The year's almost up folks, and the minds behind the Darkfall MMORPG aren't about to let it go to waste. Associate Producer Tasos Flambouras has written up Aventurine's last dev diary of the year, which will cover the swarms of questions the game's community has been abuzz with as of late. More details are up ahead in the full article.

All hardcore PvP gamers out there, please stand up. Now, join us all in saying "finally," okay? Here goes: one, two, three...

FINALLY! Some hard details for Darkfall, finally indeed! Would you believe that this game was first announced way back in 2001? Almost six years after, the game is still in development, a WIP, brewing in the studios etc. We bet even developer, Aventurine SA (formerly Razorwax), has run out of words to describe the game's development pace.

Associate Producer Tasos Flambouras explained in an interview why development is taking this long, as well as why there is still no open beta. He said:

We've mentioned before that it's difficult to run a beta test while continuing development on the game, especially when all our human resources are in development. We are now at a stage where we can and we are preparing the beta test which will allow external beta testers in and this is now a high priority for us.

High priority, eh? While we hope that Flambouras used the word high in its superlative form, it is still good to know that Aventurine is ready to invite the public to try Darkfall. Anyway, whenever a producer mentions an open beta, the release is usually just around the corner. But when asked if Darkfall is already in its polishing stage, the official somewhat double talk and argued,

Darkfall is a game which will undergo continual development throughout its life cycle. There is content which is constantly added, textures being brushed up, animations tweaked, there's a lot of testing going on, optimizations made etc.

Aside from the release date and development information, the associate producer discussed plainly and straightforwardly the game's other aspects. As always, he talked about the hardcore PvP as well as clans, mods, UI, and possible expansions in the future.

For the whole interview with Flambouras and more information about Darkfall, refer to the Read link below.

Aventurine, the Greek software company that absorbed the original developer Razorwax, has announced that their upcoming MMORPG,  Darkfall, is now in preparation for beta testing.

Like other MMORPG's, Darkfall is set on a fantasy world (in this case, Agon), and features the usual cast of playable races - Humans, Dwarves, Elves and Orks. There are two additional races - one of werewolves called the Mahirim, and the other known as the Alfar - pale outcasts who reject all outsiders. Career paths include explorer, hunter, mercenary, ironsmith, magician and fishermen; there is also a "prestige" class system that include Paladin, Assassin, Gladiator and Enchanter.

What makes Darkfall different is its emphasis on PvP combat. According to Associate Producer Tasos Flambouras, old classics such as Ultima Online and Elder Scrolls were enjoyable, but restrictive in their use of classes and levels. "When faced with the decision of allowing players the freedom to take the skills they want and need as their character grows and the game evolves - or not - it was a no-brainer," Flambouras says.

Darkfall's system gives players the freedom to experiment with different combinations of skills. If a combination doesn't work as well as a player would like, s/he can re-invent their character with new skills easily, without penalty. Characters are more adaptable to the game's evolution.  Flambouras points out that in class systems, one's "original and often uninformed decisions could haunt your character forever." He adds that often, penalties are incurred by updates and other events beyond a player's control.

With at least one thousand different skills to choose from, character potential is endless. Says Flambouras: "Darkfall's skill system is all about player freedom, endless customization, adaptation and control. It adds great depth to the player characters, and to the process of developing them. Darkfall players will enjoy their unique characters, and will always be able to get the best out of them throughout the life cycle of the game."

Anyway, you gotta love a game with a creature called a "death pig."