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A short review...
pkim96
Member Posts: 168
I have to first say that I personally gave up on this game after a few days. It didn't grab my interest strongly enough to pull me away from the live games I am already playing. That said, I do think people who dislike this game are going overboard and overstating the negatives.
To me, this game seems like an attempt by the developers to mesh single player console RPG's with MMORPG's. They are intentionally trying to break the mold (well, kinda), so direct comparisons with current MMORPG's are often invalid. I think it's a pretty good effort, and hopefully will get a lot better with time, especially as more content gets added.
1. Repetitive
Before you complain, think and compare to a typical MMORPG. At the core, they are all repetitive as heck, especially when they are very new. DDO is repetitive, but in a different way. I'm sure redoing quests/sewer crawls is probably more appealing to a lot of gamers, rather than killing the same monster over and over again.
My first few hours of DDO were far more interesting than the first few hours of WoW or GW. No grinding, no stupid 'kill x mob' quests, less time wasted traveling, far more interesting dungeons, etc.
2. Required grouping
I enjoyed the dungeons, especially since they were quite challenging. Problem came when grouping became mandatory. Like many people, I enjoy the solo bash. This really is my biggest complaint about this game. No matter how much the developers think teamwork is a core part of gameplay, they have to address the fact that a HUGE percentage of MMORPG gamers prefer going solo.
It's a strange thing…soloing in a MMORPG. When I'm playing solo, I am basically boiling it down to a single player RPG, but the simple fact that there are other people around makes it a lot more fun.
3. Graphics
Graphics are good, although it didn't suit my taste at all. I prefer the very stylized Lineage 2 or Guild Wars. But graphics isn't enough to kill a game for me. For example, I HATE, HATE WoW graphics, but I keep playing it anyways.
4. Lack of tactics...simplistic fighting
I don't see how this is really that different from a lot of other MMORPG's out there. For example, with my Druid in WoW, every monster encounter is basically the same. I press 4...then 2 every few seconds until the fight is over. Every so often, I might need another skill like a heal. Yay, what a challenge.
DDO is intentionally trying to be different by limiting mana per dungeon, and while often annoying, it does create a lot of stressful and 'more exciting' situations.
One thing I really disliked was being so limited in how many skills/spells I could bring into a dungeon. I hope this isn't the case at higher levels.
5. Not enough roleplaying
This is the weakest complaint. Yes, it's a D&D based game, so you might expect more RP'ing opportunities, but seriously, the MMORPG genre is still very new. How much RP'ing you have in your gameplay session depends on you. NONE of the current MMORPG's are any better.
6. Instancing
This is a big debate in the MMORPG world and, like GW, DDO is basically an instanced game. This isn't a bad thing. It's just a different style of online gaming. Obviously, as GW as proved, it can be a very successful style.
7. Conclusion
I think the game is worth a try, especially if you are tired of WoW and GW. It's quite different from the typical grinder, and could surprise you. Personally, I'm no longer a hardcore MMORPG'er, so I'm not even vaguely close to finishing the content in WoW and Guild Wars. I am getting a bit tired of them though, and DDO is definitely on my short list of games to keep track of. With a few changes, I would be willing to try this game again.
Comments
A friend and I both have been playing the DDO beta since it started. We and other friends definately plan on picking this game up. Why? Because it allows us to play a game together without being bothered by others (unless we chose to include them), we dont have to worry about grinding for hours to get money or good items. It doesn't take 4+ hours to do every dungeon worth doing. The game caters very well to our casual, non-grinding, small playtime style. Below are some of the positives of the game in my book:
*The combat is fast and furious
*The community is excellent so far
*Good items are not difficult to acquire at all
*Combat that allows you to outsmart the mobs by using tactics and skills
*It looks good
*It runs good
*You actually have a limited amount of resources (mana and life) which does not regenerate during quests (except through using rest shrines to heal) which results in interesting decisions and nail-biting action
*Monsters do not respawn out of thin air in almost every quest (there are some exceptions), once dead they stay dead
*Actual character customization through feats,skills and cosmetic options, most people are not cookie-cutters
*The game is 95%+ instanced so no more people running up and taking anything from you (plus to my friends and I; negative to others)
Now the negatives (some to me, some by others)
*There is practically no crafting other than scrolls for mages (not a negative to me, I don't play a game to work)
*The levels come slowly, but considering there is only ten, I see no issue with this
*Some classes do feel worthless right now, but I have never seen anyone turned down for grouping (though Im not naive to believe it doesn't happen)
*It is in the Eberron, which isn't my personal favorite world
*It is easy to 'gimp' your character since you cannot undo your skills and feats at this time (save a reroll).
