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D&D Online: A rushed job?
SilverGR
Member Posts: 40
Is it me or does anybody else thinks that D&D online is being rushed by Turbine so that they can use their resources on LOTR? Can any developer claim to be able to tackle two such franchises at the same time and turn them both into quality MMORPGs?
Comments
I don't really have any interest in either of the games they're developing, but that's mostly due to the gameplay; D&D Online is a group-oriented game, and Lord of the Rings Online is apparently featuring very "twitch"-oriented combat, neither of which I particularly enjoy. That said, I don't think they would've spent a small fortune on the licenses for those franchises if they didn't believe they could develp them. The games have two different teams of developers, so it's not as if the company has to choose which game to put their resources behind.
Whether or not Turbine's vision for these games appeals to a large enough playerbase to categorize them as successful won't be known until a few months after they launch. I think it's a bit early to be predicting failure, though. I honestly don't think there's a team of developers out there that ever sets out intending to make a "half-assed" game. The gaming industry is very competitive, and salaries are typically a good deal lower than in other areas of software development. That says to me that people who choose to design games do it because it's something they enjoy, not something they seek to exploit. The truth of the matter is that it's usually the business end of things, rather than the creative end, that pushes unfinished games into the market. Will that be the case here? There's no way to know until it does or doesn't happen.
Thanks for the insight and the comprehensive answer. I agree more or less, it is just that I have that little alarm ringing in my head. It warns me that a) D&D Online was "comissioned" to Turbine by Atari and it is not "their" project, like LOTR is. b) Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that D&D has been in development for a shorter amount of time than LOTR and it is coming out first. c) Atari could definitely not push around BioWare with NWN, but it did so with Troika and the end result was an RPG that never realised its true potential. So I form a possible picture with a publisher (in trouble lately) who just wants the game out by the holiday season, a genre that can afford a half-finished release, and a developer who might just not care too much for the perticular project. Just a fear I have...
i think one of the reasons that DDO is coming out first is a big one, when it comes to the rules and such, D&D has everything you would possibly want to look up stat wise, they have the information their and they have already stated they want to be true as possible to the PnP version.
When it comes to LOTR, all they have is a story. Thats it, they have to decide weapon stats and a combat system and so many others things that have to be either built from scratch or "borrowed" from another game.
Until you cancel your subscription, you are only helping to continue the cycle of mediocrity.
If they are smart, they better not rush it. If the game is unplayable, buggy and not stable, they will lose so many customers or not gain any whatsoever. All it will take is a couple hundred players to post on forums that the game sucks, and no one will play it and remain with their older MMORPGs.
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Stealth - Ambush - Hemorrhage - Sinister Strike x2 - Cold Blood - Eviscerate - Vanish - Preparation - Cold Blood - Ambush - ... you're dead! :P
looking forward to D& D online if its grouping based and based in dungeons. Lotr didn't look too good.
Rather odd seeing this(the above) posted now. It's been common knowledge since early August that DDO had been pushed back to at least early 2006. Even the front page at mmorpg.com no longer shows DDO releasing in 2005.
http://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php?&postid=183498
Originally posted by Sporkfire DDO Community Relations Manager
1. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach will be released in Q1 2006
Consider this your official confirmation that the game will, indeed, ship first quarter of next year. This will allow us sufficient Alpha/Beta time to evaluate feedback and respond appropriately and ultimately ship a great game. It's all for the greater good.
2. Atari's Financial Status
There is another press release regarding Atari's financial status. We are not spokespeople for Atari, so if you have questions on that subject itself, it is better to raise it to Atari reps. As this relates to us, our release date was not and will not be affected by this news. We're developing the game pretty independently (not only on the actual product development, but also on funding), which gives us quite a bit of control over the course we take in putting the game on shelves. So, no worries there.
-Myth-
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Illusion masquerading as metaphor in the guise of legend
I am reading all the lengthy postponements as more of a dedication or desire to make a game that will live up to the expectations of players. If they just wanted to make a buck they would have locked in the last quarter of 2005 to catch the christmas rush (or perhaps they are wanting to be the only release).
Witty saying to amuse you goes here.
I've been on a fence post about D&D online since I first heard about it . I played D & D back in the days of the Red & Blue boxed it was a great game with few if any limitations, in fact your main limitation was your imagination. Since then D&D has become Huge with Hundreds (if not thousands I lost track in mid 90's) of books and other forms of resourses. So here is my question is it possible for D&D online to be what D&D PnP is? I find it hard to imagine but I have always been a skeptic. If D&D online is half of what what the PnP is it will be the best damn MMORPG ever
I think after AC2 Turbine has to tred very carefully and that is what they are trying to do. But, if you wait too long other games will come out and people may get hooked on those instead...
I don't think they will do a rush job, nor will they release a crap product due to what the other companies say. I think after the whole AC2 debocle, they realize that even if they license the most well known trademarks in the world, whatever the end result is of their game, the players and fans will ultimately point the finger at Turbine, be it for blame of a failure or praise for a great game.
What I think the real problem will be is that alot of people will expect DDO to be a MMORPG like we know it today when it's actually much different due to the way they are instantiating things. For the most part, people don't like change. They say they want it, they say they will like it, but when it happens, they will be comparing it to other MMORPG's out there.
DDO is another guild wars only it will have a monthly subscription. I dont see what could possibly attract players to play it other than the name.
Make a difference!
Remove the raiding aspect and I would just have call you an heretic for the greatest glory of Cyric...
But with raiding...I dont have any energy left to defend their questionnable, over questionnable, over questionnable choices.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
I admit I missed that due to being away on vacation. Thank you for the correction, although it still seems DDO is coming up before LOTR. Also the delay may have more to do with Atari's troubles right now than with any development considerations. But we cannot know for sure, of course. I am just expressing my thoughts here to hear what the rest of you think.
There are other things that seem odd to me. The game will offer no crafting or PvP at launch and experience will be given out solely by quests, not battles. Turbine is aiming to reward not just players who kill on sight, but those who use diplomacy and/or stealth. That is good. However, stealth being what it is, I am suddenly visualising parties of rogues sneaking to complete the goals in a dungeon because they bloody well cannot stealth to avoid combat along with non-rogues.
I have to disagree AC1 was a great hit and is still going pretty strong even to this day, most people just look at there failiure with AC2 and develope this opinion of Turbine not knowing what they are doing, if anything i belive they will have learnt a valuble lesson from there past mistakes (especially with AC2) and will do well with there upcoming titles. Thanks alot.
Garrik
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"once upon a midnight dreary, while i porn surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of 'hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, "give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404."
Have you played it Copeland?
So you're saying any game with huge open areas is an Everquest clone? I dunno...the fact that it's all instanced doesn't necessarily mean it's Guild Wars, it's just the format they decided to use.
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!