 Deserves a second look | | Review Date: October 24, 2006 | | Reviewer: Andrew Mcguire, Boston, MA United States | The expectations for this game were through the roof and a lot of people were dissapointed when it launched. One thing that is important to keep in mind is that it is an MMO and so the reviews that were drawn up the day this game launched may not be so relevant at this point (8 months down the road as of this writing). The game has grown in leaps and bounds in this time.
There is someone in another Amazon review who complained about bugs and lack of customer support. Its true that there were a number of bugs at launch (quest item decay, monsters not spawning correctly all the time, etc). These weren't common but were pervasive enough to be a problem. And at that time some of the customer service policies were not in place to handle these situations. But Turbine has ALWAYS had a good rep for customer service and they made good on that in the case of DDO too. They never were rude or uncommunicative in in-game support. They never had long wait times for support like other popular MMO's have had. And lastly they figured out ways to resolve some of the quest breaking bugs.
Turbine will have released three modules by the end of this month and a number of smaller content updates. All of the major bugs at launch have long since been addressed, major amounts of content have been added, the level cap has been raised, game systems have been added to reward playing through all content (not the the quests that were easiest / had the best loot), game systems for auction houses, pvp, and a mail system have *all* been added since the game launched. In short this game is twice what it was at launch, and all this without an expansion pack.
DDO delivered on its promise of delivering a Massive Multiplayer Online game with the basic game rules of D&D 3.5 (with real time twitchy combat mechanics to boot). If you want to storm an ancient tomb with your buddies and go head to head with iconic D&D monsters (mind flayers, beholders, etc) this game is for you... and with all the additions in the last 9 months now might be the time for you take a look. |
Brilliant | | Review Date: March 1, 2006 | | Reviewer: Richmix, | Long-time fans of fantasy-oriented MMORPGs will remember the glory days of Ultima Online. When that game was heavily distressed by the "next-generation" MMO, EverQuest, fans of both games found themselves at a disadvantage that would continue for nearly a decade. There were no good games. The heavy penalties for death in EverQuest alienated the casual players of the time, while at the same time the open PVP in UO alienated its fair share of folks, causing both games to suffer heavy population detriments. It didn't help when the MMO boom began, either. Dark Age of Camelot, City of Heroes, Asheron's Call, AC2, EverQuest 2, and many others followed in quick succession, each having their own flaws that left MMORPG fans with the plain and saddening belief that no good game would ever see the light of day again. Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach proves this notion wrong.
The biggest and most terrifying thought about this game is that it is based on the Dungeons and Dragons pen-and-paper RPG. Set in the DnD realm of Eberron, players must know the d20 system backwards and forwards if they expect to reach their full potential. This leaves two different groups of people with two different questions. Long-time DnD fanatics will want to know how closely this game sticks to the rules, while at the same time, World of Warcraft junkies will want to know how easy this game is to pick up. Both of them will want to know if it is fun.
First off, DnD. The city of Stormreach and the Eberron campaign operate under Dungeons and Dragons Revision 3.5 Ruleset by Wizards of the Coast. This ruleset features d20 (combat, skills, saves, etc.) and feats. Most of the general rules are followed very closely. Every time a d20 check is made, you see the actual dice roll on your screen. That's right: every swing of your sword, every disarming of a trap, every attempt to use a magical device: the dice are -always- rolling. The huge discrepancy this game has from PnP (pen-and-paper) is Action Points. You do not use Action Points to reroll your dice, as you would in PnP. Instead, four times per level, you achieve a new rank, at which point you gain Action Points to spend on enhancements. Low level enhancements are approximately equal to one additional feat. Higher level enhancements can equal nearly four feats combined (example: level 9 rogues get one that gives +7 to Disable Device and Open Lock simultaneously, passive). All players may have four different enhancements granted to their character at any time. While some may think that this may make your character terribly over-powered, this is not necessarily the case. The game is designed to overcome the problems a live action environment creates with the PnP game, and, as a result, your character will be expected to have the proper enhancements. These abilities are what make characters of varying levels significantly more or less powerful than each other in DDO. Each class and race has their own unique enhancements to choose from, but you must keep in mind as you develop your character that you are limited to having four at any given time. In addition, every time you level, you lose unspent Action Points, and the set of available enhancments will change every level also. The current level cap is 10, which Turbine has announced that it will raise in a few months. Prestige classes are also in the works. Other than Action Points, the game plays largely like PnP DnD, with a few very minor exceptions. Fans of the game will undoubtedly enjoy the MMO atmosphere of DDO.
