Aventurine details Darkfall 2.0

Darkfall developer Aventurine has shared the first details about what to expect from the PVP-focused MMO after its huge overhaul - from whence it will be known as Darkfall 2.0.

In brief, everything will change. Skills will be tied to equipment and advancement will be done faster if a character specialises on one role.

Combat will become more tactical, spells redesigned and the world and dungeons and monsters within them all completely reworked. Dungeons will have dynamic elements like traps, moving objects and one-way doors.

All the loot tables are being "redone from scratch". And all the numbers behind the items are being refurbished.

Player-housing spots are being boosted, the crafting system revisited and a new map tool added.

There's a new user interface, new lighting, new visual effects and alterations to models, textures and animations. Audio has been improved wholesale as well.

On top of that, Aventurine has made "serious improvements" to Darkfall's new player experience. This should tutor newcomers through all aspects of the MMO.

"We've explained that this is a new game created on top of the current game rather [than] simply an expansion," Aventurine posted. "We do not want to get too specific for several reasons including that we don't want to give everything away, also doing so might lead people to draw the wrong kind of conclusions or get caught up in irrelevant speculations and debates.

"On the other hand, there are things we need to present to you in order to get feedback and to inform you of the changes to come."

Therefore, each of the points reposted below will be revisited in depth by Aventurine "in the coming weeks".

When Darkfall 2.0 will launch is a hot topic. Development has stretched on longer than anticipated and appears to have been pushed back again by the impending siege system update.

"As for our current activity, we're fighting some bugs in the new siege system which are pushing our ETA back again," Aventurine wrote. The siege system was announced as 'finished and in testing' at the end of July.

• Character skill set customization and role selection through the implementation of Darkfall's new armor system and through attribute boost via achievements: What armor you wear greatly affects which skills you can use effectively and it makes others ineffective. You're highly specialized in one role making your character extremely efficient and effective in that role. The major attribute boost works exponentially to give your character access to special items and weapons setting him further apart from the hybrids. New skills are going to be added, and redundant ones will be removed from the game.
• Skill and attribute gains have changed considerably. If a new player focuses on a single role, he will excel at that role in a relatively short time frame through casual play. More options and more roles will become available to him. Players can use one specialization at a time however.
• Crafting System Overhaul: More customization options, visual cues as to what players are wielding as equipment rank is visually distinguishable. Increased importance of rare ores through infusion of other materials and closer correlation of ore rank and equipment rank. Gems are also a lot more important since they'll be used in enchanting.
• There's a great increase in player housing spots and a more meaningful connection between villages and player holdings.
• The world map has been completely changed. This isn't simply about moving locations around, it's about changing the geography of the world. Monster spawns have been redistributed so they are more relevant, and all NPC and player holdings have been completely redesigned.
• Combat dynamics are much more tactical now. Changes affect several skills like blocking and disabling blow, and introduce new mechanics such as momentum and crosshair wobble.
• Complete redesign of the magic schools and their physics with clearly defined roles to spells, opposing magic schools, ability to assume different roles in combination with the attribute boost system (damage dealer, healer etc.). The magic system is built to promote cooperation among players.
• Complete redesign of most dungeons. New dynamic elements such as traps, moving objects and one-way doors have been implemented.
• Changes to the grid of teleportation chambers. No chambers exist in player holdings anymore and they are strategically placed to enhance PvP tactics.
• More changes to the Alignment system: Lawful areas are limited to the immediate vicinity of racial capitals and surrounding NPC faction cities. There's an increase in the lawful area protection with increased tower coverage.
• The incapacitation system (gank/decapitation/revive rules) is revised in order to improve player PvP and PvE experience.
• There have been adjustments to physics to achieve more realistic results.
• All item properties, numeric values, calculation formulas and the like are completely redone.
• We've introduced a new Graphical User Interface which includes both new visual elements and new functionality. It offers a streamlined experience to the players alleviating all shortcomings of the previous one.
• A new map tool with a lot of information added including vendor locations and items for sale.
• Serious improvements to the new player experience, including training quests on all basic aspects of the game.
• More changes to the new siege system we've already described.
• Redesigned monsters, monster families, monster abilities, and all loot tables redone from scratch.
• A new lighting system and new visual effects.
• New environmental audio system and many additions and replacements to existing sounds. New area based music.
• Changes in models, textures, animations and most visual aspects of the game.