Update March 9th
March 09, 2012 
Resfelm 
Tasos and a couple other team members are attending GDC, checking out the latest developments in the industry, so we have prepared a short update for you.
Another sprint has been concluded and the teams have progressed on their assigned tasks. As always, there are tasks that will carry over to the next sprint and we will provide more information next week, after the teams have held their individual meetings.
As you have noticed, there was an attempt to address the server delay issue. Our monitoring tools have been providing useful data for a while now and fixing this issue is of the highest priority. While there has been some improvement we will continue working on the delay until it’s completely fixed. This has proven to be quite a persistent and complex problem and we appreciate your feedback and patience on the matter.
We would also like to follow up on some of the feedback you provided on last weeks ship update. We have read your concerns about naval warfare becoming unbalanced with the introduction of the Coastal Runner and there have been a few discussions about this. For one, as we mentioned in the last update, this type of vessel will have a very low number of hit points, even lower than the launch if it needs to. Also, the idea about bigger ships being able to push smaller ones is under consideration although whether or not it’s technically feasible is not certain yet. Finally, we are exploring alternate ways for the repair mechanics to work.
As we have already covered all the tasks of this sprint in previous updates, we will try to make up for this short update next week, when more information will be passed on to us from the team.
We will close this update with some renders provided by our art department, including a render of the highest tier robe. Also, the Fish Trawler cannon has been moved to the rear of the vessel and the Launch has been re-textured.
Widowsilk Robe
Fish Trawler
Sea Scraper
Launch
Coastal Runner
Office Talk 
Tags: Activity Report, Coastal Runner, Darkfall, Fish Trawler, Launch, MMORPG, Robe, Sea Scraper, Ships, update, Widowsilk 
DO WANT
customizable flags?
Short but sweet… I agree with the idea that the Coastal Runner could create some problems with game balance on the open water. Making it a 5-10 hit kill like a bluetail would help.
OR boats slow as their hp are depleted by percentage. So, a Coastal Runner that is depleted to 1/2 hp will travel half as quickly.
Having a variety of damage/repair types to a vessel could add some spice as well. If your mast is damaged you don’t travel as fast (repaired with wood and cloth), if your rudder is damaged you don’t stir as well (repaired with wood), structural damage leads to a sinking (repaired with wood and iron), cannon damage results in misfires and eventually disabled (repaired with iron). Put an ammunition box on there even that is drawn from the crew of the boat (very small hit box lol). I imagine smoke and fire billowing from various locations on a boat and a good gunner or captain would be able to identify an advantage or fix a problem.
A boat is big enough for individual hit boxes. Having different areas to target would seriously add to strategy in naval combat.
Better tell us – are you going to wipe servers or not? And if you will do it – would it be a full wipe, or bank, or skills only?
Because me and myne friends are thinking to suscrube DF again, but we are afraid of wipe
Sounds awesome. How bout releasing the game you’ve promised since 2010.
Please for the love of god remove the nets off boats or at least make them retractable.
Great thing with this update: They have listened!
Actually noticed the cannon in the rear on the image, before I read the text, and was quite exhilarated.
The Robe is of course nice, but… I am a bit worried about the “highest tier” comment… I am for heterogeneity, not elitism. Would have been better if the “Highest Tier” would have been the 6-8 Transmute Robes (one robe for each higher school, that protects extra much against it’s specific element, while also reducing Mana costs for spells of it’s element’s school.), instead of a single “Elite Robe” everyone wants, but not necessarily likes the design of. Although, this one is pretty nice.
Also, as an advice for Sea Battle balance with different kind of ships, while still gain good travelling speed: Momentum! Let all ships have the same top speed, but different acceleration speeds, where the heaviest are the slowest and the Coastal Runner is the fastest accelerator.
All in all, good update, very nice for morale, and gave a couple of tidbits as well, even if the comments of my earlier post in general still stand:
[QUOTE=Lord Zeb;5347660]Nice update.
