How will D&D the MMORPG handle the rules?

[Azure Trance]

The thought just hit me that, well, no respectable magic user would wait 8 hours to regain their spells. And actions like bullrush, trip and disarm may need special keys or be eliminated completely. Would a mana system be implemented? Is there any info trickling down yet? How would you handle the application of this or that rule?

I wonder (having not played) if either UO or EQ used a mana system. Maybe they'll take a look at Elements of Magic? Or go another way completely a la Shadowrun and have the characters make a check per casting. It would seem though that Wizards would triumph here, if they could cast as much as sorcerors.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Here's what I'm guesing:

The game will not be turn based but actions will still take time based on the six second round, like in star wars Knights of the Old Republic (KotoR) you could proably base how long an actions takes off of a 3 second round.

I don't think mana will be implemented. I think in game 1 day will proably equal about 1-2 hours there fore a spell casters could reprepare spells after that period of time.

I don't see why actions like bulrush etc would need to be eliminated, same goes for power attack and expertise, I can see how such a mechanic could be implemented with out making the system crappy.

Now these are all just logical guesses.

 

[reanjr]

The thought just hit me that, well, no respectable magic user would wait 8 hours to regain their spells. And actions like bullrush, trip and disarm may need special keys or be eliminated completely. Would a mana system be implemented? Is there any info trickling down yet? How would you handle the application of this or that rule?

I wonder (having not played) if either UO or EQ used a mana system. Maybe they'll take a look at Elements of Magic? Or go another way completely a la Shadowrun and have the characters make a check per casting. It would seem though that Wizards would triumph here, if they could cast as much as sorcerors.

8 hours in game is not 8 hours of playing, just like in D&D. If a day in game lasts about an hours, then you could replenish spells after 20 minutes of downtime. That might be a bit quick, so I would think 2 hours/day would be a bit better. The best option would probably to be to allow the caster to break up his downtime. Rest for 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, then when you've accrued 40 minutes of rest (or whatever it is), you can rememorize spells. This system would work out pretty well I think.

I hope they keep the downtime in place though. It would allow the party to just kind of plop down and chat for a while as their characters are resting. If you are a wizard and you need some more spells you could hang back from a battle and chill while the rest of the party handled it, so as to not force them to stop. But then you will heal hit points while you are stopped, so that's even more incentive.

Mana would RUIN D&D wizards. So would requiring them to rest in designated spots.

But forcing the player to be out for 40 minutes out of every 2 hours could be problematic too. Perhaps cut the time in half.

 

[Thanee]

Is there a D&D MMORPG in the works, or is this just mental exercise?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Azure Trance]

while t

Is there a D&D MMORPG in the works, or is this just mental exercise?

Bye
Thanee

Atari/Infogrammes is developing it

And someone did remind me that there is a mana system in Unearthed Arcana, but I cannot recall off the cuff how it is implemented.


Edit: Also a fun thought-exercise!

 

[Thanee]

Ah, sweet. Guess it will take a few years until it is finished, or not?

Bye
Thanee

 

[KenM]

Last I heard about the DnD MMORPG is its due to come out sometime in 2005. Ebberon is the setting they are using for it.

 

[Azure Trance]

Oooh. Eberron? I figured it would've been FR or Greyhawk. Neat. Next focal point:

13.33 encounters of your challenge rating before levelling up, or in real pen and paper ties, 13.33/4 per session, so as to roughly level up once a month. That would seem ... a bit slow ... online, with all combat and whatnot. Is the developer just going to divide all experience given out by 10?

 

[Thanee]

I wouldn't expect them to follow these guidelines.

They'll probably have to make up a lot to make it work in a "realtime" surrounding.

Bye
Thanee

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Is the developer just going to divide all experience given out by 10?

I have no earthly idea, but you'd have to divide it by more than 10. In the MMORPGs I've played, I can whip through a lot more than 14 encounters/fights in a gaming session. Heck, if I concentrate and have a good group, I can do 14 fights an hour. It's a good rule of thumb that the casual gamer is going to play 10 hours a week. The more serious gamers can pull off 40+ hours a week and through min/maxing will be able to keep that pace up. So you're looking at the average serious gamer getting to level 20 in about five weeks. The nutcases will probably be able to make 20 in well under a month.

Everquest attempted to get around this problem by enforcing downtime. Boats were slow. You had to stare at a spellbook to get your mana back (the rest of the screen was originally blocked entirely, this has since changed). This may be "realistic" D&D, but it's no fun. Look at it this way: if your maximum experience points were determined by how long you subscribed to the game, would it be fun? No, of course not. If anything you'd be ticked that the company was keeping you from leveling.

A good system for exp is to have the first few levels be pretty easy with the last few being exceptionally difficult. So going from 1 to 3 might take a few hours, but going from 18 to 20 might take a few hundred hours. But then that still sucks because everyone likes to level. The D&D system of 20 levels simply doesn't translate well to a MMORPG. I have no solution for this.

The mana point system in Unearthed Arcana is interesting, but I think they'd be wiser to go with the recharge time varient that is also in the book. Recharge time is a lot of bookkeeping, but computers are great at bookkeeping.

My expectations for the D&D MMORPG are pretty low. D&D is a tabletop game. And rules that make sense for a tabletop aren't always going to work on a computer.

Just my two cents.