Now for the gamers. So you're used to sitting in dungeon, blasting away at countless critters until you eventually gain a level? Maybe a few Catacombs raids will do you some good. Not in Stormreach. In this troubled city, you must use your brain more than your braun. Each class has a very specific purpose that you must play well to survive. If a fighter runs ahead of the rest of the party, for example, trying to blaze the way, he will undoubtedly be killed quite quickly by hidden dungeon traps that can only be disarmed by well-equipped rogues. Similarly, a rogue cannot hack and slash his way into a group of enemies without getting severely torn up. You have to use strategy, and you have to read up on your class. Know how the game works. It is very important. This game also features active combat. You click to swing your sword, fire your bow, raise your shield, or tumble away from an attack. DnD features both a targetting cursor and a targetting system, allowing you either to mouse-over the specific enemy you want to shoot at and fire or, if you happen to be trying to aim at a small critter that jumps around quickly, you may decide that you simply want to target it and auto-attack away. Both options are available (when using a weapon--spells can't be autocast). The game has no crafting system, which does not affect your ability to acquire items. The economy (at lower levels) is quite an easy one, with most players giving gear they do not need to other players in their party who do need it, free of charge. Mosts quests also offer very useful item rewards. You do not regenerate spell points or hit points unless you rest or are in a tavern (and resting is only possible at special shrines found in dungeons), although healers can heal you and even sometimes restore your spellpoints. This system makes strategy very important. The game is very easy to play and user-friendly, but difficult to master. You do not need any knowledge of DnD to get started, but, as your interest in the game grows, you will undoubtedly spend hours reading up on how things work and what people think works best. This is a huge boon to the players who take pride in their accomplishments. In addition, DnD features quest-based advancement. You do not get any experience for "grinding". In fact, you do not get any experience at all for killing individual monsters. Your experience comes from quests, which are all instanced. The quests are very well-developed, featuring a wide variety of stories, monsters, and objectives (everything from rescues to obtaining an item to defeating an enemy to solving a mystery and more). The graphics, controls, and musical scores are without a doubt some of the best I have ever seen. I have seen better graphics (namely in Asheron's Call II: breathtaking), but combined with the other artificial elements, this game is very pretty indeed. The avid gamer will not be disappointed. The main issues for some players will be the following: lack of player versus player combat, different gameplay style of Dnd, lack of crafting skills, and necessity to complete quests in order to advance (the good ones are long and involved). The pros of the game, though, heavily outway these potential cons: grouping is VERY heavily encouraged (meaning it is always possible to find a group), the storylines are extremely engaging (if you take the time to read them), combat is intense, and strategy is important. Most gamers will very much enjoy this game.
Overall, then, players will find that DnD Online (also known as DDO) is a great game. It fills a niche that many MMORPGers have sought for years. DDO isn't just your next hack-and-slash, ding, level up game. It is very involving, requires strong knowledge of your character, and features many things never before seen in MMORPGs. The game is fun at all levels; not just at maximum level. You will find the depth of character advancement to be absolutely astonishing. On the whole, Eberron is an amazing world and Stormreach an amazing city. With so many ways to customize your character and so many things to do with him (or her), many DDO players feel confident in calling the game flawless--the best ever made. After all, it is Dungeons and Dragons, which has remained a brilliant RPG for decades. And there you have it: Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach is simply brilliant.
