and load test, having exposed an issue with their patching and login systems as well as others, which have been addressed. All well in line with what you would expect from a game in the closed beta phase of testing.

Read Darkfall News Update

It resembles a CB 'cos that's just what it is. Aventurine have simply renamed it as a trial to make it look like they're progressing. I'm sure they've been taking some tips on political spin.

Good to see they're starting to sort out some of the issues, though. I'm glad they're addressing the UI - it looked hideous before.

Looks as though they've finally realised they're having to be a bit more open with their fanbase. Too much simpering from adoring fans can make developers get lazy. Glad they got the wake up call they deserved.

Over 7 years and counting and still no Closed Beta.

If they didn't have something as simple as mousewheel zoom in before, it really scares me to think what else they're missing as far as controls go...

It doesn't matter how nice or innovative a game is - if the control system sucks people will not play it.

Originally posted by kelarcanus

If they didn't have something as simple as mousewheel zoom in before, it really scares me to think what else they're missing as far as controls go...

 

It doesn't matter how nice or innovative a game is - if the control system sucks people will not play it.

Nah, Tasos just has to press his magic button and lollipops and gumdrops (or maybe death and destruction) will rain down from the Darkfall Heavens to create the perfect game that will revolutionize this genre forever and ever and maybe about a year. Who knows.

Monsters will now visibly taunt you

i like the sound of this idea

other than that all I can say is i like the screenshot

What I still don't understand is their continuing refusal to allow a media site in.  Also the continued NDA pretty much indicates to most of us that the game just is not close to being ready for the public yet.  I just don't see how this game will release in February at this stage.

I hope they can get all the kinks out fast.

Originally posted by Karahandras

Monsters will now visibly taunt you

i like the sound of this idea

other than that all I can say is i like the screenshot

That little feature has been in Everquest 2 since day 1, wandering around the commonlands to see the Orcs gesturing you to kiss their Ass is always quite funny, ofc once you out lvl them and they go "Grey" they then shy away from you in fear of your presence, guess after it being in a game for 5 yrs some other game also had to add something similar, but yes always a welcome addition to make the game feel more alive.

The only question is;  Will the NDA be lifted before they take pre-order money.

They said they would never do preorders and they have backtracked on that promise... if they ever meant to keep it to begin with.  But if they announce they are going to accept pre-order money without allowing any beta testers or the press from talking about the game.. well that should just be a huge scam-alert everywhere.

They also haven't addressed many of the 'features' that were announced last month as being turned off.  Housing, Guilds, Ships etc.  They have added some pretty minor things to the game, but most of the big features of the game have not been turned on yet.   How do they expect to test them and release the game in under a month.

Why does it look soo "brown"?

Sorry, but I am beginning to trust Aventurine less and less. At one point Taos said that "everyone" would have a chance to try the game before they buy. Now, they are allowing a select few into the "trial" as if that is going to appease anyone. The more and more I hear from these people the more and more the term "snake oil salesman" comes to mind. Time will tell but I have already slipped into the "stay away" column.

I'll take a guess and say the media invites will go out at the same time the NDA is lifted.

Which will coincide with Pre-Orders being available.

Hey, I can guess, can't I?

Originally posted by AlienShirt

Over 7 years and counting and still no Closed Beta.

Ignorant posts got old a while ago....

Originally posted by Gruug

Sorry, but I am beginning to trust Aventurine less and less. At one point Taos said that "everyone" would have a chance to try the game before they buy. Now, they are allowing a select few into the "trial" as if that is going to appease anyone. The more and more I hear from these people the more and more the term "snake oil salesman" comes to mind. Time will tell but I have already slipped into the "stay away" column.

And yet... You're still here following around the game trying to make yourself feel better.

But don't worry, You definitely are not alone in that department.

Originally posted by Kinikka

Originally posted by Gruug

Sorry, but I am beginning to trust Aventurine less and less. At one point Taos said that "everyone" would have a chance to try the game before they buy. Now, they are allowing a select few into the "trial" as if that is going to appease anyone. The more and more I hear from these people the more and more the term "snake oil salesman" comes to mind. Time will tell but I have already slipped into the "stay away" column.

