Table-top Dungeons & Dragons players : beware!

Grismar

After playing the 7-day free trial, I have to agree with a common sentiment on these forums: Dungeons & Dragons : Stormreach should not carry the D&D moniker. It has precious little to do with D&D for many reasons.

Although it is set in the world of Eberron and the math behind most actions seems to match d20 -up to a point- there are far too many important things missing. Also, the addition of tons of typical MMO-fare renders the system only remotely reminiscent of table-top D&D.

Ofcourse we all knew it wouldn't happen: a MMO that succesfully mimics table-top D&D. But I feel that Turbine has strayed farther from the goal than it need have. In my opinion, the system caters for the needs of typical MMO-players out there, adding "just another fantasy MMO" to the mix, that has nothing on Warcraft or Everquest.

In fact, for the type of game it has turned out to be, I feel the whole semi-d20 thing is in the way of a good system instead of helping it. d20 is a good system for table-top play since it's manageable without a calculator while still allowing for sufficient depth (GURPS anyone?..). But for a computer-game, unless it's something like Starwars Knights of the Old Republic, it won't work as well. MMOGs require a system that advances players very slowly, with many small rewards along the way

Apart from the d20 issue, there are a lot of interesting races missing (gnome, half-orc, etc.), some standard classes are not playable (monk, druid, etc.), most skills and feats are either automatic or non-existent. Many new skills and feats, as well as something they term enhancements, are added to the mix which makes for a better computer game, but drives it even further from the D&D-feel.

And then there's tons of small things like priests getting their spells whenever they find a rest shrine (instead of dayly), spell points (instead of spell slots), etc. And for the 'coup de grace', there's all those little things that are almost impossible to translate, since they cater to a turn-based, grid-based combat system and have no place in a real-time, free-space game.

Overall, had the game not carried the D&D brandname, I might have liked it for what it is, although I think there's better MMOGs out there in the same genre. But with the D&D label, I'm left disappointed and angry at such blatant abuse of a well-known and well-marketed brand. I won't bore you with how I think D&D should or could be translated to a computer game, but it's nothing like DDO.

Moving on,
Grismar.