God...i hope everyone involved in SWG's (lets let everyone be jedi) and CU and NGE severance package includes a kick in the nuts.

Although, they did get one thing right...the fans were passionate....we all passionatly hated SOE with the burning hatred of a 1000 suns for ruining the game 3 fold.

This isn't a tragedy...its a mercy killing.

RIP SWG...they....can't hurt you anymore now...

Ugh...where to start...

1) Right off the top i wanna say, I am a huge SW fan. And I was a deticated SWG player (pre-cu). I will not even waste a nickel on a subscription to SWTOR. Even as a SW fan...no information released on this game even looks remotly interesting/unique. If anything it looks worse and more boring than a MMO more than 7 years old (swg-precu) and even some free MMOs that have come recently.

2) As the article pretty much points out...it looks like just another WOW clone. Replace magic with force, etc..etc...etc.

- Will not be a game changer if this is the case. People will more than likly not leave WoW very long to try this game (see below for explaination).

3) The "WoW" game model is not a "tried and true" model as designers, devs, investors, and others beleive. WoW did well because it was the first main stream to use that model. Games that clone it fail because its trying to copy success but fails to realize WoW players have already spent years playing, and will not leave for a new game that is exactly the same with just different skins/bells/whistles. Its been years of people attempting WoW clones and realitivly failing miserably because they are not offering anything better/new. Thats the failure of the industry. Seriously, there are tons of WoW players that want to leave, but they won't leave for just another version of WoW. It has to be new. In every MMO early start up I have seen tons come try, and leave saying..."well...i will just go back to *insert game tittle*"

4) *Opinion* Its more than likly SWTOR will start with a massive subsciption base, but will rapidly dwindle within 3-6 months, ending with die-hard SW/BW fans, new gamers, etc... (ie any other branded mmo who has attempted to clone WoW). Even money says it ends up lower-middle of the road mmo like LOR, Connan, etc. Not a dismal failure, but nothing close to an epic success.

5) A genre changing game for MMOs will most likly stem from indie devs. Even lacking the numbers, financials, experience...they will be the ones who still have a creative lust, and actual passion for what they are trying to accomplish that the industry hasn't already beaten out of them. Ahhh...whats the word I am looking for here...ah yes...creative integrity.

6) Its always has been and will be pointless to try to point this out to people.

*Note - I only use WoW so much as an example because its mentioned in the article and is the "big gun" still. I personally hate the game with a passion.*

Its a good idea, although abit short relativly speaking only because 7 or so hours in Darkfall is like spending 20 minutes or so in another MMORPG. I don't think it will help as much as some hope.

I remember the first day we installed DF, i watched someone get ganked about 15 or so times their first 30 or so minutes of play time. Mostly by different players each time. Pretty much the standard of the game the entire time I played. If I was trying to do anything other than PVP, someone would try to or succeed in ganking me, which includes everytime I was doing PVE, dungeons, harvesting resources (not under a tower), crafting (not under a tower), exploring the enviroment, going from one city to another, etc.

Although, imo, having watched the development of Darkfall since everyone thought it was vaporware for years, with high hopes, I think many have the wrong impression of the game. I see so many people say its a PVP game. In my opinion, that is what the players turned it into, not what it was meant to be. I think it was meant to be a sandbox game, allowing for a wide spread of different game play, so that each player could enjoy some part of the game.

I think the game had the most amazing and creative concept I have seen in along time for MMOs, however, half because of the implementation, and half because of the player base it attracted, the original concept was lost. Its more PVP than sandbox, the game and players shove PVP so far down your throat the rest of the game is lost and pointless. Every single aspect of the game became pointed to PVP. Worst of which was the crafting, not meaning the crafting system itself, i liked it, but the fact that everyone grinds all crafting eventually just for stats.

All just my opinion though, mostly to support the original statement about the game play. I don't think a few hours would make any difference in Darkfall. It is definatly a more slowly paced and painful progression level than most MMOs, Seven hours, including just getting a feel for the game, getting around, maybe doing a few starter quests, killing a few gobos....your looking at a few extra items and gold they will lose quickly after, and maybe their stats being + .5 - 1 points higher than starting. At the very least, its definatly not a game changer if anyone is worried about it. 

Even though I am usually a firm beleiver in the  "Give each game its own fair chance" rule...I'm afraid I for one am also going to have to go with the popular consent here.... SOE MMO's are a tried and failed product all around. The companies history is just too blemished now to give any title that even has thier logo on it a fair shot...its just not worth wasting the time...even if it starts out as a good title.

Although again...this is my bias'd opinion of SOE:

SOE is historically known for its blunders. SOE is historically known for running a decent title into the ground. SOE has a history of ignoring all/most of the player feedback. To me...SOE is the worst type of publisher, they are a bottom dollar company that doesn't care about the so called "content" they slam around their game engine so long as its a shiny title that appeals to a crowd or already has a fan base. They have no desire to make a good and lasting game that will provide many hours of real entertainment and joy for people...and that should be the number one priority IMO. They are banking on the retail sales and the 1-3 months of subscription fees they will collect from DC fans before they flee in shock and dismay. In the end...another SOE station pass garbage game they can write off as being "successful" because sooooooo many people of course are "Playing/Subscribed" the game  (because they have a station pass, not becuase they are active).

The worst part...regardless of how bad they do...or how they botch a game...or how they ignore and treat their player base like garbage...they will NEVER APOLOGIZE....never say they are SORRY....and never correct their mistakes...regardless of how obvious it is to the rest of the world. Seriously...SOE has burned the bridge...with extreme predijuced.

I feel truly sorry for anyone looking forward to this game because they are a fan of DC comics. Truly...my heart felt and sincere sympathies....because you will be witness to watching it get butchered. If you are a SW and a DC fan...well...really...there's nothing I can say to those people...they already know...or at least will find out.

Its a sad day when a PnP game takes a que from an MMORPG and not the other way around. PnP games came first...were good enough that MMOs are the attempt to mimic them into an online digital enviroment. It should never be the other way around. MMO's should be taking there ques from PnP games like they always have.

PnP is all about creative content...not "rules".  The rules don't even count for the most part if your real D&D players....cause hey...remember this: "Your DM...what you say goes...regardless...core rules included." Thats part of what makes D&D what it was.

4th Ed is the dumbed down version of DnD for the upcoming lazy generation...people who like everything handed to them...with little to no imagination...lead around on a chain....everything PnP D&D should stand against. Its made for the WOW crowd. Gary Gygax prolly turned over in his grave.

4th Edition seems to have pretty much cut out everything thats not a bare minimum for "hack n slash" gaming. I even find the terms used to generic the class types offensive. They even cut BARD completly out of the game for example.

I've played every edition of D&D to date...still have my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5 books...I don't forsee myself getting into or using much if any of the 4th edition rules personally. Apologies for the rant...its too biased and not very objectional.

Anyways...the biggest point to 4th edition...is the money. Guess what...all those 3.5 books everyone bought...the hundreds probably published....now they get to re-release them all in 4th edition for everyone to buy all over again. They started to run short on new creative content...so it was time to change the rules to keep the money flowing by regurgitating all the same content over with the new system. Once that is tapped out...look forward to 5th edition...