Good that progress is continuing on many fronts. Very nice that you have discussed the feedback regarding the Courir system, as well as that the Market system continues. (Do hope that even if the Courir system is implemented, that you cannot buy things for transport in Enemy Race NPC cities, nor Player Cities that are Enemies to your Clan/Alliance.)
Do however hope that you listened on my earlier comments when they presented the Crafting system, and instead of a linear Crafting Quality where every Rare metal denotes a step, use a heterogenous approach with a full colour palette for colours. (I.e. that number of Rare metal ingots determines the high end items, which do not need to be up to R9; that each Rare metal has certain benefits, such as increased Resistance to a certain damage type or improved efficiency in Transformation into Elemental weapons (Leenspar=Fire, Selentine=Cold, Veilron=Air/Lightning, Neithal=Earth/Acid, Theyril= Holy & Unholy) and for a full colour palette turn Theyril into Gold colour to have a base palette of Yellow, Blue, Red, Black, White, that in a Alloy system can be combined into Green, Purple, Orange, and paler/darker versions of these with Veilron and Selentine, for at least 20 different colours on the metal of armours and weapons.)
In regards to the Boats, I do think that the Runner will despite it’s lack of cannons be quite popular among Player Pirates. (Who need cannons when you got fireballs? And, you don’t want to sink the ship you are to take over?)
]
And that the Fishing Trawler should not have it’s cannon in the prow, but in the back, as it is a defensive weapon that shoots at agressors while they try to get away from them. [Fixed!
And, that the Sea Scraper should be renamed to Sea Dragger (as dragging is the correct term, not scraping; and that the name Sea Scraper more reminds me about Sky Scrapers than anything else).
Also hope that the Boats will have Cargo Space when they are produced, and not as a add-on (having lockable doors can be an add-on), and why not separate the metal requiements in components for Cannons, or even make it so that Cannons can be placed on the Boats in slots aftwerwards, to make the cannon-crafting skill a more sought after commodity. Not to mention that ALL ships need to have the ability to accelerate to a higher speed if going straight, for Travel needs, and not only that the new and fast Runners are implemented.
But, all in all, looking forward to seeing the results.[/QUOTE]
Also a good idea for Balance in Sea Battle while maintaining high travel speed: Momentum! Make all ships have the same top speed, but the heavier ships accelerating slower, and the Coastal Runner accelerating the fasters.
To compensate to not make lighter ships run rings around the heavy battleships, the turning radius should however not be cranked in that direction. A Warship should turn easily, a tradeship such as the Fish Trawler, Raft, Coastal Runner, etc, should turn slowly. But, the faster the turn, the greater the deceleration when turning due to momentum. This way it will be easy for a Warship to line up the side cannons against opponent ships, as well as turning toward a ship for pursuit. While the Coastal Runner won’t be an elite troop transport, due to low maneuvrability in battle.
wheres the bump mapping?
Still think the coastal runner should have a cannon on it for improving its usefulness as a ship in the game. If you are worried about combat balance, just put 1 cannon on the stern, it’s all you need for a VCP!
I love that you guys are actually listening to the playerbase. Also, that robe looks very nice … the hood is a separate item, right?
Go on AV! Please look into area domination control and free placed defensive structures in the world too.
A Fan
Sounds awesome. How bout releasing the game you’ve promised since 2010.
^^^^ What he said…. I whanted this game for over a year alot late nights trying to get it. Played for 1 1/2 Hopeing it would get better, Mean while watch 1000′s of people drop it. Till I finally gace up quit myself. Still have high hopes for the game, But like of detail like of promises. to long to fix problesm has killed the game. Like most I wait to see if the fix there game yet.
Gooood
More boat finally 
Make boat types for soloing like the raft but different. Would be nice to see more movement on the waters. Hopes for reconfiguration of the map to give us a better experience of sailing. All boats should be craftable in a particular npc town, like give near-water npc towns a shipyard. Thank you for the good work 
And i forgot!! Change locations of krakens so we’re not falling on them anytime and loosing a whole boat.