Dungeons & Dragons Online: E3 2005 Preview

Dana · May 2005

Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the Rings are the two thing that inspired the modern craze we call fantasy MMORPGs. Turbine has the tall order of brining both franchises to life in that medium. Today we take a look at the game closest to release: Dungeons & Dragons Online. Does it live up the expectations of fans? Can it draw non-D&D players? Find out:

Turbine is hard at work on two new exciting franchises and during a one-hour session, they showed off both Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online. The former being the furthest along in development we will start there. Turbine has a tough challenge to take the most celebrated pen and paper game in history and adapt it faithfully into the new medium. To do this they have chosen to set the game in Eberron, the newest world from Wizards of the Coast. This relatively new slate allows the team the unique position of reciprocal influence as their decisions help shape the franchise. The game and company names will draw crowds, but from what Turbine showed us, the team is not resting there. Dungeons & Dragons Online looks to be an extremely solid product with a bright future even if you stripped away the massive names attached to it.

For those unfamiliar, the Wizards of the Coast world of Eberron is the newest release in the D&D family. The development team seemed quite excited about the high-fantasy setting this world provides them. The world is awash with floating towers, elemental airships and other amazing wonders - much less gritty than some previous D&D worlds. As mentioned, being a younger setting, it also allowed Turbine a unique opportunity. The license is not a shackle. For example, they have created unique and original creatures in house that have found their way into the Wizards of the Coast books, rather than be confined to a pre-existing library.

You can read our full preview if you click here!

nooblet · May 2005

Nice! Ive been waiting for this , thanks. ::::20::

iverhaegen · May 2005

Looks promising. The D&D brand name will be enough to make me at least try it. Now that WoW has introduced hundreds of thousands of new players to the MMOPRPG world, good brand recognition games like this have a chance as WoW players start looking for new adventures in new games.

If the gameplay is up to par with the graphics, it should be a very fun time indeed.

MisterJaw · May 2005

This looks to be one of the best MMO-style games coming our way. The graphics, the history, the gameplay, the DM narrative... It's all falling into place.

Keep in mind that this isn't PnP D&D. Not at all. It borrows heavily from it, but it will never be like having a virtual card table (insert your /pizza jokes here) with someone constantly bugging to use your bathroom and pencil sharpener. For some, this is a good thing.

Spells are currently slated to be used with mana and will likely not include friendly fire (FF). Fighting is fast and furious, though there will be time to be proactive and reactive - if you have good hand-eye coordination. If you don't; don't sweat it. The game will be just as playable as EQ for you stand-and-die types.

Aside from all that, I've heard those who have had their hands on the game say that it FEELS like D&D. Whether they were talking about those horrid console games or PC CRPGs or PnP, I cannot say.

Walk in expecting nothing and walk away amazed. It's the only way to enjoy anything anymore. Check your cynicism and unreal expectations at the door.

BillTanner · May 2005

This article dampens my enthusiasm. Eberron? I haven't bought any D&D stuff since WotC bought TSR, and I never heard of it. It sounds kind of lame. It seems like the author is bending over backwards to justify this choice, as opposed to choosing a world that is very popular, like Greyhawk or Planescape.

Puzzles to wipe out monsters? Find the red card and the green card to open the door; play the musical notes in the right sequence to lower the bridge sort of puzzles? What is this, Myst?

Endless instanced dungeon crawls don't sound too exciting to me either. I was always a player that liked to travel, find adventures in odd places on the road or on the seas. Maybe I didn't read it right, but the article makes it seem like there will just be a couple big cities, where avatars hang out in bars, talk, trade, and find groups, and then warp to a dungeon instantaneously. Where will a wizard build his tower and a cavalier his castle?

My one concern before this was the lack of a DM. All of the D&D computer games and rip-offs have always lacked that one vital element, the DM. Neverwinter Nights at least tried to come up with something, with user-designed and submitted adventures. But some random white text that is supposed to represent "Mythical Dungeonmaster"? That sounds kind of weak. Just some generic, unspecific and non-responsive gabble. How cool would it have been to have individuals designing adventures? Better yet, controlling them, to a degree, while a party was running through it in realtime? Oh well, one day.

