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D&D Online Modules
Majestico
Member UncommonPosts: 481
I've been a fan of D&D since I was a kid, playing first and second edition versions of the pen and paper game. I thought that this game would rule when it came out, as afterall, this is the daddy of the genre.
However, I have been put off buying it, because of all the negative comments about it, especially when it first came out. Now I keep hearing of the free content that is updated regularly. Is this in the form of module type adventures? If so, has the new content improved the game. I really wanted this one to be good, but it sounds as though NWN may be a better option.
Have they managed to change it around with the free game content, and if so, what is the new content?
Or am I going to be getting the same sort of disappointment when I played Pools of Radiance expecting a Baldur's Gate 2 rival?
Comments
Try the free trial and see for yourself. Even DDO's critics wil say its a fun game but lacking in a few areas that most other MMORPG's have such as crafting and large open worlds to discover. Making D&D into a conventional MMORPG simply wouldn't work or feel like D&D. I think DDO strikes a pretty good balance of bringing D&D to the online game format.
1. The game is set inside the city of Stormreach mainly and you can venture off to many explorable areas. Alot of times you are instanced off to far off quests without the travel time. I myself like this feature because I want to get to the adventuring and questing and don't have alot of time to travel when I play. Some people feel this is too restricting and makes the world seem small. Both sides have valid points.
2. DDO does not follow the same MMORPG formula of hunting mobs for xp which is not very solo friendly. You really only get xp in any measurable manner by completing quests. You do get small xp by completing objectives.
3. All of the quests are instanced which is both good and bad depending on your point of view. This way the quests are completely up to each party to solve without outside help, exploitation or griefing from other players. Most all of the high lvl content needs to be grouped to be completed. So grouping is a big part of the game design and if you like soloing in MMORPG's this is not the game for you.
So it really comes down to if this game fits your playstyle. For me it does and is a game I can play without having to sink alot of time into it to stay at the high end content. I also think the DDO character system is far and away the best in the MMO genre. Character creation is like PnP and you can truly make any character you want and it can be completely original. The best games in my opinion are where you can make truly gimped characters. You can play popular builds or really be creative and make something unique. By comparison I did buy the WoW expac and I have absolutely no control over how my character is evolving. Pick a class and follow the linear progression path that is already pre determined for me. That is not my cup of tea but nothing wrong with that if you like that kind of game.
I think the important thing that most people need to ask themselves when there playing whatever MMORPG they like is are you having fun. In that moment of either running a DDO quest like Waterworks or a WoW quest of killing 10 boars are you having fun while you do it. So if your having fun playing then subscibe if not then don't. So the best thing you can do is try the game out and post your thoughts about it especially since you are a big D&D fan. Those are the posts that I usually take the most seriously when reading reviews on other games. Not some guy that posts I have played every MMORPG out there and this game suxors. You probably wouldn't want to play with that guy in the first place.
I have downloaded the trial, and I must admit that my initial impression is one of disppointment. There is so much that a DDonline game could offer, and I am not sure if this will deliver.
The graphics are fine, although the text is quite archiac and difficult to read, as though it is from an old Might and Magic game of years ago. The lack of voice acting was a let down, as well as the cluttered to feel to the game. It just doesn't feel like what a D&D world should. Huge and expansive, filled with intrigue.
It is still very early days though, and there are some good signs. The DM's voice, and the feeling of atmosphere when you enter an instance is excellent. The way you have to think about how to tackle problems is also good. The game itself though, does feel rather lifeless, the npc's seem to just be stock characters, there to give you quests or act as vendors. Also, the Eborron campaign is an unusual choice, and not a setting I particularly like. I cannot help but feel they would have been able to tap into a much greater market by using one of the more established campaigns.
Like I say, I am just at the beginning of my travels in Stormreach (level 2 cleric). I shall have to put in a lot more time, before I draw up my final conclusion.
There is one thing I have noticed though, and it is potentially a great, big cowpat of a problem. I expected the DD Online experience to have a vibrant role-playing community. Afterall, was that not the point of making a lot of the material un-soloable? You would create an adventuring group, just like in the actual pen and paper game, and explore the dungeons and adventures together.
I witnessed absoloutely no role-playing. What was worse, I found that the party members were all just forming PUGS to blitz through well-known instances, and did not care a jot for the actual story or the game. It was like Guild Wars, but enclosed in a city. Actually, it was more akin to Diablo II in that respect than GW, for people were replaying the same instances.
If I can find a good role-playing party, of my level, who are interested in experiencing the game, without just doing 'runs', then I could see some potential.
I know it seems as though I have made my mind up already, but I am still going to keep playing, and hope that I discover the real game.
Ironically, tonight I read about another game from Turbine, and another franchise I grew up with. The Lord of the Rings. After hearing some early reports on this game, I am extremely excited about it. Perhaps this will be the game I wished Stormreach was.
I'll post again, with my full opinion after the trial has ended.
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Note: PlayNC will refuse to allow you access to your account if you forget your password and can't provide a scanned image of the product key for the first product you purchased..... LOL