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DDO Update 16 will have 'generous helping of adventures'
Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 16 is preparing to deliver a "generous helping of Forgotten Realms adventures" this November, according to Producer Fernando Paiz. In a new letter to the community, Paiz looks ahead to the game's next major update, which he says will expand high-level content in the new world setting. "There will be new monsters to fight, a new story to explore, and castles to plunder (because every good D&D campaign needs castles)!," Paiz writes. He says that Update 16 will also contain an additional Epic Destiny called Primal Avatar. Turbine is also focusing on whittling down its known issues list with several bug updates and fixes. Paiz says that Update 17 should arrive by the end of the year as well, but it will be a smaller patch with updates to seasonal festivities. He also hints at the studio's plans for DDO in 2013, including updates to both campaign settings and a return to Gianthold.
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!]
New DDO trailer goes behind the scenes on Underdark expansion
Can't get enough of Turbine's new Dungeons and Dragons Online expansion, eh? We can't either, and fortunately the firm has released a new trailer that takes us behind the scenes on the making of the Menace of the Underdark content. The clip features producer Fernando Paiz, who calls the expansion the largest content push in the game's six-year history. Since the expansion is delving into a new IP (the Forgotten Realms, as opposed to DDO's original Eberron setting), the devs have had to adjust their thinking in terms of both content and art direction. Turbine's Jeff De Puy says that "almost all the monsters [the devs are] creating for Forgotten Realms are epically large and big." How epically large and big? You'll have to click past the cut and view the video to find out.
PAX East 2012: Menace of the Underdark brings big changes to Dungeons and Dragons Online
Dungeons and Dragons Online players are in for a whole new world of adventure when Menace of the Underdark launches this summer. The expansion, due to release on June 25th, will send players into the Forgotten Realms to fight against the Queen of Spiders, Lolth. Executive Producer Fernando Paiz and Senior Producer Eric Boyer welcomed us into their lair... er, Turbine's booth... to talk about the upcoming expansion at this year's PAX East. Read on for our preview!
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.
Turbine makes 'biggest announcement since free-to-play' for Dungeons and Dragons Online
The Dungeons and Dragons Online developers have been enjoying the game's success, and things are running smoothly, but fans know that doesn't mean the team's been kicking back and relaxing. We've had content updates regularly, and not just little token patches but rather new adventure packs, new races and classes, the addition of crafting, and much more. Have you enjoyed the past year or so in DDO? Well, hang on to your hats because we spent some time chatting with Eric Boyer and Fernando Paiz and... well, those updates aren't the only thing the developers have been working on. Click past the break to see what's about to take DDO by storm.
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.
Massively's look at DDO's new crafting system
Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 9 has been anticipated for quite a while among its fanbase. It's bringing a creepy new adventure pack, a huge skill update that Wizards and Sorcerers are paying close attention to, and possibly best of all, a brand-new crafting system. We've had a look at some of the new content of Update 9, and we've pored over the skill changes, but our recent discussion with the Turbine crew was the icing on the cake. We sat down recently with Fernando Paiz and a few other members of the DDO team and jumped into the new crafting system with both feet. So what does this much-hyped system look like? We loved it, but follow along after the jump to see for yourself! %Gallery-121829%
Vous parlez français? French and German editions of DDO now available
For many players, it's comforting to know that Dungeons and Dragons Online's European operations are now safe in the hands of Turbine. As part of the new global service of the game, Turbine's just announced that EU players now can enjoy German and French editions of the game in addition to English. "We've successfully migrated players from the former European service and we are very excited to begin welcoming thousands more to DDO Unlimited," said Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. "This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we continue to roll out new content and features for our growing legions of players. We're very excited to begin engaging directly with German and French speaking players and look forward to introducing them to a truly premium free-to-play MMORPG." Last year, Turbine took over European operations from Codemasters, which had handled the game since launch. In addition to the German and French localizations, Europe can enjoy DDO Unlimited's popular free-to-play format, which is now fully in sync with the North American version.
