Dungeon Masters in Cyberspace 119
The New York Times has a piece this afternoon about the launch of Dungeons and Dragons Online. They talk with some of the folks who made the game, and reflect on roleplaying's move from table-top to online spaces. From the article: "While players in most online games communicate by typing, Turbine has tried to enhance the in-person feel of D&D Online by building voice-chat software into the game so players can speak with one another using a microphone plugged into their computer. And while most video games try to adopt a cinematic mode of storytelling, D&D Online plainly reminds users that they are playing a computer approximation of a pen-and-paper game. During combat, an icon of a spinning 20-sided die appears in a corner of the screen, just as modern slot machines still show spinning reels even though a microchip has already decided if you've won the jackpot."
Re:* rolls 20-sided di * (Score:1)
The Online Advantage... (Score:2)
There's only one unique advantage of online play is when you don't have any friends. I really wanted to be into Dungeon & Dragons in the early 1980's, b
Re:The Online Advantage... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not true; there is also ease of access. Once you and all your friends are out in the real world with jobs and partners and all those things regular peopel do it's very hard to try and schedule a time to get together to gaming.
MMORPGs let you jump in whenever it's convienient and play online with friends (both from the real-world and that you only know online) whenever it's convienient.
I'd love to be able to play more t
Re:The Online Advantage... (Score:1)
This is why my group of friends has switched over to boardgames. We all really like playing D&D but it is too hard to get everyone together regularly to keep a campaign up and running.
Therefore we switched to boardgames, there is no carry over from one session to the next and i
Re:The Online Advantage... (Score:2)
No, the real problem is convenience. Playing online in your own home is a lot easier than gathering a bunch of people somewhere. You can playing online for half an hour if you like, but if you
Re:The Online Advantage... (Score:1)
Sorry buddy, they're not launching with my two favorite (core) classes: druids and monks. That gets a big laaaaaame from me. I doubt they'll ever have psionicists either, much less any of the other core psychic classes (soulknife would be way cool). I'll just keep playing my old favorites, like Diablo II or Neverwinter Nights.
Already blowing it... (Score:2)
The offer was prominently displayed on the EBGames website, until last week, when they ran out of keys. They asked Turbine for some last Tues, and still haven't gotten them.
In a moment of near-irrationality, I went to the EBGames site to buy the game, excited about playing early with people in the office that had also pre-ordered
Re:Already blowing it... (Score:2)
I think the limit on pre-order keys was probably more based on an effort to manage and balance server populati
Typical Turbine (Score:1)
Then of course there was the release of Asheron's Call 2, which we're told is a completely different game then Asheron's Call, and is not meant to compete with it for customers. Nevermind the fact that the game never contained the features mentioned on it's box, web
Re:Already blowing it... (Score:2)
Re:Already blowing it... (Score:1)
The reason there was no pre-order offer on the 27th is because the game is officially released on the 28th.
No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
Okay, fine. You attack the darkness. There's an elf in front of you.
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
Despite being apparently as impossible to destroy as a lich who's had the good sense of storing its phylactery in a bank vault, this joke is actually not very funny. You see, you actually can attack the darkness: just shoot those magic missiles to somewhere you want lighted up, and there you go. Altought something like burning hands might work better...
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:1)
Which is just as well since Everquest for the Mac is still around and doing very well.
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
I guess I could actually stir up enough energy to actually type this query into Google or something....
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:1)
One word... Cedega (Score:2)
Re:One word... Cedega (Score:2)
Re:One word... Cedega (Score:2)
Hell that should be the slogan for Mac and Linux.
Re:One word... Cedega (Score:2)
Re:No Mac version. Don't bother looking. (Score:2)
D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:1)
Re:D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:1)
I found the interface cumbersome, movement was difficult, it was difficult to keep track of quests, I strongly dislike the current ruleset (a dwarf paladin able to shoot a bow is wrong to me), and the ability to solo disappeared very quickly. The fact that in 12 hours of playing and
Re:D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:2)
Re:D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:1)
However, my point that I failed to elaborate is that I prefer the original (to me) 1980-ish rules and I've been very reluctant to accept the newer, more politically correct, anyone can do whatever they wish, ruleset.
