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Dofus (DFS)
Ankama Studio | Official Site
MMORPG | Genre:Fantasy | Status:Final  (rel 09/01/05)  | Pub:Ankama Studio
PVP:Yes | Distribution:Download | Retail Price:Free | Pay Type:Free | Monthly Fee:$06.90
Desktop Client | System Req: PC Mac Linux 

Dofus General Article: A Newbie's Look at Dofus

MMORPG.com Correspondent Cindy George writes this look at Ankama's Dofus through the eyes of a new player.

By Cindy George on August 11, 2009

The suggestion to try a game called "Dofus" arrived in my inbox after exclaiming how bored I was.

Dofus?

What the heck is Dofus?

A quick click on the link took me to a page where quite honestly, my first reaction was a snarky smirk and a little scoff. Needless to say I have not held a fascination with online games, nor have I had the attention span to successfully delve into this popular pastime.

I was intrigued by the seemingly odd pairing of a game and a cartoon. With a half piqued interest, I signed up. The painless process directed me to pick a character class, those which have such varied specificities that it took a bit of additional research to understand exactly what I was choosing. However being a girl, I was tempted to pick something cute, damn that gender influence. After much deliberation and reading, I selected the Eniripsa class. Humor struck me when I realized that these guys are the "healers" within the game, and as I have noticed within Dofus, there was a sense of humor behind their name. Eniripsa, is aspirine backwards, the French spelling for aspirin, the pain reliever. The humor was not lost on me, and as I go through the worlds of Dofus, so many glaringly amusing jokes come to light. This is just one of the many reasons Dofus has endeared itself so strongly to me.

Once I customized my character, I started out into a world of strange creatures, quests, and a lot of very confusing idiosyncrasies. Not being a gamer, and not having ever played an MMORPG, I was afraid I was in a little over my head. I checked the Dofus website, and kept referring to it frequently, so I could try to figure out what I was doing, and why the heck I was doing it.

It didn't take long. . . I knew it with a few minutes, I was hooked. The graphics and snarky sense of humor by the creators completely won me over. I was actually enjoying this game. What? Me? Enjoying a game... on-line? Had Hell frozen over? As impossible as it seemed, I was having a lot of fun playing Dofus.

As a newbie, the learning curve was far easier than I had imagined. Within a short period of time I was killing little wooly creatures, called Gobballs and Gobbies. I was learning how to control my character, and how to use her powers effectively. By continuing to learn in these easy fights, I started to understand the value in strategizing for maximum effect. Before I knew it I was increasing in levels, and had to start customizing the characteristics of my little fairy, so I could maximize her talents.

Advancing quickly, I was thrust into a fantastic world of amazing new creatures and challenges. While exploring, there are so many details to this game, which at first blush, go unnoticed. The creators are constantly integrating humor and sarcasm throughout the world of Dofus, sometimes in the most innocuous of places. The more I play the more entertaining the game becomes as I discover more hidden commentaries. Within Dofus there are many playful details hidden within the graphics. If you really look, you can find the sick and twisted minds that created this fantastic world. I find have an endless fascination of seeing how many little details I can find in any given area of exploration. This has become a game within the game for me.

I have discovered that the community of Dofus is an amazingly eclectic group of people. I have been endlessly impressed with the strength of the community, and the social outlet it allows. Dofus strongly promotes the interaction among its members, and I have found that very endearing. I have really begun to appreciate the open sharing and knowledge of others both on the site, as well as on the companion websites devoted to the game and the sharing of information on strategizing within Dofus. There is a strong feeling of comradery, and cooperation among Dofus players. This was counterintuitive for me, as I was under the assumption that there would be a lot of fierce rivalry, and a bitter disinterest to assist a newbie. This was definitely not the case. Don't get me wrong, there is a battle and competition component to Dofus, but it is far over shadowed by the friendliness and companionship experienced among players from around the globe.

