I'm not a big fan of Free-for-All Player vs. Player games, but I was illed only once by another player in Darkfall, and he resurrected me seconds late.; I do not know if he killed me by accident, was just trying to raise his casting skill, or if this was some kind of initiation rite. ("Welcome to Darkfall! Die! Aw, just kidding!") He ran off before I could ask. Another player tried to trick me into attacking him while in one of the rare "safe" zones, by dancing around me threateningly and casting non-damaging spells on me. If I'd attacked him, the guard towers would kill me instantly and he'd be able to freely loot my corpse. This was a common tactic back in the UO days.

Darkfall has a freeform skill system in which skills increase as you use them. You learn new skills by purchasing them (at level 1.0) from assorted vendors or sometimes gaining them as quest rewards), and many have prerequisite skills you must master first. Skills include combat, magic, and crafting, with many options. You can be anything or master any set of skills, though of course there are plenty of user guides out there opining about the optimal mix and/or which aren't worth your time. Learning armor and weapon crafting helped me replace broken basic gear at minimal cost; it's a good thing to have.

Combat in Darkfall is a mix of game mechanics and player skill. You don't just select an enemy and spam actions; you must constantly keep them targeted. Enemies in Darkfall, as opposed to those in most MMORPGs, do not stand there and let you kill them. They run, dodge, call for help, retreat when wounded, and surround you. They will attack from range and will not close in just to make it easier for you to kill them. About the only thing they don't do is loot your body.

When you die in Darkfall, you drop everything you were carrying except a single basic weapon. You must then make your way back to your corpse to retrieve your items, and your corpse is still surrounded by the monsters that killed you when you were fully armed and armored. This is why a lot of my time in Darkfall was spent running from the monster spawn areas to the town, banking everything I had, and running back. "Bank early, bank often." Also, run. Don't make a last stand; even if you die, the further away from the main monster areas you die, the better. And rest. Don't go into any fight at less than full health. This is a very different playstyle than most MMOs, where death is borderline meaningless and there's no real risk of loss. Assume that you may permanently lose every item on your person every time you start to play, and accept that as part of the game. (Players who happen on your corpse can loot it; you may return to find there's nothing left on your body but items not worth taking.)

Darkfall equipment also takes wear-and-tear damage from normal use; if you don't pay attention, you may find your weapon or armor breaking mid-battle. While aspects of Darkfall might appeal to those who just want to kill kill kill, such players will probably not last long, as planning and patience are as important as quick reflexes.