To sum up, this preview has really turned me off. I'm not bashing the writer, though he/she does sound like a shill for Turbine saying All Will Be Well, but none of the design decisions appeal to me. Too bad. ::::16::

coyotetoad2u · May 2005

While i realize what turbine is doing here and what they want to accomplish with this game. There are still factor's that in my opinion will hold the game back in a way. One being the fact that you only gain experience by questing. Response anybody familiar with mmorpg's knows that most quest take time, this being half the fun of them, but at the same time a lvl 1 questing with say a lvl 25 kinda takes away from it since both players are getting same xp even with the huge lvl diffrence. Second being that they are going to limit the amount of players to what roughly 1000. If this game is going to popular and takes off like they want it to they are going to need a bigger server to allow for more players, because if you release a game country wide odds are more then a 1000 people are going to want to play it. While this may drop on their lag and other resources for the game, some sacrifices are more important. I am not bringing this game down i have been playing paper D&D for almost 17 yrs now and have played a variety of online mmorpg's that have come out. Of them all i have stayed tried and true with Everquest, I wasn't impressed with everquest 2 at all, I have about 3 yrs now on everquest and the game has definitly raised the bar on what i expect out of mmorpg's. Yes i agree the name itself of D&D will bring alot of old timers to the mmorpg world and hopefully alot of new, so hope to see you all there old and new alike.

Orcc · May 2005

Originally posted by coyotetoad2u

While i realize what turbine is doing here and what they want to accomplish with this game. There are still factor's that in my opinion will hold the game back in a way. One being the fact that you only gain experience by questing. Response anybody familiar with mmorpg's knows that most quest take time, this being half the fun of them, but at the same time a lvl 1 questing with say a lvl 25 kinda takes away from it since both players are getting same xp even with the huge lvl diffrence. Second being that they are going to limit the amount of players to what roughly 1000. If this game is going to popular and takes off like they want it to they are going to need a bigger server to allow for more players, because if you release a game country wide odds are more then a 1000 people are going to want to play it. While this may drop on their lag and other resources for the game, some sacrifices are more important. I am not bringing this game down i have been playing paper D&D for almost 17 yrs now and have played a variety of online mmorpg's that have come out. Of them all i have stayed tried and true with Everquest, I wasn't impressed with everquest 2 at all, I have about 3 yrs now on everquest and the game has definitly raised the bar on what i expect out of mmorpg's. Yes i agree the name itself of D&D will bring alot of old timers to the mmorpg world and hopefully alot of new, so hope to see you all there old and new alike.

There will be numerous servers, its not just one server of 1000 players, its a couple dozen servers of 1000 players. Also, there is a reason that XP is only given from questing (which is explained in the MMORPG.com preview). Also, max level is 20, like PnP (unless youre doing an Epic campaign).

JonathJCen · May 2005

Thank you for the preview!

I love the whole adaptation of skill checks, such as "you hear a noice" that are not just simply scripted but actual D&D style gaming. I do however wish that they would have added mounts just for the RP perspective. Please the Paladins out there who probably have a horse in their campains. But, rather have the fun gameplay that D&D Online is promising than a digital horse

WonderDrug · May 2005

Rilly looking forwert to this game, thoug i hope they plan on make player armor look more like armor and not RILLY thigh clouses. The game play will rock im sure, as the try to keep true to the D&D style

Keep up the great work

Anofalye · May 2005

I cant wait!

D&D for President!

I assume they will add horses when they plan to implement mounted combats! No point in putting horse prior they have mounted combat, and D&D rules are fine for mounted combat!

*Pure speculations* So expect to see horses by mid next year at best, since Turbine work at a relative fast paced compare to others companies out there, and they just need to see the supports and sells the game received. Doing mounted vs ground combat is easy, but mounted vs mounted combat is quite a task. Mounts need HPS, since even if the honrable dont hit mounts, many peoples does hit the mounts.

Oh, my Lord Cyric, I promise I will open a portal for you to convert this new land, who need your divine enlightment!

Kaynos1972 · May 2005

Can't wait, game look awesome !

pepsino · May 2005

It's promising, but that's all.

Considering that many games look good in the end of their progress, it finally the game itself that has to proof what really is in it.

