How much of an MMO is button smashing and how much involves actual skill? This installment is an investigation of how armor choices and shield employment can yield more combat decisions.

I like stats as much as the next person (probably more), but when warfare is boiled down to raw probabilities, battlefield skill disappears. The building of the best stat base becomes much more important than any sort of tactical competency. Instead of seeking a skill based work-around, games come up with new statistical probabilities.

In this installment, Jonathan Steinhauer looks at the last MMO class archetypes, the Healer, and why this role at least is solidly developed.

Earlier this week, Eurogamer panned Darkfall with a 2/10 review. Needless to say, it's created a storm of controversy. The final word on the subject has come from Tasos Flambouras saying, "We'll just take it on the chin." Read why after the jump.

Darkfall Online has been handed its keester in a review by Eurogamer. Reviewer Ed Zitron panned the game with a 2/10 review. Check out a bit of the review and a fiery comeback by lead developer Tasos Flambouras after the jump.

The archetypal concept of the tank assumes that PvE opponents have the mental capacity of cattle. Instead of a monster intelligently attacking what would make his enemy most vulnerable (the Healer) or what is the greatest actual threat (the DPS), it attacks the one opponent that isthe smallest real threat and the hardest to kill: the Rodeo Clown... er Tank.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks at the issue of player housing in MMOGs and how it can shape one's roleplay experience.

Starting a new series on the archetypal MMO classes, Jonathan Steinhauer begins by looking at DPS and the issue of hitting versus damaging.

This week on RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks into how roleplayers can prepare for an adventure - Research, Plan, Go!

In this edition of RoleCraft, Jim Moreno wonders about a crucial element in tabletop gaming missing from the MMO - the Dungeon-Master.

In this installment, Jonathan Steinhauer takes a look at the weapons of fantasy MMOs and how they have all become identical.

On this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno wonders how exactly one can define roleplaying in an MMO due to the absence of a key player in tabletop RPing - the Dungeon Master.

Darkfall fans and detractors will finally get the real story about the game. As of today, the NDA for the 'stress test' beta has been lifted. We also have some information about pre-orders so be sure to head through the jump.

Jonathan Steinhauer takes a look at roleplaying and why he has such a hard time fitting it into the MMO genre.

MMORPG.com had a chance recently to grab an interview with the cagey Tasos Flambouras, lead developer for Darkfall Online. The interview covers a lot of familiar ground but there are a few nuggets of information that should pique the interest of readers. Read on to find out more about the limited access on release day.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno tries his hand at role-writing, telling the story of one particular Blood Elf in the World of Warcraft.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno tackles Blizzard's recent debacle with the RP-PvE realm, Wyrmrest Accord.

Game designers face many challenges, and one of the largest of these is balance. Yet curiously, one facet that seems to garner a much smaller degree is the economy. That isn't to say MMO economics don't get a great deal of attention but as they stand the balance is more reminiscent of a band-aid than any real resolution.

The long wait is almost over as Aventurine ushers in the first wave of clan and individual testers after applying the latest patch to the Darkfall servers. Press release after the jump!

The European release date for Darkfall has been delayed. Originally set to hit the shelves on January 29th, the release has been pushed back to February 25th. There will, however, be a 'stress test' beginning on January 22nd that will open the servers to many, but not all, of the 200,000 players who have applied. Read the official word on all this after the jump.

This week in RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks back at the RP scene in one of the very first MMOs: Ultima Online

In many of my recent articles, I've proceeded from the assumption that real life comparisons with games are a logical and natural concept. Apparently, I am mistaken. I have been told that the game is fantasy or sci-fi and that means it's not supposed to be real. Yet one of the great strengths of the genres is their link with the human experience.

A look back at the RoleCraft articles for the year of 2008.

Everything that exists, both in fiction and in reality, has links to what has come before so nothing is truly original. The adage "there is nothing new under the sun" holds true. In order to achieve something that is measurable, I will investigate originality in the sense of what is commonly called new IP.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno celebrates holiday celebrations in MMOs by looking at how RPers might tackle religion in a game.

It's official! Darkfall will be released in Europe on January 22, 2009, missing by a scant month the projected end-of-2008 release date. Check out the official word after the jump.

Gianna Masetti, creator of "The Noob" comic, was invited by Aventurine SA to preview the ongoing Darkfall Online Beta and she delivers, with new'n'pretty NDA-free screenshots! Links and images after the jump.

Darkfall got a fresh boost this week with an exclusive NDA-free look at the ongoing Beta by MMORPGItalia.it. The Italian forum delivered a positive preview of the game's mechanics and visuals, along with 25 new screenshots. Link and images after the jump!

The Darkfall Online forums have been updated with a long post containing beta testers' first impressions of the game. Topics include "General Impressions", "AI", "World Graphics Technology", "Controls", "PvP/Looting", "Crafting" and "Final Thoughts". Check out a teaser and grab the link after the jump.

The Darkfall team has sent out the second round of beta invites. According to a forum post at the official site, Tasos takes aim at scammers and reminds fans of the strict NDA. Check it out by clicking below.

When Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy, wrote "The road goes ever ever on," MMOs took him at his word. A large part of online gaming consists of traveling from one point to another, but when it takes so much time to get anywhere, frustration mounts. If I'm picking up a book or alt-tabbing to web surf or check e-mail instead of playing the game, there is something wrong with the dynamics.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks at how the new WoW Achievement system could affect roleplaying.

Darkfall's Producer Tasos Flambouras posted today a lengthy community update explaining the ongoing Beta access and testing process, with a promise "to start opening up the beta to more and more testers on or around November 10th"! Full post after the click!

Character stories area told in MMOs so frequently we often don't even recognize them for what they are. They will exist whether there are active world stories or not. Such tales survive even if they are completely ignored by the devs. But as with all things in gaming, with proper attention character stories can be made stronger.

In this week's RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks at other RP-centric sites around the Internet.