Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
A few questions
Aerendir
Member Posts: 22
So....I have a few random questions about the game before I decide if I'm going to try it or not.
1. Crafting. I can't seem to find any info about crafting in the game, which is a rather large factor for me in determining which MMOs I play.
2. Classes. I heard when the game originally shipped there were no Prestige classes and I was wondering if that's still the case. Also, I was wondering if it's possible to cross-class and if there are any unusual penalties for doing so.
3. Level cap. What is the current level cap? Is it a combination of main and cross-class levels or is it a flat 20 as in the pen and paper game or what?
4. Instances. From what I heard originally at the game's release, everything outside of town is instanced. Is this still the case?
1. Crafting. I can't seem to find any info about crafting in the game, which is a rather large factor for me in determining which MMOs I play.
2. Classes. I heard when the game originally shipped there were no Prestige classes and I was wondering if that's still the case. Also, I was wondering if it's possible to cross-class and if there are any unusual penalties for doing so.
3. Level cap. What is the current level cap? Is it a combination of main and cross-class levels or is it a flat 20 as in the pen and paper game or what?
4. Instances. From what I heard originally at the game's release, everything outside of town is instanced. Is this still the case?
Comments
1) Crafting is coming in one of the updates this year, not in game yet. I don't recall if we've been told exactly what crafting professions will be added to the game.
2) No idea what a Prestige class is, but yes you can multi-class.
3) The level cap just increased to 14 a month or two ago. Sounds like 16 might be coming at some point this year?
4) Yes. While they're adding new (and revamping old) wilderness areas all the time in recent months, I don't see them doing a mid-game redesign and including an open public world. DDO seems to be more about RPGA-style instanced adventures than open world exploring.
By the D&D core rules, version 3.0 and higher, prestige classes are "advanced" classes that you must meet certain attribute, talent, and/or other prerequisites to attain levels in. Spellsword, swashbuckler, drunken master, tattooed monk, etc. They're just more specialized and generally more powerful extensions/combinations of current classes and class + cross-class combinations. I've been biding my time constantly debating trying the game, but with no crafting yet released, no prestige classes, and such a low level cap, I don't really think there's enough content to keep me going at present. Perhaps in the future I'll give it more consideration, but as it stands, I still don't think it's the game for me. Thank you for your time and answers, never-the-less though.
One thing with the levels though, I have no idea how D&D does it, but in DDO there are 4 or 5 ranks per level. When you actually gain a true level, then all the D&D stuff applies, but you gain 4 or 5 ranks in between levels where you gain Action Points to increase your character abilities. It's almost like leveling 5 times per level, if that helps your understanding at all? It's not like you can hit level cap in two days or anything (well, I guess if you play 24/7 with a guild who can handle it maybe you can). Your XP bar shows how much XP you need for the next rank, and each rank fills a dot at the right side of the XP bar. So whereas in other MMORPGs when you fill the XP bar you'd level, in DDO you gain a new rank, then at the 5th rank your level increases. Level 4, rank 0 would be the equivalent of level 20 in other games, I guess?
To me, DDO seems to lend itself to casual play anyway, and that's how I do it intentionally. Just a few hours per week, but after two years of hardcore WoW, I have no interest in devoting that much time to a single game anymore, at least not now.
I don't know why it's such a big debate on trying the game since it has a free trial. Anyone who likes 3.0/3.5 D&D should at least give the free trial a shot. And if you like it enough after that, the game is cheap enough where even if you run out of things to do in a month (doubt it) you still got your money's worth. Level 10 in DDO is like probably level 40 or 45 in WoW, and level 14 takes even longer.
I'm fortunate enough to play PnP almost every week with friends and thought I'd hate the non-turn based DDO but don't. I also didn't care much for Neverwinter Nights 2. Go figure.
Next weekend, the 15th or whatever, would be a good time to have a trial going since it's a free weekend for all previously subscribed members to come back and play. Should be a good number of people on that weekend.