My thoughts on Darkfall and PvP

So, everyone is talking about this upcoming PvP-orientated MMORPG that is soon to be released. First thing to note about the game is that it is going to be a niche market. WAR is not as hardcore as this game and it has quite a limited audience, so its not hard to imagine that despite the enormous interest Darkfall will ultimately have a relatively small following which isn't necessarily bad.

Originally I was quite interested in the game but although my ultimate love is in PvP there are a lot of things that Darkfall really needs to demonstrate that it has done properly before I jump on the bandwagon. A few aspects such as truly free PvP where basically anyone can attack anyone anywhere, as well as looting everything off an opposing player are interesting but potentially disastrous. This style of gaming even if pulled off right will only suite certain players, and if done wrong then no one will probably want to play it. Its a fine line that the developer will have to tread, probably even more so with the sudden spike of interest.

Many people for a long time have called for a PvP system where winning does not depend on the gear of each player but their skill. Its a nice concept but in my opinion virtually impossible to implement. To make a game sufficiently tactical the fights would have to go for longer, a larger variety of abilities provided, and a combat system that somehow incorporates skill into the equation, and this would probably be the hardest thing. What defines skill? Does it mean you know what skills go best together, what build to choose, what to use and when?

For Darkfall to survive and succeed, because of its very nature, it needs to have the best PvP system around, and that probably translates to a skill-based system. Its not going to be easy for them to get it right because we know that most people prefer a clear easy path to the top of the gear chain and having phat epix lewt to working hard at the game and having the simple satisfaction of beating a guy because they're better then him.