I wasn't opposing a dwarf being a paladin at all. I'm fairly certain they were the only other race besides humans that could be paladins. The paradoxes as
Re:D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:1)
Re:D&D Online a disappointment? (Score:1)
Oh boy! (Score:2)
seasoned adventurer voice: "Are you supposed to say LOL or just laugh?"
squeaky kid voice: "Huh?"
seasoned adventurer voice: "Here, drink this swirly potion, it'll fix that voice problem you have."
squeaky kid voice: "'Kay."
seasoned adventurer voice: "Bye now, have a nice day."
squeaky kid voice: *gulp* "Wha..Aiiieeeeee......." (squishy sound)
Any chance there will be a way to weed out
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Oh boy! (Score:1)
Re:Oh boy! (Score:1)
I am guessing Turbine thought playing by the on D&D rules would keep the new people that don't role-play away. It doesn't. All I seen in there was 25% hard-core D&Drs and 75% want'a-be's talking like they would IRL.
Seamed funny after playing the game with all the non-RPGers that the beta selection was not too good,
A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:2)
What's always been missing, though, is the truly freeform experience that a pen-and-paper game provides. When being chased by enemies, can you knock over a crate of apples to trip them up? When fighting an enemy on a bridge, can you grab them and chuck them off the side? Can you pay an assassin to get ri
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:2)
Remember Pool of Radiance? [the-underdogs.org] (And no, I'm not talking about that hideous bastard child from Ubisoft.)
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:2)
Voila, you know what's going on. Want to see what you get next level? That's as easy as opening up the Players Handbook 3.5.
I played DDO on Fri when it came out, then D&D on Sat, DDO on Sun, and a few hours during lunch.
The rules are the same, it's easy to follow, and quite fun. Both have their advantages. Can you get your normal group together during lunch for a quick 45 minutes of play? Can you get
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:2)
Good point. Just as the media affects storytelling (eg books vs movies), different media are conducive to different play styles.
Online lets you enjoy the thrill of complex battles and consistant pacing, at the cost of freedom. P&P of
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:1)
What's always been missing, though, is the truly freeform experience that a pen-and-paper game provides. When being chased by enemies, can you knock over a crate of apples to trip them up? When fighting an enemy on a bridge, can you grab them and chuck them off the side? Can you pay an assassin to get rid of a troublesome bad guy? Can you choose to spare the bad guy's life if he helps you overthrow the reigning king? Can you seduce, marry, and then murder an NPC so as to inherit their land or an important
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:1)
Remember it? It's still going strong, nearly 4 years after release (IIRC). There is still plenty of servers floating around even with the likes of WoW here in great force. The main reasons I can think of is a) a lot of people are against pay-to-play games, and b) NWN has so much scope for customisation, in regards to both the look of your character and also your character "build" when compared to the MMORPG games.
Re:A game of its own, or a pen-and-paper sim? (Score:2)
The lowdown (Score:1)
Ten levels.
Forced grouping.
No exploration.
Everything's instanced.
The Everquest fans that haven't moved on to EQ2 will have a field day. Not sure who else this game is for, exactly.
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
I don't see any reason to play this game. Especially since I've got a group of real people that play the real deal at least twice a month.
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
I would be incredibly surprised if any of them wanted to go back to level one in a game based on a pen & paper RPG that few of them ever played.
I think D&DO will mostly draw younger (age 10-15) MMORPG players, which I consider a good thing for all other MMORPG players in all other games.
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
From what I hear about the combat system, that would be my first expectation anyway.
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
"But, EverQuest has 65 levels!"
So? The pace of those levels and the content available is all that matters. If there is equal content in DDO's 10 levels as there is in 65 levels of EQ, then it ceases to be an issue.