 

And yet... You're still here following around the game trying to make yourself feel better.

 

 

But don't worry, You definitely are not alone in that department.

You're driving down the highway and see a wreck by the side of the road.  Cops are there and lights are flashing.  You can't help but be curious and look, as well as talk about it with the other people in the car with you.

That doesn't mean you actually want to be in a wreck, yourself.

I'm with Gruug.  The stuff I'm hearing from Aventurine reminds me way too much of Funcom before (and after) the launch of AoC.  And honestly, what I've seen from this game's community doesn't help either.  I may check out Darkfall after it's been out for 6 months or so.  That doesn't stop me from being curious (and amused) when new spinspeak comes out, though.

It looks interesting, though it is a little wierd that they've still got the NDA going (course, I'm just beating a dead horse now, aren't I?)

Originally posted by qbangy32

Originally posted by Karahandras

Monsters will now visibly taunt you

i like the sound of this idea

other than that all I can say is i like the screenshot

 

That little feature has been in Everquest 2 since day 1, wandering around the commonlands to see the Orcs gesturing you to kiss their Ass is always quite funny, ofc once you out lvl them and they go "Grey" they then shy away from you in fear of your presence, guess after it being in a game for 5 yrs some other game also had to add something similar, but yes always a welcome addition to make the game feel more alive.

 Oh yea i do remember that.... It gives the atmospehere ingame a whole different approach.....

 It makes the environment somehow more alive as well...

 

Veeeery good veeeery good that we will see that in DF :p

  Now this article, I feel, was open and honest.  Positive but realistic.  Thank you Jon.

IMO every MMO should be under NDA until just before launch. Otherwise existing MMO's just clone the original ideas out of the new game in some half-assed fashion making the new game seem little more than a half-assed attemped at something new.

If more things are under NDA until close to launch I bet each company would be forced to undertake new innovation giving us increasingly diversified choices in gaming like the first games MMO's that defined the industry did.

It's not like you get an extensive free trial and specs for every item in each new FPS, RTS, RPG etc. before it launches. The appeal of single player/console gaming is the diversity of games. The homogony of games coming out (thanks to releasing all their data) may one day result in a mass exodus from mmo's and the genre will sputter. More things will be copied because sales are down and public corporations(which are driven by profits rather than dreams)  will be less and less likely to "risk" money on a few bright developers.

That doesn't mean we should get suckered into a Pre-order. I'm not saying this as a Darkfall fanboi but someone who runs a guild in WAR. I love the game but I see where their marketing has goofed up so many times and I also watched Blizzard swoop down like a vulture. Blizz copied things like the ToK and RvR with their achievement's system 1 PvP zone which suprisingly is more like DAoC than WAR is.

I played Vanilla/tBC WoW. They're both great games. Now, thanks to marketing WAR's differences, they're much more similiar than they would have been if WAR kept it's mouth shut.

 anyone else notice that they are adding features in... less than one month from it being released? 

here is a list of what i consider new features that are being put in only 3 weeks before release i believe.

Rune Stones (recall stones) have been enabled.

Directional attacks for all melee weapons have been added. You can slice vertically or horizontally.

High score quests have been enabled.

Time limit high score quests are enabled.
Wildlife has been enabled. Tigers, bears, lions etc. can be found in nature.
Underwater monsters are now enabled.
Roaming monster packs are enabled.
More player skills have been added.

Maybe i'm misunderstanding it, but if the beta testers are just now getting a glimps of these, who knows if they will present bugs. Like now the roaming mobs will roam into newbie areas. I dunno what exactly could go wrong, but in my experience enabling things tends to add new possible bugs. And they are just doing this now? Well i guess i hope that they all work out the first time, or i wouldn't be surprised to see another month delay saying, "with all the bugs we found, we are dealying for a month to fix them".

Also for another example of what could go wrong, directional attacks for all melee weapons have been ADDED. see that, added, not enabled. How much you wanna bet that some weapons wont work, aka they wont deal damage, wont have the range done right, or something is going to be wrong with one of the weapons.