nice add...

though the game itself still sucks.

Good review. I'm on Thelanis and haven't seen much anti-newbie animosity in-game, but I certainly have seen some on the forums. I imagine it will all settle down soon enough.

I hadn't heard about the 4chan incursion. I'll have to bug some folks on Khyber for details. :)

 Your reveiw lacks some realisum.

Originally posted by motaboi

nice add...

though the game itself still sucks.

Another troll strikes the forum.  Nothing wrong with not liking a game, but when you can provide no reasons for your opinion you anoint yourself with the troll label.

Game is vastly improved since I last played it.  They still need to work on the new player experience, but when compared to the other f2p games it has a lot of the fun factor others are missing. 

I always thought this game was a diamond in the rough.  Glad people are finding out about it finally.

Originally posted by Chr1sc

 Your reveiw lacks some realisum.

A five word post with two typos and no point.

Except for the F2P remarks, this review could have been written a year ago and still held true. It's amazing how perceptions are easily changed by the word "Free." This will teach some of us a valuable lesson. People are resistant to change, so if you want to convince them that the change is good, let the try and play the game for free, then offer incentives to pay money after they've seen for themselves that the changes are good. Otherwise, what do you have? A bunch of blind people who will not be convinced, and will stick to a game that on paper looks better than the new kids on the block.

I am an admitted fanboi of DDO - I've been playing it for over 3 years now.  I really like how the game has evolved over time.  I recently began playing WoW with my son and another friend - we play both games together - and I must say that it has given me a greater appreciation for the combat system, character customization and development that if find lacking in WoW.  

It was really good to see that Jamie came to the game with an open mind.  He also raised some very valid points that I hope the devs will take into consideration with future updates.

 Jules

I played the game recently since it went F2P and mostly enjoyed it (got to level 15 with my Dwarf fighter), but two things kinda let it down for me and they are the lobby instanced feel that was mentioned here, I mean apart from the central hubs like the market place the game world felt under-populated and at times I had to remind myself it was an online game.

The second is that early on the game you dont have to group much if you dont want to, but later in the game around  levels 5-6 the game kinda forces you to group to be able to to do the Elite levels of dungeons and to get the favor score that you need to unlock better charcters/ reputation ect and to get more turbine points.

I kinda like solo play now and again as well as group but you just dont get enough exp or good loot running later level dungeons on normal mode.

Verdict: Overall an enjoyable game, it's now F2P which is excellent but be prepared to get very used to the Looking for group panel in social at later levels.

P.S Also everyone rushes through dungeons at later levels so much so that you end up running at full speed just to keep up with them when somethimes I just want to stop and take a breath and look at the scenery!

Originally posted by Silverune

I played the game recently since it went F2P and mostly enjoyed it (got to level 15 with my Dwarf fighter), but two things kinda let it down for me and they are the lobby instanced feel that was mentioned here, I mean apart from the central hubs like the market place the game world felt under-populated and at times I had to remind myself it was an online game.

What server are you on? I play on Cannith and it is far from underpopulated. Regardless of time of day, or where you may be ingame.

The second is that early on the game you dont have to group much if you dont want to, but later in the game around  levels 5-6 the game kinda forces you to group to be able to to do the Elite levels of dungeons and to get the favor score that you need to unlock better charcters/ reputation ect and to get more turbine points.

This is not true at all. Myself and plenty of the people I know/play with have soloed Elite modes right upto 11.

It does not force you to group until much later and even then calling it forced is subjective because I know plenty of players who still solo Elite quests @ 20. However, if you are not the best solo player (which is a safe assumption if you cant solo Elites past level 5-6) then grouping is your other option.

I kinda like solo play now and again as well as group but you just dont get enough exp or good loot running later level dungeons on normal mode.

Why would you expect to? Hard and Elite are where its at. Normal is essentially an Easy Difficulty Setting, with solo being Very Easy Difficulty.

