Dungeons & Dragons Online E3 Previews

Two new previews of Turbine's Dungeons & Dragons Online are now available, both of which are based on E3 impressions. The first is at MMORPG.com:
The (Dungeon Master) is an element of D&D that players probably assumed lost in the translation to an online game. Not so says Turbine. (DM Text) helps players through the missions and tells the story of the quest they are on. In the version we saw, this was simply non-obtrusive white text that flashed on the screen at key moments during the adventure. It was both functional - in that it helped you know what to do - as well as theatrical - in that it will be used to tell the story you are on. This was an exciting translation of the DM hovering over your shoulder people remember from the tabletop experience.

And the second is at GamersInfo:
Advancement and experience (XP) will work a bit differently that you are probably used to. The dungeons and adventures will be goal oriented so rather than having to hack your way through all the monsters or trying to level by killing off the entire population of rabbits on Eberron, you will gain XP by completing the goals associated with the dungeon. If you can work your way through a dungeon without killing a single monster you will get the same XP as you would if you slew every creature from the dragons down to the white mice. Everyone in the party will share in the XP, no more worries about the uber-warrior wading in with his 2-handed battle axe and killing everything and getting all the XP and leaving the poor thief and cleric with none for themselves.