This is a review of that game Darkfall Online I worked on in Greece, remember that? I think it is pretty fair (I might even have been a little more harsh) but what really excites me is how some of the features I designed are described. This game was broken, and I firmly believe that the work Vangelis Kalaitzis, Al Stellakis, Craig Allen, Elias, and I did fixed it.

It was tough. Seriously tough. As an outsider I found Aventurine an initially hostile and challenging environment, reluctant to embrace change and woefully disorganised and demoralised. Over time things grew much better, particularly as was able to prove myself as a designer and as I was able to forge relationships with the team. I am glad I stuck with it and I am glad that community and reviewers are enjoying and embracing the systems I designed, justified, and FOUGHT for.

On the “feat” and “Prowess” system (probably my single biggest change to gameplay as a whole and pretty much the core of the character development experience) : “definitely one of the best advancement systems I have seen in an MMO in a long while.”

Worth every head-clutching, blood-boiling, cross-language, freddo-fuelled, nervous breakdown endured.