*Static instances, they never change, and locations of traps and their triggers becomes well known.
*The world seems small, but through a series of quest you are allowed into increasing larger parts of the city (and besides most of the world is instanced, so it really isn't small to me since the city, which is very large, is only about 5% of the game)
Those are my thoughts on this game. I have played many mmo's and my major complaint with most is the amount of time required grinding for either levels or money and the bland press the same button combat, this is why I like DDO since these are absent from it. I'm sure I missed a few points, but this should help some decide whether or not to stay or become interested). I hope you can now see some reasons to buy or not to buy, if you don't like it, then don't buy it.
MMO Vet since AOL Neverwinter Nights circa 1992. My MMO beat up your MMO. =S
Something I noticed you guys neglected to include is unlike most games where you can change areas to go kill some other types of monsters for exp or explore... in DDO you're only way to level is run the same quests over and over to level.
So instead of "grinding" on monsters you get to just do the same quests over and over and over and over...
http://www.greycouncil.org/
Originally posted by vmoped
A friend and I both have been playing the DDO beta since it started. We and other friends definately plan on picking this game up. Why? Because it allows us to play a game together without being bothered by others (unless we chose to include them), we dont have to worry about grinding for hours to get money or good items. It doesn't take 4+ hours to do every dungeon worth doing. The game caters very well to our casual, non-grinding, small playtime style.
You know what else allows you to do the EXACT SAME THING? A single player game with multiplayer options. I'll tell you what, you and all your friends load up Neverwinter Nights and mail me a check for $15 a month. I'll tell you it's an MMO, and you can tell me what an inovative genius I am.
The must lvl mentallity really is starting to become the norm now it seems like. Instead of enjoying a game, and having fun while in the moment, most gamers seem satisified to have the carrot dangled in front of them and need to grind through boring quests or killing mobs over and over to get high enough in level to experience the "fun" end game content.
But this is exactly what you experience in DDO. It's even worse cause there is nothing else to do besides questing - no crafting, no travel, nothing. So the choice is: quest or log out. And if you choose questing you HAVE TO do the same quest over and over again.
It's the worst kind of grinding I've ever experienced in a game.
u got wierd idea here....
Matter of successfulness is not measured by breaking record because record is something we generate. Ppl can make thousand different titles of records...such as first PvsP oriendted Online RPG, first all instance base onelin RPG...ect.
OK, first off, I pre ordered it... I played the second Stress test and the 10 days you get with the pre order...
And...
I keep getting the same thing, over and over...
I keep hearing the same thing. Turbine wants this to be like the PnP game.
It is nothing like the PnP game. At least the PnP game I played. And it will never be like the PnP game. There are so many thing that are different. Like Character creation. You cannot pick any feat you want as long as you have the points to select them. You have to choose from what Turbine wants you to choose from. Or like, Combat. The PnP game is turn based. DDO is not. The PnP game is based in a virtul "world". DDO is based in one (1) city. The PnP game has a vast amount of quests available, and an infinate amount if you DM wants to create his own. DDO has a very limited amount. The PnP dungeons are dynamic, as dynamic as you DM wants them to be. DDO's dungeons are static. I could go on...
The point is this will never be like the PnP game. So stop telling us it is or will be. Get over it and go on from there.
Turbine can create a good game from this, if they just stop trying to make it into a PnP game.
I wouldnt call Guild Wars a success. Sure its done moderately well... but consider most people play for a few weeks "hardcore" then quit. Myself I had maxed characters and had enough of their pvp by day ten.
Bottom line? It plays like a single player game /yawn.....once you finish the content..well then its "game over". (unless your into farming for items that wont matter) The main problem is it "walks" the middle ground sporting boring PVE and PVP that wont keep you interested long.
If Guild Wars had a monthly fee it would have been flop in the US. Sooo success isnt the word id use to describe.
"*The combat is fast and furious"
No its not. Not since they nerfed the weapon speed to death... that above is a flat out lie. The game no more fast and furious then Everquest 1 was.... in fact ill say eqpc was faster and more fun then what this engine currently is... and thats a slow diablo like engine... SLOW.. if they would roll back that weapon delay nerf i would have probably picked this up at launch.