) -- that of Skullport.For those unfamiliar, Skullport is a Forgotten Realms-based PW set in the completely-underground world of the Underdark, near the infamous, huge dungeon called Undermountain which is beneath the city of Waterdeep.
I had an interesting time. Let me give a quick synopsis of how it went (I'm only going to visit it again occasionally -- read below as to why):
At first, it's very fun. You arrive in Skullport, which is quite a large town with about eight different sections to it with plenty of shops and places to walk around. You are greeted with a few semi-interesting characters and given a pretty clear idea of what to do to start earning some experience and much-needed gold. The overall setting and atmosphere is sufficiently lonely and foreboding; you do get the impression that your PC is deep within the earth and that there is no love in the place.
Now on to some of the C&C'ing with Dasaria, presented in bullet-point format:
- Skullport's characters (NPC's), while intriguing at first, quickly show their transparancy. Dasaria's NPC's generally seem more believable because of their descriptive backgrounds and appearances. This does much to make Dasaria a more believable and rich world.
- The writing in Skullport and *all* of its dialog is horribly executed. Attrocious grammar and being rife with spelling mistakes quickly yank the player out of his or her role and remind them that they're playing in a teenager's world. It's that bad. Dasaria's dialog is better formed, more interesting and, thankfully, more consistent.
- There are some innovative things going on in Skullport's world. Chairs that are "sittable", persistent chests and a bank, varied versions (like the color) of armor and other items, etc. More goodies that make the development of your character either easier or just more gratifying. You can also hire henchmen and "pets"! I hope Dasaria can implement some of these types of features in the future.
- The feeling of exploration is, and may naturally seem to be, more prevalent in Skullport and its surrounding environs than Dasaria. This may be only because I'm new there and I haven't stretched my legs as much, but you seem to sense that there is real danger out there to be found, knowing that it's the Underdark and all, so the desire to explore comes through a little stronger. This is the best aspect Skullport has going for it.
- There is a distinct lack of players and, probably because of that, roleplaying in Skullport. The place is almost always deserted. I have run across maybe five other players since signing on there and their demeanor was generally of the "run and gun" type with few exceptions. I really got the impression that there was little if any DM involvement there (to be fair, the server's description specifically states no DM involvement is needed!)
After fooling around long enough there, I found myself longing to get back into Cear and interact with the great playerbase Dasaria offers, but I also found myself longing for the type of vast, mysterious underground world that Skullport offers for Zahur and all Dasarians to be able to venture into. It would add so much to the atmosphere, and it proves this type of environment technically can be done.
I know very well other new areas are being worked on here, and I'm sure they'll be great, but IMO nothing beats an Underdark-type subworld to create a dichotomy between the lands above where elves roam and the cold, brooding underground that attracts adventurers of all kinds.
Anyone else try Skullport? What are your thoughts?