Other game notes: DDO features the races and classes of the DnD 3.5 ruleset, with the current exception of Monks and Druids (which are in development). These classes are Paladin, Ranger, Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Wizard, Paladin, and Bard. Each class has its own role in a group, except for the Bard (who is a sort of jack-of-all-trades). Each character may choose one class at character creation and either continue that class to the level cap or multiclass to a second class when they reach their next level (so if a level five Fighter just reached level six and wanted to multiclass to a Ranger, he would become all of the following: a level five Fighter, a level one Ranger, and a level six character, meaning that the sum of your class levels cannot exceed your current character level, which cannot be higher than the level cap). Each character is also of a particular race, and each race receives particular advantages or disadvantages that may allow it to excel at one or more particular class types. Available races in DDO include Humans, Elves, Half Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Warforged. You may only select one race. Information on feats, spells, enhancements, skills, racial abilities, and class abilities can be found at many DDO fansites, but documentation on the game can sometimes be hard to find because of so many inaccurate references. Check with reliable sources (open source works best, such as Wikis). The game also features a sort of tutorial area to help new players get started. It is optional.
If you are considering trying this game, do it. Period. |
Great Game in current state - DDO unlimited | | Review Date: September 22, 2009 | | Reviewer: Daniel A. Tal, Denver, Colorado | DDO is currently in the DDO Unlimited state. Meaning, it's Free-To-Play. There is the option to buy Store points to spend on items. This has changed the nature of the game.
The game features are all free. However, if you want to enhance your experience you can purchase game items. This includes some content, classes and races (Drow, Warforged and Monk for example).
I played in 2007 and left the game only to return and I am hooked on this game. I have not played a MMO as good as this one since EQ1 and I have played many of them.
Here are somethings that have changed.
Starting Area - Korthos island is the new starting area. It is better then any tutorial I have played for beginners in a game. It has a great story line, eases people into the game and provides a better understanding of your character class. For people who are new to DnD, upon character creation you have more suggestions about how to best customize your character. All this makes the new player expereince great and immersive.
Another great addition are Hirelings. You can use in-game coins (gold) to purchase temporary hirelings to accompany you on quests. For most people, this means the inclusion of a cleric to heal you while you run around on Solo or Normal mode on quests. These hirelings are helpful even in group situations. The AI is really good and it add great depth to the game. More so, it makes it fun and content that was not solo able, now is. The DDO devs have hinted that the Hireling system will only expand and grow in the future.
Back to the DDO Store. You can purchase items from the store even while on a quest. You use points that you can earn, purchase for real cash or gain by being a full subscriber. You can purchase items, additional hirelings, XP boosts, items that allow you to resurrect during a quest, etc...Bottom line is that you do not have to pay a monthly subscription to play. What else could you ask for? This makes this game ideal. You can now download the client for free. If you do purchase the client, you do get some free-play time as a VIP - meaning all the game content and classes are open to you and you do not need to purchase them from the store.
The player base community is the most mature and helpful I have ever seen. Its almost uncanny. If you have a question or need help, ask in game or on the DDO forums. People are polite and more then happy to share what they know. This is a huge plus for a game that can be as complicated as this one.
Combat is fun!! This is not a click-a-skill-wait for timer and swing - rinse and repeat MMO. You can control your character, take swings and unless you cast spells, your combat ability is based on your class, weapons and how you play. It's a huge, refreshing departure from other games that still don't get it.
Bottom line is this game has come a long way in the past 3 years and is worth being checked out. I am a touch critic on many of these games and find most of the boring within 2 weeks. I am happily sucked into this title.
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A great social experience... | | Review Date: October 23, 2006 | | Reviewer: M. Walker, College Park, MD United States | With voice chat, I love playing this game. Even when my friends aren't online, I can usually find a fun group very quickly. We'll be cracking jokes and telling stories the whole time we adventure.
I've found no shortage of good content and quests. As characters get more power, more quests open up; plus, they update the game with new quests and other content every couple of weeks as part of the subscription.
It's a great game! Try the 7 days for free - it's worth seeing if it's something you'll play regularly. It's great if you can get a couple of friends to play on the regular, 'cause you get to socialize with friends and waste time on the computer simultaneously. |
should of waited | | Review Date: May 13, 2006 | | Reviewer: riznitch, las vegas | | DDO has taken a turn for the better. The new update as of 11 may has taken alot of the current issues and made them non-existant. come sometime in july turbine will be releasing a new module than will have some more single player quest. hopefully they wont try and revamp what they already have to much and jack it up like SOE w/ star wars galaxies.time will tell but, definatly a fun game to have if your a casual, i have a job, family and a life type gamer. |
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