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Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark goes live [Updated]
Hope your dice are polished and your character sheets fresh from the copier: Dungeons and Dragons Online's first expansion has gone live on Turbine's servers. Menace of the Underdark is now available for all players who have purchased the digital expansion pack from the studio. Menace of the Underdark represents a sizable addition to the game. With it, DDO is expanding into the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and offers a new class, the Druid. Players will also be able to level up to 25 and expand their characters with the epic destinies system. "Menace of the Underdark delivers a wealth of content for our players and introduces significant engine upgrades that allow us to bring to life in a striking, visually impressive manner two of the most requested features, the new Druid class and access to the Forgotten Realms setting," said Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. While you patch up the game, you can check out the last of Menace of the Underdark's developer interviews after the jump! [Source: Turbine press release] [Update: Turbine just announced over Twitter that the game is now available on Steam!]
Druids, Drow, and destinies in an epic DDO expansion tour
On Thursday, Turbine will take the wraps off of Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark and commence with the closed beta. It's a heady time for both the team and playerbase, as this 2007 title steps into the big leagues of expansion-holding MMOs. And because we know you hate waiting for all the goods, we joined Turbine on the test server for an advance look at some of the hottest features coming with June's launch. On the phone with us was Senior Producer Eric Boyer, Community Specialist Amanda Grove, and Design Director Ian Currie. "We want to show players how big the expansion pack is and how much it'll be changing the game," Boyer began, telling us that levels one through 20 were merely "heroic" -- now it'll be time to make the move into epic territory. From a look at the much-anticipated Druid and the previously vague Epic Destinies to a lightning tour of your first day in the Forgotten Realms, the team was out to convince us that Menace of the Underdark is fully worthy of the "expansion" moniker. How's it looking so far? Take a look for yourself!
DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders
Speaking of Guinness World Records for video games, I wonder whether Dungeons and Dragons Online would be eligible for "Longest time between game release and launch of its first expansion?" Six years may just be the longest we've ever witnessed, as DDO released in 2006, and it wasn't until 2012 that Menace of the Underdark was revealed. The good news is that come June 25th, the drought will be over. We asked Turbine why now seemed like a good time for an expansion. The devs said that Atari had made some noise back in the day about one, but it never came to fruition. With the success of free-to-play, Turbine wanted to see whether the expansion model was still viable, so Lord of the Rings Online was chosen as a test subject. When Rise of Isengard became the best-selling expansion for the company, the company felt secure letting DDO have a chance, although there was quite a lot of wrangling with Wizards of the Coast about the details and permissions. Record or no, it's an exciting event for DDO players, and the today, Turbine has announced the two biggest details for the expansion's schedule. The first is that Menace of the Underdark has a release date, and the second is the opening of pre-orders. Read on to get all of the juicy infos.
Unraveling DDO's Web of Chaos: Turbine talks Update 13
The vanguard of the free-to-play MMO movement is bearing down on the industry this spring, as Dungeons and Dragons Online prepares for its sixth birthday, its 13th update, and its first expansion. We sat down with Turbine Executive Producer Fernando Paiz and Senior Producer Eric Boyer to talk about this coming Monday's Update 13 and what players have to look forward to once it goes live. Update 13 comes at what could be seen as a renaissance in the game's history. Following DDO's transition to F2P, Turbine saw an upsurge in players and profits that continues to this day. Paiz said that "the game is doing very well," and while he did not disclose numbers, he feels that DDO's status as one of the first F2P adaptations gave it a lead that others have yet to overtake. Even so, with only five updates in 2011, it's hard to deny that DDO has faded into the background somewhat as newer titles and more recent F2P transitions hogged the spotlight. Turbine means to rectify this: "I think it's safe to say that this year we're making some noise again," Paiz said confidently. He went on to share just why this Monday's patch will be one of the most pivitol in DDO's history.
