Post by Morreion on Aug 22, 2011 10:33:14 GMT -5
One of the brilliant design decisions by Mythic on DAoC was the huge dungeon called Darkness Falls. This labyrinth was accessible by any of the 3 realms, and had better coin drops, better experience, and special tokens called seals that allowed you to buy enhanced equipment at special vendors at the dungeon entrance. It also was a place for a few raid-level encounters. Sounds great, right? This came with a cost-
1) your realm had free access to this place only if you controlled more keeps out in the Frontier than your opposing realms. In other words, it mattered if you did well in RvR, there was a clear reward.
2) DF was RvR-enabled. You expected enemy players to be there and to attack you while you enjoyed the benefits of hunting there. Even if your realm didn't have current access, people often logged off a character in DF so that they could attack enemy players there when they awoke.
DF was entirely optional. You didn't have to go there, but there were benefits. It wasn't an easy place to hunt- there were frequent group wipes in there. But the rewards were good. You took a calculated risk if you went there. It also encouraged realm pride and working for a common goal. This was a persistent enhanced battlefield where rivalries played out. Some players would stalk their sworn enemies that they had fought before in there. Rivalries formed, player or guild names became famous or infamous depending upon their actions. This is something that games seem to lack these days, where everything is instanced, easy, always accessible...and forgettable.
1) your realm had free access to this place only if you controlled more keeps out in the Frontier than your opposing realms. In other words, it mattered if you did well in RvR, there was a clear reward.
2) DF was RvR-enabled. You expected enemy players to be there and to attack you while you enjoyed the benefits of hunting there. Even if your realm didn't have current access, people often logged off a character in DF so that they could attack enemy players there when they awoke.
DF was entirely optional. You didn't have to go there, but there were benefits. It wasn't an easy place to hunt- there were frequent group wipes in there. But the rewards were good. You took a calculated risk if you went there. It also encouraged realm pride and working for a common goal. This was a persistent enhanced battlefield where rivalries played out. Some players would stalk their sworn enemies that they had fought before in there. Rivalries formed, player or guild names became famous or infamous depending upon their actions. This is something that games seem to lack these days, where everything is instanced, easy, always accessible...and forgettable.
