Well, I tried DDO waaay back at the tail end of open beta and didn't really enjoy it too much.

But heck, that was 2 years ago, so I figured I'd give the trial a shot and see if it catches my attention this time. I've played LOTRO, WOW, EQ2, FFXI on and off for the past couple of years, and AOC is looking more and more like I'm going to just wait a few months after release until all the bugs and issues are worked out.

Now, my confession; I've only played the P&P version a few times back when I was a kid. I did the whole Baldur's gate thing and Icewind Dale, but will someone who hasn't ever "delved" into D&D be able to play this game? Honestly my main reason for never playing the table top versions much was ...basically...no one around here plays RPGs at all.

Also - I do tend to solo a bit, mostly because I've got a crazy RL/job that often drags me away from the game without warning, though I may be able to convince my spouse to come play if the game is decent.

thanks for answers in advance

The biggest problemI had is making a good build. I'm not fluent in D&D rules, and from what I've found is the Turbine default builds seem to not be built well for the future. It's like they balanced  the builds to be able to live a little longer and be able to hit. Least that is what it seems like to me.

The default rogue build will hurt you higher up because you lack INT to find traps on elite. So research good builds.

You can solo in this game, I would say up to a point. This game really shines with grouping. There are plenty plenty of dungeons that do not take a whole lot of time to complete with a group and get good exp/loot. I would ask the group you're trying to join if it is a long dungeon, STK, Tangleroot, Waterworks, take a little more time as they are a series.

The game has changed a lot since you last tried it. Mod 7 is coming this month with Monks and a new starting area. My suggestion is get two trial keys for you and your wife and jump in together. Join a few groups or look for a guild on the official boards for that server that fits your playstyle and going with some of them to see which guild you like best.

Goodluck to you in whatever you decide!

I would say no you don't have to know D&D to play DDO, it helps if you don't mind lots of stats and other variables to play with. Much like the combat there isn't a lot of hand holding, which is one of its strongest points, you can build and play as you want, it is possibly a big turn off for people as well.

It isn't a bad idea to think of your first character as a prototype.

Duoing group quests is a lot more viable than soloing, as they are really group designed and the solo setting is a bit of a joke challenge wise. DDO really does play better in a group, assuming you take precautions to join groups that are not rushing content they have done a lot of times.

Well having a very good knowledge of the old TSR and the new D20 DnD it helped me loads when making and advancing my characters. However like any game with time and advice you can pick it up quickly.  Also reading the manual will help (i know who ever reads the manual!).  I love DnD but in my opinion they chose a poor setting for the game.  Instead of using the game to lunch a new setting they should have used the most popular and most successful setting (or at least i think it was last time I looked) The Forgotten Realms campaign setting.  Almost all of the books and most loved character from the RPG and books are from this setting they totally messed up on that level if you ask me.  But getting off my point.

This game is not as good a WoW period, and I'm not a WoW fan these days gotten very board of it.  It's a crying shame as the system for the DnD game system is so much better than WoW, but the setting and the world is so claustrophobic and linear.The PvP sucks and you can't play the 'bad' guys so to speak, which cuts off 1/2 of a great PvP poetical for the game. If a WoW style open world, with Dark age of camelot type PvP, combined with DnD rules you'd have a truly great game.  Which is why I love the sound of Warhammer Online, it could be the next best thing since WoW for fantasy MMORPG's. Guild wars came close to WoW but I never got on with it the PvP was too limited to arena type battles and the lvl system and skills was just to limiting. that and you could spend RL money to boost yourself in the RPG world which in my view is totally lame. I'm yet to try out LoTR online would really like to.

Originally posted by madjimbob

This game is not as good a WoW period, and I'm not a WoW fan these days gotten very board of it. 

I agree that the setting for DDO was a bad choice.  When pushing an intellectual property you must go with what the fan base identifies with the most.  World of Warcraft is a great example of this and it’s mostly the cause of its success, besides being simplistic enough to appeal to the lowest denominator.  Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk might have been a better choice since the target audience is going to be more familiar with those environments.  Obviously, the reason for Ebberon (sp) was due to the license with Wizards of the Coast. 

While WoW is good at what it does (easily accessible, low learning curve and superb polish of gaming environment) there are some things it does not do well.  Personalized character builds and dynamic encounters is something I’ve not witnessed in WoW let along the combat is stale and lacks an infusion into the environment; lvl 17 is the highest I’ve made it WoW.     

Claustrophobic or Linear aren’t relative of today’s DDO.  The only valid application to those statements would be someone who actually has issues with being in small areas which at point it’s impossible to not recognize the amazing job Turbine has done in creating immersive dungeons; The Walls, The Walls Are Closing In!  Actually, WoW is a hell of a lot more linear then any quest I’ve ran in DDO.  There’s no diffusion from fetching “10 rat tails” other then “10 boar tusks”. 

PvP in DDO?  It’s a hell of a lot of fun!  The capture the flag settings are a riot with a good group of players as long as the group splits everyone up so you don’t get all the casters on one team.  It’s not supposed to be balanced and it’s not supposed to be even.  It’s the nature of the game, which many people from WoW would struggle to understand.

Playing “bad guys”?  You can always role play evil characters.  The actions available aren’t any different in DDO then what a good DM would have permitted in a pnp session.  If someone wants to play a “bad guy” they *do* have a challenge though since it takes intelligence to be an evil mastermind – Mwuahahaha!!