So i'd say it's in my list of potential games i'm gonna buy.

SMRBOBBER · May 2005

I have been watching the progress of this game with great excitement. I think everything in this game seems like it will just click with my play style and the quest experience makes me happy because bards and rogues dont have to try to be "combat" classes if they dont want to. But I would like to know where the information stating that the entire game will be soloable came from. Not only is that contradictory to DnD but it is also what the game designers said they werent going to cater to. They have stated many times that the game is going to be mainly group based. Which to be honest i was happy about.

http://www.ddo.com/index.php?page_id=63#thecampaign

"[NEW] Will I be able to solo in this game? Solo content will be available in our game, especially at the lower levels. However, the majority of the content in DDO focuses on party-based adventures. D&D has always been about playing with a group of friends, and this will be reflected by DDO."

EDIT: I also applaud DDO for not caving on the no solo content thing. If you want to solo play a different game but if you want to group and complete story for exp, rather than the daily grind that has become "popular", come play with us.

Dana · May 2005

That would be my mistake actually. My Turbine notes got jumbled into one, and I went back to check after reading your post. The solo comments were in reference to Lord of the Rings Online.

My apologies - that should not have slipped through.

Anofalye · May 2005

Enforced grouping with strangers is something I can, personnally cope with.

However, it is a clear betrayal to what D&D is. Never, in D&D, did you have to group a stranger in order to play, you have the DM, you can play and progress all the way to the ''top'' or whatever was your goal, including killing dragons solo or with friends, not with strangers. (Eh, a follower of Cyric can cope with betrayal after all)

That's been said....Cyric is granting me favor and I hardly care if the HERETICS have Turbine or Wizard of the Coast tags! I will bring enlightment and new prosperity to the world for the greatest glory of Cyric, the rulers to who every God bow! Praise be the Magnificient Cyric! Eberron, prepared to be invaded!

PS: Wizard already whore and destroy Heroes of Might and Magic, let's just hope they dont whore or allow Turbine to whore D&D to a point where the fans dont enjoy it...enforced grouping is pretty much filling the glass of what can be tolerated, and no doubt is exceeding the glass of some fans already who turn their back on the game. SSI & Black Isles products renforce that dont group stangers aspect of D&D, and ignoring it on a computer product is unwise, but possible.

Anofalye · May 2005

Originally posted by SMRBOBBER

"[NEW] Will I be able to solo in this game? Solo content will be available in our game, especially at the lower levels. However, the majority of the content in DDO focuses on party-based adventures. D&D has always been about playing with a group of friends, and this will be reflected by DDO."

Not enforced with strangers, ever. Solo was always present in D&D, althought never preferred, it was possible to solo all the way up, as long as the DM allow it(all the game allow it solo wise, SSI or Black Isles).

I serve the Prince of Lies! Dont try to throw me some LIES about D&D been about grouping, it is was about been with friends OR solo, never about absolutely been grouped!

All praise to Cyric, the Prince of Lies!

PS: All heretics can die!

fenrisblue · May 2005

I have bean player of MMORPG's from the time everquest was released, i hear a lot of BABBLE about teaming, most of it against people who want to solo, SOLOing is my mane form of playing, i like to come home after a long day of dealing with the public, log on talk to my freinds in guild or just in private chat , then go hack things to pieces or do a quest by myself, from time to time i will get together and do a group raid or team with sdome one to do an interesting quest that needs a team, thats it,.. i solo by choice not because its hard to find a group, i like to chat with oterhs doing the same thing as i am, and if i am stuck i like to ask others that have done this already, i do not expect a group of people to take what i say and try to work there game around it while forceing me to group, why does everyone want to force you to group, like not as much xp for people who solo, instances that you cant get into if you are soloing , buffs and stuff that you cant get unless your grouping, yes yes i know i am babbling a bit , but i am sooo tired of this grouping junk, and on top of that you dont have to fight over loot if your soloing, i would really like to see a game that alows grouping as an option,NOT a requirement, and a binch of people will say that i should not be playing a MMORPG but i disagree i like to be in a fantasy world where i can go save a village from the evil dragon, or investigate an unexplored dungeon that has bean buried for centuries, WITHOUT a gagle of peopel with me, and actually be able t odo it, and if i decide to do the same thing, but with my freinds, i want to do that too,

