anyone come back to DDO?

GlassJaw · 11th September 2009, 03:45 PM

Just wondering if anyone has come back to DDO now that it's free-to-play. I did after a year off and it's been a lot of fun. I've always liked DDO but Turbine has really polished it and added a TON of content.

Anyway, if anyone is playing or interested in giving it a shot, look for Felecia (level 6 drow favored soul) on Cannith (the new server).

I've been playing with Wulf here on the forums - he's playing a drow bard named Elvish (Presley that is hehe).

Chaz · 13th September 2009, 09:33 AM

I had been watching for the free try thing, so I jumped in a little on the 9th... Its fun. I still play NWN2 PW I like, but I do jump in a little.

Peace

GreyWizard77 · 15th September 2009, 08:04 AM

I've been thinking about. I've never played an MMO before, though. I'm afraid that once I'll start I won't be able to stop. Is the Free DDO worth looking into? Is it actually playable without sinking money into items and stuff?

The_Warlock · 15th September 2009, 08:34 PM

I was originally in as a Founder at the launch, the problem was, my friends had vastly divergent schedules, and we found it hard to get a group time set down.

So I quit...and so did all my friends.

We've all come back with Free to Play, and while it looks like we may still have an issue getting the group together regularly - the significant increase in solo content, and quests which can be handled by 2 characters has increased the playability for us significantly.

And the combat system is a welcome change from the other MMOs we play regularly, so it's a great break from the norm.

GreyWizard77 · 16th September 2009, 07:11 AM

So, how does DDO stack up compared to other "free-to-play" MMO's? Is it good for beginners? How closely does it follow the DnD rules (3.5 I presume)? Any other thoughts/advice?

Remus Lupin · 16th September 2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreyWizard77

So, how does DDO stack up compared to other "free-to-play" MMO's? Is it good for beginners? How closely does it follow the DnD rules (3.5 I presume)? Any other thoughts/advice?

Well, I just downloaded it last night, and I have to say I'm liking it more than I thought I would. I suppose that a lot will depend on the "grind" factor, but it seems to play more like Baldur's Gate or NWN than like WoW, which suits me just fine.

Of course, it's "free" only up to a point. You have to pay for things like extra character slots or if you want to be a warforged or a drow. But again, that suits me just fine. If I ever get the yen to play a warforged, I'll be happy to pony up the money.

GlassJaw · 16th September 2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreyWizard77

So, how does DDO stack up compared to other "free-to-play" MMO's? Is it good for beginners? How closely does it follow the DnD rules (3.5 I presume)? Any other thoughts/advice?

The learning curve is a tad steep but if you know the 3.5 rules, you have a good start. DDO is "based" on the 3.5 rules so there are some differences, and even the things in DDO that are the same as in 3.5 play differently For example, Toughness is an important feat.

You also get a LOT more items than you do in 3.5, but that has to do more with the nature of MMO's.

The only other challenge to new players is that if you hook up with a group of experienced players, be prepared to chase them. Zerging is fairly commonplace since those players are mostly likely running content that they've done many times before. I recommend playing through the early content solo (or with a buddy or two that's just starting as well). If you make a melee class or a cleric, the early content is fairly easy to solo. That will give you a good feel for the game and interface.

Quote:

We've all come back with Free to Play, and while it looks like we may still have an issue getting the group together regularly - the significant increase in solo content, and quests which can be handled by 2 characters has increased the playability for us significantly.

Warlock, what server do you play on? If you are heading to Cannith, let me know.

GlassJaw · 16th September 2009, 07:49 PM

On a side note, since there seems to be some interest here (and on CM), I think I might create a monk to see if I can run some quests with anyone who's new to the game and wants some help getting a hang of things.

I haven't tried the monk yet so I figure this would give me a chance to check it out.

If you are Cannith, post your name and I'll look for you in-game.

The_Warlock · 16th September 2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassJaw

Warlock, what server do you play on? If you are heading to Cannith, let me know.

