D&D Online, getting started

[Dirk Gently]

Nice to see this forum starting to see some action. Its been quiet for quite some time.

Horrottis, crafting isn't absolutely out, just isn't in for the initial release. So ther is hope.

Zed, you pretty much nailed it. It IS all about the story, and I hope they figure out a way to get dynamic story lines in the game and playable. Computer generated trinkets don't mean jack, but the stories and adventure stays with you.
I bet you remember your first tour thru "The Temple of Elemental Evil". I do, though I can't say as I remember what loot we hauled out.

They got to get the story(s) right, then the rest will fall in place.

[HAWK-ZX]

LOL 2 things

1 you are from canada, the name is zee' eks as in ZX, not Zed. But i have alot of buddies that call me Zed ex when i am up there visiting.

2nd yeach i remember it. we only got about 5 sessions in before we stopped it. SO I'm running itfor the guys right now. about 1/3 the way through it, and about 20 session into it.

[Dirk Gently]

Originally Posted by HAWK-ZX

LOL 2 things

1 you are from canada, the name is zee' eks as in ZX, not Zed. But i have alot of buddies that call me Zed ex when i am up there visiting.

2nd yeach i remember it. we only got about 5 sessions in before we stopped it. SO I'm running itfor the guys right now. about 1/3 the way through it, and about 20 session into it.

1. Zed = Zedcuk, the dude from UK, was specifically who I was responding to..... Lol. And I know some Canadians but until Canada invades Kentucky, I'll remain a southerner. Eh?

2. Glad you are running "Temple" now. Sure it's a nasty meat grinder, but everyone needs it on their resume'.

[zedcuk]

Im generally Zed to everyone I know online. Zedcuk is because every man and his gnoll uses Zed somewhere. CUK is part reference to the fact im from the UK but the derivative of the online gameing group ive been a member /. running since 97 ClanUK ;-)

Zed's good though. less of a mouthfull.

We are playing RTtToEE at the moment in one of our pnp campaigns, its there I have my Shadovar Monk - lyvi. although getting eaten by a vampire for 2 level drains hurt her she might switch to Shade 4 / Monk 1 / Rogue XXX if she cant get fixed. Shade Rogue is a nasssssty combination..

Story lines. They have to be dynamic. If they dont want it to become another hack n slash fest mmorpg at least. Why is it Q3 05. I want to play NOW!! WoW and EQ2 just not cutting it from what I want.

[datagoblin]

First off, reading the few posts about this upcoming game is already making me wonder what has become of the MMORPG community. I mean, already having debates of killing goblin children, bringing more roleplaying to the game...Sheesh, do we play the same game? You know, i have (had been) been playing D&D in its many forms up until Wizards of the Coast took over the helm and have watched the game go downhill in a mire of complexity and advertising campaigns built soley to advance sales of the product rather than to improve it. All the latest game rules revisions have turned many off to what drew us to it in the first place. Simple Fun. I know, you dont have to use all the rules, or play what you would like. Well, to be honest that is true, wich is why i dont play anymore. Most of the people I play with have moved on in their lives and the younger crowd doesnt have the attention span or that gift for insight to play the way I like.

I am going to say, that I really dont have high hopes for D&D Online. Judging by the screenshots, they are already going to the 'ULTRA LEET Power' look at the design of characters. Too much need to capture todays younger gaming market? Come on, you market a game to them and you will be seeing a mass exodus in a month after the free game play is up. They lack the staying power to online games because its not instantly gratifying like the first person shooters are. Sad really.

Look, I hope this message actually gets out to the people that are designing what could be the PENULTIMATE online game. I would say this for my two cents worth of input: Keep the game simple. Try to base the weapon and armor designs in some sort of reality (there are plenty of medival books for reference) instead of Japanimation Fantasy Max type stuff. Make the world a constant online world that is influenced by characters actions. Not like those games where you wait in some chat lobby until you have a group to go in a dungeon, that you never encounter anyone else from outside your group. Lastly, make character advancement based on skills, and not levels. This will turn the game from powerleveling to a more self fulfilled style of play. Also, this makes for infinately customizable characters based on player preference.

