Tallen
Fledgling Freddie
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2004
- Messages
- 3,357
What is D&D and what is DDO?
D&D is Dungeons and Dragons, DDO is Dungeons and Dragond Online (oh, and pnp means pen and paper
).
For those who don't know much about the game, it is essentially an online version of the classic pen and paper rpg D&D. This game was the founder of popular role playing games, my first encounter was back in the 80's (i believe the original game producers were a company called TSR?) but the game has been around since the 70's.
D&D spawned a cartoon series which had limited success in the late 80's and a movie in 2000 which had a very over-the-top performance from Jeremy Irons and Richard O'Brien (of Crystal Maze and Rocky Horror fame), but was essentially crap.
D&D is the basis on which all RPG games are based, there is just no getting away from it as D&D set the foundations. As such a lot of players will be familiar with the usual mix of elves, dwarves, orcs etc (yes, I know D&D did not invent the classic fantasy races etc, my point is it was the first to create a solid system for players to play the roles) but don't be fooled into thinking this is another copy of the mmo gaming cookie cutter that is spawning endless clone titles, DDO is an entirely new proposition.
Players who's main focus in a game is pvp will not be enamoured with D&D as it has no pvp and there is no hint that there will be any pvp system implemented anytime soon.
DDO is a co-operative game.
What do I mean by this? Well, the concept of D&D was gather a party of friends and have an adventure controlled by a games master, or GM. The classic setting was usually a dungeon as it is an enclosed environment where the GM could limit all the players actions to the confines of a small area, and it worked well. DDO keeps with this concept, the game is designed around players getting together to beat the dungeon rather than each other. The only difference is that the dungeons in DDO are not controlled by a GM.
So why bother with DDO?
Probably the most common question players ask, I do not have all the answers, but I will present a few of the arguments:
DDO's dungeon and grouping system is unrivalled, the dungeons are way more than the usual hack-and-slash mindless killing orgy romp found in other games. DDO's dungeons are the main focus of the game (at least to the level i have seen) and they are designed to really test adventurers. Puzzles, devious traps and surprises are what DDO is about. You really have to play to the strengths of your group but that being said any mix of players can make a strong group as long as they play to their strengths (for example a group of wizards and rangers would use their range to beat opposition, a group of healers and fighters may just wade-in).
The dungeons are instanced which is a turn-off for many players, but there is a good reason for this, to present a decent challenge. An example would be a while ago myself and 2 friends entered a dungeon, we were in there for about 2 hours before we finally emerged victorious, the experience was unparallelled in my mmo experience. The challenge was excellent, it was very difficult and ultimately extremely rewarding.
The other thing about the grouping system is that a group are exponentially better than the sum of their parts. Once a group is formed the potential is quite incredible and you can overcome obstacles that you may not have thought possible.
DDO is NOT D&D?
Another common gripe which is mainly because of the game setting and the lack of true allignment system which defined the role-playing aspect of D&D. The game is set in Eberron which is one of the more recent expansion settings and seems to be not the most popular choice. The justification for choosing Eberron is mainly that the background is a solid setting for DDO, many do not agree but to be honest it's a pretty pointless argument.
The alignment system is a different matter, in the original D&D your actions were defined by a code of conduct called your Allignment, deviating from playing to your allignment often had terrible consequences. Many players don't see how a computer can simulate the GM aspect of D&D that made it unique and few would argue with them.
Longevity?
DDO is a strange concept, there is no pvp and no crafting so the entire gaming experience is centered around enjoying the experience. As such grinding is out, there is no point rushing to max level. One main concern about this game is whether or not they will implement regular updated content. Content is what DDO is about, it simply has no other tangible aspect other than providing a setting for people to roleplay in. No other mmorpg has tried this in the same way as DDO and with games like Vangard on the horizon, there is a question about how long this game has.
NWN online?
Probably the most common gripe about DDO is that it bears a striking resemblance to NWN and other rpg's that are playable online with no subs fee. Games like Planetside have explored this concept already and while PS is not a very popular game, it is still going strong. The real argument for having a subs fee is that even though DDO is essentially group-centric, the greater community makes for a way to meet new players and form new friendships and find groups. For a lot of players the main attraction of a mmorpg is the player interaction and it is felt by a great number of the community that with no pvp, DDO will atract a more mature comunity of gamers (note, by mature i do NOT mean older, I know a lot of 17 year olds that are more mature than their parents).
Please note these are only my personal experiences and those of my friends, if anyone has any views or experiences please fell free to post them. The point of a thread like this is for players new to the game to get a feel for what the game is about and see other players views of the game.
