Im still on my trial of this game and its...well interesting and diffrent.

No grind...seriously.

Kiling mobs is not really rewarded with xp or items, you get your items and xp from finishing quests and finding treasure.

Heavily instanced.  While the quest where great, and the gameplay, after getting use to it, was really fun, the game seems to miss that mmo feeling.

You see people in the city, just that every quest involves and instant dungeon.  You can party, of course, but i have yet to see a single person chatting in the game, aside from the occasional private mesage from a gold spammer (they have an easy "report gold spammer" thing you can click on.

I really am finding the gameplay very fun, its a like a mix of an adventure game where you climb, jump, and solve puzzles mixed with a hack and slash mmo...its really fun.  The only thing that is missing is the mmo part, i bet having this type of gameplay involved with raiding guilds, open field pvp, and other mmo type activites would be great.

For a casual gamer, who hates the typical grind, likes to solve puzzles while fighting mobs, this game is a perfict match

Well yes and no.  As you play more you will see that is both true and false.  DDO is rather wonky in many ways.  Still very fun though.

I think the lack of that 'mmo part' is a bonus, I can't even make it all the way through a free trial for most of them .

Yeah its definatly unique.  I really love the gameplay, attacking enemys is done well.  I also really love how im not just staning in a giant field with mobs wandering everwhere, spamming skills on them.  I like the fact that i have to do some puzzle solving, and the adventuring aspect of the quests is entertaining.  Its nice to have to acutally figure something out for myself.

Although i do worry about later level quests that may require me to find a party...i dont see too many people to party with.

You will find hat General Chat is for the most part barren. Most chat is done within guild, in party chat either via. voice or type, or now on private (or semi-private) chat channels (such as ones set up by multiple guilds so they can coordinate better, or the trade channel and help channels set up on Arggo by players). Generally relationships are built up by partying with people, which in turn leads to more opportunities to party with more peopel later.

And trust me, there are raiding guilds.

Most PUGs are formed using the LFM (and to a lesser extent LFG) UI's. The LFM is used almost exclusivly for forming non-guilded groups rather than general chat spam as is common in most games, to be honest I think many people are like me and do not even notice what is said in general a majority of the time.

Originally posted by crunchyblack

 but i have yet to see a single person chatting in the game, aside from the occasional private mesage from a gold spammer (they have an easy "report gold spammer" thing you can click on.

Thank god.

I remember the first time I logged into a game that had "chat" going and I was so disgusted I turned it off.

My original game was Lineage 2. There is no chat going on except in clan/alliance.

When I discovered that other games weren' like this it was a bit of a culture shock. Seeing a steady stream of nothign from people I didn't know was not my idea of fun or immersion.

I think it's refreshing that DDO doesn't have this and that the true chat taks place with people you are actually trying to make a connection with.

As far as other types of pm's, you will get invites to groups so no worries there. Sometimes you will get invites when you are in a dungeon already.

I enjoyed DDO - it was a game i played with all my buddies and we eneded up having a really great guild. Running through Vault of Night was tedious at times but we were able to kill the dragon as a server first... it was amazing :)

I always wished it would of released a couple months later with more races, classes, and polish but overall its a great game. I can't help but get the feeling that turbine used it as a test dummy for LOTR online though.... its a shame too...

Originally posted by mrkram

I always wished it would of released a couple months later with more races, classes, and polish but overall its a great game. I can't help but get the feeling that turbine used it as a test dummy for LOTR online though.... its a shame too...

Which can't be all bad right? They are planning to add DX10 support to DDO I think I read. So maybe some of the cool stuff LOTRO got first may now be making its way to DDO.

I agree with the summary about DDO in particular needing more races classes.  However it is interesting that Turbine is slowly  but surely putting more investments in the game.  Mod 8 (oct 08?) adds more high level content and a new intro area and the ability to high NPCs to help. Mod 9 (Dec 08 or Jan??) is level cap increase and very high level content (going to the devil planes) which should be interesting.  Rumer is by next spring maybe druid or the half races (like have orc) will show up.   Also another toon slot is coming with mod 8.

I guess my point is that the game might have a slow build but it works has great content , good fighting ability and the ability to group (kinda like pen and paper - don't laugh). 

Even though LOTR is turbine's baby DDO is by far the superior game.

It would be fun to play as a "doo-dad." Though, I wish this was based on the forgotten realms.

Originally posted by Bill_Pardy

I think the lack of that 'mmo part' is a bonus, I can't even make it all the way through a free trial for most of them .

being a "not a MMO part" is a good asset. its makes this game unique, its not about grinding system, its all bout guts to gain experience.

Originally posted by tikboi

Originally posted by Bill_Pardy

I think the lack of that 'mmo part' is a bonus, I can't even make it all the way through a free trial for most of them .

 

being a "not a MMO part" is a good asset. its makes this game unique, its not about grinding system, its all bout guts to gain experience.

I kinda disagree.  The main thing the game lacks is dynamic player controled environments which would establish more of that "MMO feeling" while giving those who are already playing a reward for their ventures.  What I'm getting at is player structures; guild halls, fortresses, castles, keeps, etc.  Something like this would also establish a gate way for Dungeon Queing which would allow guilds to pick certain quest features which could be randomly configured and saved for general and private use.  Any refernce to Age of Conan is probally going to be met with disastifaction and more negative feelings then playing DDO at launch although how AoC's guild system is done in terms of instanced zones where guilds can build a city is something that would elevate this game to the level of experiance and envolvement one might expect from Dungeons & Dragons.

DDO might not be that big MMO like EVE Online, WoW or LotRO yet it is a kick ass system that is equally rewarding even while lacking that feeling of being what many believe an MMO should feel like. 

Originally posted by tikboi

Originally posted by Bill_Pardy

I think the lack of that 'mmo part' is a bonus, I can't even make it all the way through a free trial for most of them .

 

being a "not a MMO part" is a good asset. its makes this game unique, its not about grinding system, its all bout guts to gain experience.

When you create a game to be an MMO like DDO is it is never an asset to miss that goal. DDO is about grinding, you have to grind to get a lot of stuff in that game. Guts to gain experience? It is a video game where do the guts come into play?

I am currently playing the game and enjoying it, but I'm not sure how long that will last once I'm forced to repeat quests/stopped from being able to solo when time requires it.

On a side note, I specced all points for my Paladin in strength at the beginning and I've been 1 shotting every mob on solo mode without buffs and 2 shotting normal mobs. Hope this holds up!

Its an enjoyable game, Reminds me of Guild wars and Diablo

Originally posted by MMORPDEATH

I am currently playing the game and enjoying it, but I'm not sure how long that will last once I'm forced to repeat quests/stopped from being able to solo when time requires it.

On a side note, I specced all points for my Paladin in strength at the beginning and I've been 1 shotting every mob on solo mode without buffs and 2 shotting normal mobs. Hope this holds up!

 

 

Of course it will not hold up. If it did the game would have folded 2 years ago.