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Dungeons & Dragons Online: Exclusive Q&A #4
Dana
Member Posts: 2,415
Victor Watcher is the Community Manager for D&D Online and the lucky contestant in our fourth Q&A with Turbine on the development of their next MMORPG.
;) MMORPG.com: Games with a popular franchise behind them sometimes have trouble appealing to people who are new to the franchise. How do you plan to make DDO appealing to people who are unfamiliar with the pen and paper version?
Victor Wachter: When starting a new game, every gamer has to learn a new set of rules. The great thing about the D&D Core Rules is that they form the base from which most other computer RPGs are modeled. So from the start, the rules are intuitive and easily understood. But the ruleset is only a part of the equation. D&D is a success not only because of the mechanics behind your character, but also because of the experience that the game presents. D&D is adventure fantasy, and thats something that most gamers understand. Quests in the game contain unique objectives, events that are triggered by a players actions and monsters that act in different manners, depending on your behavior. Our quests are all developed with consideration for making each one memorable in one way or another. |
Click here to read the full interview.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
My main question is, once again directed at the MMORPG "employee". Why the weak-sauce questions? These are all questioned that have been mulled over in other interviews to death. I suppose some of the more difficult questions have been as well, but at least you can stick it to the DDO team again.
I am deeply depressed about the way these sorts of things are handled these days. Why not ask about why they can't commit to completing the "Core" races(since they have been saying they intend to include as much Core content and rules as possible)? Or How long they PLAN(I know some of this is fluid in developement terms.. but still) until I can access content over 10th level? And, why can't they commit to having the "Core" levels (aka 1-20) available as free content instead of a paid expansion(they haven't said they are going to make it an expansion, but they have refused to say they wouldn't either). See, tough questions, some have been answered, some not.
Okay, my rant is done. Sorry.. just felt like I had to vent that.
Glad for any info out there regardless.
Cheers!
only question I need answered are the female toons going to be wearing revealing outfits?
it was a good interview, maybe mmo could have digged a little deeper. I dunno but all good. I'm looking forward to the game. Even without ever having an mmo D&D still has a grand daddy of mmorpg's feel to it.
Dray
I am just getting more and more excited about this game. I'm sure it will be everything I hope it is. I can't wait to own it.
I do have a question though. Since the setting will be Eberron, how will they incorporate the "Dragonmarks" into gameplay? Will our characters be able to have them or just NPC's?
I was hyped at this game when it was announced.. then slowly unhyped when i read turbine was choosen.. and the unhype continues with theese interviews.
Nerf core lvls, nerf Core rules, nerf races, nerf classes, nerf everything to a point this will be just another Asherons Calls wearing a diferent suit. Its not only turbine's fault. Wizards of the Coast too and whoever is trying to make some fast bucks with D&D license.
This game is becoming a joke. Sad but true.
Strange I was very excited when I read the stuff from GenCon...and you didn't REALISTICALLY expect EVERYTHING to be in at launch did you? If you put all the stuff in at the beginngin, then all that's left to do for an expansion is either make up stuff, or rehash the old stuff back into a new mix...whee fun...
Dragonmarks are in for PCs from what I have read...of course the Heir of Syberis PrC might be tough to get if they don't put the "action point" feats in...which is too bad, since I like the heir better as it is...
And hopefully they will have some aberrant marks in as well...
I have to agree with the complaints about the weak questions. This doesn't really appear to be a Q&A in any shape or form, but rather a thinly veiled opportunity for Turbine to plug their game unchallenged. I do understand that perhaps you need to tone it down a bit in order to maintain "corporate relations", but if you can't ask the questions you want to ask, then what is the point of having this feature at all?
You need to break the logic of buying a game, and then paying for expansion 1 then for expansion 2 and so on.. its a nonsence because you not really buying a game, you are buying a improved Beta Version of the game, and then paying for the following development of the game. So in fact the final game will cost you much much more + monthly fees.