P.S Also everyone rushes through dungeons at later levels so much so that you end up running at full speed just to keep up with them when somethimes I just want to stop and take a breath and look at the scenery!

Ask them to slow down...90% of them time, they will.

 

Originally posted by motaboi

nice add...

though the game itself still sucks.

i definitely do NOT like such posts..

i can hardly describe HOW i dislike such kinda communication

A great review, and a fair score I thought (unlike the 8.7 Aion got, which is a much worse game, in almost every aspect).

DDO is by far the best F2P game out there, it is better than almost every P2P game, and compared to the other free games on the market, this game is very, very, cheap.  You really can access all the content, races and classes that they sell without ever spending a dime... and still have fun doing it, depending on how patient you are and how much you enjoy doing the dungeons. There are usually 4 different difficulty levels for each dungeon, so you can experience it solo or take in a full party and try it on hard or elite mode, which adds alot of replayability for the dungeons.

I think Turbine making this game F2P was a great move, and it fits the dungeon and dragons model perfect.  But it also very generous in the free content you can access or unlock for free which makes it, IMO, one of the top 5 MMOs on the market.

some lil changes would be nice,to have a bit more mmorpg feeling (though i usually love the rpg feeling, thats why i love guildwars of course), if you leave the main hub, like marketplace.. u can go to an instanced hub, from ther u go to some dungeons.. sometimes.. i thought.. it would be nice,.. if this "big" dungeon which leads to the different "real" dungeons.. would be public too.

Originally posted by Silverune  

P.S Also everyone rushes through dungeons at later levels so much so that you end up running at full speed just to keep up with them when somethimes I just want to stop and take a breath and look at the scenery!

 

Yeah, this is one of the main reasons why I decided against subscribing and making this my "main" game. There are too many people rushing through WoW-style, and don't take a minute to consider that this is a different type of game.

The game's design and appeal to me that it is a 3-D version of D&D brought to life. However, no one plays it that way, so I've basically taken to just soloing dungeons now with some hirelings.

If the game could somehow address that, or make it easier to find groups interested in slow, immersive play then I'd subscribe. Doesn't matter what you say in the Looking for Group panel, zergers join your group anyway and rush through.

Originally posted by moorewr

Good review. I'm on Thelanis and haven't seen much anti-newbie animosity in-game, but I certainly have seen some on the forums. I imagine it will all settle down soon enough.

I hadn't heard about the 4chan incursion. I'll have to bug some folks on Khyber for details. :)

Really though, those that hate/dislike/get irritated when a bunch of new players join a game your playing, should go play a single player RPG...or something one player. 1. New players=more money for the company AND the longer the staying power of the game, 2. More people to play with and 3. Every one was NEW at some point. I agree when there a lot of questions being repeated in advice it can get discouraging..but if you dont like listening to it,turn it off.

PvP? Any...?

Great review.  100% agree.  The combat is certainly more 'active' and the dungeons-with-voiceover definitely give me that pen-and-paper feel from the old days.

I picked up DDO right after it's initial launch in 2006.  After giving it up (for reasons that I can no longer remember), I came back when I was invited into the F2P Beta early this year.  What a difference a couple of years makes!

Yes, the 'Free' part is attractive.  But in just a few sessions I also realized that DDO had aged very nicely.  It had expanded (more quests, more classes, better starter experieince) and matured (much more stable, less lag).  And while I haven't [yet] subscribed, I have happily paid out a few $ in exchange for a few DDO Store Points. 

DDO has a few rough edges but no more than any other MMO.  I am a [re]converted DDO fan!

After the extremly poor Aion and Fallen earth reviews, its nice to see that mmorpg.com still can write good reviews. I agree with pretty much everything said in there, both the pros and th cons. DDO is abit of a one trick pony, it does dungeons fara far better than every other MMO on the market. But lacks many of the things from other game.

Glad to see that DDO get the praise it deserves :)

Originally posted by Yamota

PvP? Any...?

There is PvP in the form of tavern brawling (free for all) and instanced "mini-games" like death-match and capture the flag. But the D&D rules are extremly unbalanced for PvP so its not very popular and people do it just for fun.

