I tried the game in beta and was not impressed.
Now i gave it another go since it´s F2P and i must say i´m impressed, Alot have been reworked/redone.
All i can say is that i don´t analyze every bit and piece in MMO´s but i just grade it regarding to fun factor.
Meaning, how fun am i having while playing the game. That´s the only question players should ask themselves.

I must say i had a blast last night playing. Created a new har with my brother completed the entire starting zone with all the dungeons and explored stormreach.
Nice graphics, lots of dungeons (of course) , content, cool realtime combat etc.
Since i think running dungeons is the most rewarding/fun part of any MMO the loss of somewhat free exploration in a open world does not matter.

Stormreach is really impressive. Its so damn HUGE! i especially like the market district.

For a F2P game i give this game 10/10
I would even consider paying a monthly fee to play it if aion was not around the corner.

Try the game for yourself since it´s free! You will be surprised how good it is!

www.ddo.com

I agree, it's a shame to many people aren't willing to give a f2p a chance, their gluttons for the crap p2p games are churning out.

I like the game to, i hate one thing, there is a Vip/Premium access wich is $14,99 a month wich does not give you much, Limited character creation you can go lvl up without some stone wich is annoying to find or buy from the store.

But the game it self is fun, i aggree.

Originally posted by shadow417

I like the game to, i hate one thing, there is a Vip/Premium access wich is $14,99 a month wich does not give you much, Limited character creation you can go lvl up without some stone wich is annoying to find or buy from the store.

But the game it self is fun, i aggree.

The Sub/VIP option DOES give you a lot TBH - near enough everything in the F2P mode with come as 'standard' in a MMO either requires you to jump thru hoops to get or will have a small charge to, plus then you add the fact the VIP has access to all classes and areas from the start - it's not as 'worthless' as some may think..

As it stands Turbine have hit a good balance between Sub and F2P, subs feel like they get somthing more and the f2p prices dont seem that bad or too much to feel like your being ripped off.. A slight offtopic on this but it's good enough to feel like games like CO who have the same features condsider opening the door to 'limited F2P' if their current system doesn't take off in the long term..

Like Ryzom it seems like DDO has revived itself well with the f2p options - As I've always said cashshops and f2p work well IF managed and handled correctly

Originally posted by InjaSam

I tried the game in beta and was not impressed.
Now i gave it another go since it´s F2P and i must say i´m impressed, Alot have been reworked/redone.
All i can say is that i don´t analyze every bit and piece in MMO´s but i just grade it regarding to fun factor.
Meaning, how fun am i having while playing the game. That´s the only question players should ask themselves.

I must say i had a blast last night playing. Created a new har with my brother completed the entire starting zone with all the dungeons and explored stormreach.
Nice graphics, lots of dungeons (of course) , content, cool realtime combat etc.
Since i think running dungeons is the most rewarding/fun part of any MMO the loss of somewhat free exploration in a open world does not matter.

Stormreach is really impressive. Its so damn HUGE! i especially like the market district.

For a F2P game i give this game 10/10
I would even consider paying a monthly fee to play it if aion was not around the corner.

Try the game for yourself since it´s free! You will be surprised how good it is!

www.ddo.com

yep and the only dx10 game in the f2p market 

I'm just starting with it, but one thing that is really pissing me off is that for some reason known only to the designers, pressing both mouse buttons doesn't give you forwards/mouselook.  That's pretty much Industry Standard!! 

It isn't just me, either, as other players are constantly flailing around with weapons as they try to pick things up, use things like levers, interact with NPCs - you name it.  I see they even made it impossible to remap the mouse buttons too, and a friend of mine who is disabled and has to play almost entirely by mouse was basically told "tough luck" when he emailed in to ask if they could change it for people who don't have full limb mobility.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

I'm just starting with it, but one thing that is really pissing me off is that for some reason known only to the designers, pressing both mouse buttons doesn't give you forwards/mouselook.  That's pretty much Industry Standard!! 

It isn't just me, either, as other players are constantly flailing around with weapons as they try to pick things up, use things like levers, interact with NPCs - you name it.  I see they even made it impossible to remap the mouse buttons too, and a friend of mine who is disabled and has to play almost entirely by mouse was basically told "tough luck" when he emailed in to ask if they could change it for people who don't have full limb mobility.

I use a Logitech G9 mouse.  It has 2 thumb buttons.  The button closest (upper) to the monitor is mapped to activate Auto Run.  Pressing "R" used to be the default setting for this action and I'm sure it still is in at least one of hte keymapping options. 

whe I play I hold down the left mouse button to gain control of the PoV.  If I let the mouse button go I then can move the cursor to my tool bar to activate a spell/item or move something to a different location.  Pressing "T" is toggles this "Mouse Look" feature and you have to press T again to turn it off.  I prefer the left mouse button option, I'll continue to explain.

My right mouse button is the Attack/Swing.  I can hold down the left mouse button, look around for a target then press the right mouse button to swing.  It feel extremely fluid to me. 