Now you can tell me.. well if this is not made, companies wont make profit, so they wont develope this cool game. This isnt true. When you buying a Ford F150 you not getting the truck without weels nor engine, or the truck with weeels but with a 60hp engine waiting for the development of the next engine version. This works in the rest of the market economy. In fact the only place where you see people paying for the development of a product like this its in game industry from people that want to make fast cash without really working for it.
They can develope expansions with content, improved graphics, more sounds , more monsters, new quests, new adventures, etc etc.. and free. For christ sakes youll be already paying monthly for their game, make them do their work instead of exploiting people. Do you know how much $ a gaming companie makes per month only from players monhly income? Make them stop beeing gready and work for what they receiving.
The reason they not launching the game as they should, its rather simple. They DONT know how to, they DONT want to loose time in the game more than necessary to sell something and get fast $. Simple as that. After lvl 10 several chars get some really awesome features in D&D and those would require lots of work and coding wich Turbine is not ready for. Plus you have all thos special quests... more work. Plus races would require much more work, rendering etc etc.. geez so much work. Plus all those nice skills will require a much more complex database structure that really doesnt fit since they want to use what they already have premade. And then you get to play in Eberron, since Wizards of the Coast wants to sell it and noeone wants to buy it lol.
I have played P2p and beta test most of the games on market today and even some that went down for several reasons. The ones i still play and wont tell names, are the ones that still provide content expansions freely.. and i even play one of those for almost 3 years now, together with a player database that is still increasing and now reached 150k accounts. Guess why...
You need to break the logic of buying a game, and then paying for expansion 1 then for expansion 2 and so on.. its a nonsence because you not really buying a game, you are buying a improved Beta Version of the game, and then paying for the following development of the game. So in fact the final game will cost you much much more + monthly fees.
Now you can tell me.. well if this is not made, companies wont make profit, so they wont develope this cool game. This isnt true. When you buying a Ford F150 you not getting the truck without weels nor engine, or the truck with weeels but with a 60hp engine waiting for the development of the next engine version. This works in the rest of the market economy. In fact the only place where you see people paying for the development of a product like this its in game industry from people that want to make fast cash without really working for it.
They can develope expansions with content, improved graphics, more sounds , more monsters, new quests, new adventures, etc etc.. and free. For christ sakes youll be already paying monthly for their game, make them do their work instead of exploiting people. Do you know how much $ a gaming companie makes per month only from players monhly income? Make them stop beeing gready and work for what they receiving.
The reason they not launching the game as they should, its rather simple. They DONT know how to, they DONT want to loose time in the game more than necessary to sell something and get fast $. Simple as that. After lvl 10 several chars get some really awesome features in D&D and those would require lots of work and coding wich Turbine is not ready for. Plus you have all thos special quests... more work. Plus races would require much more work, rendering etc etc.. geez so much work. Plus all those nice skills will require a much more complex database structure that really doesnt fit since they want to use what they already have premade. And then you get to play in Eberron, since Wizards of the Coast wants to sell it and noeone wants to buy it lol.
I have played P2p and beta test most of the games on market today and even some that went down for several reasons. The ones i still play and wont tell names, are the ones that still provide content expansions freely.. and i even play one of those for almost 3 years now, together with a player database that is still increasing and now reached 150k accounts. Guess why...
And you need to break the logic that game design companies owe us anything. How can you compare buying a video game to buying a vehicle? Automotive companies make their money by selling a single product, a vehicle, and if they are lucky and the vehicle is well made, they may make more profit by selling sub-sequent vehicles to the same buyer or their family. MMO's are (whether you like it a not) a service, not a product. If they were in fact only a product, we as gamers could not expect any future content, updates, expansions, server maintenance, etc. as we have already purchased the product, and we got what we payed for.