PAX East 2011: Stalking through DDO's Update 9
One of the scariest games I ever played has to be the original Silent Hill. A nearly empty town shrouded with fog and featuring one of the most terrifying elementary schools ever devised? Yes, this is why I didn't sleep much in 1999. So when I started to get flashbacks as Fernando Paiz took me through the creepy alleyways of Dungeon and Dragons Online's upcoming update, I had to excuse myself and run around the PAX East show floor for a few minutes while shrieking like a tormented cat. OK, it wasn't that frightening, but I definitely was getting a Silent Hill vibe from the latest adventure pack that Turbine has crafted for the game. Coming "soon" (TM, all rights reserved, void in Utah and the Yukon Territories), DDO's Update 9 promises to bring a wide assortment of lavish treats to a hungry populace. At the center of it is a level 15 quest chain that centers around mysterious abductions, a skittish population, and nightmares made flesh. Hit the jump as I recall my brush with certain death in these adventures and relate the other jewels of Update 9!
PAX East 2011: Turbine makes the case for the free-to-play model
"Pioneers get the gold!" Turbine's Fernando Paiz is fond of saying. "And they get the arrows too..." Instead of the wild, wild west, Paiz was referring to the frontier of MMORPG business models, companies that have diverged from traditional subscriptions over the past 10 years. In a presentation at PAX East titled "The Game Monetization Revolution," he shared how this movement has come about, ways that it can fail, and how pioneers have grabbed the gold by getting it right. Of course, Paiz has a great perspective on this revolution, having helmed Dungeons & Dragons Online as it made the transition from a pure subscription game to a hybrid free-to-play/subscription title. Both DDO and Lord of the Rings Online have done tremendously well since moving to this business model, proving that AAA titles can thrive outside of the subscription-only checkout lane. Hit the jump as Fernando Paiz takes us down memory lane and addresses the biggest fear players have with F2P.
Crashing the parrrty: DDO's producer joins the fifth anniversary festivities
What's better: birthdays or pirates? For Dungeons and Dragons Online Executive Prodicer Fernando Paiz, both are equally awesome, which is why DDO's fifth anniversary is smoothered in secret pirate sauce. In a birthday letter to DDO's playerbase, Paiz gushes about the game's accomplishments over the past half-decade, including its action-based combat, DX11 graphics and free-to-play transition. But all that is the past, as he talks up the myriad of in-game events that are currently happening in the game, which include fighting off pirates, collecting lost goodies and claiming your rightful booty. Paiz also expressed excitement about DDO's future, starting with the European F2P edition that's coming soon to the international community. He also hints at several developments that are coming down the pike for the game, such as a new crafting system, high-level adventure packs, and a never-before-seen content system. You can read the full producer's letter over at DDO.
Turbine's Fernando Paiz to keynote PAX East IGDA conference
PAX East is less than half a month away, promising to be a good time for fans and developers alike. Considering that it's one of the only major gaming conventions in the northeast, we're not surprised that the International Game Developer's Association would have a presence, hosting both a series of panels on breaking into game design and a developer summit. It's the latter that's of the greatest interest to MMO fans, as the summit's keynote speaker is Fernando Paiz of Dungeons and Dragons Online fame. Taking place on Saturday, March 12th at 10:00 a.m. EST, Paiz's keynote speech is titled "The Game Monetization Revolution: Embracing new business models that are good for both players and developers." While the content of the speech is not known, odds are good that it will cover the successful Dungeons and Dragons Online free-to-play switch as well as what it means for the future of games in general. It's an interesting kickoff to the summit, and it shows just how much impact MMOs are having on the larger game industry.
Massively's tour of Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 7
Last month at PAX, Dungeons and Dragons Online Executive Producer Fernando Paiz said that the development team has plans to start creating more content for higher-level players. Over the past year, the team has focused on constructing plenty of content for the huge influx of new free-to-play players, and now it's time to turn attention back to the +10 half of the playerbase. Update 7 is our first look at what's to come. The quest series is in the level 12 range, a bit higher than what we've seen in the past months. It's free-to-play, which makes it even more appealing, and heavily features the two new races, the half-elf and the half-orc. Fernando and Producer Erik Boyer were kind enough to spend some time showing off part of the new content and updates, so follow along after the jump for a first look at Update 7, titled Half Bloods.%Gallery-104048%
Exploring Eberron: One year of DDO free-to-play
Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons Online's switch to free-to-play, a move that worked out extremely well for Turbine. In the past 12 months, the developers have kept the content coming with six sizable updates, and they're now preparing for Update 7. We got our first peek at Update 7 at PAX last week, and I also got a chance to hang out with Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. We talked all about the past year's ups and downs as well as what he sees coming in the next year. So follow along after the cut and join me in wishing DDO free-to-play a happy first birthday. (And enjoy these retro screenshots that I couldn't resist including!)