The axe falls: DDO's first novel is released
It's not every MMO that is honored with a published novel set in its world, but when it happens, it's a cause for celebration. Today Dungeons and Dragons Online joins the ranks of other novelized MMOs by being immortalized in book form, as Wizards of the Coast has released The Shard Axe by Marsheila Rockwell. According to the description, The Shard Axe is steeped in familiar DDO settings: Sentinel Marshal Sabira d'Deneith has spent the last eight years trying to drown the memories of the mission that cost her partner his life and gave her the nickname, the Shard Axe. But all the old memories come flooding back when she's recalled from the city of Stormreach to carry out a mission on House Deneith's behalf-to protect and defend the heir of the dwarven city of Frostmantle during his murder trial. The same heir she and her partner guarded eight years ago in the same city-from the same style of murders. Is the dreaded Nightshard still alive and taunting her? Or is there another serial killer loose in the Mror Holds? We got the opportunity to talk to Ms. Rockwell back in February with an extensive interview about the book. The Shard Axe is just $6.99 and is available in both paperback and on a variety of e-readers.
Dungeons and Dragons Online's state of the game letter talks crafting, Update 9
It's time for the April version of Dungeons and Dragons Online's State of the Game address, and striding toward the teleprompter is Turbine executive producer Fernando Paiz. First up is a shout out to the newly assimilated French and German DDO communities. Paiz also says that all DDO clients and servers will support multiple languages via a launcher toggle. There's also some discussion about Update 9, in particular the "major balance pass" that all the game's spells have undergone. Epic content is getting some attention, as are DDO's animations. The new crafting system gets some virtual ink as well, and Paiz says that Turbine will be "incrementally releasing more crafting levels and recipes through Update 9 and Update 10" as well as soliciting feedback over time. Finally, there's talk of challenge quests and how the new content will play out over the next few months. Overall, there's a lot going on, and you've got a fair bit of reading to do, so head to the official DDO website to get started.
The Perfect Ten: Best non-traditional MMO fantasy races
Elves. Dwarves. Humans. Halflings. Gnomes. Hobbits. Dark elves. High elves. Half-elves. Wood elves. Keebler elves. Elvish impersonators. Are you as tired as I am of the endless regurgitation of stock fantasy races in our MMOs? It seems inconceivable (I do not think that means what you think it means) for a new fantasy title to come out without most of the above races infesting the character creation screen with moldy unoriginality, putrescent stank, and dusty boredom. That's why today I'm standing up to praise 10 MMOs that dare to go above and beyond the stale by offering mostly unique and different races than the rest of the market. Hopefully future games will learn from their example and throw off the yokes of generic oppression to give us something bold and refreshing!
Exploring Eberron: Neverwinter nightcaps
Depending on how much stock you put in the rumors or in Cryptic in general, this past week's announcement of a second Dungeons & Dragons MMO -- pardon me, an "OMG" -- either rocked you back on your heels or cooled off your heels. Something to do with heels, at any rate. In a Daily Grind this past May, I asked readers how they would make another D&D MMO. There were a lot of thoughtful responses, a few instances of keyboard gibberish, and a contingent adamant that the D&D license was locked up in DDO and couldn't be handed out elsewhere. I guess the latter argument is a moot point right now -- obviously, Turbine doesn't have a monopoly on an online D&D -- although its existence brings to mind not just a few questions. Is the world big enough for two online D&D titles? What does this announcement mean for our beloved DDO? Is Neverwinter positioning itself to be direct competition, or a different entity altogether? Has the Cryptic crew learned its lessons? In my final Exploring Eberron (Rubi returns next week, so you may start doing your happy dance... now), I'm going to answer all of these queries in such a way that your world will forever be rocked. On its heels.