now onto the fact that this game is almost all instanced, I liek a tad bit of realism in the fantasy, i like to have to run around a large contanant and explore , like i said before, but i do not want limits on it, i think some one said something about monsters mindlesly wandering, i think it can also be said that they are i nthere habitat, wich is really hard to pull off, it looks a lot like mindless, but with a better AI i am sure it wouldnt look so mindless, oh please dont think i am talking about eq 2, that game is a piece of junk unto itself, hehe but i want the old days of eq 1 with more options, and less beating me over the head with the groupung babble,

now onto the idea of pacing the seting as eberon, i love eberon, i love the wartorn, if i decide to play, wixh is very doughtfull now that they seem to think that dodgeing the isue of soloing and making it a haven for mindless people who dont want to travel, would liek to play a wartorn wizard,YAY FOR ME ,

I liked the idea of skill checks , and i really like that they arnt going to implement tradeskills till later, i hate tradeskills and i feel that it just makes the size of the game larger than it needs to be while taking away from the actual game play,

I think thats all i have to complain about , but its enough for me to be very disapointed with this game , i havnt read anything about lord of the rings or whatever they are calling it but i am sure itll be much of the same thing, no soloing , lots of instanced zones, lots of quest driven "EXITEMENT" YAY,

THE END

Datcyde · May 2005

Originally posted by MisterJaw

This looks to be one of the best MMO-style games coming our way. The graphics, the history, the gameplay, the DM narrative... It's all falling into place.
Keep in mind that this isn't PnP D&D. Not at all. It borrows heavily from it, but it will never be like having a virtual card table (insert your /pizza jokes here) with someone constantly bugging to use your bathroom and pencil sharpener. For some, this is a good thing.
Spells are currently slated to be used with mana and will likely not include friendly fire (FF). Fighting is fast and furious, though there will be time to be proactive and reactive - if you have good hand-eye coordination. If you don't; don't sweat it. The game will be just as playable as EQ for you stand-and-die types.
Aside from all that, I've heard those who have had their hands on the game say that it FEELS like D&D. Whether they were talking about those horrid console games or PC CRPGs or PnP, I cannot say.
Walk in expecting nothing and walk away amazed. It's the only way to enjoy anything anymore. Check your cynicism and unreal expectations at the door.

Negative it has no PvP

Antiquitas · May 2005

I have to agree with several posts above. I'm not getting the impression that this comes close to capturing the nature of D&D. I really had high hopes, but this article has changed my mind. Graphically it looks impressive, but the expression "all looks no brains" kept coming to mind unfortunately.

No travel? No mounts or pets? No or limited solo? Thousands start in one area? What happened to building a player background and the scars/rewards of that growth (Anyone play Fable?). Building bonds and friendships with other characters where you feel some degree of loss when a character is lost(...it is role playing after all). It sounds like things were broken down into "hack & slash" portions and puzzles. Considering how vast D&D is as a game I really don't want to see the game turn into its movie counterpart. I'm just not getting a warm fuzzy feeling from the article. Admittedly I started with a P&P background, but was as disillusioned as others when marketing took priority over creating a product with substance. Comic fans should be able to relate from the time companies like Marvel started doing multiple, die cut, foil covers, etc. Go ahead and give me the ",but it's a business" line if you want to hear a sigh of disgust.

I'm still placing my hopes in LOTR Online...though the name change made me nervous. If they follow the nature of Tolkien and MERPS they should have a winning combination. Either way building on either franchise beyond its original intent is like altering the bible, koran or torah.

I want to play Greyhawk or a game that plays like a Salvatore/Dragonlance book or absorbs you like an Elmore/Parkinson painting. Maybe I set my hopes too high for the future of MMORPG? If you're a "true fan" and you get to beta please make sure to give them the necessary input to save this game from mediocrity.