I agree with the criticisms that the review levelled at the game, a better tutorial is needed to cover aspects the current one doesn't even touch, and the game could definitely benefit from some expansion into uninstanced areas, the game offers what in my view are the best group-based dungeon crawling experiences of any game on the market, but it could use a more open environment for them to exist within, a bigger "meta-game"environment & a more involved & deeper crafting system wouldn't go amiss either.

The huge thing for me when taking this games qualities into account versus other free to play titles is 1 single factor.

"Paying to Win" is not how the game feels, unlike ALL other free to plays I have tried, the other thing is that whilst the store is there anytime you feel like browsing the fact that it exists is not rammed down your throat at every single turn, the game itself does not feel like you need to use it to get along, most free to play games leave you feeling like unless you invest (quite a lot of) cash into the game then the quality of your experience will just plain blow.

I think though that the very highly instanced nature of how DDO is contructed (essentuially it is like a LEGO village) lends itself perfectly to a F2P / shop model & the way that Turbine have set up the adventure packs content of the game was a inspired bit of thinking, you can grow the amount of game to suit yourself, but some reviews here on MMORPG of each individual pack would be a great way to inform the community, up the profile of the game itself, provide a service to newer players, and also provide your team with material for articles.

DDO almost feels like a game reborn (I played beta & wasn't fond of it back then) in it's present guise & my hope is that with the renewed interest, & money coming into the game that it receives some further investment & development & some ambitious things are done for it's future, the game has a huge amount of possible ways to be exapanded & yet kept focused on what it does best whilst growing & improving the experience it offers.

Overall I thought it was a good review & even-handed.

I will definitely agree with the game needing a more advanced tutorial of some sort. Having all the players descend into Stormreach without even knowing how to use the social panel to form or join groups and instead spamming General Chat is one of the biggest annoyances I've seen VIP players comment on. I know that the 'LFG/LFM' system in just about every other game I've played has, in many cases, not been worthwhile to even think about using, but in DDO it's the absolute best way to do groups, especially as you level up and players get spread out and your spam simply will not reach enough players.

If you're doing the quest for the first time, if you want to do all optionals, if you want to take it slow, just create a group for the quest you want to do, and put that info in the Notes section, or simplify it to 'first time on quest' or 'no zerging' or some such. Other new players that want to learn the quest will join. Veterans that like questing that way (like me, most of the time) will join.

I played DDO in beta. I tried the trial a couple of times after that. A few times I'd really wanted to play, but my RL gaming group wasn't interested or was more into something else at the time. I finally subscribed to DDO just a few months ago, about the time they announced that DDO:EU was coming. I was already deeply into other games, but I figured... why not. I'll sub for a bit and play it now and then and then when it goes F2P I'll drop my sub and just play whenever I feel like it. Well.. I feel like it every day. Who knows how long DDO will have me completely captured, but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

~from a Khyberite who's kinda glad she hasn't run into the 4chan stuff

Originally posted by motaboi

nice add...

though the game itself still sucks.

You really need to make a new account to troll kid?

To point out something I  notices with the game, the review says you can play a majority of the game without up front costs. I don't know if it was just me, but I was only able to play the first two areas, "The harbour" and "The Marketplace". The Harbour was a good introduction and supplied all the dungeons for getting the gameplay down and pack. But, The Marketplace supplied 5 or 6 dungeons to which was the end of the Free to play game.

Now is this right or did i miss something, because they can hardly claim F2P when 85% to 95% of the game is not free. I mean you can't even finish the campaigns. But I don't know maybe i missed something.

I've to say that this is one of the best DDO reviews I've read. For one, the author is honest about his bias. Secondly, the author raises very good issues (pros and cons) in a very coherent manner. He praises the game for its merits while at the same time points out the "shortcomings."

