I have been playing the Dungeons and Dungeons & Dragons™ Online: Stormreach™ (DDO) Beta for about seven weeks now, and in this journal I’d like to share some party tactics that could make one’s enjoyment of the game’s action-based combat system that much better.

Initially I, like most veteran MMORPG players, did not give much thought about melee tactics (position, range, targeting, prioritize targets, and especially party combat tactics). Yet nor was I one of those players who would simply charge into the mob of monsters and swing away recklessly. As a long-time pen and paper (PnP) player and former Marine, there were some basic combat tactics that I automatically fell into using.

Position

Where are you in relation to your enemy; melee range, missile range, detection range? Consider line of sight, and not just for the path of an arrow. Can you see the enemy, and can she see you? Are there nearby crates to duck behind or other aspects of your surroundings that could be of use? In DDO, it matters! All these come into play when employing the game’s inherent combat tactics.

Flanking (+2 attack bonus)

When a monster is targeting a specific player for his melee attack, anyone else attacking that monster gains a +2 attack bonus. Be warned, though, that turnabout is fair play; monsters also get the same bonus against you! This is a subtle break from the norm that makes for a whole different game dynamic. If you wade into combat the way many MMORPGs let you, you’re going to take a beating! The key in DDO is to react to such a situation - move when you get surrounded - jump and tumble - don’t just stand there and get butchered like a sheep.