# Darkfall Online
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [July 15, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080 "2009-07-15T03:13:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/1 "2009-07-15T03:13:08Z")
Darkfall Online, the long-awaited free form MMORPG, was finally released in North America this week. It’s basically Ultima Online + EVE. No levels, only skills that improve as you use them. Full ability to loot your enemies, conquer and defend towns, full world PvP, etc. No instanced dungeons, so groups of players will have to compete for the limited resources. Above all, it is supposedly HARD. None of this killing rats for 20 hours to get your leather vest. Here, the rats will rip you a new one. But there’s no reason to grind, because again, there’s no levels only skills.
Friendly fire is also on. There could be a battle for control of a town with hundreds of players shooting arrows and fireballs at each other in real time for control of the place, all the while trying to avoid pegging their fellow melee fighters in the back of the heads.
There is ship to ship combat. Yes my friends, you can very well be a pirate, purchasing you own ship and sailing the oceans to plunder all other vessels you see. (this is likely what I’ll end up doing, as I am a fan of indescriminately yelling YARR).
If anyone wants to join me, let me know. I’m going to give it a go for at least a month, see what havoc I can create. Post to this thread and/or PM me. I’m not sure what character name I’ll end up with in game or any of that.
> **[Darkfall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkfall)**
>
> Darkfall was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Aventurine SA that combined real-time action and strategy in a fantasy setting. The game featured unrestricted PvP, full looting, a large, dynamic game world, and a player-skill dependent combat system free of the class and level systems that typify most MMORPGs. Darkfall had a 3D world environment and contained mild violence.
> The official Darkfall servers were closed on 15 November 2012.
> Aventurine has since s...
[http://www.us.darkfallonline.com/](http://www.us.darkfallonline.com/)
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### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/2 "2009-07-15T06:02:43Z")
That does sound awesome, too bad they made the critical mistake of charging for the game itself rather than just relying on subscriptions like Eve does. I’d totally play for 15 a month, but I am not paying 50 for the game.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/3 "2009-07-15T13:37:12Z")
> [@mswas](#):
>
> That does sound awesome, too bad they made the critical mistake of charging for the game itself rather than just relying on subscriptions like Eve does. I’d totally play for 15 a month, but I am not paying 50 for the game.
[Come again](http://www.amazon.com/Eve-Online-Pc/dp/B001PBUN3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1247664902&sr=8-1)? Every single large-scale MMO I know of requires an initial outlay of cash, even if you go with a direct download instead of buying a physical copy.
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### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/4 "2009-07-15T15:19:01Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> [Come again](http://www.amazon.com/Eve-Online-Pc/dp/B001PBUN3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1247664902&sr=8-1)? Every single large-scale MMO I know of requires an initial outlay of cash, even if you go with a direct download instead of buying a physical copy.
Eve Online gives you a 2 week trial, three weeks if you have a friend who already plays and can give you a code. It cost about 15 bucks a month period, you can download the game for free, you don’t need to buy the boxed version for any reason.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/5 "2009-07-15T15:32:45Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> [Come again](http://www.amazon.com/Eve-Online-Pc/dp/B001PBUN3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1247664902&sr=8-1)? Every single large-scale MMO I know of requires an initial outlay of cash, even if you go with a direct download instead of buying a physical copy.
This is true, and to date WoW is the only one which I’ve seen that is worth it. I strongly suspect they’d be able to make much more cash selling the packages for 15$ (to cover the disk, case, S&H, and a manual) and still spending the same amount on advertising. After all, you only need a few more users paying 15$ a month to quickly make back the comparative outlay.
It is possible, of course, that they’ve decided that their user base is more likely to play if they actually pay upfront for the privelege. That can happen.
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### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/6 "2009-07-15T15:36:54Z")
I sent them an e-mail telling them that it’s too bad it’s so expensive otherwise I’d get a subscription. We’ll see how their system works out for them. _shrugs_ I am certainly not paying $50 for the privilege of playtesting what might be a crappy product.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/7 "2009-07-15T15:37:12Z")
There’s also a reason for the initial box cost. The developer spends a ton of man hours before the game is even ready for release, and they need to make that money back quickly to appease their investors. The $30-50 upfront cost is a way for them to recoup that initial investment, then the subsequent monthly payments are for ongoing development and maintenance of the game.
I would imagine, if you are correct **mswas** and EVE no longer charges an initial cost, that CCP decided they’d recouped their initial investment and now only need money for ongoing development. As far as I’ve seen, CCP tends to not play by traditional rules, so I can see them doing that.
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### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/8 "2009-07-15T15:45:59Z")
_If I am Correct._ I am certainly correct, I have three Eve Online accounts.
You pay for the Box but I believe you get two months of game time with it. If you download the client it’s free.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/9 "2009-07-15T15:51:45Z")
> [@mswas](#):
>
> _If I am Correct._ I am certainly correct, I have three Eve Online accounts.
>
> You pay for the Box but I believe you get two months of game time with it. If you download the client it’s free.
Fair enough.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/10 "2009-07-15T21:04:14Z")
Well after a few hours of playing I can report this: If you liked Morrowind and Mount & Blade, but wish they had been multiplayer and really really hard then this game is for you. It is a bit unpolished though, but the developers are releasing weekly patches so that is continually getting better. I’m finding it well worth my $50, but then again this type of game specifically tickles every fancy I have. Your mileage may vary.
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### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darkfall-online/503080/11 "2009-07-15T22:31:52Z")
Hmm, I’ll keep it in mind, I just don’t have the $ 50 for it right now.