To the mindless trolls: if you want to spew drivel about DDO, please at least have the decency of expressing your issues/concerns in a coherent, cogent manner. I'm a long-time DDO player and I personally have as many reasons to love it as I have to hate it. And trust me there's no lack of issues with this game, but I think Turbine has begun to address some of them -- which is a good thing. But when I've criticized the game I've at least have good reasons to do so and have tried to frame my gripes in coherent fashion. Writing a one-sentence post to express disdain for the game only makes someone look silly (hint: it's not the game).

Peace.

"But since subscription rates are up 40% since the subscription model change, Dungeons and Dragons Online is definitely getting something right."

To be fair, sub rates in a f2p game are hardly indicative of anything. I activated an account, played, didn't like it, didn't spend a penny, uninstalled.  But I bet I'm part of that 40%.

Originally posted by dhayes68

"But since subscription rates are up 40% since the subscription model change, Dungeons and Dragons Online is definitely getting something right."

To be fair, sub rates in a f2p game are hardly indicative of anything. I activated an account, played, didn't like it, didn't spend a penny, uninstalled.  But I bet I'm part of that 40%.

What the writer should have said was that since adding F2P, paying subscriptions have increased by 40%. That statement from Turbine was a few weeks ago as well, so there could have been even greater numbers of conversions.

elI have to think that, the longer you play the game, the more likley you are to purchase a subscription and get all the content for all youur toons whenever you want, as opposed to purchases content piece by piece.

Yes its the monthly subscribers ($15/ month like most MMOs) which have increased with 40%, then add all the Free player (probably twice as amany as the VIPs) and you have alot of people playing.

Originally posted by Sptn117

To point out something I  notices with the game, the review says you can play a majority of the game without up front costs. I don't know if it was just me, but I was only able to play the first two areas, "The harbour" and "The Marketplace". The Harbour was a good introduction and supplied all the dungeons for getting the gameplay down and pack. But, The Marketplace supplied 5 or 6 dungeons to which was the end of the Free to play game.

Now is this right or did i miss something, because they can hardly claim F2P when 85% to 95% of the game is not free. I mean you can't even finish the campaigns. But I don't know maybe i missed something.

You missed ALOT of content. After the marketplace you have 4 houses where there are alot of free quests. There are free quests up to lvl 12 including a lvl 10 raid. Just go to the marketplace and from there you can enter the other areas for the different houses. I think 1/4 of the quest in the game are free (75 of 300)

I like these Co-op Rpgs. Games like Diablo 1 &2, Guildwars and DDO are really fun to play.

I know most people don't consider game that have Hubs with limited instanced questing/dungeon areas as MMO I still find them a joy to play.

DDO is a fun dungeon crawler with interesting classes,well done combat mechanics and good graphics.

I hope the other Co-rpgs like APB and Global Agenda are just as good.

Originally posted by dhayes68

"But since subscription rates are up 40% since the subscription model change, Dungeons and Dragons Online is definitely getting something right."

To be fair, sub rates in a f2p game are hardly indicative of anything. I activated an account, played, didn't like it, didn't spend a penny, uninstalled.  But I bet I'm part of that 40%.

You should look the definition of subscription up. Subscription means you PAY to play the game. That's what subscribing is. Otherwise you're just a player. He didn't say the population has gone up 40%, he said the SUBSCRIPTION rates has gone up 40%. Big difference.

Originally posted by Silverune

P.S Also everyone rushes through dungeons at later levels so much so that you end up running at full speed just to keep up with them when somethimes I just want to stop and take a breath and look at the scenery!

 

I played back with the game was first released.  I enjoyed it, and would have played it for a while longer no doubt, if it wasn't for the repeatitive nature of the dungeons.  This wasn't even so bad, as the combat and group play was fun, but when it got rushed, and everyone raced through the dungeon, I felt like I was missing something.

Sometimes, I even miss the old days of Everquest when everyone actually was required to sit and rest to get their health back in order to fight again.  It was a time when the social/roleplaying aspect really came into play.  Now, in most games, its full speed ahead killing things, questing, etc.  Especially if there is something that can slow the game down everyonce in a while, I would be happy to try DDO once again.