Exploring (the rest of) Eberron
By the time you read this, I'll be scampering about GenCon in Indianapolis, thick in the middle of four days of gaming and geekery. Don't weep for me, for I am already gone! One of my hopes for this weekend is to reconnect with pen-and-paper RPGs, a part of my gaming life that has almost withered into nothingness. That got me thinking about Eberron -- the D&D campaign in which DDO is set. You don't hear DDO players fussing about it so much any more (people either made their peace with it or moved on), but way back when, the Eberron setting was a fairly controversial choice for Turbine to make. After all, there are dozens upon dozens of campaign settings, including some (like Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance) that most people associate with the franchise. Eberron, on the other hand, was a relatively wet-behind-the-ears upstart with a quirky setting that can best be described as "Indiana Jones meets steampunk meets flashy, practical magic." Personally, I've grown to like the campaign, and I want to take a look at how the pen-and-paper version was constructed, how the Eberron setting shines in DDO, and how Turbine could be using it more.
The Digital Continuum: Socialize, now
Socialization is dead! Isn't it? Well actually, that's a tough one. Certainly, the perception that socialization is becoming a lesser factor to more and more developers has become the norm among most people. That doesn't necessarily mean they're correct. So, let's examine the general landscape of yesteryear and beyond to see what's really going on when it comes to human interaction in our massively multiplayer online games.
Engage your DDO groove in this Sorrowdusk Isle video
Turbine's DDO: Unlimited is without a doubt a bold and creative move in the MMO industry, and so we like to pay attention to their content packs for the game -- especially since we know there are those of you out there who're gaming on a budget.This video for Sorrowdusk Isle does a very good job of visually conveying what you'll get with your purchase, but somehow the music feels, um, well wrong. The techno-inspired beats aren't bad, it's just odd when watching warriors slay monsters feels a little too much like a rave from the early 90s. Then again, who're we to judge? Maybe that's the next Adventure Pack: The House of Trance Jungle.Check out the video after the break, and feel your foot tap to the beat.
DDO Unlimited's final patch notes released
If you're one of those types of people who loves reading patch notes, then do we have a patch note novel for you! In anticipation of the Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited release later this week, the DDO devs have dropped the final patch notes in our collective laps today. These patch notes are certainly epic. Never before has a developer attempted to defeat the Iliad with the power of bug fixes and game improvements. The patch notes for DDO go over everything from the new class, to the new level cap of 20, to the UI enhancements, feat changes, class specific patch notes, adventure areas, and much, much more.If you're interested in checking out what's in store for you at the launch of DDO, look no further than Turbine's patch notes. Enjoy your scrolling!
DDO Unlimited's Favored Soul and Reaver's Reach screens
Turbine has been a busy bee lately when it comes to DDO Unlimited (launching September 9th) but we're pretty okay with that since the game is a whole lot of fun. Likewise, these new screens featuring the new Favored Soul class and add-on adventure pack, Reaver's Reach, are pretty entertaining. Screens from this particular developer have always been pretty great, and yet Turbine has stepped up their game here.So even if you don't plan on playing DDO Unlimited too much, we highly recommend that you check these babies out. If you're looking to kill some time, especially, because they're oh-so shiny and pretty. It's so distracting that you could almost forget what you were, uh... what were we saying again?%Gallery-66255%
DDO: Eberron Unlimited details surface, new class revealed
Well, we can't say we exactly saw this one coming. Turbine has pulled back the curtain on some details for Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, namely the new class being added with the major business model shift. Although, we've also learned there'll be new combat updates and a return of Stormreach's marketplace, which was destroyed last year.As for the new class, it's been revealed to be the Favored Soul. According to Turbine's press release, "Favored souls draw on divine magic to both heal and destroy. Like clerics, favored souls have access to powerful healing spells, but they are also more skilled with weapons than any other spell caster. Like sorcerers, they get a larger number of spell points than other spell casters and cannot freely switch spells at taverns or rest shrines." So it sounds like we're dealing with a cross between a Cleric and a Sorcerer, which is pretty awesome actually. What sorts of weapons -- and screens of the class itself -- remains to be seen, sadly.Still, we should have even more details in the coming weeks and hopefully Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited will launch sometime this summer.
The Digital Continuum: Four days with Dungeons & Dragons Online
7:41pm Tuesday, April 7thI just spent my first night with Dungeons and Dragons Online since it first launched in 2006, and came away from the experience pleasantly surprised. The trial client download was snappy, at around 45 minutes. The graphics have definitely seen an upgrade and overall my initial experience has been one of enjoyment. I was expecting to be left a little wanting and instead ended tonight's session quite begrudgingly. Why?I needed to write this first entry. And oh yeah, I also required some food, too.