Alas, we are on Khyber (formerly on Riedra before the Great Consolidation), with no immediate intent of switching. Losing our Favor from back in the day would make us all sad pandas.

GlassJaw · 16th September 2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Warlock

Alas, we are on Khyber (formerly on Riedra before the Great Consolidation), with no immediate intent of switching. Losing our Favor from back in the day would make us all sad pandas.

I have 2 years invested on Thelanis (formerly Xoriat) but the thought of starting from scratch on a brand-new server along with everyone else was the reason I switched!

Definitely makes running the early quests exciting again.

The_Warlock · 16th September 2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassJaw

I have 2 years invested on Thelanis (formerly Xoriat) but the thought of starting from scratch on a brand-new server along with everyone else was the reason I switched!

Definitely makes running the early quests exciting again.

See, I've been gone so long, most of the starter quests were redone or moved...it is new and exciting. And I love the new wilderness zones.

Besides, I have a terrible addiction to my Acidic Longbow of Pure Good, half the time enemies melt in a puff of green mist, the rest they are sent to heaven in a transporter like haze of pure good.

I can't let that go...

PS: And when the mage makes me some fire arrows, oh, the glorious damage numbers!

Felon · 16th September 2009, 10:59 PM

I'd like to hear more about the wilderness zones. Do they contain dynamic spawns, or is it just a slight twist on their dungeons?

Not having any kind of dynamic content is really what hurt DDO. Instead of giving us some Diablo-style infinite dungeons, or even dungeons that randomly spawn two or three different variations (e.g. goblins one time, kobolds the next, or a shaman boss one time, a warlord boss the next), they just spent a lot of time building a handful of detailed dungeons. That's great for a game that you only expect people to play casually until they finish it, but how Turbine figured that would work for a subscription-oriented game is beyond me.

Remus Lupin · 17th September 2009, 12:00 AM

I'm playing in Cannith.

GlassJaw · 17th September 2009, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remus Lupin

I'm playing in Cannith.

Cool. What is your character's name?

The_Warlock · 17th September 2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felon

I'd like to hear more about the wilderness zones. Do they contain dynamic spawns, or is it just a slight twist on their dungeons?

It's more of the slight twist on dungeons, with exploration, slayer, and rare spawn encounter deeds.

And there are now often dungeons/quests which branch off/out of the wilderness zones, some which you get outside them, and some which you get from quest givers inside the zone.

That said, they are well done, and I have already enjoyed going in to some of the wilderness zones to kill things by the light of Eberron's twin moons.

But if what you are looking for is random encounters in a randomly generated wilderness, that doesn't exist to the best of my knowledge, and I'm pretty sure nothing in the engine is designed for such procedural generation.

On the other hand, the quests do now have difficulty scaling, and opponents will be slightly modified in capabilities to better meet the capabilities of different sized and leveled parties within the max and minimum specs of the quest difficulty.

Remus Lupin · 19th September 2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassJaw

Cool. What is your character's name?

Henryd Q'varr

GlassJaw · 19th September 2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remus Lupin

Henryd Q'varr

Cool. I made a bard last night (now level 2) named Gershwin.

Remus Lupin · 20th September 2009, 02:01 AM

I bought some more character slots, so I might be trying out a new concept tonight.

Man in the Funny Hat · 21st September 2009, 06:44 PM

I abandoned DDO barely a few weeks after I bought it upon first release. It was simply not what I wanted in an MMO though I'd had high hopes it would be.

I've just started Aion tho and at the very least it's different enough from WoW and CoH that I think it'll hold my interest long enough to have been worth the money.

Brakkart · 18th October 2009, 07:58 PM

I'm not the sort who would pay a subscription fee to play a MMO. That said I am loving DDO, and I think the idea of the Store is brilliant and I've bought stuff there (healing potions and quest packs mostly) a few times now.

I can be found on Cannith as Brakkart Fellblade (Ranger lvl 4 currently). Gimme a tell, I'm usually happy to group, especially if you're killing kobolds!