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DDO: Shadows of Stormreach online novella
Dungeons & Dragons Online fans who are curious to learn more about the city of Stormreach and its mysterious inhabitants should read Eberron creator Keith Baker's new online novella. Shadows of Stormreach is available at the DDO web site, and tells the tale of a halfling thief and her companions. A good read after the first two chapters. Anyone care to make a Neverwinter Nights module out of this?
"RPG" missing from today's MMORPGs
Are you getting enough role-playing elements out of your MMO? Cari Davidson over at MMORPG.com thinks we could use a lot more, and feels that a true MMORPG with an engaging storyline has yet to be created. She refers to the current crop of online time sinks as "glorified chat rooms" that are big on player interaction, but void of entertaining narrative or character development. The type of experience Davidson longs for may not be possible in today's MMOs, and she acknowledges this, sort of. Initially, she claims "it's really not that hard" to create player interactions that blend well with role-playing, character development, and storytelling. But then she recants, "telling a story in a world populated by thousands of players is a big challenge." I would subscribe to the latter train of thought, and I suspect Dungeons & Dragons Online developer Turbine would as well. DDO favors the "meet and greet" party formation, and the system creates an instance of each dungeon for you and your co-players. This type of controlled gameplay experience allows for the possibility of more immersive storytelling, but its execution has met with little success. As a result, Turbine has added solo play to DDO, and PvP is on the way. Which means more lifeless, formulaic quests for those gamers who prefer a little more depth to their adventures.A happy medium has been around for the past four years in the form of Neverwinter Nights. It supports dozens of party members and, while not quite massive, is considerably larger than a typical Baldur's Gate or Diablo II session. Skilled modders have succeeded in prolonging NWN so successfully that BioWare has even hired some of them on -- maybe to work on the Canadian developer's new MMORPG.What are your thoughts on the current state of MMORPGs?
DDO solo play now available
Last month at E3, Turbine announced they would be adding solo play to Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach -- a decision based on user feedback (and most likely, to bring the game a step closer to World of Warcraft). According to the company's web site, a "Solo" option is now available to players at the earliest levels, and dungeon difficulty is adjusted accordingly, although there are certain maps that still require team play. PvP functionality will also be added in the future.[via RPGPlanet]
DDO adds solo play in new expansion
Turbine is making its presence felt at E3 with the announcement of Twilight Forge, the next Dungeons & Dragons Online expansion module. D&D aficionados can look forward to the addition of eight new monsters and the ability to create characters based on the popular Drow race of dark elves. However, the most significant enhancement is an improved single player experience, which was absent in the core game.Turbine head dungeon master Jeffrey Anderson said DDO subscribers can expect additional character levels and PvP battles in future modules. The game's first expansion, Dragon's Vault, was free of charge, although no pricing information has been announced for Twilight.Check out GameSpot's updated image gallery.
Turbine offers free DDO trial
If you're still on the fence about Dungeons & Dragons Online, Turbine is offering a free seven-day trial so you can build a character and experience the world of Eberron. Should you decide to buy the game after this period, you can continue with your trial character. Many MMO enthusiasts have been hesitant to purchase DDO because it isn't single player-friendly, and some initial reviews mentioned the difficulty in forming parties and keeping them together. However, the game has been out for over a month now, and if you're looking for an alternative to your current MMO, it might be worthwhile to give DDO a free spin.See also: Metareview - Dungeons & Dragons Online[via Eurogamer]