ThanatosGrym · May 2005

you might want to check the reasons why they chose eberron over the more popular worlds like GreyHawk, Planescape, Forgotten Realms, DragonLance and many others before you let the choice dampen your enthusiasm for the game. The reason Eberron was chosen over the others is because it is a newer less refined world so it gives the game developers more leeway in the design and creation of the game where if they had chosen one of the more popular worlds they would have to conform to existing designs. Don't get me wrong I've played in most of the popular worlds and I love all of them and would have loved to see any of them made into a mmorpg but getting the chance to see and help get a new world built from the ground up, if you really think about it, is rather exciting.

Also on the traveling aspect it's not that they elimated traveling they just removed the endless, pointless running. From what I've read traveling is done by choosing your destination and you see your progress on a world map just like in table top version, you don't generally rollplay every step of every mile of every day do you? so here just like in the table top game if something important happens then you go into an encounter screen and you deal with what happens. Personally I like dealing with the traveling that way, I've played EQ both before and after PoK and myself like most others always used the books because unless you were looking for some particular mob having to run to get anywhere was extremely lame.

Personally I'm going to reserve judgment on the puzzle aspect of the game until I try it. I do rather like the idea of making players think rather than just jump into the middle of enemies with weapons swinging.

Also I rather agree with you on the DM aspect of the game, it would be interesting to have a live DM kind of controlling the adventures but you have to admit it would be difficult for them to accomplish that without a major cash expenditure, so I can see why they chose to do it this way and I can only hope that the AI that they created for this is up to the task.

In short I hope that you don't just write off D&D online just because of the setting. I think we are going to want all of the experienced players we can get at the onset of the game.

coyotetoad2u · May 2005

In response to orcc on my earlier post my feeling about only getting xp by questing is this, if i play a game and i kill what we classically refer to as a mob should we not be rewarded by gaining xp from it, someone else pointed out as well if there are going to be ways to go around the monsters without fighting them in some instances then why even put them there other then just a filler for looks, and like i said why should someone lvl 20 get the same xp as say a lvl 1 for completeing a quest, the whole point of lvling is to grow stronger and have more access to more powerful monsters/mobs, if im lvl 1 and im grouped with say a couple lvl 20's what help would i be to them, meaning higher lvl mobs are gonna have 1 a better ac and hit miss ratio then me and even should i be able to hit them i'd barely be able to make a dent in their HP's, in which im lvl 1 thus i would die, kinda takes away from gameplay to a point. To further reflect even on paper D&D common rule of thumb a low level doesn't try to take on something out of his/her range, it's just suicide. These are just my opinions nothing more until i have a chance to actually play the game i can't really say well it's like this or like that, because an informed opinion is always better then a hypothetical opinion. So im not knocking the game or it's platform.

SMRBOBBER · May 2005

Originally posted by coyotetoad2u
In response to orcc on my earlier post my feeling about only getting xp by questing is this, if i play a game and i kill what we classically refer to as a mob should we not be rewarded by gaining xp from it, someone else pointed out as well if there are going to be ways to go around the monsters without fighting them in some instances then why even put them there other then just a filler for looks, and like i said why should someone lvl 20 get the same xp as say a lvl 1 for completeing a quest, the whole point of lvling is to grow stronger and have more access to more powerful monsters/mobs, if im lvl 1 and im grouped with say a couple lvl 20's what help would i be to them, meaning higher lvl mobs are gonna have 1 a better ac and hit miss ratio then me and even should i be able to hit them i'd barely be able to make a dent in their HP's, in which im lvl 1 thus i would die, kinda takes away from gameplay to a point. To further reflect even on paper D&D common rule of thumb a low level doesn't try to take on something out of his/her range, it's just suicide. These are just my opinions nothing more until i have a chance to actually play the game i can't really say well it's like this or like that, because an informed opinion is always better then a hypothetical opinion. So im not knocking the game or it's platform.

The problem with your scenario is that there are level limits for the dungeon they said 1-2 levels in either direction or you wont be able to go in. This limits both the party and the exp for the duration of the dungeon. Also the "filler" monsters could have other bonuses such as a strong item or perhaps yet another way around to the end. Just because you don't have to fight doesnt always make it the easier way.

