A nice list of features for My Perfect Darkfall

Today I've discovered a new MMORPG that's still in beta phase. This game, Xsyon, includes many features I'd like to see in My Perfect Darkfall. I'm gonna comment on some of the best with some changes to make them work with Darkfall:

Resources

Players rely heavily on natural and found resources: lumber from trees, leather from animals, grass, scrap materials and rare objects of the lost modern civilization.

-Constantly changing resources can be renewed or depleted.

-Availability dependent on season and weather conditions.

-Resources can be claimed by clans.

-A large variety of resources with individual properties. Different woods, cloths and metals have properties that affect crafted items.

Skills

Players start the game with a selected set of skills. They gain new skills by learning from other players or by uncovering knowledge in books from the past.

-Skills increase with use.

-Skills decrease over time if not used.

-Skills are affected by many external factors.

-Many actions are dependant on several skills.

Creatures

-No set creature spawns or re-spawns. Animals multiply based on the current creature population.

-Creatures gain experience and power, potentially evolving into legendary beings.

-Creatures can overrun areas or be depleted.

-Creatures gravitate towards different areas based on mood and weather.

-Creatures can be tamed and ridden.

-Creatures possess realistic loot. If you see armor or a weapon on a creature you can take it. Animals can be carved up for raw materials.

-Creatures are a primary resource for crafters.

 

There are more features than that and I recommend taking a look at it even if it's only to dream a bit. Apparently, many of those features are not in the beta yet but the idea looks very cool.

I think Darkfall 2010 will polish everything already in-game and besides some more content, it will start to add more tools to improve Darkfall's sandbox. After Darkfall 2010 I hope Aventurine will start working towards making Agon a nice emulation of a realistic fantasy world, if you know what I mean. If Darkfall retains it's arcade/action feeling about combat and improves the rest so Agon feels like a true world, it'll become king of MMORPG.

My Perfect Darkfall: Skill System

Today I start a new section in which I'll describe the changes I'd like to see so Darkfall becomes my perfect MMORPG. Those suggestions will probably imply a variation in Aventurine design philosophy and most likely big changes in core elements from Darkfall.
I'm gonna start with the skill system and I've made this quick draw to help me explain what I mean. I've already tried to explain it using how I hope the incoming Prestige Classes will be implemented. Now I'm gonna try it again in a different way.

As you can see I have first drawn how skills work in Darkfall now. This is a summarized version because in Combat Skills we really have several sets of skills per weapon and same with magic, but you know what I mean.
 In Darkfall there are 4 differents Skill Sets and the player is allowed to take all 4 of them. As seen below, I'd like to see more skills ans Skill Sets for starters, I believe Darkfall needs more non-combat skills and maybe few spells more to make the magic schools more autonomous. Then I'd like each Skill Set to be divided in 4 tiers (could be 3, could be 5) of increasing strength. Asuming only these two extra Skill Sets besides Combat, Magic and Crafting Skills Set, divided each in 4 tiers we have 20 tiers. In this example, the player could only choose 12 or 13 tiers. This way, a player could only master three Skill Sets but not all of them.
 If this systems was implemented, there would still be a lot of balancing work to do because the Combat Skill Set would be divided into 8 Weapon Sets, Archery and a common Combat Set with Rage, Throwing, Kick and so on, and Magic would be dividided into 10 Magic School Set and a common Magic Sets. Combat and Magic should be balanced with eachother, the same with each Crafting Set so noone can craft everything. But it's not that easy becasue Magic includes a lot of utility spells and buffs so it should also be balanced with Survival and Body Building Skill Sets.
With this system I want to promote variety and also a meaningful option. Some people say you can choose in the current Skill System but what does it matter if those choices haven't any real meaning or consequences? Well, what do you people think?


PS: Don't forget to take a look at the new models in the official Darkfall blog. The new Arthain and Demon Queen look amazing!