Confirmed: D&D Online in Eberron!

[Greatwyrm]

I hope this doesn't hurt the idea of a stand-alone game based on Eberron. Something like Return to Temple for the PC. I don't know if one was ever planned, but I'd rather not got the MMORPG route either.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Well they put it in a setting I don't think I'll care much for. From what I've read it's not a "classic/typical" D&D setting. I was hoping to get to play some classic style D&D online I guess not. Well I was positive that this game was going to be the one game that got me playing online, but alas...

 

[Henry]

I'm not sure that I understand the complaints of people who are upset about the game not being in their favorite setting, and how it will "shoot themselves in the foot" by not putting it in The Realms / Planescape / Greyhawk / Etc.

First of all, it's going to be D&D mechanics no matter where you put it.

Second, no Massive Multiplayer online experience, due to the different clientele it attracts, will be the same as an actual roleplaying game. As someone said, it's a MUD with 3D pictures. The people who play 20 hours a day are going to outstrip the rest of us, and are always going to look for ways to "win", or "collect goodies," or (in some cases) outright cheat. It's those who will spoil the fun of both those who want to role-assume, and those who want to just knock off a few hours in a day hooking up with real people and fighting dragons.

Third, I'll probably never get hooked on it, or even try it, because there are too many things to do, like run my pen-and-paper games. I am so used to the P&P experience, that even if I had to use it as my sole gaming "fix", I'd drop it out of disappintment. I'm waiting to see if the game environment itself is truly different, and go from there. No Player vs. Player for me, thank you.

 

[dvvega]

IMHO they have to justify the competition and prize money for Eberon so they are using it for many things. RPG book/setting, computer game setting etc.

Essentially they will get money for the product from different types of sales. For example people who are regular Realms players in the P&P may buy the game and play it online thus getting money for Wizards that they normally would never have gotten.

As for the setting's "non-fantasy" slant, fantasy was derived from fantastical, meaning something that is not real or normal. Thus it is fantasy. However that brings up a query in my mind ... wasn't there a limitation in the competition regarding "technology" or similar?

 

[LightPhoenix]

Well, I remain dubious about a 100% conversion of the rules, since MMORPGs are real time and PnP rules are decidedly turn based. We'll see though.

Also, FFXI has a pretty decent story, from what I hear, so it's entirely possible this could too.

I used to have a problem with the payment, but a lot of that is born out because I simply don't have excess money to spend. Ten dollars a month is a lot for me - things like bills and food have to come first, and given the choice of spending $50 and monthly fees, or $50 flat, my choice will almost always be the latter.

My bigger problem though is playing with random people. People, especially on MMORPGs it seems, are just jerks and pains in the butt, or annoying beggars. That just doesn't appeal to me at all, and I don't see why things would be any different just because it's a D&D RPG. In fact, this applies to pretty much every form of online gaming - I can't stand Battle.net either, and I don't play NWN online much at all.

 

[Goobermunch]

I think it's kind of ironic really. Keith Baker, the guy who designed Eberron, used to design MMOGs. He was really good at it, but the company he worked for never really actualized his designs. As the company changed its orientation, he left and started doing freelance game design for RPGs . . . .

Flash forward to today--

One of his most detailed designs has been snapped up for use as a setting in a PnP RPG. And, just as an aside, it's also being used as the basis for an MMOG.

--G

 

[pezagent]

Hi gang,

I was reading this thread and I have some questions. I've never played a MMOG before. My friend in LA, she plays UO a lot and she just got FFXI which she really likes. But there's a few things I've heard about these games that doesn't make them appealing to me. One of the funniest things I ever read about these games was "people are jerks, throw rocks." I can understand if one is going to pay a monthly fee for a game (on top of the game purchase) then why put up with the rock throwing? I heard that one can't play with friends in these things, or it's difficult to play with friends. Is this true?

Personally I like the concept of online playing but not with 3D--by post can be an interesting way to play it seems, without all the BS overhead costs. I think there's something to be said about companies that do "milk" the industry. I mean, it is a business, after all. That it provides entertainment is incidental. But even though I haven't played these MUDs or MMOGs yet (I've yet to get interested because of all the negative rep they get) I believe that there are better solutions to playing online that haven't evolved properly yet.

Regards,

/johnny

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

I heard that one can't play with friends in these things, or it's difficult to play with friends. Is this true?

Not all of 'em. In Final Fantasy, yeah, because it pretty much randomizes your server every time you log on. In others like EQ (gack!) or Dark Age of Camelot it's much easier to do this, although of course there's still variables that need to be hashed out before you make characters. In most if not all, it's difficult/impossible to migrate characters betwen servers, AFAIK.

 

[Agamon]

I never have to post in a thread where Henry already has. Great minds think alike.

 

[LightPhoenix]

One of the funniest things I ever read about these games was "people are jerks, throw rocks."

Quick question, where did you read this?

I can understand if one is going to pay a monthly fee for a game (on top of the game purchase) then why put up with the rock throwing? I heard that one can't play with friends in these things, or it's difficult to play with friends. Is this true?

You can play with friends pretty easy - even on FF11 all you need is a World Pass, which sucks but it is possible. It's that you can't play without the effects of the annoying people affecting you - and it seems being anonymous gives people much more license to be annoying.