If you were to go to the store right now and buy a copy of the 3.5 phb, or the dmg, could you rightfully complaign that the epic classes, manual of the planes, OR the prestige classes (many of which will be in ddo) are not contained within? No you couldnt. Game companies, whether you like it or not are out to make money, not please the kiddies. I accept that, my only hope is that for the thousands of dollars I spend each year on games, from xbox to mmo's to board games, that I have fun with them.
So suck it up, be happy that you have gotten an insight (and to some degree a 'say') in the games development for the past two years, and quit complaining that the big bad corporation put their desire to turn a profit above your awesome right to get everything you want now now now!
As for the interview, eh, it was kinda weak-sauce imo. However, some of the 'hard questions' requested bing posed are also questions that have been answered and discussed to death, so why beat them up about it any more. I would rather sites like these maintain a friendly relationship such that they can provide better information about the game as it goes live, than make an enemy of Turbine or WoC over a few debated points during the games development.
That is all.
You need to break the logic of buying a game, and then paying for expansion 1 then for expansion 2 and so on.. its a nonsence because you not really buying a game, you are buying a improved Beta Version of the game, and then paying for the following development of the game. So in fact the final game will cost you much much more + monthly fees.
Now you can tell me.. well if this is not made, companies wont make profit, so they wont develope this cool game. This isnt true. When you buying a Ford F150 you not getting the truck without weels nor engine, or the truck with weeels but with a 60hp engine waiting for the development of the next engine version. This works in the rest of the market economy. In fact the only place where you see people paying for the development of a product like this its in game industry from people that want to make fast cash without really working for it.
They can develope expansions with content, improved graphics, more sounds , more monsters, new quests, new adventures, etc etc.. and free. For christ sakes youll be already paying monthly for their game, make them do their work instead of exploiting people. Do you know how much $ a gaming companie makes per month only from players monhly income? Make them stop beeing gready and work for what they receiving.
The reason they not launching the game as they should, its rather simple. They DONT know how to, they DONT want to loose time in the game more than necessary to sell something and get fast $. Simple as that. After lvl 10 several chars get some really awesome features in D&D and those would require lots of work and coding wich Turbine is not ready for. Plus you have all thos special quests... more work. Plus races would require much more work, rendering etc etc.. geez so much work. Plus all those nice skills will require a much more complex database structure that really doesnt fit since they want to use what they already have premade. And then you get to play in Eberron, since Wizards of the Coast wants to sell it and noeone wants to buy it lol.
I have played P2p and beta test most of the games on market today and even some that went down for several reasons. The ones i still play and wont tell names, are the ones that still provide content expansions freely.. and i even play one of those for almost 3 years now, together with a player database that is still increasing and now reached 150k accounts. Guess why...
And you need to break the logic that game design companies owe us anything. How can you compare buying a video game to buying a vehicle? Automotive companies make their money by selling a single product, a vehicle, and if they are lucky and the vehicle is well made, they may make more profit by selling sub-sequent vehicles to the same buyer or their family. MMO's are (whether you like it a not) a service, not a product. If they were in fact only a product, we as gamers could not expect any future content, updates, expansions, server maintenance, etc. as we have already purchased the product, and we got what we payed for.
If you were to go to the store right now and buy a copy of the 3.5 phb, or the dmg, could you rightfully complaign that the epic classes, manual of the planes, OR the prestige classes (many of which will be in ddo) are not contained within? No you couldnt. Game companies, whether you like it or not are out to make money, not please the kiddies. I accept that, my only hope is that for the thousands of dollars I spend each year on games, from xbox to mmo's to board games, that I have fun with them.
So suck it up, be happy that you have gotten an insight (and to some degree a 'say') in the games development for the past two years, and quit complaining that the big bad corporation put their desire to turn a profit above your awesome right to get everything you want now now now!
As for the interview, eh, it was kinda weak-sauce imo. However, some of the 'hard questions' requested bing posed are also questions that have been answered and discussed to death, so why beat them up about it any more. I would rather sites like these maintain a friendly relationship such that they can provide better information about the game as it goes live, than make an enemy of Turbine or WoC over a few debated points during the games development.