The Digital Continuum: Four days with Dungeons & Dragons Online part 2
Anyhow, I opted to keep away from Stormreach for today and do a few more remaining starter quests in Korthos, which is fine since it gave me the chance to talk about the Korthos experience as a whole. Players originally began in the harbor of Stormreach. In DDO, you're sent to save a man descended from a famous bloodline and he's the only person that can aid the town in some substantially dangerous -- but equally exciting -- stuff.
Looking ahead during Turbine downtime
All Turbine game servers are down today for their once-ever-other-Monday scheduled maintenance. Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online and Asheron's Call players, we hear your pain. What to do until the servers come back up at 2pm EST today? Instead of trolling the official forums, we'd like you to look ahead at what awaits you. For LotRO, Book 12 is now on the test server with its revamps to the Guardian, Burglar and Champion classes as well as the Barbershop and the cosmetic Outfit system and polish pass on the high level solo zone, Angmar. Also, last week's dev chat dropped quite a few hints on post 12 plans.DDO is not to be outdone with its upcoming Module 6 content patch. Our own Mike Schramm got a hands-on tour from the devs. Not only did he get a grand tour of what is to come this week when the Module goes live, but hints of what Turbine is planning throughout the year for this title.And finally, Asheron's Call is looking forward to...um, 9 more years? We'll look into it and get back to you on this one.
New trial program for Dungeons & Dragons Online
For anyone looking to maybe try out a new MMO or just wanting to kill some time, DDO has a brand spanking new 10 day trial page up and running with some nice screenshots for those of us who enjoy looking at shiny things. Of course, the trial itself is a "limited time" offer according to the website. It's been a couple of years since the game launched, so now may be the perfect time for some people to check back in and see what's happening. In fact, with the upcoming sixth module and live events happening here and there it seems like a great time to investigate the game. It's really always nice to see a game doing well with the community it has. Hopefully this trial will give players who have been giving thought to buying the game a chance to try it out first. Don't forget that the two-year anniversary is coming up in February and it's likely that players can expect some fun and surprising events.
A preview of D&D Online's sixth module
While the focus on much of the MMO community is on the reigning champ or the upcoming hotness, loyal fans keep smaller games not only afloat but flourishing. Turbine's Dungeons and Dragons Online is one such game tirelessly continuing development , despite the lack of mainstream media attention or general community buzz. Gamespy has coverage of the next release slated for the game, Module Six: "The Thirteenth Eclipse". It should be patched in before the end of the month.The video above nicely encapsulates the highlights of the next publish, which will offer the beginnings of a crafting system and the introduction of a demonic struggle to the continent of Xen'drick. The demon attack is especially interesting for fans of the Eberron setting; the fiends are invading from one of the mysterious outer planes, slipping into the world through a collision between the prime material plane and the Shavarath Battleground. Great stuff, reaching deep into the setting's lore. For a full look at the publish make sure you check out the written article. It's worth noting that this piece is just another in GameSpy's pattern of giving quality coverage to MMOs. Whether it's an interview with the FFXI team or a peak at Project Entropia's 2008 plans, they're doing top-notch work over there.
WRUP: Dead man's chest edition
It's Friday, which means that not only is the weekend here, but it's time once again for our weekly query: we want to know just What aRe yoU Playing?I know quite a few folks will be headed into the Pirates of the Burning Sea preorder this weekend, as FLS just recently opened the floodgates on their servers. Me, I've just gotten my WoW addiction back into gear, so I'll be back pushing my very first character off into Outland and up towards 70. I'm also planning to head into Dungeons and Dragons Online for the first time-- being that I'm a huge fan of pen and paper D&D, it'll be interesting to see how Turbine has translated Eberron into MMO form.What are you up to in the virtual worlds this weekend?%Gallery-11461%
