[Dirk Gently]

Welcome D&D fans to the first of many posts on what I hope shall be a game that does the D&D franchise, justice.

Just to introduce myself, I am Dirk Gently, member of The Crescent Order (SWG), 37 and a D&D player since 1982.

IF anyone knows of any forums more closely associated with Turbine and the D&D OL project, please let me know.

Now on to business.

What makes a great RPG? Any RPG whether or not it is PnP, single player computer, or MMO? (Ok that is a trick question, I have yet to see a really great MMO)

Bottom line, IMO, it's the story, and or content if it is computer. I have yet to play any computer game that compares with the richness of a PnP. Eye candy aside, the story never really gets within range of the epics games I have played, sitting around a table.

So now Turbine is taking a crack at converting the grandfather of all RPG's into an MMO and they say that their focus shall be the three C's. Content, Combat and Community.

Can they do it? Can we as a D&D playing community help to spur them into the right direction? I personally would like to see them pull this off as it has always been my dream to see the quality of PnP RPG wedded to the richness of quality graphics. And again I think the key to this shall be the proper presentation of the story and a proper depth of content.

If this isn't achieved, then all we are going to get is another MMO Grind-fest with the D&D logo. I would really hate to see this.

So here is my thoughts on providing content with attached story lines.

Many of you reading this a have played or are playing various MMO's with varying degrees of content. I am going to use EQ and SWg as examples as they are the 2 MMO's that I am most familiar with.

Take EQ for an example. Ever wonder what the story was behind Unrest or Befallen? Sure there were limited descriptions on each, but what if you could play out the story behind one of these dungeons rather than picking a spot to camp the spawns? Or more to the point what if one of the above dungeons existed as a static point of interest (POI) with the attendent spawns or as an alternative you could playout an entire story line that involves one of these POI's?

Roughly here is how I think it could work.

The Game world would exist essentially at two levels. Common Space, which is your typical MMO setting, and Adventure Space where you play out detailed "Modules" based on the common space points of interest.
Adventure Space would be played much like a single player game a'la' Baldure's Gate/Greyhawk/ etc but in a multiplayer fashion with limited MMO bleedthru. Or in effect you have the "module" to yourself and your group without fighting for spawn rights or listening the group next door argue the finer points of manufacturing beer-bongs. And if that is what you want, then play out the POI in Common Space.

Adventure Space would be more Client Side dependent, with the game server primarily keeping track of stats/spawns and routing inter-group character data. Player data from out of group players would never be transmitted and thus would never exist within your game space.

Well thats some early thoughts on the subject. Let's hear yours.