If you disagree with anything I have said or have experiences to the contrary feel free to express them.
D&D is Dungeons and Dragons, DDO is Dungeons and Dragond Online (oh, and pnp means pen and paper
).For those who don't know much about the game, it is essentially an online version of the classic pen and paper rpg D&D. This game was the founder of popular role playing games, my first encounter was back in the 80's (i believe the original game producers were a company called TSR?) but the game has been around since the 70's.
D&D spawned a cartoon series which had limited success in the late 80's and a movie in 2000 which had a very over-the-top performance from Jeremy Irons and Richard O'Brien (of Crystal Maze and Rocky Horror fame), but was essentially crap.
D&D is the basis on which all RPG games are based, there is just no getting away from it as D&D set the foundations. As such a lot of players will be familiar with the usual mix of elves, dwarves, orcs etc (yes, I know D&D did not invent the classic fantasy races etc, my point is it was the first to create a solid system for players to play the roles) but don't be fooled into thinking this is another copy of the mmo gaming cookie cutter that is spawning endless clone titles, DDO is an entirely new proposition.
Players who's main focus in a game is pvp will not be enamoured with D&D as it has no pvp and there is no hint that there will be any pvp system implemented anytime soon.
DDO is a co-operative game.
What do I mean by this? Well, the concept of D&D was gather a party of friends and have an adventure controlled by a games master, or GM. The classic setting was usually a dungeon as it is an enclosed environment where the GM could limit all the players actions to the confines of a small area, and it worked well. DDO keeps with this concept, the game is designed around players getting together to beat the dungeon rather than each other. The only difference is that the dungeons in DDO are not controlled by a GM.
So why bother with DDO?
Probably the most common question players ask, I do not have all the answers, but I will present a few of the arguments:
DDO's dungeon and grouping system is unrivalled, the dungeons are way more than the usual hack-and-slash mindless killing orgy romp found in other games. DDO's dungeons are the main focus of the game (at least to the level i have seen) and they are designed to really test adventurers. Puzzles, devious traps and surprises are what DDO is about. You really have to play to the strengths of your group but that being said any mix of players can make a strong group as long as they play to their strengths (for example a group of wizards and rangers would use their range to beat opposition, a group of healers and fighters may just wade-in).
The dungeons are instanced which is a turn-off for many players, but there is a good reason for this, to present a decent challenge. An example would be a while ago myself and 2 friends entered a dungeon, we were in there for about 2 hours before we finally emerged victorious, the experience was unparallelled in my mmo experience. The challenge was excellent, it was very difficult and ultimately extremely rewarding.
The other thing about the grouping system is that a group are exponentially better than the sum of their parts. Once a group is formed the potential is quite incredible and you can overcome obstacles that you may not have thought possible.
DDO is NOT D&D?
Another common gripe which is mainly because of the game setting and the lack of true allignment system which defined the role-playing aspect of D&D. The game is set in Eberron which is one of the more recent expansion settings and seems to be not the most popular choice. The justification for choosing Eberron is mainly that the background is a solid setting for DDO, many do not agree but to be honest it's a pretty pointless argument.
The alignment system is a different matter, in the original D&D your actions were defined by a code of conduct called your Allignment, deviating from playing to your allignment often had terrible consequences. Many players don't see how a computer can simulate the GM aspect of D&D that made it unique and few would argue with them.
Longevity?
DDO is a strange concept, there is no pvp and no crafting so the entire gaming experience is centered around enjoying the experience. As such grinding is out, there is no point rushing to max level. One main concern about this game is whether or not they will implement regular updated content. Content is what DDO is about, it simply has no other tangible aspect other than providing a setting for people to roleplay in. No other mmorpg has tried this in the same way as DDO and with games like Vangard on the horizon, there is a question about how long this game has.
NWN online?
Probably the most common gripe about DDO is that it bears a striking resemblance to NWN and other rpg's that are playable online with no subs fee. Games like Planetside have explored this concept already and while PS is not a very popular game, it is still going strong. The real argument for having a subs fee is that even though DDO is essentially group-centric, the greater community makes for a way to meet new players and form new friendships and find groups. For a lot of players the main attraction of a mmorpg is the player interaction and it is felt by a great number of the community that with no pvp, DDO will atract a more mature comunity of gamers (note, by mature i do NOT mean older, I know a lot of 17 year olds that are more mature than their parents
).Please note these are only my personal experiences and those of my friends, if anyone has any views or experiences please fell free to post them. The point of a thread like this is for players new to the game to get a feel for what the game is about and see other players views of the game.
If you disagree with anything I have said or have experiences to the contrary feel free to express them.