Re:The lowdown (Score:1)
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
The only thing that I can think that this game might remotely appeal to are those who like the PvE part of Guild Wars. But Guild Wars has no monthly fee, has awesome PvP as well, and much better charactor creation. And halfway decent bots for when you can't find anyone to group with (or are short a monk or whatever).
Then again, Guild Wars isn't D&D, but Neverwinter Nights is, and
Re:The lowdown (Score:2)
Didn't read reviews before writing an article? (Score:2)
In the PnP, you have wide flexibility in what you can do, limited only by your GM. In the MMO, you have a limited number of 'dungeons' that you can run, which only seem to involve going into someplace and killing monsters to get stuff. If you ran any of these dungeons, you kno
Re:Didn't read reviews before writing an article? (Score:2)
The mobs will attempt to evade your attacks. Mobs that cast will regularily hop backwards to create casting space. They select spells that are much to your detrement. The sometimes climb up on things to make reaching them harder, especially casters or archers.
This isn't EQ/EQII/WoW/CoH-V/DAoC (shall I go on???) or any of those other games where the mob stands in place and you beat on it. Their AI isn't limited to "kill the mob that is doing the most
Re:Didn't read reviews before writing an article? (Score:2)
I hate to agree (Score:2)
Suprisingly it wasn't very buggy. A few crashes was all but compared to other MMO's who have been released for years (Hello SOE) it was like a linux kernel so stable.
What was wrong with it then? Well there is an odd level design. The starter level (after the tutorial) has no healing potion merchant. If you screw up during the first mission and use all your potions to keep alive then you are stuck. You can't get healed and s
Re:Didn't read reviews before writing an article? (Score:1)
Runs like Guild Wars, but with monthly fee (Score:2)
So what exactly am I paying for with that monthly fee? Since everything is instanced, it requires very little bandwidth or overhead on their part. And non-instanced MMORPG's like WoW are available with much larger user bases and much more developed worlds for the same monthly fee.
The only thing D&D online is selling is name brand recognition, and who still g
Re:Seems kinda pointless to me. (Score:1)
-If
Damn (Score:1)
Re:Damn (Score:1)
That's the Japanese version.
Usual marketing (Score:1)
Other apps that do the same thing, better (Score:1)
Re:Other apps that do the same thing, better (Score:1)
On the whole though it is a great product.
Oh and there are soooo many fre
Re:Other apps that do the same thing, better (Score:1)
Re:Other apps that do the same thing, better (Score:2)
It's like a virtual basement in your house (Score:1)
Wow.
Plus, you don't have to pick up after your friends who leave all their dirty socks, pizza boxes, and scribbled on pieces of paper all over the basement that your mom gets on your case for, and you can press mute when your mom yells at you to finish your chores.
Bonus: if you talk in a really deep voice, noone will know y
Re:It's like a virtual basement in your house (Score:2)
GO NORTH (Score:2)
Re:GO NORTH (Score:2)
Nothing like Pen and Paper (Score:1)
Re:Nothing like Pen and Paper (Score:1)
are there real dm's? (Score:1)
I've had DMs kill an entire party for making too much noise (arguing) and attracting wandering beasties with the noise... and then penalize us with - die roll modifiers with the surprise attack... Remember, it's not really 'Role' playing if you're not playing your role.
Alternative D&D Online Programs (Score:3, Informative)
My personal favorite is Fantasy Grounds (http://www.fantasygrounds.com/ [fantasygrounds.com], which mimics a table top with dice and such. There's no real automation in it, but if you know XML you can customize the rulesets and such.
There are a few others, Klooge (http://www.kloogeinc.com/ [kloogeinc.com]) is a bit more complex, but you can tweak the heck out of it if you know what you're doing. OpenRPG (http://www.openrpg.com/ [openrpg.com]) is another one.
To each their own, but these programs (combined with voice comms) can really help ya relive the tabletop experience if your friends are long distance like mine.
H
Re:Alternative D&D Online Programs (Score:2)
-If
Re:Alternative D&D Online Programs (Score:1)
No content (Score:1)
During the last week of the beta the hardest part in starting a party was deciding what to do: noone cared anymore which dungeon to go to.
