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Newest Darkfall dev blog shows off Unholy Wars' streamlined UI

MJ Guthrie — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Darkfall, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Dev Diaries

In any game, a clunky, unintuitive UI can hamper players' ability to enjoy a game. But in a game like Darkfall where mere moments can be the difference between life and death, a bad interface can be a deal-breaker. In the latest dev blog, Coordinating Designer Tork Shaw explained some of the changes coming to Unholy Wars to give the game a fast-paced UI that won't impede combat.

The video portion of the blog demonstrated some of the new features, including the new radial menu, which Shaw called "a whole new way to interact with the game." He said, "It allows for much more action-based combat, so players who are familiar with FPS games or action-combat games will be much more at home playing Darkfall." The new UI will allow also players to switch between the different roles, such as from warrior to caster, at will.

The dev blog also offers more details on the feat system (which rewards players for acts of bravery, skill, exploration, or development) as well as the new personal and clan currencies. You can read more on these changes in the dev blog and preview the new UI in the video after the break.

[Thanks to Bartillo for the tip!]

Newest Darkfall dev blog shows off Unholy Wars' streamlined UI originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online prepping big December patch

Jef Reahard — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Atlantica Online

Ndoors Interactive is getting ready to unleash a substantial December update for its turn-based Atlantica Online MMO. In a press release Friday, Ndoors let us know that we can expect a brand-new dungeon, new journeys and storylines, and a significant makeover for the game's Tactical Battle System before the end of the year.

The facelift includes a larger UI and tweaks to camera angles, message alerts, and indicators, all of which should enable players to more efficiently manage their gameplay. After you've gotten acclimated to the UI changes, the new Ancient Lava Valley dungeon will allow you to join with two buddies in order to take on the fearsome Flame Guardians. The dungeon is timed, so make sure you clear all the monsters quickly to claim your share of the new loot items.

Finally, Atlantica will be adding a solo mode to the Trojan War missions as well as new mount stable functionality to its player mansions. Check out all the details at the official website.

Atlantica Online prepping big December patch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall dev diary talks new UI, quest content, and more

Jef Reahard — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, News Items, Dev Diaries

Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras returns with another activity report on the Darkfall Epic Blog, and the focus is fairly broad. He touches on the dynamic quests and lore-driven events we mentioned last week, as well as upcoming world optimizations that include aggressive wildlife based on location and time of day, new monster families and epic mob encounters, and improvements to both player character models and monster animations.

Those of you who haven't been able to get past Darkfall's unique user interface will also have reason to give the game a second look in the near future, as Flambouras states that Aventurine has decided on a new GUI framework and tools. "These should yield a vastly improved user interface. The next phase for the GUI is the architecture and adapting the current GUI functionality to the new framework," he says.

Other notable items include the mention of a completely new environmental sound system as well as an in-game political map which will feature clan associations, vendor and bank locations, and various other resources. Check out all the details on the official Darkfall blog.

Darkfall dev diary talks new UI, quest content, and more originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall community Q&A follow-up offers more details

Jef Reahard — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Interviews, News Items

Aventurine's Tasos Flamboras has donned his flame-retardant gear and ventured into the eternally blazing forest that is the Darkfall forums in an attempt to douse the fires raging after the publication of a lengthy Q&A session earlier this week. Put together by noted Darkfall blogger Paragus, the community-generated question list was initially answered by a three-man team that included Flambouras as well as developers Claus Grovdal and Kjetil Helland. Controversy erupted when community members balked at the perceived evasiveness of the answers.

"When we say that we're looking into something, or considering, or have plans for, it doesn't mean that we're being evasive or diplomatic in our answers. If that was our intention, we simply wouldn't answer. It means that we're trying to give you actual insight or confirmation on what we can't go into detail about," Flambouras says. He goes on to briefly outline Aventurine's information-revealing methodology before expounding on a few of the answers from the Q&A as well as new tidbits like armor dyes, significant improvements to crafting, a completely redesigned UI, and of course the prestige class system. "Prestige classes are the largest feature ever added to Darkfall and will definitely change the face of the game," Flambouras states.

Darkfall community Q&A follow-up offers more details originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Craft of Gods continues refining their craft

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New Titles, News Items, Craft of Gods

Beware the old gods, travelers. While the ground you trod upon currently may well seem solid, danger lurks at every turn, waiting to turn you into deity-kibble! But if you love all things fantasy -- and love the idea of supporting indie studios -- then the upcoming MMO being developed by Cyberdemons and released by Kalicanthus Entertainment, Craft of Gods, may be something you want to look into.

Currently in an open beta phase, Craft of Gods is based on Slavic history. Yes, indeed -- this means gods with enormous elemental smitey-hammers -- and the humans who dare to cross their paths. In short, the perfect types of stories for heroic tales told by firelight. In terms of recent updates to the game, players will notice that the UI has been revamped to make it more user-friendly, and a bunch of close-combat animations have been added in since we last touched on the game's development.

If you're curious, be sure to check out the shiny new screenshots below, or pop over to their site to sign up for the beta. But you'd better get a move on if you're after beta love -- the game is set to launch on May 27th, with those who pre-order landing a wild-looking mount, a flame cloak, and an epic weapon.

Gallery: Craft of Gods

Craft of Gods continues refining their craft originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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