When holding down the left mouse button for the Mouse look I can find my target then press the Upper Thumb Button on the G9 mouse to start running in the direction I'm facing, but I have to press it again to stop before I smack into a wall or run through a trap.  This part can be tricky and I normally don't use it when there's the threat of combat known to be ahead.  I usually use this Run (default is "R") for long passages or when I know there's nothing in front of me for at least 10-20 seconds.

I suspect your friend is accustomed to playing games with only one hand.  I'm familar with how the holddownbothbuttons works in some games and they mostly involve a gameplay that's not very tactile.  DDO does require a higher degree of dexterity then playing Guildwars, WoW or Everquest type games.  It's more like playing a First Person Shooter in terms of movement and basic controls.  You *can* make some pretty broad modifications to the control scheme although having  a mouse with multiple buttons on it is probably going to make things much easier for some. 

I would advise trying the different control schemes.  there's a very good chance that one might be closer to what you or your friend likes but that doesn't mean you have to use it exactly how its preset.  You can remap a lot of controls, but you will need to know what the controls are that you're trying to remap; ie, remapping "R" to the mouse gives you what you're complaing about. 

Originally posted by mindspat o I then can move the cursor to my tool bar to activate a spell/item or move something to a different location.  Pressing "T" is toggles this "Mouse Look" feature and you have to press T again to turn it off.  I prefer the left mouse button option, I'll continue to explain.then press the Upper Thumb Button on the G9 mouse to start running in the direction I'm facing, but I have to press it again to stop before I smack into a wall or run through a trap.  This part can be tricky and I normally don't use it when there's the threat of combat known to be ahead.  I usually use this Run (default is "R") for long passages or when I know there's nothing in front of me for at least 10-20 seconds.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

I'm just starting with it, but one thing that is really pissing me off is that for some reason known only to the designers, pressing both mouse buttons doesn't give you forwards/mouselook.  That's pretty much Industry Standard!! 

It isn't just me, either, as other players are constantly flailing around with weapons as they try to pick things up, use things like levers, interact with NPCs - you name it.  I see they even made it impossible to remap the mouse buttons too, and a friend of mine who is disabled and has to play almost entirely by mouse was basically told "tough luck" when he emailed in to ask if they could change it for people who don't have full limb mobility.

 I suspect your friend is accustomed to playing games with only one hand.

Yes, out of sheer necessity. Both his hands have such severe arthritis that they look like someone smashed them with a hammer and never bothered to reset the bones.  His left hand just can't bend to press keys fast enough and every game he (and I, come to that) has played up to now will allow mapping of the two mouse buttons to whatever you wish.  He can't use a multi-button mouse either. 

I'll suggest the "R" thing to him.  Much obliged.

Originally posted by InjaSam

I tried the game in beta and was not impressed.
Now i gave it another go since it´s F2P and i must say i´m impressed, Alot have been reworked/redone.
All i can say is that i don´t analyze every bit and piece in MMO´s but i just grade it regarding to fun factor.
Meaning, how fun am i having while playing the game. That´s the only question players should ask themselves.

I must say i had a blast last night playing. Created a new har with my brother completed the entire starting zone with all the dungeons and explored stormreach.
Nice graphics, lots of dungeons (of course) , content, cool realtime combat etc.
Since i think running dungeons is the most rewarding/fun part of any MMO the loss of somewhat free exploration in a open world does not matter.

Stormreach is really impressive. Its so damn HUGE! i especially like the market district.

For a F2P game i give this game 10/10
I would even consider paying a monthly fee to play it if aion was not around the corner.

Try the game for yourself since it´s free! You will be surprised how good it is!

www.ddo.com

QFT - My niece sent me an email about DDO going F2P, I'm glad she did. I'm having a blast right now.

I just DL'd this last night and was was surprised at the community size already.  I grouped with like 6 people and we all tore up most of the starting dungeons.   I have yet to go into the main city to see what is up there but the starting zone seems to be fairly deep with stuff to do from the outset.  The F2P model is a heckuva idea.

At lvl 2 I got itchy feet and set off to the "mainland" and I've done two or three quests there without much trouble, and you can still return to the newbie zone again should you wish.  Nice town!

The game is for sure a pleasant surprise. I tried it out in beta for a bit with my brother, and I just couldn't get into it. It's interesting how you feel about a game when you know a subscription fee is going to be tacked on to it. At the time, I just didn't feel it was worth it, because I just couldn't see myself investing a ton of time into the game. Now that it's f2p, my brother got me to try it out again, and I'm enjoying it so far. I don't have a ton of time to game these days, so it fits my play style pretty well. Log on for a bit, do a few quick dungeons, and log off.

What would make this truly amazing would be if they let players create their own dungeons and be dungeon masters, but I doubt we would see that in any MMO. Give the game a shot, you might be surprised, plus it's free =p

I have had about 4 trial accounts, never bought the full game as I couldn't get into it.