Basically, if you take the attitude of when Ultima Online first came out and applied that to D&D world/mythos, you would have a SURE hit. If you make it all safe, politically correct and nothing more than some sort of barbie playland type of world, then you are going to fail. Guaranteed. People are sick of EQ clones, every month some other game comes out: Dark Age of Camelot, EQ2, you name it...sheesh. Make something worth playing by going back to the roots of D&D. Its a lot funner to be part of an open world rather than herded into some plotline that we dont want to follow. I guess my style of gameplay was more of the 'wing it' type in that we never really had 'pick a path' type quests. We had a lot of fun like that. You have to make it dangerous for a player to wander around in, and the threat shouldnt always come from monsters that wait around to be crushed, other players should be able to cause problems for adventurers. Yes, the dreaded PVP issue has been raised. Again, look back at Old School Ultima Online and you will see the light.

If there is no sense of loss in the game, and people are able to always have their characters equipment and posessions safe, then once they get to a certain level, why would they want to do anymore adventuring? You have to make the threat of losing something they gained a reality, or it will get stale. People that 'live' their characters, and start crying about how they have tons of invested hours into their online character are acting like its some sort of way of life. Sheesh, get a grip on reality and just logon to have some fun and interact with people. Real life is serious enough without making online gaming the same. Toughen yourselves up there online gamers...You can do it.


Datagoblin

**Flame On, I wont reply cause i saids me peace**

[Dirk Gently]

Right on Data. Much like Staw Wars Galaxies, the potential is there for both greatness and a complete -EDIT-. I would like to take the Devs at their word, in that they are making a game for the D&D player. My intuition tells me they are making a game to meet market expectations.

But I can't help but be hopefull that we get a decent game out of this.

[Sirfin]

Hoping that D&D Online is every bit as fun as BG2. Have to say I'm a little nervous since 1st edition and 2nd edition rules are more 'fun' imho.

Guess we will soon see since alpha/beta testing is underway.

[Rob-hin]

@Dirk Gently

Gamebanshee rules state that you cannot use vularities or shallnot try to bypass the filter in any way.
Please remind this in the future, thanks.

[Sirfin]

Hehe,

Little off topic but saw your Tag Robin.

Nothing like a nice black & tan!

Cheers.

[TexasAggie]

I agree wholeheartedly with datagoblin. I have never played a Dungeons and Dragons table/card whatever game, but I have always heard about it. I have never been near a community that does such things, but I definitely understand the concept.

I have never played an MMORPG that does it right like Ultima Online. Ultima Online was a vast world where you could literally do whatever you wanted and didnt have to follow along with linear quests. I also like that when I want to mine rocks, I have to walk to a mountain wall or into a cave and mine with a pickaxe that could break. No other game has ever recreated the tradeskill system Ultima Online used. Everquest 2... I have to find a rock on the group, or a bush, or log, all in the same general area and gather from it. BORING. I have played WOW, EQ, EQ2, Guild Wars, and SWG. None have it quite right.

Now I like the concept of being able to solve encounters in some varied way that we choose, but we all know that isnt possible with computer programming because it isn't as diverse as the human mind. So of couse you will only be able to sneak or attack, maybe use some scripted dialog. That is the number one reason I believe this game could never mimic a DnD table game. PNP.. I think is what I see it being called.

Also what datagoblin stated... in Ultima Online, if some guy killed me or anyone, their name would be flagged. So anyone can kill him without penalty and can recieve an award too of cash. That is player interaction, big time. I also would like to be able to get housing, hire NPC's to be vendors and place these houses wherever in the world I want to.

I prefer vast, continuous, expansive worlds that I can interact at anytime of the day. I hope it isn't like Guild Wars, where you only meet people in towns, and form groups and go off on a quest with that group in your own instance. It was fun when I played it, interesting concept, but it just creates lack of interactivity which I so much love. And then when I beat the game, I had no more quests to do, so I quit playing. I think it will be hard for them to keep content coming, and I'm not the kind of guy who wants to go hunt the same boss over and over. Just my 2 cents What do you guys think?