I am utterly susceptible to trying practically any game at all if enough people talk about how good something is, regardless of my own trusted experiences with said game. I simply cannot resist seeing for myself what the fuss is about. This flaw in my psyche is why I tried WoW three times, why I patched up LOTRO last weekend, and why I am now re-downloading Dungeons & Dragons Online Unlimited.
Having tried the free trial of DDO (pre-Unlimited) on two separate occasions, I can say that my previous impression was that I vehemently hated it. I simply do not feel that a video game based on a pen-and-paper strategic turn-based combat system is the place to insert an real-time, action-based combat system. I agree with Syncaine in that I feel combat is far too fast, and that it is this fast in a game based on Dungeons & Dragons of all things is particularly upsetting to me.
I also found it frustrating that outside of RPing in a tavern, I did not feel there were enough tools to make role-playing choices or interact with the environment in the sort of varied way you would get with the traditional PnP version. My cleric felt like just another cleric running just another dungeon (and don’t get me started on repeating dungeons!), and while I accept that this is the case in many other MMOs, I expected so much more from such a franchise. There is also a rather vocal contingent on the forums who show up to any negative post or review of the game, eager to tell anyone who doesn’t love it all about how they’re obviously doing it wrong.
In short, I had expected a more role-play heavy, slower combat type of game. I had been looking forward to seeing more room and more in-game rewards for personal creativity realized in digital form, and I was sorely disappointed with the reality.
But I am me, and I cannot resist picking the game up again in light of the newest reports that members, subscriptions and profits are way up for DDOU these days. I admire Turbine for implementing a F2P model that has far eclipsed many others currently being tried in the western gaming world. In some way, I want to do my part to support them because I want other companies take heed and adopt this model as well.
I don’t know that I will not throw my mouse at the monitor (…again) after half an hour of clickclickclicking my way through another dungeon. I do know that I will be purchasing a Warforged character this time around, for increased survivability (this is a huge hit to my Pretty, Pretty Princess factor, but so are the red-blooded character models). I will be taking advantage of the Hireling system, which is new to me, as well as playing with my better half and perhaps a couple of RL friends when possible.
I want to like this game so badly. It is the only Dungeons & Dragons Online we have, and probably the only one we ever will. If I can just manage to have some fun this time, I am sure that I can overlook everything else.
I am taking a deep breath, dusting DDO off, and going back in.
Casual Is As Casual Does 
[…] Randomessa dusts off DDO for another go in Eberron […]
The blogger Ardwulf has got a static group going on Tuesday nights on the Argonessen server. He’s got 1 full group going and a 2nd group that sometimes plays and sometimes not depending on how many people show up on a given night. We’re all level 3 now, but that doesn’t take long to get on the starter island once you figure out what you’re doing 😉
So.. if you want to join us, hit us up on Tuesday night on Argonessen server at 8 pm Eastern time. I’m usually on “Memnoq” or “Magikaan.” Ardwulf is Hrakn or Rafian (and usually Hrakn in the guild groups. Rafian is his solo character).
Hi! Unfortunately I am on Pacific time so most EST groups are out for me. But if I am ever home early or off for the day I will look you guys up and tell my better half to do the same!
I can be on later (I’m in Mountain time myself) — I’m not tied to that group only 😛
So if you wanna roll on Argo, you can still look me up 😀 Magikaan is the character name I’m usually playing, but since it’s 5th level now, I can still easily roll something to start over with you and your “better half” if you’d like.
I’ve always felt that too–this was a game I always wanted to like. And I did like some aspects of it, just never enough to keep me playing more than a few days.
Will keep an eye out here to see how you’re liking now and if it’s worthwhile for me to give it a whirl again. Have fun!
I played DDO shortly after it launched. I forget how long I stuck with it; a few months perhaps. I was annoyed by the lack of soloability and being restricted to a single city. I was impressed with its looks. I suppose I was unwisely looking for a way to revive my old PnP days, which is unreasonable to expect from an MMO.
But darn it, now you have me pondering giving it another whirl. I don’t have time for yet another MMO! *shakes fist*
I can definitely say I don’t have enough time for all the MMOs I’m currently interested in! I think I’m currently managing half an evening per week with each of them *grin*.
I’ve been playing DDO only since it went unlimited, as a friend talked me into the trap. It has the chief advantage, for me, of being free. I have no monthly subscriptions to anything, nor a reliable income to commit to one. So free is a good price. 😀
Roleplaying options are pretty much nill, although with a voice-chat group you could remedy that a little bit. While there are some spots that are going to be frantic no matter what, the pacing does rely on the group a lot. The combat is pretty much always frantic, but if you know the group you’re with you can slow down the dungeon pace by eliminating “zergers” (those who run ahead pell-mell through the whole dungeon) and discussing a plan before you go in.
It’s definitely a hack-n-slash game, but it doesn’t have to be a mindless one. With a group that wants to take things on for maximum XP and listens to the leader, you can have a dungeon crawl instead of a dungeon sprint. I’ve been in a group before where the entire group sat still for 3-5 minutes, while our Dwarven paladin leader picked off enemies with his throwing axe because his spot range was longer than theirs. The rest of us just hung out, and swarmed around him whenever an enemy would happen to figure out where the axes were coming from and come charging over. Likewise, I’ve been in a group where the level 3 wizard ran ahead of the entire group because he “had better armor than the barbarian” and not only got himself killed but the rest of us swarmed by elite undead and killed. But I’ve been in more good groups than bad groups overall.
One of the best runs I’ve ever had was a full run of the Delara’s chain with my level 7 dwarf cleric. Most of the group was from one guild, with only myself and one other being outsiders, and the leader was another dwarf cleric. He knew the chain well, and everyone listened to him. I literally spent as much as 15 minutes I think without ever swinging my mace once; the leader and I divided up responsibility with myself doing exclusively healbot and him doing point lead and buffs. I think 4 or 5 of us had some sort of summon along, so it was really a 10-member party most of the time. the most hilarious fun was one room with a ton of undead, where the leader had us all stack up in the doorway, and then he buffed and ran through the room pulling 30 or so undead back to the doorway, where the sorc cast a wall of flame repeatedly and the entire party just clustered in the door on top of each other swinging away like madmen. It was absolutely hilarious.