Can us poor Europeans finally get this F2P change, as well? I can't believe how long it's taking them, whether it's Codemaster's or Turbine's responsibility not to mention we're still paying for the game here in EU.

Originally posted by dhayes68

"But since subscription rates are up 40% since the subscription model change, Dungeons and Dragons Online is definitely getting something right."

To be fair, sub rates in a f2p game are hardly indicative of anything. I activated an account, played, didn't like it, didn't spend a penny, uninstalled.  But I bet I'm part of that 40%.

Steefel did say that the amount of players actually using the service (the shop) was far more than they had anticipated and they consider the move a success.

 The game is good, it is free to play except your gameplay is limited considerably.  Limited character slots, amount of gold you can create what quests are available.  You'll also find that when trying to find a group you'll notice a large number of spots closed to you because you don't have the adventure packs, or the group states "No F2P!"

This is a common attitude amongst the people who've played this game over the last couple years and have the misconception that it makes them somehow better then the new people trying the game.  The other thing someone else touched on that is what they call zerging dungeons.  

You enter and before you know it the group is running off in different directions trying to blast through the instance like its a race.  When asked they reply with they've done it so many times its boring.  Why do it if its boring then ?  Translation, they wanna show off.

The DDO store allows you to buy a wide variety of items which makes you a premium member that provides a few benefits.   You still have to buy certain adventure packs and you get more character slots.  Only thing is you'll more then likely be starting over ALOT because creating your character takes alot of consideration.  You can really mess up and gimp your character if you don't do some research.

If you become a VIP 14.99 a month you get all the content, character slots and the store is still available.  Only thing is you might end up spending more on the store then the subscription... I buy points to get potions so far have spent more then the subscription amount.

THe writer hit it right on the head.  THe Vets of the game have been complaining about the lack of social panel training and the fact that Korthos can be "too easy".  While soloing is possible there and in the harbor, it rapidly disappears around level 7-8 for some classes/players.  THe shock can be really bad, andthe fact some classes actual change roles from soloist to group player confounds most new players. 

As for the friendly aspect of the community.  I am disappointed.  I work hard to help new players for the last few years, and to see a so-so review is disapointing.  ++MUST  WORK  HARDER!! ++

And, to the writer, to call Thelanis the "unoffical" roleplaying server will anger all the Xoriats and they will eat more butterflies.  Shame, we just housebroke them!  :P

Cool, the re-review that should have happened OVER A YEAR AGO.   Nice to see mmorpg.com keeping up with all the latest happenings and changes in the world of mmos....

Some of us kept saying it in the forums, but usually we'd just get ridiculous replies like, "It's instanced, so it's like Guild Wars."  Oh, I'm sorry, am I coming off a slight bit harsh?  I'll return to my normal, wonderful self in a moment, but for now I just want all the people who have kept their heads in the sand and kept this game down, often without ever even playing it, to eat some crow is all.  

Oh, and when an LFM says, "no f2p," it's often not to exclude anyone; it's just a reminder that the quest isn't free.

I will agree with the poster above in the fact being it is nice that this site FINALLY did something positive for the game and the fair weather posters are eating rotten ham.

I played the original DDO. It was so disappointing. After playing the F2P remake for about a month I am very impressed. As soon as my CoX sub runs out in December I'll be paying for a DDO sub. I enjoy soloing alot so the option to solo or even to play a dungeon on normal for added challnege is good for me.

The times I've teamed have been enjoyable too. I get a real feel of the old PnP AD&D I used to play back in the 80s.

It's a little dumbed down from actual D&D but that's ok it's still alot of fun.

Glad to see DDO get such a high rating!

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by dhayes68

"But since subscription rates are up 40% since the subscription model change, Dungeons and Dragons Online is definitely getting something right."

To be fair, sub rates in a f2p game are hardly indicative of anything. I activated an account, played, didn't like it, didn't spend a penny, uninstalled.  But I bet I'm part of that 40%.

