DDO is dead!

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

If DDO is in trouble, it doesn't surprise me in the least. The game was pretty obviously rushed to market, which is the absolute worst thing you can do with an MMORPG. At launch, you could only go up to level 10 and it didn't even have all the core classes, let along PrCs and such. It always struck me as being a pale shadow of what it could have and should have been.

I disagree. DDO had a smoother launch than any other MMO I've played (and I've played pretty much all of them at release -- UO, WoW, EQ1 and 2, AO, AC1 and 2, DDO, Vanguard, City of Heroes). Going up to level 10 (and it was really level 40, if you count the sub-levels) and not including all base classes and races was a reasonable design decision if you were looking at the long-term growth of the game. If they'd included it to begin with, it wouldn't have made any difference, and it would have taken away potential expansions down the road.

The biggest mistake they made was in not having enough content, and there being no randomization, so that every session became a by-the-numbers adventure where everyone knew where all the traps were, what the mobs were vulnerable to, etc.

And, frankly, given how badly Atari has botched almost everything associated with the D&D license, I have no problem tarring and feathering them with this one, too.

 

[GlassJaw]

No. You are absolutely incorrect on this one. The only mistake of Atari was giving the title to Turbine in the first place.

Turbine self-financed DDO, such that Atari had very little control over the project. And Turbine didn't have enough money to do it. They were not pressured by Atari to release - they ran out of their own dev cash and vastly underestimated what it would take to do DDO.

Sorry. Not everything is Atari's fault.

Well we can agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Troll Wizard]

I disagree. DDO had a smoother launch than any other MMO I've played (and I've played pretty much all of them at release -- UO, WoW, EQ1 and 2, AO, AC1 and 2, DDO, Vanguard, City of Heroes). Going up to level 10 (and it was really level 40, if you count the sub-levels) and not including all base classes and races was a reasonable design decision if you were looking at the long-term growth of the game. If they'd included it to begin with, it wouldn't have made any difference, and it would have taken away potential expansions down the road.

The biggest mistake they made was in not having enough content, and there being no randomization, so that every session became a by-the-numbers adventure where everyone knew where all the traps were, what the mobs were vulnerable to, etc.

And, frankly, given how badly Atari has botched almost everything associated with the D&D license, I have no problem tarring and feathering them with this one, too.

As Steel Wind said above Atari had nothing to do with it. Turbine paid Atari for the license to make DDO, but otherwise self financed it themselves. They wanted as much self-control as possible for design reasons. Of course that means when the money runs out, they have to deliver what they have completed ready or not, as they are still liable to their outside investors. Turbine did let WOTC review and approval some of their changes to the core rules. Some I understand due to technical reasons and some of course were to financial reasons.

IMO DDO failure was that they tried to appeal to D&D players and regular MMO players. I enjoyed it immenseily from Beta 2 thru the first three months. But once they started committing more and more resources to non-D&D elements (solo play and PvP) instead of new adventures, classes, feats, spells, skill uses, etc. they lost me and my 2 friends. In the beginning it was easy and great fun to quickly assemble parties, and the best quests required a good mix of classes to successfully complete it and all the optional goals within that adventure. The constant ramp up of PC power with the uber level enhancements and monty haul of magical treasure also turned me off. They explained it of, as their "house-rules;" Turbine being the DM. Which is fine, I decided then to find another DM.

 

[TogaMario]

I have pages and pages of a design doc I've written that (for the obvious legal reasons) I don't call "DnD" ... but is pretty much exactly how I'd like a DnD MMO to function. I wonder if the next game dev company will be open to suggestions I just want a good MMO from DnD's IP, because I know the license is ripe for it. "Unlimited Advertures" doesn't exactly describe the world we got in DDO, but it's what I would've expected.

I enjoy the mess out of WoW, but what I'd want in a DnD MMO would stray pretty far from it's play mechanics. If I had the money, I'd be seeking council with WotC on how to obtain IP rights to develop with the license. Unfortunately, I'm far off financially from even starting my own development studio. A man can dream, though.

 

[MarauderX]

I play. A lot.
What server are you on? Yes, some of them are much quieter than others.
Playing in the AM? What do you expect?
A lot of people run invisible nowadays so they won't show up in the Who panel. Most people are in guilds now too so pick-ups can be difficult at times.
I'm not saying that DDO is on the WoW level (far from it, but so is everything) but rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. The game was packed last week for the loot/XP weekend. They also just came out with a new enhancement system (which will be great for the game in the long-run) and they'll have a paid expansion later this year with monks and half-orcs.
The game is better now than it ever has been.

In the AM, Eastern time, Riedra server. With other MMOs there are usually those who pop in to play in the AM in different time zones. I expect higher numbers. I also expected faster results on the development.
Most of my characters are in guilds. I am aware of running invisible, but doubt many do since it's hard enough to pull a good (let alone balanced) team together anymore. Last team we had 3 rangers, 2 bards and a barbarian.
Perhaps not demise, but certainly not lively. The enhancement weekend was nice, as everyone was on for the quick payoff. 50% XP and bonus loot was nice, but now everyone has a hangover from the whole thing. And the enhancement changes were a little shocking... what major mechanic is going to change next? Mana? Oh, that was tagged too...
The game may be better now, but it's always been getting better, slowly. We're getting orcs finally, and half-orcs as a PC race... a year after the game has been released. And two of the core classes are still missing. Monks are coming... when might we see druids? For comparison EQ2 had morphing druid-types when they released. Until then I'll just complain, join my buddies on WoW and perhaps Eve, and check it out again in another year.
Meow, meow, king friday, meow.

 

[MarauderX]

DDO's latest lure: another 50% XP and loot bonus weekend! When? Only 2 weeks after the last one! Sounds something like a desparate, clingy girlfriend.

 

[GeorgeFields]

So it is with much sadness that I declare that D&D Online is dead.

Is that a bad thing?

 

[Nifft]

DDO's latest lure: another 50% XP and loot bonus weekend! When? Only 2 weeks after the last one! Sounds something like a desparate, clingy girlfriend.

You get loot and XP from your girlfriend?! Mine just seem to take loot.

-- N

 

[GlassJaw]

Is that a bad thing?

To those that are still enjoying the game, yes, it would be.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

DDO's latest lure: another 50% XP and loot bonus weekend! When? Only 2 weeks after the last one! Sounds something like a desparate, clingy girlfriend.

That's what I told my buddy last week to annoy him.