Ferretrodeo · May 2005

I played AC for years and was relatively happy to see turbine do the D&D game. I do think that xp needs to be awarded for kills as well as quest completion. Killing bad guys was always part of the fun of it. If you take the chance and attack the monsters you face the possibility of getting your head taken off at the shoulders and you should be awarded for taking the chance. I would also hope that there will be the possibility of running around the country. I did that a lot in AC just to explore. It was sometimes very boring but more often that not I found some really cool things that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I also play solo about 90-95% of the time. I got tired of getting into groups with brats and juveniles. I did finally find a clan that was more to my liking but I would still like to play solo. All in all I will still buy this game....I'm even gonna get a new computer for it next month. I just hope I don't get pissed...

ElGeFe · May 2005

Originally posted by coyotetoad2u
In response to orcc on my earlier post my feeling about only getting xp by questing is this, if i play a game and i kill what we classically refer to as a mob should we not be rewarded by gaining xp from it, someone else pointed out as well if there are going to be ways to go around the monsters without fighting them in some instances then why even put them there other then just a filler for looks, and like i said why should someone lvl 20 get the same xp as say a lvl 1 for completeing a quest, the whole point of lvling is to grow stronger and have more access to more powerful monsters/mobs, if im lvl 1 and im grouped with say a couple lvl 20's what help would i be to them, meaning higher lvl mobs are gonna have 1 a better ac and hit miss ratio then me and even should i be able to hit them i'd barely be able to make a dent in their HP's, in which im lvl 1 thus i would die, kinda takes away from gameplay to a point. To further reflect even on paper D&D common rule of thumb a low level doesn't try to take on something out of his/her range, it's just suicide. These are just my opinions nothing more until i have a chance to actually play the game i can't really say well it's like this or like that, because an informed opinion is always better then a hypothetical opinion. So im not knocking the game or it's platform.

In PnP a lvl 1 and a lvl 20 dont get the same xp when they kill a mob, check the xp table in the Dungeon Masters Guide, and if they team up (wich they shouldn't, and they can't in this game) the average level of the team is what is considered, and in a team all members get the same xp, wich is fair, it doesn't matter who deals the killing blow, or if someone didn't manage to do anything to the mob, a team is a team, and all rewards should be split evenly.

I have been playing PnP AD&D for many years, and love the 3.5 system, Eberron is also very cool, I just hope they get to implement the content from the Races of Eberron suplement for the game, if not all of the available suplements.

And questing xp is fair, in PnP you don't need to kill the mob to get the xp. defeating or overcoming in any way counts, same goes for traps, you get xp even if it blows up in your faces. So at the end of a quest the xp total should be the same whether or not you killed all mobs or disarmed all traps, you managed to overcome them so you get the xp.

Ewanis · May 2005

Hi Ho

Looks like something i was looking for from more than ages.

It will be a great game

proStyler · May 2005

Originally posted by coyotetoad2u
While i realize what turbine is doing here and what they want to accomplish with this game. There are still factor's that in my opinion will hold the game back in a way. One being the fact that you only gain experience by questing. Response anybody familiar with mmorpg's knows that most quest take time, this being half the fun of them, but at the same time a lvl 1 questing with say a lvl 25 kinda takes away from it since both players are getting same xp even with the huge lvl diffrence. Second being that they are going to limit the amount of players to what roughly 1000. If this game is going to popular and takes off like they want it to they are going to need a bigger server to allow for more players, because if you release a game country wide odds are more then a 1000 people are going to want to play it. While this may drop on their lag and other resources for the game, some sacrifices are more important. I am not bringing this game down i have been playing paper D&D for almost 17 yrs now and have played a variety of online mmorpg's that have come out. Of them all i have stayed tried and true with Everquest, I wasn't impressed with everquest 2 at all, I have about 3 yrs now on everquest and the game has definitly raised the bar on what i expect out of mmorpg's. Yes i agree the name itself of D&D will bring alot of old timers to the mmorpg world and hopefully alot of new, so hope to see you all there old and new alike.

I know what you mean. After working myself into ForgottenRealms, Greyhawk and Kingdoms of Kalamar I thought #*x/! ::::26:: . How much do they think we are going to spend on new Books ::::12:: . I stick to FR, now matter how much they push this product ::::35:: A good company replies to the needs & favors of their clients and does not force their idea them !
But for online D&D ? Who cares if I can play a PIXIE ! ::::02::

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