That is all.
Hooray capitalism, if there was no profit to be had, no games would be made, pure and simple, CoH has had free expansion since launch, and you know what, people are whining that they have to PAY for CoV when it comes out...so it doesn't really matter if they include free expansions or not, people are going to complain...If you don't liek their business practices, don't play the game, I stopped playing SoE games because I didn't like their practices, (making expansion for uber-guilds...).
I don't mind paying a little for an expansion a couple times per year, if that expansion is FULL of new stuff...CoH's expansions may be free, but they are generally kind of less meaty as well...I'm not complaining, HEY THEY'RE FREE!!! Now when EQ did an expansion when they were run by Verant, They REALLY did an expansion...Kunark, Velious....WOW! huge modifications to the game, expanding the number of zones ALOT...Take the upcoming Issue 5 for CoH...1 new zone...new power sets for some of the ATs and a HUGE change in the game...if they tried to charge for that, most people wouldn't buy it...
I assume DDO will give access to level 20 for free...and possibly the missing 2 core classes and 2 core races....but Prestige classes, new instances, psionics, shifters, Kalashtar, craft system, we'll have to pay for those...which is fine, because after the game has been in production for so long, a company has to start seeing a return, or the product will die on the table...already a HUGE amount of money has been put into DDO...figure an average graphic artist programmer makes 50k (prolly an underestimate)...now he and his 15-20 fellow employees have been working for 2 years developing...20x50,000= $1,000,000...now Lead Designers, lead programmers. and other management types, make way more than 50k/year...so I figure at least 2-3 million has been pumped into DDO thus far...(prolly more)...if they only sell 25,000 (at $50) copies at release, with a free initial month, they're still in the hole a million dollars...subscription fees won't kick in for those initial 30 days, and now you have to pay for GMs, Tech support, server support....and keep people working 24/7/365...Note in my costs I also didn't include HARDWARE, servers, offices, electricity....and on and on...
Now I dislike most corporations personally...especially where CEOs get 50million dollar bonuses while they lay off middle class workers who live check to check to pay for that bonus...
That's all I'm gonna rant now...I like my games...I don't mind payign for quality...but I also don't mind freebies...
Great questions... Good job. I am so looking forward to this game to comeout. The questions were a little repetetive though as I think that they have answered the Eberron question 100 times but maybe it is only us hardcore people that have read/watched every interview and that is why.
As for expansions... I think that if you are paying a monthly fee that is what you are expecting free continuos updates. In Lineage II with each Chronicle they add new content and levels that are free. Now if they are going to charge us a monthly fee and charge us for new Expansions and updates every 6 months than that is rediculous.
Monthly Fee = Free updates, new content and etc.
No Fee = Pay as you grow
Why?
If you have suggestions for questions, please feel free to post them here: http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/load/forums/loadClass/192/loadforum/571/setstart/1
I can promise you that I will have a look at them before I pass along my next set of questions. (I have also sent along questions regarding your concerns about access to 11th + level content and expansions in my latest 10 questions).
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Nice interview, although like others have stated, the questions could have been a bit er... 'deeper'. But I like what I'm hearing. Although I don't think this will be the Mother of MMO's I think it still has potentional.
And not sticking to the core rules is fine by me, I adapt the rules in my D&D pen & paper games as well. THey're not the LAW you know.
Played: AC, AC2, Anarchy Online, AoC, D&D Online, Dark+Light, EQ2, EVE Online, FF XI, Guild Wars, Lineage II, Lotro, Ragnarok, Ryzom, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, WAR, WoW, etc. Also various MUDs
Hmm A good wisdom is key to listening to the DM?
Not sure, sounds interesting idea.
With the Pen and Paper version you are at liberty to ask as little or as much as you feel necessary. With the online version there are limits, you are presented with a fixed number of options. Looks like clerics will do all the talking.