 

Steefel did say that the amount of players actually using the service (the shop) was far more than they had anticipated and they consider the move a success.

Sub rate increases are based on paid subscribers. You are not a subscriber on an F2P account, you are an F2P player.

Originally posted by Babylon9000

I played the original DDO. It was so disappointing.

I'm a founder. other than the ddo points store, LFG interface and some more content, as well some broken stuff fixed, its still almost the exact same game... Running waterworks with a group (outside of how you get the quest) is _identical_ to what it was on launch day.

The f2p remake has changed nothing about the game other than the limits put on f2p players and ability to buy your way out of favor rewards. Solo options and enhancements were put in relatively soon after launch.

I'm not sure why people say it was disappointing at launch and it's not now. More bugs and less content at launch?

They've fixed a lot of stuff, added 2 classes, and drow but the gameplay experience inside the dungeons is identical sans bugs. A few of the quests have been modified, a bunch added, but really? 

I've always loved the game... then again I'm a PnP fan so maybe I cut the game more slack than someone coming into DDO cold would. They've added a lot to the game, but at it's core, it's still identical to what it was at launch.

My only beef is players that talk about nothing but WoW when we are on a quest. >barf<

Originally posted by rgviza

Running waterworks with a group (outside of how you get the quest) is _identical_ to what it was on launch day.

Actually, thiss isn't quite true.. they just changed how you Free Arlos. Now you have to shepherd him back to the entrance like Threnal West 2. :)

Originally posted by Methos12

Can us poor Europeans finally get this F2P change, as well? I can't believe how long it's taking them, whether it's Codemaster's or Turbine's responsibility not to mention we're still paying for the game here in EU.

I would really hope that Europeans would get this F2P change, but then again... I have been playing the game on NA servers for few months now, and the latency is quite nice (about 100-120ms), so no lag for me.

And one of the best things I find about the NA servers... is that (almost) everybody speak English very well, that is a nice bonus in a game like this, where co-op is needed.

AND... if this would come to Europeans aswell, I would hope that I could transfer at least one of my characters to European servers.

It might just be me and my actual D&D 3.5 experience, but I believe this game has no right to be truly called Dungeons&Dragons Online. The reason I loved D&D is because I made the choices, and my neutral/chaotic could just take this cash and run. I got to call the shots- not a dev I've never met. Maybe suggestions could be available?

Don't get me wrong- this is a great f2p MMORPG. It just doesn't amount to the intense creativity of true Dungeons and Dragons. It's close , but the end- player crafted ideas and even quests- has yet to come.

If it ever comes, please PM me and tell me where. If you do, you have just found the game I'll always play, provided it has good scores in everything other than an "editor" system.

Nice review, by the way. Keep it up!

---

Originally posted by wiseguy21
It might just be me and my actual D&D 3.5 experience, but I believe this game has no right to be truly called Dungeons&Dragons Online. The reason I loved D&D is because I made the choices, and my neutral/chaotic could just take this cash and run. I got to call the shots- not a dev I've never met. Maybe suggestions could be available?

Don't get me wrong- this is a great f2p MMORPG. It just doesn't amount to the intense creativity of true Dungeons and Dragons. It's close , but the end- player crafted ideas and even quests- has yet to come.

If it ever comes, please PM me and tell me where. If you do, you have just found the game I'll always play, provided it has good scores in everything other than an "editor" system.

Nice review, by the way. Keep it up!

---

WiseGuy21,

Since you are obviously a fan/player of the original D&D P&P game, there is no way a production MMO based on that game is going to satisfy your more sophisticated appetite. I will make a suggestion though; the Never Winter Nights (NWN) series. Perhaps you've heard that already but it remains a viable MORPG (minus the first "M" for "massive").