Then this week I started playing DDOU, and I wound up getting a VIP account several hours later. Can't exactly explain why, but nevertheless I am very impressed with the game now and the OPTION to have different payment methods is greatly appreciated.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

Originally posted by mindspat o I then can move the cursor to my tool bar to activate a spell/item or move something to a different location.  Pressing "T" is toggles this "Mouse Look" feature and you have to press T again to turn it off.  I prefer the left mouse button option, I'll continue to explain.then press the Upper Thumb Button on the G9 mouse to start running in the direction I'm facing, but I have to press it again to stop before I smack into a wall or run through a trap.  This part can be tricky and I normally don't use it when there's the threat of combat known to be ahead.  I usually use this Run (default is "R") for long passages or when I know there's nothing in front of me for at least 10-20 seconds.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

I'm just starting with it, but one thing that is really pissing me off is that for some reason known only to the designers, pressing both mouse buttons doesn't give you forwards/mouselook.  That's pretty much Industry Standard!! 

It isn't just me, either, as other players are constantly flailing around with weapons as they try to pick things up, use things like levers, interact with NPCs - you name it.  I see they even made it impossible to remap the mouse buttons too, and a friend of mine who is disabled and has to play almost entirely by mouse was basically told "tough luck" when he emailed in to ask if they could change it for people who don't have full limb mobility.

 I suspect your friend is accustomed to playing games with only one hand.

Yes, out of sheer necessity. Both his hands have such severe arthritis that they look like someone smashed them with a hammer and never bothered to reset the bones.  His left hand just can't bend to press keys fast enough and every game he (and I, come to that) has played up to now will allow mapping of the two mouse buttons to whatever you wish.  He can't use a multi-button mouse either. 

I'll suggest the "R" thing to him.  Much obliged.

Is an Xbox 360 controler usable by your friend? 

The reason I ask is that there are ways to set up a 360 controler for DDO.  I know a few people who do it and they like how it plays when on their melee characters, but admit it's almost impossible to play a caster or cleric with the controler. 

I'm thinking this might be a work around if the xbox's controler is functionable enough for your friend.  If they can use it, I believe you've found what your friend needs to play DDO comfortably. 

side note - i've raided with people who use 360 controlers and believe it will not hamper your success *if* the character being played is melee oriented.   

Sadly a game pad requires a flexibility that he just hasn't got.  I even suggested lending him my Nostromo N52 gamepad, because you basically lie your hand flat on that and it has approx 20 buttons you can reach with great ease, but that was a no-go too.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

Sadly a game pad requires a flexibility that he just hasn't got.  I even suggested lending him my Nostromo N52 gamepad, because you basically lie your hand flat on that and it has approx 20 buttons you can reach with great ease, but that was a no-go too.

In defense of your friend, the n52 is a crappy gimick that's more trouble then its worth.  I picked on up and tought it was complete garbage and promptly gave it away. 

I think remaping the Run "R" function to something easily accessible and play a calss that doesn't require a lot of real time movement, such as a heal bot Cleric, might be one of the better options for your friend to enjoy the game. 

It is a great game, and the way the F2P system is implemented is actually really good. At least much better than in most other games. I tried the game when it first came out a couple of years ago, but didn't like it. The forced grouping did not appeal to me. Now that has changed, and there has been numerous additions and expansions to the game. Now I am VIP; I have just bought the Drow race with my free points and am enjoying all the new content. Try it - you might like it!

Originally posted by miramira2

It is a great game, and the way the F2P system is implemented is actually really good. At least much better than in most other games. I tried the game when it first came out a couple of years ago, but didn't like it. The forced grouping did not appeal to me. Now that has changed, and there has been numerous additions and expansions to the game. Now I am VIP; I have just bought the Drow race with my free points and am enjoying all the new content. Try it - you might like it!

There is still tons of content that takes a group to run at the appropriate level. DDO is not solo friendly, especially to new players who can not afford to be self sufficiant. Yes they are making it more soloable, but it will never be a game you can run solo from day 1 as a new player and do all the quests.

Warrior Clerics (and maybe paladins) are great for soloing most of the time. There may be some instances where it's impossible, but so far I've run all missions on "normal" unless they were solo only.  The cool thing about Clerics is they can wear full armor and heal themselves - being far more effective tanks than warriors, especially early in the game.

To get the most out of locked loot and hidden doors, it pays to at least team up with a rogue. 

Originally posted by BaneShade

Warrior Clerics (and maybe paladins) are great for soloing most of the time. There may be some instances where it's impossible, but so far I've run all missions on "normal" unless they were solo only.  The cool thing about Clerics is they can wear full armor and heal themselves - being far more effective tanks than warriors, especially early in the game.

To get the most out of locked loot and hidden doors, it pays to at least team up with a rogue. 

 

Most of the time at low levels, yes.  But you soon reach a point were soloing simply becomes a waste of time if leveling and doing content at your level not quests below you are your goal. Yes you can solo many quests in the game if you are willing to spend hours in some quests. But really DDO is a social and group, even a small group, game. I normally spend my time leveling up duoing with my brother, two can go a lot further in DDO than one can.