Nice write-up. I've been following the game for some time though I hadn't played it until the open beta started. My main concern with Maxis games these days is how heavy their EA chains are (using Westwood as a reference). But they've allowed delays and actually listened to feedback during development. Hopefully this more hands-off approach produces a great game on release which would encourage EA to allow more leeway in the future.
I've read there are a few major bugs lingering concerning game freezes. I have not experienced them myself. My only annoyance with the game is the required internet connection, though that's the standard for EA games now.
What was your opinion of the game's stability and bugs? Do you think it is ready for release?
ZAM Checks Out Darkspore Day at Maxis Studios
Senior Staff Writer Chris "Pwyff" Tom was invited to Maxis Studios to play some Darkspore and kick some butt at PvP.
Near the end of our studio visit, Maxis also announced that they would be running a little 2v2 PvP tournament, with the winners taking home a copy of Darkspore, signed by everyone at the office. With a little coaching for my teammate and a few mistakes on my opponents' part, we managed to handily sweep the tournament with only one lost match, but I was quite impressed with just how accessible the PvP in this game really is. As someone who had played in the struggling World of Warcraft 3v3 Arena competitive scene, Darkspore's fast-paced 2v2 arena combat is actually one of the best I've seen when it comes to creating a balanced spectator eSport. Games like Bloodline Champions and World of Warcraft's 3v3 arena both suffer from being too complicated underneath the surface level, with many key decisions and great plays going unnoticed to the untrained eye. I can remember the dozens of times when a player would do something really impressive, like vanishing an instant cast death coil point blank, but the move would be lost with everything else happening on the screen.
Darkspore, on the other hand, is quite visual in its presentation, and it's easy to see what players are doing right and wrong with their creatures. Not only that, but Darkspore does offer quite a bit of depth for the players who really want to get into it: the perfect medley of squad abilities becomes of tantamount importance, and Darkspore's unique squad switching ability (which also happens to make you immune to damage while switching) will definitely become integral to controlling the battlefield. I certainly hope that Maxis sees the great opportunity here and that they would act to encourage some sort of competitive scene with Darkspore. Something as simple as an officially hosted bi-monthly tournament would go far in nurturing this community.
Ultimately, what impressed me the most, however, was simply the way Maxis set up this entire event. Most press events, for me, consist of a lot of hands-on time with few interruptions. Maxis, on the other hand, had a ton of little events planned, like designing our own Darkspore NPC and the PvP tournament and, with all of the developers coming to watch us play, there were a ton of opportunities to simply appreciate the community-focused aspects of Darkspore. Even the group that Maxis brought together was unique, as while there were a few standard industry names, Maxis also invited a member of a StarCraft II eSports streaming team, TheGosuCrew, and a YouTube video blogger, KatersOneSeven. Getting "vlogged" (assuming you can verb it) was certainly an odd experience, but it did communicate just how much Maxis wants to draw from all sorts of different crowds for this game.
All in all, attending Maxis' Darkspore Day was definitely a unique experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing that experience extended when the game officially launches on April 26.
Chris "Pwyff" Tom, Senior Staff Writer