I can say this, in both NWN 1 and NWN 2 there are active communities and the game allows players to be a DM, host a game, take over their own NPCs and even invent custom creatures (not to mention entire story lines) from scratch. If immersion is what you want (with more control), NWN is the way to go. It's not technically an MMO per-say, but it is an RPG based on D&D 3.0 (NWN 1) and 3.5 (NWN 2) rules.

As an MMORPG based largely on D&D rules, DDO gives the old P&P players something to tinker with while not being too difficult to attract your standard MMORPG player.

I've always wanted to play D&D in it's classic form, but I just can't resist 3D graphics . . . and I'm sure you can relate.

This is an excellent and fair review. For the first time I have little to say other than perhaps this post should be stickied somewhere on DDO's forums for new players, lol.

One things that was hinted on that does hinder my play-time is DDO's lack of open terrain. The game's environmental foundation is indeed much like Guild Wars in that everything is instanced except for the "main" communal areas of Stormreach. In fact, most dungeons in DDO are quite confining as well and really don't allow for the nonsense exploration that draw many MMOers "in". Couple that with the rush of veteran quest runs and you've got an MMO that's not only impossible to just explore in general but that also flies by before what little open area that DOES exist can be explored before your dungeon partners move on.

This isn't the case all of the time, as no one situation typically is, but it does occur. My suggestion is that players should keep in mind that D&D is a complex system and to implement its many varying facets it would be largely difficult to leave the world "open" and yet remain playable.

That's really my only complaint though and for the most part the game offers players options that no other MMORPG has truly implemented to DDO's extent, such as: trap detection/disabling, hidden passage detection, lock picking, sneaking through a dungeon instead of fighting through, objects that require strength or wisdom to open . . . it's all good stuff.

DDO is free, it IS fun, and although the restrictions can be a bit confusing at times (like having to get a "pass" to progress past certain levels), it's not too difficult to figure out and achieve and yet still offers Turbine a small hope of eventually getting paid for developing, maintaining and updating what is truly a premium game.

A very good review, both for its impartial comment on the pro's and cons of this game.

I have been playing the game since a month after initial release on the european servers and then on the US servers and the changes within the game have been quite vast.

I would encourage anyone to play, the game might suck you in like it has me and many others, but it also might not tick any of the boxes and push you away.

I cannot see myself ever leaving this game.. except for when they pull the plug on the servers.. hopefully many years away. I love the hectic combat, the team strategy, playing with friends..

My only concerns with the game at the moment is the impending arrival of guild sky ships (housing).. from what I have read, if you are in a newly formed guild with small numbers like myself you will be at a disadvantage from playing in an old elitist guild with large numbers.. This seems to remove another layer of individuality.. and so i expect to see a lot of the smaller guilds merge with the bigger guilds to get the benefit of enhanced spell dc's, etc..

My only other concern is with raid lag... caused by dps, not game breaking in any respects just frustrating

On the flip side you get to play inside a community that actually cares about other players, in the main always willing to help.  You get to create a character with probably the most vast customisation / character building option then in any other game (just from my experience)

For those of us who love this game, creating a crazy new build or adapting a tried and tested forum build to suit ourselves is one of the highlights.

My main relief is that there is none of the lotro/wowisms in this game.. D&D is epic adventuring.. how epic would a merry band of adventurers feel if they had to run across a massive map to kill 6 spiders just to run back and be told that the next "epic adventure" is to go back to where you just were to kill 12 more spiders and take 12 fragments of web..  not very epic at all.

I will stick with having to enter another plane of existance and defeat a selection of bearded devils, orthons, horned devils and  a pit fiend (Thats EPIC)

This game wont suit everyone.. but for me.. it rocks :)

Awesome comments. I am glad there are players out there that can actually give an opinion without turning it into some sort of rant. I have yet to try this game and really hadn't given it a great deal of thought till I was just messing around on MMORPG.com and came across this review. I am glad you actually have experience playing WoW and other titles without just making assumptions and dissing something because its a cool thing to do. I think I may go and download DDO so that I can experience what its like so I too can say hey I tried this and I really liked/didn't like this or that and actually have a valid opinion.