DDO absolutely bit the bullet with the overwhelming focus on instances for gaming environments.  I prefer them over EQ/WoW type of environments but would still like to see some random encounters taking place in the core areas of the city.  I think some random mobs in standard areas would have easily made the city feel more alive - Ambushes and Muggings!

One thing to note, DDO has the most advanced combat system yet on the open market.  Nothing is relatively comparable to the dynamics and tactile combat; a FPS?  This and this alone is why DDO is noteworthy even though it suffered a poor launch through a little misdirection during design and development.  It’s come a heck of a long way in two years and the combat is far superior to WoW. 

Originally posted by mindspat

Originally posted by madjimbob

This game is not as good a WoW period, and I'm not a WoW fan these days gotten very board of it. 

... 

While WoW is good at what it does (easily accessible, low learning curve and superb polish of gaming environment) there are some things it does not do well.  Personalized character builds and dynamic encounters is something I’ve not witnessed in WoW let along the combat is stale and lacks an infusion into the environment; lvl 17 is the highest I’ve made it WoW.    

There is zero character customization in WoW until level 10.   But past that you get one talent point every level which are similar to enhancement points in DDO except that every talent point counts in WoW (i.e. everything costs 1 point instead of 1/2/3/4/6).   Once you get into your 30's those talent points really start to add up and can vastly change the way your character plays.

I really believe that had DDO gone more WoW like in explorable areas/cities, resource gathering, crafting and yes even PvP but kept the instanced dungeons and active combat system that it could have been a WoW killer rather than the niche MMO that it has become.

Originally posted by Riddikulus

 

Originally posted by mindspat

Originally posted by madjimbob

This game is not as good a WoW period, and I'm not a WoW fan these days gotten very board of it. 

... 

While WoW is good at what it does (easily accessible, low learning curve and superb polish of gaming environment) there are some things it does not do well.  Personalized character builds and dynamic encounters is something I’ve not witnessed in WoW let along the combat is stale and lacks an infusion into the environment; lvl 17 is the highest I’ve made it WoW.    

If you have only made it to 17 in WoW you hardly have any idea of what the game really is... you probably haven't even run any of the WoW instances by that point.     It's basically the equivalent of getting to level 3 or 4 in DDO.

 

There is zero character customization in WoW until level 10.   But past that you get one talent point every level which are similar to enhancement points in DDO except that every talent point counts in WoW (i.e. everything costs 1 point instead of 1/2/3/4/6).   Once you get into your 30's those talent points really start to add up and can vastly change the way your character plays.

I really believe that had DDO gone more WoW like in explorable areas/cities, resource gathering, crafting and yes even PvP but kept the instanced dungeons and active combat system that it could have been a WoW killer rather than the niche MMO that it has become.

That is part of my problem, I refuse to play a game until it becomes fun........

Originally posted by Riddikulus

 

I really believe that had DDO gone more WoW like in explorable areas/cities, resource gathering, crafting and yes even PvP but kept the instanced dungeons and active combat system that it could have been a WoW killer rather than the niche MMO that it has become.

I am not so sure about the WoW killer, WoW is not successful based on the quality of the game, more the rolling stone social effect it caused in casual computer users.

I agree DDO should have included similar content to LOTRO on top of the instanced quests, which could have the potential of bringing it in to the 200k to 400k subscriber market. Which I would have considered successful in MMO terms if you discount WoW.

I'm not say DnD is a bad game I'm saying it a was/is a huge let down.  The scope and epicness the game could have had if it had followed a more WoW style of play.  WoW is successful for many reasons one being the PvP side to the game.  If you go for a RPG PvP server on WoW it's the best experience you an get out of the game. Most of the rp done is very lame at best and is mostly inter faction / guild conflict. 

WoW potential for RP was crippled by not allowing Horde and Alliance to communicate on some level.  If they did you could have build up a rival / arch Nemesis type affair from the PvP and communication.

DnD could have had this kind of style pvp with it's allignment system people of any race can be good or evil and all the shades of gray in between.  I'm not looking for a online professionally hosted Neverwinter Nights 91 or 2) because thats all DnD online is really. A huge set of quests that you can play with your mates online, rather than in a LAN multi player.  It's not what I consider to be a proper MMORPG. WoW is closer to that than DnD and that why it's better, it feels more like a real world rather than a computer game, if you get my meaning, obviously there all computer games.  Eve on the other hand is even better again on that level, about the best I've found so fare. 

However Warhammer seems to me like it could be very good as the world will change on player actions and success etc (well more than most MMORPG's I've seen). Anyway what I consider to be a proper MMORPG is where the players action has an effect on the world.  DnD it just doesn't exsist.  In WoW it does to a limited level in PvP areas and servers.  As I've said before I'm not a fan of WoW gave up playing a while ago, but that doesn't mean I can't see why it's so successful and why DnD is not.

Originally posted by madjimbob

 

if it had followed a more WoW style of play.

Then I wouldn't be playing it...nor would almost everyone I know.

Originally posted by Vincenz

 

Originally posted by madjimbob

 

if it had followed a more WoW style of play.

 

Then I wouldn't be playing it...nor would almost everyone I know.

Have to agree there, I can't ignore micro grind and I can't convince myself that a MMO that repackages simple quests for mass content is anything but shallow. Size or popularity means little to me, I like what I like and I tend to believe mass appeal is rarely a sign of quality.