To krackajap:

That might work better. But then you're effectively doubling all keys necessary to perform the combos. In the original system you only needed to activate the original combo and then just the directional buttons. People will start learning the directional sequence by heart at some point, so the extra key for programming,  both minimises the gain and makes you totally dependant on the hardware to play the game.

Lets say you work in a RL bank and you find a loophole in the security system that allows you to draw money. I want to see how somebody would justify a theft like this to a judge. "It wasn't my fault but the bank's that allowed me to take the money".

Exploiting in the game is hardly as severe as stealing a bank. Thus you usually just lose your account when performing such acts. Trying to justify the exploit by claiming it was the company's fault is as hilarious as trying to justify the theft in the example above.

The principles and morals behind those two examples are the same. The scale is just different.

Adult does not equal maturity and the community is what you make of it. Like minded people are usually attracted to each other.

Personally, I always deactivate general channels in all the games I play, including LOTRO's RP server.

AoC took quite some heat because the forums were not open to non subscribers for a while (not 100% sure if they are open now, I didn't bother with them). Most of the accusations were revolving around Funcom having to hide something, thus why they kept the forums "private".

WAR on the other hand is going towards a no-forums-at-all solution and people are applauding for that choice?

Can you spot the inconsistency?

The difference is not on your opponent, but on you. The programmable combo makes the sequence executed faster, but the last part, which is the most damaging one may not land the moment you want it to, since it's hard coded. If you're controlling the sequence by hand, it's more work but you can control exactly when to activate the last sequence, aka, when you're on top of your opponent.

In time, people will become proficient with the system and will learn the sequences by heart. When this happens and when people let go of the button mashing and go more with the flow of the battle, these subtle changes will become more apparent.

You were expecting a phallus on a maiden?

Each directional button you press does damage. The big damage comes with the completion of the combo. The trick for the player on the receiving end is to realise that a combo has started and act accordingly. Especially for casters, keep on casting while a melee performs a combo is asking for punishment.

So even if you are on top of your opponent when you started the sequence and you hit him with the first combo attacks, he will still have time to disengage before the final combo sequence hits him. When you activate a macro or a hardware-macro, you are effectively locking yourself to the spot of the first combo sequence (or at the least, you can't control when and where the last sequence will activate). If your opponent is smart, he'll take the hint from the combo sequence start and disengage. You may still hit him with the last sequence, but it's more of a hit-and-miss than if you were controlling exactly when to activate the last sequence.

The game is young and most people don't know how to fight properly. In due time the difference in techniques will become more noticeable.

If the whole thread was based on an exploit, they had every right to delete it.

The problem with the programmable keyboards and other devices is that you're locking down the combo sequence. All somebody has to do to make you waste the combo and your stamina is double-tap back.

In time people will find their equilibrium in regards to the method of playing. Right now the game is too young so those with the artificial means seem superior than the rest. Give it some time for people to adjust to the combat system and the situation will change.

I've only read the original message so my answer is towards the OP. Yes, ban the offenders is the best course of action. Just because the exploit is there, doesn't mean that the offenders were justified to use it. No matter how you look at it, its a ban-able offence and the game will be better off without these people.

The system is different enough to be loved ... or hated. Whether is better or worse is just an opinion, so it's more of a subjective matter. It's no more or less button mashing than a standard auto-attack system. Auto-attack systems are based on specials to give both the excitement and to make a difference in combat. If the special attacks don't matter, something is not working properly.

If anything, people should be happy somebody tried something different after so much time. So far everyone plays it safe with the years old system. It's not a better system by default, it's just well known. The OP pointed towards a problem with his original message. At this point certain people are hopelessly entrenched to the auto-attack system, that they will not accept something different. Not necessarily better, just different. Auto-attack system took time, months etc to master. You just see it everywhere, so people adapt fast to slight variations. This system is so different that it makes it harder to both adapt and be good at it in the time people are adapting to auto-attack. Thus the "I don't get it" posts, like the original.

It's not the fact that it's different enough to make it distingishable that it makes it better, in my opinion. It's the fact that it brings some needed variation. Everyone else is using auto-attack. It's not the holy grail. Give this system the benefit of the doubt and give yourself the time to adapt before you reject it. It does feel weird at first, but it does have a different dynamic into it.

For all its flaws, AoC is released. Compare it with Darkfall is like comparing a living human with a ghost. Some will say it doesn't exist. Most will say that no comparison is possible. A selected few believe in ghosts.

To sum this wall of text in 5 words ...

OP did not like the combat.

PvP is open only in border kingdoms in the PvE servers (also duels and mini games are available)

10 day is not much of anything in a game that the top is hard coded. It's not like it's EVE where you'll never catch up with the veterans.

Seriously though, just think of what you enjoy the most. The game RPG element is very strong and the quest presentation is very good. If you are onto PvE you will enjoy this part.

If you're interested more into PvP, the server rules are Free For All, meaning that anyone can be a potential enemy and most times they are.

The only way to keep a discussion going on Darkfall is by threads like this one unfortunately. Wish there was a game behind the wish list, but development at this point seem indefinitely on hold.

Good question. Hard to tell at this point. And no, if anything, these forums are hardly an indication of anything. If they were, WoW would have flopped years ago.

People are entertained with just the WoW arena instances. I wouldn't bet on that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and their own preferences. Variety is a good thing ;)

It would have been a lot easier to read if it was either smaller (more condensed) or used some of the features of these boards, like bold, caps, underlines, lines etc.

As for the fanboys bit, this forum is saturated by haters. Any happy thoughts generated by any sort of enthusiast is getting drawned by negativity of all sorts. If you feel good about playing a game you're a. an idiot that has no sense of quality or b. a victim of marketing and hype.

Some people just can't seem to be able to grasp that playing an MMO is a balance between the things loved and hated. And when the balance tips towards love, the bad things weight less. They are there of course. But they weight less.