DDO Update 5: Massively's interview with Fernando Paiz
Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 5 has been out for a while now, and it came on the scene to mixed reviews. Some players were unhappy about the combat changes, bugs here and there caused problems, and there were a couple of hotfixes in the first few days. The new adventure pack and guild renown system balanced it out nicely, though. In spite of continued glitches they were viewed overall as a great addition to the game. We were curious about several aspects of the update and what Turbine has planned for the immediate future, so we posed a few questions to Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say about DDO's Update 5.
Massively's developer tour of DDO update 5: airships, evil carnivals, and bacon
Dungeons and Dragons Online's update 5 is just two weeks away, and we fans have been waiting impatiently with visions of airships dancing in our heads. We've been hearing quite a bit about the big additions, guild renown and the new adventure pack, gaining small details along the way. What about a firsthand look, though, you may ask? Screenshots and patch notes are nice, but is the execution just as good? We at Massively wanted to know too, so we sat down with the Turbine team for tour of update 5: Rise of the Guilds. Executive Producer Fernando Paiz, Producer Eric Boyer, Senior Content Designer Ricardo Liu spent some time showing off all the latest and greatest in this update. Follow along after the jump for Massively's developer tour of airships, evil carnivals, and bacon.
Exploring Eberron: What's next for Dungeons and Dragons Online?
OnedAwesome began actively currying favor with the Coin Lords of Stormreach this week in Dungeons and Dragons Online, by heading into the Steam Tunnels and tackling the Shan-to-Kor Adventure Pack. So what's next for OnedAwesome? We're taking on another explorable next week, this time in the level 4-10 range. Searing Heights is a bit more challenging than some of the other explorables that we've done in the past, and offers a fair amount of XP -- simply running around the area and finding all 15 landmarks will earn over 4,000 XP, and if you luck out and come across all nine rare encounters, it's another 6,075. You'll find several quests in the area as well, along with the slayer bonus for killing as you go. We'll meet at the gate to Searing Heights next Wednesday, at 9 PM US Eastern time -- the gate is in the Marketplace, just west of the Harbor gate and marked by a yellow "X." I want to take a minute and mention something that I read yesterday that really made me appreciate how exceptional the Massively guild is. Fernando Paiz gave an interview that I'll cover more later in this article, but he made an interesting statement: "Right now, if you're in a guild, you might see guild chat going by, but you don't really run into the people that much in the actual game." OnedAwesome is a glaring exception to that rule, thanks to each one of you in the guild. We play together Wednesday nights in constantly changing groups, something that allows us to get to know the guild members as a whole as time passes. I regularly see members logged in and helping one another outside of our scheduled playtime as well. It's this group dynamic that really brings the game to life, and each of you has my sincere thanks for showing other players how great the game can be with a good guild. Okay, Hallmark moment over (although you guys seriously are wonderful)! There are lots of happenings to discuss in the rest of the Dungeons and Dragons Online world, so follow along after the jump as we get all caught up!
Turbine introduces the Dungeons and Dragons Online Offer Wall
One of the things mentioned on the live-from-PAX episode of Massively Speaking was Massively's meeting with Fernando Paiz and his information on what's in store for Dungeons and Dragons Online. Amidst the excitement over zombie-pirates and airships was brief mention of a new way to get Turbine Points. We didn't have many details at the time, but the new method has arrived in the form of the DDO Offer Wall. The Offer Wall was launched earlier today, and it's reminiscent of established earn-points-through-offers programs such as MyPoints. Players will sign up for offers from a third party partnered with Turbine and earn a wide range of points, depending on the offer. (The current range of offer rewards ranges from 15 Turbine Points to just over 2,600.) Adding this type of program to an MMO is a risky proposition for any studio, and Turbine seems to have attempted to address as many questions and concerns as possible ahead of time. Turbine particularly stresses the point that this is not intended to replace any other method of acquiring Turbine Points -- you can still purchase them through the DDO Store and earn them in game. Check out the FAQ, and then head over to take a look at the first round of offers.