You may want to read the beta reviews at http://www.mmorpg.co [mmorpg.com]
I have to disagree with most of you... (Score:1)
So far I haven't ran into any whiny kids on the voice chat, or immature 1337 speakers! My guild is doing qu
Re:I have to disagree with most of you... (Score:2)
DDO is amazing for the casual player. It's also a ton of fun to play, because positioning and such matters. There's something to be said for a dungeon crawl where all you have is six players and you don't automatically recover mana.
I think I'm going to come back to it later after I binge on Kingdom of Sky for a month or three.
Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
I've been playing NWN for ages and we've got a really good DM. I don't really see what the difference is. Done well it could work. Done poorly and it could suck. Just like anything else.
Just because you can remember when Moses was in short pants doesn't make you old. It just means you've had a
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
I've been playing 3rd edition on a regular basis for about 3 years now.
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
Personally I think DND in general has some major problems(*), but D20/DND3 is a gazillion times better thought-out than any of DND, BDND, ADND, XDND, or ADND2.
(*) = AC & HP are wrong in their entirety, spell memorization by level is annoying, class feature progression is too rigid, etc.
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:1)
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
For reference, I have a copy of D&D first edition.
The rules in that game were barely designed - all too often, you have characters that get insta-killed because they only have one hitpoint. Not only that, but once you pick a character class, there is no further variation.
In a way, the same applies to AD&D. Although it was at least better since character flexibility was improved with dual classes (a ch
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:1)
Now we use DnD 3.5 (with a couple of house rules) and I have to say the mechanics are better in almost every way. Th
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
Re:Modern D&D makes me feel old (Score:2)
I cast magic missle! (Score:1)
neverwinter nights. (Score:1)
Necromancers POV (Score:4, Funny)
But suppose I'm an aspiring necromancer working towards lichdom ? Can I reanimate the remains of these intruders of my home once I've dealt with them ? And if so, what happens if they respawn and try again - or does this game actually have a permanent death system ?
Really, why do necromancers take such bad PR all the time ? Using zombies and skeletons as workforce is perfectly logical and hurts no one - their souls have long since departed, after all. Would that "noble" paladin rather have me using slave labor ?
And what does the tree-hugging hippy care - I'm not hurting any trees or small (or even large) animals, am I ? Undead are perfectly natural, or does he perhaps think that every skeleton roaming some long-forgotten tomb was rised by a necromancer ? "Nature" - bah ! Druids only accept part of nature, and declare everything else "unnatural", while using their own utterly unnatural powers without remorse - or do you think that it's natural for a human being to become a squirrel at will ?
Hmmph. It's all baseless propaganda, malicious wrongfull accusations. They are all just jealous of the fact that if they get a tiny hole in their body they die, while if I get my head hacked off I'll simply pick it up and reattach it. It is pure bone envy, I tell you !
Re:Necromancers POV (Score:2)
Bah, Necromancers are the CEOs of D&D. Outsourcing mindless killing jobs which could have gone to hard working gnomes.
And what does the tree-hugging hippy care - I'm not hurting any trees or small (or even large) animals, am I ? Undead are perfectly na
Re:Necromancers POV (Score:2)
In the end it works for everyone's favor. Only by using the most cost-effective available labor can a necromantic treasure retrieval effort stay competitive in todays fiercely competitive adventuring environment. This, in turn, means an economic boom for local businessess. The gnomes can find new jobs in supplying equipment for the armies of the dead, and if they can't, at least they
Re:Necromancers POV (Score:2)
Re:Necromancers POV (Score:2)
There is no Necro-Industrial Complex. It is merely a myth perpetuated by the unpatriotic thought criminals who are against the advancement of necromancy for their own less than wholesome reasons.
In this time of interplanar competition, we must employ all of our strategic resources for maximum gain
Re:Necromancers POV (Score:2)
D&DO - real DMs = D20WoW, no thanks (Score:1)