The challenges and quests keep the game moving forward. There are so many things to do, you do not feel stuck in a routine, or feel you are on an endless quest. The game gives you so many ways to accomplish challenges, and rewards you well for your work. I have found the quests to keep the game very fresh, constantly keeping me exploring new areas of the game of which I was unaware. Every quest unlocks a new level of learning and imagination within the world of Dofus.

As I progress and learn within the world of Dofus, I am finding that the new monsters with which I battle cause me to recalculate my strategies and techniques. I appreciate this new adaptation as it keeps me from sticking to one specific attack or defense method. As I battle new creatures, and hopefully win, I create more reference, and as for those battles I loose and am reincarnated, I find a valuable lesson in the failure of that battle. Constantly learning seems to be a key to the enjoyment of Dofus.

As a free player, I have not felt that I am at a disadvantage or loss of any by having chosen not to subscribe at this point. However I do admit that I am enjoying this game so intensely that I defiantly do plan to subscribe so I can unlock even more adventures within Dofus. Dofus is a very intelligent, fun, and strongly well designed game. It has changed my view of on-line games, and those who play these games. Dofus has opened my eyes to a magnificent new world full of fun and amusing quests. And just think, if I had never sent that e-mail about how bored I was, I never would have been introduced to this brilliant game.

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Bureyku writes:

Great write up!  Dofus is a really interesting experience.  Just a FYI if you didn't know there is a sequel in the works called Wakfu with the same classes, but upgraded graphics, and so far it is very sandboxey with no npc's besides creatures.  There is also a French cartoon, a Xbox 360 game, and a card game that coincides with Wakfu.  Wakfu takes place 1000 years after Dofus.

The coolest thing is they are taking the graphics engine developed for Wakfu and applying it to Dofus which is Dofus 2.0 and it is about to be shown off Aug. 20-23rd.  It will be a pretty big upgrade to Dofus!

www.wakfu.com/en

www.youtube.com/watch

Also the french version (with a lot of English) is in open beta and can be downloaded and played by clicking Telecharger on the link below and registering an account at the previous english link. 

www.wakfu.com/fr/telecharger

New Post Quote
8/11/09 2:35:59 PM
 
choujiofkono writes:
Originally posted by Bureyku

Great write up!  Dofus is a really interesting experience.  Just a FYI if you didn't know there is a sequel in the works called Wakfu with the same classes, but upgraded graphics, and so far it is very sandboxey with no npc's besides creatures.  There is also a French cartoon, a Xbox 360 game, and a card game that coincides with Wakfu.  Wakfu takes place 1000 years after Dofus.

The coolest thing is they are taking the graphics engine developed for Wakfu and applying it to Dofus which is Dofus 2.0 and it is about to be shown off Aug. 20-23rd.  It will be a pretty big upgrade to Dofus!

www.wakfu.com/en

www.youtube.com/watch

Also the french version (with a lot of English) is in open beta and can be downloaded and played by clicking Telecharger on the link below and registering an account at the previous english link. 

www.wakfu.com/fr/telecharger

 

Thanks for this, I haven't played Dofus yet but I've had my eye on it and Wakfu for a while now.  Should be a lot of fun!

New Post Quote
8/11/09 8:39:37 PM
 
hinkhouse writes:

Dofus was my first MMO and I played it pretty intensely for a few months. It's like a cross between anime and Alice in Wonderland. After playing other MMOs, I can look back at Dofus and realize how solidly and creatively it is put together. The economy is good too, almost everything that is looted is needed by some player, for a recipe or a quest. This makes for a dynamic auctionhouse, and you could earn good kama by buying low and selling high, once you learn what items sell for. I like turn-based combat but I'm afraid that that is also one of the things that I grew tired of, since it makes for a more tedius grinding process. But every now and then some quirky aspect of the game comes back to me, and I feel nostalgic for it....

New Post Quote
8/12/09 11:39:16 AM
 
fayytt writes:

I really ejnoy playing Dofus,although Ive only been at it for a bit now. After several years of WOW and FFXI I was ready for a break and Dofus has beenjust the thing. I was wondering if anyone new of a site that might offer some help on finding npc and just general gameplay?

New Post Quote
12/08/09 7:08:30 AM
 
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