What is Dark Ages?


Dark Ages is an online massive multiplayer roleplaying world set in a unique fantastic world of contrasting faeries, magic, and dark horror.



What inspires Dark Ages?


Many things from the collective unconscious of fantasy and horror entertwined; with a strong Gaelic and Lovecraftian Dreamlands theme. It is a fantasy world of adventure and role-playing. Learn more, tap the collective unconscious.



What game features make Dark Ages unique?


    Game
  • Massive multiplayer world
  • Overhead map
  • Path-finding
  • Complex creatures
  • Unique graphic with several ways to customize yourself
  • Continuously updated: www.darkages.com/news

    Society
  • Interactive Religions, Miracles, Rituals, and Ceremonies
  • Epic Events and Plotline
  • Contests of Imagination
  • Fairs, Markets, Theater, and Storytelling
  • Interactive Politics
  • Player-created Guilds
  • College
  • Massive Library
  • Virtual Labor Economy
  • Several Aislings (imaginative players)
See dozens more features and screenshots.

What is "massive multiplayer"?


Thousands of players from anywhere in the world may play simultaneously in the same realm.

Nexon brings you the next-generation. Now several realms can be linked together. In most other online games in 2001 A.D. there are multiple worlds that are just clones with no interaction. Here, you can communicate and travel between realms. It's a world-wide nexus (meaning "gathering").

What this means to your character is grand. You can take him and his possessions to other servers, as though taking a journey to another island or kingdom.



What is "overhead map"?


Throughout your adventures in large and complex realms you'll have the aid of a transparent map. It displays on top of your view of the world and highlights fellow players and creatures. At the press of a key it zooms in to your immediate area, and zooms out to any size up to about 1/10th of a mile.


What is "path-finding"?


Click once anywhere on the screen that your character can travel to and your character walks around obstacles to find the path.



What are "complex creatures"?


Battle against foes that retaliate with spells and indirect tactics. Some will taunt you, and others will seize magical power with which to assault you. Creatures of the same species will sometimes behave differently than their kin.


How can I find out more in-depth about these features?


www.darkages.com/press
www.darkages.com/pics/index_feature.html

What is the Journal feature and how is it used?


Save a special moment, an inspired spontaneous poem or story, a romantic moment, a wonderful event at the fair or elsewhere. Use your journal.

Please be respectful and considerate with how you use the journal. Gain permission of others if quoting them. Respect the privacy of others, or you will quickly find yourself friendless and untrusted by all.

Since a journal is an easily edited text file, do not believe a journal entry to be proof.

The journal is only stored on your Dark Ages program folder. It is private and not available to anyone else unless you choose to make it available.

Journal Instructions

  1. View your Dark Ages conversation window.
  2. Press <Alt> j to turn on/off Journal.
    • The red words "Start recording/End recording" will appear in your conversation window.
    • All conversation before "Start recording" message is not recorded.
  3. When you are done, exit Dark Ages.
  4. Enter your Dark Ages program folder.
  5. Enter your character's folder.
  6. A text file will be there with your character's name and a long number, which is the month, day, hour, and minute that you began recording in.

How is Dark Ages different from Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds?


The Dark Ages world is different. There are several advantages in The Kingdom of the Winds when compared to Dark Ages.

If you would miss the following features, you might fall in love with The Kingdom of the Winds ( http://www.nexon.net/kingdom/index.html ). It is an excellent online RPG also made by Nexon.

 

In Dark Ages …

 

Role-playing is required

  • Role-playing is required in-game.
  • Role-playing is required on all posts.
  • There are no global bulletin boards to write on.
  • There is no Suggestions board.
  • There is no Bugs board.
  • There is no Staff board.
  • There is no global Market board.
  • There is no out-of-character board.
  • There are no immortal characters.
  • There are no contactable game masters characters. There are player officials of each village. If they cannot resolve an issue, write Dark Ages at: www.darkages.com/contact
  • There are no player broadcast messages.
  • There is no coordinate system to navigate by.
  • There is no global map for traveling from place to place.

 

Level advancement is slow

  • It's deadly to hunt alone.
  • Monsters are difficult to defeat.
  • Advanced monsters cast spells; sometimes killing you in one strike.
  • Dying leaves a scar.
  • There is no resurrection spell.
  • There is no instant mana regeneration spell.
  • There is no instant mana regeneration item.

 

Items are difficult to maintain

  • Almost all magic items are destroyed when you die.
  • Dying damages your items more.
  • Repairing items costs more money.
  • Merchants have a fixed supply of most items.
  • There are no bows.
  • There are no horses.

 

Classes are different

  • Class abilities are different.
  • Several abilities require previous abilities, as well as minimal attributes.
  • You cannot join a class without taking an oath to an existing class member.



Are items in inventory damaged in combat?


Not normally. If you die, all items are damaged. Most magical items are destroyed.



How do I view a screenshot?


  1. Enter Dark Ages. If you have a floating window open, you must close it first.
  2. Press F12 in Dark Ages to take a screenshot.
  3. A screenshot was just saved in Dark Ages installed directory.
  4. Dark Ages screenshots are saved in PCX format. 'ACDSee' software can view PCX files. It's available shareware. Search for it on the web.



I want to help the society out. Is there a special role I may play?


Yes! That's an important feature within Dark Ages. Enter the game, and learn about politics, religion, and the chance to display your talent. Look at the society screenshots.